Random Thoughts - Part Deux [NO POLITICS]

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

I ventured out to the Wal-Mart grocery store yesterday. It is a decent, I would say mid-sized grocery store. It is the closest grocery store for us. Well, they redesigned the store so it is now 100% self checkout. Now, I have no problem with stores having self checkout, but not 100%. When I have a full cart of groceries I prefer having a checker. They have one line with the store employees guiding people to the next open station, 12 stations total. Totally sucks. I tell them I'm not a good checker. Took me twice as long as normal, and oops, I think I forgot to scan a couple items. I told them I wasn't a good checker. That's on them.

What's next? Do I have to go in early and bake my own donuts? I remember going to the Alpha Beta with my mom as a kid. She just pushed the cart up and the checker would take the groceries out. I remember the one checker, a super nice Hispanic lady, that new every price of every item in the store, and was a goddess on the 10 key. In 30 years of accounting I've never seen anyone as fast on a 10 key. Now it's like "get your shit, check and bag it yourself, and get the fuck out."

Agreed, much prefer an actual person running the register except in situations where I'm getting like 3 things.

[Sapphireho]

Originally Posted by Captain Snooze

We've a blender in the cupboard that hardly ever gets used. The only thing I have ever used it for is this:

1 large ripe banana
As much premium ice cream as I think is appropriate.
I use Milo but that might be an Aus thing. Wiki says Milo is a malted chocolate powder so that would have to do. About 2 heaped dessert spoons.
A splash of vanilla essence.
Some full cream milk. Not too much, not too little. I don't want low viscosity, I want it like 20w50 at 0 Celsius.
Blend until creamy smooth.

Lol, malted milk. Love a chocolate malt. I'll pass on the banana.

Edit: I also add an egg when I make milkshakes.

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

I ventured out to the Wal-Mart grocery store yesterday. It is a decent, I would say mid-sized grocery store. It is the closest grocery store for us. Well, they redesigned the store so it is now 100% self checkout. Now, I have no problem with stores having self checkout, but not 100%. When I have a full cart of groceries I prefer having a checker. They have one line with the store employees guiding people to the next open station, 12 stations total. Totally sucks. I tell them I'm not a good checker. Took me twice as long as normal, and oops, I think I forgot to scan a couple items. I told them I wasn't a good checker. That's on them.

What's next? Do I have to go in early and bake my own donuts? I remember going to the Alpha Beta with my mom as a kid. She just pushed the cart up and the checker would take the groceries out. I remember the one checker, a super nice Hispanic lady, that new every price of every item in the store, and was a goddess on the 10 key. In 30 years of accounting I've never seen anyone as fast on a 10 key. Now it's like "get your shit, check and bag it yourself, and get the fuck out."

the part that irritates me is that the self checkouts are functionally slower. i can't just rapid-scan things, or home depot's self checkout gives me a scanner with a keypad now, but i can't enter a quantity of items (like when i'm getting 80 outlets, 80 cover plates, and 40 switches).

and all of the cashiers are getting so much slower almost everywhere that even with the delays of self checkout, it's still faster than waiting in line for someone to mosey through 3-4 items to get to me. the only one's that are still fast are the aldi girls.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

My mom is addicted to buying stuff she doesn't need (or will ever use) on QVC. What she does is buy something, then realize she won't ever use it, then packages it up and sends it to me or one of my brothers. She has actually gotten better in the last couple years, but still happens. I cringe every time I get a big box delivered with my mom on the return address. It's like, what did she send me now? I have a few boxes in the attic of some of the things she has sent.

Today I received a Vitamix 7500 with both wet and dry blend carafe. Basically a $500 blender. Guess it's time for smoothies. Anyone have a good recipe?

Maybe she doesn't think the electric blender invention has made it up to Idaho? -

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Maybe she doesn't think the electric blender invention has made it up to Idaho? -

That's a mixer, old man. I guess you were always too schnockered to notice while you were drinking, and never saw one after you quit.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

That's a mixer, old man. I guess you were always too schnockered to notice while you were drinking, and never saw one after you quit.

Hey, big guy, I KNOW what that is! As a toddler, I was sitting on my mothers kitchen floor, mixing up eggs with an egg beater like that, before YOUR mother was even married.

As far as my drinking days, I never mixed or blended anything. I just poured the whisky out a bottle into a glass and added a splash of branch water and drank it! -

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Hey, big guy, I KNOW what that is! As a toddler, I was sitting on my mothers kitchen floor, mixing up eggs with an egg beater like that, before YOUR mother was even married.

As far as my drinking days, I never mixed or blended anything. I just poured the whisky out a bottle into a glass and added a splash of branch water and drank it! -

Haha... I'm an idiot. Egg beater duh!

mixer

[Sapphireho]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Haha... I'm an idiot. Egg beater duh!

mixer

I love you both

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Haha... I'm an idiot. Egg beater duh!

mixer

aaaahhhhhh ....... a senior moment strikes again -

[strat61caster]

Frozen berries from Costco, cheap long lasting, decent recipe on the bag iirc. Yogurt, ice, sweeten to taste with whatever you like, glass of whatever fruit juice is in the fridge for instance, bananas are rarely unwelcome in a smoothie.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by soundman98

the part that irritates me is that the self checkouts are functionally slower. .

The only self-checkout model I like is the Sam's Club "scan and go" method where you use your smartphone, scan stuff as you put it in your cart, then checkout. No line at all.

Any other place I refuse to use self-checkout unless there is no other choice. If they gave me a discount for using it, I would but since they are not, and I don't work for them, then I'm going through the line.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

The only self-checkout model I like is the Sam's Club "scan and go" method where you use your smartphone, scan stuff as you put it in your cart, then checkout. No line at all.

Any other place I refuse to use self-checkout unless there is no other choice. If they gave me a discount for using it, I would but since they are not, and I don't work for them, then I'm going through the line.

time is money yo

I take the shortest line, if I don't have to talk to someone when I don't want to; bonus points

'but it's costing jobs'

fuck off, very few people dream of being a cashier, some do, sure, power to them for finding what they enjoy, there will be a human face to customer service for a very long time, but I look forward to the day when mankind does not have to work to thrive

George Jetson worked 3 hours a day, 3 days a week.

[spike021]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

The only self-checkout model I like is the Sam's Club "scan and go" method where you use your smartphone, scan stuff as you put it in your cart, then checkout. No line at all.

Any other place I refuse to use self-checkout unless there is no other choice. If they gave me a discount for using it, I would but since they are not, and I don't work for them, then I'm going through the line.

The Costco near me recently put out self checkout aisles. It’s surprisingly quick there and most people don’t use them because who wants to ring up 20 bulk packages of items? So it’s great for me because I only ever get 3-5 items at Costco.

Scan membership card, scan items, pay. Easy peasy.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

time is money yo

I take the shortest line, if I don't have to talk to someone when I don't want to; bonus points

'but it's costing jobs'

fuck off, very few people dream of being a cashier, some do, sure, power to them for finding what they enjoy, there will be a human face to customer service for a very long time, but I look forward to the day when mankind does not have to work to thrive

George Jetson worked 3 hours a day, 3 days a week.

So does Congress, what's your point? Also George Jetson was a cartoon character.

There are a lot of folks like high school/college kids or retired folk that want to make some money but don't have the time or energy for a full time job. It builds references for future job applications, pays for college books and such, and let's you have some luxuries you might not normally have. I would rather live in a world where somebody who wants a basic part time job like that can get one, rather than one where there aren't any options for that.

Plus, it's more efficient of they check me out than me doing it myself.