The Flaw

 

Rather than pay for an employee to deal with customer service, they use AI.  There is no health insurance required, no vacation time and AI never requests a raise.  Management is happy with their decision. 

A simple flaw in their system says they do not issue any refunds for beer.  The delivery driver brings the completed order to the customer’s house.  The driver’s scanner is unable to scan the customer’s driver’s license and therefore they cannot deliver the beer.

The customer contacts AI and requests a refund for the beer.  Why pay for something you didn’t receive?  As the program does not allow refunds for beer, AI issues a refund for the entire order.

 

Scenario #1

The customer sees an opportunity.  By simply adding beer to every order and then refusing it upon delivery, AI will continue to refund their entire order every time.  Free groceries for life.

 

Scenario #2

The customer tries explaining the flaw in the system to AI to prevent the store from losing money.  AI apologizes for the inconvenience and issues another refund.

 

The customer gives up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late Bloomer

 

It was a wonderful combination, a great sound system and amazing music.  It wasn’t something you just heard but felt as well.  It was like a great book that you never wanted to end.  As long as you keep reading, the characters keep living, and the story goes on. 

Unrelated to sight or sound, I had a similar feeling once when suddenly, for whatever reason, my brain understood fractions.  I can still recall it.  I had been working for many years as an engineer.  The company I worked for called me an engineer, even though my degree was in behavioral science.  I was doing the work of an engineer, but with one hand tied behind my back.  For me, math had always been a stumbling block.  I have no idea what triggered my brain to suddenly catch on, but it did.  It was a very Ah HA! moment.  All of a sudden I felt comfortable in my surroundings. I fit in.

Every time I pick up Mr. Tyson's book, Astrophysics for people in a hurry I keep waiting for my brain to once again get it.  So far it hasn't kicked in.  I'm reading the words and sort of understanding the concepts but without the ah Ha!  I doubt I will ever fit in to any of this, even though I haven't given up.

I see my brain as a black hole and even though I keep trying, all I see is dark matter instead of gray matter.  I need some sort of mental particle accelerator.  Or maybe I shouldn't be in such a hurry. 

zc

 

 

 

At the Speed of Life

 

So very odd – this time of life

It’s nothing like before

A voice tells me I’m out of ink

then it shows up at my door

 

Work from home – shop from home

There’s no one at the wheel

Do I even need to be here

I’m not sure how to feel

 

Big pharma bought the airwaves

Christmas has been flocked

Birthdays show up twice a year

Crazy’s over-stocked

 

I noticed when I showered

and no cause for alarm

but I saw a little barcode

on the backside of my arm.

 

 

 

 zc

 

 

 

Ancestry

 

I climbed up high

that I might see

Just who was in

my family tree

So very strange

I found a limb

but could not tell

a her from him

Piercing and tattoos

they had

No one smiled

they all looked mad

None at all

did look like me

like folks you'd find

from DMV

No one famous

I could see

and no one left

a thing to me

No heroes pictured

in a frame

One had a horse

but with no name

A rootless tree

is what I found

A summer breeze

could knock it down

So now I know

the who I am

one who falls

for such a scam.

 

 

 Dorothy Kalm 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nose and the J

 

As it turns out, my vision is such that in order for me to see the keyboard the tip of my nose almost touches the letter jay.  I’m thinking I should probably address that issue, at least move it up on my list of things requiring attention. 

There are others of course.  There has been one broken string on my violin that I have ignored, even though many of the songs I play sound hideous because of it.  My garage door is stuck half-way.  Not sure why.  It is just enough that I can no longer get the car in or out. 

I really should update my will.  Many of the people I’ve left things too are long dead.  I should have never believed the newspaper; people apparently don’t die in alphabetical order.   

Today is Monday.  I really don’t want to start any projects today.  Maybe I’ll wait for the weekendj.

 

zc

A Long Way Around

 

We sat at the kitchen table.  It was, just days before, our mother’s kitchen table, but now she was gone and we were suddenly the ones left.

As we talked, as brother and sister do, she was going around the house gathering various jars of pennies, coffee cans of lose change and when she began counting it out, I finally I asked what she was doing.  “We need to divide things up.” She said, as if my thoughts were headed down that road.

“I do not want anything. I replied.  We just need to make some phone calls to see what it is we need to do next.”  That took place in 2011.  It is now 2026.  My sister and I live across the country from each other.

The last time I got to see her was when I was told by the doctor that I had Leukemia.  She flew out to spend time with me.  As you can see by this post, I survived.  Other than our various operations and general growing old pains, we are still enjoying each day. 

Today I received a mystery package in the mail.  It was a book.  I did not order it or even know why anyone would send it to me.  Then, tucked in the envelope with the book was a note from my sister.  She had read on my blog about a time I had found this book in a bookstore.  It had made an impact on me and she thought I should have it.

 

"At the age of eighty my mother had her last bad fall, and after that her mind wandered free through time."

 

 

 

What to do

 

if you're not good at painting noses.