Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[crashcourse]

nice finish to talents article

"The common sense perception that a pandemic breaking out in Wuhan might have something to do with a Wuhan lab cooking up novel viruses of maximal danger in unsafe conditions could eventually displace the ideological insistence that whatever Trump said can’t be true."

far as recounts go we all know what automated recounts are likley to show

I think its nice to get a manual recount this day and age. to see what is actually fed into the system rather then only the end result automated recounts that are done today

[Mike]

They’re gonna get to the bottom of it this time!

[Tom W]

LOL..

While I wouldn't put anything past the Dems, it still comes down to this: You don’t need to manipulate the ballots if you’ve already programmed the voters.

[Ghengis Jon]

That's very true. Look no further than BernieBots or Trumpanzees for perfect examples.

[Whitley]

I was reading an article about Restaurants having trouble workers (it is in Today or Thursday Free Press). In it the article, there was an owner of a sports bar saying he is offering 1k (part time) and 2k (full time) sign on bonuses. Which is attention grabbing. BUT. he further said---well those are going to be paid out quarterly and they have to meet our standards (which makes it subjective). SO it is not really a sign on bonus and makes it feel like a little bait and switchy.

I now work in a food processing plant (fruit) as a 3rd shift utility worker. The place where I work is having a sign on bonus ($750 for new hires, $400 for employees referring someone) and those are paid out at the 90 and 180 day marks. In addition--- there is full medical, dental and vision insurance...401k match up to 6% (per check) and other things like attendance bonuses ($300 if you show up to work every day every quarter). Yet, I do not expect to get many (if any) workers signing up. Why? Because summer is approaching nd in a resort area a lot of people make their money during the tourist season. Then they scramble during the winter months.

[Whitley]

That's very true. Look no further than BernieBots or Trumpanzees for perfect examples.

Maybe the question should be is why there is a good amount of crossover appeal between Sen Sanders and former President Trump (spoilers....its the economy).

[Mike]

I was reading an article about Restaurants having trouble workers (it is in Today or Thursday Free Press). In it the article, there was an owner of a sports bar saying he is offering 1k (part time) and 2k (full time) sign on bonuses. Which is attention grabbing. BUT. he further said---well those are going to be paid out quarterly and they have to meet our standards (which makes it subjective). SO it is not really a sign on bonus and makes it feel like a little bait and switchy.

I now work in a food processing plant (fruit) as a 3rd shift utility worker. The place where I work is having a sign on bonus ($750 for new hires, $400 for employees referring someone) and those are paid out at the 90 and 180 day marks. In addition--- there is full medical, dental and vision insurance...401k match up to 6% (per check) and other things like attendance bonuses ($300 if you show up to work every day every quarter). Yet, I do not expect to get many (if any) workers signing up. Why? Because summer is approaching nd in a resort area a lot of people make their money during the tourist season. Then they scramble during the winter months.

In the first paragraph you lament the fact that bonuses up to $2,000(!) to work in a restaurant aren’t that great or even disingenuous because they are paid out quarterly. You then go on to say your current employer pays out their bonuses at the 90 and 180 day marks. You are aware what a fiscal quarter is, right?

When I read this post I’m amazed at what a great time it is for anyone who needs/wants a job. It’s too bad that private business owners have to compete with the federal government for the best pay and benefits to offer.

As for the Bernie/Trump stuff: a) that overlap is completely overblown, and b) it has far more to do with anti-establishmentt sentiment than economics. I understand that both are populists in that regard but they couldn’t be much further apart in actual policy.

The jobs report today demonstrates to the whole world (that is interested in facts) just how flawed our approach is to pandemic relief. Stop the extra unemployment benefits from the feds and fully reopen the economy. THEN you’ll see some economic fireworks!

[Kapture1]

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[lineygoblue]

While I agree Gretch deserves every bit of criticism she gets for flying on her friends' private jet, I certainly don't blame her for taking advantage of the opportunity. The real problem comes when she is in a position to help her friends out because she's the Governor. Does she use her position to give them unfair advantages, or does she treat them like everyone else? My guess is she won't be able to forget the favors they've done for her. But, I could be wrong.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Well, if you read the local papes here in S FL, you'd never know Desanits made FL "awesome." He is routinely pilloried by the press here as "the Divider," heavily criticized for his voting rights abuses (FL is one of several other states having recently passed restrictions on mail in ballots and voter ID) and predictions of "dire consequences" outcomes for his handling of the pandemic in FL. Clearly, the loudest voices are from his opposition when, in fact, he enjoys something around a 53% favorable rating.

Over the last two weeks hospitalizations and deaths have declined dramatically ..... again ..... and now the state is seeing % positivity rates throughout the state below 4%. S FL has been stubbornly above that important 5% threshold but is now below it in all three of it's counties. Obviously, the distribution plan for vaccines which began in mid-late December fashioned by the Governor has produced these results. What's awesome is that his administration has achieved these results without closing schools and business but rather allowing them and citizens of FL to make their own choices on responsible COVID behavior.

That's FL. Of course we have other parts of the world experiencing devastating outcomes from SARS2 infections. If you dig around though, there is positive news. Local states in India and towns in Brazil for example have brought the virus under control. Mumbai is doing well while Delhi is suffering. Reportedly, in India's case, well designed pre-pandemic infrastructure capable of managing serious cases and distributing vaccines is the difference maker between Mumbai and Delhi. A story of stunning success is a town of 450,000 Brazilian residents that have had few deaths overall and are now experiencing transmission rates near zero. The reason? All 450,000 adult residents have been vaccinated.

Obvious lessons here. The nations of the world should be laser focused on vaccinating it's citizens. That the Biden administration favors easing patent restrictions on vaccine manufacturers is at odds with Merkle and Macron who say, correctly, easing patent rights isn't going to increase production or solve distribution issues to places, like India, that need the vaccines - a lot of them - now. Eliminating export restrictions on vaccines and making sure the raw materials needed to produce them arrive at production facilities already operating are the correct actions to be undertaking.

This isn't hard but the Biden administration's alignment with the progressive wing of the president's own party, signaling typical socialist opposition to capitalism, sends a terrible message internationally. That even Macron opposes easing patent restrictions for the pharmaceutical companies while Biden is in favor of it appears to be a sharp reversal of core beliefs of France and the United States.

[lineygoblue]

Jeff - Are you a full time Floridian now, or are you splitting time between there and Georgia?

Just curious.

I think a lot of the criticism toward DeSantis is that he poses a real presidential threat to Chairman Joe and Kamala. Problem is, DeSantis has to figure a way to get Trump to sit out 2024. I'm not sure he can be that persuasive.

[Jeff Buchanan]

3/4 time in FL. Still have our Lawrenceville GA home. Want to sell but the prospect of facing 20 years of stuff and a houseful of furniture that we won't move to FL is daunting. Soon.

It's disappointing to me that Trump continues to hold sway over the R party. Sure, I can abide by some of his policies, not all, but many. What I can't abide by is his character. Conservatives are placed in a very difficult position with regard to presidential candidates. I've read a ton of opinion pieces on the conundrum. Discouraging to say the least. I'm starting to pay close attention to local politics. I recognize voters can make a difference with the make-up, for example, of boards and commissions.

[Whitley]

In the first paragraph you lament the fact that bonuses up to $2,000(!) to work in a restaurant aren’t that great or even disingenuous because they are paid out quarterly. You then go on to say your current employer pays out their bonuses at the 90 and 180 day marks. You are aware what a fiscal quarter is, right?

!

Can you be more condescending? The paying out quarterly is fine (though it lessens the impact of the bonus). And there is a big difference between the restaurant owner and the place where I work. Where I work you are still employed after the 90 and 180 mark you get that bonus. The restaurant owner says it is paid out over the course of the year (no problem with that) but in saying that it is subject to his standards that implies a possibility---- where you are doing everything that your job says but the owner subjective standards does not give you the full bonus.

[Mike]

So you’re complaining about a restaurant owner that is paying out $2,000 bonuses because they are tied to job performance? I would imagine there was a time when this restaurant owner paid the going rate for labor. Now, as a way to attract workers, he/she is offering a bonus of $2,000. If that has been standard in the food service industry for the last few decades, I was unaware. So my apologies. But I reckon that has NOT been the case.

We seem to have reached a point in American history where people are offered 4 figure bonuses for unskilled labor and then they complain about the manor in which those bonuses are doled out. That’s an entitled mentality. There is no honor in that ideology.

[Mike]

Can you be more condescending?

Yes.