Comments on: Fight the machine!

By: RayC

RayC — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:08:27 +0000

Reminds me in a warped way of Steve Martin’s comments on the Oscar broadcase when he announced the Best Picture category would now be double its usual five candidates. “Everyone in Hollywood was thinking the same thing on hearing the news,” he said. “What’s five times two?”

By: Eunoia

Eunoia — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 08:32:18 +0000

Back around 1950 in primary school, we cut out our own cardboard coins from a sheet of cardboard and wrote arbitrary whole numbers on them, 8, 13, 17, 29, whatever, and practiced giving change with them. That’s how we learnt mental arithmetic (a lost art). Needless to say, long before digital calculators.

Later, I was around 12, we learned to do it in Roman Numerals too, just for the hell of it.

FWIW, I did a coupls of blog articles about doing arithmetic in Roman Numerals recently,
http://www.savory.de/blog_feb_10.htm#20100219 covers multiplication and http://www.savory.de/blog_feb_10.htm#20100222 covers division.

By: webs05

webs05 — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:44:58 +0000

LOL Lucas!

I love it when I give someone more change on top of the 10 to avoid pennies and a lot of change. They freak out and try to give it back. I usually just smile and say punch it in the computer, trust me…

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 22:33:31 +0000

Good Going, George! Sounds like a great breakfast!

By: WeeDram

WeeDram — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 21:42:34 +0000

A few years ago a teenage cashier at the largest supermarket chain in Rochester actually gave me change by counting back. She didn’t even look at the display, just did it.

I was shocked. If she had been in her 50s, I would have just smiled knowingly. But a teenager? I smiled, but for a different reason.

By: George

George — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 15:01:52 +0000

That was just a made-up example; usually I get the quiche and a coffee, which still comes to under five bucks. I don’t know how they do it, but the place has real food and low prices. They bake everything right there in a huge open oven. You can watch them making dough and rising it, and their salads and sandwiches are awesome.

Our cost of living here is really low, and quality of life is good. Two universities, world HQs of two major insurance companies, and an auto plant, surrounded by agriculture.

By: Cujo359

Cujo359 — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 04:25:44 +0000

It’s been a generation since most people in retail had to provide change or figure out sales tax. (Remember when we had little cards with the sales tax amounts on them?)

Was that a real sandwich and coffee for $4.30? Wow. Out here that gets you a coffee and a bag of chips, if the chips are on sale. OK, I’m exaggerating a little, but only a little.

By: EdK

EdK — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 02:35:54 +0000

All part of the dumbing down of society. The looks one gets from the register operator when you give extra coinage to get back all quarters instead of mixed change is depressing. Makes those in charge happy because if you can’t question a machine, you’re less likely to question authority.

By: Lucas

Lucas — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 19:32:51 +0000

Should kids also stay off of your lawn?