Interesting Links for 27-12-2021

[andrewducker]

What if the Flu isn't "just the Flu?"

(tags:disease flu death )

Dealing with Apple if you have user generated content is a nightmare. (A Tumblr Developer speaks)

(tags:Tumblr Apple censorship OhForFucksSake )

What happened when an Orthodox Jewish congregation went to a gay bar to mourn Orlando

(tags:LGBT Jews death )

The most Christmassy of all jigsaws

(tags:puzzle Christmas vegetables )

If you work at a university then this will make you laugh *and* cry

(tags:university funny HumanResources )

Comments

[cmcmck]

Another happy little doom monger in that first piece.

The one on the Orthodox Jewish congregation and the gay bar sound intriguing but they insist on a sign up in order to read it so I can't do so as I won't do so. :o(

[andrewducker]

Archive.is is your friend
https://archive.is/7gxE2

And I don't think that telling people that unnecessary deaths are happening that we could be doing something about is doom mongering.

[cmcmck]

Thanks for the link.

That's rather a fine story.

Maybe I've just read a bit too much doom and gloom in the last couple of years. As to this year's 'flu, one wonders again where it has got to!

[andrewducker]

It's back in the USA. Not seen figures for the UK
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/12/22/us/flu-cases.html

[hutchingsmusic]

This year's UK flu has been (mostly) prevented by people wearing masks and limiting social contact! The measures that reduce Covid cases to a manageable R number also, coincidentally, reduce the R number of flu to probably below 1.

[cmcmck]

Although there was a long period when these things were no longer required so I'm not sure how it effects the figures.

I have to admit that I stopped wearing masks during that period because I have such harmful psychological issues with them.

[dewline]

The story is indeed one of kindness finding its way through pain. One of great value to many of us...

[autopope]

The HR/job interview story ...

I have heard a lot lately about US employers sucking job applicants in and switching the hourly pay rate they advertised to something much lower.

They do this because if you are offered a job and turn it down you lose your unemployment payments. (Similar in the UK, of course.)

But this anecdote suggests a sensible strategy: if you go into a job interview and they try this bait-and-switch on you, be as obnoxious as possible short of actually assaulting the interviewer -- make it impossible for them to offer you the job. You'll still be unemployed but at least you won't lose your unemployment payments/universal credit, and can carry on looking for something better.

[andrewducker]

Ah, the awful tactics people have to use just to get a low level job!

[agoodwinsmith]

The University HR thing. Oh yes. Except any I have worked for have been much less self-aware. Or more cautious, perhaps. However, Canada for the most part has decent unions to prevent the bait & switch shit.