You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?

bob · May 29, 2012, 05:00:29 PM

friend invited himself over, said the only reason was to kill time before a meeting in my neck of the woods....I'll never get those 2 hours of my life back and I had stuff I wanted to get done

JaseSF · May 29, 2012, 07:20:06 PM

Crazy government policies, changes and cutbacks. Less jobs, just how does that help the economy?

indianasmith · May 29, 2012, 07:25:40 PM

Because cutbacks of Federal Employees means the government isn't spending money it doesn't have to perform functions that are none of its business!

Seriously - we are $15 TRILLION in debt. We cannot afford to continue funding these enormous agencies that have thousands of employees with layers of redundant bureacuracy!

JaseSF · May 29, 2012, 08:19:16 PM

It also means hundreds less jobs for people to fill in a place where jobs are hard to find as is. Also some of the most recent cuts to healthcare I'd say will very much decrease the level of service here and lead to more and more overworked people.

Zapranoth · May 29, 2012, 09:57:05 PM

What grinds my gears? As an English major, I have an inner usage and grammar Nazi.

Less/fewer. That is:

"Fewer" is used for countable things, eg, "There are fewer Uwe Boll movies lately; good!"

"Less" if you can't count the item. "Our cow is giving less milk this year."

Or you could say "Our cow is giving fewer gallons of milk this year."

AndyC · May 30, 2012, 08:37:29 AM

Telephone numbers. For as long as I've been dialing phones, it was not necessary to dial the area code for a call within your area code. The old electromechanical exchanges could figure that out, and the early computerized exchanges could figure that out, and the more sophisticated computers could figure that out. Suddenly, about a year or two ago, this capability just vanished, and we have to dial the area code for local calls. It's a pain in the ass, especially when I'm trying to dial a number somebody just told me, before I forget it. The system is programmed to recognize when you haven't dialed the area code, and tell you, but apparently it's become a huge burden for it to just assume you are dialing within your own area code.

This seems completely ridiculous and unnecessary to me. Newer technology should be capable of more, not less. If it was possible before, it is still possible now.

Any seemingly artificial limitation to technology bothers me. I can use my credit card anywhere, at any time, and it will immediately add my purchase to the balance. When I pay the bill online, directly from a bank account, it takes days for the payment to go through. Same with transfers from one bank to another. There is no technological reason why it cannot be instantaneous, and I have my doubts that there is any other reason that could not be overcome.

Bugs me so much to transfer money into an account to cover a bill, days in advance, and have it arrive a few hours after the bill payment comes out. Fine, the amount is covered, the balance is back in the black, and all is well. But no, they've already initiated a reversal on the payment that also takes a couple of days, and added an NSF fee. And I can't help but think all of it is ridiculous, especially the system's inability to just recognize that there is not enough money and decline the payment. Once again, I can make a debit card purchase anywhere, at any time, and the system will check the account balance. No money, no purchase. For some reason, when it's all happening within the bank's own computer, that becomes impossible. I'm beginning to wonder if it's because they want to collect NSF fees. There's certainly no technological reason for it.

JaseSF · May 30, 2012, 01:37:49 PM

Shh! Andy, I think you're on to them.

Doggett · May 31, 2012, 01:18:19 PM

Being made to work over the Bank Holiday Jubilee weekend...

tommex84 · May 31, 2012, 01:58:42 PM

WTF! Another working weekend

Rev. Powell · May 31, 2012, 04:31:53 PM

Quote from: AndyC on May 22, 2012, 08:05:56 AM
Quote from: Jack on May 22, 2012, 07:09:39 AM
When I place my cursor on some text, hold down the left button, and move my cursor to the right, that means I want to highlight what's to the right of where I placed my cursor. It doesn't mean I also want stuff to the left to automatically be highlighted, or everything in the whole box to be highlighted. For f***'s sake man, it ain't rocket science.

I know your pain.

I thought I was the only one.

bob · May 31, 2012, 04:41:02 PM

I live in Wisconsin. As I'm sure most of you are aware there is a big recall election taking place here June 5. For the past few weeks I cannot escape ads for any of the candidates running: when I'm listening to the radio on my car, during commericials for the few TV shows I watch, in my email , my mail, the phone calls, the internet and in the newspaper. It's annoying the hell out of me.

Jim H · June 01, 2012, 05:23:01 AM

Quote from: AndyC on May 30, 2012, 08:37:29 AM
Telephone numbers. For as long as I've been dialing phones, it was not necessary to dial the area code for a call within your area code. The old electromechanical exchanges could figure that out, and the early computerized exchanges could figure that out, and the more sophisticated computers could figure that out. Suddenly, about a year or two ago, this capability just vanished, and we have to dial the area code for local calls. It's a pain in the ass, especially when I'm trying to dial a number somebody just told me, before I forget it. The system is programmed to recognize when you haven't dialed the area code, and tell you, but apparently it's become a huge burden for it to just assume you are dialing within your own area code.

Here in St. Louis, as best as I can figure out, we sometimes have to dial area codes for local numbers and sometimes we don't. We also get a message saying it is not necessary to dial a 1 when calling this number. But yet the area code is. Other numbers REQUIRE you to dial the 1. It makes NO SENSE.

There have been times where it has taken THREE ATTEMPTS to dial a number correctly because I was TOO SPECIFIC. Why would I EVER not be connected when I dial the complete number? IT'S SO GOD DAMN STUPID IT BLOWS MY MIND!!!

Psycho Circus · June 01, 2012, 05:32:05 AM

Quote from: tommex84 on May 31, 2012, 01:58:42 PM
WTF! Another working weekend

That's every single weekend for me. I've forgotten what time off is actually like...

Jack · June 01, 2012, 06:49:04 AM

Quote from: bob on May 31, 2012, 04:41:02 PM
I live in Wisconsin. As I'm sure most of you are aware there is a big recall election taking place here June 5. For the past few weeks I cannot escape ads for any of the candidates running: when I'm listening to the radio on my car, during commericials for the few TV shows I watch, in my email , my mail, the phone calls, the internet and in the newspaper. It's annoying the hell out of me.

I'm just across the border in Minnesota. We get our local news from a TV station in Wisconsin, and that's the lead, and pretty much only story on the news every night. Good grief, they don't give presidential elections 1/10th as much coverage

I just wanna know if it's gonna rain tomorrow for chrissakes!

diamondwaspvenom · June 01, 2012, 08:49:16 AM

Job hunting can be such a hassle. What really gets to me is when you send CV after CV and application after application only to have none of the places contact you. What I really can't stand is how judgmental some of the managers can be. Apparently because I have an Afro and a mustache plus a small beard, I'm "not a serious worker". Since when did appearances become related to one's work ethics? You don't even friggin' know me or how I work yet somehow you know every aspect of my personality based on what I look like? F**k you!!!