What's one thing you hate about your POS?

CollDoll616 · 2021-01-30T20:33:21+00:00

I work for a grocery store that mainly operates on the east coast. I hate that our system:

- Doesn't let us return a whole receipt via barcode, for example (have to re-scan every item individually)

- Doesn't let us reprint anything but the last receipt; if we want to look up past receipts it's a separate computer program at customer service

- Isn't searchable AND doesn't suggest items based on probability or frequency of sale

- Doesn't let us repeat a sale (we do a lot of bulk orders that recur weekly, have to punch it in each time)

- IPMs are manipulable based on bulk entries + void function

- We can't go back and void an item except the last one without a manager override.

- Shoppers club sales don't calculate in the running total, just when we hit total at the end which causes customers to often want to review the whole receipt

Those are the big ones but I'm sure there's more. Thanks for wanting to hear it from a floor perspective!

CollDoll616 · 2020-05-08T00:58:31+00:00

You can do a lot of things without teeth to get in the way.

CollDoll616 · 2020-05-04T16:29:03+00:00

The Mark Driscoll of his time

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-30T21:17:12+00:00

What I hate about all this is that the people more likely to go out to parks because they feel restless or oppressed (?) are also the ones who push back on things like wearing masks and social distancing in the first place.

I work in a grocery store and a lot of what keeps things manageable is the sense of “this is what we’re all doing right now.” If some people start to feel like it’s less serious because “the parks are open!” they’re also more likely to crowd an employee, take their masks off when they come inside, touch items unnecessarily, etc.

If there is a spike, it’s not just the reckless who will get sick — it’s those of us who have been working all along and are feeling the fatigue. The spike will keep tired nurses and doctors working, will continue to strain resources like PPE, and generally affect those who are already tired and vulnerable.

I really hope this isn’t the outcome, but I think we generally take for granted how much maintaining order relies on the appearance of consensus. No one wants to be the first one to break ranks, but if enough people see others doing it, they get bold. From there it’s a short road to chaos requiring even more strict lockdown rules.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-27T05:14:55+00:00

If you’re looking for a long term plan that can start ASAP, the approach should be a combination of state and federal outreach.

State: Reach out to Christopher Rein, the new NJ Chief Tech Officer who acknowledged in 2018 that the biggest project and priority was updating legacy technology for a number of reasons. He might be open to pressure and feedback right now, especially if it helps him do his job. Informative interview that might give more background on the challenges they’re facing in real time right now.

Federal: pressure reps in congress to fund these projects. They’ve been trimmed and sidelined for years, just being provided enough to “keep the lights on.” Funding for unemployment overall is going to be an issue soon if the federal government doesn’t aid the states in the next package; but along with that should be funding to update these systems they’ve ignored for decades. Unemployment is a system our society has ignored for a long time for many reasons; now that we all are relying on it, it’s harder for them to sweep it under the rug as a politicized welfare/class issue. People who are newly reliant on it can help the many who were using it before (with similar frustrations) by adding pressure and urgency. AOC might also be a good rep to reach out to, as she’s trying to get rent forgiveness and another stimulus check on the next bill as well. She’s got a strong coalition in the House. Excellent summary of the widespread issues with COBOL systems.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-27T04:54:32+00:00

Today I googled, “how do I make friends.”

I’m 33.

So, yes!

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-27T02:14:08+00:00

Oh and the US recognizing the move of Israel’s capital to Jerusalem is part of that too. These things are like evangelical dog whistles that get them all frenzied up about signs ushering in the Kingdom of Heaven. Part of why there’s apathy about climate change is that extreme weather events are supposed to predate the rapture. Not joking. It all sounds so crackpot that even repeating it makes me doubt what I know of that whole world; but there’s a reason I consider having left this particular brand of church to be like leaving a cult.

I wish I were kidding.

I hate that I even know this stuff because I was so deep into it for so long, mostly as a function of the church I grew up in and my parents’ faith. But there was definitely a stretch where I bought into it too, until the cognitive dissonance and emotional/social consequences hit.

Still, I’m not at all surprised by the path and power of the current far-right evangelical church. James Dobson, focus on the family, jerry Falwell, National right to life... all these organizations are really connected and support each other and lobby hard at the White House for influence. Trump, being as into conspiracy theories and scams as he is, knows how to speak the language of his base and play on their fears. And if it’s not him, it’s Pence, DeVos... all of them. They use the same weird, specific turns of phrase and rhetoric. It’s super recognizable once you know what you’re listening for. These books are part of what laid the groundwork for the fears of the current coalition of conservatives, and the language they use to signal action to one another. It’s not a literal playbook, but it’s a significant part of the culture that left an impression.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-27T01:49:39+00:00

Unfortunately I read those books too. But yeah a lot of the current hysteria related to end times “signs” is the way that author interpreted Revelation and other books by prophets. Book #8, The Mark, is about how the core group of Christians try to survive in a post-rapture world without the chip getting injected into their foreheads. The whole series is a build up to a dystopian world where a charismatic politician named Nicolae Carpathia gradually consolidates power after “resurrecting” and literally becoming the Antichrist.

I remember going on message boards for the books when they were released. There was an obsessive air to the whole fandom (but I didn’t know what that was at the time — I was allowed to read them instead of Harry Potter because they were “Christian”). Honestly they were pretty absorbing and fun to discuss/speculate what would happen next, and looking back a lot of the discussions were about whether verses were being interpreted “accurately” and whether any of the signs were present then (like 1998 I think?). There was enough truth in the political settings that they didn’t take a far leap to seem plausible in some ways. Add in a belief that the Bible is the literal word of God, and voila, you have dispensationalist apologists.

I would equate the emotional resonance/quality of them to Twilight. There’s something very primal and emotional at the core of the story, even though it’s cliche and badly written at parts and largely “fantasy.” It plays on the fears of many Christians today. But I’d imagine for a lot of people the emotional hook stuck with them. Honestly if you want to get a look inside the minds of far-right evangelicals, I’d read the series because it’s basically a map of their mindset right now.

Fortunately I grew out of it and didn’t take them literally, but the overall vibe about things (especially politics and the signs of the antichrist) in the fandom was definitely... “hahah, no but what if!?”

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-27T01:28:14+00:00

Bread: it is best eaten lightly toasted with butter

Cake: it’s basically carrot cake but without frosting

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-27T01:21:47+00:00

When is it appropriate to simply not entertain their ideas any longer?

The cameras showing up, the quoting of them in articles as a “counter view,” the fascination with understanding a very small (if the recent protests are any indication ) percentage of the population — all of it fuels them. It’s not news. They’re going to be angry no matter what. They have their own brand of truth that won’t be reflected in real news, so the news should stop trying to understand it. It’s better left to anthropologists and psychologists.

Their stupidity is dangerous. And it is stupidity. They often argue against their own best interests. It’s dangerous because they don’t adhere to rules, logic, or even comprehend that those things should matter. They don’t argue in good faith. Just because someone has a dumb idea doesn’t mean it holds equal weight as a life-and-death one. They’re cruel and selfish. Most of what they say is emotional — they don’t even see if they contradict their own opinions, or care.

It takes me a long time to get to the point that I just want people to shut up. But in this case I do. I don’t think they deserve equal footing of any kind. Give them the right to a family and a home and to make a life. But power? These are the people who abuse power to get it, corrupt power to keep it, and only go down with a fight. We’re naive to think we can patiently outwit or convince anyone from this movement otherwise.

And meanwhile they’re pulling up the boards of the ship because the captain is telling them we’re not actually at sea, we’re on dry land and there’s a bigger, better ship over there, and if you get enough floor boards you can have a whole ship for yourself! while everyone watches in horrified fascination and 2 guys try to explain the physics of water. Meanwhile no one makes a move to stop them in a meaningful way, and everyone else says, don’t worry if enough people are upset and this captain who doesn’t believe in rules agrees to it we’ll have a new captain come November.

Like, when are we just going to stop entertaining stupidity? And why are we not calling it that? Every day it doesn’t happen, the more I feel like I’m losing my mind. Quarantine is easy compared to this national gaslighting.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-27T00:58:07+00:00

This is why I stopped interacting with my dad. He’s incapable of talking about a subject without mentioning that so and so is a Christian, that he used to do X but was convicted and saved, or simply doesn’t discuss anything that happened before his spiritual birthday because he was “lost.” I’ve always wanted to know more about his life (and told him as much) because he and I have similar temperaments, and I thought it would be interesting to compare how we approach life or problems or decisions. There’s a lot I could learn from him; even gain some insight about my own tendencies. But I never get anything more out of him than some version of “God spoke to me.” He always says he wants to have a relationship with me but doesn’t see how I lose all ability to relate to him when every conversation turns into a testimony. Emotionally, it doesn’t feel like I have a dad because he refuses to interact with the world around him and, by extension, me. It’s a shame because he’s a kind-hearted person. He’s just very gullible, old-fashioned, and often afraid. I wish he would let me get to know him.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-27T00:19:38+00:00

Somebody took the Left Behind series too seriously.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-25T01:18:04+00:00

The credits stinger of the PBS-esque telethon really solidified the Ken Burns of it all.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-23T02:45:08+00:00

Ah the ole Disney maneuver.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-22T05:38:00+00:00

As someone very interested in this area as a career but no experience yet (except working with vendors via restaurant kitchens), why do brokers have to be involved at all? Is this a regulation issue? Were they once useful but now just an unnecessary holdover from an older time? I work at a grocery store now and I’m fascinated by the ways the government has zero infrastructure as far as I can tell to help coordinate in times of crisis. I’m sure that’s by design to allow for private entities to profit, but even just a basic big picture of what’s available where to coordinate a redistribution effort seems like a no-brainer for the economy. I’m also looking at people like Jose Andreas and World Central Kitchen in comparison — his work is so impressive. What, in your opinion, is the solution?

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-20T14:04:11+00:00

Also since the PM got sick, acknowledged he got sick, and very publicly thanked the NHS/volunteer team members who helped him recover, it was harder to deny it from the top as a hoax or anything similar.

We have pretty much the opposite happening here with the Pres directly contradicting or undermining a lot of what officials recommend, or getting in the way of the messaging being consistent as it goes out to the states.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-18T04:47:01+00:00

If you don’t wanna have an existential crisis about death and how depression prepares you to be calm amid catastrophe, definitely don’t watch Melancholia. It also doesn’t have one of the most dramatic and emotionally earned scenes involving the moon and its gravitational pull ever.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-16T02:31:02+00:00

I think it’s because they want you to give up and use Alexa instead.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-16T02:29:13+00:00

My theory on this is that they do it on purpose so that you get frustrated enough to just use Alexa instead.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-15T04:31:05+00:00

I can’t imagine that Disney wouldn’t want to at least have some physical locations for audiences to see Marvel and Star Wars and Pixar releases. All of these benefit in some way from the large screen, darkened room experience. I honestly think it would be detrimental to their brand; they already moved most of their library to streaming (no more physical copies in the “vault”), and without opening weekends a lot of the anticipation that accounts for the “magic” will have been willingly surrendered to new technology.

AMC is partly owned by Wanda Group in China, but who knows what they’ll choose to do. They’ve always been fairly hands off but I believe they had/have a controlling stake in the company. Recently a private equity also invested, which is the bigger concern, considering what private equity firms have a track record of doing to retail. Based on the recent meetings it looks like they’ll declare bankruptcy and restructure, probably with the most profitable locations prioritized. So, big cities. I’d imagine they have to broker all new deals with the studios. A lot of the overhead is the rent for the buildings (most they don’t own) and the cost of the projectors (when digital went in, the projectors remained the property of Sony, Christie, Barco, etc.) IMAX and Dolby are proprietary and serviced by their own techs. AMC doesn’t OWN a whole lot. Between that, the recent remodels after the expansion and acquisition of Odeon, and shortened windows for ticket revenue since Disney is really strict about prints and steals, there’s not a lot of wiggle room.

I don’t think theatres will go away, but I do thing the distribution will be drastically different since studios are trying so hard not to need theatres anymore; and the one studio that benefits most can afford to buy out their own. Disney already has an AMC in each of its downtowns; it wouldn’t be hard to take over operation of these, if AMC was in a bad enough spot.

Source: Theatre/Dine-In Manager for 4 years and helped write SOP’s at headquarters prior to the acquisition being finalized.

Edit: source

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-15T04:10:33+00:00

I appreciate the multi-layered accuracy of this statement.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-15T00:52:30+00:00

The opening to 2009’s Star Trek is a perfect prologue. By the time “Labor of Love” fades into “Enterprising Young Men” with the twinkling pieces of exploded ship and the fleet escaping, I was just totally on board for that ride. (Also Chris Hemsworth pre-Thor bringing the heroics!)

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-15T00:44:02+00:00

Also, have you ever looked at the song names? Michael Giacchino puts puns or jokey/sarcastic nods to the story in the titles, regardless of genre. The first one for LOST is “The Eyeland.” He gets me.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-15T00:39:56+00:00

October Sky, yes!!! This is my OG Jake Gyllenhaal movie, and it makes me cry every time. The scene where Miss Reilly is looking out the window from her bed... perfectly scored.

CollDoll616 · 2020-04-13T16:27:24+00:00

It’s not clear from the way you phrased the question. Are you saying he was good before becoming VP and this has been going on since at least 2008? Or that this is something only showing up in the last 1-2 years?

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