Spring Banter

[bch2014]

4 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

Retail is dead. Who said anything about retail?

I think you mean brick and mortar retail is dead (which I'd argue isn't true-we're transitioning to an omni-channel retail environment), but e-commerce is still retail... US consumer spending is at a higher level than ever thanks to the much-maligned stimulus checks, enhanced UI, etc... You can't have it both ways.

 

[PhineasC]

6 minutes ago, UMB WX said:

That's fair.. Its been a long time coming for states to step up or get left behind.   The horror to ensue a $15 minimum wage hike sure makes a lot of people clutch their pearls for a plethora of concerns . But lets be real.. If a business can’t survive without paying their employees slave wages then they shouldn’t be in business. 

LOL at ripping Mississippi and New Jersey off. smh

 

There it is!

That phrase cracks me up. Yeah, let's force the entire business under so 25 people lose their jobs instead.

Or just pay them all 35/hr like they do in VT tourist country and charge the tourists 30 bucks for a pepperoni pizza.

[PhineasC]

1 minute ago, BuffaloWeather said:

It's pretty sad that $300 in extra Federal UI benefits is causing a nationwide employment shortage, meanwhile you got people like Phin making 500k a year in NH staring at the white mountains all day, life ain't fair. 

I started out washing dishes. Did that for a long while. Hard work and taking risks still pays off. Maybe more should try that instead of being satisfied with collecting unemployment or being paid min wage with zero skills in their mid-20s.

[bwt3650]

2 minutes ago, UMB WX said:

So only republicans are allowed to use the loop holes without scrutiny.  Build a wall though.... keep our slaves in. USA 

The "wall" is such a media created frenzy.  Both republican and democratic presidents have funded parts of a border wall, fence, gate, whatever you want to call it.  Both sides have failed the real issue, which is the need for immigration reform.  The media just uses it as manipulation to drive emotional responses.  

[BrianW]

Down in Fairfield County CT automation to eliminate cashiers and other low skill jobs is like full steam ahead. Walmarts here have 1 person now watching 16 self checkout registers. At the McDonald's in Stamford you order from screens now. A couple automat style restaurants have gone in were they just need 2 cooks and zero cashiers or waitstaff. Scan your card an open a door to get your meal.

The big one though is the first Amazon Fresh Grocery store going on that has like no actual employees. Fill your cart and walk out the store. Supposedly the prices are going to be rock bottom there and their goal is to undercut Walmart by like 20%. 

 

[snowman21]

1 minute ago, PhineasC said:

There it is!

That phrase cracks me up. Yeah, let's force the entire business under so 25 people lose their jobs instead.

Or just pay them all 35/hr like they do in VT tourist country and charge the tourists 30 bucks for a pepperoni pizza.

You are going to pay to make up the difference between their wages and cost of living one way or another. They can either make it on their own through wages or they will fill that gap with your tax dollars.

[UMB WX]

Just now, PhineasC said:

There it is!

That phrase cracks me up. Yeah, let's force the entire business under so 25 people lose their jobs instead.

Or just pay them all 35/hr like they do in VT tourist country and charge the tourists 30 bucks for a pepperoni pizza.

Why do you let the Phrase crack you up.  

[PhineasC]

3 minutes ago, bch2014 said:

I think you mean brick and mortar retail is dead (which I'd argue isn't true-we're transitioning to an omni-channel retail environment), but e-commerce is still retail... US consumer spending is at a higher level than ever thanks to the much-maligned stimulus checks, enhanced UI, etc... You can't have it both ways.

 

Yes, plenty of pent-up demand. I have kind of lost the bubble on what we were talking about.

[PhineasC]

3 minutes ago, snowman21 said:

You are going to pay to make up the difference between their wages and cost of living one way or another. They can either make it on their own through wages or they will fill that gap with your tax dollars.

That would be true if that's all the govt did with the tax dollars. If we raise wages, will they step aside and lower taxes/remove bennies? No.

[UMB WX]

5 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

I started out washing dishes. Did that for a long while. Hard work and taking risks still pays off. Maybe more should try that instead of being satisfied with collecting unemployment or being paid min wage with zero skills in their mid-20s.

 a lot of us did..  a lot of us still do for slave wages.  

[PhineasC]

11 minutes ago, UMB WX said:

 a lot of us did..  a lot of us still do for slave wages.  

Who can wash dishes for years and not get any other skills along the way?

I am not talking about people living in literal slums. I am talking about people with cellphones and flat screen TVs. How can they not apply themselves even a tiny bit to move up?

I think some of you actually believe the labor force out there is like something from a Charles Dickens novel. Kids out there sweeping chimneys for a loaf of bread? LOL

[UMB WX]

13 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

So should Bezos be allowed to use loopholes or not? 

I am glad folks are getting to see why you don't post. LOL

LoL, never change, Phin.

They’ve all had a free ride since Reagan. Time for Maga changes

[ORH_wxman]

36 minutes ago, BrianW said:

Down in Fairfield County CT automation to eliminate cashiers and other low skill jobs is like full steam ahead. Walmarts here have 1 person now watching 16 self checkout registers. At the McDonald's in Stamford you order from screens now. A couple automat style restaurants have gone in were they just need 2 cooks and zero cashiers or waitstaff. Scan your card an open a door to get your meal.

The big one though is the first Amazon Fresh Grocery store going on that has like no actual employees. Fill your cart and walk out the store. Supposedly the prices are going to be rock bottom there and their goal is to undercut Walmart by like 20%. 

 

Yep, that is the model now that many are striving for.

Though many are afraid of this "purge" of low skilled jobs, it's probably overhyped because they will just be replaced by other low skilled jobs.

 

[RUNNAWAYICEBERG]

44 minutes ago, BrianW said:

Down in Fairfield County CT automation to eliminate cashiers and other low skill jobs is like full steam ahead. Walmarts here have 1 person now watching 16 self checkout registers. At the McDonald's in Stamford you order from screens now. A couple automat style restaurants have gone in were they just need 2 cooks and zero cashiers or waitstaff. Scan your card an open a door to get your meal.

The big one though is the first Amazon Fresh Grocery store going on that has like no actual employees. Fill your cart and walk out the store. Supposedly the prices are going to be rock bottom there and their goal is to undercut Walmart by like 20%. 

 

And If those automated areas raise the wages of the few employees they have left at those stores, the prices go up...smh. Even stop n shop has a stupid robot that rolls around the store detecting spills. They spent $100k on that thing but it doesn’t even clean the spill. It detects it then tells a human over the megaphone to go clean it up lol. Can’t make this stuff up 
 

[ORH_wxman]

41 minutes ago, snowman21 said:

You are going to pay to make up the difference between their wages and cost of living one way or another. They can either make it on their own through wages or they will fill that gap with your tax dollars.

Cost of living would depreciate or at least stabilize in many areas if we let it. But instead we insist on subsidizing things like the stock market. As long as you have tons of $$ sloshing around, the wealthy will continue to buy up real estate and drive prices up on everyone else.

Our anti-trust enforcement is a joke too nowadays. If free market/libertarian people want a true free market, then they have to grit their teeth and be OK with some government anti-trust enforcement ala early/mid-20th centruy. Otherwise, there's no point to claiming "liberty, baby!" when it is Amazon and Facebook oppressing/ruling over the country instead of the government....just replace one with the other...same shitty difference. You could argue the latter is even worse.

[CoastalWx]

Just now, RUNNAWAYICEBERG said:

And If those automated areas raise the wages of the few employees they have left at those stores, the prices go up...smh. Even stop n shop has a stupid robot that rolls around the store detecting spills. They spent $100k on that thing but it doesn’t even clean the spill. It detects it then tells a human over the megaphone to go clean it up lol. Can’t make this stuff up 
 

LOL I hate that thing. It freaked my daughter out. 

[RUNNAWAYICEBERG]

Just now, CoastalWx said:

LOL I hate that thing. It freaked my daughter out. 

Yea. I’ve pushed ‘Marty’ several times when it is in my way lol but my son used to love it. When he was 3, pre pandemic, he immediately find it and hug it. He doesn’t care for it anymore though. probably because he has and sees cooler robots.  

[radarman]

They have one of those cashier-less markets at Dallas Love Field now.  The employee is still required to ease the confused customers.

[Cyclone-68]

3 minutes ago, CoastalWx said:

LOL I hate that thing. It freaked my daughter out. 

I’m waiting for it to gain sentience and go on a rampage in the produce isle a la Westworld 

[PhineasC]

4 minutes ago, ORH_wxman said:

Cost of living would depreciate or at least stabilize in many areas if we let it. But instead we insist on subsidizing things like the stock market. As long as you have tons of $$ sloshing around, the wealthy will continue to buy up real estate and drive prices up on everyone else.

Our anti-trust enforcement is a joke too nowadays. If free market/libertarian people want a true free market, then they have to grit their teeth and be OK with some government anti-trust enforcement ala early/mid-20th centruy. Otherwise, there's no point to claiming "liberty, baby!" when it is Amazon and Facebook oppressing/ruling over the country instead of the government....just replace one with the other...same shitty difference. You could argue the latter is even worse.

I don't think it's the libertarians preventing the govt from regulating the market. Libertarians are not in power anywhere, really. Our current Congress is perfectly fine with using corporations to do the dirty work like regulating free speech and fighting wars.

[DavisStraight]

13 minutes ago, RUNNAWAYICEBERG said:

And If those automated areas raise the wages of the few employees they have left at those stores, the prices go up...smh. Even stop n shop has a stupid robot that rolls around the store detecting spills. They spent $100k on that thing but it doesn’t even clean the spill. It detects it then tells a human over the megaphone to go clean it up lol. Can’t make this stuff up 
 

Shaw's near me has one too, my first thought was how much did this thing cost, second was what the hell is it.

[DavisStraight]

9 minutes ago, radarman said:

They have one of those cashier-less markets at Dallas Love Field now.  The employee is still required to ease the confused customers.

Same at the Cumberland in Westborough, the cashiers are always helping people use the dam thing.

[radarman]

I don't think the Stop and Shop robot even works for its simple task.  I'm always hearing 'cleanup needed on aisle ..." but I can't recall seeing any actual spills in forever.  It's basically a giant, lazy Roomba. 

Folks should remember this when they're saying robots replacing human workers is imminent.

[DavisStraight]

Anyone looking at safemoon? $100 bucks will get you a million shares at .000010, worth a shot to throw a couple hundred at it.

[radarman]

24 minutes ago, RUNNAWAYICEBERG said:

it doesn’t even clean the spill. It detects it then tells a human over the megaphone to go clean it up lol

I wonder if this mode of operations should reduce fears or increase them

[TauntonBlizzard2013]

Doesn’t it say a lot that $300 bucks a week is so good to some, they would rather stay home? That is an indictment on the wage a lot of places pay.

I understand it’s a nuanced discussion, but I don’t really have all that much sympathy for businesses that don’t have people banging down their doors to work undesirable shifts for $10 an hour.

[ORH_wxman]

21 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

I don't think it's the libertarians preventing the govt from regulating the market. Libertarians are not in power anywhere, really. Our current Congress is perfectly fine with using corporations to do the dirty work like regulating free speech and fighting wars.

Yes. But it really doesn't matter who is in power. I don't want to make these discussions partisan....because they actually aren't and then the thread just becomes toxic anyway. It's basically been zero anti-trust since the middle 20th century. Doesn't matter who has been in power at any given time. You hardly ever hear libertarians talk about it anyway...some of their anti-gov urge is so strong, they are perfectly happy to let the country be run by a few monopolistic entities as long as it doesn't have "government" next to their name.

Regardless, I don't think anyone disagrees that the virus lockdowns and the unemployment that goes with it have distorted the labor market for now. There will be a clearer picture when the enhanced unemployment benefits wind down.

[Whineminster]

1 hour ago, UMB WX said:

LoL, never change, Phin.

They’ve all had a free ride since Reagan. Time for Maga changes

Things have been going down for the middle class since him. Trickle down doesn't work. You used to be able to do a menial type job and support a family....not now.  And look at all the things we need now versus the 60s....two cars since everyone drives so far to work, a cell phone for everyone (yes you need a phone to live nowadays), and you obviously need the internet to look for jobs, pay bills, and basically do anything.  

[PhineasC]

7 minutes ago, ORH_wxman said:

Yes. But it really doesn't matter who is in power. I don't want to make these discussions partisan....because they actually aren't and then the thread just becomes toxic anyway. It's basically been zero anti-trust since the middle 20th century. Doesn't matter who has been in power at any given time. You hardly ever hear libertarians talk about it anyway...some of their anti-gov urge is so strong, they are perfectly happy to let the country be run by a few monopolistic entities as long as it doesn't have "government" next to their name.

Regardless, I don't think anyone disagrees that the virus lockdowns and the unemployment that goes with it have distorted the labor market for now. There will be a clearer picture when the enhanced unemployment benefits wind down.

Yep, I agree. There really are no small govt politicians in power now and there hasn't been for a long, long time so it really is a non-partisan issue.

[powderfreak]

14 minutes ago, radarman said:

I don't think the Stop and Shop robot even works for its simple task.  I'm always hearing 'cleanup needed on aisle ..." but I can't recall seeing any actual spills in forever.  It's basically a giant, lazy Roomba. 

Folks should remember this when they're saying robots replacing human workers is imminent.

Haha.  Is this something that resulted from an insurance settlement or something?  Risk Management and Insurance had to settle one too many slip and falls on spills?

So the insurance carrier asked "what are you going to do about it?" and the answer was "we can't have employees everywhere at every time!"  So they created an action plan to reduce insurance costs and came up with a robot to detect spills to save some $$$ on the insurance premium, ha.  That's what that sounds like to me.