by Anura Guruge
on September 24, 2023

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AI can be an iterative process & I guess this means that it is learning — learning from its mistakes — & getting better.

So we get a 40 lbs bag of dog food delivered every 3 weeks from Amazon. It is much cheaper & of course, easier, than buying it locally & lugging it home.

I liked the BIG BOXES that they used for the delivery. They made IDEA, disposable GARBAGE CONTAINERS for the garage. I would leave it in the garage & fill it up with thrash. Then on my next trip to the dump I would throw it away — now full of trash. Good recycling, really.

The small box was too small to serve my purposes.

Now, NO BOX.

Our main Amazon delivery person is a lithe, young lady. Good height but very slim. I saw her carrying this 40 lbs bag DRAPED over her arm! I couldn’t do that. Too heavy by half for I. She was just carrying it like it weighed NOTHING. Wow. I was impressed.

Lets see how long the NO BOX approach lasts. I really would like the BIG boxes to be brought back. I make good use of them.

by Anura Guruge
on May 17, 2023

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In the last few weeks Amazon has been all over the media claiming that they are using AI to make their shipping smarter.
I am NOT convinced.

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I have a ‘3 week’ subscription for a 30 lbs bag of dog food. {It used to be monthly but I used to run out}

From the start they used very large (i.e., tall (but skinny)) boxes to ship the dog food. The dog food bag, compressed by its own weight, took up half the box. The rest was just air.

Last month, to my AMAZEMENT they shipped the dog food in a smaller box. The dog food bag was SNUGLY fitted into it (as you can see from the top pictures).

I was glad — though to be fair I like the BIG, TALL boxes because they make great disposable trash bins. But, I was willing to forgo that to be a bit greener.

Well, I was expecting a small box again.

WRONG.

Back to the BIG box. Not good.

Is this AI?

IF so, it needs to get much, much smarter.

by Anura Guruge
on April 29, 2023

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New, much, much smaller box on left, older BIGGER box on right — being used as a trash container in the garage.

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Given that I do 99% of my non-grocery shopping on ‘Amazon‘ (to a large extent because I also own a fair number of Amazon shares {SMILE}) it should be no surprise that I get my dog food through them. I am a monthly subscription for a (now) 30 lbs bag of dog food. I got the latest a few days ago.

I thought that the wrong BOX had been delivered because it was SO SMALL! But, as soon as I lifted it, I knew my dog food was in it. I know the heft.

Wow. The box was so, so, so much smaller than the one I had been getting since the start — maybe 9 months ago.

To be honest, I LOVED those big, tall boxes. I looked forward to getting them! With the top cut (as shown above) they make wonderful, large, disposable trash bins for the garage. I fill them up & them take them to the dump. I don’t feel guilty about not recycling the cardboard because I use the boxes to save on trash bags etc. It works out.

The small box is cute. I will still use it for trash BUT it won’t hold as much.

But, I am GLAD (primarily as a shareholder). Over the years Amazon’s wanton profligacy when it came to packaging would drive me insane. But, of late they are becoming NOTICEABLY savvier & better. Good for all of us.

I am proud of MY Amazon. {Smile} My ownership of AMZN is (alas) NOT huge, but it isn’t trivial either. {Smile}