Random Thoughts That Don't Deserve Their Own Thread Go Here

[Ksyrup]

Who is the genius Marketing person at Carnival who decided to spend a ton of money to run a commercial during NE Rockin' Eve right after the CDC told people not to get on a cruise ship even if they are vaxxed and boosted? I mean I totally feel for the cruise industry, but sheesh...

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Who is the genius Marketing person at Carnival who decided to spend a ton of money to run a commercial during NE Rockin' Eve right after the CDC told people not to get on a cruise ship even if they are vaxxed and boosted? I mean I totally feel for the cruise industry, but sheesh...

People are still listening to the CDC? How quaint.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

I had to stop by the local Kroger and the whole meat and seafood display was shut down. The lady back there was explaining it to a person who asked, and she said she was the only one of 5 people that showed up for work. She said the whole store was closing an hour early because they didn't have enough people to restock.

Kroger doubled it's profits last year so whatever the strategy is seems to be working. Maybe we're just entering an era where stores aren't open as much as they used to be.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I thought I saw a decent analysis (that hasn't been debunked AFAIK) showing that 90% of the Covid employment exodus was workers 55 and over.

I have no reason to doubt that, but it doesn't really explain the shortages in the food service & retail sectors, where workers typically skew much younger than that.

I guess we could surmise that over-55 workers left from all industries, and that has resulted in much better job opportunities for the under-55 crowd, and the retail & food service industries have suffered exponentially because they collectively struggle to offer competitive pay, benefits, conditions and/or hours.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

I have no reason to doubt that, but it doesn't really explain the shortages in the food service & retail sectors, where workers typically skew much younger than that.

I guess we could surmise that over-55 workers left from all industries, and that has resulted in much better job opportunities for the under-55 crowd, and the retail & food service industries have suffered exponentially because they collectively struggle to offer competitive pay, benefits, conditions and/or hours.

The unemployment rate is pretty low so maybe the people who worked retail just found something different/better.

My theory is that the gig economy sort of threw a wrench into things as demand grew. Delivering for DoorDash or whoever seems like a much better job than running a register at the dollar store.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

The unemployment rate is pretty low so maybe the people who worked retail just found something different/better.

My theory is that the gig economy sort of threw a wrench into things as demand grew. Delivering for DoorDash or whoever seems like a much better job than running a register at the dollar store.

Agreed, but it also seems like a shaky situation, since those services are potentially taking workers from some of the businesses that provide them with product they are delivering.

It's an interesting wrinkle, in that covid is generally accepted as having been devastating for the economy, but it also seems to have shifted a significant number of American workers out of the bottom rungs of the service industries (at the cost/loss of a lot of those businesses) & stimulus like the child tax credit elevated a significant number of families out of poverty.

[RainMaker]

The businesses mentioned in this thread (Kroger, Dollar General) have been posting record profits. So the lack of employees hasn't hurt them too badly. Maybe they learned it's not profitable to be open at 9am on a Wednesday.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Kroger doubled it's profits last year so whatever the strategy is seems to be working. Maybe we're just entering an era where stores aren't open as much as they used to be.

That was not this. They are usually open till 10, but closing at 9 because too many people were out sick. But yes, there are hardly any 24 hour Krogers anymore. Heck, Our Walmart closes at 10 now.

[Ksyrup]

So I just read that Joe Gatto is leaving Impractical Jokers. Getting a divorce and possibly some other unspecified issues. Wow. My daughter said this is like when Greg left the Wiggles lol.

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

I have no reason to doubt that, but it doesn't really explain the shortages in the food service & retail sectors, where workers typically skew much younger than that.

I guess we could surmise that over-55 workers left from all industries, and that has resulted in much better job opportunities for the under-55 crowd, and the retail & food service industries have suffered exponentially because they collectively struggle to offer competitive pay, benefits, conditions and/or hours.

Originally Posted by RainMaker

The unemployment rate is pretty low so maybe the people who worked retail just found something different/better.

This is my guess, as well. As a number of folks have pointed out, the "additional unemployment benefits" argument has a lot of holes. The 55+ folks dropping out opens up a lot of higher-paying jobs, basically lots of folks moved up a rung or two, and the lowest-paying employers with the worst jobs are left without employees.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

So I just read that Joe Gatto is leaving Impractical Jokers. Getting a divorce and possibly some other unspecified issues. Wow. My daughter said this is like when Greg left the Wiggles lol.

NO!!!!

I love this show. Won't be the same.

[Ksyrup]

Agreed. Apparently they had just signed a bunch of deals this past year for a variety of things. I wonder if there's something beyond the divorce (or what led to the divorce) that's caused such a drastic decision.

He was the only one who decided to drastically change his life since the show blew up and he's the first one to leave. Murr is married but Joe went the whole wife and kids route.

[Izulde]

I know quite a few of the retail/food service people who have left to do DoorDash, etc. instead. Even with increased gas and wear/tear on vehicles, they're still making way more money than they did in the service job.

[flere-imsaho]

I know a number of families, from a variety of economic situations, also decide to go to one wage-earner and made due through a) savings from child care, b) spending less, c) moving to a lower cost of living area.

[AlexB]

It’s 9pm. My only cold beer is 10%. I’m in trouble.

(On the flip side, as a review, if you get Pressure Drop Beers in the US, just try it!).

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

So I just read that Joe Gatto is leaving Impractical Jokers. Getting a divorce and possibly some other unspecified issues. Wow. My daughter said this is like when Greg left the Wiggles lol.

This is really shitty. My son and I are longtime fans of the show and Joe really felt like he was the glue that kept things together.

[Ksyrup]

He's definitely the most versatile and universally liked of the 4 of them. Very interested to see how they deal with it. I kinda hope they either go with the 3 of them or a Jeopardy-esque rotation of 4th members because I would think that means the door is open to an eventual return.

[Ksyrup]

Um... I know any publicity is good publicity but this is an interesting PR strategy.

Not drinking this January?
Try eating ass!

— Pabst Blue Ribbon (@PabstBlueRibbon) January 3, 2022

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Um... I know any publicity is good publicity but this is an interesting PR strategy.

Not drinking this January?
Try eating ass!

— Pabst Blue Ribbon (@PabstBlueRibbon) January 3, 2022

I guess you blame it on the intern, apologize, and ride the publicity wave.

[Ksyrup]

Well, whoever it is, is responding to a bunch of comments and no one appears to be stopping them. Yet.

[Ksyrup]

Pabst Blue Rimmin', ha!

[bob]

No mail delivery today either

[Lathum]

My wife just told me what I usually eat for lunch smells bad while she was microwaving Indian food.

[cuervo72]

Indian food smells just fine.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Indian food smells just fine.

I like the smell of it but you can't deny it is stinky

[GrantDawg]

Bon apatite:

Jonathan Swift wild for this one pic.twitter.com/cLXwqHZrJP

— Zack Budryk (@BudrykZack) January 5, 2022

[cuervo72]

Well it is Soylent Green year.

[NobodyHere]

Ugh, next week the weather is suppose to dip down into single digits.

I just don't get why people are so against global warming.

[QuikSand]

I know we have a "news of the weird" thread, but this isn't exactly news...

Mongolian desert beetles engage in oral sexual before mating. The longer the male performs the courtship ritual, the shorter time he needs for successful copulation later on. https://t.co/YuOG2f7G49

— Scientific American (@sciam) January 7, 2022

[RainMaker]

Interesting thread. Didn't realize Bruce Wilils had gone the Nic Cage route of just appearing in tons of bad, low budget movies each year.

(A thread) Since I know you've all been waiting with bated breath, here it is: my ranking of all 7 of the films Bruce Willis (and his body double) "starred" in this past year!

Take a quick journey with Bruce and I... pic.twitter.com/ZW1UErq3y9

— Mark Hanson (@mahahafilm) January 7, 2022

[Edward64]

Happy Birthday Kate!

The non-Diana and non-Meghan. I think a good/vast majority of Brits welcome her little to no drama.

Kate Middleton is celebrating her big birthday in stunning style.

The Duchess of Cambridge turns 40 on January 9, and to commemorate her milestone birthday, Kensington Palace released three special new portraits of the royal on Saturday.

[JPhillips]

Not really a surprise, I guess, but I saw that Amsterdam has now overtaken London for stock trades. Solid work with Brexit.

[lungs]

I'll keep this out of the famous deaths thread.....

But the whole Betty White cause of death thing. SHE WAS 99 FUCKING YEARS OLD! That's what old people do! They die! It wasn't the friggin Covid vaccine!

[stevew]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Interesting thread. Didn't realize Bruce Wilils had gone the Nic Cage route of just appearing in tons of bad, low budget movies each year.

(A thread) Since I know you've all been waiting with bated breath, here it is: my ranking of all 7 of the films Bruce Willis (and his body double) "starred" in this past year!

Take a quick journey with Bruce and I... pic.twitter.com/ZW1UErq3y9

— Mark Hanson (@mahahafilm) January 7, 2022

I looked up and he has something like 10 additional movies in post production at this point which is just nuts.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by lungs

I'll keep this out of the famous deaths thread.....

But the whole Betty White cause of death thing. SHE WAS 99 FUCKING YEARS OLD! That's what old people do! They die! It wasn't the friggin Covid vaccine!

Yeah, there have been a few times where someone has died and there has either been speculation on cause of death or a report that COD hadn't been determined/released and I'm like "um...they died of old?"

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Yeah, there have been a few times where someone has died and there has either been speculation on cause of death or a report that COD hadn't been determined/released and I'm like "um...they died of old?"

That's been the entire argument of the anti vaxxers, that Covid is overcounted because nobody old has died of old age since they started counting! So yeah...it goes both ways here. They want to claim death from the vaccine, but also, not from covid.

[RainMaker]

Never had this happen before. Was at the grocery store today and while in line, their entire systems went down. Couldn't ring up people, couldn't take payments, couldn't do anything. Had to shut the whole store down.

I could see it if it was a small business but this is a pretty large grocery chain (Jewel which is owned by Albertsons). Felt bad for the people working there as I'm guessing none of them had anything to do with the computer systems.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by stevew

I looked up and he has something like 10 additional movies in post production at this point which is just nuts.

Does he need the money?

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Does he need the money?

Nic Cage apparently does it because he genuinely loves acting. I could be wrong, but I don't see that being the case for Willis. Money was my first thought as well.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Nic Cage apparently does it because he genuinely loves acting. I could be wrong, but I don't see that being the case for Willis. Money was my first thought as well.

Nic Cage does it because he lost a fortune, and ended up having most of his properties foreclosed on and paying millions in back taxes. I think he is probably in better financial shape than he was a few years ago, but once you go bankrupt you probably always feel you cant turn down a paycheck.
Willis has never went broke as far as I know, but he has made some pretty bad business investments in the past. It is possible he does these to keep his head above water.

[albionmoonlight]

Like a lot of folks my age, I got married and had kids later than my parents did. Which is starting to lead to lots of realizations like the fact that my oldest kid is in middle school right now, but I am only 6 years younger than my mom was when I got married.

I still have a kid in elementary school, but when my parents were my age, they were almost empty nesters.

[Ksyrup]

I thought a lot about the age/kids issue recently in the context of a good friend of mine who got married in his mid-late 30s and has 2 kids. They're like 10 and 7 maybe and mine are 22 and 17. I couldn't imagine being in my 50s with young kids. My brother graduated college the same year I graduated law school, and my parents were still in their late 40s - so they were empty nesters before they hit 45.

We had some issues having our second child, so there's almost 5 years between them. We had planned only about a 2 year spread. We had Mack at 33 and I told my wife we were done - I did not want to be screwing around in our 50s with teenagers. Of course, that was back when I viewed 50 as old...

[stevew]

My bro is a bit over 2 years younger and has a 5 yo and a 7. I couldn’t imagine dealing with (basically) babies at this point in my life

[Kodos]

I'm 51, and my daughter turns 13 in a few days. Son turns 17 in March. Luckily I am physically and mentally young for my age. That being said, these last two years have been a real grind between Covid, difficulties with the kids, difficulties with my Dad who lives with us and turns 80 next month (he has really bad mobility issues and is prone to falls). Plus we've been redoing our kitchen and putting on an addition to our house (partially due to my father living with us) that we started planning before Covid hit. I'm surprised my hair hasn't really started to go grey yet.

[Vince, Pt. II]

As a 40-year-old who has a 19-month-old and a 6-week-old, we're going to be dealing with teens in our 50s. Not ideal, but considering my partner now and looking back at historical partners, I'm very glad I waited.

[Lathum]

I'm 46 and mine are 11 and 8 so I will be dealing with a teenage girl in my mid 50s. Lord help me.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Nic Cage does it because he lost a fortune, and ended up having most of his properties foreclosed on and paying millions in back taxes. I think he is probably in better financial shape than he was a few years ago, but once you go bankrupt you probably always feel you cant turn down a paycheck.
Willis has never went broke as far as I know, but he has made some pretty bad business investments in the past. It is possible he does these to keep his head above water.

Nic Cage also loves to just blow his money. I think this video is well worth a watch.



It also makes me believe the rich should be taxed more.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I'm 51, and my daughter turns 13 in a few days. Son turns 17 in March. Luckily I am physically and mentally young for my age. That being said, these last two years have been a real grind between Covid, difficulties with the kids, difficulties with my Dad who lives with us and turns 80 next month (he has really bad mobility issues and is prone to falls). Plus we've been redoing our kitchen and putting on an addition to our house (partially due to my father living with us) that we started planning before Covid hit. I'm surprised my hair hasn't really started to go grey yet.

This sounds like future me. We're young at heart and my family is pretty long-lived so hopefully that carries over. We had our kid in our mid 30s but we did only have one and so the idea of teenage him in my 50s isn't really scary. Though my parents will probably be like my mom's parents - they'll be in their house into their 90s, health willing.

SI

[Swaggs]

We had our two when my wife and I were both 32 and 37. I tend to think there is a sliding scale between having youth/energy versus patience/resources. We waited, but have our finances, careers, housing, relationship, etc. in order and got to travel and have some adventures before having kids. I like to think the kids will have good childhoods unless something unforeseen happens. But, I definitely feel it at school meetings and sporting events where I'm in my 40's with other parents in their 20's.

[albionmoonlight]

I called the cell phones of two professional people today. One is a lawyer, and one is a professor. Both had the default voicemail option. Is that pretty much a thing for everyone now? I always use a personalized greeting for all of my voicemails. But is that just not done?