I took my 12YO to Waterloo and she asked for her first vinyl. It was a Taylor Swift record of course. Taught her how to use the turntable. She sat there listening in silence and said “there’s so much more music in these songs.” She was blown away at how much better vinyl sounded than Spotify. She listened to the album in its entirety. I may have a convert.
I've barely been at my current company for a year so I inherited all of my staff. They are all in roles that could be filled domestically. I've filled these exact roles at other companies for 25 years without having to resort to visas.
We do pay for their citizenship legal fees after 3 years of employment and they have to agree to stay 3 years past that. It takes 4 years for the green card process. So, we have staff for a guaranteed 10 years with no risk of them leaving. That could be the reason why we favor H1B visas over domestic candidates. On the other hand, I've gone to one of our college recruiting events and 90% of the attendees are foreign students so maybe that's just what the hiring pool for my company looks like.
Here are my favorite 10 albums of the year. After coming up with my list, I wonder where all the male musicians are. Women aren't just owning pop music but it seems like they own all genres now.
Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She - I spin this album every week. It's a departure from her usual folk black metal and is borderline industrial. Songwriting and production are top notch.
St. Vincent - All Born Screaming - I didn't like St. Vincent's early albums that everyone seems to love but the last three have gotten progressively better and this one is her best. I'm oddly in love with her version of this album sang completely in Spanish. It shouldn't work but it works wonderfully.
The Cure - Songs of a Lost World - These songs could appear on any of their seminal albums and fit perfectly. There's not a weak track on this record.
Bernard Butler - Good Grief - Bernard Butler is an underappreciated guitarist and songwriter. It's Britpop from the lens of a 50-something who has a lot of regret and just wants you to get off his lawn.
The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy - The lead single was fine but this album has to be listened to as a whole to get the vibe.
Amyl and the Sniffers - Cartoon Darkness - If the second half of this album lived up to the first half, this would be my number one pick.
The Jesus Lizard - Rack - Have you ever wondered what The Jesus Lizard would sound like with good production? Well, here you go. This sounds like they found some lost tapes from the 90s.
Crows - Reason Enough - Crows are my favorite band of the past few years. This album grows past their post punk sounds and leans into Bowie.
Kim Gordon - The Collective - 70 year olds shouldn't be making edgy music like this that grows their sound in new ways.
Tess Parks - Pomegranate - Like The Last Dinner Party, this album sets a vibe from beginning to end. It's a really good throwback psych/flower child album.
I thought they had to be paid market wages. I know my 4 visa holders are paid on the same pay scale as anyone else in those roles and receive the same consideration for pay increases as anyone else.
Scheduling was the reasoning Taco Deli closed at 2. Most staff worked a 6-8 hour shift so it made scheduling easy. At the time they said it was that dead time between lunch and dinner which made adding a second shift unprofitable but during COVID they started dinner service and have kept it.
It's like the guy in Pompeii who decided to squeeze a last one off in the face of hot molten death. If you're gonna die, you might as well have fun while doing it.
I was a first day order of the Bronco. I got rid of it last year because the interior would not drop below 90 degrees when it was 100+ outside. It was just miserable. I traded it in for a ‘24 4Runner and have zero regrets. I’ll drive this thing for 10+ years easily.
A minimum wage above poverty level for a family of 4 should also include a minimum number of hours. Or, maybe set the hourly rate based on 30 hours per week so those part time workers can survive on their own.
There are 6.4MM working poor (workers who still qualify for benefits). The average benefit is around $500/month. Take those workers off the government teat by paying a living wage and the gubment saves $3.2B annually while increasing revenue via income taxes. The savings along is probably north of $4B if you include processing and operations costs.
At my current employer, I wouldn't be shocked if we have 100 H1B visas out of 500 employees in Austin. It's probably higher. At my business line's holiday lunch there were about 50 people there and only 4 of us that are for sure US citizens.
For the first time ever yesterday, I finally noticed the line is actually “the shitter was full”. I’ve never heard anyone quote it like that. Mandela Effect.