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Amazon Dash Button

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Re: Amazon Dash Button

#621

Harper's Magazine, September 1996: > From an interview with Kurt Vonnegut in the November 1995 issue of Inc. Technology. Vonnegut was asked to discuss his feelings about living in an increasingly computerized world. >> I work at home, and if I wanted to, I could have a computer right by my bed, and I'd never have to leave it. But I use a typewriter, and afterward I mark up the pages with a pencil. Then I call up this…

In reality, this man of privilege bounds into the store on a cloud of positivity, only to be met by the sullen face behind the counter, 12 hours into a double shift on a day that she wasn't even supposed to be here. At the Postal Convenience Center, the object of his affection barely registers his presence because she is fears going home to her abusive boyfriend who is probably halfway in the bag already. When the le…

I was going to say "must not have kids", but I like your version better.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#622

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In reality, this man of privilege bounds into the store on a cloud of positivity, only to be met by the sullen face behind the counter, 12 hours into a double shift on a day that she wasn't even supposed to be here. At the Postal Convenience Center, the object of his affection barely registers his presence because she is fears going home to her abusive boyfriend who is probably halfway in the bag already. When the le…

Why don't we have more free time? It is precisely the post-industrialized culture of consumption, and economy of progress that is robbing individuals of our free time. When did laundry and cooking and doing work at home cease to be a social function and instead move into the sphere of "work"? http://www.zpub.com/notes/idle.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_affluent_society

>Why don't we have more free time?

Than we did historically? We do.

Things that I am forced to do, I do not consider "free time", although for some reason anti-technologists like to consider at-home labor to be "free time", so they can make it look like pre-industrialization people had less work than we do today.

That said, with every passing year there is measurably less stuff that I have to waste time doing, mostly thanks to the power of the internet.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#623
post #287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with what you are saying, but my effective tax rate this year in California was ~40%. All of the above benefits for an additional 20% sounds like a bargain.

I'm in Germany, my tax rate is ~40%, and we do get all those benefits.

Marginal or total?

My marginal tax rate in the UK is 45% but I take home 75% of what I invoice.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#624

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with what you are saying, but my effective tax rate this year in California was ~40%. All of the above benefits for an additional 20% sounds like a bargain.

The effective tax rate in Norway is around 45% BTW. The max personal tax rate is 47.2%, but that includes a 8.2% pension contribution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_rates It's hard to directly compare though, since we have really high excise taxes/VAT, especially for things like cars.

> The effective tax rate in Norway is around 45% BTW.

But I believe your employer pays an amount equal to about 20% of your gross income as pension fund payments. I don't know if USA has similar "hidden" costs which makes direct comparison of grass salary difficult.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#625

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with what you are saying, but my effective tax rate this year in California was ~40%. All of the above benefits for an additional 20% sounds like a bargain.

The effective tax rate in Norway is around 45% BTW. The max personal tax rate is 47.2%, but that includes a 8.2% pension contribution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_rates It's hard to directly compare though, since we have really high excise taxes/VAT, especially for things like cars.

[deleted]

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#626
post #580
post #577

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But you're still left with bruised apples. Had you gone to the market you would not have bruised apples.

And yet somehow, FreshDirect's managed to stay in business since 2002.

When the options are taking the L to Whole Foods vs ordering Fresh Direct, both options suck. Fresh Direct just sucks slightly less.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#627
post #622

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don't we have more free time? It is precisely the post-industrialized culture of consumption, and economy of progress that is robbing individuals of our free time. When did laundry and cooking and doing work at home cease to be a social function and instead move into the sphere of "work"? http://www.zpub.com/notes/idle.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_affluent_society

>Why don't we have more free time? Than we did historically? We do. Things that I am forced to do, I do not consider "free time", although for some reason anti-technologists like to consider at-home labor to be "free time", so they can make it look like pre-industrialization people had less work than we do today. That said, with every passing year there is measurably less stuff that I have to waste time doing, mostly…

The question I'm trying to raise is why we consider all the little things necessary for living to be a "waste of time."

There's a sad irony in the image of first world citizen who can't waste time cooking so they consume large amounts highly processed ready-made food from places like trader joe's and sits down to watch Game of Thrones for three hours and browse pinterest.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#628
You can hate this all you want, but the next time your office is out of coffee, imagine having a button that makes it show up.

This doesn't have to be for the home. There are thousands of things that it won't be good for. There are more that it will be good for.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#629
post #624

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The effective tax rate in Norway is around 45% BTW. The max personal tax rate is 47.2%, but that includes a 8.2% pension contribution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_rates It's hard to directly compare though, since we have really high excise taxes/VAT, especially for things like cars.

> The effective tax rate in Norway is around 45% BTW. But I believe your employer pays an amount equal to about 20% of your gross income as pension fund payments. I don't know if USA has similar "hidden" costs which makes direct comparison of grass salary difficult.

The maximum payroll tax in Norway is 14.1%. From a quick google it seems like the rates are about the same in the US:

"making the total Social Security tax 12.4% of wages and the total Medicare tax 2.9%."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Insurance_Contributions...

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