SpunkWorks_Scientist's recent activity
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Comment on McDonald’s is losing its low-income customers in ~food
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Comment on McDonald’s is losing its low-income customers in ~food
SpunkWorks_Scientist Link ParentIm not saying McDonald's is a monopoly, what I'm saying is that our modern conception of the free market encourages it, as opposed to what free market meant when the term was coined. However, the...Im not saying McDonald's is a monopoly, what I'm saying is that our modern conception of the free market encourages it, as opposed to what free market meant when the term was coined. However, the cost of electricity is certainly priced into what McDonald's charges.
The remaining investors end up with a less valuable asset.
And what do they primarily blame? Labor costs. It's absurd. They did this to themselves by raising prices through the roof when they didn't need to. It's the classic poppa john's strategy raising the price by a dollar per pizza when the new regulation only cost you 5 cents per pizza.
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Comment on McDonald’s is losing its low-income customers in ~food
SpunkWorks_Scientist Link ParentTo the lord prophet, the one true god.To the lord prophet, the one true god.
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Comment on McDonald’s is losing its low-income customers in ~food
SpunkWorks_Scientist (edited )Link ParentIm not trying to say the wage growth is not real, but it's too little too late to save local businesses. Not only is it too little too late for minimum wage increases, but it's not resulting in a...Im not trying to say the wage growth is not real, but it's too little too late to save local businesses. Not only is it too little too late for minimum wage increases, but it's not resulting in a push upwards for salaries for the middle class as it should.
Ultimately, the problem is that we are all massively underpaid, and the right of the rentier's ROI is far more important than that of actual living humans. These are natural consequences of massive wealth inequality, and it's likely to get far worse without drastic action.
And I'd argue those new customers are certainly not willingly paying more to eat worse food than they ate a decade ago at some local non chain non fast food restaurant. If McDonalds continues to have to cater to rich people because no one else in town has money, then many locations will close, it's that simple. There just simply isn't enough rich people to fill all of town's mcdonalds, so there is simply no need for them to exist if the investors are not willing to take less profit.
Nationalized wage arbitration is something that could help with this, but that would be... CoMmUnISM
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Comment on McDonald’s is losing its low-income customers in ~food
SpunkWorks_Scientist LinkAmazing how it's not the investors that need to take the hit, but it's the consumer and the labor that have to take the hit. Worker wages have nothing to do with it, and I find these spurious...Amazing how it's not the investors that need to take the hit, but it's the consumer and the labor that have to take the hit. Worker wages have nothing to do with it, and I find these spurious claims to be extremely dubious at best. Salaries for the lower and middle class have taken a huge beating in the last 10 years, with two of the greatest upwards transfers of wealth in human history happening in the last decade (tax cuts and covid).
They haven't forgotten that, fundamentally, people need to have money to spend money or there is no point in opening a business of any kind. This is kind of obvious when they state that upper classes are replacing the lower classes to eat at McDonalds, further that tells me even the rich are finding prices high at establishments where they have eaten traditionally in the past. Right now there is no reason for McDonalds to open in a poor area, which means a lot of mcdonalds might be closing shop.
The only answer to all of this is to put the brakes on rentiering, but no one wants that, so no one talks about it. The free market now means freedom for monopoly, usury and rentiering to take hold, as opposed to the original idea that a free market meant freedom from those economic abuses. The top 20% own 93% of all stocks, and they are basically using it to make us all wage slaves.
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Comment on How has AI positively impacted your life? in ~tech
SpunkWorks_Scientist LinkI was one of the first people to benefit from the amazing work of various researchers back in the mid-late teens, and in google colab (back when, if you were lucky, in the early morning hours, you...I was one of the first people to benefit from the amazing work of various researchers back in the mid-late teens, and in google colab (back when, if you were lucky, in the early morning hours, you could score an amazing graphics pacific standard time) was able to make some models from own photos (around 1300 or so of my own photos of basically the same subject from different angles), and pair that with a style transfer of images from my own brush strokes I made in photoshop. I was able to sell the art right when it would have meant going homeless..
This was back before all of the hype started, know one knew who open ai was, and you could chill in slack, telegram and discord channels with some insanely intelligent people working and talking directly about this stuff.
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Comment on Taylor Sheridan poised to set lucrative production pact with NBCUniversal in ~tv
SpunkWorks_Scientist Link ParentYellowstone was my hate watch, it was so absurd I'm really glad it ended 😂Yellowstone was my hate watch, it was so absurd I'm really glad it ended 😂
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Comment on Taylor Sheridan poised to set lucrative production pact with NBCUniversal in ~tv
SpunkWorks_Scientist Link ParentNot only that, but I have some other really basic questions, like where is the actual mayor of the town?? Does that person exist?Not only that, but I have some other really basic questions, like where is the actual mayor of the town?? Does that person exist?
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Comment on Taylor Sheridan poised to set lucrative production pact with NBCUniversal in ~tv
SpunkWorks_Scientist LinkGonna take a lot of convincing to get me to sit through more of his tv shows. Ill probably skip the newest season of Mayor of Kingstown.Gonna take a lot of convincing to get me to sit through more of his tv shows. Ill probably skip the newest season of Mayor of Kingstown.
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Comment on Dispatch | Official launch trailer in ~games
SpunkWorks_Scientist LinkI'm confused, is this a game or a tv show? Is this something you can do couch coop with someone locally?I'm confused, is this a game or a tv show? Is this something you can do couch coop with someone locally?
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Comment on What code editor / IDE do you use (2025)? in ~comp
SpunkWorks_Scientist LinkVS Code (normal programming) & SSSMS (db) at work, VSCodium at home. Sometimes Visual Studio for some SSIS or if I need to tinker with an SSRS report. For simple text editing Ill just use...VS Code (normal programming) & SSSMS (db) at work, VSCodium at home. Sometimes Visual Studio for some SSIS or if I need to tinker with an SSRS report. For simple text editing Ill just use notepad++, I have micro or something installed for the command line, but I find it's actually just as fast to browse to a folder and double click a file.
I don't see myself as switching away from vs code until there is a competitor that has the rich extensions that vscode has, especially with git.
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Comment on What's a quantum computer? in ~tech
SpunkWorks_Scientist LinkThere are some great answers in here, and remember them, because when the hype comes they aren't going to mention any of it and they'll try to turn it into something else entirely like AI.There are some great answers in here, and remember them, because when the hype comes they aren't going to mention any of it and they'll try to turn it into something else entirely like AI.
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Comment on 2025 NFL Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Week 7 in ~sports.american_football
SpunkWorks_Scientist Link Parentyeh that pass play from the Giants at the end was an absolutely terrible call. One of the worst I've seen all year and I'm a Gator fan.yeh that pass play from the Giants at the end was an absolutely terrible call. One of the worst I've seen all year and I'm a Gator fan.
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Comment on 2025 NFL Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Week 7 in ~sports.american_football
SpunkWorks_Scientist Link ParentYes, the qb runs the option with the running back, and if he pitches to the running back, the running back can then continue the option with a wide receiver. On this play, both pitches were made...Yes, the qb runs the option with the running back, and if he pitches to the running back, the running back can then continue the option with a wide receiver. On this play, both pitches were made so the WR ended up running the ball.
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Comment on 2025 NFL Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Week 7 in ~sports.american_football
SpunkWorks_Scientist LinkI think probably the most amazing thing about this season is how for like the last 5 or 6 weeks, I have seen plays that have never been ran before in the NFL, this week the Lions ran a double...I think probably the most amazing thing about this season is how for like the last 5 or 6 weeks, I have seen plays that have never been ran before in the NFL, this week the Lions ran a double pitch option. If you told someone from the 90's this play would be run in the NFL their head would explode, literally and actually blow up.
This has been true for college as well lately, Louisville had 3 QB's on the field for one play in the first half against FSU.
But I've seen your classic I formations as well. It seems like the game is evolving weekly, but there is still room for traditional lines of thought. I find it to be a very exciting time in American football from this perspective.
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Comment on California Governor Gavin Newsom "completely aligns" with Charlie Kirk on trans athlete issue, and agreed about restricting gender affirming care for prisoners and youths, in podcast in ~lgbt
SpunkWorks_Scientist LinkHoly fucking shit, this guy just gets worse and worse. I figured centrists would continue a rightward turn, and that it will lead to defeat after defeat in national elections.Holy fucking shit, this guy just gets worse and worse. I figured centrists would continue a rightward turn, and that it will lead to defeat after defeat in national elections.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
SpunkWorks_Scientist LinkHad to give up on Twilight Princess about 40% of the way in, I really don't like the 3d games as much but resolved myself to try and beat the entire series. This is the first one I've put down,...Had to give up on Twilight Princess about 40% of the way in, I really don't like the 3d games as much but resolved myself to try and beat the entire series. This is the first one I've put down, perhaps Ill come back to it again at the end but it's just not grabbing me, the controls are frustrating me for sure.
Next I'm on to Skald, since it looks bad ass.
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Comment on Who here leaves a review? in ~life
SpunkWorks_Scientist Link Parentyeh, just not that artistic but I have some ideas 😄yeh, just not that artistic but I have some ideas 😄
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Comment on Who here leaves a review? in ~life
SpunkWorks_Scientist LinkI don't usually leave a review but my photographs are quite popular on google maps for some reason. Lately I've taken to taking pictures of local bus stops and uploading them to the stop in maps...I don't usually leave a review but my photographs are quite popular on google maps for some reason. Lately I've taken to taking pictures of local bus stops and uploading them to the stop in maps and most of them get featured, it's hilarious lol
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Comment on The Los Angeles Lakers select Bronny James in the second round of the NBA draft in ~sports.basketball
SpunkWorks_Scientist LinkIt's basically like a rider but instead of m&M's and champagne in a dressing room it's drafting the star's son..It's basically like a rider but instead of m&M's and champagne in a dressing room it's drafting the star's son..
They can't not raise the prices because the middle class is being hollowed out, and poor people literally don't have the money in their pocket to buy from them.
If people don't have money in their pocket, then there is literally no reason to sell any products to them. You don't see gucci stores in Mayberry.