Post-Corona Economy

[Leisher]

There's an annual per person gift tax exclusion of about $17k (adjusts based on inflation). BUT, you may not be aware

Well, I know what I'm not getting you this year.

At the end of the day, America has a lot of pay 2 win elements. And I don't like them, even when I can afford them. So I'm tired of people being born on home plate, already having a home run.

I would argue money is less of an advantage than other things. Connections being the most powerful advantage one can have. Looks, intelligence, athletic ability, cunning, and so on also being P2W.

So if the real motivation behind the taxes is to remove advantage, then I'd say instead of a death tax, we need stronger nepotism laws.

But that's not their actual purpose. Their actual purpose is to fund the government. It's a way to take money from people who purposely have not allowed the government to get their hands on it.

[TheCatt]

I would argue money is less of an advantage than other things. Connections being the most powerful advantage one can have. Looks, intelligence, athletic ability, cunning, and so on also being P2W.

Money's pervasive in American society. All those other things are advantages, too. Connections + Money would be hard to disentangle for the most part. People with money tend to have a lot of connections, I'd say it still outweighs the latter. Connections, but you rely on public transport to get around, your life still sucks.

[Leisher]

We're going to agree to disagree here. Never seen anyone with connections riding the bus. I sure as hell do see them throughout Hollywood, as an example, failing at acting, directing, producing, and writing, yet somehow keep their jobs despite constant critical and financial failures.

Connections equals money.

Money doesn't necessarily equal connections.

[TheCatt]

Connections equals money.

with money you don't need connections. With connections, you still need money. There's exceptions, sure, but I'll always say money is more powerful. With $1bn I don't need the know anyone. But a lot of people will want connections to that $

[Leisher]

Like I said, we disagree.

[TheCatt]

Like I said, we disagree.

People only want connections because of money.

[Leisher]

Like I said, we disagree.

People only want connections because of money.

And pussy.

I guess power too.

But mostly pussy.

[TheCatt]

Money also buys pussy. Let me remind you of the best movie scene of all time.

[Leisher]

Money also buys pussy.

When society crumbles, strength is the key to pussy.

[Leisher]

UPS is cutting 12K jobs.

Half of the US can't afford their rent.

CNN tries spinning it by saying "more multi-unit apartment buildings are being built though, so that'll help." Sure, but when? And do you understand what half of all renters means? You'd better have a fuck ton of buildings being built and all in just the right places to balance it out everywhere.

Article about blue chip stocks struggling.

Disney has dropped by nearly 45% over the past three years.

Seriously, how is Bob Iger still in power?

[GORDON]

Somewhere I predicted a robot McDonald's by the end of this year (or next year?).

Not McD's, but I almost made the 2023 prediction. But you KNOW McD's is ready with the checkbook, watching how this place does.

https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news ... -pasadena/

As long as every corner can be reached with an articulated arm, including to mop the floor, the only problem is getting smart enough code logic.

[Leisher]

Got to be at least one person there? What happens if shit goes south?

[GORDON]

Increasing wages in the fast food sector make this inevitable. If they can run a restaurant with a single human hitting the reset button now and then, they're going to. In between hitting the reset button, this person will be mopping. Except not in the toilets.... they will be sealed, and sprayed down every 30 minutes automatically, like the public restrooms I saw in Europe.

They'll even have their delivery drivers making sure to put every box in the appropriate spot, in the back room. The drivers will restock 10 stores per day.

[Leisher]

Fast food chains are going to need to start cutting prices.

Grocery prices are still high, but they rose just 1.3% overall in 2023, while dining out surged 5.2%, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report.

[TheCatt]

Fast food chains are going to need to start cutting prices.

Grocery prices are still high, but they rose just 1.3% overall in 2023, while dining out surged 5.2%, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report.

Whatever moron pays $3 for a McD's hash brown deserves that pain.

[Leisher]

You're not wrong.

[TheCatt]

Inflation came in hot Jan 24

The consumer price index rose by 3.1% in January, a smaller annual increase than in December.
Workers’ buying power has increased each month since May.
The consumer price index, a key inflation gauge, rose 3.1% in January relative to a year earlier, the U.S. Labor Department said Tuesday. That’s down from 3.4% in December.

[Leisher]

Walmart is buying Vizio to compete with Amazon's ad business.

Five changes Walmart is making to compete.

[Cakedaddy]

I had no idea Walmart managers made that much money.

[Leisher]

I had no idea Walmart managers made that much money.

There's a great video online somewhere if you can find it of two 20something girls being asked how much a man has to make for them. Both agreed "at least $300k". The interviewer was taken aback, but found out that both girls' boyfriends made that. He asked what the BF does and the girl said, "works at Walmart". The interviewer said, "Oh, is he an executive?"

Nope, he's a fucking cashier and these idiots think he's making $300K.

Not important to the discussion, but it reminded me of those two idiots.