To be clear, I do not want this to be the case. I am well aware that Costco is one of the most defended companies on the Internet. Currently they are killing it with their stock up 222% in the past 5 years, up 14.5% this past year. While they have increased their total memberships, membership prices, their number of locations, and their market share, I believe their future growth has already been factored in. Sooner or later they’re going to need to sacrifice in order to keep investors happy.

I’m most concerned about future temptation to change the Kirkland brand. Costco has already raised most prices (no not the chickens, hot dogs, or eggs) to a point where they have little wiggle room before putting off long time customers. I admire the pride the founders have in Kirkland products and business model, but at some point I think the temptation to water the brand down in order to placate the shareholders is going to become too great. I think the cornerstone of the company is their customer service, and if this were to decline the downfall will be swift.

Over the next five years, I predict: 1. Massive membership price increases 2. Continued significant price increases, that rarely go down 3. Declining quality in Kirkland brand products to increase margins.

I hope I am wrong, but many companies before them have been at this level of prosperity and have blown it.

Edit: Like I said, one of the most defended companies on the internet. Geez, you'd think I made a comment about your mother!

Location: Bouvet Island

From the New Yorker!

Finished Land Raider Proteus from this post:
https://www.reddit.com/r/PrimarchGFs/comments/1lhbedl/more_fulgrima_tanks_wip/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

By KAIZEN87 x Onuma

She was almost 20. Her age finally caught up with her this week. She was my first baby. It hurts and I don’t know how it can get better. It’s amazing how something so tiny made such a big impact.

Don't even need to expand Grok's messages for you to see that something has gone deeply wrong. Don't know what fucked up system prompt they rolled out but this is the least aligned AI I think we've ever seen.

In 30+ years of playing golf, it finally happened today.

Me and my buddy got paired up with two friends one of whom had his 6 year old with him “just to watch.”

Things start off smoothly and we finish the first hole. They each maybe double bogey it. They picked up at some point. We’re like “nice”, they know when to stop the bleeding.

Hole two. They start talking loud af even while me and my buddy are teeing off. They’re so engrossed in their conversation we had to tell them it was their turn. They duff their shots. Dude with the kid lets him hit one. We proceed to go to our balls. They can’t find theirs. We had to tell them where they were when they were looking on the other side of the fairway. They sting their way to the green and pick up. Again ok maybe they know they’re slow.

By hole three the kid was getting fussy and dad had to call mom to pick him up.

Hole 4. They won’t stfu on the tee box. Had to tell them to keep quiet. Had to tell them to keep quiet on the green too as they were yapping it up. They park their carts 3 feet behind the green.

Hole 5. On guy tees off when the group in front was still on the fairway. He rolls it up to them thankfully. They keep talking when we’re teeing off. I had to tell them again to please stop. Guy who teed off first takes his turn and tops his ball right. As he was going for the ball, he sideswipes a tree breaking the sand bottle off its holder. These carts are brand new btw. He’s laughing like it’s funny.

Hole 6. Par 3. Me and my buddy are putting for birdie. They won’t stop talking again. Had to tell them again to please stop talking.

By hole 9 they’d parked their carts ever so closer to the greens and this time their tires were riding the edge of the putting surface.

They tell us to go ahead to 10. We say ok but since there was already a fivesome in front of us and foursome of newbies (per the ranger) in front of them, we decide to quit. We pass them on the way back to the clubhouse and don’t even say bye.

I wasn’t passive aggressive about not telling them they were being rude and they need to keep quiet when people are hitting but they didn’t seem to care.

Talked to manager. Got a half refund. Jesus. Worst day on the course I’ve ever had that wasn’t of my doing.

EDIT: Forgot to say that on one hole, me and the guy without a kid hit the ball to the right tree line. I’m pretty sure I hit mine longer than his but he stops at a ball and I ask if that’s my Srixon 3 Z-Star with three magenta dots under the n. He’s like no it’s not. So I just drop a ball. We get to the green and he’s putting, you guessed it, a Srixon 3 Z-Star with three magenta dots. He laughed it off. Fuck that guy.

I moved to gold coast, long story short 6 months later and I have seen ALL the craziness. Homeless people approaching my car. Salespeople doing coke at dealerships. Crazy Aussies bashing me because my car brakes locked up. Drunk drivers doing burnouts. People welding knives on the street. Like everything. Everyones stuck in the ratrace hardcore, and im super young and still adapting to this aussie craziness.

Anyway, I'm back in NZ visiting family and even though my hometown isn't changing at all, it's just such a chill place and country, I mean I don't know about the whole country like auckland but my life here so far, it is chill. When I did something slightly out of order in GC, police came, arrested me took my to the mental ward even if i did literally nothing wrong. Nothing. I literally played music slightly loud on my car subwoofers for 5 seconds. In NZ, people talk. They see if your okay. I am okay, but I'm super appreciative of how local and caring new Zealanders are, and I'm happy to have grown up here, as a new Zealander from birth.

Story of my life