Day: March 2, 2025

The AI Bot

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I’ve just had what I think was my first encounter with a customer service AI Bot! I’ve dealt with AI Chat Bots when I’ve contacted customer service and that little “Chat” pop-up shows up at the bottom or side of my screen. I always ask to talk to a “human” – that usually gets me to an actual person. But this “chat” was different.

I was reading an article by a young Canadian woman – an influencer – who was discussing being able to buy Canadian-made clothing instead of garments made in the US, and she gave several links to companies which she disclosed would pay her a small amount if we clicked on them.

I wasn’t concerned about the fact that she was a paid influencer – I was curious to see the made-in-Canada pants she was describing. So I clicked on her link and got to the page where I saw them:

Obviously made in a soft “micromodal” fabric (some bamboo in the rib knit (the cuffs), some fullness at the top, tapered legs, comfortable fit at the natural waist.

Interesting – I checked out the size info – I’m interested in whether it’s remotely possible that I can fit my size XXL waist and size S bum in a single pair of pants. At the bottom of the size info page is a “contact us” link so I click on it. In the message box I wrote:

How do I pick a size when my waist is XXL and my hip is S?

Here’s the answer I got:

Thank you for reaching out! I understand it can be a bit tricky when your measurements vary like that. We recommend checking out our general size chart, which you can view here: (a link to the size guide info pop-up).

If you’re still in doubt, please feel free to reply with your complete measurements (bust, waist, and hips) for the specific garment you are interested in, and we’d be happy to check with our production team to help you find the best size.

Looking forward to helping you feel confidently comfortable in your (company name) pieces 😊

Could be a person, could be an AI Bot. I carry on.

My bust is large: 38” – 40”; My waist is xxl: 35” – 37”; My hip is small: 38” – 40”
I was looking at the dressy sweatpant (and gave the link to the pants)

I get a reply back – too fast for it to have been from a person, who would have needed to have taken time first to read my note, then write the response (or to find one of the stock replies – which this is):

Thanks for sharing your measurements! Based on the information provided, I would recommend trying the Dressy Sweatpant in size XXL to ensure a comfortable fit around the waist. The design should accommodate your bust and hips comfortably as well.

If you have any other questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out!

Now it’s confirmed I’m dealing with an AI Bot – it’s the “design should accommodate your bust and hips comfortably as well.” My bust has no relevance to the fit of a pair of pants! A person would not have made that comment.

I reach out one more time – curious what the AI Bot will reply:

And what do I do with all that excess fabric in the bum?

I loved the response that followed:

I understand that extra fabric in certain areas can be a bit frustrating. Our pieces are crafted to feel both comfortable and stylish, but I understand everyone’s body is unique. If you’re finding that the fit isn’t exactly right for you in the bum area, you might consider having the garment adjusted by a trusted tailor. They could help modify the fit to achieve the look and comfort you’re after, ensuring that all the right areas flatter you perfectly.

If there’s anything else I can help with, just let me know 😊

I knew before I started the conversation that I can’t buy pants that fit from this manufacturer. I can’t buy pants from any manufacturer which is why I’ve made my own for almost 50 years! At that point I stop.

But I get one more note from the company asking me to rate my conversation. I answer:

The AI Bot was a bit dumb! Didn’t understand a bust measurement was of no use in fitting pants! And completely unsympathetic with my problem – large waist and small bum!

Oh well – I won’t be buying the pants although I’ll look for a similar pattern and adjust it to fit my size. Your pants just won’t fit!

And I get one final note – this time it may be from an actual human – it’s signed (which none of the earlier responses were).

I’m really sorry to hear that you felt the fit of our pants wasn’t right for you and that our initial advice didn’t address your concerns appropriately. I truly understand how challenging it can be when your body measurements don’t seem to match a single size – and I regret that our sizing guidance didn’t provide the clarity and sympathy you were looking for.

Your feedback is very important, and I will make sure it’s passed along so that we can work on improving how we assist with these unique proportions in the future. I hope that when you’re ready to explore more options, we can help you find something that feels just right.

Thank you for giving us a chance, and please know we’re here if you ever need anything else 😊

With gratitude,
Carolina

So while a person may have actually read and responded to me this last time, it still feels like a stock answer.

That’s the end of the conversation – time for me to delete it all and forget about it.

I just thought to myself “this is what we’re going to be facing more and more – bland, generic, responses to our questions when we’re looking for customer service. Much cheaper to program some AI Bot than paying a person to actually interact with customers.”

Too bad I’m not buying anything from Lands End (I’m not buying anything from any US company, if I can help it) – I always call them rather than order online because their operators are so chatty and interesting. You can have a real conversation about where they live, what the weather is like there, how long they’ve been working for Lands End. I’ve made a friend by the time my order is completed. Feels satisfying.

This AI Bot? No way!

From Another Canadian

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It seems more and more of us are using our blogs to express what we’re experiencing these days. Here’s another piece of writing with some good links to why each of us needs to be reading labels and speaking out with our $$$!

Serious “Food” for Thought

What If…

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I happened across a chilling analysis of trump’s threats to build an empire! https://substack.com/home/post/p-156454364

donald trump has been talking a lot about re-taking the Panama Canal, buying Greenland (while not ruling out an invasion), and making Canada the 51st State. He looks as though he will make good on his promise to take military action in Mexico after he signed an executive order designating certain cartels as terrorist organisations. Many outlets and pundits have declared that these talking points are either bluster, impossible, or mere diversions. My assessment is that they are not.

trump doesn’t really joke; he says outlandish things to see what sort of reaction he gets. In this case, with all of these proposals, Republicans responded with support and the American public barely noticed because “that’s just trump being trump.” In truth, trump rarely drops an idea, even a bad one. He was intent on buying Greenland during his first term and never let the idea go. Thus, when he talks about acquiring new territory for the US, or using military force in Mexico, he is serious.

…he is clearly laying the groundwork for, and removing barriers to an aggressive expansionistic policy over the next two years. What comes next is likely to be a mix of four strategies: Lebensraum, Anschluss, the hybrid Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014, and “Wag the Dog” (but with a distinctly internet age twist). The following is a brief discussion of what each of these four operations would look like.

The rest of the analysis lays out four goals that trump has already floated: a major military incursion into Mexico on the pretext of curtailing the flow of drugs into the US, as well as stopping the flow of migrants from Central and South America; the takeover of the Panama Canal either through coercion or outright military means; the annexation of Greenland either by purchase or military means; and finally the annexation of Canada either by “persuasion” or a military incursion.

Then the article lays out how each of these four goals could be accomplished – the threats, the cyber disinformation attacks (which would create chaos in each jurisdiction), the showcasing of “Quislings” who are solidly behind the idea of annexation and stand before the world proclaiming how much better off the subjugated citizens would be and their desire to be subsumed by the US. And finally the military actions if the “voluntary” tactics don’t work.

By the time we get here, Trump would have already taken back the Panama Canal and found a way to annex Greenland. Trump has long set his sights on making Canada a part of the US. The Republican Party would prefer it to be a territory, with no say in the US government. “The Canadians, they are going to elect two Democrat senators; we don’t want that. Territory status isn’t too bad,” according to Representative Byron Donalds.

Canadian support for being a part of the US runs around 20% at best, and triggered increased feelings of nationalism in the other 78%. Most Canadian leaders (outside of Alberta) are taking a “F*** You” attitude towards Trump’s threats of tariffs. Politicians there are engaged in competitive outbidding to see who can be the most hostile to Trump, his tariffs, and attempts to make the Canada part of the US. Only Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has shown receptiveness to treating the Trump administration, and its punitive tariffs, with kid gloves.

If Trump has successfully acquired the Panama Canal and Greenland via some combination of threats, coercion, or military force, his eye will turn to bringing Canada into the fold. By this time, the US has discarded NATO, Congress has been cowed, the military brass tamed and staffed with yes men. He believes that he is coming from a position of military strength: Canada and NATO cannot possibly hope to stop a US invasion.

Sounds crazy, right? But it’s not unimaginable given the shameful display of “power” that happened in the Oval Office yesterday (Mar 1 2025), the attempted humiliation of President Zelenskyy in front of a televised international audience. We got to see “the real” trump and vance on display!

(Reuters: Ukraine July 21 2022) This is Ukraine – can Canada be next?

At this point, if Canada has failed to give in to demands and economic blackmail, they and NATO will be given an ultimatum presented as a fait accompli: you will let US troops in. You cannot stop us by conventional means. The three options to NATO at this point are to allow us to annex Canada, fight a conventional war they cannot hope to win, or to use nuclear weapons against the United States and engage in mutually assured destruction. At the same time, the public in NATO countries will have been subjected to a barrage of disinformation for months, and support for a futile (and bloody) conventional war or a nuclear exchange will be low.

This will likely be the thought process of the Trump administration if they have made it this far. The problem with this thinking is that like most historical US leaders, they’re not prepared to deal with an insurgency. And Canada is no exception.

Imagine a country with the population and GDP of California, with a land area larger than the United States, having no say in its own governance. Now imagine it has been invaded, and that getting military-style weapons from the country that invaded them is ridiculously easy. Imagine that the country doing the invading doesn’t have the troops or the resources to lock things down adequately.

On top of that, unlike Iraq, there is a clear and mostly coherent sense of nationalism in Canada (they’re still very proud of burning the White House down in the War of 1812.) There’s also the matter of people who would come from other countries, including the US, to participate in an insurgency in Canada.

Russia assured their people in 2022 that Ukrainians were just like them and wanted to re-join the old Soviet Empire. It didn’t work out like that. If anything, Canadians are less enthusiastic about being a part of the US than Ukrainians were about being part of Russia. It’s hard to see this turning out well for the US in the long run.

My immediate reaction – Fantasyland! But I have a niggling feeling that these scenarios are not impossible. My anger at trump and his cat-and-mouse nonsense over “tariffs” has grown because I can sense what’s described in this Substack piece becoming a reality. I’m not fear-mongering here. I’m just trying to increase awareness of the bigger agenda that for the moment is obscured by the tariffs. The tariffs are the opening salvo in trump’s game. What I don’t think he understands is the extent the tariffs themselves will be detrimental to the US economy. Nor has he figured in the impact individual Canadian’s boycotting US goods can have overall.

We need to be serious in our efforts to buy Canadian, to work hard at buying local, to refuse to spend our $$$ with US companies as much as we can to make the lives of Americans, who are also pawns in this game, as difficult as possible. Our best hope for side-stepping an impending onslaught is for the American people to fight back themselves. For them (especially Republican supporters of trump) to become so angry they take action to curtail his (and musk’s) power. Our best allies are those disaffected American’s who wrench back control for themselves.

In the meantime, there are difficult days and weeks and months ahead. We can overcome dismay and despair by reaching out to one another, by supporting one another, and by taking those small personal actions that collectively can have an impact. Stand strong!