Tag Archives: experience

Food Deserts

Posted in Being woke, Christian values, Communism, Crime, FOC by

I don’t know about where you live, but on the local news here, recently the news is carrying stories about “food deserts.” These are areas in Memphis where there is no food. No supermarkets exists in the desert. Those that want to shop for food must either go to a convenience store or go some distance to another part of the city.

I hope you won’t mind my borrowing a liberal term, but I suspect it is evolution. I suspect that the deserts just might be or have been high crime areas. Indeed, the areas without grocery stores are likely business deserts as well. I mean who wants to open a business in an unsafe area? It is not profitable. It is dangerous for employees, customers and vendors.

It does make me wander why they can find convenience stores. Well, they do charge more and they generally have less cash. Nonetheless, if they keep letting the criminals have their way, if they don’t start putting them behind those big walls, the convenience stores too, will disappear. They’ll fade away with all the past neighborhood markets

Evolution is not just survival of the fittest. Smartness, common sense and fiscal matters all figure into it too. It is likely why many come south of the stateline to do business, to eat, to go to school, and, in some cases, live. Northwest Mississippi is the fastest growing part of the state. My guess is that most of the new residents are from Memphis.

Just a shame that we have no way of filtering them. We have to let the libs settle here too. Notice I didn’t say dumb libs. That would be redundant. Hopefully, after a year or two, they will get smart. I mean, when we catch a criminal here, he goes to the hoosegow. Incidentally, no one here is calling for defunding of the police.

Some may find this strange but neither do we have food deserts. Oddly, you check the parking lots of the stores just south of the stateline, you will find many Shelby County car tags. Don’t mind that much. They are helping us pay for our law enforcement. They are helping us pay for our streets. Mostly, they are driving the value of my house up. Once or twice a week, I have an offer.

My guess is, not so many moving north. There won’t be until those “woke” people up there put the bad guys in jail and make it safe. Nothing brilliant about it. No need for a college degree. They have been doing it for centuries. Some are just stubborn. They insist on using the new unproven.

All You Have to Do….

Posted in Abuse of Power, Customer complaints, experience by

During a phone conversation, the young man was trying to sell me something. I don’t remember what it was. Maybe he was trying to get me to donate for something. It doesn’t really matter.

I do remember the last two things said. He said, “All you have to do is….”

I said, “I don’t have to do anything! ” I put the emphasis on the word have and hung up.

It seems to be, unfortunately a very overused very inaccurate phrase. When I was a private in the Marines, there were many things I had to do. When I was a child, there were many things I was required to do. Even today, as a citizen, as a driver, as a taxpayer there are things I must do. Last time I checked, as a potential customer, I don’t have to do anything other than pay for my purchases.

To be sure, there are things that are customary. There are things that are contingent. I mean, I do fill my own basket in a grocery store. Nowadays, I do my own scanning. Nowadays, I pump my own gas.

Before l can leave the store, I must make a valid payment. That is not just conventional but legal.

However, more and more these days I become angered when someone says all I need to do is….

It is wrong and it shows a wrong idea. As a customer, there are things reqired of me, to be sure. However, when this phrase is used, most of the time, it’s simply not true. It is very rare to be accurate by telemarketers and it is never appropriate for those representing charities.

Hence, unless a person wants to anger me, they should really avoid using the phrase, especially when not accurate. If on a phone the next sound they will likely hear is the click of a hangup. If in person, they will likely see me turn on my heel and leave. I’d suggest others do the same. Just maybe we customers might regain some of the control we deserve.

Sheer Speed

Posted in Computer Upgrades by

My little computer has a 2.4 GHz Intel processor, Compared with my first 8 MHz 80286, that’s sheer speed.

Now, if the processor was about 10 to 15 times faster, I just might be able to start a game of solitaire in about the same amount of time.

Then, again, MS would just figure out some more ways to load down the system, not to mention complicate some more.

Wouldn’t be so bad if it were just games, but everything takes longer. It’s as if they are in cahoots with the folks trying to sell new ones. Not good enough to use the old ones. Always need newer, faster with more bells and whistles.

Sounds like a marketing plan.

Nullifying Advertising

Posted in Advertising, Priorities, TV Advertisements by

It’s crazy nuts. Big corporations, mostly restaurants spend fortunes on advertising to draw customers in. Then they let their staff stand around and chat while we, the hungry customers wait.

I know it happens because I have seen it. I don’t expect to be treated as royalty, but when I stand and wait a full 3 or 4 minutes and watch, it does make me suspect they’d just as soon I visit some other establishment.

In one case, I waited five minutes for the food and another five minutes for the drinks. Still trying to figure out that one. Then there’s the nice big restaurant (used to be my favorite). I waited close to 1/2 an hour for the food. Then, twice I asked for a knife and fork. The nice hot food was lukewarm by the time I was able begin eating.

Why do they do things like that. How long does it take to draw 2 drinks. Why should it take 30 minutes to fetch forks and knives. I was even willing to give the waitress a break. If she’d have gotten me something to eat with right away, I would have ignored it. However, the wife and I had to remind her twice and it would have been nice to have a good hot meal. I mean the cook did make it.

There are dozens of times this sort of thing happened. I don’t wonder why the employees act this way. Given the chance most employees have a tendency to be slack. My question is, why do the employees think they can get away with it. I suspect the managers are sending the wrong signals.

The restaurants have a lot of competition. They ought not treat customers like that. It sort of nullifies all their expensive ads. I mean, do we believe our eyes or the ads?

Unwinnable

Posted in Abuse of Power, Biden, Communism, Deceit, experience, Politcal Opinion, Truth, Vietnam war by

Over time, I’ve come to the conclusion that the US will never win another war. The reason is more than clear. We have forgotten how to fight to win. That makes it logical that we cannot win if we continue to fight only enough to keep from losing.

Then, over time, we inevitably tire of the fight and we lose. More accurately, we give up and withdraw.

When we went into Iraq, it was said we learned the lesson of Vietnam. Yet, about 10 years later, we abandoned the Iraq people and watched the massive killing of over a million. We did even worse in Afghanistan.

How much worse can we do? I think we are going to find out soon.

ObjectiveReporting

Posted in Advertising, Lawyers and Representation, News media, Over Advertising by

The other day I took note that Scripps is now on the Newsy TV channel. I saw an ad claiming they only report the news. Considering what Newsy called the news, you can imagine my doubts.

Nonetheless, I switched it over there a time or two to see what they wanted to call news. I was not impressed. The other day they had what was, at the least a biased documentary. They called it news.

Truth be told, it was a lengthy infomercial advertising solar cell energy. If the solar cell companies didn’t pay for it, they should have. The spokesperson spent the whole time talking of the advantages, completely ignoring the disadvantages. Considering most of our solar cells are made in China, I’d guess China got some free advertising.

It is the way of the liberal media and democrat politicians. It has gotten so much so that they are more than joined at the hip. Indeed, they are joined at the mind. If one is struck, they both recoil and cry out in pain. If one has a success they both cheer. It appears that Scripps is no different. They have their favorite party and they support it without shame.

Omnibus Bill Not Funny!

Posted in Abuse of Power, Biden, Communism, Deceit, experience, FOC by

The omnibus bill would be hilarious but for 2 things. They are spending our money carelessly and the vast amount of it will end up going into the pockets of those who do not have any need of it. It will end up enriching the rich and powerful.

If you doubt me, look at the results. After it is all dispersed, the poor won’t be any better off but the rich will will be richer. Their fortunes will swell with US taxpayers’ dollars.

Meanwhile, our children will be stuck with the debt. I can tell the future by studying the past. I learned by experience. So have the dems. They know that they can get away with it.

Confidence Games

Posted in Advertising by

Normally I don’t watch Bonanza. I wasn’t much of a fan even when they were first run. I must admit they did have some very picturesque scenes in a world where color TV was really coming into its own.

I did watch a rerun today about a big confidence ring trying to pull off a confidence game concerning a salted gold mine. I found it especially interesting when they broke for an advertisement that was clearly a scam, aka confidence scheme.

I had to let out a small laugh knowing that they wouldn’t fool many with their tricks. Then, I became more thoughtful as I realized just a few would be enough for the scammers to succeed. As for me, that’s too many.

Then, I considered it again. I guess most commercials are scams. Yet, for the advertisers, they call it success when they make a few dollars by deception.

We would all do well to remember most advertising has the purpose of getting our money, no matter how convincing it may be.

On the Peripheral of Baseball

Posted in Good Memories, Memories, News media by

I took my wife out to eat tonight at one of her favorites, Huey’s. Right after we ordered, she asked if I knew who Vin Scully is. Eventually she called to my attention the banner on the big TV screen behind me, “Remembering Vin Scully.

Of course I remember him. Being raised in Orange County, California, I listened to a great many of his broadcast of Dodgers games. Of course I never met him, yet he seemed to be a friend.

Naturally, one can say he was old. It was expected. Yet he is one that I would have preferred to hang around for a few more decades.

Of course, the banner was not an outright proclamation but it is the way the news speaks of those who are no longer with us. So I pulled out my cell phone and did something I never used it for before. I pulled up Google and then after entering just the letter v, his name popped up. It sort-of told me 2 things. Vin Scully was high the news for the day and he had a huge following.

Then, almost instantly after I tapped the top most listing, I saw the news story. I knew it would be there, yet I hoped it wasn’t.

As I said, I didn’t really know him but for the few hours each day during the season. However, as near as I can tell, he was a man I would have liked to know well.

He was an announcer, not one of the players. He was only on the periphery of the game. Yet, he truly contributed so much to baseball and all of us who enjoyed the game and couldn’t afford to go.

He will be missed. He is already missed.

For Those Interested

Posted in Advertising, Computers, TV Advertisements by

About 5 or 6 months ago, I bought an Epson ET 2750 (I believe they call them Ecco Tech). It printed very nice. Then, about a week later, I tried to print something with it and I first had to clean the jets.

After a while, realized it was going to be a common problem. I realized, if I didn’t print daily, it was going to need cleaning before using it.

Frequently, it discouraged my using it because I knew I would first need to to wait for it to finish cleaning itself. This was made all the more frustrating as sometimes it needed 2 or even 3 cleanings.

At any rate, I made the switch back to laser. It’s more expensive and they use more power, but they work, even when there are a few weeks between uses.

Then too, the Epson always concerned me. Would the cleaning continue to work or would I have to get another printer anyway?

I guess that will teach me to believe TV ads, even the ones with famous basketball players.

As an aside, maybe Epson should have the things clean themselves every 12 hours, whether it’s used or not. Just a thought.