SpunkWorks_Scientist's recent activity
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Comment on Things to do when you've lost your job in ~talk
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Comment on Things to do when you've lost your job in ~talk
SpunkWorks_Scientist LinkSame thing has happened to me, although I think I have about 2 months before being let go. I know the performance thing is bullshit for two reasons: Our stock price has been tanking, and everyone...Same thing has happened to me, although I think I have about 2 months before being let go. I know the performance thing is bullshit for two reasons:
- Our stock price has been tanking, and everyone they have let go thus far has been put on some kind of PIP.
- They literally had been talking about promotion just 6 months before. I'm not doing anything different then I was at that time.
- When I pressed for specifics, they grew quiet and couldn't give anything. They said I didn't have enough visibility, but I'm not the one who put my main project on hold.
- They didn't give us the performance review until 2 months into the new 6 month period, so I don't even have the full time to "improve" (reviews are biannual).
- I've heard them talking about actively trying to reduce our teams responsibilities.
It's fairly obvious what's happening here, so I'm pretty mortified and I feel sort of directionless. A few people have suggested I maybe try project management but I'm not even sure where to get started on that.
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Comment on McDonald’s is losing its low-income customers in ~food
SpunkWorks_Scientist (edited )Link ParentIt's simply a natural conclusion to wealth inequality that outpaces the roman empire. Im not sure which part you are finding inconsistent. The two guys in town who can own cars, don't need ten gas...My overall point is that this isn’t a logically consistent position.
It's simply a natural conclusion to wealth inequality that outpaces the roman empire. Im not sure which part you are finding inconsistent. The two guys in town who can own cars, don't need ten gas stations, they just need one, thus, the one gas stations that exist must raise prices to maintain current ROI, no? You can sell one burger for 10 bucks, or 10 burgers for 1 buck, but only if all 10 can even afford a burger at all.
Sounds like the market is doing it to them in your own hypothetical
That's exactly what I was saying, a market that allows for predatory economic practices is what is doing this. Not only does it allow for it, it encourages and provides assets to protect those practices.is not only smart for moving upmarket, but doing so out of necessity to survive as a business
It's not a one or other kind of thing, both are happening. Sure, mcdonalds over head rises because of the ACA, but not enough to justify their over reach on price increases, and this is true for many businesses. Did you read the articles about businesses raising prices because of tariffs, even though they aren't affected by tariffs at all?
edit, I suppose what we have, is that it's perhaps true mcdonalds can no longer offer to lower class customers, but not because of overhead increasing, but rather the purchasing power and share of GDP that the lower and middle class shares have shrank to levels that disallows them to eat at McDonalds. And McDonalds, being the huge corporation they are, owns some responsibility for that.
The other scenarios where this makes sense if costs rise such that you can no longer offer a competitive price to lower end customers.
Yes, in a normal healthy free economy, I agree completely. And in some cases, this is still true. Grocery stores, for example, is a notoriously low profit margin business. What I'm saying is that nationalized wage arbitration is necessary, and these companies should be forced to open all of their books to independent auditors.
The number of customers strictly goes down the more prices increases. It’s not like rich people will only buy McDonald’s if it’s more expensive.
Im not sure what point you are driving at here, to be honest. Of course they won't only shop at mcdonalds, it's just for a business, you can only serve to people with money in their pocket. People have to have disposable income, and currently some 60% of America is paycheck to paycheck, one car trouble away from homelessness. IE, no or very little disposable income.
You don't make a product to sell if no one can buy it. I'm not sure what is hard to understand about that.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
SpunkWorks_Scientist Link ParentI see what you mean, could it be a context thing also? Perhaps you need to add some context (like a file or something) that tells it to be more formal, or educational, or family safe, something...I see what you mean, could it be a context thing also? Perhaps you need to add some context (like a file or something) that tells it to be more formal, or educational, or family safe, something along those lines.
I've thought of patronage as a sugar daddy system too, especially when I first learned of it, but it's not that accurate really. It's more a system of economic abuse for elites than anything else.
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Comment on McDonald’s is losing its low-income customers in ~food
SpunkWorks_Scientist Link ParentBut this, imo, is where you're assumption breaks down. The materials and minimum cost of burgers is no where near the level of not making a profit, not even fucking close. This is a constant right...base materials causes the minimum cost of burgers
But this, imo, is where you're assumption breaks down. The materials and minimum cost of burgers is no where near the level of not making a profit, not even fucking close. This is a constant right wing talking point that is trotted out every time, and if McDonalds wanted to make that case, then they should open their books to independent arbitrators during nationalized wage arbitration hearings. Because I call bullshit on that.
McDonalds can't lower prices because 1, there isn't the customer base, and 2, the customer base that now exists is not large enough to fill all of the mcdonalds that are still in town. If there are 100 people in town, and only 2 can afford a burger, then it's pointless to have any more than just one mcdonalds store front in town. Do you see what I mean?
This applies to everything, from car dealerships to gas stations to restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, etc. The shopping mall died because people don't have money in their pocket to spend there, it wasn't just online retail. Rich people only need so many malls to go shop at.
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Comment on McDonald’s is losing its low-income customers in ~food
SpunkWorks_Scientist Link ParentThey 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...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.
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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.
Hi, thanks for this, this is uplifting for me as I've been pretty bummed for the last week or so. Ill get my resume updated and hit you up. Part of my problem is that I jokingly call myself "fullerest stack", as I do basically everything in the stack, I'm even doing some Project Management type work the last few weeks. I might do some PM work on Monday, fix some azure pipelines Tuesday, stand up infra for a new app on Wednesday, update sql queries on Thursday, and write some js on Friday. I just don't even see how it gets more full stack unless I make the browser also..