Good grief, I'm tired. I can't wait to go home and go to sleep.

No more staying up til 1:30 am.

We've got a Starbucks coffee machine which fresh grinds the coffee beans for your cup. Which I appreciate, but the LCD readout which tracks the process finishes with "End of Cycle - Thank you!"

What is it thanking me for? I know I shouldn't care about the inane use of civilities, particularly by a machine but this doesn't even qualify in the "Thank you for shopping at Starbucks" category.

A cheery "Here's your coffee!" or imperative "Enjoy your cup!" - sure. But thanking me just cuts it loose completely free from its meaning. There's that underlying "Customer's Always Right" marketing culture, but really it should say "You're welcome for the free coffee!"

In short: I hate the creep of marketing into every exchange in corporate culture.

Signed,
Negativist

I'm actually trying to make an appointment with... a hand guy. My GP won't give me a new splint, because he wants me to see a specialist. I didn't give him the argument that came first to mind...that it's like giving a drug addict clean needles. I don't want to see a specialist so help me with the lesser of the evils.

Hand specialist can't see me for two weeks anyway. So much for that.

I need PB&J.

I love the intelligent doors in THGttG: "Thank you for making a simple door very happy."

Maybe Hec's coffee thingie is thanking him for making it happy.

Just as long as we don't start getting the existential elevators.

Thank you for making use of this machine, otherwise this machine's life will be meaningless?

Thanking doesn't bother me; first person singular pronouns by machines REALLY BUG. Citibank, your ATMS are the worst abuser in this category. It goes along with their idiotic campaigns where they thank you for treating them like shit. You're a big bank, act like it!

Maybe Hec's coffee thingie is thanking him for making it happy.

It has a telos - making coffee. So I have satisfied its purpose.

I always thought that the simplest way to program smart robots was to give them a pleasure feedback loop for doing their job. Like your roomba is running around your living room with a hard-on, and Japanese factory robots are in a constant state of ecstasy.

Which I appreciate, but the LCD readout which tracks the process finishes with "End of Cycle - Thank you!"

Maybe it's a Sirius Cybernetics Corporation Nutrimatic Machine.

Genuine People Personalities!

The cat has her knickers in a twist because you're anthropomorphizing coffee makers.

UKistas, stay inside!!

Holy crap I just talked to my brother, he's near Leeds and he said they are getting 90 mph winds! YIKES!! Stay safe UKistas!

He also laughed at me because I was complaining about how cold it is here in LA - I mean this morning there was frost ON the dock. Brrrr!