Why are Adults so busy? • Hacker News Board

Re: Why are Adults so busy?

#441

Post by randomdata » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 12:28 AM UTC

branchless wrote: post #434

randomdata wrote: post #430

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The landlord either created the house, or the landlord created someone else of value and traded it for the house that someone else created. Houses don't appear out of thin air.

No they got it in the main on credit which they and the bank then use to share the labour of a working person. Also the house is often worth far less than the land.

Credit is just sharing value that was already created. Credit has to be repaid with value that will be created in the future.

> Also the house is often worth far less than the land.

While that can be true, it is only true if someone has created value around it, or has exchanged the value that they created elsewhere for it.

It is not like land itself is all that valuable. A quick look at the real estate listings showed me all kinds of vacant lots for just $2,000. It takes more than dirt to derive value. Something has to be created.

Re: Why are Adults so busy?

#442

Post by justinator » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 12:32 AM UTC

dota_fanatic wrote: post #416

justinator wrote: post #397

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's important to realize that advertising is mostly lying. Once you realize that, you can be a much more careful purchaser of $stuff. Sure it takes time to figure out what you really need/want, but you've got a lifetime to do so. What is real, what is just some myth you've been following to make sense of the world (which does NOT make sense?) Sometimes you've gotta jump and latch onto another myth. > How's t…

Unfortunately, just because you know something is a lie, doesn't mean that that kills its power, especially if it was a very convincing, detailed, life-like lie. Our wetware isn't so advanced (simple?) as that; the consequences of sensory input on the subconscious are varied and complex.

It's pretty easy: if it's too good to be true, it probably is.

Re: Why are Adults so busy?

#443

Post by secabeen » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 12:34 AM UTC

nradov wrote: post #266

sapphireblue wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also wonder how we manage to stay busy given that most home tasks (dishwashing, laundry, cleaning (roombas) and even cooking - see multicooker devices) are already automated, with "doing laundry" meaning merely loading and unloading the washing machine. I think you have a good point about idle time being gadgeted away. Also I think there is a tremendous potential in automation of physical labor (including remaining…

Dishwashers only save a little time. Most dishes still have to be rinsed in the sink first or else the leftover food plugs up the machine. And then putting away dishes takes just as much time. Doing laundry is a lot more than loading and unloading. If you have small children then you have to check everywhere for stains and apply something like Spray 'n Wash first. And then folding takes a lot of time. (There is a fol…

Don't rinse dishes before loading the dishwasher: http://www.consumerreports.org/video/view/home-garden/energy...

Re: Why are Adults so busy?

#444

Post by tamana » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 12:39 AM UTC

gnopgnip wrote: post #370

Spoom wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've always wondered why someone didn't build a vertical washer-dryer combo, about the size of a fridge, where the clothes in the washer portion at the top simply drop into the dryer portion at the bottom (possibly assisted by a mechanical push) and start the dryer portion automatically. Bonus if you can then push the dry clothes out the side into a waiting basket, but not totally necessary. Perhaps stability is a fa…

Full size washer dryer combo units are $1500 and then you still have to pay for water electricity and detergent and have the hookups and space. $1500 goes a long way towards a laundry delivery service.

That's $20/Mo. How much is laundry service?

Re: Why are Adults so busy?

#445

Post by tamana » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 12:41 AM UTC

secabeen wrote: post #443

nradov wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dishwashers only save a little time. Most dishes still have to be rinsed in the sink first or else the leftover food plugs up the machine. And then putting away dishes takes just as much time. Doing laundry is a lot more than loading and unloading. If you have small children then you have to check everywhere for stains and apply something like Spray 'n Wash first. And then folding takes a lot of time. (There is a fol…

Don't rinse dishes before loading the dishwasher: http://www.consumerreports.org/video/view/home-garden/energy...

Does that apply when the dishwasher takes 4 days to fill?

Re: Why are Adults so busy?

#446

Post by gluggymug » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 12:50 AM UTC

branchless wrote: post #428

gluggymug wrote: post #424

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Easy. "Kids, it's time you started paying me rent. Got no money? No problem. I got a lot of chores: cleaning the house, dishwashing, laundry, cooking, etc. Mummy and Daddy are off to catch some Pokemon or whatever."

Nope, totally wrong. The service you deliver to your children will far outweigh that rendered by them, at least in their youth. Inverse for renter / landlord.

You asked how to explain rent to kids. They can't learn if you are a horrible landlord.

Re: Why are Adults so busy?

#447

Post by tamana » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 12:55 AM UTC

zeveb wrote: post #401

zeveb wrote: post #323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> However, the expectation is someone will respond with ~"Thx, in meeting" If you check your phone in a meeting, and you don't have a family member in the hospital, you're wrong. It's discourteous in the extreme to check a smartphone (or noodle around on a laptop!) when meeting with others.

I'm frankly shocked that so many people seem to disagree so strongly with my belief that texting in a meeting is rude, discourteous and unprofessional.

Many people believe that what is important is getting stuff done, not social status grooming with shows of allegiance in meetings.

Is there any practical reason, that makes texting rude, discourteous, and unprofessional, besides that it unflatters someone's ego?

Re: Why are Adults so busy?

#448

Post by branchless » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 12:55 AM UTC

gluggymug wrote: post #446

branchless wrote: post #428

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope, totally wrong. The service you deliver to your children will far outweigh that rendered by them, at least in their youth. Inverse for renter / landlord.

You asked how to explain rent to kids. They can't learn if you are a horrible landlord.

All landlords reap far less than they sow. They are rentiers, they do not create wealth rather they exploit our regressive property laws to extract labour.

Re: Why are Adults so busy?

#449

Post by tamana » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 12:56 AM UTC

zeveb wrote: post #402

emodendroket wrote: post #363

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OK, in a theoretical world where meetings aren't hours long with no agenda and tons of circular, pointless discussion, I agree.

> OK, in a theoretical world where meetings aren't hours long with no agenda and tons of circular, pointless discussion, I agree. Well, an agenda is part of the courtesy the meeting convener owes the participants, and a well-run meeting is part of the courtesy the chairman owes the participants. Meetings are incredibly expensive: everyone owes it to their organisation, one another and themselves to make that expense…

Or we can get work done during the parts of the meeting that sent relevant to us, drastically decreasing the meeting cost.

Re: Why are Adults so busy?

#450

Post by acoard » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 1:22 AM UTC

toyg wrote: post #407

dennisgorelik wrote: post #389

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> my kids will have opportunities I never even dreamed of On another hand your kids are more spoiled with the wealth they were born into and potentially may have lower drive than you have. Hard to tell how they would turn out.

> your kids are more spoiled with the wealth they were born into An afghan (?) proverb I barely remember went something like this: "The king's father grew up in a tent; he worked hard, built his house, and led the people well. The king lived in a house but remembered the tent he was born in; he worked hard, built his palace, and led the people well. The king's children were born in a palace; they have never seen a te…

Maybe you're thinking of the famous quote from the Saudi ruler in the 60s:

"My grandfather rode a Pony, my father rode a Pony, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel,"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashid_bin_Saeed_Al_Maktoum