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You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Actions Have Consequences, Plague Prevention Edition

Actions Have Consequences, Plague Prevention Edition

by Anne Laurie|  February 5, 201810:13 pm| 109 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Foreign Affairs, Hail to the Hairpiece, Republican Stupidity, World's Best Healthcare (If You Can Afford It)

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CDC to cut by 80 percent efforts to prevent global disease outbreak https://t.co/N0ApaDIcTl

— Nada Bakos (@nadabakos) February 2, 2018

Happy 100th anniversary of a flu pandemic that infected 500 million people and killed at least 50 million, everybody! https://t.co/fMfUg0DsV6

— febru-erin (@morninggloria) February 2, 2018

After all, despite all those hand-wringing news stories, nobody American actually died in that potential Ebola pandemic, so why should we waste any more money that Paul Ryan assures us could better go to tax cuts for billionaires? Let Trump’s big, beautiful wall protect us from foreign viruses! Ed Yong, in the Atlantic:

… In December 2014, Congress appropriated $5.4 billion to fight the historic Ebola epidemic that was raging in West Africa. Most of that money went to quashing the epidemic directly, but around $1 billion was allocated to help developing countries improve their ability to detect and respond to infectious diseases. The logic is sound: It is far more efficient to invest money in helping countries contain diseases at the source, than to risk small outbreaks flaring up into large international disasters.

But the $1 billion pot, which was mostly divided between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and USAID, runs out in 2019—a fiscal cliff with disaster at its foot. As I wrote:

That money has been used well, to train epidemiologists, buy equipment, upgrade labs, and stockpile drugs. If it disappears, progress will halt, and potentially reverse. The CDC, for example, would have to pull back 80 percent of its staff in 35 countries, breaking ties with local ministries of health.

This is now coming to pass. Two weeks ago, Betsy McKay at The Wall Street Journal reported that the CDC, with no firm promise of future funding, is indeed preparing to downsize its work in 39 countries. Those include the Democratic Republic of Congo, which recently experienced its eighth Ebola outbreak, and China, which is recently underwent its worst outbreak of H7N9 bird flu. Lena Sun of The Washington Post confirmed this report on Thursday, writing that “notice is being given now to CDC country directors” as the first part of a transition.

The CDC is not the only affected agency. USAID also received $300 million from the same dwindling pot of money, which it used to expand its work in the Middle East and Asia. Those programs may also have to shut down in 2019.

These changes would make the world—and the United States—more vulnerable to a pandemic. “We’ll leave the field open to microbes,” says Tom Frieden, a former CDC director who now heads an initiative called Resolve to Save Lives. “The surveillance systems will die, so we won’t know if something happens. The lab networks won’t be built, so if something happens, we won’t know what it is. We can’t be safe if the world isn’t safe. You can’t pull up the drawbridge and expect viruses not to travel.”…

But we know, from their statements during the 2014, that certain high-ranking Republicans are damned well determined to try.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet." – #H7N9 #pandemic potential #avianfluhttps://t.co/FyzmvIU0gF

— Rachel Gray (@rachels_aria) February 3, 2018

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Reader Interactions

109Comments

  1. 1.

    trollhattan

    February 5, 2018 at 10:17 pm

    Well hell, if we’re into putting peoples’ lives at risk through stupidity, why not chase airliners with our mail-order drones?

  2. 2.

    WaterGirl

    February 5, 2018 at 10:18 pm

    They want to burn it all down. Funny how they don’t think they’ll get caught in the fire.

  3. 3.

    Villago Delenda Est

    February 5, 2018 at 10:19 pm

    All of these monsters need to be annihilated.

  4. 4.

    Tilda Swintons Bald Cap

    February 5, 2018 at 10:22 pm

    Dumb America, where half the population are soccer hooligans.

  5. 5.

    efgoldman

    February 5, 2018 at 10:27 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Funny how they don’t think they’ll get caught in the fire

    They’re like the reverse side of anti-vaxxers. They think the lawd or being righteous assholes, or force of will. or being white and in charge, will protect them.

  6. 6.

    Major Major Major Major

    February 5, 2018 at 10:29 pm

    I basically have started assuming that most news stories are the sort of thing you hear in the background at the beginning of a movie, this days.

  7. 7.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 5, 2018 at 10:30 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    I think I’m mostly a not-terrible person, but it’s kind of terrifying how quickly my mind goes to “I hope there’s an Ebola/SARS/influenza pandemic that targets Trump and his family (except Barron!) and all the Republicans in Congress and state legislatures and governors’ mansions and every single white supremacist deplorable hillbilly that voted for them, but that spares every Democrat in the country.”

  8. 8.

    Redshift

    February 5, 2018 at 10:32 pm

    The logic is sound: It is far more efficient to invest money in helping countries contain diseases at the source, than to risk small outbreaks flaring up into large international disasters.

    The Republican War on Rationality continues apace. Screw efficiency, real ‘Merkins know that sending money to furrin countries is a big waste, and 30 percent of the federal budget goes to “foreign aid,” aka welfare for brown people who hate us!

  9. 9.

    Punchy

    February 5, 2018 at 10:33 pm

    The Affluenza virus strikes again.

  10. 10.

    zhena gogolia

    February 5, 2018 at 10:35 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:

    I’m thinking Shaun of the Dead.

  11. 11.

    Elmo

    February 5, 2018 at 10:35 pm

    I am in the middle of Week Three of “the cough.” My father-in-law died of it two weeks ago. (No condolences, thanks, he was a thoroughly awful person and my wife despised him.). And in the middle of THIS flu season, full of jokes about Captain Trips and the Walkin Dude, they gut the CDC??

  12. 12.

    WaterGirl

    February 5, 2018 at 10:38 pm

    @efgoldman: Yeah, “well good luck with that” is all I have to say to them. And no, I am not really wishing them luck.

  13. 13.

    PhoenixRising

    February 5, 2018 at 10:38 pm

    @Elmo: I’m sorry your wife’s father was such a pri…nce and now it’s over. For him.

  14. 14.

    SFAW

    February 5, 2018 at 10:40 pm

    Cue Paul “More Money for Us/FUCK YOU” Ryan saying “He’s still learning” in 3 … 2 … 1 …

    Time to crowd-source that tumbrel factory startup I’ve been pitching.

  15. 15.

    WaterGirl

    February 5, 2018 at 10:40 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: I think I’m mostly a not-terrible person, too. But if I see a photo of Trump looking unwell, my ears perk up and I feel hopeful for a minute. Trump is dragging us all down.

    More terrible, together!

  16. 16.

    Major Major Major Major

    February 5, 2018 at 10:40 pm

    @zhena gogolia: it could be like ten kinds of disaster movie.

  17. 17.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 5, 2018 at 10:41 pm

    I have been inoculated. Nice knowing you all.

  18. 18.

    Repatriated

    February 5, 2018 at 10:41 pm

    If there’s an epidemic “over there somewhere”, it makes foreigners scarier.

    A big enough one solves overpopulation and frees up resources for exploitation. Worked for Europeans once, half a millennium ago…

    ETA: They called it Divine Providence back then. Mostly-accidental genocide, more like it.

  19. 19.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    February 5, 2018 at 10:41 pm

    consequences of a national party committing itself to flouting the rule of law?

    Matt McDermott‏Verified account @ mattmfm
    A remarkable subversion of our democracy continues in Pennsylvania. After losing their fight at the Supreme Court, Republicans are now threatening to impeach members of the state Supreme Court who found the congressional map to be an unconstitutional gerrymander.

    Two questions: Are the PA state elections coincident with the mid-terms? and how is this playing on the east and west sides of Pennsyltucky?

  20. 20.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 5, 2018 at 10:42 pm

    @Elmo:

    (No condolences, thanks, he was a thoroughly awful person and my wife despised him.)

    I will not condole. But as thoroughly awful as he may have been, I hope he can now find whatever peace eluded him in this life.

    And I hope you can shake your cough.

  21. 21.

    Duane

    February 5, 2018 at 10:44 pm

    @WaterGirl: Arsonists never do.

  22. 22.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    February 5, 2018 at 10:46 pm

    So I’ve been trying to get a second job. I’ve worked at the same part-time job for the last 4 years. It’s a job as a busboy at a banquet center. Currently taking a semester off and need the extra money. I tried applying to PetSmart about a month ago for a few simple jobs (cashier, stocker, etc). Hadn’t heard a peep, so I checked back online and found the applications had been closed. “Active Position” was also next to the name of each portion applied for. I’m not sure if that implies the position is still open and interviews are taking place or the position has been filled and I was denied. When I tried doing a search for the positions I had applied for, they didn’t show up.

    It’s the only place I’ve applied to so far so I’m not too worried, but I’m wondering if my thin resume is hurting me or not. I’m 22 and I only ever held one job.

  23. 23.

    SFAW

    February 5, 2018 at 10:47 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    But as thoroughly awful as he may have been, I hope he can now find whatever peace eluded him in this life.

    You are a good person.

    I, on the other hand, when confronted with a “thoroughly awful” person, find myself wishing that Hell actually existed.

  24. 24.

    GregB

    February 5, 2018 at 10:47 pm

    Hey billionaires. Do you think your helicopter pilot will want to abandon his whole family to fly you and your family to New Zealand?

  25. 25.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    February 5, 2018 at 10:48 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: I would say having been at one job for four years, at your age, is a plus. You haven’t flaked out or no-showed or stolen anybody’s tips

  26. 26.

    chopper

    February 5, 2018 at 10:48 pm

    MERS is something to keep your eye on.

  27. 27.

    John Revolta

    February 5, 2018 at 10:52 pm

    You people are a bunch of idiots. The rise in global temperatures will easily take care of all these nasty microbes, see? #Trump’sgotthis

  28. 28.

    satby

    February 5, 2018 at 10:53 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: just apply more places. Almost all advertised openings get way more responses than they need. Most 22 year olds have thin resumes.

  29. 29.

    NotMax

    February 5, 2018 at 10:54 pm

    Repeated because it’s germane, from January 31:

    The head of the leading U.S. public health agency has resigned because of financial conflicts of interest that documents showed included purchases of tobacco and healthcare stocks while in office.

    Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, held “certain complex financial interests” that she could not sell in time, forcing her to recuse herself from many public health duties, a Department of Health and Human Services statement said on Wednesday. Source

    Tobacco stock. Let that sink in.

  30. 30.

    satby

    February 5, 2018 at 10:55 pm

    @NotMax: vile people, the lot of them.

  31. 31.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 5, 2018 at 10:57 pm

    @SFAW:

    You are a good person.

    I don’t think I’m appreciably better or worse than most people. But I do believe that there is a terrible soul-sickness (for lack of a better term) at the heart of every prick, dick, asshole, socio- or psychopath, yes, even the most horrible of them. I’m not being a bleeding-heart here, and I’m not in any way suggesting that they should be spared the consequences of their actions. But if there is such a thing as an afterlife, I hope there’s some balancing that can take place to fill that empty place where their humanity might have resided.

  32. 32.

    John Revolta

    February 5, 2018 at 10:58 pm

    @GregB:Depends. Is the helicopter pilot a Republican?

  33. 33.

    Aleta

    February 5, 2018 at 10:59 pm

    @WaterGirl: For some reason they’re so obsessed with “the individual” that they don’t understand connection. They believe an individual can own enough control to choose which people they’ll connect with and which ones they won’t. It’s like trying to contradict time.

  34. 34.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    February 5, 2018 at 11:02 pm

    @NotMax:
    Only the best people. A well-oiled machine. She was a Trump appointee, right?

    Also: can I watch the Olympics through a non-NBC source?

  35. 35.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 5, 2018 at 11:03 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?:

    You’re 22 and you’ve held one job for four years? I would call that a very big plus, one that goes a long way toward fattening up a thin resume. Perhaps reconfigure your CV to turn what you see as a negative into a positive — emphasize your trustworthiness, loyalty, work ethic, reliability, etc.

    Good luck!

  36. 36.

    efgoldman

    February 5, 2018 at 11:03 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I do believe that there is a terrible soul-sickness (for lack of a better term) at the heart of every prick, dick, asshole, socio- or psychopath, yes, even the most horrible of them.

    That doesn’t mean we have to tolerate them. Let them stew in their own bile, alive, dead, or zombies

    Fuckem

  37. 37.

    JR

    February 5, 2018 at 11:05 pm

    If the US keeps putting republicans in governance, viral pandemics are the least of our concerns.

    I’m thinking good ol’ fashioned diseases of poor sanitation.

  38. 38.

    Gretchen

    February 5, 2018 at 11:06 pm

    @Elmo: I win. I’m in week 4 of “the cough”. It is finally started to weaken. My daughter and I both got it in early January, and we’d both had the flu shot. She recovered fairly quickly but she’s 35 years younger than I am.

  39. 39.

    Aleta

    February 5, 2018 at 11:07 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: I’ve read and heard that some online application processes are all messed up. Could you put a resume in your pocket, go to a local one, ask for a general manager, hand it over, and ask how to get a good result online?

  40. 40.

    Mnemosyne

    February 5, 2018 at 11:08 pm

    @Aleta:

    There’s a reason I immediately thought of “The Masque of the Red Death.”

  41. 41.

    Gretchen

    February 5, 2018 at 11:09 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: I’ve hired 22 year olds who had never held a job before at all, so I don’t think so. The fact that you’ve held one job for 4 years would tell me that you know how to show up on time and do the work and get along with other people on a long-term basis, which is what I was looking for. And that’s what I’d emphasize if you get an interview – you’re reliable and get along well with others.

  42. 42.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    February 5, 2018 at 11:09 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:
    A CV? I just want a simple job minimum wage jon. In the resume, under my work experience, I definitely flowered up my duties. Used words like “efficiently” and “effectively”. We have to do a lot at my job. At the end of nights, we’ll clean restrooms, sweep floors, move tables, and reset entire rooms with tables, chairs, clothes, etc.

  43. 43.

    Gretchen

    February 5, 2018 at 11:10 pm

    I retired January 5. We’re in the process of transferring most of our guaranteed savings to annuities. The rest of our 401K is in the stock market. What a time for the stock market to take a dive.

  44. 44.

    chris

    February 5, 2018 at 11:11 pm

    More healthcare news. Attempted censorship this time.

    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services threatened to ban a reporter from participating in the federal agency’s telephone news conferences after he refused to delete three sentences from a published story that apparently had rankled CMS Administrator Seema Verma.

    Seema Verma? There’s a picture. What on earth does an Asian woman see in the Republican party? No need to answer, I’ve been asking variations of this question for nearly 50 years. The answer appears to be, “That *person* ain’t right.”

  45. 45.

    Another Scott

    February 5, 2018 at 11:12 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: It’s hard if your an introvert (like many of us), but you need to Network, Network, Network. You need someone on the inside to be your advocate. Apply in person if you can, or at least show up in person to indicate your interest. Talk to people and find out if they know if anyone is hiring or looking for someone. Distinguish yourself from just some electronic application.

    Lots of places use temp agencies for the initial hiring, also too. That can be good and bad, but if that’s the only way to get your foot in the door then be aware.

    HTH a little. Good luck!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  46. 46.

    Cheryl Rofer

    February 5, 2018 at 11:13 pm

    This is why we need taxes and why the tax cut fever is so misguided. If we live together, we have to pay for what it takes to make things work.

    First Kansas, now Oklahoma. This is what tax cuts do.

    Oklahoma now has 91 school districts that can only afford to open schools four days per week; drunk drivers in the state can keep their licenses bc there are no bureaucrats to take them away. Remind me about the SW/Sun Belt growth model everyone’s touting? https://t.co/gQofRvZlcn

    — Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis) February 6, 2018

  47. 47.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    February 5, 2018 at 11:14 pm

    @satby: Yeah, I get its something of a numbers game. From now on I’ll just make sure my availability is as open as possible (like 12am-12am, 7 days a week, just to get noticed).

  48. 48.

    Another Scott

    February 5, 2018 at 11:17 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Some employers are scared of “overqualified” people – they claim that you’ll leave when something better shows up, so why bother spending the time and money on you?

    If you’re looking for something part time, then you might be a good fit for a temp job. They didn’t hold “overqualified” against me when I was a post-grad working in a mailroom. ;-)

    Cheers,
    Scot.

  49. 49.

    Mike in NC

    February 5, 2018 at 11:18 pm

    @NotMax: Head of CDC will likely not be replaced. Just another part of Trump’s master plan to hollow out the federal government because he hates it.

  50. 50.

    Aleta

    February 5, 2018 at 11:19 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: The post office has a site that’s responsive to applicants and keeps you on file. (I believe once you’ve taken a general test you stay eligible to apply for any jobs for a long time.) Some jobs run for about 10 weeks. Then you have preference for hiring. Listings come up fairly frequently I think.

  51. 51.

    Bill Arnold

    February 5, 2018 at 11:20 pm

    Trump is a self-declared germophobe,
    Trump Says He Is Scared of Germs and Needs to Drink From a Straw to Avoid Contamination

    Donald Trump has said he is a germaphobe who washes his hands frequently throughout the day and needs to drink through a straw because he wants to avoid contamination.

    So you’d think he would want to fight them[germs] overseas so we don’t have to fight them here at home.
    Perhaps he doesn’t even know about this potential cutback.

  52. 52.

    Gretchen

    February 5, 2018 at 11:21 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: I agree also to let everyone know you’re looking. My former company gave bonuses to employees who recommended someone who stayed for 6 months, so those folks were always looking for someone who wanted a job. My son had a terrible employment history – got fired a lot for being late or not showing up, and was out of work entirely for a year or two. Then he had a friend who was a banquet server at a country club during wedding season and they were desperate for help, so they took the friend’s recommendation to take him on, despite the fact that he wasn’t a good bet. That was many years ago, and now he’s the dining room supervisor and is doing well, something his resume woudn’t have predicted. You actually have a good resume, so I’m sure you click if enough people are aware of you. It’s actually pretty hard to find reliable young people who show up every day over time, and without attitude.

  53. 53.

    Boatboy_srq

    February 5, 2018 at 11:21 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Not so very terrible, given what many among them have wished for us.

    I find I balance my fears of superbugs bred in countries the Teahadis can’t be arsed to help with the near certainty that if I travel overseas I will have access to better healthcare and fewer questions or bills than I would get in the US.

  54. 54.

    Mary G

    February 5, 2018 at 11:24 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: It’s hard to do, but much more effective, to just talk to people and tell them you’re looking for work. A lot of jobs advertised aren’t really open for one reason or another, but word of mouth is very effective.

    I agree that your record of four years in one job is a huge plus.

  55. 55.

    Duane

    February 5, 2018 at 11:26 pm

    @chris: Seema Verma sounds like a medical term for plague.

  56. 56.

    Steve in the ATL

    February 5, 2018 at 11:26 pm

    @Elmo: he could have been saved…if only he’d had a union to fight for his rights

  57. 57.

    Steve in the ATL

    February 5, 2018 at 11:30 pm

    @Cheryl Rofer: was offered an amazingly good job in Oklahoma a few years ago. Could not in good conscience move my family there. Or myself. Even though I could have bought myself a late model Aston Martin had I taken it. But Oklahoma? Fuck that shit—I’ll stick with my ‘72 Nova!

  58. 58.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    February 5, 2018 at 11:33 pm

    @Another Scott:
    Apparently, the local news mentioned that Aldi’s is doing a hiring event in my area next week. I suppose I could check that out. They mention that “retail experience” is preferred. I’ll still go anyway.

  59. 59.

    JR

    February 5, 2018 at 11:34 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: Had you moved to Oklahoma, you could have purchased a loaded Chevy Tahoe, lightly used.

  60. 60.

    Boatboy_srq

    February 5, 2018 at 11:34 pm

    @Cheryl Rofer: Conservatists: committed to making slavery comparatively attractive since 1866.

  61. 61.

    Steve in the ATL

    February 5, 2018 at 11:35 pm

    @GregB:

    Hey billionaires. Do you think your helicopter pilot will want to abandon his whole family to fly you and your family to New Zealand?

    Think this though, GregBrady. The helicopter pilot only takes the billionaire to the private runway. The jet pilot takes him to New Zealand, so that’s the family he has to make room for in his Gulfstream. Helicopter pilot and family are expendable.

  62. 62.

    Tehanu

    February 5, 2018 at 11:36 pm

    I’m beginning to think they want pandemics to happen, and that they think their money and their skin color and their gated communities will keep them safe while the bodies of the “moochers” and “losers” pile up. They’re tipping from Naziism to sheer nihilism.

  63. 63.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    February 5, 2018 at 11:39 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?:

    ETA: I do know some people who work at a Sam’s Club I used to work with at my current job. One of them called me up a week ago and mentioned they were hiring night stockers. It was advertised. He didn’t offer to put in a good word for me, but I didn’t ask.

  64. 64.

    Steve in the ATL

    February 5, 2018 at 11:40 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: agree with others who note that. 22-year old with a steady job for four years is rare and impressive. As is a 22-year old who posts on B-J. Best bet to score a job like that, where there will be many applicants of varying skill level, is to talk to the people in the store, especially the manager, and strike up a rapport. Manager will like a candidate he or she has met and who doesn’t have two heads or a Fuck tha Police neck tattoo and that will get you past the applicant tracking system with its flawed AI.

  65. 65.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    February 5, 2018 at 11:42 pm

    Tim Hogan‏ @ timjhogan
    So uh, CBSNews tracked down the secretary who got the $1.50 SpeakerRyan was so excited about and she doesn’t seem super thrilled.

  66. 66.

    Steve in the ATL

    February 5, 2018 at 11:43 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Two questions: Are the PA state elections coincident with the mid-terms? and how is this playing on the east and west sides of Pennsyltucky?

    Could be bad for Team Blue if large parts of Philly population is in jail from post-SB rioting and can’t vote. Maybe the rubes in the middle will be in jail for aggravated cow tipping and it all balances out.

  67. 67.

    Aleta

    February 5, 2018 at 11:45 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Restaurant work teaches how to work fast, be adaptable, how to change pace and prioritize jobs according to urgency. Have to stay aware of what’s happening throughout the floor and throughout the shift. But at the same time focus on your area. Have to be able to answer questions from customers and respond to management. Must be good at doing what’s asked, but also at working through the shift without needing direction or oversight. It gets complicated some nights.

  68. 68.

    Boatboy_srq

    February 5, 2018 at 11:46 pm

    @Tehanu: Of course they have. They were always there. Heck, there’s plenty of US who remember Earth with <4Bil pop, and miss the days when overpopulation wasn't a consideration. The difference is that we want sane family planning policies, and they want their Quiverfull households and everyone ELSE dead.

  69. 69.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    February 5, 2018 at 11:51 pm

    So, basically, I’m getting a sense that I need to go the extra mile in order to get hired. I need to meet the people who will likely hire me in person and try to get them to sorta like me, such as when I ask for an application. I should also leverage any possible connections, such as friends, in order to get my foot in the door. I normally like to anonymously call a place I’m interested in to see if they’re hiring as well.

  70. 70.

    efgoldman

    February 5, 2018 at 11:53 pm

    @Steve in the ATL:

    But Oklahoma? Fuck that shit—I’ll stick with my ‘72 Nova!

    If you said whether you’re taken the promotion to Texas (I assume no) I missed it

  71. 71.

    efgoldman

    February 5, 2018 at 11:56 pm

    @Tehanu:

    They’re tipping from Naziism to sheer nihilism.

    They got there in the mid-90s, but they were (marginally) more polite.

  72. 72.

    Major Major Major Major

    February 5, 2018 at 11:57 pm

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Welcome to the hustle, kid.

  73. 73.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    February 5, 2018 at 11:57 pm

    @efgoldman: remember Newt Gingrich advocating, among other things, that kids who can’t afford lunch should work with school janitors to earn it?

  74. 74.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    February 5, 2018 at 11:58 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:
    It kinda sucks. The real trouble with job searching is how do you know what to fix if you’re doing something wrong. I applied for simple jobs (cashier, stocking). I think I’m pretty qualified. Why didn’t I at least get an interview?

  75. 75.

    trollhattan

    February 6, 2018 at 12:08 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:
    Yeah, that fucker said they needed to learn the work ethic early. Same asshole last fall was on my teevee ragging on kneeling NFL players with “I don’t want to be lectured by millionaires” simultaneous with being a millionaire. Same guy who loves to lecture coastal elites on morals after banging wife #3 while married to #2.

    I wonder what plans the pope has for Callista?

  76. 76.

    SWMBO

    February 6, 2018 at 12:08 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Where are you? There are facebook postings about jobs in companies that my friends work and repost trying to find good hires. (If you’re not on facebook, that’s ok too.) Parts of the country right now are battling colds/flu. My mom got sick recently and it was on the news that 1 in 5 people local (to her) had the flu. They may not be able to interview you. I’d go in person (hey, I’m not dying and I’m able to work today!) See if that improves your prospects.
    Costco was posting about job openings just before Christmas. So was UPS. There are a lot of part time employment around the holidays. Target (at least here in South Florida) is still advertising at some stores for more employees.
    Just don’t give up. You got this.

  77. 77.

    Major Major Major Major

    February 6, 2018 at 12:09 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Such things are mysterious and often do not work logically. Just gotta be persistent and not take it too personally.

  78. 78.

    efgoldman

    February 6, 2018 at 12:11 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: You can do worse than try a reputable (national) temp agency. I got a medium-term job (some make-work, but the pay check was real) to take me thru the holidays in ’95. After a few weeks without assignment, they sent me to Enormous Brokerage & Mutual Funds LLC at the end of January, and they hired me full time, full benefits, in May (it was 1996, and they were hiring like crazy). I retired from there 19 years later.
    I used Kelly temps; there are others.
    Hourly pay was about 60% more than minimum; can barely live on it, if 40 hours, but it’s more than Evil Mart pays/paid to start

    ETA: DO NOT EVER, (NEVER EVER) DISCUSS OR MENTION POLITICS IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM, EVEN RESPONDING TO A DIRECT QUESTION, OR WHEN PROVOKED, AT ANY TIME, PRE-OR-POST HIRING.
    NO DON’T DO IT

  79. 79.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    February 6, 2018 at 12:15 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: and not take it too personally.

    this, and go introduce yourself to the manager at Petco, is I think the best advice you’re gonna get, among some really good advice on the thread. And that buddy of yours who called and told you his place was hiring sounds like he was giving you a heads-up

  80. 80.

    Steve in the ATL

    February 6, 2018 at 12:17 am

    @efgoldman: no, still stalling, while my former boss and I wait until his non-solicit expires

  81. 81.

    NotMax

    February 6, 2018 at 12:19 am

    @Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe)

    Presuming you applied online. Did you make any follow-up phone calls to the people doing the hiring?

    For all its benefits, dealing solely via computer can be both sterile and impersonal.

  82. 82.

    frosty

    February 6, 2018 at 12:25 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: My younger son was 22 and had never held a job either, but got one that he wanted at a local grocery. Friends helped him by letting him know about the opening. So if you have any connections, work ’em.

  83. 83.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    February 6, 2018 at 12:28 am

    @NotMax:
    No I didn’t. I figured I’d get some canned boilerplate response if I did call and I figured if they wanted me they’d call. From now on, maybe I will do more follow calls.
    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:
    I definitely plan to follow up on that.
    @efgoldman:
    Perhaps I’ll look into temp agencies as well.
    @Major Major Major Major: For sure. Never let them see that they get to you.

  84. 84.

    frosty

    February 6, 2018 at 12:34 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Aldi’s will still need someone ro stock shelves overnight, which is what my son is doing. Not exactly “retail”. He’s making better than minimum wage too.

  85. 85.

    Mayim

    February 6, 2018 at 12:36 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?:

    In addition to what others have said ~ check out the blog Ask A Manager. The woman who writes it has lots of good advice about applications and interviews, as well as how to perform well in a job ~ plus stories to reassure you that however bad your job is, it could be worse….. (many of those are tagged ‘jerks’).

  86. 86.

    frosty

    February 6, 2018 at 12:37 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?:
    ETA: I didn’t see you’d been working for 4 years. That’s 4 more than the 0 my som had at your age. Keep at it, and I agree with everyone else to try and make it face-to-face.

  87. 87.

    Gretchen

    February 6, 2018 at 12:39 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: It’s not necessarily that you’re doing something wrong that you’re not getting the interview. Sometimes nothing works until something does. My daughter moved to New York and signed a lease on an expensive apartment without having a job lined up. I thought that was nuts. She applied for dozens of jobs, and didn’t get even a nibble for three months. She was starting to run out of money, and I was starting to worrry that I couldn’t help her much when that happened. But then she got an interview, they clicked, and she’s been working there and getting promoted for four years now. It doesn’t happen until it happens. Keep us posted.

  88. 88.

    NotMax

    February 6, 2018 at 12:42 am

    @Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe

    and I figured if they wanted me they’d call.

    To be blunt, rookie mistake. You want them to show interest in you, you show interest in them. A follow-up call not only demonstrates commitment but might help make you stand out a little from the pack. Again, pulling no punches – remember that you’re not just applying for the job, you’re actually trying to sell yourself (in the good sense).

    No idea what the modern day protocol may be; uninformed guess is that 24 to 48 hours after applying might be in the ballpark.

  89. 89.

    frosty

    February 6, 2018 at 12:43 am

    @Steve in the ATL: And after the handshake deal within the pilot fraternity the billionaire stays on the runway, two pilots’ families emigrate to NZ and they split the payment.

  90. 90.

    Gretchen

    February 6, 2018 at 12:44 am

    @frosty: And when you do get the interview, review that comment above that says all the things that restaurant work requires, and add “I’m reliable, I always show up, I work hard, and I get along with everyone” and rehearse it as your answer when the interviewer asks why you think you’d be good at this job or why you’d be an asset to this company.

  91. 91.

    Steve in the ATL

    February 6, 2018 at 12:44 am

    @frosty: I hope so!

  92. 92.

    frosty

    February 6, 2018 at 12:49 am

    @Major Major Major Major: You said it in five words! Nicely done.

    And then if you go into private professional work you’re writing proposals and updating resumes, like I am doing on vacation. Welcome to the hustle, kid!

  93. 93.

    frosty

    February 6, 2018 at 12:50 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: could be overqualified. Who the fuck knows what’s in their heads?

  94. 94.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    February 6, 2018 at 12:55 am

    Thanks everyone for the advice. I’ll try it out. I just gotta put myself out there more.

  95. 95.

    frosty

    February 6, 2018 at 12:57 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Best wishes from all us jackals!

  96. 96.

    divF

    February 6, 2018 at 1:07 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Yes, good luck ! And hang in there.

  97. 97.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    February 6, 2018 at 1:15 am

    Sheldon Whitehouse @ SenWhitehouse
    Big gala at Trump resort looks a lot like an emolument to me.

    the Senator and I believe former state AG is referring to this

    WASHINGTON — In mid-April, hundreds of members of the payday lending industry will head to Florida for their annual retreat featuring golf and networking at a plush resort just outside Miami. The resort just happens to be the Trump National Doral Golf Club.

    hundreds of loan sharks, many of whom specialize in lending to young military personnel, paying off a grifter

  98. 98.

    efgoldman

    February 6, 2018 at 1:19 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?:

    I just gotta put myself out there more.

    And that’s why a reputable temp agency could help. They get you out there. If they want to place you, they’ll make you look good
    BTW any agency of any kind that wants a fee? Walk away quickly. Hang up the phone. Delete the email.

  99. 99.

    efgoldman

    February 6, 2018 at 1:22 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    the Senator and I believe former state AG is referring to this

    My guy, and one of the really really good ones. Stays out of the glare, but when he has something to say it’s always important and worth listening to. Yes, also former RI AG.
    Kind of the anti-McCain you might say
    Would make a terrific AG in the next Dem administration

  100. 100.

    Mnemosyne

    February 6, 2018 at 1:54 am

    @efgoldman:

    Also, if he does decide to continue to pursue nursing, a lot of those jobs come through agencies, so it’s not a bad idea to get used to how they work.

    My job at the Giant Evil Corporation started as a temp-to-hire job. This is my 11th year with them.

  101. 101.

    Ladyraxterinok

    February 6, 2018 at 3:05 am

    @Cheryl Rofer: I just don’r get it. IMHO state relied for yrs on oil industry. Now there’re all the mini earthquakes. There’s a long history of majority fundamentalist church members and electing people like Inhofe who touted guy who’s now EPA director.Some yrs ago Inhofe made speech in congress saying Jews ‘own’ all of land in Israel. We know this, he said, because the OT documents that ‘God gave it to them.’

  102. 102.

    Sm*t Cl*de

    February 6, 2018 at 5:38 am

    @Tehanu:

    They’re tipping from Naziism to sheer nihilism.

    Nihilists! Fuck me. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it’s an ethos.

  103. 103.

    NorthLeft12

    February 6, 2018 at 7:24 am

    CDC to cut by 80 percent efforts to prevent global disease outbreak https://t.co/N0ApaDIcTl

    America First!
    Seriously, one thing that the rest of the world has always appreciated about the US was their commitment to disease control/elimination in the poorer parts of the world. I know you guys get a lot of grief from filthy foreigners like me, but your leadership in issues like this were greatly valued and a source of good will.
    It will be interesting to see if China picks up the slack here too.

  104. 104.

    NorthLeft12

    February 6, 2018 at 7:29 am

    @Gretchen: 100% agree. Reliability and congeniality are two of the most desired traits for a worker at an entry level position. Especially if you have to deal with the public or work in a large group of people. Add on willingness to learn and that is a great package.

  105. 105.

    NorthLeft12

    February 6, 2018 at 7:34 am

    @Cheryl Rofer: Why people would want to live in these lawless and unserviced shitholes is beyond me. Maybe its because I am a Canadian, but having a government that takes care of shared infrastructure and services is kind of a must for me.
    You guys really need to cure this government/taxes are evil mania.

  106. 106.

    Barry

    February 6, 2018 at 8:00 am

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: “It’s the only place I’ve applied to so far so I’m not too worried, but I’m wondering if my thin resume is hurting me or not. I’m 22 and I only ever held one job.”

    The general rules of a job search are that (a) they treat you like sh*t and (b) you never know what happened or why.

    Talk among people you know a lot, get any inside information that you can. That way, you can tailor your applications, and also find out why they did not hire you, which you can then use.

  107. 107.

    Matt

    February 6, 2018 at 8:46 am

    @Ladyraxterinok: In other words, another failed state whose government has been overrun by fundamentalist loons who only care about shouting religion loud enough that nobody notices them stealing. If it was overseas and the loons were swarthier, we’d be flying drones over the place already.

  108. 108.

    Ramalama

    February 6, 2018 at 3:43 pm

    Yuge fan here of everything Ed Yong writes. He’s clever and clear when discussing science. Passionate. He opens up science to the lay people beautifully.

  109. 109.

    Ramalama

    February 6, 2018 at 3:46 pm

    @NorthLeft12: Agreed. Except in Quebecistan sometimes people cut corners while repairing infrastructures. I drove scientists and engineers to and fro Boston / Montreal for years and heard first-hand tales of such corner cuttery. But again, corruption is not solely a French trait. I grew up in Chicagoland, where 2-book accounting was tha rule more than the exception.

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