Selling Air

I remember my dad’s quizzical look when he first learned that water was being sold in bottles.  “Selling water?  Why don’t they sell air with it?” was the printable part of his response,  (Yeah, I know, apples, trees… whatever.)

I confess to having pretty much the same reaction when Combat Controller pointed me at this latest example of foolishness:

Now I have to confess that I thought that this was a spoof / satirical website, and actually refused to believe my friend’s statement that this was, in fact, a bone fide  “product” and not some gag to be played on the gullible.  Or a piece of Harry Potter merchandise.

However, Doggery’s “craft ice” is being sold in stores, and CC sent me photographic proof thereof.

JHC.

There are two schools of thought on this kind of thing.  The first is that of people like Combat Controller, who suggests that we as a nation are so prosperous that we can afford to sell stuff like this, and find a market for it.

I, however, see this as some kind of portent, similar to those things and events which may have appeared a couple of years before the Roman Empire collapsed into ruins.

On the other hand, my dad thought the same about bottled water, and here we still are, lo these many years later.

Your thoughts in Comments.

Market Response

This article is proof, as if any were actually needed, that the general public, very much including journalists and most politicians, have no clue when it comes to basic micro-economics:

Bus drivers have been flocking to jobs with haulage firms as HGV operators when companies were desperate and were handing out large signing on bonuses.

Like this should come as a complete surprise.  You have a heavy-duty driving license and are working as a bus driver, when an opportunity comes to do essentially the same job but for much, much more money.  What should you do, oh what should you do?

But let us never forget that a bad situation can always be exacerbated by government regulation:

They said the [public transportation] industry had put in place plans to hire new workers but said they were being put off due to delays in sorting licences.

…which delays are because of government red tape, as evidenced by the very next sentence:

The CPT urged the government to ensure training them was as ‘streamlined and efficient as possible’.

I’m sure that the government is getting right onto that.

Already Here

From this article:

“My dream is that someday employers will say, “Let’s hire anybody but a college graduate. We’ll teach him what he needs to know for our work. Check out the homeschoolers—they are a really sociable lot.” Imagine getting a fresh and intelligent young worker at age 18, rather than a stultified parrot at age 22.”

I personally know of three companies who already practice this.  All are startup technology businesses, all are incredibly successful, and not one has an HR department.  And one of the three has no female employees.  None.

Of Course It Was

As Insty puts it:

Shot:

Chaser:

Of course, the bank lied when the shit hit the fan and covered them 6″ deep, saying oh noes, they were talking about Flynn’s wife’s cards… like that makes any difference.

Fucking woke scumbags.  The State of Texas should ban government departments from doing business with Chase in Texas, and force them to close their fucking massive office in Plano and move to California.  Or maybe we the citizens should just…

Either way, they lose.  Assholes.

Note to Chase:  doing shit like this does more harm to your so-called “reputation” than anything your cardholders might do.

Oh, Why Not?

Executive Summary:  Single mother of four young kids has two jobs (barmaid and elder-care worker), but can’t keep her head above water financially.  Then she quits both, starts her own work-from-home business, and makes literally thousands per week.

Here’s the story.  I have no problem with this, but no doubt somebody will.

This is the lady in question:

This kinda follows on from my long-ago post about changing my position on prostitution.  If all she has are those outstanding attributes, and guys are willing to pay to look at them, then why not?

I just hope that she’s putting money away for the future, because as fine as those attributes are, they are very much a depreciating asset.