For anyone reading this thread in the future, the original comment said "culture" rather than "vulture." I wasn't being random or nonsensical. Not in this case, anyway.
I've never been a one man show, but I definitely miss the days of freedom and relative lack of consequence. While most of my jobs over the last decade or so have been fairly engaging, I think my current job is the first one that really pushes me on a regular basis.
I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn, but also it can be hard to relax.
The dollar store near me recently did the same. Almost.
The self checkout machine is still physically there. Presumably all the internals are as well. It's just turned off and now, as you said, it takes three times longer to buy things.
It's worthwhile in my eyes. Most people to whom I mention it say "I couldn't work a ten hour day," which is a valid perspective, but also I'd rather lose two hours a day over one day a week.
If a highly improbable spaceship had to dedicate all of its processing power to making a cup of tea, I suppose I can forgive an end user for having to think about it.
36 now. I don't remember my exact age at the time, but at approximately eighteen I dislocated my shoulder turning over in bed.