Messages

391

General Discussion / Re: The Pot Belly Stove

« on: January 17, 2013, 03:39:21 PM »

A cold front is passing over central Florida right now, and, boy, is it giving me a weather-induced headache!  For a headache that isn't actually a migraine, this is about as bad as it gets.  It's a good thing I have today off - otherwise I'd probably be incapacitated at work.  As it is, it's hard for me to get out of bed right now, and even in bed I'm in extreme pain. 

392

General Discussion / Re: The Pot Belly Stove

« on: January 15, 2013, 04:18:30 PM »

I find it hard to believe that anybody could be worse at procrastinating than I am! 

I usually get my W-2s well ahead of time.  I couldn't sleep last night, so as soon as I found the link for my W-2 in my email inbox, I started doing my taxes.  My taxes are actually as simple as they come, so it didn't take that long.

393

General Discussion / Re: The Pot Belly Stove

« on: January 15, 2013, 02:30:38 AM »

Even though I'm the world's biggest procrastinator, I actually did my taxes this morning.  Some things even I don't mess with.

394

Local Forecast / Re: IntelliStar I and II Update planned

« on: January 13, 2013, 06:41:40 PM »

Considering what little importance TWC places on the local forecasts these days, I'm very surprised that they're even contemplating any major updates... unless, of course, it's to combine more information into an even shorter period of time.

395

Local Forecast / Re: General LF Discussion

« on: January 04, 2013, 11:40:53 AM »

It's amazing (and sad) that the #1 selling point for The Weather Channel back in the day has now been marginalized to barely existing at all.  I remember when 3+ minute local forecasts were common and, at certain times of the day, would be shown more often than 6 times per hour.

Now, you blink and you miss it.

The local forecast is really all that keeps me tuning into TWC right now.  The live weather programming outside of a weather emergency focuses so little on the actual weather.  It's a lot of talking, a lot of hype, tabloid-style reporting (especially during "Wake Up With Al"), and more discussion about social media and interactivity through the internet than I care to hear about.

Even the larger LDLs would have been able to provide more weather information on a constant basis, but those have been thoroughly discarded by now (though, thanks to a glitch or two, I know they're still programmed into the Stars).  Instead, most of the actual local weather information viewers can see is on the tiny LDL throughout the day.  (Granted, the Intellistar 2 provides more information in the LDL than the Intellistar, but non-Intellistar viewers get no local information, unless they're lucky enough to live in a major city, in which case you get current conditions and a 2-day forecast if you can manage to wait for the list to cycle through.)

396

General Discussion / Re: The Pot Belly Stove

« on: January 01, 2013, 09:54:23 PM »

I agree, plus many online retailers offer even deeper discounts the days before Black Friday, I just don't get the big deal. Supply and demand often dictates how many people want to purchase a particular type of product at any given price.

My store was actually busier on Thanksgiving than on Black Friday.  I was left all alone in the electronics department, surrounded by over a hundred screaming, yelling, pushing, shoving, impatient customers.  Eventually, the mob got so unruly (absolutely no one wanted to wait in line - everyone had to be first!) that I ended up having to call store security to restore some order.

397

General Discussion / Re: The Pot Belly Stove

« on: January 01, 2013, 02:37:19 PM »

I'm sorry to hear that, Eric.   Christmas shopping is obviously a nightmare; I can't imagine what it would be like to work in those conditions.

Unfortunately, retail rewards bad behavior.  If you scream loudly enough, attract enough attention to yourself, and complain over and over again, you will eventually get whatever you want, no matter how unfair it is to the store or to everyone else.

I could (and probably should) write a book on the miserable behavior of customers.  I honestly don't understand how it's possible to live that way - always angry, always complaining, always finding something wrong.  I personally couldn't live that way.  My mother does, and she is a constant source of unremitting stress in my entire family.

398

General Discussion / Re: The Pot Belly Stove

« on: January 01, 2013, 02:32:53 PM »

Christmas was boring last year. It felt exactly like a normal Tuesday to me which is pretty bad. You know it's bad when you wake up Christmas morning and you forget it's Christmas. First time I ever thought/felt the holidays was boring and dull.

This was my first Christmas in a couple of years when I didn't have to work.  I agree with you - it did feel exactly like a normal Tuesday.  To me, it was just a day off like any other.  Besides that, I had no one to celebrate the holiday with, so I just stayed home and enjoyed a day away from bizarro customers.

399

General Discussion / Re: The Pot Belly Stove

« on: January 01, 2013, 02:47:35 AM »

I am kinda sad that Christmas is over.

I'm not.  The Christmas season to me means two months of non-stop work with customers screaming in my face about pretty much everything, physically pulling me to and fro, and operating under the impression that I will eventually crack and give into their every demand.  (It hasn't happened yet!)

400

Local Forecast / Re: General LF Discussion

« on: December 29, 2012, 11:41:34 PM »

As much as I dislike living in Florida, I certainly do not miss that kind of weather!

401

General Discussion / Re: The Pot Belly Stove

« on: December 20, 2012, 05:07:49 PM »

Unfortunately, we have to search hard for the good in this world, if you think about, we shouldn't have to.

I agree with you 100%.

402

General Discussion / Re: The Pot Belly Stove

« on: December 19, 2012, 10:11:14 PM »

I kinda wish the world would end on Friday.

403

Everything Else TWC / Re: General TWC Discussion

« on: December 13, 2012, 11:19:37 AM »

Yes, that was a poor choice of color, especially since the color in the legend does look grey, not white.  What was wrong with making the non-snow areas the same color as, say, Mexico?  Probably to highlight the fact that this map isn't forecasting for areas outside the continental United States.  In that case, why not go back to the U.S.-only maps, which had the U.S. essentially "floating" in the middle of nowhere?

404

General Discussion / Re: The Pot Belly Stove

« on: December 11, 2012, 09:10:40 AM »

I showed up at work 12 hours early today.  They changed my shift from starting at 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.  I'd have been a lot angrier if the difference turned out to be only a couple of hours, but at least now I can eat something, relax, and sleep... and when my shift does start, I'll be a lot more awake than I was at 8:00 this morning!

405

General Discussion / Re: The Pot Belly Stove

« on: December 02, 2012, 02:20:13 PM »

I spent an embarrassingly long time searching for the "like" button.

Good job!!