COVID-19 updates

[Craig Lamson]

Did you take a prep class or anything, or just get the materials and then take the test?

I bought an online course, Drone Pilot Ground School.  It was a really good course and it is a lifetime purchase which will be important sine you need to renew every two years.  It was well presented and covered the potential test questions quite well.  Controlled airspace and sectional charts were a bit of a stumbling block for me but the ability to retake the sessions again as needed worked well. I think you might be able to do it yourself but the course was very effective.

Quite frankly you can “get away” with more flight situations if you fly recreationally.  But if if you want to sell your services a 107 is a must.

[Alan Klein]

Working-ish.  Both my wife and I own businesses that support/manage/create public events and conferences, so obviously we're not doing our primary jobs right now, but we're using the time to catch up on logistics fixes, marketing and website updates, updated business strategies and ideas etc.    I also do marketing and PR consulting for a few clients, and they're getting their money's worth (and then some) right now

It sucks losing 90% of two really solid incomes with little warning, but on the other hand, we're going to come out of it with two improved companies, so that's good. 

That sounds great. It's times like this where you got to sharpen your skills and make your company stronger and better than the competition.  The recession is going to hit and there's going to be a lot weeding out of weaker outfits as business decreases overall. It's going to be harder to make a buck.  Everything you do to distinguish your company will pay dividends. Good luck to you both.

[Alan Klein]

I'm still making image files for a customer who is shut down.  Their Marketing department is still working from home but there is little they can do with the images at this point.  I have about a day and a half left and then I can get to the garage where I have a pile-o-parts waiting to be installed on my hobby car.

I work from home when I'm not shooting so this is same-o same-o for me, other than the hankering for a nice thick ribeye from my favorite steakhouse and some Mex from my favorite place...and no, no takeout for me thanks.  The grill and the smoker will be seeing a orkout next week though.

My wife and I have been 24-7 for since 2000 so this is not a big chage in that department.

The whole photo industry has changed since digital.  So you must be use to the constant changing environment already.  It's going to get more challenging real quick.  Good luck.  Frankly, I'm glad we retired although I'm concerned that inflation is going to get really bad.  So my wife and I are going to see shrinking retirement value.  Well, I shouldn't complain,  Most everyone's going to have to tighten their belts.  we just have to stay healthy and (correction-uninfected). 

[Alan Klein]

I'm a software engineer and already work from home. Currently all of our clients are closed so from a business perspective we are also hoping things will pick up asap.
We recently went to 80% hours and pay to keep costs down without reducing staff. So I'm lucky to be able to limp along without assistance for a while but it still hurts.
We are considering ways to adapt our existing technology to the new demands this crisis has presented our clients with.

I also do real estate photography and I expect that may have dried up for a while. Real estate has been hot here for a number of years so it might be time for a lull anyway.

I'd keep in touch with your managers.  See how they're doing.  Wish them well.  Keep your name in their mind. I'm worked for an outfit once with 930 employees.  when funding ran out, they laid off every other person.  Got us down to around 450.  It was brutal.  I survived but it was like war.  I think my boss liked me and remembered me when they prepared the execution list.  Good luck.

[Alan Klein]

Robert: I wish had had a part time job. Maybe consulting two days a week. Sometimes I'm bored in retirement.  After all, how many pictures can you take?  Stay healthy my friend.

[Alan Klein]

Johnathan:  it's sounds similar to the situation in the US.  OF course, Trump is itching to reopen America whose  business has always been business.   Best of luck.

[Alan Klein]

I'm sure The World Health Organization is awaiting AK's exit strategy with bated breath.

Help the rest of the world?  I'm still trying to work out how me and my wife can stay safe at home.   

This afternoon I got out of the house to shoot my new 4x5 in the park.  While the park was fairly crowded, I was able to find a place all to myself.  Where I was shooting I noticed some deer crap which means Lyme infected ticks can't be far away, especially here in New Jersey. So now I've got another disease to worry about. 

[LesPalenik]

Help the rest of the world?  I'm still trying to work out how me and my wife can stay safe at home.   

Hide the rolling pin.

[Alan Klein]

New York State Democratic Gov Andrew Cuomo complains, like Republican President Trump, that maybe they made a mistake shutting everything down.  NYS won't have the budget money from taxes to pay what and who they have to pay.  (That includes me and my wife as we get pensions from them).  So the very people they're trying to help, the old, will now face retirement ruin.  NYS isn't the only state that will have this problem if the country doesn't get back to work.  Additionally, with all the spending, hyperinflation might kick in making pensions, annuities, Social Security, and saving worthless, making the elderly destitute to boot.

This is what he says: "“We’re going to adjust the budget through the years to reflect the actual revenue,” he said. “We’ll say on day one, ‘OK, we intended to give you $100. We don’t have $100, so we’re going to give you $95. But I can only give you $95 if I get $95. And I’ll let you know quarterly.’

“And that’s, frankly, the only way you can do this budget when you have so many unknowns.”

No wonder he wants to be president.  As president, he can print money.  As governor of a state, he can't. 
https://nypost.com/2020/03/26/cuomo-seizing-control-of-ny-state-budget-amid-coronavirus-economic-crunch/

[Alan Klein]

This economic crisis and the new rescue bill has changed people's political philosophies overnight.  I was astounded to read the letters to the editor in a NY Times article on the web about the new Congressional "rescue" bill.  Usually, the letters are anti-Trump, pro illegal immigrant, etc.  Now, nearly every letter is anti immigrant.  The fear of people not having money to keep their kids in college, pay their mortgages, their car lease, their electric bill, etc, has turn politics on its head.  If Trump came out tomorrow and said that all illegals have to go home to their countries tomorrow, he would get 65% support for that in the country. It's astounding. 

It's going to be doubly bad as all the printing is going to create inflation as so many will be getting money but not producing any goods.  All that money chasing less products will increase costs of everything.  Unfortunately Americans don't want to tighten their belts so the government will print more and more to give them making the dollar worthless.  Imports from Europe and Asia will collapse adding to overseas inflation and job loss as well.  Hold your hat Dorothy.  We're in for a storm.

[Jim Pascoe]

I say earlier than that. 

The Imperial College study, the UK study that caused the UK to loose their shit and go on full lock down, is revising the number of predicted deaths down from 100,000s to under 20,000.  That is an order of magnitude lower then what they were predicting just last week.

You do realise that the reason they are revising their predictions on the death rate is precisely BECAUSE we instigated a lock down.  The lower fatality rate will only happen IF social distancing is continued for many weeks to com.

Jim

[Jim Pascoe]

It's going to be doubly bad as all the printing is going to create inflation as so many will be getting money but not producing any goods.  All that money chasing less products will increase costs of everything.  Unfortunately Americans don't want to tighten their belts so the government will print more and more to give them making the dollar worthless.  Imports from Europe and Asia will collapse adding to overseas inflation and job loss as well.  Hold your hat Dorothy.  We're in for a storm.

Alan - I'm no economist, but I find it hard to believe that the US will not weather this storm.  This is the mighty USA, the richest nation on earth, the nation that built an enormous military machine to defeat the Nazis and Japanese in the 1940's, the nation that ran a hugely expensive Apollo programme to put men on the moon, that invested 10 years, untold billions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives into a (failed) military adventure in Vietnam.  Then after the 9/11 attack which killed thousands of citizens, spent billions more dollars and thousands of lives battling terrorist supporters in the Middle East. 

Money always somehow seems to be found to fight wars or prepare for the next one.  Pandemics are just as dangerous as war - why do you not spend money building things that will better lives instead of taking them.  The US is not alone in this of course.

In spite of your current president and all the negative, greedy, selfish people we hear about - most US citizens must be better than that.  This episode will pass, the vast majority will survive, and in spite of a temporary hit to the economy - life will carry on.

I wish you well.

Jim

[Paulo Bizarro]

Is there anyone out there actually working?  What kind of an environment?  How do you stay safe?

Both me and my wife are working from home. I work for a small Portuguese oil company that has interests in Oman, UAE, Kazakhstan, Brasil, and Angola. It was a company founded by mr. Gulbenkian in the 1930´s, he was known as mr. 5%. I can work from home with VPN and internet access.

My wife works for the Hydrographic Institute, she can also manage with VPN and internet.

I think this crisis will change ways of working in a lot of companies, driving and spending hours a day on traffic or commuting does not make any sense anymore.

My kids are 26 and 20, their universities are lecturing via web platforms. The only downside are the laboratory classes that require a physical presence. Right now, one of the big issues is how to close the school year at all levels, with exams, etc.

We stay safe basically statying at home. It is important to establish routines, exercise, allocate time for hobbies, etc. It is interesting, human nature - we all complained before that we had not enough time at home! We also do short walks around the block, early in the morning, when there is no one else around. I live 5 min from a beach, but that was closed recently.

[D Fuller]

Doing any drone work with your real estate photography?  I just got my part 107 licence and was thinking about trying to do a bit of real estate work to earn a few extra bucks in my off season. Plus retirement is not that far away on the horizion and drone work might be a great way to fill my time and checkbook.

Can you get your 107 license completely online, or do you have to go somewhere to get tested?

(Sorry for stepping off topic for a moment.)

[KLaban]

Alan - I'm no economist, but I find it hard to believe that the US will not weather this storm.  This is the mighty USA, the richest nation on earth, the nation that built an enormous military machine to defeat the Nazis and Japanese in the 1940's, the nation that ran a hugely expensive Apollo programme to put men on the moon, that invested 10 years, untold billions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives into a (failed) military adventure in Vietnam.  Then after the 9/11 attack which killed thousands of citizens, spent billions more dollars and thousands of lives battling terrorist supporters in the Middle East. 

Money always somehow seems to be found to fight wars or prepare for the next one.  Pandemics are just as dangerous as war - why do you not spend money building things that will better lives instead of taking them.  The US is not alone in this of course.

In spite of your current president and all the negative, greedy, selfish people we hear about - most US citizens must be better than that.  This episode will pass, the vast majority will survive, and in spite of a temporary hit to the economy - life will carry on.

I wish you well.

Jim

Sadly it seems that the USA now has more cases of the virus than anywhere else in the world.

Stay safe folks.

[Rob C]

Both me and my wife are working from home. I work for a small Portuguese oil company that has interests in Oman, UAE, Kazakhstan, Brasil, and Angola. It was a company founded by mr. Gulbenkian in the 1930´s, he was known as mr. 5%. I can work from home with VPN and internet access.

My wife works for the Hydrographic Institute, she can also manage with VPN and internet.

I think this crisis will change ways of working in a lot of companies, driving and spending hours a day on traffic or commuting does not make any sense anymore.

My kids are 26 and 20, their universities are lecturing via web platforms. The only downside are the laboratory classes that require a physical presence. Right now, one of the big issues is how to close the school year at all levels, with exams, etc.

We stay safe basically statying at home. It is important to establish routines, exercise, allocate time for hobbies, etc. It is interesting, human nature - we all complained before that we had not enough time at home! We also do short walks around the block, early in the morning, when there is no one else around. I live 5 min from a beach, but that was closed recently.

I believe that you're right, that there will be large changes in the way that people work. Overall, it may well turn out to be for the better. I would imagine that it instantly removes a lot of office politics and opportunities for workplace sexual harassment, though I don't quite see how interviews for jobs could be handled with safety and confidence online: as this forum shows, all people need is Wiki or Google and they can pose as surface experts on pretty much anything, photography included.

As with the buggy whips... don't invest too deeply in office space.

Rob

[elliot_n]

BoJo got it

https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1243496858095411200

[JoeKitchen]

You do realise that the reason they are revising their predictions on the death rate is precisely BECAUSE we instigated a lock down.  The lower fatality rate will only happen IF social distancing is continued for many weeks to com.

Jim

No, not really. 

His study was based on the idea of government doing absolutely nothing, including what was going on when he was making his study.  So, he not only ignored what we have done in the past week, but what we were also doing the weeks prior, such as limiting travel between countries and other measures. 

So, his study was not accurate to what was taking place at the time, yet the media ate it up and gave us the worse case. 

On top of that, he did not take into consideration that up to 10 times more people have already caught this then what we know, just because there was no testing of this at the time.  Now we are starting to see randomized testing for anti-bodies to confirm exactly how much of the population has already had it.  I am starting to question if the flu, followed by mild pneumonia, I had in January was really the flu and not this. 

This goes back to my previous point, that we are obviously going over board here. 

[petermfiore]

I believe that you're right, that there will be large changes in the way that people work. Overall, it may well turn out to be for the better. I would imagine that it instantly removes a lot of office politics and opportunities for workplace sexual harassment, though I don't quite see how interviews for jobs could be handled with safety and confidence online: as this forum shows, all people need is Wiki or Google and they can pose as surface experts on pretty much anything, photography included.

As with the buggy whips... don't invest too deeply in office space.

Rob

Rob,

What you say is probably true. However that's sad state for the future of humanity. Human beings are social beasties. I for one don't want to continue to live in that Dystopia.

I like the social aspect of work...Not my painting. That's as solo as it gets. I'm talking about teaching. The online school that we are now are in, is no substitute for looking and guiding a student by hand. Just to be able to see what is really going on in a student's work. Color, texture and all sophisticated nuance is lost. What we now see is the DREADED smooth screen. 


Be well,

Peter

[Jim Pascoe]

No, not really. 

His study was based on the idea of government doing absolutely nothing, including what was going on when he was making his study.  So, he not only ignored what we have done in the past week, but what we were also doing the weeks prior, such as limiting travel between countries and other measures. 

So, his study was not accurate to what was taking place at the time, yet the media ate it up and gave us the worse case. 

On top of that, he did not take into consideration that up to 10 times more people have already caught this then what we know, just because there was no testing of this at the time.  Now we are starting to see randomized testing for anti-bodies to confirm exactly how much of the population has already had it.  I am starting to question if the flu, followed by mild pneumonia, I had in January was really the flu and not this. 

This goes back to my previous point, that we are obviously going over board here.

Well - as I said a few days ago - let's wait and see.

Jim