Boxcars @boxcars@qoto.org

Tooters:

Yesterday I skitted over the formerly crumbling, now bottlenecked bridge that permits travel through our nation's tiniest state. I celebrated life on the off ramp.

I was off to seek a sheaf of kale from the wholesome food cave, among other things.

On approach to the postage stamp sized parking lot I spied three trucks awaiting loading dock access. "Huzzah!", I shouted to the drivers of the trucks full of goods, hoping to appear as a scion of a new england dynasty.

I had some unsavory business with the cave that may possibly upset the retail spirits. I did not want to appear sullen upon my approach to the doors.

In truth, I was returning privacy smartkeys that would allegedly work on any platform to fend off robbers but alas, it was not true. The keys did not work on any opensourced platforms.

My tiny return seemed not to upset the inventory hive mind. Maybe it knew I was trying to secure anonymity and was pleased at my failure. The transaction went smoothly and I was bouyed by the swift and peaceful conclusion.

After wandering amongst the food cave's offerings, wondering at markups, I found my $2.99 sheaf of kale and delicately admired it for its wholesome quality.

I approached chutes and the human assistants were all looking away, and other retail clergy were busy focused on their machines. I had a choice to ponder quickly, before being being pegged as a hesitant shopper.

Do I brave the self-checkout, which if poorly scanned would certainly upset the natural and organic order of the store? Or should I attempt human assistance?

Humans felt like the proper choice.

I offered the barcoded kale to the assistant, heard the approval blip, scanned the pay card and waited for the point of sale screen to show me the results of my shopping. But there was no price, no state taxation augmentation, no grand total. Just pictures of food and their cute names passing through the point of sale device.

But what is this? Is this a message to me on this screen? It was a message. It was from the inventory hive mind. Was it angry with me because of my return? Or was it pleased for my abandonment of opensource privacy?

The message asked me if I wanted to enjoy 10% off. I only had to press an OK button to proceed. Certainly this was some sort of joke. Of course I wanted the contractually guaranteed 10% off. Why wouldn't I? And how could I say no? I couldn't, for there was only a button saying 'Ok'. I pressed Ok.

And in the moment that it took to decipher that seemingly innocuous 10% advantage that I already had, the checkout had rang up $70 plus dollars of groceries from the person behind me and charged it to my card.

A midlevel clerk turned then cried out that we'll have to get the supreme clerk to fix that, The concerned consumer behind me offered to pay for my kale in order to restore peace and shopping order.

I declined her kind offer, for she clearly was as confused as i was about what had just happened.

All the items which I did not buy were rescanned and removed from my mysterious grand total and I was handed two receipts that showed my recent shopping. It is then, that I saw what had happened, I was also paying for the person behind me.

But, but, this sheaf of Kale is only $2.99, I said feebly, I'm paying $3.10 after all this refunding. Does the state tax groceries I asked the supreme clerk?

She frowned, and replied that is the cause of the toothpaste. She turned to her retail duties.

What is she talking about I thought to myself. She looked up and asked if I wanted the eleven cents?

I replied with yes and please. A precious penny and a shiny dime were placed in my palm. And I walked quickly from the store praying that the inventory hive mind was not displeased.

Dear Tooters,

A bright morning I went to withdraw cash with my state-issued ID, I'm not making this up.

I entered a bright cheery main room. A small pleasant face floated at counter level. The face spoke and explained that there was a poster I should read. So I searched and found a small poster. And this poster said that they couldn't help me if I came in 30min before they closed.

The idea is that you should know ahead of time that the doors will be open but for thirty minutes they will not be able to assist you, then please leave.

So I inquired about this 30min moment, and said I didn't know you closed at noon. The pleasant face knitted its brows and a hand rose from behind the counter and then pointed at yet another sign further down. So I ambled in a westerly direction and sure enough there was another sign. This sign said I would have to verify myself with a smartphone by scanning a QRCode. I then held up my inert state-issued ID which was cupped tightly in my hand. I inquired what should I do with this portrait, signed and dated and carefully watermarked, and laminated by a fierce government. YAGNI was the response.

I demurred, paused, and prepared my thoughts. And then I persisted. An argument formed in my mind that an ID would be the better item to verify my identy than a questionable public space QRcode and a battery powered computer-phone.

YAGNI came the response.

Other customers started turning ever so slightly, glancing with doleful eyes, pricking up ears. I muttered about a manager. And the face said they had a manager, but the manager would only reply YAGNI. The finger pointed in a southerly direction. So I began my journey to the manager's hut. And a manager appeared in my view a few minutes later and approached. Manager greeted me pleasantly and said "they" required the QRcode. And I was perplexed, who were these "they" I thought. Were they not them? No she shook her head "They", she repeated. I silently held my my state-issued ID and she shook her head. They. And I thought in her eyes I saw her laughing and playing until They told her to stop, and so she did.

So I thanked Manager and left.

Tooters:

I was out in the provinces searching for sharp implements, fighting the inventory hive-mind, and i stumbled upon this ancient paper contrivance. It appears to be some sort of message in several languages from a ruling body. At first I thought it was a koan or one line free verse. I wondered how old it was, and how did this work when prices were accurate and there were laws. It must have beeen a magical time.

Amtrak new Acela trains will soon have matching merch you can wear, except in the quiet car.

Ominous.

$20 for this flange, usually goes for under ten.

Made in China.

Building a safety handrail for an older friend.

Couragous Tooters:

No doubt you are grumbling to yourself when the Outrage Machine swings by with its menu of clickbait and taunts. And you relent, swearing to yourself as you discover you already knew how famous so-and-so embarrased themselves, last week.

But what if you harnessed your clickrage, and chuckled at your weak memory skills? What if you scrolled through alll comments and were happy to agree with them? You could doomscroll with a smile.

Seth Meyers weekly Corrections:

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJaq64dKJZopIwlqdjPra6a0sHoh_tlVZ

Roll well Tooters.

@gbhnews diy kefir cream cheese with walnuts packed next to ice cold drink.

Here is an interesting affaire that predicts the future.

An august body rushed to issue written orders and overlooked a word contrivance that turned a city into a federal agency. Due to renaming, city coffers full of legal tender are frozen shut unable to fill the empty pockets of teachers, firepersons or police.

Rabid representatives of the body, who caused the problem, look for advantage, bark falsehoods, and prepare to snatch rights from unpaid denizens, as punishment for patience with abnormal.

What is happening to DC right now is the future for all.

Triage madness now

-- or become somebody's new toy.

nytmes.com 7 May 25
...
A bill to restore more than $1 billion in funding for Washington, D.C., that Congress blocked earlier this year has stalled in the House, where Republican resistance to the measure has left its fate in doubt.

G.O.P. leaders say they still intend to bring up the bill, blaming the delay on the competing priorities of passing President Trump’s agenda. But some ultraconservative Republicans are opposing it outright, arguing that Washington — a Democratically run city that is home to a significant number of federal workers and Black residents — should not get to spend its own money unless it abides by Republicans’ wishes on voting, abortion and other issues.

The lack of action leaves D.C. in limbo, facing a cut of hundreds of millions of dollars from this year’s budget that could lead to steep reductions in city services. That is because the Republican-led Congress, when it passed a stopgap funding bill in March, omitted standard language routinely included in appropriations bills to approve the city’s budget. Without the approval, Washington was forced to revert to last year’s funding levels, amounting to a roughly $1.1 billion cut halfway through the fiscal year.
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