Random Politics Thread

[The Cat]

Maybe they will put their fortunes into bitcoin and AI will delete all of it. You know - “dlgltal god” and all.

That's what they're hoping to get people to do. Pump & Dump the Nation

 

[Totenkindly]

Fired federal workers will likely be eligible for unemployment — which the government will cover

Thousands of federal workers fired over the past week by the Trump administration will likely be eligible for unemployment benefits, which the federal government is required to pay for, along with other federal assistance the workers may now be eligible to receive, like food stamps or Medicaid.

www.yahoo.com

Oh, SNAP! *eye roll*

Yeah, are we getting those big savings yet?

The process is causing so much damage to the economy and/or also demanding reimbursement (along with the "deal"), along with public and worker trust of the government, that is anything really being gained here except the diminishment of public services and pretty much just punishing the families that were terminated?

 

[Totenkindly]

And may I now present for your viewing pleasure, "the party of smaller government"!

I'm sure he'll have some free time when he's not running the Kennedy Center, being president, or playing golf.

Also... does this mean he has to hire more fedgov to run the place?

 

[The Cat]

 

[The Cat]

Pass it on...​

 

[ygolo]

Yup. That's what I'm seeing here in Baltimore, it's around $8.75/dozen here or $11.50-12 for 1.5 dozen.
The milk-carton'ed "egg substitute" still seems to be holding price, though.

Yeah, the pandemic thing is growing, and not as many people realize it because gov took down a lot of the public-facing information. I'm kind of slowly preparing for a full-blown incident and ready to go underground.

it would be really ironic if another pandemic occurred quickly on the current admin's watch -- and AGAIN right as he is trying to make everyone RTO. That's what happened in March 2020 too. Maybe it would be a good reminder of how dreary those days were.

For us in California, we've seen $18 for a dozen. But my wife and I stopped buying eggs a long time ago.

 

[Red Herring]

Since we have so far been spared by the bird pandemic I can get a pack of 10 organic eggs for about 4 euros at my local supermarket.

But grocery prices have increased over here as well during the last few years, visibly so.
Some products due to increased production costs, others like orange juice, olive oil and chocolate due to (probably climate change related) bad harvests.

The basics are still affordable though:

1 loaf of whole grain bread - about 2.50 euros (obviously more if from a bakery)
1 liter of fresh milk - between 1 and 1,50 euros
1 kilo of potatos - 1 euro
1 kilo of apples - 3 euros
1 liter of sunflower oil - 3.50 -- 4 euros
1 kg of tomatos - between 2.5 and 20 Euros (it's wild!)
1 kilo of rice - 4 euros and upwards

Branded orange juice used to be around 1.50 - 2 euros per liter with the non-branded being cheaper but now both the branded and non-branded one is at 2.50 - 3 euros per liter.

These prices are from my local mid-range supermarket and do not include special offers. It is mostly more luxurious and/or branded highly processed foods that have really gotten expensive. Too lazy to do the conversions right now but 1 euro = 1.05 dollars. 1 liter= 2.113 pints. 1 kilo = about 2.2 pounds. All prices already include VAT.

Minimum wage is 12.82 euros an hour. It also applies to waiters. Only inturns, trainees and longterm unemployed people in special programms are excempt from it.

 

[Totenkindly]

Interesting. Yeah, over here they way underpay wait staff (sometimes $2.13 / hour) and force tips to make up the rest. So if you are given a decent schedule during high-traffic / dinner (so meals are more expensive), you can make the $15/hour maybe. But if you get garbage times, your rate of pay is lower.

 

[Red Herring]

I might add that prices tend to be higher in several of our neighboring countries. Overall Germany has a reputation for being very price sensitive. It is a very competitive grocery retail market with comparatively small margins. I recently read about a supermarket manager complaining that while the established brands kept rising their prices much more than the stores' own Brands they were pressuring the shops to put their products on offer frequently so as to increase turnover because many, including myself, tend to time their purchase of branded goods according to the supermarket's weekly offers. Gummy bears, Coca-Cola, orange juice, chocolate but also frozen breaded fish sticks (a children's staple in this part of the world) and other frozen foods are things I prefer to buy when they are on offer (which is usually every three weeks or so for the duration of a week).

 

[Totenkindly]

It is not so different here in terms of sales. If people don't have memberships in bulk stores like Costco, they regularly shop sales.

When I go to the grocery, pretty much I will only buy what is on sale that week regardless. And when things I really like are on sale, I will buy extra to tide me over when the sales are not on. I have decided to treat myself to a few specific things when not on sale (because I can) but so much of my buying is sale-driven. For example, I really like Tillamook cheese, so I will buy a few blocks of it when it's marked down $2 a block, then manage to go through it just in time to hit the next sale.

It's also generally how I choose meat too. I will buy chicken breast packs on discount, freeze it, and only buy other meats when they are on discount and freeze things to tide me.

 

[Virtual ghost]

The basics are still affordable though:

1 loaf of whole grain bread - about 2.50 euros (obviously more if from a bakery)
1 liter of fresh milk - between 1 and 1,50 euros
1 kilo of potatos - 1 euro
1 kilo of apples - 3 euros
1 liter of sunflower oil - 3.50 -- 4 euros
1 kg of tomatos - between 2.5 and 20 Euros (it's wild!)
1 kilo of rice - 4 euros and upwards

How much is bread from bakery if I can ask ? To me that one is too expensive point, since for me various bakery breads are between 1 or 2 Euros (and that is still considered a rip off).
Plus to me 20 Euros for tomatoes is simply unsellable price. Here when it goes over 3.50 it is evident rip off (so it doesn't go over 4). Plus I think I can get rice and sunflower oil somewhat cheaper on average. The same is for eggs since they should be around 3. Everything else seem to be somewhere around that price. VAT is also included in everything. However wages are also visibly smaller, while on the other hand home ownership is much much higher. So it is hard to make direct comparisons (since inheriting is seen as the way how this should be done).

The east doesn't really believe in the whole renting/landlord dynamic.

 

[Red Herring]

How much is bread from bakery if I can ask ? To me that one is too expensive point, since for me various bakery breads are between 1 or 2 Euros (and that is still considered a rip off).
Plus to me 20 Euros for tomatoes is simply unsellable price. Here when it goes over 3.50 it is evident rip off (so it doesn't go over 4). Plus I think I can get rice and sunflower oil somewhat cheaper on average. The same is for eggs since they should be around 3. Everything else seem to be somewhere around that price. VAT is also included in everything. However wages are also visibly smaller, while on the other hand home ownership is much much higher. So it is hard to make direct comparisons (since inheriting is seen as the way how this should be done).

The east doesn't really believe in the whole renting/landlord dynamic.

A fresh bread from a bakery will cost you 4-5 euros or more. But it will be excellent quality. Bread is considered a cornerstone of the culture and a source of national pride!

I only occassionally buy it from a bakery though, as a treat.

Housing has been a problem for decades and rents are high. My husband, the kids and I rent the upper half of a two-family home in a nice middle-class village near a wealthy city and pay over 1.500 euros rent. A regular family home in this region will cost you 600.000 euros. The national average price for a family home is about half a million. In Munich 1.5 million euros for a family home is normal. That's why people rent.

The tomatos might cost 2 Euros if it is cheap flavorless Dutch stuff. Much more for heirloom varieties, also depending on the season. A lot of fruit and vegetables are imported - from the Mediterranean if you are lucky, from oversees if it's completely offseason or exotic. Local produce is usually limited with short seasons.

 

[Red Herring]

So it is hard to make direct comparisons (since inheriting is seen as the way how this should be done).

The east doesn't really believe in the whole renting/landlord dynamic.

Yeah, I'm in my 40s and have two young children but would have to wait for my mother and/or my in-laws to die before we could afford to buy a house for our family ...and that would still be on credit as there are siblings to share with!. A very cynical thought, so I usually prefer not to dwell on it.

Housing has been a problem for as long as I can remember. Actually even way before my time, probably at least since WW2.

 

[Totenkindly]

Also, this guy who replaced the temp acting commissioner (because she refused to give DOGE access) is just like the OPM replacement, who was also a branch chief. They have probably no exec training or knowledge of running an org from top level, they are essentially supervisors.

in military terms, he's basically a sargeant who just got promoted to four star general in command of that service's entire military.

iow, there were 40-50 people or perhaps more who were better qualified to serve -- plus if the issue in their minds is that the agency is not performing fraud checks well enough, why reward a guy from the fraud area that is in their mind deficient?

Oh look what I found. It's the whole story.

The curious case of Leland Dudek

How blind loyalty to Elon Musk took a Social Security Administration staffer from zero to lackey hero

www.thehandbasket.co

This guy also sent an e-mail out earlier this week telling folks to read his statement on the value of "transparency" ... while at the same time deleting his LinkedIn account so that the post you will see in this article disappeared from public view.

All I'm reminded of is Cameron from "Dead Poet Society" explaining why he doxxed everyone out of what amounted to self-survival and approval/reward from the powers that be.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

T about to take over postal service and fire board of directors. That means likely mass firings and privatization. If employees are lucky they will be rehired as “contractors” with subpar wages and no benefits. Guess I have to look for another job. I’m technically new and will be among the first on the chopping block, even though I’ve had exemplary service so far.

Service will suffer in sparse, rural, red state areas. Hope it was worth it for the MAGAs in those districts

 

[Red Herring]

So, I guess we are back to this?

 

[Coriolis]

T about to take over postal service and fire board of directors. That means likely mass firings and privatization. If employees are lucky they will be rehired as “contractors” with subpar wages and no benefits. Guess I have to look for another job. I’m technically new and will be among the first on the chopping block, even though I’ve had exemplary service so far.

Service will suffer in sparse, rural, red state areas. Hope it was worth it for the MAGAs in those districts

As I have said before, if Trump supporters were hurting only themselves, I would say they are getting no more than they deserve. Unfortunately the rest of us will be hurt, too, aside of the richest of the rich.

 

[The Cat]

So, I guess we are back to this?

Certainly seems like they're trying. >_<
I'd say it's only a matter of time before they learn that the world doesnt work like that anymore,
but learning things, especially from the past doesnt seem like anyone's strong suit these days no doubt, lest they be accused of the craft and cavorting with Lucifer by the light of the moon.

Traveling back in time never works out well for the present or the future.

On the bright side I think people are gonna wake up...

Any minute now....

Just hope its not a minute too late.

​

 

[Coriolis]

As the saying goes, freedom isn't free. Time for all of us to pay up, with our time, attention, and energy.

 

[The Cat]

Pass it on...

Your friends and family are at risk.
Combat disinformation with facts.
Stay Groovy.​