The Off Topic Topic

[Norgy]

I see. And why were unions a bad thing again? 

[Ideologue]

They stood in the way of rich people making money.  Also sometimes they extracted some ridiculous, costly concessions that destroyed companies and the jobs they were supposed to advocate for along with them.  But mainly the first thing.

[Norgy]

Right. I forgot how unions destroy countries.

[Caliga]

Oops, I was giving myself my weekly moustache and beard trim this morning and, using the wrong attachment, took a huge chunk of the side of my moustache off.  Since the Hitler look isn't really in anymore, I ended up shaving my moustache and goatee off completely as I couldn't figure out any other way to correct the problem, leaving me cleanshaven for the first time since I was a teenager.

Since I now resemble Randy Quaid, I think I'll be growing my facial hair back ASAP. 

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

My regenerated moustache, which I have not trimmed since the incident above, is so long now I can (with wax) shape it into a handlebar.   Princesca officially Does Not Approve (TM) of this look however.

[Admiral Yi]

I see. And why were unions a bad thing again? 

Because they render the companies they work for uncompetitive.

Unless they're public sector unions, in which case they simply extract more tax revenue.

[Razgovory]

Right. I forgot how unions destroy countries.

Didn't do the People's Republic of Poland any good.

[Norgy]

I see. And why were unions a bad thing again? 

Because they render the companies they work for uncompetitive.

The studies I've read do not support that claim. However, an absence of organised labour does boost corporate profits.
I suppose much depends on whether unions are closed-shop, militant or interested in cooperation. Most of us have experienced unions that have gone out of their way to organise wild strikes and make outrageous demands.

I have a feeling American unions operate differently from Norwegian ones.

[Admiral Yi]

Without a doubt.

"We can give you a 3% raise this year."

Scandiunion: "Sounds good."

Yankiunion: "Then we want 6."

[Liep]

The speaker in the commercial for Israels tourist board pronounce Jerusalem as Jewrusalem.

[Sheilbh]

My guess is if you took a look at a long term graph of labor force participation it would not track that closely with economic good times.  For example, the large scale entry of women into the work force had next to nothing to do with increased economic activity.

Also the impact of baby boomers retiring (or old people getting back into work) will have little to do with how the economy's doing.

What did the Irish do to Dorne?

It's now the Isle of Man.

[Razgovory]

Paying employees also makes a company less competitive.  So does the lack chains to shackle them to their work stations.

[MadImmortalMan]

Paying employees also makes a company less competitive.

Uhhh you are contradicting a hundred years of competitive wisdom here. 

[Admiral Yi]

Paying employees also makes a company less competitive.  So does the lack chains to shackle them to their work stations.

As does the inability to torture people who don't buy your product, or the inability to murder your competitors.

[derspiess]

Raz: Business major.

[Josquius]

This last train business is such a pain. One of those things I never realised before moving towards true Greater Tokyo. People in smaller cities actually get to have fuller nights out....sort of.
Apparently the train companies have it within them to run 24 hour service but the people are stopping them from doing this as last trains enforce a curfew for leaving work.