Friday, May 24, 2024

Statistically Speaking

 


I read somewhere on social media that a certain percentage of people who returned their shopping carts to the chorale situated in the parking lots of retailers are more successful than those who don't. I don't recall the exact numbers but they overwhelmingly favored the cart returners, of course.

How do they know this? 

Is there any conceivable way an accurate number can be given regarding these arbitrary statistics. I've never seen people in parking lots wearing white shirts and thin neckties, holding a clipboard and asking shoppers about their income. Certainly, no one has ever approached me in a Kroger parking lot to ask about about my personal success and if they did I would either lie to them or respectfully refuse to answer. Has anyone ever received a phone call from Tass news agency concerning shopping carts?

Regarding the subject, nowhere is it required that a person must place there used cart in the chorale. The service is provided as a convenience but not required. But some shoppers think it repugnant that a person would not participate in the practice. One comment from Reddit said,

"People that don't return their shopping carts to the cart return are probably horrible people."

That's a very strong and presumptuous remark. I define a "horrible" person as someone who is a criminal, thief, abuser, swindler or con-man. But not returning a shopping cart?

I must admit, at the risk of being villainized, I don't always return the cart. If I've had a long day, and I'm tired, it's hot and I want to get home, and the corral is not close, I just might decide let the employees do it. 

I remember when I was a sacker for a grocer in high school, one of my jobs was to retrieve carts from the parking lot which was part of my paid obligation. It was my job. My job put some money in my pocket. I was young and full of energy. I didn't mind doing it and in fact I was happy to get out of the store for a while and it wasn't the shopper's obligation to make make my job easier. 

I also sacked peoples groceries, carried it to their car, and brought the cart back in with me. There wasn't a chorale to make my job easier. Now-a-days if a store employee retrieves carts is he considered being taken advantage of? 

Is he being treated horribly?

People are also very divided on the subject of self-checkouts. Some feel they don't get paid to check out their own groceries; that's the checker's job. Right? Taking the shopping carts into consideration, how long will it be before shoppers who prefer to have the store employees check out the groceries are considered unsuccessful and horrible people?

There was also a time when service stations had attendants fill our tanks for us, wash our windshield and check the oil. One would be hard pressed today to find a full service station. Every gas station in my town is self-serve. If someone were to open a full service filling station, I think it would be very successful.

But I don't hear anyone complaining how they don't get paid to pump their own gas.

Would companies have to hire more sackers, checkers, and gas station attendants to do the work instead of putting customers to work? What wrong with that? We already pay enough for our things and now do they want me to make it easier on their bottom line?

Thursday, May 23, 2024

Whats Wrong With Me?


 People often ask introverts "why are you so quiet? You should talk more. Smile, life's not so bad." Being an introvert I find it not only a silly remark but also a very off-putting one. I never ask the extroverts...

 "Why are you so loud? You should 
frown more. Life's not that good." 

Introversion is commonly looked upon as some kind of malaise from which we need to be cured when quite the opposite is true. Being reserved and reflecting is how some people work best as we don't talk to think. Instead we think to talk. And we don't need to be "cured".

 I've also been told, "I'm going to bring you out of your shell." Would it be appropriate for me to answer to the talker, 

"On the contrary. I'm going to put you in a shell." 

Introverts have a way of being alone and being very happy about it. I, for one, like to eat alone. I like going to the movies alone, I like to watch TV alone, I like to fish alone. Generally, I like being alone most the time. Sometimes I might be plotting how to conquer the world but other times I may be thinking of nothing at all; literally nothing. Many times when a man is asked "what are you thinking" and when he says "nothing", he really is thinking of nothing and there is nothing wrong with that.

Saturday, May 18, 2024

Boss Toss

 


William Magear Tweed (1823-1878), also known as "Boss" Tweed, was the head of Tammany Hall, the most powerful political machine in the history of New York and possibly the country. Tweed bragged openly about how much power he bought  with huge bribes and scoffed at reformers, who couldn't touch his organization no matter how much noise they made.  "As long as I count the votes", he said to one  do-gooder,  "what are you going to do about it?"

Tweed treated the press with the same contempt telling them to print all the disclosures they wanted, but one activity of the press did concern him. Tweed was incensed by the caricatures of him drawn by Thomas Nast supplied by Harpers Weekly.  "My constituents can't read", he said, "but they can see pictures!"


Eventually, Tweed was arrested, charged, convicted of bribery, and 
subsequently sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. However, his influence was so  great that he was allowed to visit home everyday till one day he simply slipped away. 

He escaped to Spain where he was certain he could conceal himself from the prying eyes of the press. However, within months he was identified and extradited to the USA to complete his sentence. His downfall? Someone recognized him from a Nast caricature.


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