Science fiction? No, it is the latest in worker productivity. In 2016, Amazon filed a patent for a device described as a “system and method for transporting personnel within an active workplace”. It looks like a cage large enough to fit a worker and mounted on top of an automated trolley device with a robotic… Read more »
Posts Tagged: Variable Costs
Sports Betting in All States!
According to the New York Times, The Supreme Court struck down a federal law that effectively banned commercial sports betting in most states, boosting the prospect of such gambling across the nation. Questions: 1. Who are the winners in this decision? 2. Who are the losers in this decision? 3. According to the article, what… Read more »
How Can An Extended Shutdown Hurt the Economy?
According to the New York Times, a partial stop with this shutdown costs the economy productive work time; historical evidence suggests, along with revenue that the federal government collects from daily fees at parks and museums that private-sector companies that contract with the government have their work temporarily disrupted, and travel spending is reduced, affecting… Read more »
Hurricane Harvey cruises
As Hurricane Harvey begans to bear down on Texas, thousands of vacationers aboard cruise ships were left stuck at sea until the storm passed. Questions: 1. Approximately how many vacationers were stuck at sea near Galveston, Texas? 2. If guests wished to terminate their cruise, where were they taken to dock? 3. If you were… Read more »
A World without Stores? Where will we hangout?
According to CNN, America’s long-standing love affair with shopping at malls and department stores may be nearing an end. Questions: 1. Compare the drop in jobs at shopping mall retail stores Between 2001 and 2016 and those jobs at coal mines. What does this say? 2. What are the demographics of workers at shopping mall… Read more »
$15 minimum wage
According to The American Interest, local minimum wage hikes cause restaurants to leave or shut down and deter new ones from entering, according to a new Harvard Business School study of the San Francisco Bay Area restaurant industry that contradicts the orthodox liberal view that steeply raising the cost of unskilled labor will not affect… Read more »
Really?
Commonly called “pay-to-stay” or “private jail,” at least 26 jails in Los Angeles and Orange counties are opening their doors to defendants who can afford the option. This is evolving into a two-tiered justice system that allows people convicted of serious crimes to buy their way into safer and more comfortable jail stays. Questions: 1…. Read more »
International students save the day at U.S. state universities
Amid funding shortages, American colleges are turning to international students, who offer a lifeline to cash-strapped U.S. state schools. Questions: 1. How many international students were enrolled in U.S. Universities last year? 2. What percent increase have universities seen in the enrollment of international students since the 2005/2006 school year? 3. Discuss what is happening… Read more »
A Mysterious Amount of Net worth!
In 2012, Forbes dropped J.K. Rowling after eight years on its authoritative billionaires list, saying high British taxes and large charitable contributions had eroded her fortune. Questions: 1. Why should Forbes rethink that? 2. If Rowling gets equivalent of Universal Studios Park ticket sales equal to Spielberg, how much of that would a $100 ticket… Read more »
A New Concept
Because of a scramble to locate baby food at night, Robert Ilijason decided to open Sweden’s first unstaffed convenience store. The 39-year old IT specialist now owns a 24-hour convenience store that has no cashier. Questions: 1. How do the customers pay for their purchases? 2. How is the store monitored? What types of controls… Read more »