As usual, all gung ho GOP here until it hurts them. Distillers here send a lot of their whiskey overseas (to point in some cases locals complain they can't get certain bottles), including to Canada. Personally, as much as I like bourbon, I will gradually switch to other whiskeys or liquor options.

> Bourbon industry in crosshairs of U.S.-Canada trade war https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bourbon-industry-crosshairs-us-canada-trade-war-rcna195906

Meanwhile, in #BadEconomy #fuckery

> Google Cofounder Exhorts Employees to Work 60-Hour Weeks to Create AI Designed to Replace Them https://futurism.com/google-sergey-brin-60-hour-week-ai

But yea, the #tech #HigherEd and #academia are rushing to embrace, including certain small campuses with #librarians who should know better.

The real nature of #USAID, and no it's not to be helpful.

> The Demise of USAID: Few Regrets in Latin America https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/02/17/the-demise-of-usaid-few-regrets-in-latin-america/

#BadEconomy #LatinAmerica #AmericanEmpire (c)

Or maybe hire enough staff and pay them well enough to care. I haven’t purposely shoplifted, but I’m sure I’ve missed a few things at self checkout lines and not cared. I imagine that a lot of other people have and end up making it habitual.

https://fortune.com/2025/01/14/walgreens-ceo-anti-shoplifting-backfired-locks-reduce-sales/

#OldManRant

#BadEconomy

> ‘A Luxury That We Can’t Afford’ Why one university axed its entire library faculty. https://stephenslighthouse.com/2024/12/12/a-luxury-that-we-cant-afford-why-one-university-axed-its-entire-library-faculty/

In the #BadEconomy, this #college said fuck it, let all the #librarians go. In a weasel move, "the university would like to hire some staff librarians who are not members of the faculty, or perhaps subject professors who can also serve as part-time librarians. "

I have a thought or two, but need to ponder a bit.

Again, in the #BadEconomy. In this case, got to #RespectTheHustle.

> Cop resigns after moonlighting as porn star to pay $500,000 bills https://metro.co.uk/2024/12/09/cop-resigns-moonlighting-pornstar-pay-500-000-bills-22153491/

Meanwhile, in the #BadEconomy, another consolidation. Though I get the feeling the deal may not be as good as it sounds. Read for details. BTW, in my neighborhood a lot of people do have DTV or Dish antennas.

> Satellite service DirecTV buys rival Dish as it fights the onslaught of streaming services https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/att-exits-showbiz-sells-remaining-stake-directv-private-114343562

Meanwhile, #BackInTheUSColony, the exodus of specialist medical doctors, like say oncologists, continues, leaving patients to either postpone treatments or just do without altogether. (Spanish language article)

> Puerto Rico se queda sin médicos especialistas https://claridadpuertorico.com/puerto-rico-se-queda-sin-medicos-especialistas/ via #ClaridadPR

#SaveYouAClick: It's fall season, people. Less travel, so less demand for gas. This happens every year and they run the same story every year.

> Gas prices are plummeting. Experts explain why. https://abcnews.go.com/Business/gas-prices-plummeting-experts-explain/story?id=113751441

No, Flava Flav is not the buyer. It was one of those vulture equity firms, so you know what that means: #KissOfDeath

> Red Lobster to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy after approval of sale to new owner https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Food/judge-clears-red-lobster-exit-bankruptcy-sale-new/story?id=113456238

#BadEconomy #restaurants #food #RedLobster

Of interest, the title article on CEO's which explains why those hoity toity think tank economists are full of shit when defending CEO pay.

>Pluralistic: America's best-paid CEOs have the worst-paid employees (09 Sep 2024) https://pluralistic.net/2024/09/09/low-wage-100/ by @pluralistic

> "Hunger in America is getting worse, not better" according to an explosive new USDA report https://www.salon.com/2024/09/05/hunger-in-america-is-getting-worse-not-better-according-to-an-explosive-new-usda-report/

But but, the hoity toity economist from the think tank and the Internet pundits all say the economy is fine, numbers are good, wages are up, etc. What is this hungry people bullshit? How dare they starve? Can they just die off already, decrease the surplus population so the numbers don't look bad?

@donaldball @timbray @blogdiva

Was coming in to say that: their website will be worth jack shit and not usable at all.

Meanwhile, in #ChampagneProblems.

>Netflix is kicking US subscribers off its cheapest ad-free plan soon https://arstechnica.com/?p=2038032

Meanwhile, #BackInTheUSColony

>Puerto Rico Government Turns a Blind Eye to the Oversight of LUMA https://periodismoinvestigativo.com/2024/07/luma-contract-blackouts-energy-puerto-rico/

#SaveYouAClick: Most likely yes. And yes, most likely Tesla does know but DGAF.

>Are children mining cobalt for Tesla? Tesla doesn't know https://qz.com/tesla-cobalt-mining-ev-batteries-child-labor-elon-musk-1851572456

In bad #news for @internetarchive and #libraries overall.

>Internet Archive forced to remove 500,000 books after publishers’ court win https://arstechnica.com/?p=2032890

#publishing #BadEconomy #books #reading

(c)

The CFPB is genuinely making America better, and they're going HARD by @pluralistic

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/10/getting-things-done/#deliverism

Overview of what the CFPB has been up to. One of the few good things in the #USGov.

On a side note, YouTube is full of Tarotistas and other witchy influencers who do the pledge, then anywhere from couple of weeks to months do another video to admit they broke the pledge and "check out the card decks I got at the sale..." .

Overall, the idea of being mindful with spending is good, just don't totally deprive yourself. Balance.

>Intrigued by the "no-buy pledge"? Here's how to start. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/savings-spending-consumer-concerns-no-buy-pledge-tiktok/