Venting about stuff

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by imwjl

Yes, bad behavior can come from all over. However, it is really interesting the way our work site cameras and LP staff plus our police sergeant friend quantified it.

Humm,, well I suppose it could be that the personality type that will display such behavior might tend to be drawn to a jacked up loud pickup in slightly more numbers than smaller vehicle's ... But I would offer that by far the largest single dangerous and inconsiderate vehicle related behavior, is being distracted by being on a cell phone, which is a universal problem across all vehicle types The other observation of mine when having driven my pickup to Urban and Suburban areas is that many modern parking lots spaces are not designed or are very tight for full length pickups

Having had to have a pickup or larger for 40 years I am glad to drive something else and like renting what best fits the job. Being a news and data junkie, I also like the economic ramifications of having less footprint or my choices having negative externalities to impact others.

Certainly a viable option where it is possible, that is what my son in law does.

My wife probably has a point on some vehicle popularity tied to all the obesity and health problems. Except for our civil engineer and carpentry firm neighbors with pickups, every other one of several pickup owners in my neighborhood is either noticeably overweight or seriously obese. I see this all over in vocational and personal vehicles.

Na I'm not really buying overweight being "tied" to some vehicles -- More likely a simple matter of (given 2/3 of the adult population in the US is overweight) the likelihood that the owner of a pickup would coincidentally be overweight is 66%

[turtlejimmy]

Yeah, since you asked, I'd like to vent a little about Thursday Night Football. Something I used to enjoy but now have to subscribe to some kind of service, at the cost of a set of strings a month, in order to see. After all this time, where did that come from?


Well, I just got a new guitar, a Martin D18, and my new baby, she needs new strings. Like, every month. So ............. Is it Thursday Night Football or new strings every month for my new squeeze? Hmmmmm.


I'm takin' the strings.



Turtle

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Humm,, well I suppose it could be that the personality type that will display such behavior might tend to be drawn to a jacked up loud pickup in slightly more numbers than smaller vehicle's ... But I would offer that by far the largest single dangerous and inconsiderate behavior is being distracted by being on a cell phone, which is a universal problem across all vehicle types The other observation of mine when having driven my pickup to Urban and Suburban areas is that many modern parking lots spaces are not design for full length pickups

Certainly a viable option where it is possible, that is what my son in law does.

Na I'm not really buying overweight being "tied" to some vehicles -- More likely a simple matter of (given 2/3 of the adult population in the US is overweight) the likelihood that an overweight person would coincidentally own an pickup is 66%

Technology will work at the matter of distraction more than many realize or care to admit. I totally agree with the phone distraction but in other posts I've mentioned our family unofficial polling when we walk by the freeway ingress/egress near us. A lot more than phones has people not watching the road.

Neither all robots or all electric will occur as some think, but this year marks most vehicles having AEB (automatic emergency braking) in most of the new sales fleet. It stands out to me how the auto industry did it on their own. The all in with AEB is not from any regulation.

That dealer manager we've known as customers has been explicit. Seekers of some vehicles they sell have had troubles fitting in them over time. Still, I don't think the light truck sales phenomenon is completely that. For many what you drive is tied to your ego and image so it is a complicated matter.

[The Watchman]

Sarcasm is no longer an effective tool, because people have become immune to it. It doesnt work if you have to explain it.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by The Watchman

Sarcasm is no longer an effective tool, because people have become immune to it. It doesnt work if you have to explain it.

I think not everyone is skilled at being sarcastic, if 'skilled' is the right word for this choice of expression. If the barb lacks the right measure of exaggeration, the comment can sound flat and literal.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by ewalling

I think not everyone is skilled at being sarcastic, if 'skilled' is the right word for this choice of expression. If the barb lacks the right measure of exaggeration, the comment can sound flat and literal.

Case in point.

The brewery biergarten blocks from home has live music 4 days a week and welcomes kids with adults and dogs. It is an amazing place of happiness with all sorts of people mixing. Last night I volunteered at a community event there and joked with the owner how the everyone needs that scene for happiness. He responded to make sure they know dogs are not allowed on Fridays because of how crowded it gets.

[Cypress Knee]

My pet peeve is the "Artificial Intelligence" that answers phone calls these days. Just this morning, a call to a financial services firm:

A: Thank you for calling. For Spanish press 1, otherwise continue to hold.
(Holds for 15 seconds)
A: For a new account press 1, existing accounts press 2.
(Press 2)
A: For your cash balance press 1. For a stock quote press 2. For all other issues press 3.
(Press 3)
A: Please enter your social security number or account number, then press pound.
(SSN followed by #)
A: What can I help you with today?
(I need to get the cost basis on a stock I sold for my tax records)
A: I'm sorry, I do not understand. What can I help you with today?
(I want to speak to a live person)
A: I'm sorry, I do not understand. What can I help you with today?
(Operator, agent, representative)
A: OK, you want to speak to an operator?
(YES)
A: Thank you for calling. For Spanish press 1, otherwise continue to hold.
(Holds for 15 seconds)
A: For a new account press 1, existing accounts press 2.
(Press 2)
A: For your cash balance press 1. For a stock quote press 2. For all other issues press 3..........

[tinnitus]

...and after navigating through all 4-5 phone-maze routes (none of which remotely address the question I'm calling about), my blood is already boiling when the snarky-toned voice (yes, even robots can do this) cheerfully tells me "good-bye," then hangs up.

[imwjl]

PSA. There are crib sheets on Internet for popular phone platforms to cut through the call tree. Cisco for example can be identified the default music.

When I'm in that scenario I speaker phone and type prompts in the notes area of my contacts app. The next call goes faster.

For health care use MyChart or the equiv app for your provider to get faster service. Even ask your person responding for direct phone numbers where you get referred to.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by Cypress Knee

My pet peeve is the "Artificial Intelligence" that answers phone calls these days. Just this morning, a call to a financial services firm:

A: Thank you for calling. For Spanish press 1, otherwise continue to hold.
(Holds for 15 seconds)
A: For a new account press 1, existing accounts press 2.
(Press 2)
A: For your cash balance press 1. For a stock quote press 2. For all other issues press 3.
(Press 3)
A: Please enter your social security number or account number, then press pound.
(SSN followed by #)
A: What can I help you with today?
(I need to get the cost basis on a stock I sold for my tax records)
A: I'm sorry, I do not understand. What can I help you with today?
(I want to speak to a live person)
A: I'm sorry, I do not understand. What can I help you with today?
(Operator, agent, representative)
A: OK, you want to speak to an operator?
(YES)
A: Thank you for calling. For Spanish press 1, otherwise continue to hold.
(Holds for 15 seconds)
A: For a new account press 1, existing accounts press 2.
(Press 2)
A: For your cash balance press 1. For a stock quote press 2. For all other issues press 3..........

I think a grim reality for those of us old enough to remember the pre-digital world is that the quality of life in the areas of service and work has been steadily eroded since it arrived. We now work twice as hard, can never fully escape 'the office,' and so many times when we enlist professional help from the outside world, we are either left to do it ourselves - like having to check our own bags in at the airport - or left at the mercy of impenetrable voicemail systems. Time was when progress seemed to signal that things were improving; that no longer seem to be the case.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by ewalling

I think a grim reality for those of us old enough to remember the pre-digital world is that the quality of life in the worlds of service and work has been steadily eroded since it arrived. We now work twice as hard, can never fully escape 'the office,' and so many times when we enlist professional help from the outside world, we are either left to do it ourselves - like having to check our own bags in at the airport - or left at the mercy of impenetrable voicemail systems. Time was when progress seemed to signal that things were improving; that no longer seem to be the case.

I believe you are describing a time when a lot of us had less completion. Attending my 45th high school reunion was an interesting window on that. Interesting by how hard it is on some yet not others. Knowing I've lived in a time when so much of the world has been lifted out of poverty and continues gives me some patience if it isn't just age doing that.

I'm not sure I'd like it if we could go back to a life of the 1960s or 70s. There would be a lot of things better now as they were.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by imwjl

I'm not sure I'd like it if we could go back to a life of the 1960s or 70s. There would be a lot of things better now as they were.

Aside from frivolous warmongering, which seems to be an eternal human condition, how exactly is actual life quality better now in the western world than it was before cell phones and computers took over our lives? Making people live longer I'd not consider to be a significant improvement - we all have to die - it's the quality of our lives in the short time that we're here that counts, I think.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by ewalling

Aside from frivolous warmongering, which seems to be an eternal human condition, how exactly is actual life quality better now in the western world than it was before cell phones and computers took over our lives? Making people live longer I'd not consider to be a significant improvement - we all have to die - it's the quality of our lives in the short time that we're here that counts, I think.

I was thinking of the entire world, but the western world you defined has plenty of improvements - whole books full.

While some of my kids' cohort are serving in the military, they are not drafted. One of those kids service is a young Air Force officer and pilot. A female and racial minority pilot and officer also a mechanical engineer.

On the women and race matter I can't help but think of our neighbor the federal judge also black. Ask her mom about a 50 year difference in time.

In other posts I mentioned watersheds that are clean now but not in my youth.

The heard disease that killed my dad young, and cancer my wife and I have had were death sentences 50 years ago and not now. I suppose hip and knee replacements should be added to that list.

Senior citizens have wealth and services in addition to longer lives that were not the case decades ago. The phones and computers you seem down on? The cellular Apple Watches are really common tools for independence in the seniors complex where my mother in her 90s live.

Even if you limit this to "western world" we still have jobs and professions that are much safer.

The technology and communications stuff you mentioned has facilitated well being for the lots of people not in big employers. That's a huge lift for how many we have that are self-employed or in gig economy.

The technology and communications you might be criticizing are also really aids for the technology that enables energy independence. Where I live we no longer depend on nearly all of our energy coming from afar. In my county we have a lot of energy from solar, wind, hydro and manure digesters for example. That is just one of many areas.

I can suggest some light and heavy duty reading on this but a lot is about the entire world. A popular sports writer and columnist on other matters Gregg Easterbrook wrote a good book more about the US.

We certainly have problems, and I believe this shows how keeping cognitive biases in check are among them.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by ewalling

Aside from frivolous warmongering, which seems to be an eternal human condition, how exactly is actual life quality better now in the western world than it was before cell phones and computers took over our lives? Making people live longer I'd not consider to be a significant improvement - we all have to die - it's the quality of our lives in the short time that we're here that counts, I think.

I completely agree that it is the quality of life that matters
Sorry but I just can't buy and completely disagree that the quality of life has " steadily eroded since it arrived" (it being cell phones and computers)

The reality is life quality is in how and what we perceive it to be .
The perceptions we have are what we have chosen them to be . The myth is that the circumstances dictate the perceptions

If we choose the glass half empty style perception then there is no doubt that life quality always gets worse
If we choose the glass half full perception then life improves (In other words the adage "Change your perception and you change your world " is in fact accurate..

The words of description we use are a mirror into what our true beliefs actually are (even if subconsciously )
For example the words "before cell phones and computers took over our lives?" is a pretty good example of purely a matter of perception . The notion that cell phones and computers have taken over our lives is a myth of the "glass half empty" style of perception .
The reality is the level of control that tech has or does not have in our lives, is completely a matter our choice (nothing else)

The displayed behaviors like ( people with their noses buried in their phones) is not a measure of control (as the 1/2 empty crowd would have us believe) it is an observation of a simple logistical change in behavior.. The underlying general behavior is fundamentally the same as when people road subways and commuter trains with there noses buried in news papers,, only the logistics of the added portability of cell phones and medium have changed, not the behavior or the level of control it may have on our lives .... We ourselves dictate how much control tech has or does not have in our lives, not the other way around

[guitargabor]

The unscrupulous,corrupt home real estate market.

Selfish and unethical agents, deceiving sellers, blind inept home inspectors....

How can it be that with the largest purchase one will make in their lives ?

There is no oversight nor reasonable regulations.

A former neighbor was delighted that the home inspection missed their cover up of a severe water intrusion defect.(7 figure home sale...)


Human greed is a true "sin"...

Gabe