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March Banter 2021


George BM
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20 minutes ago, Avdave said:

You may want to consider NC. If you have a pension, it doesnt get taxed in NC, which is a big perk for a lot of the people moving here

Thx! Both the Carolinas are on our list, actually....FL, too. Leaning Myrtle Beach area (long time favorite), but our mind's not made up yet.  :) 

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37 minutes ago, Avdave said:

You may want to consider NC. If you have a pension, it doesnt get taxed in NC, which is a big perk for a lot of the people moving here

It has less snow.  dealbreaker.  Then again I ain't got shit last 3 years so what am I still doing here?  Oh thats right.  Anchor babies.

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1 hour ago, Avdave said:

You may want to consider NC. If you have a pension, it doesnt get taxed in NC, which is a big perk for a lot of the people moving here

We are thinking the lakes region in NH although I’m not sure I could deal with snow when I’m retired. Then again we’re in our 30s so by the time we retire global warming will make it 55 in NH during winter. ;) 

I actually tried to get my partner to move to NC recently but he likes this area too much and we’re closer to family in NJ, NH and NY. 

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1 hour ago, H2O said:

It has less snow.  dealbreaker.  Then again I ain't got shit last 3 years so what am I still doing here?  Oh thats right.  Anchor babies.

Boone or Blowing Rock area. Major micro climate. You would get snow there, and beautiful country for hiking etc, but there isn't much else.

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Hearing about "historic" snows elsewhere is depressing. Can't avoid hearing about it in the news...Hard to enjoy the nice temperatures because it marks the end of winter...with future prospects of warning-level snow in question. The ending of this winter is more difficult than last year for some reason...

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3 hours ago, vastateofmind said:

We are in same boat -- want to move to SC now -- but due to current laws/policies, I have to live within the metro area and be able to commute to my assigned duty station due to locality pay (understandable, under current laws). However, if those laws/policies are (hopefully) amended in the near future, I'd gladly give up my extra locality pay to be able to move south now, and WFH there while staying attached to my current organization for a few more years until retirement. 

I'm a big believer in this, and I think the federal gov't is coming around, too. Our organization is considering turning back in to the Army some of our current office space from our physical campus at Fort Belvoir, so that we'll have a much smaller footprint with far fewer single offices and more temporary hotbunk/hotelling spaces for those who come to campus only occasionally. Like most of the federal gov't, we've successfully proven that we can continue to carry out the mission remotely for over a year now, at least in our corner of DoD. Some of us will stay in primarily WFH mode when when we go into "new normal" mode -- my bosses offered me that opportunity a few weeks back, so when we're cleared to return to campus, I'll give up my work office, and likely WFH 85-90% of the time. I'm lucky/fortunate.

This sounds incredibly familiar.

I worked for DoD for almost 10 years, and am potentially moving back onto another project there if we win a recent bid. As it stands, I work with another organization that had steadfastly refused to do any of its administrative business on the unclass side. Never really understood that, but COVID turned that all on its head and our team was the first in that organization to prove that it was possible to continue working at nearly full capacity when we were asked to telework. Now that we have the infrastructure set up, we're more productive than ever before, and there's a push to move a lot of what we do on a regular basis onto the unclass side. Of course, now the organization is pushing to bring people back into the office, but luckily our client understands that our team is killing it while working remotely so they're in no rush to try to bring us back.

Like others, I don't mind going into the office, but our developers have been 100% telework for a year and have absolutely no need to be in the office. As a PM, it makes sense to go in, but there's really no need to be in the office every day anymore. Give me a desk I can hotel at a couple/few days a week and let me telework the rest of the time. Much better work/life balance and is a sweetener for any potential candidates to work for your organization. We definitely see this in tech - you need to do everything you can to get the best candidates - and allowing work from home is a huge factor in enticing them to work for you.

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1 hour ago, nj2va said:

We are thinking the lakes region in NH although I’m not sure I could deal with snow when I’m retired. Then again we’re in our 30s so by the time we retire global warming will make it 55 in NH during winter. ;) 

I actually tried to get my partner to move to NC recently but he likes this area too much and we’re closer to family in NJ, NH and NY. 

I get the family thing....we still have a few relatives living in northern PA and just north of NYC, and the proximity to this area (for them AND us) is nice. Our two sons (26 and 24) are currently in the PacNW and Arlington, but neither will probably be in either of those locations long-term because of job commitments that will likely keep them moving.

I still love huge snowstorms...but man, I despise cleaning up after them now. Worse than that, I can't abide long-term temps below 35-40 degrees. Absolutely HATE being cold now...and that's after enduring God knows how many days of sub-freezing weather for my first 20 or so years growing up in northern PA. Thirty or so years of NoVA winters have made me soft.

The lakes region of NH, really much of NH and VT (most of New England!), are simply some of the most gorgeous country I've seen in the nation...but, increasingly, too cold for this old dude! Hence, the consideration of locations in the Carolinas and FL. One added plus of moving to a beach-centric area is that it will entice our grown sons to come visit US, rather than vice versa.  :) 

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37 minutes ago, mattie g said:

This sounds incredibly familiar.

I worked for DoD for almost 10 years, and am potentially moving back onto another project there if we win a recent bid. As it stands, I work with another organization that had steadfastly refused to do any of its administrative business on the unclass side. Never really understood that, but COVID turned that all on its head and our team was the first in that organization to prove that it was possible to continue working at nearly full capacity when we were asked to telework. Now that we have the infrastructure set up, we're more productive than ever before, and there's a push to move a lot of what we do on a regular basis onto the unclass side. Of course, now the organization is pushing to bring people back into the office, but luckily our client understands that our team is killing it while working remotely so they're in no rush to try to bring us back.

Like others, I don't mind going into the office, but our developers have been 100% telework for a year and have absolutely no need to be in the office. As a PM, it makes sense to go in, but there's really no need to be in the office every day anymore. Give me a desk I can hotel at a couple/few days a week and let me telework the rest of the time. Much better work/life balance and is a sweetener for any potential candidates to work for your organization. We definitely see this in tech - you need to do everything you can to get the best candidates - and allowing work from home is a huge factor in enticing them to work for you.

I hope more TW/WFH opportunities pan out for your future projects...and excellent points from you bolded here. I'm in a DoD training organization, whose training split prior to March 2020 (pulling this out of my azz) was probably 40% in-classroom/60% online. Pandemic lockdowns hit in March 2020, and our ISDs/instructors go into major overdrive migrating and converting classroom courses to virtual/online...they really stepped up, govvies and contractors alike, and probably saved/salvaged 90%-95% of the in-person training. Not only that, THEY are the ones who have proved that our training mission CAN be accomplished remotely, in a full-time WFH/TW situation...and their efforts were the primary drivers behind changing minds/hearts not only at the senior leadership of our organization, but at senior levels in the Pentagon and at other federal gov't agencies. If we can carry at least one positive out of this effing pandemic...I'm hopeful that improved quality-of-life due to increased implementation of proven WFH/TW practices is at the top of the list.

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2 hours ago, CAPE said:

GFS has like 5-8" across Denver(a foot just west)..aggressive warmth advecting in from the SE then a bit of a dry slot, meanwhile Euro and CMC are colder with the milder air confined to SE CO, and Denver proper gets crushed with 25"+.

You're killin' me dude...lol Seriously though...sucks hearing about this. And then ya step outside and feel the warmth and know winter is at it's end...Like I said, this one stings a certain way.

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19 minutes ago, vastateofmind said:

Alright, @CAPE, @nw baltimore wx, @Baltimorewx, @Scraff, and others I'm probably leaving out -- what beers are on deck for happy hour this evening? Haven't made up my mind yet, or else I'd be posting a pour pic right now...  ;) 

I am going with a high gravity selection from DFH...shocker. No, not the 120.

Fruit-full Fort.

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5 minutes ago, NorthArlington101 said:


Sounds like we are doing everything we can to play. Fingers, toes, eyes crossed. Was really looking forward to rooting for the defending champs in March Madness this year.

NCAA has the "5 healthy players are enough" edict but they do not count anyone in the 7 day isolation as healthy from what I understand.  What a shame it will be if they do not get a chance to defend.  

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NCAA has the "5 healthy players are enough" edict but they do not count anyone in the 7 day isolation as healthy from what I understand.  What a shame it will be if they do not get a chance to defend.  

With them all hugging and screaming at the end of the game and in the locker room, I’m doubtful. I’m honestly hoping this happens to enough teams where they somehow postpone a week. It’s a selfish hope but I’ll own it.
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1 minute ago, NorthArlington101 said:


With them all hugging and screaming at the end of the game and in the locker room, I’m doubtful. I’m honestly hoping this happens to enough teams where they somehow postpone a week. It’s a selfish hope but I’ll own it.

Yea, there is that and there is a possibility the tourney does not go though I think it would take a lot more positive tests to cancel the whole thing.  I heard they are planning on picking 4 teams as backups so they can play the first round.  

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34 minutes ago, vastateofmind said:

Alright, @CAPE, @nw baltimore wx, @Baltimorewx, @Scraff, and others I'm probably leaving out -- what beers are on deck for happy hour this evening? Haven't made up my mind yet, or else I'd be posting a pour pic right now...  ;) 

 

12 minutes ago, CAPE said:

I am going with a high gravity selection from DFH...shocker. No, not the 120.

Fruit-full Fort.

I’m not sure yet. We’ve got a game of spades on deck this evening which is perfect for sharing brews.

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1 hour ago, vastateofmind said:

I hope more TW/WFH opportunities pan out for your future projects...and excellent points from you bolded here. I'm in a DoD training organization, whose training split prior to March 2020 (pulling this out of my azz) was probably 40% in-classroom/60% online. Pandemic lockdowns hit in March 2020, and our ISDs/instructors go into major overdrive migrating and converting classroom courses to virtual/online...they really stepped up, govvies and contractors alike, and probably saved/salvaged 90%-95% of the in-person training. Not only that, THEY are the ones who have proved that our training mission CAN be accomplished remotely, in a full-time WFH/TW situation...and their efforts were the primary drivers behind changing minds/hearts not only at the senior leadership of our organization, but at senior levels in the Pentagon and at other federal gov't agencies. If we can carry at least one positive out of this effing pandemic...I'm hopeful that improved quality-of-life due to increased implementation of proven WFH/TW practices is at the top of the list.

Are you at DAU, by chance? Feel free not to answer if you don't want to!

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6 hours ago, Kay said:

Job opportunity:

Trappist Beer Needs Trappist Monks to Brew It, but the Vocation Is Dwindling

Abbeys have fewer brothers these days, worrying those devoted to the high-end beers

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trappist-beer-needs-trappist-monks-to-brew-it-but-the-vocation-is-dwindling-11615392562

Thanks for this, resume submitted

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4 hours ago, vastateofmind said:

Thx! Both the Carolinas are on our list, actually....FL, too. Leaning Myrtle Beach area (long time favorite), but our mind's not made up yet.  :) 

Nice. Youll find your home though.  MYB is nice, but I am always hearing the news about the city itself with drugs and shooting stories a lot.  Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island is nice, not too far from MYB.

 

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