COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Everybody does it



7 comments:

  1. Congressmen allege spying...reporter finds interns.

    The video makes the three lawmakers look like idiots and Ibrahim Hooper seems to a a reasonable rational man who is being victimized by ignorant rascists.

    I hope the book's author found more because he has just been written as rascist and the Congressmen as dunces.

    ReplyDelete
  2. California Budget Solution – Ignore It.

    $3 Billion Financial Gap by December.
    State Budget Deficit Already in the Billions.
    Tax Revenues Collapse and Unemployment and Underemployment at 23 Percent.

    Many of those calling for a housing bottom seem to ignore the state budget problems that are already showing up in California’s finances.

    State revenues are collapsing.
    This is important to focus on because it will leave the state with a few options in remedying the deficit. It can either raise taxes or cut spending further.
    Both are bad for the overall housing market.
    And housing prices have not boomed like some have claimed. 475,000 notice of defaults will be sent out in 2009, a record breaking number.

    California is battling gaps in revenue even though it has some of the highest taxes in the country.

    ReplyDelete
  3. California itself is a gigantic economic engine.
    With a GDP of $1.8 trillion, it is by far the biggest economic state in the country.

    In fact, if you were to take California as a country in itself it would be the
    8th largest economy in the world between Italy and Spain:

    However, California itself is at the heart of the current economic mess.
    A state littered with the landmines of Pay Option ARMs and Alt-A loans still lingering in the background.

    The market is reeling like a dazed boxer from being too dependent on the real estate and finance driven economy. The state now has the highest combined tax rate but also one of the highest unemployment rates in the country coming in at 10.5 percent.

    ReplyDelete
  4. For Rufus:
    Mississippi you're on my Mind (Jesse Winchester)

    Mississippi, You're On My Mind

    I think I see a wagon rutted road
    With the weeds growing tall between the tracks
    And along one side runs a rusty barbed wire fence
    And beyond that sits an old tar paper shack

    Mississippi you're on my mind
    Mississippi you're on my mind
    Oh, Mississippi you're on my mind

    I think I hear a noisy old John Deere
    In a field specked with dirty cotton lint
    And below the field runs a shady little creek
    And there you'll find the cool green leaves of mint

    Mississippi you're on my mind
    Mississippi you're on my mind
    Oh, Mississippi you're on my mind

    I think I smell the honeysuckle vine
    The heavy sweetness like to make me sick
    And the dogs, my God, they're hungry all the time
    And the snakes are sleeping where the weeds are thick

    Mississippi you're on my mind
    Mississippi you're on my mind
    Oh, Mississippi you're on my mind

    I think I feel an angry oven heat
    The Southern Sun just blazes in the sky
    In the dusty weeds a fat grasshopper jumps
    I want to make it to that creek before I fry

    Mississippi you're on my mind
    Mississippi you're on my mind
    Oh, Mississippi you're on my mind

    ©1974 Jesse Winchester
    From the LP "Learn To Love It"

    ReplyDelete
  5. 2020.01.09台北酒店經紀人力銀行北部酒店工作開發部暨發展中心知名酒店經紀表示,以往上班族酒店兼差大多以門檻低、需要大量酒店小姐的酒店上班服務業為主,不過,隨著網路科技進步,八大行業就業酒店打工市場兼差型態也開始轉變,像是網紅、直播主首次擠入酒店上班從事酒店兼職工作的前5名。不過,許多年輕人要成為知名紅牌酒店小姐需要有創意、具備個人特色或是領域專業,也要具備國外接飯局(陪睡性交易)企劃、經過酒店經紀後製及行銷能力。酒店小姐要先吸睛,才有機會吸金。為了解上班族酒店兼職/大學生酒店兼差現況,酒店經紀人力銀行特別設計「台北風俗酒店經紀兼差現況調查」,酒店經紀2020年自1月1日到12月30日間進行網路亞洲大規模酒店上班問卷抽樣調查,有效樣本數為2000份,信心水準93%,誤差值為正負7.9個百分點。

    ReplyDelete
  6. 2020.05.04酒店工作因為一名酒店S女公關的確診,造成全台酒店、舞廳無限期停業,收入靠酒客的酒店上班坐檯小姐頓失每月數十萬元的收入,紛紛開始找副業度過難關。據八大行業透露,不少酒店小姐轉行當foodpanda(空腹熊貓)、Uber Eats的外送員,因收入不夠支出,還會再兼職當傳播妹,上月底有酒客到台中市KTV時,找熟識、現在酒店PT失業的酒店小姐外送到包廂坐檯,該酒店打工小姐進包廂時,還穿著熊貓制服,也讓酒客莞爾,小姐致歉兼撒嬌「工作難找啊!」知名八大行業酒店經記梁曉尊說,他旗下有130多個坐檯小姐,這次「被停業」後,小姐急著找副業拚經濟,有人當起超商店員,有人花了兩千多元跟熊貓買了相關的制服、設備,兼差當起美食外送員,還有人變成網拍業者,忙著拿貨,上網拍賣,擔心一個不小心就喝西北風,但也有人乾脆當放長假休息,不過每天都會有小姐打電話詢問「老闆,什麼時候要開工?」。梁小尊說,這次停業對酒店業造成的影響真的很大,他有個小姐是高雄人,年紀才20多歲,2年前才到台中工作,當酒店小姐的收入不錯,每個月都有10幾、20幾萬,今年初才剛買千萬的房產,準備在台中定居當台中人,每月要繳的房貸要5萬多元,現在突然沒工作,只能趕快找兼差,期待政府趕快想開,宣布讓酒店等特種行業復業。酒店經紀梁小尊/梁曉尊說,現在不少酒店的坐檯小姐都轉行當傳播妹,外送到各個知名KTV,因為此次政府宣布停業的是酒店、舞廳跟有男女陪伺的視聽業,一般的KTV不受到影響,不過酒客沒了酒店,還是要喝酒,有包廂的KTV就變成最好的去處。梁曉尊/梁小尊說:上月底才跟朋友去台中市一家KTV唱歌,因為知道認識的酒店小姐沒工作,打電話聯絡小姐到包廂坐檯,小姐出現在包廂時,他跟朋友看到都笑出來,因為小姐已經兼差當起熊貓外送,沒空換上漂亮的禮服就衝到KTV,擔心客人找別的小姐,所以連衣服都不換,趕緊衝到包廂內上工。

    ReplyDelete
  7. 2020.05.09全國八大行業酒店工作本月9日停業滿1個月,小姐酒店S、經紀、業者無不「酒店上班苦哈哈」,八大行業有小姐甚至做起外送員,不過,行政院長蘇貞昌本月4日宣布擴大紓困,無保酒店PT工作者可領1萬元,且可當天申請,有酒店小姐衝去公所申請,但馬上被「打槍」。酒店打工小姐小荳說,日前看新聞說政府下令紓困加碼,跑去公所申請,但卻被刁難,須附上很多證明,例如提供戶口名簿、調查名下有無財產、家人有無財產、以往有無領過政府補助的失業救助金等措施,若有,就不符合資格。事後才知是今天開放申請,但公所人員給人的感覺就「霧煞煞」,不清楚申請資格,雖然她最後還是資格不符,空歡喜一場,但還是希望政府快提供更明確申請規定,讓受疫情影響的勞工安心。小荳說,自己從南部上台北工作,想賺高薪照顧父母,才到酒店上班,如今停業,目前偶爾接接飯局加減賺,但好像「臨時工」,收入很不穩定。
    據了解,小姐屬經紀公司管理,但經紀公司並無真正公司行號,只是小姐領薪水的仲介單位,都是空殼,並非政府認可的公司;小姐及酒店經紀因此沒有工作證明,領薪方式也是現金,並無薪資條當作證明文件,申請有難度。酒店經紀人梁曉尊/梁小尊說,旗下小姐目前靠零星的飯局賺取台費,好一點的本身兼職美甲師,也有小姐白天當外送員加減賺,至少付得出房租、三餐有著落。酒店目前雖未開,小姐仍可透過飯局賺錢,業者也抓緊主導權,不讓獲利方式改變,不過再停業下去,規模小的酒店,不堪每月高房租及人事成本,恐遭併吞。

    ReplyDelete