Recession Times

As always, we should ignore all government pronouncements as to the state of the economy.  Thus, when we are told that “recession is not coming” or “inflation is temporary”, we should instead look to what’s actually happening.

We all know that over the past dozen or so years, Christmas spending has moved away from High Street to the Internet — most especially to places like Amazon.com, to mention just the biggest.

Therefore, as we approach this festive [sic]  season, we would expect that Amazon would be hiring staff to handle the increased demand for merchandise, yes?

No.

The New York Times reports that according to verified sources, Amazon plans to reduce its corporate and technology workforce by as much as 10,000 employees as soon as this week, the largest downsizing in the firm’s history.

Merry Christmas, y’all.

No, Maybe, No, And Hell No

Once again, travel advice from the Stupid to the Gullible:

The 30 best destinations to visit in 2023 named by Lonely Planet: Manchester, South Scotland, Sydney and New Mexico are among the places you MUST explore next year

Of the four, southern Scotland is the only one I’d consider, and then only in summer or early fall.  I’ve been there, it’s beautiful, and ’nuff said.

As for the rest of the top four… New Mexico?  The Africa of the United States?  It is, as they say, to LOL.

I have been warned against going to Manchester by several people, most especially by Mr. Free Market, who only ventures north of the M4 to kill stags (here’s his latest):

And everyone knows about my hostility towards Oz, following my (twice-)aborted trips to visit grandchildren over there, with both the OzGov and Qantas earning my undying hatred in the process.  Too far, too expensive, too much hassle, and fukkem.

Passing note on some of the other places mentioned in the article:

  • Dominica used to be well known to Americans looking for an easy way to get a non-U.S. passport.  I don’t know if it’s still that way, but there it is.  Just don’t visit there during the hurricane season.
  • Marseilles?   I’d rather go to Tunis, and I don’t want to go there either.
  • South Africa for ‘affordable world class dining’ — it is about the ONLY reason to go there, anymore;  restaurants are not only affordable, but astoundingly cheap, and the food/wine are excellent.  But otherwise, the only good thing about Seffrica is that U.S. citizens can take their handguns over, and carry them after getting a pro forma temporary gun license.  (There’s more to it, but it’s an easy process.)  Of course, you’re most likely to need said handgun because South Africa is one of the most violent countries on the (lonely) planet.

Feel free to add your comments about the other places mentioned in the article.