The Bad News Report

[asthasr]

There was a restaurant I used to go to where the proprietor mistakenly thought I hadn't paid and chased me out into the parking lot. She had already taken the signed receipt--no idea how she got it confused--but I told her that I was never coming back, and didn't. How many hundreds of dollars are given up in lost business when things like that happen?

[SgtCampsalot]

19 hours ago, LKN704 said:

I absolutely hate Healthy Home Market.

 

Don't get me wrong-I want to like them, and wish I could, especially since they are a locally-owned organization. I'm a pescatarian that has a dairy allergy, so I abstain from all other animal products (dairy, eggs, pork, chicken, beef, etc…) so I often need to go to a specialty food store to do my everyday grocery shopping. I live in Lake Norman, so it would be quite easy for me to shop at that location.

 

However, their Davidson location is nasty and the vast majority of the workers there are rude. The store has this off-putting odor that reminds me of rotten food, and the produce isn't really fresh. The selection is okay, but the prices stink. I have a friend of mine that volunteers at a local soup kitchen, and she says that while the other neighborhood grocery stores continuously drop off food that is somewhat fresh and able to be eaten, the vast majority of the food that HHM donates is moldy and has to be disposed of immediately. She thinks they just donate the stuff just to get the tax credits.

 

Three weeks ago I was shopping there and the deli clerk basically accused me of stealing. They recently did a remodel and rearranged all of their grocery aisles, so I was having trouble finding things that I need. I was looking for vegan macaroni and cheese, but it wasn't in the pasta aisle or where it used to be. So I was going from aisle to aisle to aisle, and back again. I must of looked nervous or irritated (which I was).

 

All of a sudden the deli clerk started screaming : "HEY YOU!!! YOU LOOK REALLY NERVOUS? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHY DO YOU KEEP LOOKING EVERYWHERE AND WALKING UP EVERY AISLE?"

Me: "Uhh, I'm just looking for the vegan Mac and Cheese"

Deli Clerk: "NO YOU'RE NOT! BECAUSE YOU PAST THE AISLE THREE TIMES ALREADY AND NEVER EVEN PICKED IT UP. NOW I HAVE TO CALL A MANAGER TO TALK TO YOU BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO"

 

I just left my shopping cart and walked out. The whole situation left a poor taste in my mouth.

 

Anyways, that location would be a perfect location for a Trader Joes!

That's a terrible experience, and that also sounds like a terrible store experience in Davidson. I don't blame you for your feelings on the matter.

The PM and Matthews store have always been incredible to me, and the staff are inordinately helpful and cheery. It must be a difference in how the managers hired in-store management, and that trickled down to the staff picks. It's amazing (-ly sad) how much one bad hire can affect a hole branch/business).

Now, for some reason I never had a good experience at the PM store's old location in Sedgefield shopping center. Who knows why... maybe it had bad joo-joo. But I didn't start appreciating HHM until they moved to PM.

Edited October 28, 2017 by SgtCampsalot

[kermit]

Its only short-term bad news but Miami beating Virginia Tech tonight virtually assures poor attendance at the ACC Championship. I guess its possible that Clemson fans will gobble up every ticket, but they will really need to step up since Miami fans just don't travel well.

[Popsickle]

 

56 minutes ago, kermit said:

Its only short-term bad news but Miami beating Virginia Tech tonight virtually assures poor attendance at the ACC Championship. I guess its possible that Clemson fans will gobble up every ticket, but they will really need to step up since Miami fans just don't travel well.

We have already seen a Clemson v Virginia Tech game, it's great Miami won, and won impressively at that. 

A Miami v Clemson game is great, and I will be there, better game in my opinion and I'm sure I'm not the only one. If Miami bets Notre Dame next week, and I think they will, the ACC Championship game will be the most important of all Power Five conference games come final CFP rankings.

Attendance will be fine, don't be a Debbie downer. 

Miami will travel for an ACC championship game, if you'd watch any Miami games this season prior tonights game (main issue for attendance at home games is the distance from campus), you'd think they were Wake Forest. But they had a packed house, they will next Saturday against Notre Dame and will bring fans to Charlotte. 

Edited November 5, 2017 by Popsickle

[cltcane]

1 hour ago, kermit said:

Its only short-term bad news but Miami beating Virginia Tech tonight virtually assures poor attendance at the ACC Championship. I guess its possible that Clemson fans will gobble up every ticket, but they will really need to step up since Miami fans just don't travel well.

As proud Miami graduate who started the local alumni chapter when I moved back to Charlotte, I would take offense to you saying the win tonight is bad news, but you are correct.  'Canes fans don't typically travel well - partly because Miami (and NYC where most of the rest of us live) aren't within driving distance of the other ACC schools and partly because a day on the beach or a boat in sunny, 80+ degree weather in South Florida in the fall/winter is much more appealing than almost all other options.  Regardless, I'm excited to (hopefully) finally play host to all my college friends who will fly in for the game and prove to them that Charlotte is more than a place they have to connect when flying AA.

Edited November 5, 2017 by cltcane

[15895]

8 hours ago, cltcane said:

As proud Miami graduate who started the local alumni chapter when I moved back to Charlotte, I would take offense to you saying the win tonight is bad news, but you are correct.  'Canes fans don't typically travel well - partly because Miami (and NYC where most of the rest of us live) aren't within driving distance of the other ACC schools and partly because a day on the beach or a boat in sunny, 80+ degree weather in South Florida in the fall/winter is much more appealing than almost all other options.  Regardless, I'm excited to (hopefully) finally play host to all my college friends who will fly in for the game and prove to them that Charlotte is more than a place they have to connect when flying AA.

I think you’re putting too much emotion into it. I think Miami will show up much less than Virginia Tech. We’ll see though. 

[R.Talbott]

8 minutes ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

I think you’re putting too much emotion into it. I think Miami will show up much less than Virginia Tech. We’ll see though. 

That’s not contrary to what he said...

[15895]

24 minutes ago, R.Talbott said:

That’s not contrary to what he said...

I didn’t see the “but you are correct” part. I read that things several times This morning versus just now. I have no idea how I missed so many parts 

[Nick2]

15 hours ago, Popsickle said:

 Miami v Clemson game is great, and I will be there, better game in my opinion and I'm sure I'm not the only one. If Miami bets Notre Dame next week, and I think they will, the ACC Championship game will be the most important of all Power Five conference games come final CFP rankings.

While I agree Miami vs Clemson would be a good conference championship game, the SEC championship will likely be between number 1 and 2 in the country. Georgia and bama. Much more important in my opinion but I'm biased towards SEC lol.

[R.Talbott]

2 hours ago, Nick2 said:

While I agree Miami vs Clemson would be a good conference championship game, the SEC championship will likely be between number 1 and 2 in the country. Georgia and bama. Much more important in my opinion but I'm biased towards SEC lol.

For the college football playoff, if both win out and play for the SEC title, both are in the playoff either way.  Clemson vs Miami would have far bigger implications. 

[Nick2]

1 hour ago, R.Talbott said:

For the college football playoff, if both win out and play for the SEC title, both are in the playoff either way.  Clemson vs Miami would have far bigger implications. 

I see the point that you were making now and definitely understand where you're coming from. I think you're right. Both GA and AL will probably be in the playoffs if they win out up until the SEC championship.

[Popsickle]

On 11/4/2017 at 11:42 PM, kermit said:

Its only short-term bad news but Miami beating Virginia Tech tonight virtually assures poor attendance at the ACC Championship. I guess its possible that Clemson fans will gobble up every ticket, but they will really need to step up since Miami fans just don't travel well.

ESPN Game Day is coming for the ACC Championship Game. Looking good to me. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ncaa.com/amp/news/football/article/2017-11-18/college-football-where-espn-college-gameday-week#ampshare=http://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2017-11-18/college-football-where-espn-college-gameday-week

[kermit]

^ I am very pleased to be wrong about that. My bad.

[jednc]

20 hours ago, kermit said:

^ I am very pleased to be wrong about that. My bad.

I think tickets are hard to come by too.

[R.Talbott]

http://theacc.com/news/2017/11/15/2017-dr-pepper-acc-football-championship-game-sold-out.aspx

 

been sold out for a couple of weeks

[KJHburg]

All of Mecklenburg County computer systems are being held ransomed for 2 Bitcoins or $23,000. the entire county system is DOWN! All because employee clicked on email.  Unbelievable! 

Obviously the guy holding the county ransom does not know this is a county of 1 million.  How can this happen to a county government really?  Are there no protections in place? 

Joe Bruno‏Verified account @JoeBrunoWSOC9 15m15 minutes ago

More

To be clear, the hacker is asking for 2 bitcoins which is roughly $23,000. County Manager Dena Diorio will determine whether the county pays the ransom. @wsoctv

Edited December 6, 2017 by KJHburg

[Cadi40]

10 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

All of Mecklenburg County computer systems are being held ransomed for 2 Bitcoins or $23,000. the entire county system is DOWN! All because employee clicked on email.  Unbelievable! 

Obviously the guy holding the county ransom does not know this is a county of 1 million.  How can this happen to a county government really?  Are there no protections in place? 

Am I the only one who finds this a tiny bit funny? I mean the guy should know better than to click on suspicious or unknown email senders.

[Popsickle]

^^^I find it more laughable that the ransom is only 23 grand. It's like when Doctor Evil is unfrozen in the 90s and wants to ransom the world for a million bucks and they have to tell him that's not a lot of money anymore. 

Edit: Yes, I know the purpose of the scam is to actually have a relatively low ransom so it "encourages" more people to pay it. 

Edited December 6, 2017 by Popsickle

[Cadi40]

I wonder what will happen to the guy who clicked on it.

[elrodvt]

11 minutes ago, Cadi40 said:

I wonder what will happen to the guy who clicked on it.

Nothing I would hope unless he's a security expert. That would just be scapegoating. They need to improve their IT. 

[Cadi40]

7 minutes ago, elrodvt said:

Nothing I would hope unless he's a security expert. That would just be scapegoating. They need to improve their IT. 

And apparently they need to train people not to click on suspicious emails. If you are working with technology you think they would've known that but I'm not surprised.

 

[elrodvt]

Some of these phishing scans are pretty sophisticated. Could happen to anyone. Letting it then get beyond that person's laptop is the issue.

[tozmervo]

I've seen some of the emails that trigger ransomware. I had one that was so convincing, but it was an unexpected email so I called the supposed sender to check. The sender's name was someone I often work with. They hadn't sent the email, but it sure had been spoofed expertly. I feel really bad for whoever triggered this problem because sometimes it really is hard to catch. 

[CLT2014]

Campbell Soup Company is in advanced talks to acquire Charlotte based Synder's-Lance. It sounds like Synder's-Lance's exit strategy has been to find a buyer. There is a chance Charlotte becomes the HQ of the combined company, but typically the acquiring company HQ wins out. 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/campbell-soup-advanced-talks-acquire-210151555.html

[CLT2014]

On 12/16/2017 at 9:46 AM, CLT2014 said:

Campbell Soup Company is in advanced talks to acquire Charlotte based Synder's-Lance. It sounds like Synder's-Lance's exit strategy has been to find a buyer. There is a chance Charlotte becomes the HQ of the combined company, but typically the acquiring company HQ wins out. 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/campbell-soup-advanced-talks-acquire-210151555.html

It is official. Campbell Soups (Camden, NJ) announced this morning they are acquiring Charlotte based Synder's-Lance. My assumption is the office in Ballantyne will remain a significant corporate office within the combined company, though some positions will be lost due to synergies. Campbell is already decentralized - for example Pepperidge Farms remains sub-headquartered in Norwalk, CT.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/18/campbell-soup-to-buy-snacks-company-snyders-lance.html

Edited December 18, 2017 by CLT2014