People are losing jobs to robots and technology at an accelerating rate. Have you used one of those self-serve checkout stands lately? One was installed at my local CVS only 3 months ago. Awkward at first but seems like old hat now. The manager there told me the new system allowed him to let two full time clerks go. Two jobs lost to robots and their technology that will never reappear. Here’s just some of the other jobs that are suffering the same fate as retail clerks:
- Pharmacists
- Soldiers
- Reporters
- Drivers
- Fast food workers
- Assembly workers
- Bank tellers
- Secretaries
- Stock traders
- Warehouse workers
- …and there is more
Technology alone changes the employment landscape. Objects like the iPhone have the consequence of laying off Kodak workers, as well as workers in the mapping, printing, alarm clock and record industry.
I recently listened to an interesting podcast (all Radiolab podcasts are interesting!) about work in a shipping warehouse for online mega-providers, such as Amazon. If you thought stop watches were banned in the workplace at the beginning of the last century, guess what – they’re back! Technology, along with its gamification, is reducing worker output to a competitive logarithm using the most minute of performance indicators.
Years ago Buckminster Fuller (otherwise known as “Bucky”) surmised that the rise of computers and technology would bring use to a place where it is inefficient to have full scale employment. It would actually be cheaper to pay people to stay at home. And we are getting there. Even in a “good” economy we have 7% unemployment. And we are being asked to pay for those folks who have to stay at home…because there are no jobs. This has more to do with the macro-economics of production than it does anything a politician can influence.
While Bucky believed that less is more, most folks don’t think that way. In their idleness they will want to be serviced, entertained and otherwise cared for, by a growing service class economy. So the fantasy of growing the middle class back to where it was before all these technology changes is a pipe dream. A political football divorced from reality. There will be a continued division between highly paid knowledge workers and low paid service workers. Sooner or later we will end up paying service workers to stay home or do some form of public service.
As we march forward you will either be a highly paid knowledge worker who cannot yet be replaced by a machine or a low paid service worker who cannot yet be replaced by a machine. That’s true for your kids’ future too!
FYI – Looks like John Henry would be out of a job today. Now trains lay their own tracks http://www.wimp.com/traintrack/
Read more
The California drought has gotten out of control. That is why a private company stepped up and paid $1 billion for a new desalination plant located in Carlsbad.
The drought has really impacted Southern California within this last year, however, the drought has been drying up some parts of California for years.
What is desalination?
Basically, it’s a sifting process which removes salt and other minerals from salt water that is retrieved from the sea. This process will make the water safe for drinking and irrigation. Desalination is a more expensive process to provide potable water.
Alternatives
There are alternative methods to providing drinking water which are less expensive than desalination. The methods include ground water, which is obtaining drinking water from natural resources including rivers, lakes, and even digging underground for water.
Another method is water recycling. In Orange County, California, water recycling is underway. Since 2008, Orange County has provided residents with billions of gallons of potable water from the recycling facility. By 2015, Orange County will be providing an additional 30 million gallons per day, all thanks to their expansion efforts.
The drought in California has gotten so bad that even wells in Bakersfield, have run dry.
Content provided by Transformer Marketing.
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination and http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/06/desalination_vs_purification_why_californians_will_soon_drink_their_own.html
Read more
Your credit scores help determine what you’ll pay for an auto loan – and Auto insurance.
Studies by state regulators, universities, and independent auditors show that such credit information as how often you’ve paid a bill more than 60 days late can predict your probability of making an Auto claim and its cost. Insurance companies use this data to help set premiums.
However, one study found that 96% of Americans don’t review their credit report once a year, even when they can do so for free. According to the Federal Trade Commission, one in four consumers had errors on their reports that could affect credit scores – and 5% of these mistakes could mean that they’re paying more than they should for Auto insurance and financing.
To make sure that your credit report is accurate, improve your score, and keep your Auto premiums down, experts recommend these guidelines:
- Order free reports from the three credit reporting agencies (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) throughAnnualCreditReport.com , one every four months. Correct any errors immediately.
- Pay your bills on time. Payment history counts for 35% of your score.
- Keep your credit card balances below 20% of available credit.
- Monitor your credit history. Because credit bureaus look at how long you’ve had an open and active line of credit, the worst thing you can do for your credit score is to close credit card accounts. Not only do you lose your credit history for that card, but your overall utilization ratio goes up.
- Don’t open new accounts in quick succession. This represents a greater risk, especially for people who don’t have a long credit history.
Read more
Scurich Insurance Services was established in 1924 and has been serving the Monterey Bay Area. Our ability to meet your business needs – and go above and beyond – is what has made Scurich Insurance Services the nation’s leading Insurance Agency.
Taking care of business means taking care of you. That’s why we work hard to assist you in selecting the appropriate coverage’s whether it is business or commercial insurance.
Contact us for more details or connect with us on Facebook and LinkedIn!
Scurich Insurance
320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170
Watsonville, CA 95077-1170
Office: 1-831-722-3541
Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666
EMail: [email protected]
Read more
If you rent all or part of your property to others, it makes sense to buy this special type of Homeowners insurance. A Landlord policy will cover damage to the building and your belongings, and protect you against potentially catastrophic legal and medical cost suits from lawsuits by people injured on your property.
If the property is mortgaged, the lender will usually require that you buy enough coverage to pay off the outstanding loan balance.
Above this level, you can tailor your Landlord coverage to your needs and budget in a number of ways:
Changing the deductible (which usually ranges from $100 to 5% of the building coverage).
Selecting the type of losses covered, by buying either “comprehensive” coverage – which pays for losses from all causes, unless specifically excluded – or on a “named perils” basis, which covers only losses from a listed number of causes.
Choosing the type of reimbursement – either “actual cash value” (the value of your property, less depreciation) or the more expensive “replacement value.”
Adding coverage to provide reimbursement for loss of rental income during a period when the property is uninhabitable.
Covering increased liability risks from dealing with tenants, such as legal fees, libel, slander, and discrimination claims.
In making your decision, assess the benefits of potential premium savings against the risk of paying for hefty classes.
Our Homeowners’ Insurance specialists will be happy to evaluate your situation and recommend a comprehensive, cost effective solution. Just get in touch with us at any time.
Read more
| Having trouble viewing this email? Click here to view the web version! |
|
Read more
