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Draconigena

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Well, let's see... according to the forecast, we had a beautiful Spring day with high in the mid 40s and... wait, let's look at reality. The morning started at 29 ºF and sleet, which turned to snow pellets, which turned to wet snow, which didn't quit until after noon and all the spots in the yard that had cleared were then covered in about an inch of new white shit. Luckily, before evening chores, the high got up to 38 ºF and it rained a bit, which erased the new white shit. Right at the moment (9 PM), the fog is back, the visibility is about 30 feet, and the temperature is 32 ºF. So much for accuracy in weather prognostication.
 

The Cromwell

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Weather is totally predictable if one just monitors and understands the interactions of many billions of data points.
 

Draconigena

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Well, gee, Crom, I was a weather forecaster in the USAF before there were computers or even satellite maps. We didn't have "billions of data points" to work with, but maybe a few dozen reporting stations upstream in the weather patterns and I was usually accurate to within five minutes of when the wind, rain, thunderstorms, whatever would start and stop. Why can't they do it today? Simple: They don't give a rat's ass because you complaining about them is not going to change their over-priced salary and certainly won't cause them to lose their jobs. Why were we accurate? We had pride in our jobs and beliefs that we should do the absolute best possible analysis at all times. Today's assholes just don't care.
 

The Cromwell

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Well, gee, Crom, I was a weather forecaster in the USAF before there were computers or even satellite maps. We didn't have "billions of data points" to work with, but maybe a few dozen reporting stations upstream in the weather patterns and I was usually accurate to within five minutes of when the wind, rain, thunderstorms, whatever would start and stop. Why can't they do it today? Simple: They don't give a rat's ass because you complaining about them is not going to change their over-priced salary and certainly won't cause them to lose their jobs. Why were we accurate? We had pride in our jobs and beliefs that we should do the absolute best possible analysis at all times. Today's assholes just don't care.
Most are just out to draw a check.
Professional pride is going away.
 

Draconigena

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How was your day, Rich?
SSDD - actually, didn't get squat done because of the weather. I need this frickin' snow gone, the lakes in the pastures gone, some sunshine to dry out the ground... I have to totally rebuild the cross-fence between pastures, etc

Professional pride is going away.
I agree. My question is "Why did this happen?" As long as I had a job, no matter how menial it might have been, I always did the best I could do. So what changed in our society to make everyone money-grubbing lazy bastards? Do we blame Facebook again?
 

inspects

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I agree. My question is "Why did this happen?" As long as I had a job, no matter how menial it might have been, I always did the best I could do. So what changed in our society to make everyone money-grubbing lazy bastards? Do we blame Facebook again?
Seems to me the younger generation believe they are entitled to everything, no work necessary. I don't have any pity for the useless idgets.

Also seems like shit is getting worse by the day, not the decade.
 

The Cromwell

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SSDD - actually, didn't get squat done because of the weather. I need this frickin' snow gone, the lakes in the pastures gone, some sunshine to dry out the ground... I have to totally rebuild the cross-fence between pastures, etc


I agree. My question is "Why did this happen?" As long as I had a job, no matter how menial it might have been, I always did the best I could do. So what changed in our society to make everyone money-grubbing lazy bastards? Do we blame Facebook again?
Many reasons that I will not go into because they may touch on politics, Media, capitalism, liberalism, religion, etc.
But all to be ultimately blamed on humans.
And most of us have played a small part in the game as well. Self included.
 

Draconigena

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the younger generation believe they are entitled to everything, no work necessary.
I believe that is called Socialism, but we don't talk politics here... ;)
seems like shit is getting worse by the day, not the decade.
I agree, and the sad part is, I see even the older folks in retail (those who are older but still young enough to have jobs) seem to have adopted this "don't give a shit" attitude. That would suggest it isn't merely a generational issue, but that there is influence from some other source, like their bosses gave them a directive to say "fuck off" to the customers. Has anyone reading this thread had an employer tell them not to care, or not to be responsive, or anything like that?
 

The Cromwell

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Also seems like shit is getting worse by the day, not the decade.
Ohh it is accelerating.
History has seen many empires and civilizations fall. They take a while but accelerate as they approach the fall apart point.
No civilization/empire has lasted very long in the scheme of things.
 

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Squonkamaniac
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I believe that is called Socialism, but we don't talk politics here... ;)

I agree, and the sad part is, I see even the older folks in retail (those who are older but still young enough to have jobs) seem to have adopted this "don't give a shit" attitude. That would suggest it isn't merely a generational issue, but that there is influence from some other source, like their bosses gave them a directive to say "fuck off" to the customers. Has anyone reading this thread had an employer tell them not to care, or not to be responsive, or anything like that?
I've been self employed all my adult life.... if any employee had an attitude, they'd be lookin for a new job.
 

Draconigena

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No civilization/empire has lasted very long in the scheme of things.
I think the last thing I read on that was the "average" country only lasts a couple hundred years before it fails and has to start over, usually as something else that also will fail.
 

The Cromwell

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I believe that is called Socialism, but we don't talk politics here... ;)

I agree, and the sad part is, I see even the older folks in retail (those who are older but still young enough to have jobs) seem to have adopted this "don't give a shit" attitude. That would suggest it isn't merely a generational issue, but that there is influence from some other source, like their bosses gave them a directive to say "fuck off" to the customers. Has anyone reading this thread had an employer tell them not to care, or not to be responsive, or anything like that?

Ohh the time when one could count on retiring with decent benefits from a company if they did their job well is past.
Benefits keep getting reduced, Mergers and layoffs or as they call it reductions in force, etc...
And even a recent change that allows employers to pay out retirees money in a lump whether the retirees want it or not.
This knowledge kinda kills employee loyalty and just leads people to work for the check.
We are the mobile workforce of the new millennia.
Mobile meaning transitory or temporary.
 

inspects

Squonkamaniac
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Oh I forgot to mention...was in Walmart this past weekend, the employees wanted-demanded raises....now all but two lanes are self check-out, no more cashiers.....:teehee:
 

The Cromwell

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Didn't you work for Lowes or Home Despots or someone? What would you say the atmosphere was like while you were there?
Yep.
The rude ones were by far the customers at the store I worked in.
And the benefits decreased quite a bit while I was there.
And they cut lots of heads after I left. A reorg that required the ones left to do more for the same money with fewer better paying slots to move up into.

yep my final 5 working years at Lowes.
Where I learned to hate people...
 

Draconigena

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The rude ones were by far the customers at the store I worked in.
And the benefits decreased quite a bit while I was there.
And they cut lots of heads after I left. A reorg that required the ones left to do more for the same money with fewer better paying slots to move up into.
I really am seriously trying to understand this (or the psychology behind it). I assume the employer cut benefits to increase their own profits (I call that greed and it happens on all levels). Same answer for cutting staff levels and making those who are still there do more to compensate. So the company makes more money and the employees are pissed and do not do their jobs with the same pride and caring they used to have. That, and the fact that the store raised all their prices creates that customer you spoke about - he is pissed that he has to pay more for the same nuts and bolts while being waited on by a doofus who doesn't really want to be there, so the customer gets pissed and acts like an asshole. Viscous circle. But, at the same time, I do not see ALL the problems being generated by corporate greed... their taxes went up, they were forced to get rid of health plans, etc. There are a lot of reasons companies do things that we cannot see without deeper investigation.

But let's go back to what started this and my anger at today's weather forecasters. They have computer programs that do all the work (even if it still creates the wrong forecast). We had to have the equivalent of a degree in atmospheric physics and today's weather folk call themselves "meteorologists" (sacrilege) when they have no professional training except how to pose in front of a TV camera and read a script (and that sometimes badly). So what is their excuse? Or people in a similar job? Engineers design things. They might have good pay, but even they seem to have a worse attitude than they used to. Why?
 
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inspects

Squonkamaniac
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I really am seriously trying to understand this (or the psychology behind it). I assume the employer cut benefits to increase their own profits (I call that greed and it happens on all levels). Same answer for cutting staff levels and making those who are still there do more to compensate. So the company makes more money and the employees are pissed and do not do their jobs with the same pride and caring they used to have. That, and the fact that the store raised all their prices creates that customer you spoke about - he is pissed that he has to pay more for the same nuts and bolts while being waited on by a doofus who doesn't really want to be there, so the customer gets pissed and acts like an asshole. Viscous circle. But, at the same time, I do not see ALL the problems being generated by corporate greed... their taxes went up, they were forced to get rid of health plans, etc. There are a lot of reasons companies do things that we cannot see without deeper investigation.

But let's go back to what started this and my anger at today's weather forecasters. They have computer programs that do all the work (even if it still creates the wrong forecast). We had to have the equivalent of a degree in atmospheric physics and today's weather folk call themselves "meteorologists" (sacrilege) when they have no professional training except how to pose in front of a TV camera and read a script (and that sometimes badly). So what is their excuse? Or people in a similar job? Engineers design things. They might have good pay, but even they seem to have a worse attitude than they used to. Why?

Don't know the answer, but I'm happy as a Lark 99% of the time.....:vino:...the 1% is usually related to a bizarre customer, but they seem to be few and far between (in my business anyway)

Seems to me, since the computer age went nuts with social media, things have changed so much it could be a multitude of things making pholks unhappy....especially when they can't get to their cell phones 24/7 to check their Neckbook and Twiddler accounts every 2-minutes, and still help people while they are supposedly working?
 

inspects

Squonkamaniac
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I've noticed the older folks who work at Home Depot or Lowes seem to be the cream of the crop, the younger pholks don't know the difference between a nut and a bolt....they just look you in the eye like a junkyard dog when asked a simple question.
 

Draconigena

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since the computer age went nuts with social media, things have changed so much
I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. I keep seeing further back and place a great deal of blame on Dr. Spock (thou shalt not spank thy child) and the parents developing beliefs that their children should always have it better than they had it, which seems to have developed a condition where the children started to believe they did not have to do anything and the whole world owed them something. When I got a driver's license and wanted my own car, the answer was simple: get a damn job and buy one for yourself ($50 for a 1956 Oldsmobile 88). Today, the kids expect their parents to buy them a car, and not an old used piece of crap like I got, but a brand new sporty car. Maybe we should drop the hammer and quit spoiling the little brats...
 

The Cromwell

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I've noticed the older folks who work at Home Depot or Lowes seem to be the cream of the crop, the younger pholks don't know the difference between a nut and a bolt....they just look you in the eye like a junkyard dog when asked a simple question.
Ahh but Lowes works to get rid of those who have learned and moved up the pay scale.
They like the cheaper labor of the young.
their latest reorg did away with 1/2 of their dept managers and specialists.
Find a new position or out the door.
Dept managers worked the floor just like everyone else.
They just got yelled at more if something did not suit upper management,
 

Jimi

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I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. I keep seeing further back and place a great deal of blame on Dr. Spock (thou shalt not spank thy child) and the parents developing beliefs that their children should always have it better than they had it, which seems to have developed a condition where the children started to believe they did not have to do anything and the whole world owed them something. When I got a driver's license and wanted my own car, the answer was simple: get a damn job and buy one for yourself ($50 for a 1956 Oldsmobile 88). Today, the kids expect their parents to buy them a car, and not an old used piece of crap like I got, but a brand new sporty car. Maybe we should drop the hammer and quit spoiling the little brats...
i bought my first car when I was 15 for a high school project, it had a cracked head, paid 10 bucks for it , replaced the head and drove it for a year and a half, it was a 1954 chevy two door sedan
 

inspects

Squonkamaniac
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i bought my first car when I was 15 for a high school project, it had a cracked head, paid 10 bucks for it , replaced the head and drove it for a year and a half, it was a 1954 chevy two door sedan
My first was a Rambler American, forget the age. Bought it for about $75, it needed a radiator and a head gasket.
 

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