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If Obama came to Washington to bring the Ref States and Blue States together, he will have to cleanse the Blue of all barbarian terrorists. Send the SOB’s straight to hell. Then divvy up the landscape.
If Ron Paul were to win the Presidency (I have as much of a shot as he does), I think he’d be 7 years older than Reagan when Reagan won. If he served 8 years, he’d be about 104 years old when he left office.
Catherine Herridge looks better than she has. Like she might’ve gained a pound-or-two. Whoever was pushing that suit, it certainly wasn’t good for her.
If youre talking about Palin’s ‘polls are for strippers and skiers’ comment–that was what is called a joke. The crowd laughter is an additional clue for those who need one.
It’s easy to sell me the idea that government bureaucracy is wasteful and it’s no surprise that the USPS is in dire straights. But it strikes me as supremely lazy for cable news programmes to cite the high percentage labour comprises of that organisation’s total expenditures compared with both FedEx and UPS without also providing some analysis.
Bloated union wages might be the primary culprit along with the proliferation of electronic communications, but isn’t it also possible that the high labour percentage is due to its other operating expenses being unusually low? Probably not, but journalists shouldn’t report on “probably”s. Dig up the facts and report them, damnit.
Ask a UPS driver how many packages they are expected to deliver in a day, then ask yourself why they all drive like maniacs, then ask yourself if maybe UPS is working people to death instead of hiring more.
There’s lots of reasons why some companies make a boatload of money in comparison to labor costs.
I use FedEx more often than UPS but seldom experience too much of a queue for either. Well, that’s not fair… I have an account so whatever packages I take (that aren’t picked up) are pre-labelled so I don’t have to wait anyway.
Sarah Palin doesn’t know how to crack jokes because she’s made herself into a joke already. Conservatives are naturally just very unfunny people, and nobody has the heart to break it to them.
Al, please explain to me what “not having to wait” has to do with the fact that my UPS store only has one person on duty no matter how many people are in line? What part of “understaffed/overworked leads to lower labor costs” did I not explain?
UPS stores (around here, anyway) are usually franchised and they do other things. Most stores near me have five or six clerks working. They save us from driving to the nearest UPS facility.
The nearest UPS facility here employees hundreds of people but normally only staff their counter with one or two. The idea being that most business customers have scheduled pick-ups and retail customers use Mail Boxes Etc. or similar independently-owned outlets. USPS also utilises some of these but thus far has not been allowed to close many unnecessary post offices.
A franchise hires based on the amount of volume they have. Maybe Al’s has more volume, therefore more staff. Maybe yours, Joe, has lower volume, therefore fewer staff. One ting that seems to work is to in a kind way ask the owner if there is anyway at certain times that they could have more staff available. You really can learn a lot from having a conversation with the owner about what works/doesn’t work for their business.
it is very easy to criticize when you don’t understand. I think It always pays to build a relationship with business owners you do business with. It makes transactions work more smoothly for all.
Good points, Pam, but not really addressing mine: The USPS stories tend to focus on their labor costs in comparison to other shipping businesses as strictly a problem with USPS. They ignore that many businesses are “lean and mean”..understaffed and underpaid, which helps the bottom line. I’ve known a couple of UPS drivers, and they work those people to death. “The bottom line” is not the only part of a business story that matters.
I’m sure it’s a minor bit, but it might have helped if they didn’t waste millions of dollars on vanity advertising. “We don’t get any taxpayer money”…yet.
According to WikiAnswers the average UPS driver in 2010 earned $75K + $30K benefits. My recent interactions with them gave me the impression that they love their jobs.
Yeah, ’cause a UPS driver is going to tell you how miserable they are. I didn’t claim drivers were telling me they were unhappy, I said they told me what their workload is like, and I correlated it to how fast they move at all times. They’re well paid to go like hell all day. Their workload is enormous.
^Yea and like Al was saying, they don’t seem to mind too much (I know I wouldn’t). Sure their workload is enormous but if they’re happy with it so what’s the qualm?
I’m a physician. People go out of there way to tell me how miserable they are.
Anecdotally, UPS drivers seem to be more prone to knee injuries than their FedEx or USPS counterparts. One patient with an autoimmune disorder could no longer maintain that pace and was worried he’d be forced to go on disability. That was five years ago and so far UPS has accommodated his special needs in a different position quite nicely.
Am I speaking Greek today? Al mentioned that the USPS stories assumed much, but investigated little. I corraborated by stating that high labor costs in relation to a competitor can have multiple causes, as Al stated. One of them is that some companies are “lean and mean”, and I believe UPS is one of them. I’m not trying to establish that UPS employees are bummed, I’m simply pointing out one way in which USPS would have higher labor costs in relation to them.
Picking up where Joe left off, UPS probably has almost nil labour force in remote areas whereas USPS must still deliver daily – even if that means just one letter. How much does that affect the relative cost ratio?
I could phrase that in French or Latin for you Joe, but would have some trouble doing it in your native Greek tongue.
Blaming Palin’s “target” graphics for the shooting in Arizona was political opportunism and the subsequent call for “civility” was a way to capitalise on the tragedy. In other words, all that noise was crap.
So why all the crap about what James Hoffa said? Was it really that bad? I don’t think so and it did serve to finally get the guy noticed for a few news cycles. I fault the president for his insincerity in making those “civility” remarks, But by now everyone is well aware that his talk is cheap. I don’t expect him to disavow Hoffa’s remarks and he shouldn’t. And all the noise about it from the right is crap.
Exactly. The “hang from trees” thing was repulsive. A guy named Hoffa gettin’ all Italian and cussin’ ain’t worth diddly. The Fox idiots babbling about “take them out” are purposely ignoring he prefaced the comment with “vote”. It’s the same crap Ed pulled with Perry and “big black cloud”. I loves me a slow news cycle.
Obama made his comments about “civility” to appeal to a certain audience that will see him as sincere and being against violence. Of course he’s going to do that, otherwise he would look like he doesn’t care and allows violent language. It’s just the politically correct thing to say and do.
The manufactured outrage over this is ridiculous, it has nothing to do with violence. At first I thought the hulaballoo was over “SOB”, which I thought warranted a minor “hey dude, not very nice”, but then I realized The Outrage Factory was going after “go to the polls and take ‘em out”. That’s effing stupid.
I think most of the outrage is over the double standard. I don’t really care what he said. Then again, I don’t whine about “violent imagery” and didn’t use the Giffords shooting to try to paint conservatives, Palin in particular, as accessories to murder.
This is what happens when one side (the left) uses all of their resources to feign outrage over symbolism and words that have been used forever.
I agree with all that, and have no problem whatsoever with pointing out the double standard. Otherwise, I rue the day when some conservatives decided that the best response to liberals was to act just as accusatory and childish as they do. Then people sit around and wonder why other people hate politics. Yeah, I wonder too.
September 6, 2011 at 8:48 am
If you waded the depths of her soul, you wouldn’t get your feet wet.
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/276348/removing-all-doubt-jonah-goldberg
September 6, 2011 at 9:31 am
If Obama came to Washington to bring the Ref States and Blue States together, he will have to cleanse the Blue of all barbarian terrorists. Send the SOB’s straight to hell. Then divvy up the landscape.
September 6, 2011 at 9:32 am
Or he can just focus on JOBS JOBS JOBS. (like a laser)
September 6, 2011 at 9:52 am
Anyone here watch Squawk Box? Is Sorkin essentially a Colmes for CNBC or something, how much is he just a punching bag for the hosts on Squawk?
September 6, 2011 at 11:57 am
@joeremi If you used DVR for today’s race, prepare to miss the end. 3pm and still some 60 laps left.
September 6, 2011 at 12:10 pm
HOT: Watching Veronica De La Cruz anchor MSNBC Live @ Noon Eastern the last five days!
NOT: She wasn’t on today! Boo.
Really like her!
September 6, 2011 at 1:44 pm
If Ron Paul were to win the Presidency (I have as much of a shot as he does), I think he’d be 7 years older than Reagan when Reagan won. If he served 8 years, he’d be about 104 years old when he left office.
September 6, 2011 at 1:51 pm
@joeremi: If your DVR missed the end, it missed an instant classic.
@Jamie: Yep, I love Veronica. She owns that anchor chair, definitely deserves the 12pm timeslot.
September 6, 2011 at 3:40 pm
What’s a Ref state?
September 6, 2011 at 3:56 pm
it’s the states where all the “sons of b!tches” live.
September 6, 2011 at 4:01 pm
My favorite moment from the weekend: A suspiciously ‘enhanced’ Sarah Palin saying “stripper poll”. That’s the sound of…GOLD.
September 6, 2011 at 4:11 pm
Dang, I misspelled ‘pole’. She was comparing ‘poll’ to ‘pole’ and screwed it up. Argh.
September 6, 2011 at 5:02 pm
There’s an easy way to remember the difference, but no one dares repeat it.
September 6, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Catherine Herridge looks better than she has. Like she might’ve gained a pound-or-two. Whoever was pushing that suit, it certainly wasn’t good for her.
September 6, 2011 at 5:21 pm
If youre talking about Palin’s ‘polls are for strippers and skiers’ comment–that was what is called a joke. The crowd laughter is an additional clue for those who need one.
September 6, 2011 at 5:25 pm
I believe that Joe’s comment was not meant as buttoned-down political commentary, either. The “That’s the sound of…GOLD!” was also a clue.
September 6, 2011 at 6:15 pm
-Cable News Lazy Journalism-
It’s easy to sell me the idea that government bureaucracy is wasteful and it’s no surprise that the USPS is in dire straights. But it strikes me as supremely lazy for cable news programmes to cite the high percentage labour comprises of that organisation’s total expenditures compared with both FedEx and UPS without also providing some analysis.
Bloated union wages might be the primary culprit along with the proliferation of electronic communications, but isn’t it also possible that the high labour percentage is due to its other operating expenses being unusually low? Probably not, but journalists shouldn’t report on “probably”s. Dig up the facts and report them, damnit.
September 6, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Ask a UPS driver how many packages they are expected to deliver in a day, then ask yourself why they all drive like maniacs, then ask yourself if maybe UPS is working people to death instead of hiring more.
There’s lots of reasons why some companies make a boatload of money in comparison to labor costs.
September 6, 2011 at 6:31 pm
Btw, enjoy that line at The UPS Store. What you get in return for their obscenely high shipping costs is one person manning the counter.
September 6, 2011 at 6:37 pm
Btw, enjoy that line at The UPS Store.
I would … but I’m still in line to buy a stamp because the machine’s broken.
September 6, 2011 at 6:44 pm
I use FedEx more often than UPS but seldom experience too much of a queue for either. Well, that’s not fair… I have an account so whatever packages I take (that aren’t picked up) are pre-labelled so I don’t have to wait anyway.
September 6, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Sarah Palin doesn’t know how to crack jokes because she’s made herself into a joke already. Conservatives are naturally just very unfunny people, and nobody has the heart to break it to them.
September 6, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Al, please explain to me what “not having to wait” has to do with the fact that my UPS store only has one person on duty no matter how many people are in line? What part of “understaffed/overworked leads to lower labor costs” did I not explain?
September 6, 2011 at 7:09 pm
UPS stores (around here, anyway) are usually franchised and they do other things. Most stores near me have five or six clerks working. They save us from driving to the nearest UPS facility.
September 6, 2011 at 7:13 pm
Five or six? Wow, whoever’s running the franchise in N. CA. ain’t playing that way.
September 6, 2011 at 7:21 pm
Here’s another example of incisive liberal humor. Try to aim your spit at a readily-cleaned surface.
http://tinyurl.com/3t7x7ys
September 6, 2011 at 7:23 pm
Finally! It seems to have a problem with Mediaite-links.
September 6, 2011 at 7:23 pm
The nearest UPS facility here employees hundreds of people but normally only staff their counter with one or two. The idea being that most business customers have scheduled pick-ups and retail customers use Mail Boxes Etc. or similar independently-owned outlets. USPS also utilises some of these but thus far has not been allowed to close many unnecessary post offices.
September 6, 2011 at 7:31 pm
A franchise hires based on the amount of volume they have. Maybe Al’s has more volume, therefore more staff. Maybe yours, Joe, has lower volume, therefore fewer staff. One ting that seems to work is to in a kind way ask the owner if there is anyway at certain times that they could have more staff available. You really can learn a lot from having a conversation with the owner about what works/doesn’t work for their business.
it is very easy to criticize when you don’t understand. I think It always pays to build a relationship with business owners you do business with. It makes transactions work more smoothly for all.
September 6, 2011 at 7:38 pm
Good points, Pam, but not really addressing mine: The USPS stories tend to focus on their labor costs in comparison to other shipping businesses as strictly a problem with USPS. They ignore that many businesses are “lean and mean”..understaffed and underpaid, which helps the bottom line. I’ve known a couple of UPS drivers, and they work those people to death. “The bottom line” is not the only part of a business story that matters.
September 6, 2011 at 7:54 pm
- USPS -
I’m sure it’s a minor bit, but it might have helped if they didn’t waste millions of dollars on vanity advertising. “We don’t get any taxpayer money”…yet.
September 6, 2011 at 8:04 pm
According to WikiAnswers the average UPS driver in 2010 earned $75K + $30K benefits. My recent interactions with them gave me the impression that they love their jobs.
September 6, 2011 at 8:15 pm
Yeah, ’cause a UPS driver is going to tell you how miserable they are. I didn’t claim drivers were telling me they were unhappy, I said they told me what their workload is like, and I correlated it to how fast they move at all times. They’re well paid to go like hell all day. Their workload is enormous.
September 6, 2011 at 8:33 pm
^Yea and like Al was saying, they don’t seem to mind too much (I know I wouldn’t). Sure their workload is enormous but if they’re happy with it so what’s the qualm?
September 6, 2011 at 8:33 pm
I’m a physician. People go out of there way to tell me how miserable they are.
Anecdotally, UPS drivers seem to be more prone to knee injuries than their FedEx or USPS counterparts. One patient with an autoimmune disorder could no longer maintain that pace and was worried he’d be forced to go on disability. That was five years ago and so far UPS has accommodated his special needs in a different position quite nicely.
September 6, 2011 at 8:43 pm
Am I speaking Greek today? Al mentioned that the USPS stories assumed much, but investigated little. I corraborated by stating that high labor costs in relation to a competitor can have multiple causes, as Al stated. One of them is that some companies are “lean and mean”, and I believe UPS is one of them. I’m not trying to establish that UPS employees are bummed, I’m simply pointing out one way in which USPS would have higher labor costs in relation to them.
September 6, 2011 at 9:03 pm
You should have said that earlier joe.
September 6, 2011 at 9:14 pm
Picking up where Joe left off, UPS probably has almost nil labour force in remote areas whereas USPS must still deliver daily – even if that means just one letter. How much does that affect the relative cost ratio?
I could phrase that in French or Latin for you Joe, but would have some trouble doing it in your native Greek tongue.
September 6, 2011 at 10:06 pm
-No Presidential Distancing From Hoffa Remarks-
Blaming Palin’s “target” graphics for the shooting in Arizona was political opportunism and the subsequent call for “civility” was a way to capitalise on the tragedy. In other words, all that noise was crap.
So why all the crap about what James Hoffa said? Was it really that bad? I don’t think so and it did serve to finally get the guy noticed for a few news cycles. I fault the president for his insincerity in making those “civility” remarks, But by now everyone is well aware that his talk is cheap. I don’t expect him to disavow Hoffa’s remarks and he shouldn’t. And all the noise about it from the right is crap.
September 6, 2011 at 10:10 pm
The Hoffa-thing is politically opportunistic payback. Period. All the talk about “civility” is, and was, crap.
September 6, 2011 at 10:13 pm
At the very least, save your “outrage” for people who talk about so-and-so wanting them to “hang from trees”. Hoffa wasn’t even that imaginative.
September 6, 2011 at 10:19 pm
Exactly. The “hang from trees” thing was repulsive. A guy named Hoffa gettin’ all Italian and cussin’ ain’t worth diddly. The Fox idiots babbling about “take them out” are purposely ignoring he prefaced the comment with “vote”. It’s the same crap Ed pulled with Perry and “big black cloud”. I loves me a slow news cycle.
September 6, 2011 at 10:28 pm
– gettin’ all Italian –
Trust me, that is not even a stereotype.
September 6, 2011 at 10:33 pm
I worked for a guy named Vinnie. That old guy could swear.
September 7, 2011 at 12:07 am
Obama made his comments about “civility” to appeal to a certain audience that will see him as sincere and being against violence. Of course he’s going to do that, otherwise he would look like he doesn’t care and allows violent language. It’s just the politically correct thing to say and do.
September 7, 2011 at 12:48 am
The manufactured outrage over this is ridiculous, it has nothing to do with violence. At first I thought the hulaballoo was over “SOB”, which I thought warranted a minor “hey dude, not very nice”, but then I realized The Outrage Factory was going after “go to the polls and take ‘em out”. That’s effing stupid.
September 7, 2011 at 6:14 am
Considering how Hoffa lost is dad…
September 7, 2011 at 7:10 am
I think most of the outrage is over the double standard. I don’t really care what he said. Then again, I don’t whine about “violent imagery” and didn’t use the Giffords shooting to try to paint conservatives, Palin in particular, as accessories to murder.
This is what happens when one side (the left) uses all of their resources to feign outrage over symbolism and words that have been used forever.
September 7, 2011 at 9:10 am
I agree with all that, and have no problem whatsoever with pointing out the double standard. Otherwise, I rue the day when some conservatives decided that the best response to liberals was to act just as accusatory and childish as they do. Then people sit around and wonder why other people hate politics. Yeah, I wonder too.