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June 2008
Carlin enjoyed being critic of society
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Handout
Jim Grattan
Sometimes in death a person gains renewed recognition. The death of comedian George Carlin, on June 22 at age 71, has evoked widespread commentary. It is widely recognized that he used wit to puncture holes in sacred beliefs and to point out societal hypocrisies. Most famously, he dared to use on stage the so-called seven offensive words (you can’t say on television). The words are commonly used throughout society but banned on our public airwaves. He didn’t advocate their usage; his point was that a free society cannot ban expressive terminology. Carlin was polarizing. Laughs were his main goal, but he wanted to offend. And, although he claimed disgust with the political process, he was profoundly political. His targets were not simply politicians and the powerful but also the general citizenry. He put the current political environment squarely in our laps: “Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says they suck. Well, where do people think these politicians come from? They don’t fall out of the sky. They don’t pass through a membrane from another reality. They come from American parents and American families, American homes, American schools, American churches, American businesses and universities, and they are elected by American citizens. This is the best we can do, folks. This is what we have to offer. It’s what our system produces. If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you’re going to get selfish, ignorant leaders.” In many ways, Carlin was a throwback to the early 20th century, when there was a great deal more debate about our social and economic systems. Carlin, like Eugene Debs, labor leader and socialist candidate for president, was disgusted by our growing inequality of wealth and the ramifications. Said Carlin: “… I’ll tell you what they [wealthy business interests] don’t want — they don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that. That doesn’t help them. That’s against their interest. …” He said wealthy corporations wanted “obedient” workers smart enough to do paperwork, but dumb enough to accept lousy jobs with long hours and low pay. Said Carlin: “And now they are coming for your Social Security money. They want your [expletive] retirement money; they want it back so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street. And you know something? They’ll get it. They’ll get it all from you sooner or later because they own this [expletive] place. It’s a big club and you ain’t in it! You and I are not in the Big Club. …” It’s doubtful that a more politically populist statement could be found anywhere. Also, religion was constantly subjected to Carlin’s biting interpretation. The unsuspecting were often seen leaving his performances angry. What do you think of George Carlin? Did he violate a public trust to provide happy talk? Was his radicalism out of place? Or does the public benefit from the likes of George Carlin in their witty, withering commentary on our society? • Jim Grattan is a software engineer and avid bicyclist. He lives in the Grayson area with his wife, Shirley, and four golden retrievers.
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Is self-checkout a convenience or nuisance?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Handout
Jim Grattan
“Please, wait for assistance.”
Anyone using the self-checkout systems in large retail stores knows those words are coming. And though spoken in pleasant, well-modulated tones, they are irritating.
The user is subjected to a constant stream of directives from an all-knowing computer that carefully orchestrates every action and motion, yet most of us can’t get through a checkout without failure.
“Put the item in a bag.”
You do it, and the computer still complains. Of course, the computer, being an idiot savant, is completely flummoxed when your item is a case of soft drinks or a 40-pound bag of dog food.
Eventually an assistant sees that the user has come to a standstill and magically presses a few keys permitting the process to continue without any explanation whatsoever, leaving the user in a state of exasperation.
The ostensible premise of self-checkout is that the consumer is placed in control of the process of checking out - no bored clerks, no unnecessary delays, etc. But that appears to be a convenient fiction.
In the first place, the difficulties of designing and implementing customer-friendly self-checkout systems should not be minimized. These systems must be easy-to-use, accurate and comprehensive. All merchandise must be clearly marked, and there must be consistency between shelf pricing and the prices stored in the stations.
The initial demands placed on designers and the ongoing demands placed on retailers should make retailers very cautious in using these systems. Perhaps that is the case. At one time, it seemed like self-checkout stations in larger retail establishments would become commonplace, but that has not occurred.
It does appear that the prime motivation for retailers using these systems is labor savings, while customers must absorb the inadequacies and frustrations of these systems.
That is perhaps more obvious in home improvement stores where the merchandise is far more difficult to be accommodated by computer check-out. Portable scanning devices are absolutely necessary to scan large items; however, those devices are not made available to customers.
Also, the look-up capability for non-marked items, such as bolts, or items located outside the store, such as timbers or straw, is generally inadequate or difficult to use.
Yet, these stores are reluctant to open manned registers, insisting that their self-checkout stations are adequate.
Have retailers using self-checkout systems imposed a flawed or inadequate technology on consumers? Shouldn’t customers expect checking out to be a trouble-free, smooth, even pleasant, experience?
Why should customers be forced to learn the various idiosyncrasies that the systems of different retailers present and put up with the delays solvable only by an attendant.
Are retailers saving labor costs by imposing a nuisance on their customers?
What are your experiences with self-checkout systems? Do you find them convenient? Or, do you find them frustrating?
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