agentsquirrel's recent activity
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Comment on America’s enterprising spirit is booming after decades-long slump in ~finance
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Comment on America’s enterprising spirit is booming after decades-long slump in ~finance
agentsquirrel Link ParentI agree about bad AI use and images. We don't use any AI-generated product images. That would just be, bad, and stupid. A real photo of a fancy coffee drink with syrup, swirling different colors,...I agree about bad AI use and images. We don't use any AI-generated product images. That would just be, bad, and stupid. A real photo of a fancy coffee drink with syrup, swirling different colors, whipped topping, etc. just can't be recreated well with AI. The looks of the product speak for itself; we use only real pictures in social media and elsewhere. If the taste is as good as the looks, which we strive for, it sells. The conversation here started with "slop business models" and went to AI in marketing. Reasonable use of AI in marketing is fine, for a decent-looking logo, or for perhaps a flyer for an event. I don't agree that small businesses shouldn't use AI tools because there was and continue to be other ways to accomplish certain things, such as marketing, or because bad AI use for marketing is too common. Spreadsheets weren't around 40 years ago (I'm ignoring Visicalc, lol). One could accomplish business modeling, budgeting, and bookkeeping without spreadsheets today, but it would be arduous and labor-intensive, or costly to pay someone else to do it. Bad marketing existed long before AI, AI just made it easier to create really bad marketing. Spreadsheets undoubtedly have been used to create some really bad business models the last several decades, too.
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Comment on America’s enterprising spirit is booming after decades-long slump in ~finance
agentsquirrel Link ParentSmall business owner here, and I maintain a full time job in telecom / IT to boot. My wife and I run a mobile coffee business and we're in the process of opening up a brick-and-mortar for...Small business owner here, and I maintain a full time job in telecom / IT to boot. My wife and I run a mobile coffee business and we're in the process of opening up a brick-and-mortar for breakfast and lunch. She does the business full time, I'm doing everything in the background including bookkeeping, budgeting, financing, legal, IT, electrical, plumbing, and equipment repairs. She used AI to create the logo and sometimes uses it for marketing graphics. I've used it for business modeling, updating accounting and budgets, and for general information searches for regulations, ordinances, etc.
I won't say we couldn't have started the business without AI, but it sure enabled a lot. A cool looking logo is fine, but the real work is making everything taste great, establishing a great reputation, getting repeat customers, etc., all the while pricing items correctly, keeping an eye on COGS and opex, and hopefully breaking even and later even making a profit. The amount of work is staggering. I won't fault any small business owner using AI for logos and marketing, and other cosmetic stuff. While it's a necessary part of the business, it's something that is easily "delegated" to AI, and lets the business owner devote more time to other stuff that really matters. Furthermore, it has enabled me to do a lot more business modeling, what-if scenarios in spreadsheets, and talk through business decisions.
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Comment on The end of reading is here in ~books
agentsquirrel Link ParentI grew up in essentially a poor family in a trailer in the backwoods to parents who lacked college education. I wasn't very athletic and was socially inept. I was nearly held back in kindergarten,...I grew up in essentially a poor family in a trailer in the backwoods to parents who lacked college education. I wasn't very athletic and was socially inept. I was nearly held back in kindergarten, first, and second grades. My grandmother worked in a magazine agency and provided me with tons of free unsold magazines each week, which I read. That reading allowed my mind to blossom and develop, and I ended up being a stellar student by fifth grade, and was to an honors level in high school. I also got into computing with a VIC-20 computer through reading. I'm living comfortably now and well set up financially for early retirement in hopefully a few years. Reading allowed me to escape poverty and undoubtedly some low paying mundane job in rural America. And, yes, I now see the same thing with family just doom-scrolling, endlessly. It's sad what we're wasting - all this computing power, what would have been super-computers back when I was a teenager, now at our fingertips.
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Comment on Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is? in ~food
agentsquirrel Link ParentI hear ya. Cast iron is probably one of best thrift finds to buy. As long as it's not cracked or warped, it's good!I hear ya. Cast iron is probably one of best thrift finds to buy. As long as it's not cracked or warped, it's good!
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Comment on Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is? in ~food
agentsquirrel LinkEveryone else here has touched upon care and feeding of cast iron; I'll just say I use cast iron 98% of the time and I'm never going back. The last straw for regular cookware for me was when we...Everyone else here has touched upon care and feeding of cast iron; I'll just say I use cast iron 98% of the time and I'm never going back. The last straw for regular cookware for me was when we spent $800+ for a really good Williams Sonoma cookset with non-stick diamond coating or whatever they call it, that should last an eon or two. Or at least at that price it should. After three months of use, everything stuck to it like glue. In reading forums the only advice was, "yeah it sucks, turn down the heat". You had to turn down the heat so low it was useless. All the teflon coated cookware I've used over the years is good for perhaps three to four years before the coating starts peeling off. Enameled cookware lasts longer but everything eventually sticks to it and they inevitably chip.
Some of my best cast iron buys have been at yard sales. You can get a pan or griddle often for $5 or $10, versus $50 to $80 you might pay for something new, and they've already been broken in and well-seasoned. Cast iron lasts a lifetime and your grandchildren will likely be able to use them a lifetime as well, if taken care of.
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Comment on What internet discussion sites remain? in ~tech
agentsquirrel LinkGroups.io is the only Internet service I find good discussions on these days. It's essentially email reflectors of long ago, with a web interface for those who would rather browse conversations...Groups.io is the only Internet service I find good discussions on these days. It's essentially email reflectors of long ago, with a web interface for those who would rather browse conversations than receive emails or email digests. Much like classic email reflectors, there is ownership and moderators, and most of the bad stuff one sees on Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, etc. is squashed. Of course this all varies by group, and groups are usually very focused on a specific area, topic, or hobby. However, I still find myself sticking around Facebook for groups for certain hobbies. I really wish I could leave FB for good because it's a cesspool for bots, advertising, manipulation by foreign/enemy states, and political rage bait.
Perhaps I'm just an old guy complaining, but I think the Internet would be a much better place if we went back to the days of email reflectors.
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Comment on The US Supreme Court's Republican appointees end civil rights redistricting protections in ~society
agentsquirrel Link ParentAh, yes, the same Merrick Garland who later served as Attorney General under Biden and had four years to bring DJT to trial for January 6th, but just couldn't make it happen. I know he shouldn't...Ah, yes, the same Merrick Garland who later served as Attorney General under Biden and had four years to bring DJT to trial for January 6th, but just couldn't make it happen. I know he shouldn't shoulder all the blame, but I think that was likely one of the most consequential events affecting our democracy today since the Civil War. But I digress.
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Comment on The one-and-done pen? in ~hobbies
agentsquirrel Link ParentThat's another thing I love about fountain pens - with refillable converters you're not filling up a landfill with cartridges.That's another thing I love about fountain pens - with refillable converters you're not filling up a landfill with cartridges.
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Comment on The one-and-done pen? in ~hobbies
agentsquirrel Link ParentFountain pens are the bomb. After I run through my stash of Signo gel Uni-Ball ballpoint pens (which have been my favorite for years), I'm going to go 100% fountain pens until I die. There's just...Fountain pens are the bomb. After I run through my stash of Signo gel Uni-Ball ballpoint pens (which have been my favorite for years), I'm going to go 100% fountain pens until I die. There's just something so fulfilling and enjoyable about writing with one.
My current favorite is the Pilot Metropolitan:
https://www.gouletpens.com/products/pilot-metropolitan-fountain-pen-black-plain
I'm sure some would call this a beginner's fountain pen, but it has a nice feel with a metal body with some weight to it. It's a joy to write with, and I can see the few of them I have lasting a lifetime.
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Comment on Why airlines are always going bankrupt in ~transport
agentsquirrel Link ParentIt does suck to fly. 37 years ago when I started flying regularly for business it wasn't that way. Airline employees were happy, or at least it seemed that way. Airlines published monthly...It does suck to fly. 37 years ago when I started flying regularly for business it wasn't that way. Airline employees were happy, or at least it seemed that way. Airlines published monthly magazines to read during flights, they took pride in them, and they were actually quite enjoyable to read during a flight. On some flights you could listen to ATC radio traffic on one of the audio channels. Several airlines provide multi-channel audio programming you could listen to by plugging in a headphone at your seat. Meals were abundant on flights and the food was actually good. There were obviously bad days with flight delays and cancellations, but for the most part, it was enjoyable to fly.
Today most every employee seems miserable. Gate agents, who used to seem like they were smart, in charge, and there to help, are now pretty much mindless robots reading prompts from monitors. Amenities on aircraft have been removed one by one over the years; the only thing that is better now is we have the Internet and aircraft Wi-Fi. Pilots have become glorified bus drivers at the mercy of some faceless remotely-located central control. (It may have been that way decades ago, but it wasn't so obvious.). Frequent flyer clubs are overcrowded and now have all the mayhem you used to avoid in the airport outside the clubs. When it comes to airlines and flights I find myself in search of choices that suck the least. I'll be so happy when I retire and don't have to take another flight again.
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Comment on 'The report's so stupid': The DNC 2024 autopsy is roiling US Democrats in ~society
agentsquirrel Link ParentFor us in PA, he was a folk hero and (for me at least) a blueprint for the type of candidates Democrats should be running in order to find their way out of the wilderness they seem to be in....John Fetterman would be a folk hero
For us in PA, he was a folk hero and (for me at least) a blueprint for the type of candidates Democrats should be running in order to find their way out of the wilderness they seem to be in. Fetterman was the kind of politician people in Pennsyltuckey could relate to, outside of the God and guns candidates. Sadly, the stroke really changed Fetterman. I don't see him going much of anywhere after his term runs out.
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Comment on Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ in ~tech
agentsquirrel LinkI don't think this change is as drastic as the headline or the CEO makes it sound. They still have a team that is essentially doing HR tasks, with a new name. You can't run any sizable company...I don't think this change is as drastic as the headline or the CEO makes it sound. They still have a team that is essentially doing HR tasks, with a new name. You can't run any sizable company without an HR department to do onboarding and offboarding, oversee training, and comply with laws and regulations galore. Any gains from truly eliminating HR would be wiped out when the first sexual harassment lawsuit came around. I'm not defending or commending this CEO, far from it. Honestly, his talk about employee entitlement, eliminating four day work weeks, etc. makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit.
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Comment on Donald Trump’s deal to drop suit against US Internal Revenue Service creates $1.8b ‘anti-weaponization fund’ in ~society
agentsquirrel LinkAnd as if the $1.7B slush fund wasn't enough, I just saw a report that the IRS is “forever barred and precluded” from pursuing “examinations” of Trump, “related or affiliated individuals,” and...And as if the $1.7B slush fund wasn't enough, I just saw a report that the IRS is “forever barred and precluded” from pursuing “examinations” of Trump, “related or affiliated individuals,” and related trusts and businesses. Whatever ongoing tax audits he was subject to are now dead, and Trump is scot free.
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Comment on Donald Trump’s deal to drop suit against US Internal Revenue Service creates $1.8b ‘anti-weaponization fund’ in ~society
agentsquirrel Link ParentDJT also controlled the defense, through the power and governance he has over the IRS. As you mention, it was probably extremely difficult to prove damages. This was all a fixed game from the...What I don't get is where the threat of success in this lawsuit even came from.
DJT also controlled the defense, through the power and governance he has over the IRS. As you mention, it was probably extremely difficult to prove damages. This was all a fixed game from the start; sue for some unrealistically outrageous sum, like $10B, settle for something less outrageous, like $1.7B. The acting AG at DoJ, who Trump controls, gets to pick the board that administrates the payouts. So, Trump controls the payouts as well. This is so throughly corrupt and criminal, it's hard for me to even think of a parallel. I can only hope there is some sort of investigation and the communication between Trump and the IRS and DoJ sees the light of day, and this is determined to be racketeering. It sure feels like racketeering to me.
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Comment on Donald Trump’s deal to drop suit against US Internal Revenue Service creates $1.8b ‘anti-weaponization fund’ in ~society
agentsquirrel Link ParentYou posted almost verbatim what I had in my head to post. I'm just amazed there aren't people in the street calling for revolution or something after this. Trump is getting things set up for 2028....You posted almost verbatim what I had in my head to post. I'm just amazed there aren't people in the street calling for revolution or something after this.
Trump is getting things set up for 2028. He's not going to leave office peacefully.
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Comment on The everything, everywhere, all at once corruption story in ~society
agentsquirrel Link ParentIsn't this great? On top of Trump granting pardons to the January 6th insurrectionists, if this goes through he'll be able to send them checks to reward them for their loyalty and breaking the law...Isn't this great? On top of Trump granting pardons to the January 6th insurrectionists, if this goes through he'll be able to send them checks to reward them for their loyalty and breaking the law at his behest. This is third-world banana republic stuff.
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Comment on Red Hot Chili Peppers sell music catalogue for $300m in ~music
agentsquirrel LinkI have no problem with this; the history of music is littered with great artists who never got paid or got screwed out of a lot of revenue. (See Industry Rule #4080). If you're getting old, might...I have no problem with this; the history of music is littered with great artists who never got paid or got screwed out of a lot of revenue. (See Industry Rule #4080). If you're getting old, might as well cash in before you get really old and can't enjoy the fruits of your labor over the years. You can't take it with you once you assume room temperature.
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Comment on US will revoke passports for parents who owe child support in ~society
agentsquirrel Link ParentI agree with this policy, but I, too, find it highly suspect that this administration has placed new focus on it. I doubt they're "doing it for the kids". They don't do anything for the kids.I agree with this policy, but I, too, find it highly suspect that this administration has placed new focus on it. I doubt they're "doing it for the kids". They don't do anything for the kids.
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Comment on US Department of Justice arrests soldier who made $400,000 betting on Nicolás Maduro's removal in ~society
agentsquirrel Link Parent"One of them" being the key part of that sentence. There are likely many, but the administration will cite this one case as being it, no investigations needed. Trump's obviously cool with it; him,..."One of them" being the key part of that sentence. There are likely many, but the administration will cite this one case as being it, no investigations needed. Trump's obviously cool with it; him, his family, and close allies are likely playing the game as well. Case closed, nothing to see here.
This undoubtedly isn't going to resonate with you as you admit you're an AI hater, but AI may decrease small business failure rates as it gives owners information resources and data analysis they didn't have before. As I said before I get your angst over bad marketing. However, a lot of businesses don't live or die from marketing. If you want to judge a business strictly by their low effort marketing, and ignore other aspects like reviews, word-of-mouth, or a full parking lot, that's your prerogative. You're probably missing some good things.