"Thought For the Day"

[AluraMist]

Krogers has had something similar for a couple years now but theirs is a hand held scanner that scans the bar code. All these devices are interesting, but, they eliminate the need for employees. Funny how with needing less people, the prices still keep going up.

The prices keep going up because of the cost of this new stuff.
I heard that just one of those shopping carts goes for something like 20K.

[Jonathan Greenflame]

The prices keep going up because of the cost of this new stuff.
I heard that just one of those shopping carts goes for something like 20K.

I only have one word for that "WOW"

[Pegasus Unbound]

The prices keep going up because of the cost of this new stuff.
I heard that just one of those shopping carts goes for something like 20K.

The shopping cart version is just one of many such things. As you said, this one can be hyper expensive since it can only service 1 person over the time they are shopping.

Here is the "behind the scenes" kicker.

Looking at the self-checkouts at most stores: According to a friend who is a manager at a Wal*Mart, each of those check out stands cost over $100k. But, that is the up-front cost not the long haul. This check out stand runs 24 hours without breaks (except for occasional maint such as loading/removing cash).

• If you look at a single person working a station, they would need 3 full time (8 hour shift) people to cover 1 24 hour day.
• Set minimum wage at $8 per hour is $192 per day, $1,344 per week, $70,000 a year
• Plus employers need to pay extra fees that the employee does not see such as their additional income tax/social security tax the have to match, training, hr personnel to support the employee, side funds to cover vacation/sick/personal time off and side items like vests/uniforms/tags/gloves etc.

The bottom line is that 1 machine pay for itself in less than 2 years AND once it pays for itself, ALL the costs for those replaced employees becomes pure profit.

His particular store reduced their live/human check out stands to only 6 but added 20 of the automated ones. Those 20 automated are all fully paid for and are in pure profit mode to a minimum tune of $1,400,000k a year (Less any maint costs)...$1,400,000K!

He hates them with all his heart, but he also points out that with the rising cost of goods and the demand for higher wages (In some states it has doubled from $7.50 to $15 an hour) it has become a necessity for any business that can afford one of those things.

Everyone has forgotten (In their attempt to improve their own condition) that one demand in one area can cause a domino effect across the entire system. What's worse is the number of people who own businesses that don't really need these "advances" but out of greed will take full (And even greater) advantage of them no matter who gets hurt.

Technology has become a double edge sword that cuts in both ways but if allowed to get out of balance, well...it can get really nasty.

It really brings home the lessons of @AluraMists post about "A Green Thing". Look at us now, here we are sharing conversation at Central as regular part of our day...when only a few years ago we would be sitting around the table with out coffee and cookie, playing cards and laughing like crazy.

I miss "the old days" a lot.

Hugs,

V

[AluraMist]

"Pooh, Piglet, and Eeyore."

It occurred to Pooh and Piglet that they hadn't heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats and coats and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood to Eeyore's stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore.

“Hello Eeyore," said Pooh.
"Hello Pooh. Hello Piglet" said Eeyore, in a glum sounding voice.
"We just thought we'd check in on you," said Piglet, "because we hadn't heard from you, and so we wanted to know if you were okay."

Eeyore was silent for a moment. "Am I okay?" he asked, eventually. "Well, I don't know, to be honest. Are any of us really okay? That's what I ask myself. All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather sad, and alone, and not much fun to be around at all, which is why I haven't bothered you. Because you wouldn't want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is sad, and alone, and not much fun to be around at all, would you now?"

Pooh looked at Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.

Eeyore looked at them in surprise. "What are you doing?"
"We're sitting here with you," said Pooh, "because we are your friends. And true friends don't care if someone is feeling sad, or alone, or not much fun to be around at all. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are."

"Oh," said Eeyore. "Oh." And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all, somehow, almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better.
Because Pooh and Piglet were there.

No more; no less. Just ... there.

Homage to author A. A. Milne, written by Kathryn Wallace.
Illustration by E. H. Shepard.

[Arwen Mythweaver]

"Pooh, Piglet, and Eeyore."

It occurred to Pooh and Piglet that they hadn't heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats and coats and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood to Eeyore's stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore.

“Hello Eeyore," said Pooh.
"Hello Pooh. Hello Piglet" said Eeyore, in a glum sounding voice.
"We just thought we'd check in on you," said Piglet, "because we hadn't heard from you, and so we wanted to know if you were okay."

Eeyore was silent for a moment. "Am I okay?" he asked, eventually. "Well, I don't know, to be honest. Are any of us really okay? That's what I ask myself. All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather sad, and alone, and not much fun to be around at all, which is why I haven't bothered you. Because you wouldn't want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is sad, and alone, and not much fun to be around at all, would you now?"

Pooh looked at Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.

Eeyore looked at them in surprise. "What are you doing?"
"We're sitting here with you," said Pooh, "because we are your friends. And true friends don't care if someone is feeling sad, or alone, or not much fun to be around at all. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are."

"Oh," said Eeyore. "Oh." And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all, somehow, almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better.
Because Pooh and Piglet were there.

No more; no less. Just ... there.

Homage to author A. A. Milne, written by Kathryn Wallace.
Illustration by E. H. Shepard.

Often we don’t realize how simple it is to help a friend who is struggling. We’re wracking our brains for just the right thing to say, the right thing to do. About 10 years ago I was diagnosed with a serious illness. As I was sitting on the sofa staring at the wall, two of my friends arrived and sat on either side of me. All three of us sat on that sofa and no one said a word. They were just there for me. Just there.

[Pegasus Unbound]

"Pooh, Piglet, and Eeyore."

It occurred to Pooh and Piglet that they hadn't heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats and coats and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood to Eeyore's stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore.

“Hello Eeyore," said Pooh.
"Hello Pooh. Hello Piglet" said Eeyore, in a glum sounding voice.
"We just thought we'd check in on you," said Piglet, "because we hadn't heard from you, and so we wanted to know if you were okay."

Eeyore was silent for a moment. "Am I okay?" he asked, eventually. "Well, I don't know, to be honest. Are any of us really okay? That's what I ask myself. All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather sad, and alone, and not much fun to be around at all, which is why I haven't bothered you. Because you wouldn't want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is sad, and alone, and not much fun to be around at all, would you now?"

Pooh looked at Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.

Eeyore looked at them in surprise. "What are you doing?"
"We're sitting here with you," said Pooh, "because we are your friends. And true friends don't care if someone is feeling sad, or alone, or not much fun to be around at all. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are."

"Oh," said Eeyore. "Oh." And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all, somehow, almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better.
Because Pooh and Piglet were there.

No more; no less. Just ... there.

Homage to author A. A. Milne, written by Kathryn Wallace.
Illustration by E. H. Shepard.

Thank you, I needed this one!

You know my story as well, and you have reminded me of

The friend who sits next to me
The paws and head that rests in my lap
The special friends and extended family here at Central
And the gentle and quiet hand that always rests on my shoulder gently pushing me in the right direction

Thank you @AluraMist for this important reminder.

Hugs,

V

[AluraMist]

Coffee is a cup of hope
in a world full of chaos and Mondays.

[AluraMist]

Stumbled across this on the Internet. Posting just a few of them.

"These insults are from an era before the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words.
Insults then, had some class!"

1. "I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play.
Bring a friend, if you have one."
- George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill.
"Cannot possibly attend first night, I will attend the second ... If there is one."
- Winston Churchill, in response.

2. A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows, or of some unspeakable disease."
- "That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

3. "He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr.

4. "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure."
- Clarence Darrow.

5. "He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."
- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).

6. "Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it."
- Moses Hadas.

7. "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it."
- Mark Twain.

8. "He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends."
- Oscar Wilde.

9. "I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here."
- Stephen Bishop

10. "He is a self-made man and worships his creator."
- John Bright.

~Unknown ...

[Jonathan Greenflame]

Stumbled across this on the Internet. Posting just a few of them.

"These insults are from an era before the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words.
Insults then, had some class!"

1. "I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play.
Bring a friend, if you have one."
- George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill.
"Cannot possibly attend first night, I will attend the second ... If there is one."
- Winston Churchill, in response.

2. A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows, or of some unspeakable disease."
- "That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

3. "He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr.

4. "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure."
- Clarence Darrow.

5. "He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."
- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).

6. "Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it."
- Moses Hadas.

7. "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it."
- Mark Twain.

8. "He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends."
- Oscar Wilde.

9. "I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here."
- Stephen Bishop

10. "He is a self-made man and worships his creator."
- John Bright.

~Unknown ...

Those are definitely some stylish putdowns. Much more dignified that what you hear today.

[AluraMist]

"What a strange thing!
to be alive beneath cherry blossoms." ~Kobayashi Issa