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PANDEMIC UPDATE - 26 January 2021
UPDATE – 26 January 2021 COVID has been in Canada for one year now. The strange case of the CEO in disguise to get vaccine for himself. COVID-19 tax tips. COVID-19 and the world of work – the International Labor Organization. A breakdown of cases among healthcare workers. If you’re having trouble regulating life while working from home, the fake commute might be for you, have a look: https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/18/success/fake-commute-meaning-benefits-pandemic-wellness/index.html “For the many who have been doing your part, you may be asking, what more can I do? Be the voice of support and encouragement for those who may be wavering in their resolve.” – Dr. Bonnie Henry. Feel free to share this post, or copy and paste, in whole or any part of it. LOCAL: · 82 cases among New West residents in the previous week. · No new school exposures in New Westminster since that of the Queensborough Middle School on January 11th. · Current outbreaks: Royal City Manor, declared Jan 21; Royal Columbian Hospital, declared Jan 20. · The Rio Theatre in Vancouver has converted into a sports bar. · The theatre is dealing with a full closure of movie theatres. But as restaurants and bars can remain open with safety protocols, the theatre is seeking other ways to do business. The move does show that the Rio cannot do business as a theatre right now, but can meet the safety requirements to operate as a sports bar. · There are differences though. The theatre has to actually meet the requirements for a bar, such as taking orders from people’s seats rather than allowing a line-up at the concession. · The move has stirred controversy, with some decrying the Rio as finding a loophole while the basic lay-out is still that of a theatre, with narrow entryways and tiny washrooms. Others welcome the move as innovative, a way for a theatre to survive during the closure. Sources: CBC, Global News, Fraser Health PROVINCIAL: · The strange case of the CEO in disguise. · Vancouver couple Rod and Ekaterina Baker were fined $575 after sneaking into the Yukon to try to get the vaccine for themselves. · The couple posed as local motel workers. · The clinic at Beaver Creek normally has one nurse and a receptionist, but a team of six was flown in to do vaccinations. Beaver Creek was chosen because “of its remoteness, elderly and population, and limited access to health care,” said Chief Angela Demit of the White River First Nation in Beaver Creek. · The story of the wealthy executive trying to get vaccine intended for remote elderly First Nations people has not gone over well. · Rod Baker is the Chief Executive Officer of Great Canadian Gaming, since 2011, where he earns $900,000 per year as salary, but last year also made $45.9 million from company stock options.. The company announced his resignation yesterday. The gambling company cited it’s “core values.” Ekaterina Baker is an actor, but not apparently a good enough one to fool Yukon officials. The couple chartered a flight to the Yukon. · “We had not been imagining that someone would go to this length to mislead or deceive.” John Streicker, Yukon’s Minister of Community Services. · The manager of the 1202 Motor Inn, where the couple claimed to work, was also rather upset. “That’s a risk (serving travellers) that we take – not a risk that somebody enforces upon us because they are too ignorant.” Staff at the Beaver Creek clinic found the couple suspicious, and phoned the motel to check on their story. While at the clinic and pretending to live and work in town, the couple rather oddly asked if anyone could drive them to the airport afterwards. · Story from the Globe and Mail: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-great-canadian-gaming-ceo-resigns-after-being-charged-in-yukon-ove?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Coronavirus%20Update&utm_content=2021-1-25_19&utm_term=Coronavirus%20Update:%20Great%20Canadian%20Gaming%20CEO%20resigns%20after%20alleged%20botched%20disguise%20as%20Yukon%20motel%20worker%20in%20attempt%20to%20get%20COVID-19%20vaccine&utm_campaign=newsletter&cu_id=czq7hF%2BueFDcmmCKozRUQ1bduJl6paGe · Ekaterina Baker is known for acting in productions such as Chick Fight, Fatman, The Asset, and The Comeback Trail, and as producer of Big Gold Brick. · IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9698063/ · BC has adopted a four phase vaccination plan. · Phase 1, December to February: Residents, staff, essential visitors with long-term care and assisted living; people waiting for long-term care; people in remote Indigenous communities and hospital workers caring for patients with COVID-19. · Phase 2, February to March: Seniors over 80; Indigenous seniors over 65, Indigenous elders; more health-care workers; vulnerable populations and nursing-home staff. · Phase 3, April to June: Members of the general public aged 60 to 79. · Phase 4, July to September: Members of the general public aged 18 to 59. · Premier John Horgan says the plan is based on those who get most sick, and those most likely to die, so priority goes to the elderly and vulnerable, and those who work around them. · The Premier said multiple groups argued that they were front-line workers and so should get priority. But with vaccine supply limited, it didn’t seem to make sense to vaccinate people on the basis of their job, like being a front-line worker, ahead people ahead of seniors or those more likely to be hospitalized or to die. Health care workers are not only the most likely to be exposed, but they also work with and have direct contact with patients and the vulnerable. · Here is a good article with the numbers and the rationale behind the priorities: https://www.newwestrecord.ca/local-news/opinion-elderly-should-get-covid-19-vaccine-before-bc-teachers-3291898 · The dates might vary, depending on supply. · Covid cases in BC have plateaued to an average of 500 per day. · Dr. Bonnie Henry said that the number is still dangerously high. “For the last few weeks, we have plateaued at 500 new cases. This is too many. We are at a precipice. The virus continues to circulate in our communities. We are at the threshold of where we were in late October and November when cases started to rise.” · “Over the next two week, I believe we can bend our curve. Not just plateau, but bend it back down…. More than you’ve done before, stay home, stop social interactions.” · B.C. will receive no new doses of vaccine over the next two weeks. It is not sure how much will be received in February. · Over the past three days – Saturday, Sunday, Monday: · 1,344 new cases. 618 of those in Fraser Health. 527 reported on Saturday, 472 on Sunday, 346 on Monday. 64,828 cases to date. · 26 new deaths. 1,154 total. · 4,392 active cases. · 57,831 recovered. · 11 outbreaks in long-term care declared over. · 6 cases of the UK variant in BC, 3 cases of the South Africa variant. No community transmission of the UK variant, but the South Africa variant cases are not connected to travel and are being investigated. Dr. Henry: “I’m very concerned. I’m concerned that if those variants start to spread, it’s just going to make our job that much more difficult.” · 119,850 doses of vaccine administered to date. · New numbers for Tuesday: · 14 new deaths. 1,168 total. · 407 new cases. 65,234 total. (Comparison: a high of 911 cases happened for Nov 27). · 313 hospitalized, 71 in intensive care. (A high of 381 were hospitalized on January 6th). · 4,260 active cases. · 6,450 in self-isolation. · 58,352 recovered. · 122,359 doses of vaccine administered to date. 4,105 are second doses. · No new outbreaks, one outbreak declared over. · Dr. Bonnie Henry: “For the many who have been doing your part, you may be asking, what more can I do?Be the voice of support and encouragement for those who may be wavering in their resolve.” · New restriction may be necessary if the number begins to climb again. · 4,850 cases among health care workers, from January 2020 to 15 January 2021. About 8% of cases. · From January to December 17th 2020, care aides had the highest number of cases among healthcare workers at 1,193 or 24.6%. Nurses were second at 833 or 17.2%. Below are the ten highest number of cases by healthcare worker category. · 1,193 – care aids. · 833 – nurse. · 304 – licensed practical nurse. · 280 – administration. · 177 – housekeeping. · 156 – dental professional. · 151 – physician. · 149 – kitchen staff, dietary aid, food services. · 91 – occupational therapist, physiotherapist, respiratory therapist. · 75 – student. · The document is here: http://www.bccdc.ca/Health-Info-Site/Documents/COVID_sitrep/COVID19_healthcare_workers_2021_01_15.pdf · BC has has opened 3 clinics for people with longer term Covid symptoms. · Located at St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver General, and the Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre in Surrey. · Some people still have symptoms months after the start of the disease. Of patients who were hospitalized in BC, after three months half still had breathing issues. About 20% have permanent lung scarring. · The St. Paul’s clinic already has 160 patients. · Nanaimo Regional Hospital has had an outbreak. · Two staff and a patient tested positive. · Limited to the 4th Floor on the east wing. · A homeless shelter in Surrey has had an outbreak. · 2 staff and 24 clients test positive. · The Surrey Emergency Response Centre was set up to make more shelter available to homeless people during the pandemic. Sources: CBC, New Westminster Record, Globe and Mail, BC Centre for Disease Control. NATIONAL: · Worked from home during Covid-19?Be sure to check out these tax tips: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/accountants-break-down-tips-for-working-from-home-expenses-1.5872477 · Covid has been in Canada for one year now, starting back on the 25th of January, 2020, with one case in Toronto. · Long-terms care homes are particularly hard hit, and it continues to be so that care homes are getting outbreaks. · From the CBC, “What we’re seeing in the long-term care facilities just demonstrates, unfortunately, years and years of neglect.” https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-19-ontario-canada-first-case-one-year-1.5884630 · In those early days, the public was generally told in Canada that the risk was low, and that people should not wear masks, and emphasized into March that there was no community spread. · In late February, community transmission was evidenced in the U.S., and people returning to Canada from the U.S. began to show Covid. The halt to non-essential travel, on the land border, came on March 20. · Canada is considering more travel restrictions, says the Canadian government. · 143 flights have arrived in Canada in past two weeks with confirmed Covid cases. Deputy Prime Minister Freeland has assured, “We are considering the issue very, very seriously.” · In this story, you can see where Canadians are flying during the pandemic. There sure seems to be a lot of urgent need to travel to places that happen to be warm vacation spots: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/freeland-travel-restrictions-1.5887163 · There is an 8 p.m. curfew in Montreal, and that is hard on the city’s homeless people. · Homeless people have seen a dramatic reduction in help since the pandemic began. Shelters have to have social distancing, if they are safe to open at all. · The province has refused to exempt homeless people from the curfew. People who break the curfew are subject to fines that start at $1,000 and can go up to $6,000. Premier Legault says making an exception for homeless people could cause people to pretend to be homeless. · Some shelters have been forced to close altogether, because they can’t meet the requirements. · Story: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-homeless-covid-curfew-1.5880946 · 90 “adverse events following immunization,” 0.015% of the 601,901 doses administered as of January 9th 2021. · 63 were non-serious, 0.010%. This includes things like a skin rash. · 27 were serious, 0.004%. In Canada, this includes a wide range of symptoms from headache to nausea to anaphylaxis. · Learn about the Canada Adverse Events Following Immunization Surveillance System (CAEFISS) here: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/immunization/canadian-adverse-events-following-immunization-surveillance-system-caefiss.html · Here is where the numbers are updated every Friday (but not consistently): https://health-infobase.canada.ca/covid-19/vaccine-safety/#seriousNonSerious · Manitoba is now requiring a 14 day quarantine for non-essential travel from other parts of Canada. · The move is being made to attempt to prevent new variants of Covid-19 from entering the province. · Applies to air and land travel. · Includes Manitobans who are returning to the province from elsewhere. Sources: CBC, Toronto Star, Public Health Canada INTERNATIONAL: · The world is experiencing Covid-somnia – an epidemic of insomnia. · Insomnia is now at one-quarter of the population in the UK, and at 40% in Italy and Greece. · There is concern that this is affecting people’s health in other ways. · Work productivity is also affected. · A University of Ottawa study of health care workers in 55 countries and 190,000 people showed that depression, anxiety, and PTSD have all risen at least 15% since the start of the pandemic. Insomnia has risen by over 23%. · People are advised to seek help, which many are not as people avoid medical services, or those services are unavailable. Seeking help is important, because sleep issues over time can become and ongoing sleep disorder. “Tele-health” now makes treatment more available despite the pandemic. · Working and using screens in bed is a big part of it. The recommendation is to use your bed only as a place of sleep. · Full article: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210121-the-coronasomnia-phenomenon-keeping-us-from-getting-sleep · Vaccine delays are happening around the world. · Canada is receiving zero doses this week. · Health workers who were scheduled for vaccination were mostly notified by email of their cancellations. · In Canada, 50% of doses will be delayed for up to four weeks, up to 400,000 doses delayed. · Restoration of supply will happen in the European union before it happens in Canada. Pfizer explained this as differing contract deals but did not reveal details. Europe has also threatened to sue Pfizer for breach of contracts, and threatened to abandon Pfizer altogether as a supplier, perhaps in doing so catching the company’s attention. · Pfizer and AstraZeneca say they will catch up to their commitments in the Spring. Pfizer says their delay is due to changing production systems, so a short-term shut down for a greater number of people vaccinated more rapidly overall. Pfizers says that they are upgrading to be able to produce 2 billion doses per year, from the current 1.3 billion. AstraZeneca has not given details. · UPDATED: The Pfizer production facility in question is in Belgium. The European Union has threatened to ban exports of the vaccine if commitments to Europe are not met. The company is attempting to distribute the problem in the world somewhat equitably. If Europe followed through on the threat, that could mean delays for other countries would be longer, including Canada, which is served by the Belgium facility. · The UK, having had Brexit and pulled out of the European Union, has realized that they, too, would be one of those outside countries. The UK, somewhat ironically, is now arguing against nationalism as government policy, referring to what they called “the dead end of vaccine nationalism.” · The World Health Organization’s Covax program, to distribute vaccine around the world fairly to low-income countries, has not been affected, some good news in the mix. The Covax problem is still on schedule, as its vaccine supply is produced in India and South Korea. The program has also received a substantial boost, following US President Joe Biden’s decision to contribute $4 billion to the program. · The CDC in the US says that allergic reactions to the vaccine are extremely rare. · Out of 4 million given the Moderna vaccine, 10 had severe allergic reactions. · Moderna – 2.5 per million doses have severe allergic reactions. · Pfizer – 11.1 per million. · Normal flu vaccine – 1.3 per million. · Allergic reactions begin quickly, at a median of 7 and a half minutes, so people are able to be supported through it. The majority were known to have severe allergies in advance. In the US, all vaccination sites must have people trained in responding to anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reaction. · Story: https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/22/health/moderna-severe-allergic-reactions-rare/index.html · A doctor in Texas has been arrested for stealing vaccine. · The doctor stole 9 doses to give to his friends and family, authorities allege. · A man lived in the Chicago O’Hare airport for three months because he was afraid to fly. Story: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55702003 · Los Angeles has lifted its air quality limitations for cremations. An emergency order was issued so that crematoriums can catch up with the number of bodies. One person every eight minutes was dying from Covid every 8 minutes. The rate of death in LA county is double the norm from past years. 13,800 deaths in the city, 7,400 currently hospitalized, and 23% of those in intensive care. · Over 200 incidents with plane passengers over the wearing of masks have been reported in the U.S. · The behaviour has included refusal to wear masks once onboard, shouting abusively at flight attendants, and even physical assault. · On Thursday, President Biden issued an executive order requiring the wearing of masks across transportation, a move welcomed by flight unions. · The FAA, Federal Air Administration, has introduced fines up to $35,000 and potential jailing for abusing aircraft personnel, a move made in December after two flight attendants were assaulted. · One person has been fined $15,000 after hitting the flight attendant, and grabbing her phone away from her while she was notifying the captain of the problem. Another passenger was fined $7,500, who when asked to wear a mask approached other passengers without a mask and sexually harassed a flight attendant. · Some airlines are banning passengers from their flights who refuse to follow the rules. United Airlines has banned 615 people from flying on the airline since June, Delta Airlines has banned 700. · There is a lot of news about variants of the virus. · New variants have appeared in Britain, South Africa, and Brazil, all countries that have had high rates of Covid. · So, what about vaccines? Scientists have actually expected that vaccines would still work against the variants. Moderna says that antibodies triggered by their vaccine works on new variants in lab test results. More study will be needed of people who actually have been vaccinated and who had the variant. The study so far was a small sample of eight people. Early results with the Pfizer vaccine also show that it works against variants. · Moderna is also studying to see if there is a benefit of giving a third booster shot. · Reports vary almost daily about if the variants are more deadly or not. The truth is that data is too limited and it is too early to really tell. · Covid job losses have been four times worse than in the financial crisis in 2009. · That’s according to a report by the International Labor Organization. · The report estimates that 8.8% of the world’s work hours were eliminated. The ILO looks not only at those who have become unemployed, but those who have had reduced hours of work as well. That loss is equivalent to 255 million full-time jobs, or $3.7 trillion dollars of income. · Press release: https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_766949/lang--en/index.htm · Study: COVID-19 and the world of work. Seventh edition. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/briefingnote/wcms_767028.pdf · What’s the latest with the Tokyo Olympics? · The government of Japan wants to go ahead with the Olympics that were delayed last summer. · The Olympics are planned to start on July 23, and the Paralympics on August 24. · The International Olympic Committee is currently planning on proceeding, but has not made a final decision. Efforts are underway to have Olympics that are Covid safe. That might mean no audiences, athletes restricted to their accommodation areas, and each sport would have to have protocols around training and competition areas. · “We need the vaccine to come to Africa.” A note about Grandmothers in Zimbabwe. I encourage you to read this one: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55726054 Sources: BBC, Toronto Star, International Labor Organization, CNN, Los Angeles Times. STATS (as of end of Monday) CANADA · 144 new deaths. 19,238 total. · 5,628 new cases. 753,011 total. · 1,222 fewer active. 62,446 total. · 849 in critical care. · 6,706 new recovered. 671,327 total. USA · 1,887 new deaths. 431,392 total. · 152,244 new cases. 25,861,597 total. · 9,812,845 active. · 26,259 in critical care. · 207,426 new recovered. 15,617,360 total. WORLD · 2,149,496 deaths. · 100,286,772 cases. · 72,315,474 recovered. Sources: www.covid-19us.live/, https://www.covid-19canada.com/ Pandemic updates provided on a voluntary basis as a community service, on Tuesdays and Fridays unless circumstances do not allow (currently dealing with an injury that limits my typing). To provide accurate and timely information, locally, provincially, nationally and internationally, all in one place. Feel free to share. With love and hope, Jaimie McEvoy, City Councillor, New Westminster, B.C.
[Initial Impressions] Meermin Wholecut Chelsea - Dark Brown Calf
Album first Edit: Added some additional pics in the album. Intro This is my third pair of goodyear welted boots. My current go-to boots are Wolverine 1000 Mile Evans; these being a very casual look, I wanted a dressier boot, one that I could dress up with a suit or dress down with jeans. The chelsea boot seemed to fit the bill. Purchasing I bought these from Meermin’s website for $330 CAD, including shipping. As a Canadian who has been shopping around for quality footwear for a while, this is CHEAP. I’m more than happy with the price. Got dinged for $16 in taxes when it cleared customs, and UPS charged a $10 brokerage fee for collecting this. Something to keep in mind for fellow Canadians - if you need to do any returns, there’ll be some costs that you won’t get back. Still quite happy with the $356 CAD all-in; I don’t think I could have gotten anything close to this quality at local retail for that price. Meermin also shipped the boots UPS Expedited from New Jersey, which was nice, as shipping was quite fast. They shipped about 1 business day after ordering, and arrived 3 days later. Sizing, Fit, and Comfort Buying footwear online without the opportunity to try on is always a bit of a gamble, and I put a lot of effort into trying to get the sizing right, since return and re-purchase costs could add up pretty quickly, on top of just being annoying. Meermin customer service emailed me some very helpful information on measuring my feet, as well as a link to their sizing tool (https://digamelon.typeform.com/to/yqolYj), which was super helpful as it gives full measurements for all the Meermin lasts in each size. I did a lot of measuring of my feet before settling on size 10UK. Again, the sizing tool was invaluable for choosing the right size - I had seen a lot of advice to go a full size down from your US size to Meermin’s UK sizing. I wear a US 10.5D in most shoes, but I think the 9.5 UK would have been too narrow in the toe - this is a common issue for me, as my forefoot is around a D width, but my hindfoot and ankle are rather narrow. In many of the chelsea boots I’ve tried (including Red Wing Willistons), the ones long enough to accommodate my foot length are either too narrow in the toe, or too wide in the heel and around the ankle. For further sizing reference for anyone out there, I wear a US 9.5D Wolverine 1000 Mile, I own a pair of US 9.5D Thursday Presidents that are just a bit too narrow at the point of the toe for me to be truly comfortable, and when I tried on a pair of Iron Rangers at the Red Wing store, the US 9D fit me best. Overall the fit is comfortable, but not perfect. The collar is a bit loose around my ankle at the front and back, and there's a bit of extra room around my heel, though heel slip is minimal. The fit around my forefoot and toes is just right. Snug, but not tight. Thicker socks improve the fit somewhat. I ended up buying Superfeet’s ¾ insert off Amazon, which fills in some volume in the heel and under the vamp, and makes the fit almost perfect. Pretty satisfied with the fit overall. Finding chelsea boots of this style that were even remotely comfortable for my foot shape was a challenge, much less a goodyear welted pair. At some point I’d like to see if a cobbler could make me a thicker ¾ leather insole so that I’d no longer need the Superfeet inserts. If anyone’s ever done something like that, I’d be interested to hear about it. Look and Style I was debating a black chelsea vs. a dark brown and ended up going with dark brown, as I feel like it would be more versatile with my wardrobe. The look and style is exactly what I wanted - the toes are somewhat pointed, giving the boots a dressier and sleeker profile than the rounded toe on chelsea boots like Blundstones, while still providing enough room for my wide, squarish toes. The colour is pretty true to what was shown on Meermin’s website, a nice shiny uniform dark brown that can be dressed up or down. The day my boots arrived, my kids wanted to have a “fancy dinner” at home, so I wore them with my suit (which doesn’t get any wear these days due to COVID) - the boots looked sharp! Leather and Craftsmanship The calf leather (from Les Tanneries Du Puy in France, per Meermin) is quite soft and supple. I haven’t worn these for an extended period yet, but so far the break-in seems pretty gentle, contrary to what I’d heard about Meermin boots in general. A few mild tight spots, but overall pretty comfortable right off the bat. The overall fit and finish is pretty good. I’ve read mixed reviews about Meermin in this area, but mine seem pretty solid. There were a few loose threads left around the edge of the elastic areas, but they weren’t attached to anything and I was able to just pick them off. Looked like stuff that just didn’t get cleaned up before they left the factory. There is what appears to be a slight crease line running down the front center of both boots, from the top of the collar down to the toe. Just a slightly lighter thin line in the leather - looks like where the leather was folded to shape the boot. It’s very hard to see; I can only see it up close in certain light, but this might bother some people. This is my first pair of chelsea boots, so I don’t know if this is common. Conclusion Pretty happy with these. I’ve been looking for a good chelsea boot for a while, and this is exactly the style that I wanted. My options in Canada at this price point that aren’t cemented crap are next to non-existent, so this was a nice introduction to Meermin. If anyone knows if Meermin has a last with the same width toe as the Hiro with a narrower heel, please let me know!
Hi, I am long time lurker from the sub and I think I wanted to get my feedback on my situation, to see where I could improve and what to do. Earn roughly 70K Pre Tax. Should probably get bumped up in the next couple of months to hopefully the 80K mark. Currently contribute 5% and the employee adds another 11% to Pension. Fixed Bills : Rent 1700£ - All bills included, handled by the landlord - in Central London. - this is probably one of the things I think its quite High, 1 BedRoom Flat in Central London. With Remote working being a thing, I might take the plunge and go further from central to see If I can save a bit here. Food is roughly 300£ for me and my partner. 1250£ goes to Vanguard monthly 200£ Goes to a Help To Buy - Reason , is that I am not sure how long I will stay in UK, so LISA is not advantageous since I probably want to take the money before the limit, and I am not sure if I will buy a house in the UK at all. 100£ - I have amazon prime, revolut metal, mobile sim, fiber. that is under month all included. I don't budget rightly for fun money, but lets say that it averages 500 per month, sometimes more, sometimes less. My idea of a budget is anything I dont spend on this month, will get added to the next month so I can actually spend 1000£ if I want to. I have done this with great success, and sometimes I am able to take a chunk of "that budget" to move somewhere else since it sometimes piles up for being unused for so long. Portfolio: 15K in Vanguard - I will get the 20K in before April. 10K in a property investment that generates roughly 3-4% ROI per year. This is roughly 2% of the property, but its family owned so I am not too worried, and if I really wanted, I could probably sell my part - my thinking on this is, the location is rising in value fast, so I will be getting 3/4% plus whatever the increase in value of the location itself, might not make me super rich, but its better than having it in a savings account. 4K Help-To-buy 14K Current Account 3K Etoro - I think of this as gambling, so its a sum I am willing to lose, so far I have been doing OK, and might add some more funds every couple of months depending on how it goes. 1K In other Stocks I manually picked for fun - same justification as above, its money I wont be too sad to lose. My partner is still finishing studies, but has a job lined to earn +- 50k Pre Tax. Idea is to put most of this into a Stocks and Shares ISA, so we would be both topping up both of our ISAs every year. I am expecting my partner to start earning in the next 2/3 months. That said, my year expense are roughly estimated around 30K yearly all things included, holidays, fun, amazon, subscriptions etc. My idea is to be FI at around the 40 years mark - and I would love to do so without taking my partner income in account, I probably wont retire since I love my job, and actually do it as a hobby too, but having the option is always great. I am estimating my number to be roughly 600K. - 20K yearly, since I don't intend to live in the UK forever and 20K would more than enough to be comfortable. I am well aware of not accounting for kids and housing - I reckon mortgage would be roughly what I pay in rent anyhow. I would really love to buy a house, and plan a family, but London house prices are just insane, and I cant seem to wrap my mind on doing so right now. Honestly I would Rather buy a house (or 2) in some other country - I am a EU citizen - and buy to let, and eventually move to one of those places later on. Am I on the right track thinking this is possible? Any suggestions on what to improve ?
Hi all, I have inclination to move my ass out of the UK for personal reasons as well as political nonsense. I currently live and work in London, earning 65K/GBP a year as a developer. I have an active wish to own a flat and basically decided that London is impossible, Brexit or not. The prices are too damn high. I have a possibility to work remotely in cheaper UK cities while earning London money but it is not guaranteed to continue due to hopefully corona blowing over next year. If I was required to work from London to justify its wage, I'd be forced to resign if I were to buy in the UK. Overall, I am eyeing a few countries in Europe: Switzerland (due to its high wages and low taxes), Baltic states (good CoL and ok pay for developers), Spain (still expensive but can work from there legally due to company's presence in Spain). I also am looking to move around 50K GBP to euros or CHF. Wondering if people managed to do that without too many questions from Euro-country banks. I basically think GBP will slide further with no deal on the horizon and am aware I am taking gambling on this to happen. Any successful movers here from the UK to mainland Europe? Did you move your money with you? EDIT: I got EU passport, and am not UK national
States are not homogenous entities. They are composed of dozens of different interest groups and cliques, each with their own vision for what the state ought to do and what society ought to look like. In functioning states, these groups agree on more things than they disagree on--or at least, the powerful groups are able to monopolize power enough to keep dissident voices drowned out. Carefully crafted power sharing arrangements, usually aided along by some sort of common enemy or common mission, keep states functioning well enough to work as coherent actors in the international arena. But these alliances are not set in stone. Like the sands of the Rub’ al Khali, they shift with the winds. One day, two factions may be the closest of allies. The next, one might overreach. One might think they have become too powerful to need to be held down by the commitments they’ve made to their erstwhile allies. And what happens when they’re wrong? Chaos. Power in Saudi Arabia On paper, the King of Saudi Arabia holds near-absolute power over the country. With no constitutional constraints, it would seem that the King (or more recently, the Crown Prince) enjoys unlimited power in Saudi society. There is no elected--nor even appointed--legislature to serve as a check on the King’s power. If the King wishes to permit women to drive, he need nearly decree it, and so shall it be. Viewing Saudi Arabia through this lens, however, flattens the existing power dynamics in the country. The King’s absolute power is in practice constrained by the varied interest groups that help to lend legitimacy to the institution of the monarchy, such as (to name a few) the military, the House of Saud, and the religious establishment (the ulema). The relationship between the ulema and the monarchy has been critical to the continued existence of the Saudi Arabian state. Starting with the 1744 alliance between Muhammad ibn Saud, the founder of the al-Saud dynasty, and Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab, the two groups have formed something of a symbiotic relationship. The House of Saud provides the Wahhabist movement with protection and propagates its beliefs, and in exchange the Wahhabist movement lends legitimacy to the monarchy. The Grand Mosque Seizure; or, Why Saudi Arabia is the Way it Is In November 1979, hundreds of armed religious militants took control of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca--the holiest site in Islam. Their leader, Juhayman al-Otaybi, declared his brother-in-law, Mohammed Abdullah al-Qahtani, to be the *Mahdi--a redeeming figure in Islami prophesied to arrive on Earth several years before Judgement Day. For a period of two weeks, al-Otaybi and his supporters managed to maintain control of the Mosque. The ensuing assault led to the deaths of hundreds of fighters and pilgrims. The Grand Mosque Seizure was, in part, a response to the growth of “western influence” within Saudi Arabia. Al-Otaybi condemned the West calling for the abolition of television and radio, the expulsion of non-Muslims, and the removal of women from the workplace. For al-Otaybi, the ruling al-Saud family’s refusal to resist this western influence had robbed them of their right to rule. While al-Otaybi was ultimately unsuccessful in overthrowing the House of Saud, his insurrection did led to an important revelation for the Saudi monarchy: religious extremism was perhaps the single greatest threat to their continued hold on power in Saudi Arabia. Rather than restricting the power of the ulema in an attempt to curtail this threat, King Khalid dramatically expanded the role of the ulema and the religious police, surrendering some of the House of Saud’s power in exchange for additional stability and security. This state of affairs, with some tinkering, would remain the status quo for the next three decades. Shifting Sands Since the September 11th, 2001 attacks and the beginning of the Global War on Terror, the monarchy has taken significant steps to attempt to curtail the influence of the ulema. The monarchy has become much less tolerant of clerics that speak out against the monarchy, often arresting them (though these arrests are usually temporary, they are enough to scare the dissident clerics into silence). The rise of Mohammad bin Salman in the mid-2010s accelerated this curtailment of the ulema’s power. Viewed as a youthful reformer, MbS has undone many of the laws that were put in place following the Grand Mosque Seizure: in 2018, he removed the ban on female drivers, while in 2021, he legalized gambling and the consumption of alcohol. While he was within his rights to do so--again, the monarchy has no formal restrictions on its authority--these actions flew in the face of the alliance struck between the House of Saud and the ulema. Had the Crown Prince stopped there, conservative opposition to his rule might have been vocal, but nevertheless manageable. Resistance in this period was largely restricted to existing Saudi exile groups like Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia and Hizb ut-Tahrir. A collection of senior clerics in Saudi Arabia rallied together to compose a new Memorandum of Exhortation--a call-back to the 1992 Memorandum written in the aftermath of Gulf War--condemning the Kingdom’s slide away from righteousness and towards western hedonism. The participating clerics were quickly stripped of their positions, arrested, or forced into exile, but their memorandum nevertheless made the rounds--especially in more rural, more conservative communities, where the monarchy had less power (relatively) than the ulema. Still, it spawned little but discontent whispers and prayers that someone would do something to set the Kingdom back on the righteous path. But he didn’t stop there. No more than four months later, Saudi Arabia invited the Bahraini Shi’a cleric Isa Qassim to Saudi Arabia. By itself, this would have created a diplomatic incident--Qassim was, in essence, the leader of the Shi’a opposition to the Saudi-aligned Sunni ruling dynasty of Bahrain, serving as a persistent thorn in the side of the Bahraini royal family. The fact that the House of Saud was inviting him to Saudi Arabia not just as a guest, but paying for the construction of a Hawza (a Shi’a seminary), was nothing short of sacreligious. The moment this news went public, conservative Saudi society flew into an outrage. How dare the monarchy collaborate with the radifa. Whatever control the monarchy had over the clergy melted away overnight, with most every Sunni cleric in the country denouncing the government’s support of the heretics in some form or another. Eight of the twenty-one members of the Council of Senior Scholars, the highest religious body in the country (and also one of the religious institutions most aligned with the House of Saud) resigned in protest. Among those resigning included several members of the al ash-Sheikh family, the foremost family of religious scholars and the direct descendents of al-Wahhab. Even Abdul-Rahman Al Sudais, the Imam of the Great Mosque of Mecca, issued a public denouncement of the government’s decision to fund the Hawza. Protests broke out throughout the country, especially in Mecca, Medina, and the Nejd, and while Saudi security forces were able to break their resolve after a week or two of protests, their discontent did not dissipate. The Saudi government’s 2022 decision to invite sixteen new American military bases only reignited tensions. Overnight, Saudi Arabia went from having no American bases to being the country with the sixth most American military bases. That anger stayed, bubbling beneath the surface. Waiting for an outlet. It finally found that outlet in 2022. At the opening ceremony of the new Hawza 'Ilmiya Dammam, a car bomb ripped through the crowd, destroying the largest building in the compound. When first responders arrived at the scene to treat the casualties, another suicide bomber--this one disguised as a first responder himself--detonated his vest, killing several dozen paramedics and security personnel. Several hours later, on the other side of the country in Jazan, a car bomber struck an under-construction American base, killing several Saudi construction workers (most of whom were migrant workers from South Asia or the Philippines), two American contractors leading the construction effort, and three American officers. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attacks the next day. In total, some eighty-four people, including three American servicemen, two American contractors, and forty Saudi nationals, died in the attacks, while another two- to three-hundred were wounded. Among those dead were several of the most important clerics of the new Hawza, including Qassim and the Pakistani marja’ Muhammad Hussain Najafi. The other Pakistani marja’ involved in the Hawza, Bashir al-Najafi, succumbed to his injuries a week later. The response from the predominantly Wahhabi Sunni clergy in the country ranged from silence (for those not willing to risk the ire of the monarchy) to celebratory (for those more dedicated to their faith than self-preservation). For the Saudi government, this was a concerning sign of what was to come. Older members draw comparisons between the current political moment and that of the 1990s, when outrage against the monarchy led to the formation of conversative opposition groups and an increase in terror attacks by groups like al Qaeda. And indeed, their fears may be legitimate. Anti-American protests are becoming increasingly common throughout the country, with the country’s American embassies, consulates, and base construction sites under near constant siege by conservative protesters. The Sahwa movement, a peaceful Islamist group affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood opposed to American bases on the Arabian peninsula, has returned in full force after being all but crushed by government repression in the 1990s. Increasing numbers of Saudi clerics are issuing open criticisms and condemnations of the government and its recent activities, posing a serious challenge to the legitimacy of the rule of King Salman and the Crown Prince. In a different world, the monarchy might have been able to find some way to placate these dissidents. The warnings were there. But once the genie is out of the bottle, it’s impossible to put it back in. In April 2022, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman launched an unprecedented purge of the religious establishment and the non-ruling branches of the House of Saud. Over the course of 48 hours, Saudi security forces rounded up and arrested numerous prominent figures on corruption charges. While this was in and of itself insignificant--MbS had already used corruption arrests to establish his power in the House of Saud in the past--the scale of them was substantially larger than any previous arrests. Moreover, those royals detained through this process found themselves stripped of the rights and comforts they had come to expect during detentions like these: rather than the Ritz Carlton, they instead found themselves thrown into dank, musty jail cells, as though they were any other criminal. This was a signal to the rest of the House of Saud: Mohammad bin Salman would no longer tolerate anything even remotely resembling opposition to his agenda. The Prince’s seizure of power did not end there. Later that week, King Salman announced that the Wahhabi religious clerics would no longer have any temporal power outside of the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia, according to the King, was going to become a more tolerant, progressive nation. Non-Muslims would have the same rights as Muslims for the first time in the Kingdom’s history. As if this weren’t an insult enough to the religious establishment, the King then declared that the Kingdom would be holding an interfaith celebration in the city of Mecca. This celebration would mark the first time that non-Muslims were (legally) allowed entrance into the Grand Mosque in over a thousand years--flying in the face of a restriction that predated the House of Saud itself. While King Salman’s decree robbed the Wahhabi religious establishment of its temporal power, it could never hope to so suddenly deprive them of their ability to sway the hearts and minds of the masses. Almost every cleric in the country, Salafi or Sufi, Wahhabi or Shafi’i, Sunni or Shi’a, immediately and unequivocally condemned the King’s decision to reverse a thousand years of tradition and allow non-Muslims into the holiest site of Islam. The Imam of the Grand Mosque resigned in disgust, stating that he would rather die than preside over kafirs gaining entrance to Holy City. Most of the Mosque’s clerics resigned with him.
The Situation on the Ground
The country has exploded into massive protests, attended by millions of people across the country. There are near-constant masses of people in the streets of Saudi Arabia’s major cities, while construction work on the proposed Church in Riyadh has been unable to continue due to the hundreds, if not thousands, of protesters surrounding the site at all times. Every day, their grip on Saudi society seems to slip further. Saudi Arabia has long relied on the cooperation of the religious establishment to quash dissent and break up protests. With that alliance shattered by King Salman’s recent actions, Saudi Arabia has had a harder time containing these protests than ever before. There are frequent reports of Saudi security personnel collaborating with the protesters, often sneaking advance warning of police crackdowns to protesters or allowing protest leaders to slip away from arrest warrants. This environment has allowed numerous critics of the government a new lease on life, as dissent is simply too large and too widespread for the government to crack down on all dissidents at once. One major resurfaced critic of the Saudi government has been the Muslim Brotherhood. Once an ally of the Saudis, the Muslim Brotherhood was declared a terrorist organization in 2014, after its Egyptian leadership was deposed in the 2013 coup d’etat. Since then, the group’s Saudi Arabian leaders were forced to flee into hiding in Qatar, Iraq, and, to a lesser extent, Bahrain. While the Muslim Brotherhood itself is not Wahhabist, and has many doctrinal disputes with the leading branch of Islam in Saudi Arabia, it has nevertheless made significant inroads into Saudi society over the past several months. As clerics and Saudi conservatives have become convinced that monarchy is unable to deliver the Sharia-adherent society they so desire (and worse, that they have little ability to coerce the monarchy into doing so), many have turned towards the Muslim Brotherhood and its promises of democracy. If nothing else, at least the system promoted by the Muslim Brotherhood would allow them to vote out incompetent royals like Mohammad bin Salman! While many of these groups are not openly violent and are content to continue peaceful (if still terribly disruptive) means of protest against the government, other groups are not. Saudi intelligence is reporting a large surge in the membership numbers of extremist groups like Al Qaeda, Islamic State, and their affiliates. These groups are able to tap into the discontent that has manifested in Saudi society, using the more peaceful groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Sahwa Movement as a front for radicalizing and recruiting disenfranchised and disgruntled Saudi conservatives. Saudi intelligence suspects that the Kingdom’s sky-high youth unemployment rate--about 25 percent in 2019--has not helped matters, with many of the new recruits coming from the under-30 age group. Saudi intelligence suspects that the growth of these dissident and jihadi groups has also been assisted by covert funding from Qatar and the Qatari nobility (and in the case of the Muslim Brotherhood only, from Turkey as well), though as of yet, they have been unable to find concrete proof. Perhaps the most major opposition to Saudi rule, though, comes from the Wahhabi clerics that once lent so much legitimacy to the Saudi monarchy. Wahhabi clerics that had erstwhile been major supporters of the Saudi government took to every venue available to them--the pulpit, the streets, the internet, the radio--and loudly and repeatedly condemned the actions of the King and the Crown Prince, declaring that they had strayed from the path of the righteous and no longer had the moral authority to lead. Throughout the country, these Saudi intelligence and security forces have been overwhelmed trying to track down and arrest all of the clerics that have broken the law--either by insulting the King, calling for the death of unbelievers, or some other crime. Increasingly, they find that the public is providing a great deal of assistance in avoiding security personnel, providing housing, food, and other essentials that allow the clerics to go to ground and avoid arrest. Worse still, upper levels of the Saudi security apparatus have reported that their subordinates are, in some cases, simply refusing to carry out these arrest orders. Finally, elements of Saudi intelligence loyal to the Crown Prince himself are reporting rumors that should have Mohammad bin Salman very concerned. The recent instability in Saudi Arabia has led several members of the House of Saud to think that they could do a much better job running the country than this upstart reformer. While intelligence is unable to pinpoint exactly who is a threat to Mohammad bin Salman at this time, they have managed to suss out that there are ongoing talks between some members of the House of Saud and some members of the religious establishment that a palace coup might be the best way to ensure that their interests are protected. King Salman and MbS go away, the House of Saud can continue with its graft and corruption, and Sharia law and the power of the Wahhabis comes back. It’s a win for everyone. In short, Mohammad bin Salman faces a great number of issues that must be addressed--quickly--if he is to retain power.
Government Pockets Dry Up
(Written by Erhard) Saudi Arabia has been largely discounting oil export revenues to favor stronger relationships with its allies. This was destined to cause problems when $200 Bn, over 90% of total Saudi exports, come from revenues off of the oil they export. These oil revenues are so critical to the Saudi economy, that cutting off the revenue would send the economy into recession. The targets of these discounts were namely strong Saudi allies like the US, UK, Australia, India, Japan, and many more who are all known to be heavy oil consumers. Saudi Aramco, one of the largest companies on Earth by revenue, had shored up many of its accounts and had begun selling off assets to private investors and other companies just to keep itself afloat. The company, a state-owned enterprise, had to consult the government for this, but had really no other way to save itself. There were rumors in the company of bankruptcy, in one of the most profitable organizations, and layoffs had begun. Of the 76,000 employees, the company quickly shrunk down to 40,000 to recoup the losses. Oil prices across the world had never ever been lower. Fuel across the US was reporting record prices of $1.12 per gallon, which made consumers very happy while the Saudi economy was doing damage control, preparing for an implosion. It would seem the only way the company could recover would be to cut oil operations to slow the quantity to the market, and jack up the price to 20% over market value, effectively eliminating the discount and charging premiums to those who formerly had discounts. If implemented, the US consumer’s dream would be short-lived as they would approach prices of $4.15 per gallon, but would likely save the economy.
The Paper Tiger
A recent series of arrests has also brought to light an unanticipated vulnerability in the Saudi security establishment. Early in 2022, the Ministry of Defense announced plans to double the number of active-duty personnel in the Saudi Land Forces in a period of just two years. Assuming no retirements or fatalities (something that is hard to assume, given the ongoing Saudi intervention in Yemen), the Royal Land Forces will have to hire over three hundred people per day. Meeting this requirement in a country without conscription has required a massive increase in recruitment targets, coupled with a corresponding decrease in the standards used in hiring. In essence, anyone with a warm body that can hold a rifle and walk is being allowed into the military. Moreover, the massive increase in junior enlisted personnel has further taxed the brass’s ability to maintain discipline and unit cohesion: the army’s absenteeism rate has sky-rocketed, as there are simply too many recruits and too few skilled officers and NCOs in order to adequately enforce punishments. While the drop in Saudi Arabia’s combat capacity that this has caused is concerning on its own, far more concerning is the fact that not all of the recruits to the Saudi military have the country’s best interests at heart. A recent arrest of an Al Qaeda member in Riyadh revealed that numerous terrorist organizations, as well as other dissident organizations, have infiltrated substantial amounts of their members into the newly-expanded Saudi military. If left unchecked, these cells will pose a significant threat to the security of Saudi Arabia, and will be able to use their military training to greatly improve the efficiency of their parent organizations in the future. Moreover, it will give their parent organizations access to classified intelligence on Saudi (read: American) weapons systems, and likely lead to some of these systems ending up in the hands of militant groups in countries like Yemen. Similarly worrying is the monarchy’s deteriorating control of the Saudi Arabian National Guard. Separate from the traditional command structures of the Saudi military, the SANG has long served as the anti-coup, counter-insurgency, and counter-protest wing of the Saudi security establishment. It is comprised of a mixture of (largely conservative) tribal militias and personnel recruited from the Wahhabi religious establishment. Traditionally, these affiliations have helped protect the government from coups by the more liberal-minded military. In this instance, where the threat to the regime’s existence comes from conservative, religious parts of society, the loyalty of the National Guard has been called directly into question. Some worry that the ousted clerics and the more conservative elements of the House of Saud have compromised the integrity of the SANG, and may be able to use it in order to depose the current ruling family. Whatever the case, most agree that something needs to be done--and soon.
Issues Abroad
Naturally, when things go badly in a country as large as Saudi Arabia, they have a tendency to spill over into their neighbors. Below is a brief summary of some of the spillover effects in neighboring countries. The United Arab Emirates While the United Arab Emirates has long been the most “progressive” of the Gulf States, it is not without hardliners and conservatives. The country’s recent decision to decriminalize gay marriage has been met with considerable criticism from the country’s right-wing. Outrage against this decision--coupled with, Emirati intelligence suspects, but cannot prove, some assistance and funding from Qatar--has led to a revival of Al Islah, the UAE-branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. The US presence in the UAE at Al Dhafra Air Base has also under scrutiny as the Sahwa Movement has spread across the border into the UAE, but so far, the movements are still content to resort to peaceful protest. Bahrain The death of Isa Qassim has sent shockwaves throughout Bahraini society, worsening already-existing tensions in the Shi’a-majority, Sunni-dominated nation. An important leader of the Shi’a community and political movement on the island, Qassim served as a constant voice for peace, frequently working to curtail the more militant wings of the Shi’a rights movement and channel them into peaceful activities like protest and, before the suspension of the legislature, voting. His martyrdom (and indeed, he is viewed as a martyr now in Bahrain) on Saudi territory has led to a great deal of suspicion in the Shi’a community of Bahrain, with many believing that Saudi security forces let the assassination occur in order to eliminate one of the peninsula’s largest Shi’a opposition leaders. Whether this is true or not is irrelevant: enough people believe it that the new leaders of the opposition who have risen to fill the void have become more convinced that the only way to have their demands met is through violence. In the future, Shi’a opposition groups on the island will be more likely to turn to violence in order to have their demands met. The royal family has become increasingly skeptical of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to their continued existence and independence following its actions in Qatar. While they are not brave enough to stand up to Saudi Arabia (yet) owing to their proximity to the country, the Royal Family is deeply uncomfortable with the Saudi coup in Qatar. In essence, it appears to the Royal Family that Saudi Arabia will abuse the Crown Prince’s marriage ties in order to replace other leaders of the GCC as punishment for working against Saudi interests. Given the marriage ties between the grand daughter of the King of Bahrain and the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Bahrain considers itself to be at heavy risk of one of these new “succession coups.” As such, Bahrain has started to (quietly) search for new allies to help guarantee its security against an aggressive Saudi Arabia. Iraq The death of Grand Ayatollah Basheer al-Najafi on Saudi territory at the hands of Sunni jihadists has led to a dramatic flare-up in sectarian tensions in Iraq. As one of the Big Four clerics in the holy city of Najaf, al-Najafi was one of the preeminent leaders of the Shi’a faith. Candlelight vigils and other mourning ceremonies have been held throughout the country to mark the passing of one of Shi’a Islam’s greatest minds, while anti-Saudi sentiment has been further cemented in the country. tl;dr
Saudi Arabia has dramatically curtailed the powers of the religious establishment, and broken a thousand-year-old prohibition on non-Muslims entering the Holy City of Mecca
There are massive conservative protests in Saudi Arabia. The largely conservative security establishment is sympathetic to these protests, hampering the Saudi response.
The threat of terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia has increased dramatically
So far, two Al Qaeda attacks have led to the destruction of the Hawza in Dammam (and the death of three very important Shi'a marja') the death of 84 people (including forty Saudi nationals, three American servicemen, and two American contractors), and the injury of another two- to three-hundred
Saudi Arabia is facing a massive revenue crisis due to its heavy discounting of oil exports
There is large resistance to the rule of MbS and King Salman within conservative circles, with some suspecting that they will not be in power for much longer.
Smaller conservative protests are occurring in the UAE
Removed comments/submissions for /u/RogersTheGreat
Hi RogersTheGreat, you're not shadowbanned, but 37 of your most recent 186 comments/submissions were removed (either automatically or by human moderators).
Comments:
fypglp1 in unitedkingdom on 20 Jul 20 (1pts):
You literally repulse me.
fypfbys in unitedkingdom on 20 Jul 20 (0pts):
Euurghh, Scottish..
fyp8153 in unitedkingdom on 20 Jul 20 (-8pts):
All Northern shit holes. No great loss. Edit - All these downvotes but no defence to these scum riddled, shit infested northern towns and cities. I am glad that they have been ravaged by the big...
fxz1v8v in unitedkingdom on 13 Jul 20 (-52pts):
Disappointing. Let's hope all you muzzle wearers will be out spending your pennies.
fxua7z1 in unitedkingdom on 12 Jul 20 (-5pts):
Ahhh c'mon, it's funny! He was so scared to go to Tesco he had to be all masked up!! Maybe you'll find it funny when it's all over.
fxu81vl in unitedkingdom on 12 Jul 20 (-8pts):
It amuses me.
fxtxrkc in unitedkingdom on 12 Jul 20 (-10pts):
Aww poor darling. Didn't you have anyone to hold your (I'm sure gloved) hand through that traumatic experience?
fxgzdr9 in bristol on 09 Jul 20 (-1pts):
Ok. The city is largely carrying on as normal. There are people out and about, but if you feel the need, you can run and hide from them. Your choice sweetheart.
fxgy2pc in bristol on 09 Jul 20 (-4pts):
Well what are you afraid of exactly?
fxgvbcu in bristol on 09 Jul 20 (-2pts):
Why don't you go out into the big wide world and find out? Sometimes it's busy, sometimes it's not. Such a wild ride, eh? I've been into the centre when it's busy and when it's quiet. Doesn't make...
fxgrumq in bristol on 09 Jul 20 (0pts):
If you are easily overwhelmed, it's probably best you stay at home.
fx1auu0 in britishproblems on 05 Jul 20 (-10pts):
You sound like a massive pussy. Let me guess, you were wearing a mask weren't you?
fx187o1 in britishproblems on 05 Jul 20 (-3pts):
But it's not. My family are strong and able to survive this. Prick.
fx13vk0 in britishproblems on 05 Jul 20 (-9pts):
No, the decent thing for the weak and pathetic to do right now is to accept their fate and die. I'd rather have a pint than "save a life".
fx0yqx0 in britishproblems on 05 Jul 20 (-2pts):
Mate, people are obsessed with this virus. Literally all consuming, life encompassing obsessed with it. Oh and apparently, people really like to shit on other people's choices and lifestyles too,...
fx0xwjw in britishproblems on 05 Jul 20 (0pts):
Smells good chief. Maybe a tad more Femfresh.
fx0x3ul in britishproblems on 05 Jul 20 (-1pts):
Sniff.
fx0vnpl in britishproblems on 05 Jul 20 (2pts):
Shhhhh! That kind of intelligence will get you slated on here!
fx0vkgl in britishproblems on 05 Jul 20 (-1pts):
Sure.
fx0vgev in britishproblems on 05 Jul 20 (0pts):
Cheers! Ditto xx
fx0q8nd in britishproblems on 05 Jul 20 (-9pts):
Tut away my friend, it will fall on deaf ears anyway.
fx0pnos in britishproblems on 05 Jul 20 (-15pts):
Sorry pal, still going to work and the pubs have just opened. I'm going out and about more then ever!
fx0o1a8 in britishproblems on 05 Jul 20 (-19pts):
See now this would be me. If there is enough physical space for us both to fit, I'm not going to thank you for stopping and jumping out of my way.
fx03fp5 in AskUK on 05 Jul 20 (-1pts):
Had a lovely evening out last night. Downloaded the app and had drinks and nibbles brought out to us all evening. No-one wearing gloves or pathetic little masks, no social distancing. Even the...
fwvskve in britishproblems on 04 Jul 20 (-2pts):
Eww.
fwupkjb in britishproblems on 03 Jul 20 (-1pts):
Fortunately, the people where I live respect neighbours and friends enough not to treat each other as lepers.
fwuo9da in britishproblems on 03 Jul 20 (-1pts):
That sound horrendous. Jumping out of the way of another human being. We have fallen so far.
fwum4pz in CovIdiots on 03 Jul 20 (-1pts):
You are certainly entertaining. Well I've got a busy day tomorrow out in the pub whilst the likes of you either can't afford it, or are too terrified to leave the confines of your scummy,...
fwuji5a in CovIdiots on 03 Jul 20 (-4pts):
Wow, you are so jealous. Yes, I work 2 nights a week in a supermarket. My predominant role in life right now is looking after my two beautiful children. Something you could achieve if you had the...
fwui245 in CovIdiots on 03 Jul 20 (-3pts):
Ha, wow you're angry. Careful not to lose your breath. I do in fact own my own home. Have done since I was the ripe old age of 26, some 8 years ago. I have well over 100k in equity in my current...
fwug4yn in CovIdiots on 03 Jul 20 (-2pts):
As much as you disagree with people wanting to go out and live their lives, I disagree with you scrounging my hard earned tax money to pay for your pathetic life. Please, get yourself out and about...
fw5bqgp in unitedkingdom on 27 Jun 20 (-1pts):
Sorry, I can't argue with a mask wearer. I'm too full of pity for you. Stay safe out there! You big brave boy!
fw5azxs in unitedkingdom on 27 Jun 20 (-9pts):
Awww little lamb wearing a mask. How quaint.
Submissions:
fe3bd1 in britishproblems on 05 Mar 20 (1pts):
Coronavirus is BORING!! Can we find something else to moan about, please?
ahqx02 in britishproblems on 19 Jan 19 (1pts):
Playing Deal or No Deal with online gambling websites and their cash out option.
9z8tnh in britishproblems on 22 Nov 18 (1pts):
People who state ‘isle’ when they mean ‘aisle’.
87un7r in britishproblems on 28 Mar 18 (631pts):
The batteries in my TV remote control are slowly dying. Instead of changing them I keep taking the back off the remote and rotating the batteries, trying to eek out every last drop of juice from them.
Hey remote workers, I run Remote Letter weekly newsletter for remote workers. Here is the 3rd issue. "The best things in life are free. The second best things are very, very expensive." - Coco Chanel Products Can I travel.to - Get the latest travel restrictions and quarantine rules for different countries. Remote World - A curated collection of resources for the digital nomad, remote worker and traveling professional. No Desk - Curated directory of remote jobs, books & tools Remote Stories - Anonymously share your experience as a remote worker. Timezone.io - Keep track where and when your team is. News & Views Cities offer cash as they compete for new residents amid remote work boom Remote workers are being paid upto $15000 to relocate to more rural destinations. Coronavirus pandemic has forced more employees to work remotely and more destinations are offering cash to these workers to relocate. This will help cities to generate tax revenue, more money for the local economy and increase the number of skilled people. Written communication is remote work super power The remote work environment is different from the office. Asynchronous written communication is the tool best suited for remote work. Async writing is different from chat messages. It lives longer, targets more potential audience and is easy to discover. Trump Freezes Green Cards, Many Work Visas Until End Of Year President Trump on Monday extended a freeze on green cards for new immigrants and signed an executive order to suspend new H-1B, L-1, J and other temporary work visas for skilled workers, managers and au pairs through the end of the year. The goal of the move is to protect 525,000 jobs as part of the White House response to job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 18% of People Now Working From Home are Napping During Work Hours Survey finds 18% of people that are now working from home are taking a nap during work hours. Men are 10% more likely to be new WFH nappers compared to women and young people are slightly more likely to nap during work from home hours. While some employers offer things like nap pods as a perk, sleeping during work hours is generally not a standard benefit for the average employee, and many employees worry that the impression of taking a quick nap at work will be frowned upon by team members and management. Has COVID-19 Opened Up A New World Of Remote Work? The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to remote work as the digital world is finally at a stage where it can support technology like virtual meetings. The increase in virtual and telepresence also has the potential to provide alternative development paths for emerging markets, away from a manufacturing-led growth model (like China) more to a service-led growth model (like India). Discussions Ask HN: Is remote work here forever? My company has done what appears to be the standard for the non-faang company WFH until the end of the year. My city has decided to build a road through my backyard, making me want to move. I have the gamble a bit, so looking for everyone’s opinions. Has WFH hit the tipping point where it’s just the new normal, or should I expect to still need to remain in the Bay Area? How I got hired for a remote job during Covid-19? Hey guys, just wanted to share really quickly that I got hired for a remote marketing job in Amazon PPC last week. I see a lot of people asking questions on how to get a remote job. The only two things that matter in my opinion are: your experience and apply a lot. What did you make during lockdown? I've been experimenting with different no-code tools and decided to make a little something. Introducing Lockdown Showcase, a crowd-sourced list of products made by makers during lockdown. Early in my freelance career, I would have lowered my rates because I was afraid I'd not be able to find another client. Now this is the norm, and I still have plenty of work. Looking for ways to make money online with my passions Hi there folks, so I am quite stuck at the moment. Currently, I'm 18, live in the UK, and are a student. I'd like to start making some money online but I am stuck in how I can do this. I was wondering if anyone here could help me out by giving me some advice in how I can make money online. Podcasts Routing the new normal with Gary Walker of Ready for Remote (Remoter Podcast) Gary Walker is the founder of Ready for Remote, an educational platform providing content and resources to help people. Stumbling and embracing remote work over the years has allowed Ready for Remote to grow while allowing Gary to better integrate his work with life as a parent of 2 young children. What is the Future of Remote work? Will Employee Wellbeing Soar in the new Remote work World? (WFH Daily Podcast) A study of 1500 UK business owners and employees has found some really interesting information on the future of remote work, and how it will affect us. Harry talks to the commissioner of this study, Ingrid Ødegaard, founder of video calling service Whereby. Defining the Remote Work Boundaries with Stefan Palios (DistantJob Podcast) In this podcast episode, Stefan Palios discussed what actually means to be a remote worker, and it has nothing to do with just working from home. He also shared his insights about how the future of work does not necessarily mean working remotely. Originally posted here If you like it and want to read more, subscribe to Remote Letter. It's free.
Anti-Corruption & News - May/30/2019: Free medications for 200,000 additional people.... Cassations Court... Business law reforms... Government cuts itself... Exports up again... Tax waiver for >40bln new investments... Military service changes... Gambling stats... lots of other stories inside
Disclaimer: All the accused are innocent until proven guilty by the court of law, even if they may sound as being guilty. Currency in Armenian Drams unless specified otherwise. Yesterday, Cassations court took the Kocharyan case paperwork back so it could make a copy. Today, a new Cassations judge has been appointed to hear the case in which the prosecutors are challenging the earlier verdict. https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/162725 Artsakh war commando and politician Samvel Babayan claims that his political opponent (and Artsakh president candidate) Araik Harutyunyan's gangs opened fire towards his car near the Sevan-Martuni freeway. Babayan gave specific names and said the gangs are directly under the protection of Harutyunyan. Babayan has asked NSS to investigate. Babayan said these armed gangs are also active in Artsakh and spread terror among the population. Babayan threatened to act himself if nothing is done to stop them. https://armtimes.com/hy/article/162653 .............................. The accused Araik Harutyunyan has denied the accusations. Called it a misinformation. Urged Babayan not to "blackmail" them. He said if there is a personal conflict between Babayan and other participants, the police should investigate to find out what happened. https://armtimes.com/hy/article/162679 ....................................... NSS chief Vanetsyan says the participants are known, and it's clear what happened. Says the incident did happen and it was a result of financial disputes between two groups of people. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/976663.html The government held a session today. They approved an amendment to the bankruptcy declaration laws. Justice Minister Zeynalyan says the change will also help to improve Armenia's rating in "Doing Business" index. Numerous transparency, efficiency and rights protections reforms are proposed. (still needs a Parliamentary approval) https://armenpress.am/arm/news/976672.html ....................................... Another reform was approved regarding Cadastre committee (property registrations). Physically stamping the documents will no longer be necessary. This will improve electronic and paperless processing, and better integrate with other agencies' work. The property ownership certificates will change. (needs Parliamentary approval) https://armenpress.am/arm/news/976693.html ............................... Pashinyan noted that this is the last time that 17 ministries are participating in a government session. Soon it will be cut due to the recently adopted law. 27 deputy Ministers and aides were laid off today. Some ministries will merge soon. ............. Pashinyan noted that the industry and the economy as a whole are growing at a fast rate, but he was worried about the recent drop in exports in the first 3 months of 2019. The latest numbers for April show the exports are up again, by 9.9%. The exports are up 14.7% compared to the same period of 2018. Aluminum giant Armenal exports rose 44%. Cigarette exports up 60%. Jewelery exports up 68%. Chocolate up 34%. https://armtimes.com/hy/article/162668 --- https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/162746 ........................... The government approved a plan to give 200,000 low income citizens free medications as part of a 1.1bln program. Two new health conditions were added to the list of treatments that are free. An earlier proposal gave these low income residents free healthcare. The new proposal ads free medications on top of the free healthcare. 610 additional ambulance workers will receive free healthcare. Thousands of medical field workers received one earlier, but these 610 were "left out". Pashinyan asked the cabinet members to take steps to inform the citizens about these chages, about what medications they can get, what papers they need, because many times people aren't aware that they qualify for aid. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/976705.html - - https://armtimes.com/hy/article/162677 - - - https://armtimes.com/hy/article/162706 - - https://factor.am/155541.html ........................................ A law was earlier approved to raise soldier salaries by as much as 20%. It goes into effect in 2 days, beginning June. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqaA-uCtUFM ........................................ The government temporarily canceled taxes for GRANT company that produces high pressure canisters. 26.7bln ($55 million) in investments. 190 jobs with 250k avg salary. Moeiff company also received the tax free status to invest 14.7bln ($30 million) in production of house appliances with non-corrosive metals. 100 new jobs with 130k salary. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/976703.html .................................... They temporarily canceled taxes for Avalanj company so it can import 1.8bln in tech to build greenhouses in Aragatsotn province. 60 additional jobs with 120k avg salary. https://armtimes.com/hy/article/162688 ................................... The government issued a 8mln aid to the National Song and Dance Academy. It's tasked with researching and teaching traditional Armenian dances. 18mln was issued to the Union of Artists of Armenia. State Forest Monitoring Center received 21mln aid to pay its bills. 360mln for Penitentiary Medicine Center to provide Healthcare for inmates. 463mln to obtain vaccination materials for children and military-age young men. 6.5mln to subsidize the construction of water system is Sari Gyugh. https://hetq.am/hy/article/104147https://hetq.am/hy/article/104153 - - https://hetq.am/hy/article/104151 - - https://hetq.am/hy/article/104149 - - https://hetq.am/hy/article/104148 - - https://hetq.am/hy/article/104147 - - https://hetq.am/hy/article/104146 ....................................... They decided to issue funds to - within a month - repair the road that leads to the Sevan peninsula. It's a tourism spot and the season will begin soon. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/976690.html ............................... The government gave a 100mln worth land somewhere near Tsitsernakaberd to a company so it can build a large tech center. Upon completion, the company will donate one facility to the city. 400 jobs will be created during the 4 year construction, 300 of them permanent. 2,500 people can be hired later once the building is used for its purpose. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/976679.html ...................................... Instead of the regular 2-year military service, soldiers can currently choose to enroll in various military programs. They can choose a 3-year program called Pativ Unem, which ties their service to education, and gives a list of benefits such a free Master degree education and more vacations. The government has proposed lowering this program's "minimal duration" to 2 years to make it more appealing. http://panarmenian.net/m/arm/news/269367 -- https://razm.info/135922 ................................ In another proposal, the maximum age limit for hired soldiers will be raised from 35 to 40 years old. If the contractor has skills that the army has a shortage of, the age limit will be 45. (all these are yet to be officially approved to become law) If two brothers are recruited simultaneously and they want to serve in the same place, only one will participate in the lottery system that picks their location. High ranking officers will also qualify to receive mortgage loan aid that is currently provided to regulars. http://panarmenian.net/m/arm/news/269361 Parliament speaker QP Mirzoyan says the fact that 4 Constitutional Court judge nominees have been rejected by the Parliament so far, doesn't mean a disrespect towards the president, who appoints the candidacies. The process will continue until both institutions find a common ground. Mirzoyan was asked to comment about some paintings in the Parliament hall that raised money spending questions. Says he didn't buy them, the Parliament has funds for it and it bought it. They bought it for a 75% discount directly from the painter. https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/162715 --- https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/162717 European Council sent its rule of law and human rights top delegation to Armenia. They met Justice minister Zeynalyan, offered to help Armenia with the judicial reforms. Delegation also included officials from Venice Commission and GRECO (anti-corruption institute). https://armenpress.am/arm/news/976707.html QP is currently trying to pass a law to limit the physical gambling locations (read yesterday edition). Here are some stats on how much the big gambling firms earned from the clients' betting losses in 2018: Toto Gaming 6.5bln, Vivaro 5.9bln, Goodwin 2.4bln, Adjarabet 0.02bln. Combined, these bookmakers made 14.8bln after receiving 145bln in bets. Net profit of these firms was 6.6bln. http://panarmenian.net/m/arm/news/269382 ......................... Someone decided to troll the Parliament today. Someone in the chamber turned on a gambling ad during a session. Anti-gambling bill author Alen Simonyan asked them to knock it off. https://youtu.be/r4g1kEcuMmc?t=6 Various unions of journalists released a joint statement condemning "threats and other pressures on journalists". They aren't happy that BHK chief Gagik Tsarukyan recently (allegedly) told a journalist that she is paid to negatively target him, and that the journalist will "pay for her actions". Other listed examples were something that Roboserj 5Th Channel boss told CivilNet, a former MP told something to popular TV host Petros Ghazaryan, something that Supreme Court Council chairman told Azatutyun media. They also urged their fellow journalists to be professional, have a sense of delicacy, follow journalistic ethics. https://factor.am/155664.html On June 1st, the children's protection day, people are planning to organize a march titled "Don't park on the sidewalk". They'll spread fliers and inform the drivers that parking their car on the sidewalk hinders a pedestrian's ability to push a stroller or a wheelchair, and they are forced to get on the dangerous road to bypass it. http://panarmenian.net/m/arm/news/269380 Chessist Gabriel Sargsyan has won the Al-Batayih blitz competition held in UAE. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/976656.html Artsakh army denies the Azeri report that Armenian snipers killed an Azeri soldier near Akna region. It isn't uncommon for the Azerbaijan army to cover-up internal problems that led to a murder, by blaming the death on Armenians. https://www.aysor.am/am/news/2019/05/30/%D5%BA%D5%A2/1569487 Europa League final game is over, but the drama surrounding Azerbaijan's policy and Mkhitaryan isn't. On the match day, Baku residents got into a fight with Arsenal fans who were singing pro-Mkhitaryan songs. A Russian sports journalist tried to "smuggle" Mkhitaryan jersey into the stadium, but was denied. The stadiums weren't full because of ticket issues caused by Baku's remote location from Europe, inability to host many people simultaneously, not providing enough access to disabled people, expensive hotels and air fares. Thousands of seats were vacant. Both teams returned half of their tickets, which Baku then had to sell to the locals. Some fans were complaining that the distance between the pitch and tribunes was too big. Other complaints were about the main camera recording from a too far distance, lack of excitement in the tribunes due to many Arsenal fans not appearing for the game. Chelsea 4:1 Arsenal. Mkhitaryan scored the only goal for Arsenal except he didn't. https://rusarminfo.ru/2019/05/30/armyanskie-skandaly-draki-pustoj-stadion-chem-zavershilsya-final-v-baku/ - - - - Pictures http://www.sportbible.com/football/news-thousands-of-empty-seats-in-baku-for-all-english-europa-league-final-20190529 - - - - - https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/thousands-of-empty-seats-in-arsenal-and-chelsea-ends-as-fans-struggle-to-get-to-baku-for-europa-league-final/news-story/68d267536fa0790533d32e690a798202 - - - - http://www.businessinsider.com/europa-league-final-empty-stadium-venue-2019-5 - - - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7084239/Cesc-Fabregas-criticises-decision-hold-Europa-League-final-Baku-thousands-seats.html The Beatles' "Yesterday" has been picked by 24/7 Wall Street as the best song of all times. Enjoy https://youtu.be/jzT2icR7WKk Area near Hrazdan stadium and former president LTP was on fire today https://youtu.be/bRjw8aWBpi8?t=10
PSA: You can bring your electronic trash to any nearby electronics market. You pay a certain percentage when buying a new device that ensures a "free" disposal of electronic waste. (83 points, 19 comments)
Auso, what should we do with the 2.8 mia. federal surplus? (72 points, 110 comments)
Achtufinau! Huitiéme de finale! Ottavi di finale! Next up: Sweden (71 points, 25 comments)
Your home-canton just got sold to Germany/France/Italy, so you have to relocate to remain in Switzerland. Which one becomes your new home-canton and why? (38 points, 50 comments)
CH nuclear phase-out by 2020s? (15 points, 44 comments)
New SBB Offer: Leisure Ticket (essentially a 20 or 30 day version of the low-cost 1-day travelpass you can buy from your town) (13 points, 14 comments)
Future of SVP/UDC regarding EU immigration? (7 points, 13 comments)
230 points: Bakeey's comment in Looks like part of Destiny 2 is located in Switzerland
209 points: P1r4nha's comment in Are Switzerland's markets free enough from government violence intervention that I am allowed to discriminate against any consumer I want (aka practice supplier sovereignty)?
191 points: SwissStriker's comment in This replacement train is awesome: I'm sitting in the IC train from Geneva Airport to St Gallen.
171 points: Chrisixx's comment in Swede looking at the world cup here. Tired of everyone confusing us with you. Can we just become one country and spare everyone the headache?
170 points: Chrisixx's comment in My First Sunday Living in Switzerland...
163 points: carcharoth84's comment in Grettings from Sweden, the other Switzerland. #Swederland
Anti-Corruption & News - Jun/27/2019: Free healthcare for 200,000 more; Other changes... Constitutional Court judges.... Serj's fugitive relative vs Ministry.... Government tax waivers.... Minimum wage.... Exports up again after slow Spring.... Weapons... Murder case: ARM vs AZE in PACE..... more
Disclaimer: All the accused are innocent until proven guilty by the court of law, even if they may sound as being guilty. Currency in Armenian Drams unless specified otherwise. The Constitutional Court judges have made a decision not to allow the newly elect judge Vahe Grigoryan to participate in hearings regarding Robert Kocharyan. The decision is based on the fact that lawyer Grigoryan was formerly hired by the victims of March 1st events, thus could possibly show bias in Kocharyan related cases, says the Constitutional Court with a straight face. https://factor.am/163598.html ........................... Former MP, legal analyst and the brother of March 1st victim lawyer Styopa Safaryan says there are multiple judges who are biased and should not be allowed to hear the Kocharyan case. He lists the judges and their "history". Safaryan says: Chief judge Hrayr Tovmasyan Was elected in 2018-March-21 by violation of laws. He was a member of HHK party at the time of his appointment, a party which has direct involvement with the March 1st case and the "illegal appropriation of the powers". He was also the Justice Minister between 2010-2014 , and purposely gave incomplete information to European Court for Human Rights (ECHR) to defend the Kocharyan administration in the March 1st related hearings, says Safaryan. Judge Alvina Gyulumyan Was appointed to the Constitutional Court in 2014. Between 2003-2014, she served as a judge appointed by Armenia to ECHR. She used her position to defend the former regimes instead of serving justice in March 1st related cases, says Safaryan. Judge Araik Tunyan Served as the head of the Legal Department in Kocharyan's cabinet, between 2005-2007, then until 2014 in a similar job. He was involved with the legal process regarding the infamous "Order 0038" and other March 1st events. His favors were the reason for his appointment as a Constitutional Court judge. Judge Felix Tokhyan Has been a member since 1997-Sep-23. Participated in several scandalous hearings about presidential election result validity, including the one in 2008 challenged by Levon Ter-Petrosyan. This is also the one in which Kocharyan's aide Armen Grigoryan, according to US diplomatic cables, was threatening Constitutional Court judges to vote in favor of Serj's election as a president. Judge Hrant Nazaryan Is a member since 1996 February 5th. Also participated in the infamous 2008 Constitutional Court hearing in which the judges were pressured by Kocharyan's regime. Judge Arevik Petrosyan Was appointed in 2010. Since 2007, including as of 2008 March 1st, she was an aide to HHK Parliament's president, member of BHK party. Judge Ashot Khachatryan Was appointed in 2010. Between 2004-2010, he held the position of the head of the Legal Department of Parliament. He was involved with legal decisions regarding the March 1st case. Safaryan believes that as of right now, judge Armen Dinaliyan is the only judge who is qualified to participate in Kocharyan related hearings, if we take into account March 1st "Kocharyan involvement" by other judges. 7 judges are necessary to make serious verdicts. https://armtimes.com/hy/article/164935 Read the Jun/24/2019 edition for more details on how the Constitutional Court judges were pressured in 2008. Serj's fugitive relative Ara Minasyan, a suspect in the embezzlement in St. Gregory Illuminator hospital, was fired from the position of the director last year, after the NSS and Ministry of Healthcare uncovered the massive fraud involving fake patient invoices and subsidized care fraud. The director then remotely sued the Ministry to demand his job title back. Today, the court ruled against his petition, thus finding Ministry's decision to fire him to be justified. https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/164938 Armenia and Russia are negotiating on creating a gas price strategy for the next 5 years. Gazprom's Armenian branch is currently absorbing the entire cost of $15 gas price increase at the border. Armenia is not accumulating it as a debt. Because of this, Gazprom-Armenia could end up laying off 1,000 workers within the next 5 years to balance the spending. https://armtimes.com/hy/article/164915 The government held a session today... They approved a plan to raise the healthcare expenditure by 12bln. This will also make sure that the funds won't expire before the end of the year, promoting low income citizens to wait until next year to be able to get a free care. Healthcare in hospitals will be free for everyone under the age of 18, if passed by Parliament. As of right now, it is free for those under 7, and those under 18 who have disabilities. This expansion will apply to 200,000 additional children. Cancer treatment procedures with expensive equipment will also be free. https://armtimes.com/hy/article/164913 ........................... Additional 5.1bln will be spent on a free Healthcare for low income or disabled people. Dozens of people will receive free kidney and bone marrow transplant surgeries. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/980030.html ................................... Extra 500mln will be spent to increase the number of ambulances across the country. Workers have long complained about being over-burdened. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/980036.html .............................. The government has approved the QP's proposed bill that could raise the minimum wage by 1/4th, to AMD 68k. This will affect 45,000 private and 35,000 public workers. Pashinyan wants an additional clause in the bill to prevent the employer from manipulating something about job hours to avoid some responsibilities. It'll be discussed in the Parliament, which has to approve it for it to become law. The minimum wage raise was being discussed for the past 3 months. The government used 4 methods to examine the economy and calculate that 68k is the needed number. Details on how: "Կիրառվել է սոցիալ-ներառական նվազագույն աշխատավարձի մեթոդը, որն ասում է, որ Հայաստանում, որպեսզի միջին աշխատողների թվով և միջին անդամների թվով ընտանիքը գտնվի աղքատության ստորին, միջին և վերին գծերից վերև, պետք է նվազագույն աշխատավարձը լինի 67 հազար 660 դրամ: Երկրորդ մեթոդը, որ կիրառել ենք, դա ընտրված 23 երկրների նվազագույն աշխատավարձի և մեկ շնչին բաժին ընկնող ՀՆԱ-ի հարաբերակցության եղանակով հաշվարկն է, որով մենք ստացել ենք 64 հազար 600 դրամ: Նվազագույն աշխատավարձի և միջին աշխատավարձի հարաբերության եղանակով ստացել ենք 70 հազար 142 դրամ, և 2019 թվականի ապրիլ-մայիսին մենք հարցում ենք իրականացրել շուրջ 1580 գործատուների մոտ. իրենց առաջադրած միջին մեծությունը՝ 70 հազար 254 դրամ էր: Մենք այս թվերից վերցրել ենք նվազագույն աշխատավարձի միջին թիվ՝ 68 հազար դրամ: Եվ մենք առաջարկում ենք, որպեսզի նախագծին ոչ թե 63 հազար դրամով դրական կարծիք տանք, այլ 68 հազար դրամով" https://armtimes.com/hy/article/164900https://armenpress.am/arm/news/980011.htmlhttps://youtu.be/Cg-okjYwiPs ............................. PM Pashinyan noted that the practice of eliminating some taxes for businesses for several years, is a great way to encourage investments 💡. He compared 1H19 vs 1H18: investments rose 7 times ($254mln this year so far), 4 times as many jobs were created (2380). These numbers are only about the explicitly government-approved tax waivers and their direct impact. https://armtimes.com/hy/article/164904 --- https://youtu.be/pFJvXLEHq4U?t=6 ............................. The exports are up again, after falling in the winter and early spring. The 1H19 vs 1H18 exports have now balanced and remained the same, despite some troubles with mining companies. Pashinyan said they expect to finish this year with a significant growth. 15% rise in exports this month (or possibly May) compared to last year. Tech-exports rose 29% but are still relatively small portion of all exports. Vegetable and animal product exports in May rose by 77% vs last year period. Tomato exports up 171%. Strawberry exports up 10 times. Cucumber exports up by 5 times. Fresh fish exports up 61%. The non-mining industrial production rose 6% from the beginning of this year. Processed gold exports rose 86%. Chocolate export rose 33%. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/980013.htmlhttps://armtimes.com/hy/article/164897https://armtimes.com/hy/article/164908 .............................. They waived taxes for Manukyan cognac factory to invested 1.3bln and create 42 new jobs with 260k ($540) avg salary. https://armtimes.com/hy/article/164903 .............................. They waived taxes for Qanaqer fabric factory so it can invest something to create an addition 12 jobs with 130k avg salary, to produce 753mln worth fabric per year. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/980071.html ........................ They waived taxes for Royal Glass Group so it can bring 250mln worth equipment for agricultural gardens. 25 new jobs with 115k avg salary, 860mln/year production mostly for exports. https://armtimes.com/hy/article/164906 Ministry of Labor official says the wage gap between men and women is 33%, and it's mostly due to the job choices and not a gender discrimination. He said the private sector is more likely to discriminate based on gender. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/979977.html During Army-2019 Russian expo show, Defense Minister Tonoyan said they will soon sign multiple agreements to purchase new offensive weapons and ammo. More details later. Delivery in early 2020. Armenia presented its weapons during the show. For example, a modified SAM Igla missile unit which offloads the weight from the soldier's shoulder, has a new drone jamming technology, etc. https://razm.info/136776 --- https://www.facebook.com/lurer.1tv/videos/393869161230061/ Shirak police reports that crime committed by people under 18 is cut in half, compared to last year. They claim it's due to better understanding why teens commit crimes, reforms and punishing some bad cops for not doing their work. https://armtimes.com/hy/article/164888 Actor comic Mikhail Galustyan will visit Armenia as part of the push by Armenian-Russian stars to promote tourism. https://armtimes.com/hy/article/164895 Wanderlust recommends tourists to see the following sights: Yeghegnadzor (never been there), Jermuk (never been there), Dilijan (never been there), Mt. Aragats (never been there), Geghard (mandatory, been there), Tatev (never been there), Sevan Lake (bruh). https://armenpress.am/arm/news/980058.html Armenia and Malta have agreed to sign an agreement to prevent double taxation, and to establish direct flights. Maltese delegate said they spent the whole day to fly to Armenia, while it could take only 4 hours if there was an air connection. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/980088.html This diasporan guy is power-washing Yerevan statues for free. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/980060.html Judoist Susanna Stepanyan is the champion of European youth competition. https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/164966 Europe: US: Russia: Africa: Australia: Asia: No one: Armenian delegation in PACE: We suspect that the members of Azerbaijan's ruling family had something to do with the murder of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana. Not only Azerbaijan persecutes its own journalists, but goes after others overseas. Caruana was assassinated in 2017 after an explosion. She was an investigative journalist investigating a corruption scandal involving Maltese government, and in one instance the Azeri government. Some of it was about money laundering, and oil smuggling through Malta. Turkish president Erodgan's son, with the help of Azeri oil oligarchs, was also caught helping to smuggle ISIS's stolen oil through Malta. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/980005.htm http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-12-13/local-news/Maltese-ships-owned-by-Turkish-president-s-son-being-implicated-in-ISIS-oil-trade-6736150377 https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/council-of-europe-calls-on-malta-to-open-independent-public-inquiry-into-daphne-caruana-galizia-killing/ ......................... NPR: Who Ordered The Car Bomb That Killed Maltese Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia? "Caruana Galicia asked uncomfortable questions about alleged fuel smuggling, organized crime and the sale of Maltese passports, which allow free movement through the EU." https://www.npr.org/2018/07/22/630866527/mastermind-behind-malta-journalist-killing-remains-a-mystery ........................... Daphne Anne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese journalist, writer, and anti-corruption activist, who reported on political events in Malta. In particular, she focused on investigative reporting into government corruption, nepotism, patronage, allegations of money laundering, links between Malta's online gambling industry and organized crime, Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme, and payments from the government of Azerbaijan. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne_Caruana_Galizia PACE wants to investigate her murder.
Merchant mondays is the moment to show your appreciation for the businesses that lead the way in the adoption of cryptocurrencies. Instead of paying with fiat for your next purchase, use this Monday initiative to pay with VTC instead. Vertcoin Merchant website Say hello to Sheldon Store
The Sheldon Store is a online store where you can buy giftcards with Cryptocurrencies. You can buy Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, PlayStation, Uber, Netflix (and many more) gift cards.
With UQUID, buying online and sending money to friends is made easier and safer than ever: all you need is an email address. Your money is protected, no personal information is revealed, and you can retrieve the details of every payment at any moment.
LearnCrypto offers training about Crypto trading.The team at LearnCrypto.io has dedicated thousands of hours to educating the public and our students in all areas of Cryptocurrencies.
PexPeppers is specialized in "finest chili sauces, jellies, salts, seeds & more." Based in Pueblo, Colorado, USA PexPeppers is selling all over the world.
Royal Queen Seeds is amongst the fastest growing cannabis seed companies in Europe. After building up many years of experience in growing cannabis seeds in the Netherlands, we decided to launch our own line of cannabis seeds and are now able to offer you quality feminized, autoflowering and medical seeds at a good price.
Giftoff is a "digital gift card retailer with the largest range on offer in Europe. Since 2014 we’ve been enabling digital currency users to shop with major retailers like Amazon.co.uk, Steam and Marks & Spencer. We stock over 70 gift cards and accept over 40 digital currencies as well as UK credit and debit cards."
The Sheldon Store is a online store where you can buy giftcards with Cryptocurrencies. You can buy Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, PlayStation, Uber, Netflix (and many more) gift cards. The Sheldon store team consists of cryptocurrency enthusiasts working together, driven by a single goal; to create a world where everyday people earn, spend and invest cryptocurrency like they would any other fiat currency in their everyday life.
Astronaut Apparel makes every effort to operate in a transparent and ethical manner. We will be integrating blockchain features to help with supply chain management, so that you can see exactly where your apparel was made.
An online marketplace (similar to Ebay) with buyer and seller protection. This platform allows you to buy and sell products for Crypto with escrow possibilities for Vertcoin.
Cyroline is on "the tireless hunt for the special in the fashion world, the perfect fusion of individual styles, quality and sustainability." In physical stores you can pay with Vertcoin in Germany: Lübeck, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Stuttgart.
"Cryptobird is a partnership to start a full crypto based webshop with high quality fashion to contribute to a wider cryptocurrency adoption around the globe."
GeekBox "offers a wide variety of services including but not limited to basic computer setup, repair, virus removal, server setup, network setup, consulting, purchasing, cloud computing advice, gaming system and electronic repair." As a nice special GeekBox IT provides a Vertcoin Tshirt.
Hodler Tees is a cryptocurrency centered tshirt company based in Frisco Texas! (USA) We sell all things crypto related from hats to tshirts and even posters!
KPV provides Vaporizers, "electronic devices that help you vaporize your material into vapor for cleaner inhalation. People looking to quit smoking cigarettes are the main reason behind vapes."
"At Nakamoto Clothing, we're passionate about designing and curating a selection of apparel to help grow this movement of change. And we're electrified AF!", international shipping.
Shillshop provides stickers in outdoor quality and is "based in The Netherlands, all the products we sell are also produced in The Netherlands to make sure you'll receive the highest quality!"
RB gives "independent artists a meaningful new way to sell their creations. Today, we connect over 400k artists and designers across the planet with millions of passionate fans." RB provides a huge asortiment of designed products like bags, wall art, home decor, apparel, stationary & more.
Jzzsxm's Online Store provides a 1.5" diameter metal Vertcoin Medallion. Each medallion costs 2 VTC and comes with a metalized label containing a wallet address QR code of your choice affixed to the back.
WikiLeaks is a multinational media organization and associated library. It was founded by its publisher Julian Assange in 2006. The shop provides shirts, posters and asseccoires.
Zazzle is a "marketplace, you'll find customizable products, art and createyourown products just waiting for you. We're PhD's, professional artists, manufacturing gurus, patent holders, inventors, musicians, and more. Everything we do is an expression of love." As a nice special Z provides Vertcoin shirts.
RDS is Central Virginia’s drone service specialists. From preparation to content delivery, we perform all work to perfection. We can act as both an aerial film consultant or as the remote pilot in charge on your next projects.
Burrell Law "Our New York Citybased attorneys provide a broad range of transactional legal services" Every large business was once a small business. We are here to help you find a solution for your legal needs.
Bitcoin Tax is "calculating capital gains/losses for any cryptocurrency. Do you know the costbasis of every coin you own? Are you tracking the profits and new basis when you spend or sell? Can you work out the best way to identify your trades to optimize your taxes? Let us do it for you."
The Crypto Lawyers "we are a team of U.S. qualified lawyers dedicated to helping individuals, businesses, and organizations navigate the legal intricacies of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. We commit ourselves to strategically and aggressively represent our clients in their transactional and litigation matters."
"Catdi is a commercial printing company with additional specialization in web design. Offering costeffective commercial printing, direct mail, graphic design and web solutions to small businesses. Proudly Serving Houston and surrounding communities for over 10 years."
With Crpto.space, you can get all the information you spend time checking, instantly every time you open a browser on your desktop or mobile device. Premium package includes the vertcoin homepage and wallpapers.
Jagoda (strawberry) is a videogames platform aiming to distribute digital services for cryptocurrencies that show a direct interest in social activism on different layers.
Evolution Host is a hosting provider where you can pay with Vertcoin. They offer VPS hosting, IRC hosting and game servers on several locations around the world with highend hardware.
"FastTech is the technocentric destination for all your geeky needs and more. FastTech is committed to become the most loved and trusted electronics marketplace by offering superior shopping experience, timely shipping, and stellar customer service."
The first GPS tracking company to accept cryptocurrency as payment. Easy to install and easy to use with options for just about any type of vehicle or trailer.
Cavemen Studios is a developer of video games. "Having over a century of combined experience on how video games tick, we've finally decided it's time to start creating our own products."
"Keys4Coins is one of the first pc game stores who only accept cryptocurrency as payment. Our store is simple to use and you can shop anonymously. Only an email is required so you can receive the license."
LaserLightning provides one etched wooden Vertcoin with the Vertcoin logo burned into one side, and your custom QR code on the back. These coins are approx 1.5 inches in diameter.
Toys4Sex is Australia's Online Adult store retailer intended for men and women. Toys4Sex comes with a specially selected range of products that has made its mark within the Australian adult market place.
Show your appreciation for the businesses that lead the way in the adoption of cryptocurrencies. Instead of paying with fiat for your next purchase, use this Monday initiative to pay with VTC instead. Did you buy anything with Vertcoin recently? Please share your experience. Vertcoin Merchant website Let's take this Monday to reach out to your favorite online stores that do not accept Vertcoin yet. Stores that accept crypto but not VTC are a quick win. Check my last post for some info on accepting payments. This week we started adding descriptions for the webshops. I will keep updating them over the next few days. Below is a list of merchants that accept Vertcoin as payment (credits: u/Wauri12\ - he provided the descriptions and a big part of the list). If a business should be added to or removed from the list, let me know!
LearnCrypto offers training about Crypto trading.The team at LearnCrypto.io has dedicated thousands of hours to educating the public and our students in all areas of Cryptocurrencies
PexPeppers is specialized in "finest chili sauces, jellies, salts, seeds & more." Based in Pueblo, Colorado, USA PexPeppers is selling all over the world.
Giftoff is a "digital gift card retailer with the largest range on offer in Europe. Since 2014 we’ve been enabling digital currency users to shop with major retailers like Amazon.co.uk, Steam and Marks & Spencer. We stock over 70 gift cards and accept over 40 digital currencies as well as UK credit and debit cards."
Cyroline is on "the tireless hunt for the special in the fashion world, the perfect fusion of individual styles, quality and sustainability." In physical stores you can pay with Vertcoin in Germany: Lübeck, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Stuttgart.
"Cryptobird is a partnership to start a full crypto based webshop with high quality fashion to contribute to a wider cryptocurrency adoption around the globe."
GeekBox "offers a wide variety of services including but not limited to basic computer setup, repair, virus removal, server setup, network setup, consulting, purchasing, cloud computing advice, gaming system and electronic repair." As a nice special GeekBox IT provides a Vertcoin T-shirt.
Hodler Tees is a cryptocurrency centered t-shirt company based in Frisco Texas! (USA) We sell all things crypto related from hats to t-shirts and even posters!
KPV provides Vaporizers, "electronic devices that help you vaporize your material into vapor for cleaner inhalation. People looking to quit smoking cigarettes are the main reason behind vapes."
"At Nakamoto Clothing, we're passionate about designing and curating a selection of apparel to help grow this movement of change. And we're electrified AF!", international shipping.
"We are a tech-driven online retailer located near Salt Lake City in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains. Since our beginnings in 1999. Overstock has evolved from a fledging startup to a billion-dollar online retailer as a result of a hard-working and creative team."
Shillshop provides stickers in outdoor quality and is "based in The Netherlands, all the products we sell are also produced in The Netherlands to make sure you'll receive the highest quality!"
RB gives "independent artists a meaningful new way to sell their creations. Today, we connect over 400k artists and designers across the planet with millions of passionate fans." RB provides a huge sortiment of designed products like bags, wall art, home decor, apparel, stationary & more.
Jzzsxm's Online Store provides a 1.5" diameter metal Vertcoin Medallion. Each medallion costs 2 VTC and comes with a metalized label containing a wallet address QR code of your choice affixed to the back.
WikiLeaks is a multi-national media organization and associated library. It was founded by its publisher Julian Assange in 2006. The shop provides shirts, posters and asseccoires.
Zazzle is a "marketplace, you'll find customizable products, art and create-your-own products just waiting for you. We're PhD's, professional artists, manufacturing gurus, patent holders, inventors, musicians, and more. Everything we do is an expression of love." As a nice special Z provides Vertcoin shirts.
RDS is Central Virginia’s drone service specialists. From preparation to content delivery, we perform all work to perfection. We can act as both an aerial film consultant or as the remote pilot in charge on your next projects.
Burrell Law "Our New York City-based attorneys provide a broad range of transactional legal services" Every large business was once a small business. We are here to help you find a solution for your legal needs.
Bitcoin Tax is "calculating capital gains/losses for any crypto-currency. Do you know the cost-basis of every coin you own? Are you tracking the profits and new basis when you spend or sell? Can you work out the best way to identify your trades to optimize your taxes? Let us do it for you."
The Crypto Lawyers - "we are a team of U.S. qualified lawyers dedicated to helping individuals, businesses, and organizations navigate the legal intricacies of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. We commit ourselves to strategically and aggressively represent our clients in their transactional and litigation matters."
"Catdi is a commercial printing company with additional specialization in web design. Offering cost-effective commercial printing, direct mail, graphic design and web solutions to small businesses. Proudly Serving Houston and surrounding communities for over 10 years."
"FastTech is the techno-centric destination for all your geeky needs and more. FastTech is committed to become the most loved and trusted electronics marketplace by offering superior shopping experience, timely shipping, and stellar customer service."
Cavemen Studios is a developer of video games. "Having over a century of combined experience on how video games tick, we've finally decided it's time to start creating our own products."
"Keys4Coins is one of the first pc game stores who only accept cryptocurrency as payment. Our store is simple to use and you can shop anonymously. Only an e-mail is required so you can receive the license."
LaserLightning provides one etched wooden Vertcoin with the Vertcoin logo burned into one side, and your custom QR code on the back. These coins are approx 1.5 inches in diameter.
Toys4Sex is Australia's Online Adult store retailer intended for men and women. Toys4Sex comes with a specially selected range of products that has made its mark within the Australian adult market place.
Any remote gambling operators ... If the tax rate ... is expected to have a negligible impact on a small number of medium-sized and large businesses who provide online gambling services to UK ... Bonus spins on Starburst or Berryburst Max are Remote Gambling Tax Uk subject to change & must be used within 3 days from activation. Bonus spins are activated after wagering a min. of £5. The welcome bonus and spins must be wagered 35x times before the bonus or any winnings can be withdrawn. Max. Remote Gambling Tax Uk stake using bonus is £5. You must register, submit returns and pay any tax due in sterling. If you supply remote gambling that is not spread betting to customers who do not usually live in the UK, you are not liable to ... The main drive behind the migration to offshore jurisdictions has been financial. Operators found that it was possible for them to avoid the UK’s 15% tax on remote gaming profits without materially affecting their services by restructuring certain parts of their operations offshore. The Remote Gambling Duty (RGD) in the United Kingdom will increase to 21% to offset any losses for the Treasury generated through the FOBT measures. Profits made by gambling operators on bets placed over the internet by UK consumers will be subject to a 15% tax rate if plans laid out in the new Finance Bill become law. The proposals formalise plans the government had previously announced outlined to introduce a new duty on remote betting activities carried out by a 'UK person'. for remote gambling introduced at Budget 2012 will be repealed. Policy objective This measure will ensure all UK facing remote gambling operators pay UK gambling tax on the gambling profits... New 21% Point Of Consumption Tax For Remote Gambling in 2019. The UK chancellor, Philip Hammond, announced in his budget in 2018 that the a higher rate 21% point of consumption tax will now be imposed for online gambling on 'games of chance', up from 15%. This means if you play casino games, slots, table games like blackjack, poker, virtual or any other fixed odds game of chance, there will ... MegaSlot Casino is licensed and regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), a body Remote Gambling Tax Uk that is highly respected in the online gambling community. The MGA guarantees that all Remote Gambling Tax Uk the games on the site use the random number generator, and therefore, they are entirely safe. Gambling winnings are not currently taxed in the United Kingdom. Instead, casinos and other betting sites pay taxes on their profits. Remote gaming operators currently pay a 15% duty. Unless you plan on operating a casino, this will be of little concern to you.
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