Most modern ladies I know aren't too keen on the smell that comes from smoking cigarettes so unless you're hitting on a lady who's also a smoker you likely won't have much luck chatting up the ladies while smoking nowadays.

How much harder would it be to just call the animal shelters within range of where the pet might be? Or they could have just put a chip in their pet or use old school tags on a collar. This doesn't at all seem like the big deal the person in the article is trying to make it out to be.

Maybe it would be nice for pet birds I guess?

We're not quite there yet but we're pretty close to wide spread practical laser defense systems to shoot down missiles. I know the Israeli's added laser systems to their Iron Dome for instance. These systems will be far more accurate than current systems and should be able to be used at a fraction of the cost of even these missiles

I never said we changed tags during store hours. Our store level POS also aren't hanging tags their full shifts, I'm not sure what else we have them doing but it seems like only about half their job or less is physically hanging tags. Our stores are also a pretty good size with more individual SKUs present than most traditional grocery stores given that we're technically a "mix" store which carries both natural foods (like Whole Foods) and conventional food categories although our identity is more on the natural foods side.

POS just isn't a big cost for a grocery stores and given that grocery stores carry more SKUs than most retail businesses that then means POS isn't a major cost for most retail in general.

I hate to tell you this but Whole Foods uses a major natural foods distributor called UNFI for most of its product that delivers to stores in traditional big rigs. I don't think that ruins your whole point but what you're saying in your last post here doesn't match up to reality in regards to Whole Foods.

It varies by state. I know California requires retailers to honor all floor pricing but that is not universal across the US.

What? I currently work for a small chain of grocery stores with a very large product selection. We employ one person full time and split another with another department to do all our store level POS stuff in each store. POS isn't some kind of huge hurtle for a properly staffed store to manage.

Where I live in the US the theaters are quite clean and comfy with big, padded reclining chairs and fold out tables for ones food. Noise issues from other viewers are pretty minimal too. This is a big change from 20 years ago so I wonder if where ever you're from hasn't also improved since you've last been.

So it now sounds like you agree with me in way too many words that loot boxes and Magic booster packs are the same thing in the context we are discussing? Great.

No, the "why" is that when government starts sending out masked goons to abuse and snatch people off the streets they start losing trust in government. When people start losing trust in government you get stuff like in your example.

I love how you characterize the mild leftism that is practiced in Massachusetts as people surrendering their liberty. Meanwhile in reality they have the same elections everyone else gets in this country never mind the fact that in "socialist Europe" they don't end up getting presidents who got less votes than the person they were running against like we get here.

Then there's the fact that MAGA is cheering while all our checks and balances are being eliminated by our current leader but it's supposedly the left that is giving up liberty? Nice one.

Hahaha, I hope that felt good for you because you look the fool with all your strawmen, false characterizations, and name calling. I suppose I also have "TDS" though, what a laugh that you folks have to resort to such name calling because you can't wrap your head around how anyone would have a problem with your dear leader.

Except I would have expected issues in the places you list a decade ago just the same as today. What's different is us.

It's not as if the prices on used gear isn't also going up as people search out cheaper pricing.

Ha, using "guys" for a mixed gender groups is a stumbling point for me too. It's worth the hassle of change though, I know I wouldn't want to be refered to as a woman or anything else that I'm not.