Honestly, I have one of the better office views in Pittsburgh. Especially so with the U.S. flag in perfect view.
Walk around to another office and PNC park is in perfect view, *almost.* There's not much that would make me want to leave this city except for my lovely lady and the availability of policy research jobs. Well, I miss a lot of good music here too, oh and the bus line is entirely too expensive, and ...
Haha, the point I want to make this morning is how we deal with where we live. I was inspired by...
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/30/vermont.town.flooding/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
A VT town surrounded entirely by water due to Irene. Small town (465 pop.) for sure, these people are taking a very un-katrina like approach to disaster management. They had a bbq! This is not to say that there is much to compare with this tiny town, and the devastation Katrina caused to New Orleans, I just respect positive attitudes. Its been days since assistance has arrived and Kanye West hasn't declared that President Obama hates white people. Eh, negative people, who gets them?
Speaking of Kanye, this new album by him and Jay is rediculous. Gonna be on repeat for a week at least.
Big interview today. Hopefully I won't be asked any open-ended questions. They will earn their own post sooner or later...
For now I have to get to my linkedin creeping. Which brings me to my last point...Can I get a recommendation?
econisforwinners.blogspot.com
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Good evening, good night. What you may not know about restaurants...
And if you do know, then I feel sorry for you!
As a ten year vet of the secret kitchen society, I've got some serious bedtime stories. As this is my bedtime, maybe I'll share a snippet. No, I'm not talking about the rampant drug-use, sexual proclivity, or open alcoholism, this has some relation to economics, or lackthereof, so at least it's blog relevant.
Has to be one of the most under-appreciated industries out there. I can't speak for every diner, drive-in, and dive, but I can make assumptions based on inferences from acceptable data. Mainly, what I've had to see. Here's the skinny, and I'll generally be referring to retail restaurants, and the kitchen service (can't say I know much about serving, nor do I ever want to)...
What exists is a complete lack of desire for talent. There is no incentive scheme to keep any proven ability outside of wage rate. The wage rate for workers is kept low due to over-supply of available bodies, and the general blind-ness of the patrons. Healthcare packages are a joke, and over-time / holiday pay are extremely limited. All in the name of cost-centric planning.
What baffles me is the patron desire for service. Oh if you only knew the wonders that are your regular staff kitchen experts. I do not speak of everyone I do work with, or have worked with, but we all know of those special few who happen to populate the front/back of "houses." (The "house" is your restaurant, in restaurant speak)
This acceptance of low-quality food at a reasonable price, in addition to the top-brass acceptance of the over-supply of labor, and a general disregard for the quality of that labor creates un-sustainable compensation plans that do not support long-term employment. Yet long-term employment exists. Why? The rational desire for job security. For those laborers looking for low-risk, low-pay jobs, but special consideration given to low-risk, a kitchen position is a sure bet. This does not, however, create opportunity for proper financial planning...
And this is where it gets technical. In the U.S. there is a serious problem with personal saving and wealth management. U.S. citizens are in over there heads in debt (it's not just the fed gov. kids)
http://www.money-zine.com/Financial-Planning/Debt-Consolidation/Consumer-Debt-Statistics/
"The latest statistics from the Federal Reserve indicate that the total amount of consumer debt outstanding remained fairly steady in 2010. The total amount of consumer debt in the United States stands at nearly $2.4 trillion. Based on the 2010 Census statistics, that works out to be nearly $7,800 in debt for every man, woman and child that lives here in the U.S. If you're saying to yourself - that that statistic doesn't seem quite so bad - keep this in mind: We're talking about consumer credit, which does not include debt secured by real estate. If you thought that number has debt associated with mortgages, it doesn't."
Yes, that's $2.4 trillion w/o mortgage debt (which is generally seen as a good investment, although as of late not-so-much). This is a problem when...
http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/pressrelease/?id=2096
"The restaurant industry employs nearly 10 percent of the U.S. workforce at 12.8 million this year, making it the second largest private sector employer in the United States. Every $1 million spent in restaurants generates an additional 34 jobs in the national economy. In addition, every restaurant job supports almost a full job position elsewhere in the economy; essentially any industry that is associated with the operation of a restaurant enjoys increases in employment when the restaurant industry grows. "
With ten percent of the U.S. workforce receiving sub-standard wages, how is this a good thing ( in-light of the savings debacle mentioned earlier)?
No, I'm not asking for the big-bad-overreaching government to artificially increase wages. What I am asking for is the dining public to expect more out of their meal. This is a small checklist to consider...
* Stop expecting fast meals - this is a direct contributor to poor quality food = no demand for high-skill workers = low wages
* If the food is bad, return it always - this helps to push poor workers out the door, or at the very least, to dish...
* Stop blaming the servers for poor food. - if the server is bad, fine...but the quality of the food is directly related to the kitchen service
* Stop going to restaurants who continually give you poor food - repeat business does not keep management vigilant in the policing of poor employees. Lost revenue will.
*Generally allow the competitive market to thrive by following the above tip - in time better restaurants with higher quality desires will emerge = better pay
* Fill out comment cards whenever available - just a general way to let the management know who is and isn't a good worker.
That's enough for one night....now someone come check my station out so I can go to bed ;)
econisforwinners.blogspot.com
As a ten year vet of the secret kitchen society, I've got some serious bedtime stories. As this is my bedtime, maybe I'll share a snippet. No, I'm not talking about the rampant drug-use, sexual proclivity, or open alcoholism, this has some relation to economics, or lackthereof, so at least it's blog relevant.
Has to be one of the most under-appreciated industries out there. I can't speak for every diner, drive-in, and dive, but I can make assumptions based on inferences from acceptable data. Mainly, what I've had to see. Here's the skinny, and I'll generally be referring to retail restaurants, and the kitchen service (can't say I know much about serving, nor do I ever want to)...
What exists is a complete lack of desire for talent. There is no incentive scheme to keep any proven ability outside of wage rate. The wage rate for workers is kept low due to over-supply of available bodies, and the general blind-ness of the patrons. Healthcare packages are a joke, and over-time / holiday pay are extremely limited. All in the name of cost-centric planning.
What baffles me is the patron desire for service. Oh if you only knew the wonders that are your regular staff kitchen experts. I do not speak of everyone I do work with, or have worked with, but we all know of those special few who happen to populate the front/back of "houses." (The "house" is your restaurant, in restaurant speak)
This acceptance of low-quality food at a reasonable price, in addition to the top-brass acceptance of the over-supply of labor, and a general disregard for the quality of that labor creates un-sustainable compensation plans that do not support long-term employment. Yet long-term employment exists. Why? The rational desire for job security. For those laborers looking for low-risk, low-pay jobs, but special consideration given to low-risk, a kitchen position is a sure bet. This does not, however, create opportunity for proper financial planning...
And this is where it gets technical. In the U.S. there is a serious problem with personal saving and wealth management. U.S. citizens are in over there heads in debt (it's not just the fed gov. kids)
http://www.money-zine.com/Financial-Planning/Debt-Consolidation/Consumer-Debt-Statistics/
"The latest statistics from the Federal Reserve indicate that the total amount of consumer debt outstanding remained fairly steady in 2010. The total amount of consumer debt in the United States stands at nearly $2.4 trillion. Based on the 2010 Census statistics, that works out to be nearly $7,800 in debt for every man, woman and child that lives here in the U.S. If you're saying to yourself - that that statistic doesn't seem quite so bad - keep this in mind: We're talking about consumer credit, which does not include debt secured by real estate. If you thought that number has debt associated with mortgages, it doesn't."
http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/pressrelease/?id=2096
"The restaurant industry employs nearly 10 percent of the U.S. workforce at 12.8 million this year, making it the second largest private sector employer in the United States. Every $1 million spent in restaurants generates an additional 34 jobs in the national economy. In addition, every restaurant job supports almost a full job position elsewhere in the economy; essentially any industry that is associated with the operation of a restaurant enjoys increases in employment when the restaurant industry grows. "
With ten percent of the U.S. workforce receiving sub-standard wages, how is this a good thing ( in-light of the savings debacle mentioned earlier)?
No, I'm not asking for the big-bad-overreaching government to artificially increase wages. What I am asking for is the dining public to expect more out of their meal. This is a small checklist to consider...
* Stop expecting fast meals - this is a direct contributor to poor quality food = no demand for high-skill workers = low wages
* If the food is bad, return it always - this helps to push poor workers out the door, or at the very least, to dish...
* Stop blaming the servers for poor food. - if the server is bad, fine...but the quality of the food is directly related to the kitchen service
* Stop going to restaurants who continually give you poor food - repeat business does not keep management vigilant in the policing of poor employees. Lost revenue will.
*Generally allow the competitive market to thrive by following the above tip - in time better restaurants with higher quality desires will emerge = better pay
* Fill out comment cards whenever available - just a general way to let the management know who is and isn't a good worker.
That's enough for one night....now someone come check my station out so I can go to bed ;)
econisforwinners.blogspot.com
Good Morning, Wake Up!
Oh my god....Don't remind me.
Women have the best way of reminding you of the worst things ever. Not in a horrible event sort of way, but in the grossest way possible, in the morning. Thanks Pudd!
Song of the morning - Otis - K.West, Jay-z
http://on.mtv.com/r8a0rh
Craziest album goin now.
Book - "The Making of Modern Economics," Mark Skousen
http://www.amazon.com/Making-Modern-Economics-Lives-Thinkers/dp/0765622270/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314703425&sr=8-1
Looks like I'll be bottling my first beer tonight. Pretty exciting, except the pressure backed up on the "Mr.Beer" kit and overflowed. Can't wait to see how that affected the final product. Two weeks of bottling should do it.
On a serious note...How insane is Warren Jeffs?
Coma has to be the least that man deserves.
Off to internship, locking down two interviews today!
Kay is chillen, Jay is chillen, what more can I say...?
econisforwinners.blogspot.com
Women have the best way of reminding you of the worst things ever. Not in a horrible event sort of way, but in the grossest way possible, in the morning. Thanks Pudd!
Song of the morning - Otis - K.West, Jay-z
http://on.mtv.com/r8a0rh
Craziest album goin now.
Book - "The Making of Modern Economics," Mark Skousen
http://www.amazon.com/Making-Modern-Economics-Lives-Thinkers/dp/0765622270/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314703425&sr=8-1
Looks like I'll be bottling my first beer tonight. Pretty exciting, except the pressure backed up on the "Mr.Beer" kit and overflowed. Can't wait to see how that affected the final product. Two weeks of bottling should do it.
On a serious note...How insane is Warren Jeffs?
Coma has to be the least that man deserves.
Off to internship, locking down two interviews today!
Kay is chillen, Jay is chillen, what more can I say...?
econisforwinners.blogspot.com
Monday, August 29, 2011
Hello and Good evening
Gonna really start rolling on a AM/PM post.
By the way, may not have appropriate funding for the hurricane recovery. Entitlements need funded first.
Can't wait for the political tussle over this. Should someone get started on an election season 2012 drinking game. I have a feeling we are all gonna need a shot after this screw-job.
It all starts with a good night ;)
econisforwinners.blogspot.com
By the way, may not have appropriate funding for the hurricane recovery. Entitlements need funded first.
Can't wait for the political tussle over this. Should someone get started on an election season 2012 drinking game. I have a feeling we are all gonna need a shot after this screw-job.
It all starts with a good night ;)
econisforwinners.blogspot.com
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