Investing

[CMRivdogs]

17 minutes ago, Screwball said:

More on AI and our shrinking world; Burger King will use AI to check if employees say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’

A start...

I guess its easier and cheaper than "secret shoppers"

[oblong]

22 minutes ago, Screwball said:

More on AI and our shrinking world; Burger King will use AI to check if employees say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’

A start...

I get so tired of hearing "No problem" and "I got you".

I know it's generational and that's how they were taught... I prefer the "My pleasure" way.  Saying "No problem" makes it sound like they did us a favor.

 

[CMRivdogs]

36 minutes ago, oblong said:

I get so tired of hearing "No problem" and "I got you".

I know it's generational and that's how they were taught... I prefer the "My pleasure" way.  Saying "No problem" makes it sound like they did us a favor.

 

I think "No problem" is more of a reflex response than anything else. Yes it's a bad habit and I catch myself doing it. Spending time manning the information desk at the CW Visitor Center. I'm training my self to use "enjoy your visit".   

[Screwball]

Interesting read on the energy requirements to continue the AI boom. From OilPrice.com.

The Hidden Math Behind Rising Electricity Prices

• Quote

   

  • Utility capital spending is set to surge far beyond official projections, driven by higher equipment costs and accelerating electricity demand from AI and electrification.
  • Electricity prices are likely to rise materially, with revenue requirements increasing 7–9% annually.
  • Financing risks and regulatory uncertainty are growing, as utilities rely heavily on debt and equity issuance to fund expansion.

   

Related:

I have a spreadsheet with each electric bill since January of 2022. I track all the charges. I’m on Ohio AEP. There are 4 things we pay for on the bill. The electric usage based on rate per kilowatt used. Transmission charges, distribution charges, and customer charge, which is always $10.00.

Kilowatts vary by usage, the transmission and distribution charges are proportional to the kilowatts used. We can shop for better rates through alternative suppers, which may be cheaper for kilowatts used, but the rest of the chargers still apply.

If I take my total bill amount and divide by Kw I used, it cost me $.1553 per KwH in Jan 22, to $.2289 per KwH in Jan of this year. Highest was .2306 a month ago. So that’s around a 50 percent increase in 4 years. And we are only getting started.

[Tigeraholic1]

 

 

[Tiger337]

4 hours ago, CMRivdogs said:

I think "No problem" is more of a reflex response than anything else. Yes it's a bad habit and I catch myself doing it. Spending time manning the information desk at the CW Visitor Center. I'm training my self to use "enjoy your visit".   

 

4 hours ago, oblong said:

I get so tired of hearing "No problem" and "I got you".

I know it's generational and that's how they were taught... I prefer the "My pleasure" way.  Saying "No problem" makes it sound like they did us a favor.

 

I have the same reflex habit.  It's just an expression that doesn't really mean anything specific.  "My pleasure" sounds fake to me because I usually am pretty sure that they got zero pleasure out of whatever they did for me.  I know it's just an generational thing like you said though.      

[CMRivdogs]

I could use “my pleasure” on some of the folks I interact with. Especially those who seem genuinely interested and are appreciative of some of the suggestions I make.

To me it’s the person or persons who obviously have no clue, and sees CW and the Triangle as a pit stop and want me to explain everything AND plan their hour to  90 minute experience in the Colonial Capitol. 
 

 

[chasfh]

6 hours ago, oblong said:

I get so tired of hearing "No problem" and "I got you".

I know it's generational and that's how they were taught... I prefer the "My pleasure" way.  Saying "No problem" makes it sound like they did us a favor.

 

The one I hear, invariably, is "have a good one." So irritating. Have a good what, exactly?

I think the practice of clerks saying please/thank you at the retail level have fallen out of favor because it implies servility, and no one wants to be made to feel servile. I would bet they also reason they don't even have to say "thank you" because, after all, you're giving money to the store, not them. They just work there to transfer it from your hand to the till. They do not see themselves as representatives of the store, even if you in all fairness regard them as such.

One habit I have refused to fall into is to thank them when they give me a receipt, because that's when I hear "no problem", as though they did me some favor. I hear customers thanking clerks all the time. I can only hmph, smile, and shake my head when I see it. Back-asswards, as they used to day.

Edited 6 hours ago by chasfh

[gehringer_2]

41 minutes ago, chasfh said:

The one I hear, invariably, is "have a good one." So irritating. Have a good what, exactly?

good DAY. It's just an idiomatic abbreviation. In modern English "have a nice nice/good day" has gotten to sounding hackneyed, or worse is said satirically so often you risk people taking you wrong. I volunteer accepting donations from people, you do want to send them off with some positive good-bye, I find I tend to use every combination just to avoid sounding stale to myself. And you try to match the audience. "Have a good one" for the guys in the F150's, "Have a nice day" for the 30 something professional women, "Take care" for the oldsters....🤷‍♀️

Edited 6 hours ago by gehringer_2

[chasfh]

1 hour ago, gehringer_2 said:

good DAY. It's just an idiomatic abbreviation.

I know that's what it evolved from. Just being prickly for laughs. 😁

I do think both expressions just sound weird to the ear. I've always felt a little weird saying either of them and I can't quite put my finger on why. But not even 1993 Matthew McConaughey can make either sound cool.

[Screwball]

Maybe we should just go with **** you asshole. WTF?

[Screwball]

21 hours ago, Screwball said:

Last year a girl slipped due to oil on the concrete floor and busted her hand. She was off work for several months. How can that happen to begin with? Where is maintenance? Where is OSHA? Did anyone call them? They sure as hell should, but the girls tell me nobody cares. They also need a job, and are afraid of losing it. So they STFU.

They told me today they are still walking on towels in front of their machines.

So sad. Maybe we can bring back child labor and textile mills.

Follow up on this with some data from the ground.

I talked to one of the girls today and she told me the OEM they supply, a big 3 auto company, were there for an inspection. They told them if they didn't fix this mess in the X amount of time (I don't remember what she said was the time frame), they would pull all their orders. 

After they left they told the worker bees if they can't sell the company by the end of March they will be done. Couple hundred worker bees, so probably 30-40 office bees. This is only one plant. They have another about 45 minutes away. That one is bigger. Probably another few hundred.

I know this company. What was going to happen to these people was a flashing sign a long time ago. Nothing got better. This is a perfect example of how piss poor and inept our managerial talent is today.

[Tigermojo]

30 minutes ago, chasfh said:

I know that's what it evolved from. Just being prickly for laughs. 😁

I do think both expressions just sound weird to the ear. I've always felt a little weird saying either of them and I can't quite put my finger on why. But not even 1993 Matthew McConaughey can make either sound cool.

The future:

 

[CMRivdogs]

1 hour ago, Screwball said:

Maybe we should just go with **** you asshole. WTF?

I have a nicer version when I'm told they only have an hour to spend, and don't want to pay admission. "The gift shop is down the hall"

[Screwball]

6 minutes ago, CMRivdogs said:

I have a nicer version when I'm told they only have an hour to spend, and don't want to pay admission. "The gift shop is down the hall"

Being kind and respecting people isn't hard. Our first interaction sets the tone on how we can go forward and make the most of the situation. 

As my cousin Oddball who was in Kelly's Hero's would say; "Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Not directed at you, just the quote.

But I get it, I spent years in retail. Try a bar. Just add alcohol...

We need to do better. We should all be above this horse****.

 

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, Screwball said:

Follow up on this with some data from the ground.

I talked to one of the girls today and she told me the OEM they supply, a big 3 auto company, were there for an inspection. They told them if they didn't fix this mess in the X amount of time (I don't remember what she said was the time frame), they would pull all their orders. 

After they left they told the worker bees if they can't sell the company by the end of March they will be done. Couple hundred worker bees, so probably 30-40 office bees. This is only one plant. They have another about 45 minutes away. That one is bigger. Probably another few hundred.

I know this company. What was going to happen to these people was a flashing sign a long time ago. Nothing got better. This is a perfect example of how piss poor and inept our managerial talent is today.

And it's the self fulfilling death spiral. The way they are operating they aren't making any money, so some vulture like Bain dismembers it all and walks away a little cash but the all the people are SOL. The vulture's ledger books say in the end it was all good, but society gets left with all those 'externalities' like broken towns and broken people that neither the vultures nor the big campaign contributors are obligated to do any accounting for.

Edited 2 hours ago by gehringer_2

[Tiger337]

5 hours ago, chasfh said:

The one I hear, invariably, is "have a good one." So irritating. Have a good what, exactly?

I think the practice of clerks saying please/thank you at the retail level have fallen out of favor because it implies servility, and no one wants to be made to feel servile. I would bet they also reason they don't even have to say "thank you" because, after all, you're giving money to the store, not them. They just work there to transfer it from your hand to the till. They do not see themselves as representatives of the store, even if you in all fairness regard them as such.

One habit I have refused to fall into is to thank them when they give me a receipt, because that's when I hear "no problem", as though they did me some favor. I hear customers thanking clerks all the time. I can only hmph, smile, and shake my head when I see it. Back-asswards, as they used to day.

"Have a good one" is definitely an annoying expression, but it is well intentioned, so I don't care.  

Please sounds like begging.  I don't like it and don't use it regularly.  I do thank people all the time and that includes clerks.  I thank clerks mostly because they have low paying often undesirable jobs and I want to show that I appreciate their effort.  

Edited 1 hour ago by Tiger337

[oblong]

I always thank retail and food workers as a remnant of the covid days when they were the few dragged into work while others like me stayed home. I wanted to let them know I appreciate their work. Then it just evolved to a general appreciation for everyone. All jobs are worthwhile. I’m no better than the guy cleaning trash. I get paid a lot of money but it’s not critical. The bus driver that takes my son to flint every day?  That’s critical and she probably makes 1/3 of what I do. 
 

 

[Screwball]

52 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

And it's the self fulfilling death spiral. The way they are operating they aren't making any money, so some vulture like Bain dismembers it all and walks away a little cash but the all the people are SOL. The vulture's ledger books say in the end it was all good, but society gets left with all those 'externalities' like broken towns and broken people that neither the vultures nor the big campaign contributors are obligated to do any accounting for.

This is their own doing.

I was expelled along with hundreds of others from the big multi-national due to being too old and too expensive. They wanted to go younger and cheaper. Because money. I ended up at a company that made machines for these people, and a bunch of them.

Every time the automaker, or whoever, changes a marketing gimmick - hey look - new parts. Good for them, the manufacturer, and us, the people who made their machines. Win - win.

But they all ****ed it up because they are a bunch of clueless phony back stabbing pricks that know nothing about how to run a manufacturing plant.

[Tiger337]

2 hours ago, Screwball said:

Maybe we should just go with **** you asshole. WTF?

Only at the bank.  

[Screwball]

Just now, Tiger337 said:

Only at the bank.  

They still call me - my personal banker - I don't know why. Slow learners I guess.

[Screwball]

26 minutes ago, Screwball said:

This is their own doing.

I was expelled along with hundreds of others from the big multi-national due to being too old and too expensive. They wanted to go younger and cheaper. Because money. I ended up at a company that made machines for these people, and a bunch of them.

Every time the automaker, or whoever, changes a marketing gimmick - hey look - new parts. Good for them, the manufacturer, and us, the people who made their machines. Win - win.

But they all ****ed it up because they are a bunch of clueless phony back stabbing pricks that know nothing about how to run a manufacturing plant.

I forgot one of the most important points. I asked the girl how many bad parts they were putting out? A lot...

The big manufactures cannot get bad parts or bad things happen.