Quote from: TDoS on Feb 20, 2025, 05:52 PMQuote from: K-Dog on Aug 01, 2023, 12:37 AMQuote from: ed_from on Jul 31, 2023, 09:11 PMI thought we were running out of affordable fossil fuels and bad stuff was supposed to happen. Are we there yet?
Considering that I once bought gas for 17 cents a gallon in a gas war and getting to and from work now sucks up about an hour of the work shift, the answer is an unequivocal yes.
I once bought cheap gas in the US as well...us all being geezers and all. I also once lived in a state that had rationing when the 1979 global peak oil hit. The US hasn't seen state wide rationing since the late 70's has it?
And traveling to work is all about cost, you picked gas cost. Bummer. We are victims of our choices sometimes, certainly an hour of my work shift is 2250 miles of EV driving a stupid cage, at night time electricity charging rates. My current gas powered commuting 2 wheeler is worth about 1950 miles. More efficient commuting for everyone, and geriatrics can help save the world!
Pretty stiff premium to be able to broadcast social status while just going to and from work seems like, or fuel is crazy expensive in the PAC NW?
Working always costs money, There are obvious costs. A minimum $6 a shift for fossil fuel, the elective chocolate croissant and coffee for about $5.20. I need it for strength. Toss that box. Tote that bale. On a Seattle McJob wage that is about half an hour in mandatory expenses.
There are also hidden costs that are hard to articulate, but you know they are they. Simply being a wage slave makes you a consumer and when you have sold your time you must spend more on your off time to make up for the labor you stole from yourself to sell to someone else.
This makes me very irritated when I am stuck with four hour shifts. I figure an hour of my 'working day' is simple overhead from having to work. That makes a hidden tax on the job of 25% doubling the visible cost to account for hidden costs. (not likely accurate, but you have to start somewhere, and the actual hidden costs are larger IMHO). Once I have four hours that are all mine, I am OK with the arrangement.
Hidden costs also scale with income. I get my work shirts at my McJob for free. If I had not worked in the more casual professional era when I slummed as an engineer I would have had to have a suit. The peoples car of the low tier American working class it the Toyota. The higher tier class traitors of the American working class drive more expensive cars. Assholes drive Teslas.
Bottom line, I am not a happy camper when I work four hour shifts. I feel like I am getting screwed. And I do not think I am wrong.