Gas Bandit's Political Thread V: The Vampire Likes Bats

Wow.
I had seen the attributed quote over on reddit/xitter, but both of those left off the "all glory is to God" part.
This makes it 3x more disturbing.

--Patrick
 

figmentPez

Staff member
Houston-area (Spring Branch) ISD to cut all librarian positions

Former SBISD school board member Chris Gonzalez told the Houston Chronicle that she fears the current board intentionally targeted librarians. “This was the intention long ago when they really blamed librarians for books that they didn't like being in the library, and they had a target on their back,” Gonzalez said to the Chronicle. “They’re not wasting a good crisis, right? They know that they’re just going to couch everything as financial.”
 

figmentPez

Staff member
Lol no thank you. They're already are the most expensive of the cheap fast food places around here at least, along with A&W.
I've been suckered into going by some of their limited time flavor Frostys (I was kinda looking forward to the orange dreamsicle) but they have the absolute worst buns of any fast food place I've eaten at in the last decade. The texture is just wrong, like dry and kitchen spongy.

If they implement surge pricing, I'm never going back.
 
The problem is not “Wendy’s is doing surge pricing!”

The problem is “If this bullshit surge pricing plan works for Wendy’s, every fucking fast food and/or restaurant chain will start doing it too within the next 5 years.” And that is just one more straw on the capitalism camel’s back.
 
one more straw on the capitalism camel’s back.
Ever since the COVID scalpers showed that people will pay outrageous sums of money for things they want, everyone else has also decided to be like, "I'm just spitballin' here, but...what if we also tried to see just exactly how much the market will bear for our product ere Capitalism's final push into oblivion?"

--Patrick
 

figmentPez

Staff member
" Digital menu boards could allow us to change the menu offerings at different times of day and offer discounts and value offers to our customers more easily, particularly in the slower times of day. "

Ah, yes, they won't raise prices at peak times, they'll just lower them at low demand times.

In other news, Americans aren't putting a higher percentage of their budget towards food than they have at any point since 1979, they've just spent less on food for the last four decades.

"AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling based on factors such as weather."

What the fuck is AI doing mucking about with a fast food menu? Also, "based on... weather" still leaves room for them to charge more for drinks and Frostys when it's hot out, because they only denied using surge pricing, not raising prices for other reasons.

See also:
Kroger Promises to Lower Prices after Albertsons merger

According to internal company documents, Kroger “has recognized that areas with diminished competition are areas where it can pursue a ‘different price strategy’ and raise prices,” another passage contends. - source

Companies LIE. They will do so as long as they're allowed to, because companies are machines made of paperwork and legalities.
 

figmentPez

Staff member
So, Lauren Boebert's 18 year old son (you know, the one who got a 15 year old pregnant) has now been arrested.

Lauren Boebert's Son Allegedly Robbed Woman With Brain Tumor, Committed Crimes With Girl He Made Sex Tape With

"Investigators say Tyler Boebert and three underage pals swiped credit cards from people's cars and tried using them at gas stations and other places. "
...
"During police interviews, one of the suspects was identified by another minor as a female whom Tyler 'supposedly made a sex tape with,' according to the affidavit, with the tape sent around to people they knew."

But it's not just theft. He made a sex tape, with a minor, and sent it around to people. Lauren Boebert's son made and distributed CSAM. Hopefully he's going to be charged with that at some point.
 
Hunter Biden? Let's spend millions trying to drag down his father with him for things that may or may not have happened, throw anything and let's see what sticks.
Tyler Boebert? Look, you have to understand, children of influential people are under a lot of stress and scrutiny, not everything needs to be looked at in the same light as with others, and it's all just a smear campaign anyway.
 

figmentPez

Staff member
" Digital menu boards could allow us to change the menu offerings at different times of day and offer discounts and value offers to our customers more easily, particularly in the slower times of day. "

Ah, yes, they won't raise prices at peak times, they'll just lower them at low demand times.

In other news, Americans aren't putting a higher percentage of their budget towards food than they have at any point since 1979, they've just spent less on food for the last four decades.

"AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling based on factors such as weather."

What the fuck is AI doing mucking about with a fast food menu? Also, "based on... weather" still leaves room for them to charge more for drinks and Frostys when it's hot out, because they only denied using surge pricing, not raising prices for other reasons.

See also:
Kroger Promises to Lower Prices after Albertsons merger

According to internal company documents, Kroger “has recognized that areas with diminished competition are areas where it can pursue a ‘different price strategy’ and raise prices,” another passage contends. - source

Companies LIE. They will do so as long as they're allowed to, because companies are machines made of paperwork and legalities.
I've been thinking about this. How long before some fast food place tries the "we can't show the price for this item until you add it to your cart" psychological manipulation tactic?

Special deal on the Baconator! Limited time price so low we can't show it to you until you add the combo to your order. Say "I want a number seven combo with Biggie fries" to reveal your deal now!
 
How long before some fast food place tries the "we can't show the price for this item until you add it to your cart" psychological manipulation tactic?
When the fast food company eliminates the ordering counter experience (and employees), forcing you to order everything via kiosk/app, and is no longer required to post their prices on a big board behind the registers.

--Patrick
 

figmentPez

Staff member
Nearly 70% of Texas teachers considering quitting, union reports

"Three-quarters of surveyed K-12 employees said they experienced 'burnout' in the past year, while 69% said they considered quitting their job."
....
"Over 13% of teachers left public education between fall 2021 and fall 2022, according to Texas Education Agency data. Texas AFT President Zeph Capo characterized this as a 'record high' attrition rate as some school districts are cutting their budgets and struggling to fill job openings."
 
Nearly 70% of Texas teachers considering quitting, union reports

"Three-quarters of surveyed K-12 employees said they experienced 'burnout' in the past year, while 69% said they considered quitting their job."
....
"Over 13% of teachers left public education between fall 2021 and fall 2022, according to Texas Education Agency data. Texas AFT President Zeph Capo characterized this as a 'record high' attrition rate as some school districts are cutting their budgets and struggling to fill job openings."
My wife has seriously thought about quitting over this past year. Her school has a new principal who is flexing and making everyone else do more work. That means more meetings and reports. If my wife's schedule changes for any reason (example: the class spends ten extra minutes on an activity) then she has to inform the principal immediately. She has students who are functionally illiterate. Others have severe behavioral problems but they aren't disciplined because admin doesn't want to seem like they're picking on kids with mental disorders. Some of them barely make it to school half the time because their parents are juggling three jobs or six other kids. And the parents? Some of them are all right but most of them behave like they could be extras on The Wire. My wife works twelve hours a day, deals with shitty parents, and still has to grade and prep at home.

She has far more patience than I do. I would have put one of those feral kids through the wall (just like their Dad does). Even so, she has thought about quitting and working at Costco instead. Some of her colleagues are trying to do just that. It offers good pay and benefits, and it's a union shop. She'd be able to return home at a reasonable hour and not have to bring her work home with her. She could even do part-time for a while because she's on my platinum health insurance plan. What she's hoping is that she gets transferred to a better school next year. Right now a perfect storm of crappy parenting, pushy admin, and savage kids is making her work life unbearable.
 
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