What hit me the hardest is: "THE BIGGEST JOKE ON MANKIND IS THAT COMPUTERS HAVE STARTED ASKING HUMANS TO PROVE THAT THEY AREN'T A ROBOT." I want to ask service desk representatives to prove they are not AI digital assistants. (and what country are they in).
My most recent experience with that: I called my Medicare Supplement company when they sent me a letter citing the payment increase for the anniversary of my enrollment. I had questions so I called the number on the letter. The virtual assistant asked my name address, birth date and phone number associated with the account I gave them. The the AI said we have no one with that birth date nor phone associated with that account. I said the phone I am calling on has been the number since I enrolled in 2016. It repeated the same thing to me. I asked for a human representative. The AI hung up on me. I called back a bit later with the original account card. Same AI same go around hung up again. Tried a different number but it was the same AI. Hung up again would not give me a person. I decided this was not a bug but a feature. I was turning 75 on the "anniversary" date. I think they were trying to get rid of long term customers before they would have to pay out any significant $$$$. I wrote a letter to cancel the account a and explained what happened and why I was canceling. All I got back was a boiler plate letter acknowledging my cancellation and not addressing anything I said.
Way, way back when we always had humans answering phones, they were always rude and unhelpful. Then they started to use computers, and they were more polite and helpful than humans. The computers then learned how to be rude and unhelpful from humans. Can't win!
No kidding! I used to be a receptionist during my twenties, & the phone had to be answered before a “third ring”…!! Back in the seventies, companies didn’t use an answering machine either! I remember when I went back to work part time after my children were in middle school& high school, the boss was adamant that calls had to be answered- no third ring-a-dingy! That was in 2004-2008!
Here’s one for you. My phone company sent me a payment demand letter. (Note: I discontinued my service the month before and deleted my payment information.). I called the number on the letter and got a very polite AI who said they had transferred my account to a new provider and then transferred me. The new company AI said I didn’t have an account with them and hung up. I called the original phone company billing office and got the exact same AI routing. Nobody is in the office. There are NO people to talk to. So I wrote them a letter. The IRONY is ITS A PHONE COMPANY! PS they didn’t answer the letter either. I thought about stopping one of the linemen on my street but then what do I care, they don’t have my credit card anymore. Is this how humans end up, ignoring the people that pay their bills, buy their services?? Not just No I can help you but DEAD SILENCE!??? You wait, our government is next. Only they know how to get your money even when they ignore you.
By this time, I think the whole AI thing is a scam particularly the need for all these data centers). It is non functional in many cases. All I can say is keep your receipts and info on any contacts such as phone calls time of call. Also keep track of bank statements to be sure you weren't billed anyway.
I believe there are some “service desk reprs” still- they work from home (at least some do). I called Humana a week ago, & a human answered; but, it sounded like she was in a construction zone, so I told her how noisey it was, & I couldn’t hear her. She told me her Mom was doing something in the kitchen, & the dog kept barking. I told her she needed to answer calls in a closed room!
Humana is a pain in the neck! We get daily letters, phone calls, and texts asking us to use more of their "services". That means they want us to use their mail order pharmacy, and have a bunch of unnecessary tests and exams.
Oh yes, Humana is a pain-in-the-arse! I called Humana last month, & the person I spoke to (mentioned above), did take my name off all marketing for letters, phone calls & emails. So far, I have not received any bulk mailings! I did get a post card to let me know I “may qualify to have my insurance” cost lowered.
I have a close colleague living in the UK who has a company that is writing AI software to replace humans in call centers and customer support orgs. It's a brilliant idea, and well-designed AI is well suited for that use until a caller needs to go off the reservation of programmed answers and information. At that point, there should be knowledgeable humans perpared to step in and provide the information. Yes, AI definitely cuts down on costs, but the price paid is churn or the loss of customers, which is very costly to the service provider.
What even worse is when you can't get a doctor's office to call you back. Their AI sends you a link to post your question but the limited questions don't cover your issue. Frustrating!
I was at a club event in 23 and a fellow member walked up to me and moaned that he had taken 3 covid vax shots and had had covid 3 times. I replied "I never took the Vax jab and have never had covid".
We almost put the "Blue State Dicks voting in Red States" meme on our voting guide. But we instead decided to only think it VERY LOUDLY ahead of Idaho's May 19. 2026 primaries. Pray for our state, everyone!
Love the polar bear comic! An excellent opportunity for me to thank Algore for my Membership to NRA and increasing my awareness and the need for our second amendment. Certainly not the consequence he intended though!
On Svalbard Spizbergen people who go outside of the town are required to carry a rifle because of the polar bears. They don't want you to shoot them, but if it becomes a matter of you or the bear, you can.
Al Gore and his WEF adherents would love a disarmed America. I wouldn’t shoot a bear unless absolutely necessary. His stupid Global Warming agenda was only one of his errors of judgment. Imho
Compromising your integrity is always an error of judgment imho 😊. Unfortunately I speak from personal experience 😊. Thinking a bit deeper later, a true sociopath has no real conscience I have read. So perhaps he was able to rationalize his behaviours ?? Only he knows for sure.
The data is a little old; 11 of the 13 polar bear populations increased in size during the 70’s -90’s (+/-).
One of the decreased populations was in Churchill Canada - a tourist haven where the bears are seen from giant tundra buggies.
It turns out that the bears get acclimated to living on human landfill garbage, and lose their ability to hunt and provide for themselves. They scavenge among neighborhoods as nuisance animals and need to be put down. Hmmmmm.
Regarding the redistricting: the 100% Democrat-passed Jim Crow laws have swung all the way over to 100% Democrat-passed Jamal Crow laws. Same Democrats, same unredeemed racists.
And that is why so many former red states are turning blue: city people want to be provided for, and rural people take care of themselves. And the cities carry the vote.
Welfare BECAME detrimental when it turned into a reasonably comfy life style instead of the minimum to sustain life. In days of yore, it was a great motivator to work towards something better.
Another good crop. Hard to pick a fave. Those were the good days pretty painfully accurate and don't be a dick sadly applies all too well here in Texas.
Same here in Colorado, in my county! Red, rural conservatives for many years; now, more Dicks moving in to “shake things up a bit”- which was a quote from a newbie to our county two years ago!
When I was a kid our black lab needed to take his heartworm medicine every day. It was just half a pill, but he considered it a matter of pride to avoid taking it. Hide it in some hamburger or a piece of bread and he would roll it around in his mouth, extract the pill, swallow the treat and spit out the pill. The only way that worked was to prepare three identical treats, one with the pill in it. Then play the shell game, so he wasn't sure which one was which. The toss all three at him, one at a time in quick succession. You had to remember which one the pill was in, so it wasn't the last one. Because he would check, but didn't have enough time to check the first two without taking a chance on missing out on the next one.
Interestingly, a 2024 poll of arctic seals found that 82% would like it better if there were only 7000 polar bears. As researchers attempted to follow up months later with the other 18%, who typically said they considered polar bears to be cute and cuddly, they found that those seals had become dinner.
OMG - we have a friend whose liberated feminist anti-patriarchy daughter was getting married and struggling with whether to keep her last name or take her husband's. Then her mother calmly said one day 'so what you are saying is you want to keep your dad's name?' She looked like she had been hit with a wet mop. Took her husband's name.
Why would you want Massie to be gone? He's one of the few that speak truth to power. Unfortunately for him, he calls out Trump and then Trump calls *him* a traitor! I'd like to see a dozen or two more like Massie.
Interesting is how our many Truth Tellers, how so many are now silent. They want to Talk, and support Rep. Massie, but aren't- they think they Can't. It's very reminiscent of early covid. Many danced around the Truth for so long. Too long.
Massie's conservative review rating is 96%, one of the best in Congress. For comparison, Lindsey Graham's is 43%. Trump loves Graham and hates Massie. What does that tell you about Trump?
That's right, Trump is not draining the swamp, he has become the swamp.
Massie's main crime in Trump's eyes is insisting on releasing the Epstein files.
Massie's opponent is backed by a cabal of Israel-first billionaires who have spent $10 million to get rid of him. One guess about whose names are in the still unreleased Epstein files. If they can get rid of Massie there's no hope for any of us.
The Israeli smear is so old it makes me go yuck. I’m not buying it. I really like Massie but he voted against every single one of Trumps agenda items. And for better or worse Trump is the one (NOT Massie) holding the goblin Democrats at bay while at the same time remaking the entire world. You either help the best team going or you kill us all by helping the worst (ie the democrats agenda).
It would be interesting to know how long alpha gal has been around. I know a couple of people with it. What a devious way to force people to stop eating meat.
For Canada, they bred Castro with Klaus to get Justin Trudeau. My sister tells me her neighbours in Canada refer to Marx Carnage as "the spawn of Satan". Bad breeding all 'round.
Dr. Jill you are slinging some zingers this morning! Loved them all! I tell you though that computer making humans verify themselves made me stop scrolling down and pause to re-read it. It is absurd. Great week as always and I thank you for your time!
Re-caption the one with the cow with her head stuck under the fence... "I'm from the government and I'm here to help!"
Wishing you good luck 🤞🍀, Heidi, on your race for Idaho District 9, House Seat A.
You're on our recommended list in Idaho Voting Guide (short link): https://tinyurl.com/hfptxsu2
Thank for sharing this Big E.
Thanks, Big E! Like so many of us, I'm fighting the Big PAC dollars, but we're hopeful!
LMAO, good idea!
Using that caption would have won over all.
LOL!!! Oh, yeah, that’s better!
Ditto to Big E's comment 🍀🙏
Awesome!!
My first thoughts exactly as well!!
Great Minds think alike!!
Got Milk?
And do you prefer Beef over Chicken?
JGM, Ooh this is all soo good!
What hit me the hardest is: "THE BIGGEST JOKE ON MANKIND IS THAT COMPUTERS HAVE STARTED ASKING HUMANS TO PROVE THAT THEY AREN'T A ROBOT." I want to ask service desk representatives to prove they are not AI digital assistants. (and what country are they in).
My service desk/ customer support tag line is "let me speak with a human!" Been doing it for years. Could never have imagined this in the 1960s . . .
My most recent experience with that: I called my Medicare Supplement company when they sent me a letter citing the payment increase for the anniversary of my enrollment. I had questions so I called the number on the letter. The virtual assistant asked my name address, birth date and phone number associated with the account I gave them. The the AI said we have no one with that birth date nor phone associated with that account. I said the phone I am calling on has been the number since I enrolled in 2016. It repeated the same thing to me. I asked for a human representative. The AI hung up on me. I called back a bit later with the original account card. Same AI same go around hung up again. Tried a different number but it was the same AI. Hung up again would not give me a person. I decided this was not a bug but a feature. I was turning 75 on the "anniversary" date. I think they were trying to get rid of long term customers before they would have to pay out any significant $$$$. I wrote a letter to cancel the account a and explained what happened and why I was canceling. All I got back was a boiler plate letter acknowledging my cancellation and not addressing anything I said.
Written by AI.
Exactly.
I had the same type of situation- I still need to all back & pray I get a real human; not one build from transistors or electrical tape!
Way, way back when we always had humans answering phones, they were always rude and unhelpful. Then they started to use computers, and they were more polite and helpful than humans. The computers then learned how to be rude and unhelpful from humans. Can't win!
No kidding! I used to be a receptionist during my twenties, & the phone had to be answered before a “third ring”…!! Back in the seventies, companies didn’t use an answering machine either! I remember when I went back to work part time after my children were in middle school& high school, the boss was adamant that calls had to be answered- no third ring-a-dingy! That was in 2004-2008!
But, I think the AI is just following the instructions of its owners.
Here’s one for you. My phone company sent me a payment demand letter. (Note: I discontinued my service the month before and deleted my payment information.). I called the number on the letter and got a very polite AI who said they had transferred my account to a new provider and then transferred me. The new company AI said I didn’t have an account with them and hung up. I called the original phone company billing office and got the exact same AI routing. Nobody is in the office. There are NO people to talk to. So I wrote them a letter. The IRONY is ITS A PHONE COMPANY! PS they didn’t answer the letter either. I thought about stopping one of the linemen on my street but then what do I care, they don’t have my credit card anymore. Is this how humans end up, ignoring the people that pay their bills, buy their services?? Not just No I can help you but DEAD SILENCE!??? You wait, our government is next. Only they know how to get your money even when they ignore you.
By this time, I think the whole AI thing is a scam particularly the need for all these data centers). It is non functional in many cases. All I can say is keep your receipts and info on any contacts such as phone calls time of call. Also keep track of bank statements to be sure you weren't billed anyway.
American human. Is what I ask for
I agree, I won’t talk to a robot; I’ll wait for a human, or call back; or, just hang up! I hate going through the “push this number for …” routine!
Are there actually service desk representatives anymore....
I believe there are some “service desk reprs” still- they work from home (at least some do). I called Humana a week ago, & a human answered; but, it sounded like she was in a construction zone, so I told her how noisey it was, & I couldn’t hear her. She told me her Mom was doing something in the kitchen, & the dog kept barking. I told her she needed to answer calls in a closed room!
Humana is a pain in the neck! We get daily letters, phone calls, and texts asking us to use more of their "services". That means they want us to use their mail order pharmacy, and have a bunch of unnecessary tests and exams.
Oh yes, Humana is a pain-in-the-arse! I called Humana last month, & the person I spoke to (mentioned above), did take my name off all marketing for letters, phone calls & emails. So far, I have not received any bulk mailings! I did get a post card to let me know I “may qualify to have my insurance” cost lowered.
Yes. At out local grocery and at the car repair shop.
I have a close colleague living in the UK who has a company that is writing AI software to replace humans in call centers and customer support orgs. It's a brilliant idea, and well-designed AI is well suited for that use until a caller needs to go off the reservation of programmed answers and information. At that point, there should be knowledgeable humans perpared to step in and provide the information. Yes, AI definitely cuts down on costs, but the price paid is churn or the loss of customers, which is very costly to the service provider.
I do ask them.
Oh, good point!!! This one drives me crazy when I research things!!! Or, better yet, every time I go online to do my checking account to pay bills!!
What even worse is when you can't get a doctor's office to call you back. Their AI sends you a link to post your question but the limited questions don't cover your issue. Frustrating!
Re Angela getting Covid 6 times:
I was at a club event in 23 and a fellow member walked up to me and moaned that he had taken 3 covid vax shots and had had covid 3 times. I replied "I never took the Vax jab and have never had covid".
Exactly!!! Me as well- No jabs, no covid!
We almost put the "Blue State Dicks voting in Red States" meme on our voting guide. But we instead decided to only think it VERY LOUDLY ahead of Idaho's May 19. 2026 primaries. Pray for our state, everyone!
Idaho Voting Guide (short link): https://tinyurl.com/hfptxsu2
🙏🙏🙏
Love the polar bear comic! An excellent opportunity for me to thank Algore for my Membership to NRA and increasing my awareness and the need for our second amendment. Certainly not the consequence he intended though!
On Svalbard Spizbergen people who go outside of the town are required to carry a rifle because of the polar bears. They don't want you to shoot them, but if it becomes a matter of you or the bear, you can.
Al Gore and his WEF adherents would love a disarmed America. I wouldn’t shoot a bear unless absolutely necessary. His stupid Global Warming agenda was only one of his errors of judgment. Imho
They know that people will not willingly get in the box cars.
How was it an error of judgement? He knew exactly what he was doing and it had nothing to do with believing his own lies.
Compromising your integrity is always an error of judgment imho 😊. Unfortunately I speak from personal experience 😊. Thinking a bit deeper later, a true sociopath has no real conscience I have read. So perhaps he was able to rationalize his behaviours ?? Only he knows for sure.
Wow, a place with such a mixed up priorities!
In California you're required to let a mountain lion eat you or your children, but not the ones that are members of protected classes.
(I hope I'm kidding, but I have to admit that I'm not really sure.)
Excellent zingy recap, Docs!
The data is a little old; 11 of the 13 polar bear populations increased in size during the 70’s -90’s (+/-).
One of the decreased populations was in Churchill Canada - a tourist haven where the bears are seen from giant tundra buggies.
It turns out that the bears get acclimated to living on human landfill garbage, and lose their ability to hunt and provide for themselves. They scavenge among neighborhoods as nuisance animals and need to be put down. Hmmmmm.
Regarding the redistricting: the 100% Democrat-passed Jim Crow laws have swung all the way over to 100% Democrat-passed Jamal Crow laws. Same Democrats, same unredeemed racists.
People are not so different from bears. Many have lost the ability to hunt fish and provide for themselves. Exception = ability to flash mob stores.
And that is why so many former red states are turning blue: city people want to be provided for, and rural people take care of themselves. And the cities carry the vote.
Sad to say that you are right
Sad but true
welfare is detrimental
Welfare BECAME detrimental when it turned into a reasonably comfy life style instead of the minimum to sustain life. In days of yore, it was a great motivator to work towards something better.
Deciding on what is "minimum" to sustain life seems to be a major problem.
People used to be embarrassed to be on welfare, but after about 3-4 generations that's over with.
Another good crop. Hard to pick a fave. Those were the good days pretty painfully accurate and don't be a dick sadly applies all too well here in Texas.
Should be a bill board campaign in red states.
Same here in Colorado, in my county! Red, rural conservatives for many years; now, more Dicks moving in to “shake things up a bit”- which was a quote from a newbie to our county two years ago!
South Carolina too.
Absolute GOLD this week, thank you Jill!!!!
When I was a kid our black lab needed to take his heartworm medicine every day. It was just half a pill, but he considered it a matter of pride to avoid taking it. Hide it in some hamburger or a piece of bread and he would roll it around in his mouth, extract the pill, swallow the treat and spit out the pill. The only way that worked was to prepare three identical treats, one with the pill in it. Then play the shell game, so he wasn't sure which one was which. The toss all three at him, one at a time in quick succession. You had to remember which one the pill was in, so it wasn't the last one. Because he would check, but didn't have enough time to check the first two without taking a chance on missing out on the next one.
That’s a good trick!
Interestingly, a 2024 poll of arctic seals found that 82% would like it better if there were only 7000 polar bears. As researchers attempted to follow up months later with the other 18%, who typically said they considered polar bears to be cute and cuddly, they found that those seals had become dinner.
You are SO FUNNY!
OMG - we have a friend whose liberated feminist anti-patriarchy daughter was getting married and struggling with whether to keep her last name or take her husband's. Then her mother calmly said one day 'so what you are saying is you want to keep your dad's name?' She looked like she had been hit with a wet mop. Took her husband's name.
I don’t trust the science, and I am a physicist.
I'm sorry, I just can't laugh today. I received sad news that Bill Cassidy has been primaried.
Pharma will be hanging black crepe.
Hope Massie is next!!
Why would you want Massie to be gone? He's one of the few that speak truth to power. Unfortunately for him, he calls out Trump and then Trump calls *him* a traitor! I'd like to see a dozen or two more like Massie.
434 more Massie's, even better.
Interesting is how our many Truth Tellers, how so many are now silent. They want to Talk, and support Rep. Massie, but aren't- they think they Can't. It's very reminiscent of early covid. Many danced around the Truth for so long. Too long.
Massie's conservative review rating is 96%, one of the best in Congress. For comparison, Lindsey Graham's is 43%. Trump loves Graham and hates Massie. What does that tell you about Trump?
That's right, Trump is not draining the swamp, he has become the swamp.
Massie's main crime in Trump's eyes is insisting on releasing the Epstein files.
Massie's opponent is backed by a cabal of Israel-first billionaires who have spent $10 million to get rid of him. One guess about whose names are in the still unreleased Epstein files. If they can get rid of Massie there's no hope for any of us.
The Israeli smear is so old it makes me go yuck. I’m not buying it. I really like Massie but he voted against every single one of Trumps agenda items. And for better or worse Trump is the one (NOT Massie) holding the goblin Democrats at bay while at the same time remaking the entire world. You either help the best team going or you kill us all by helping the worst (ie the democrats agenda).
I believe if big money, big neocons, can eliminate a man like Rep. Thomas Massie, we're in more trouble than ever before.
I think he's the best. No irony intended.
Hey Doc. Please study up on Alpha Gal (tick) syndrome. I think it is another 'escapee' that followed the path of the Lyme tick.
"Escapee" = deliberately released so people can't eat red meat.
probably more likely an unfinished bioweapon.
It would be interesting to know how long alpha gal has been around. I know a couple of people with it. What a devious way to force people to stop eating meat.
At least 10 years...
It was originally found in the Lone Star tick (see https://www.lymedisease.org/alpha-gal-syndrome/). Doesn't mean the government didn't take this and weaponize it...
Doesn't mean they didn't create it.
I have two friends with this allergy toward red meat. As beef producers we are especially disheartened.
For Canada, they bred Castro with Klaus to get Justin Trudeau. My sister tells me her neighbours in Canada refer to Marx Carnage as "the spawn of Satan". Bad breeding all 'round.
Hysterical today!!
Dr. Jill you are slinging some zingers this morning! Loved them all! I tell you though that computer making humans verify themselves made me stop scrolling down and pause to re-read it. It is absurd. Great week as always and I thank you for your time!