What's bugging you? (2012)

[Brian the Automator]

The fact that I'm as good as cutting/arranging flowers as a blind and drunk orangutan is bugging me. :/ At least I got reservations at Coast for their valentine's dealie.

[Patrick425]

When you call a customer service number and before you talk to someone they ask you to punch in your account number. Then, when a live person comes on they ask for the account number again. What was the purpose of me punching in my number in the first place?

[pitchleague]

it's usually to verify it. I understand what you mean, though.

 

I just got back from our district office to pick up my wife's and my paychecks. They absolutely refused to release her check, even though we are on each other's accepted list of whom can pick up a check. Ticked me off like you wouldn't believe and stormed out of there. Probably will get "spoken" to about it but I don't care. They're also going to be getting an amended list of people that pick up my check--including such dignitaries as Babe Ruth, Bugs Bunny, and Stanley Roper.

[Patrick425]

it's usually to verify it. I understand what you mean, though.

 

I just got back from our district office to pick up my wife's and my paychecks. They absolutely refused to release her check, even though we are on each other's accepted list of whom can pick up a check. Ticked me off like you wouldn't believe and stormed out of there. Probably will get "spoken" to about it but I don't care. They're also going to be getting an amended list of people that pick up my check--including such dignitaries as Babe Ruth, Bugs Bunny, and Stanley Roper.

 

I'm not sure what the "district office" is and I don't mean to pry, but why don't you just have the checks automatically deposited into your accounts? I can't imagine there are any employer's (including the governement) that does not have this as an option (In fact many employers make this mandatory). Perhaps you have your reasons but it saves two trips, one to the district office and one to the bank. Not to mention that most banks now waive certain fees on checking accounts when you have your checks automatically deposited. Also, you would most likely have access to your money sooner since they are generally deposited the night before or the morning of date of the paycheck.

[pitchleague]

we did direct deposit through our school district once upon a time. There were errors about every other month so we ditched it.

[1992casey]

It seems silly that they can't send the checks to the buildings where you work.

[Patrick425]

Ok, this will probably be a long rant. No one will probably really care about it or read it, but it will be cathartic for me. So here it goes:

 

I purchased a Toshiba laptop a couple of years ago. From the start I had issues with it. However, even though I had a one year warranty, I ignored them and just lived with the issues because I didn't want' to go through the nightmare of having to send the computer to who knows where and waiting who knows how long to get it back.

 

The issue kept getting worse. 3 or 4 weeks ago I tried to install some tax software and could not do it. I also could not install updates to adobe or anything else. I ran virus scans from various programs and none of that helped. Finally I decided to just wipe out every thing and restore the factory settings. Pretty much everything on the laptop came EOM and so I did not have any disks, but through research I found that there is a partition on the hard drive that I can use to reset my laptop back to it's factory settings. So I carefully backed up everything and started the process. Not long into the process I got an error and could go no further. So I now had this "useless" computer.

 

I called Toshiba and explained the problem. They told me I needed a new hard drive and recovery disks. The hard drive cost me $130 and the disks cost $30. The hard drive came the next day with no shipping costs, the disks never came (I ordered them on the 7th and the tracking just stopped on the 9th). I called DHL and USPS (DHL first handled the shipping and then gave it to USPS in Des Plains, IL according to the tracking information). USPS said they never received it and DHL said they gave it to USPS. Wonderful.

 

So, I called Toshiba back and told them that I never got the disks. They told me to call USPS. I told them I already did and after a lot of back and forth with them trying to convince them that the shipment was lost they finally agreed to send me knew disks at no cost. Meanwhile I have the new hard drive with a 15 day return policy and my window for this is running out. I call Toshiba Direct (from whom I ordered the Hard Drive) to explain the situation and they issued me a product return that they said I could choose not to use but it would give me an extra 15 days.

 

My disks (3 of them) finally arrive yesterday. Everything on the disks seemed to install correctly, but then once the laptop began the recovery process it got to 3% and gave me an error code. I looked up the code on the internet and it gave me several different possibilities as to why I was getting the error - from bad CD to bad hard drive or memory.

 

Here is the part that really bothers me. I brought my laptop to work today and I called the Toshiba tech support number that is on the disks. I explain the situation to the person and give him the error code. He immediately tells me that its a hard drive issue. I tell him that I just installed a new hard drive that I got from Toshiba, but he continues to insist it's a hard drive issue and wants to connect me to Toshiba Direct (to probably sell me another hard drive). Not wanting to go through all of that, I argue with him that it most likely is not the hard drive and insists that it is and tells me to Google it and I'll see. We debate back and forth for a while and he then puts me on hold for a few minutes. He then comes back and says he was wrong and that its my memory that is the problem. Well, now I don't believe he has any idea what he is talking about and that he's just looking up all this stuff on the internet (he's clearly operating from a call center overseas). He transfers me to Toshiba Direct and they are not open yet, so I hang up frustrated.

 

We have an IT person that comes in to our work every other week. Today happens to be the day he is in. I explain the situation to him and tell him the last thing Toshiba told me was that it's a memory issue. He opens the back of my laptop (where the memory is located) and there are two "memory sticks" (not sure what the actual name of these are). Both are 2G. He tells me I don't need both of them to do the set up process and suggests that I take one out and try to run the process again. If that works then I will know there is a problem with the memory stick that I took out. Sure enough I run the set up and it works and I have my laptop back! Now I just need to replace the 2G memory stick that I removed.

 

While I'm overjoyed to have my laptop back, I'm ticked at Toshiba for not being able to (or not being willing to) tell me about trying this "fix". I'm now wondering if I even needed to purchase the new hard drive in the first place. Seems to me that Toshiba just tries to suggest fixes that will cause me to buy expensive parts from them. I'm also really surprised that none of the "fixes" that I read on the internet mentioned this.

[1992casey]

I think Toshiba should offer to take one of the hard drives back — whichever one is more convenient for you to give up.

 

Had the problem actually been the new hard drive, they would have needed to take it back, 15 days or not. There should have been a warranty to cover that, anywhere from 90 days on up.

 

As an option, if the old drive works, you could put it in an enclosure and continue to use it for something. This one from OWC is fine. You might be able to get something cheaper on Amazon, though.

 

I'm hoping that you got $130 worth of hard drive. With the shortage we've had in recent months, prices fluctuate a lot.

 

The silver lining is that RAM is generally cheap. If you want to get back to 4GB, that won't cost much.

[hawing]

At the West Towne Penney's in Madison tonight, they had a Hardy shirsey at regular price. Seriously.

[JimH5]

Nike introduces a new shoe and they have to send out riot squads to quell the frenzied masses? What is wrong with people?

[JimH5]

Nike introduces a new shoe and they have to send out riot squads to quell the frenzied masses? What is wrong with people?

[1992casey]

I'm wondering what caused JimH5 to post the same thing two times a half hour apart. User error or system error?

 

[TooLiveBrew]

User error or system error?

 

Yes.

[JimH5]

Honestly I don't know. It might have been me. Or not. 99+ percent of my posts have originated from my computers. A few of my recent ones have come from my phone, including today. It's possible that I left the browser open and bumped the send button again.

 

Something to monitor going forward... I'll close the browser from now on...

[hawing]

I think this calls for a secret investigation, just after I notify the media. Oh, wait.

[TURBO]

Going in for an oil change, and getting a list that totals just more than $1000 for future repairs that are not emergencies, but things that will HAVE to be done at some point in the near future.

 

That bugs me.

[GAME05]

my left front headlight shines only about 10' in front of me. got new bulb, just polished the lens, already had the last place aim the light as far up as he could. and now neither window will work, but i'm not paying $400 to fix one of them. and even though i had my AC fixed last summer, it doesn't work anymore. i hate my car. and the emergency brake is useless.

[RockCoCougars]

I believe that this is my first contribution to this thread (usually my venting is done on the Major League board), but anyway....

 

I caught an ad last night for the upcoming NCAA tournament. It appears that they will be ramming another 'theme song' down our throats every 5 minutes, every game, with non-stop airings of ads when the games aren't on. I still have that 'Written in the Stars' song in my head as well as the ESPN 'Champ of the World' (or whatever) bowl song. Obviously, this is some type of cross promotional effort, but I find it incredibly irritating.

 

Hopefully, FSN has taken that 'Crossing Over State Lines' song, by Matt Hires (couldn't help but know the name of the artist) out of the que as well.

[DatHoser]

I still have that 'Written in the Stars' song in my head

 

You're not alone - now. D'oh!

[TooLiveBrew]

I believe that this is my first contribution to this thread (usually my venting is done on the Major League board), but anyway....

 

I caught an ad last night for the upcoming NCAA tournament. It appears that they will be ramming another 'theme song' down our throats every 5 minutes, every game, with non-stop airings of ads when the games aren't on. I still have that 'Written in the Stars' song in my head as well as the ESPN 'Champ of the World' (or whatever) bowl song. Obviously, this is some type of cross promotional effort, but I find it incredibly irritating.

 

Hopefully, FSN has taken that 'Crossing Over State Lines' song, by Matt Hires (couldn't help but know the name of the artist) out of the que as well.

This post. Is golden. Definitely got me laughing.

[TheCrew07]

2 things happened in my presence today, 1 happens all the time, the other not so much.

 

The first... why is it acceptable to leave grocery carts all over the parking lot? Most days when I'm working out of my home office I go grab lunch from the Festival Foods deli, so I probably witness this type of thing a couple of times a week. Typically I'm guy that will corral carts in between my car and the nearest retrieval spot because it really bothers that people are so selfish they don't take the extra 20 seconds to return a cart. Today I saw someone literally leave a cart 6 feet from the retrieval area so said something. Her reply was that she was in a hurry and they pay someone to police up the carts in the parking lot anyway. What does any of that have to do with her cart blowing around potentially hitting someone else's car or taking away a parking spot (which is much more frequent) so some one has to get out of their car and deal with the cart just so they can park. Going there are around midday it just bothers the heck out of me, especially when it's an elderly person that has to deal with the cart, in which case I'll go way out of my way to intervene.

 

The 2nd... right after the grocery store I go across the street to Walmart because I need DVDs for work and I left my stack on the other side of town. I just happen to overhear a conversation between 2 ladies about the 1 getting denied a handicap permit. At first I'm thinking what kind of rat bastard actually denies a handicap permit but then I peak around the corner. Well this lady is maybe 5 feet tall, and she's probably at least 3 feet wide, riding around on one of those courtesy scooters. She literally engulfed the little scooter... She proceeds to complain about being out of breath walking from the parking lot into the store and how her appetite has gotten out of control. Well I'm admittedly bitter now so I move on trying to find my DVDs but I do overhear a bit more as I'm zipping around the isles looking for my DVDs (they were moved since the last time I needed them on short notice) and from what I gathered being obese in itself (as in just letting yourself go) doesn't qualify one for a handicap sticker. The more I thought about this, the more it pissed me off. All of the myriad of health problems that she'll eventually have to deal with in the future aside, shouldn't that be a wake up call that maybe your lifestyle needs to be adjusted? Where's the public interest in enabling poor health? I've let myself get overweight, I know a ton of people in NE WI who are overweight, but I drew line at size 36 pants for myself. Jumping 4 sizes was enough, I wasn't going to buy all new jeans/dockers/shorts etc again because I was too lazy cook anymore and ate fast food all the time and stopped working out. I can't imagine not being able to walk 100 yards without having to stop and catch my breath.

 

Then it occurred to me that she'll probably have a significant fall, or some sort of significant health problem, she'll eventually get her permit, and nothing will change... Maybe I'm out of line, but I was pretty irked by the time I got back to the office and I haven't been able to let it go all evening.

[GAME05]

maybe states differ on allowing handicap permits. my downstairs neighbour has diabetes because of her weight problem. she's on disability because of it and i assume also has a handicap tag. "The doctor told me i just have to stay away from that fast food, but i just can't help it! It's just so cheap, too!"

 

i think last time i ate fast food it cost me about $8 for a meal. not sure how that's cheap. although i feel for her because she's alone, too, so i bring her healthy dinners sometimes. she talks incessantly, though.

[Baldkin]

My neighbor deciding to play Ozzy and Pink Floyd at 4am, loud enough that you can hear it both in the entire hallway, through the walls, and the bass is vibrating things on my desk.

 

I knocked on the door. Knocked on the wall.

 

I called the police they refuse to do anything at 4am. Good 'ole dirty stallis. All I want is sleep.

[Hammer]

Keep calling then Baldkin. I believe that they have to come out if they get at least 3 complaints..

 

What's bugging me? Unfaithful people. One of my good friends from when I was a kid has been cheating on her husband. He knows and is filing for divorce but she (and even her mother) keep flaunting the relationship on Facebook. Really? That seems so 6th grade to me...but in real, grown-up life.

[TURBO]

Facebook in general bugs the heck out of me.