This is a little scary

Need to be available during your business’ peak season?  Customers demanding service for their money?  Need to remain competitive with increasing competition?   

Welcome to business ownership!  We have t-shirts.

I’ve seen a number of crypto bros take their crypto gains and put them into Air BnBs not realizing that it’s not a “set it and forget it” investment.   You either need to provide support and maintenance or hire a management firm to do the work for you, for ca fee.

Your competition is not just the local Air BnBs, it’s also the Marriott where there is someone available 24/7/365 who will help you with the door lock and address your toilet issues by moving you to another room or getting an all-night plumber who’s on-call.  And they’ll find a way to compensate you for the inconvenience.

If your customers are asking you to match the price of your competition you have to ask what your value-add is.  What makes your service worth $100 more?  Why aren’t you expressing that in your ads? And, do your customers see the value in what you’re offering?

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Back in the 80s, I worked a 13 hour, three day a week job in computer operations at Computer Associates, that schedule gave plenty of opportunities to educate myself and for overtime. I know fast food can't be more strenuous, a job, but I'd give it a shot.

I'm a 53-year-old man who already gets approved when he buys marsala wine. Now I get to look forward to being proofed  to buy whipped cream.

Unfortunately, much like Bele and Lokai from "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield", their hate for each other might be all they have left.

Dear Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez:

First off, I'd like to thank you for the hard work you do as a Congressperson. We may not be always in agreement politically, but I respect the work you do and the office you hold.

I was reading the above article about the situation that members of Congress are in, having to maintain two homes in order to properly do their job. This is something I've actually thought about often,because I've been in a similar situation. For several years I had a temporary gig in Northern Connecticut, but still maintained other work back here in New York City. After working the CT gig for a month, spending 4 hours a day commuting on top of the 8 to 10 hours a day working was getting to be too much for me. Since the gig was open to renewals, I didn't know when things were going to end.  So I found some temporary Connecticut housing in a SRO which I rented on top of my Astoria, Queens apartment. I understand something of the costs of maintaining two households as well as a longer than average commute and the costs that entails both financially and personally.

I have to question your discussion is when you say it's difficult  to maintain 2 households on your $174,000 salary. The average New York City salary is about $75,000 a year, so you were making $100,000 more than your average constituent. In my head, I've always justified congressional salaries because of the added expenders Congresspeople have with housing and commuting.

I got to thinking about the numbers.  An average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment in the Washington, DC is just under $3,000.  If you figure another $500 a month for maintenance and utilities on the apartment and $1000/mo to fly back and forth from NYC, you're still collecting $120,000 a year, $45,000 a year more than your average constituent.

In my younger days, like you, I was a service worker. I couldn't imagine how I'd react if somebody at one of my tables was complaining to me that they had trouble making ends meet on a salary that was twice what I was making.  I imagine I'd feel this person who is out of touch with people in the lower and middle class of society.

Again I respect who you are, I respect what you do, but I wish you'd think of the large number of people you represent who aren't earning what you're earning in times where inflation is running amuck and it's harder each day for the average New Yorker to make ends meet. I don't like using the word "privilege" but this is what it feels like.

Thank you again for your service.

As I often say, in tech 50 is the new 70.