Little things that annoy the hell out of you

[BPzeBanshee]

GPU reaching 60ºC while idle, CPU near 45ºC. Breaks my heart.

That's cute.

My laptop's running at 60*C as I type at 4:58PM. My i3 was running at 45*C before the PSU blew up on Christmas Eve. An average temperature in Darwin, Australia.

[spl]

Businesses that are closed for extended periods during the holiday season.

If it's not a public holiday - it is a regular business day! If you want to take holidays yourself please ensure you hire staff to run the place in the mean time!

[Moniker]

Businesses that are closed for extended periods during the holiday season.

If it's not a public holiday - it is a regular business day! If you want to take holidays yourself please ensure you hire staff to run the place in the mean time!

I'd encourage you to blame the unions. I don't understand it, but they value paid holidays over wage increases. One of the very few instances of beneficial myopia.

[BulletMagnet]

And on the other end you've got the McDonald's and Wal-Marts of the world who refuse to give most of their employees a day off for most anything, not only holidays but weather conditions, sickness, family emergencies, and so forth - and they still don't make enough to come within spitting distance of the middle class. Worse, the mindset is spreading.

[Xyga]

Businesses that are closed for extended periods during the holiday season.

If it's not a public holiday - it is a regular business day! If you want to take holidays yourself please ensure you hire staff to run the place in the mean time!

I'd encourage you to blame the unions. I don't understand it, but they value paid holidays over wage increases. One of the very few instances of beneficial myopia.

And on the other end you've got the McDonald's and Wal-Marts of the world who refuse to give most of their employees a day off for most anything, not only holidays but weather conditions, sickness, family emergencies, and so forth - and they still don't make enough to come within spitting distance of the middle class. Worse, the mindset is spreading.

Oh I so enjoyed waking up at 6 (minimal transportation service during holidays) to go to the office right after x-mas, while my boss and his friend managers went to spend the benefits of a year of our hard work to save the company from bankruptcy... in one of the most expensive ski resorts ever. Makes sense.
It was nice having nobody taking calls nor any replies to my emails, or just getting the "What you're working now ? Why aren't you with your family ?"
That's what you get now with a master degree in business an language: paid just a little better than a mac-job, no bonuses, no encouragements. Such happiness. Wow.

I just WISH we had a TU supporting us.

Now in my country we even see idiots willing to work on sundays against the law because 'more hours = more cash'... duh. The fact that they're being paid like shit to begin with doesn't even cross their minds.
No wonder their bosses support their movement by paying for the banners, t-shirts and flyers.
More efforts to support our bosses lifestyle, so touching, such good will. Wow.

You're right Bullet, idiocy is spreading as fast as middle ages's black death.
People actually willing to be miserable exploited workers. Happy 2014.

[null1024]

Yeah, having to go in for 6 the day after Christmas was complete dicks [my boss ended up sending me home early that day, thankfully -- I was pretty much ready to pass out and go insane].


Understaffing bugs the fuck out of me. Today, we had an asston of customers. Well more than a team of 4 -- 3 floor people [one was a manager] and one stock person [me] could reasonably handle.

We have the amount of staff to handle it just fine [hell, 2 more people would have solved most of the problems, one on floor, one in stock], but they're trying to cut down hours [and thus, those who do get them end up suffering because they don't have the support they need, so they end up surrounded by irate customers who've been waiting to try to get service for a while]. Siiiiiiiigh.

but at least it's money [and so we will be ground to dust for just a fistful of cash, blah]

[Krooze L-Roy]

Midgets.

[hecheff]

If Japan is so concerned about public health, why do the restrooms at train stations have no soap?

I wonder about that at times.

On the other hand, there may be some hidden culture thing involving people carrying personal supplies of soap around with them...?

[SuperGrafx]

If Japan is so concerned about public health, why do the restrooms at train stations have no soap?

I wonder about that at times.

On the other hand, there may be some hidden culture thing involving people carrying personal supplies of soap around with them...?

I think that's correct.
I have a book about "living abroad in Japan" and one of the first things it notes to bring (on your fact-finding trip) is your own package of tissues/toilet paper and soap since it's never seemingly in stock in the public restrooms.

[KAI]

Self esteem issues.

[rancor]

You're my favorite Argentine.

[KAI]

Thanks. You are my favorite guy-with-rabbit-avatar.

[Moniker]

If Japan is so concerned about public health, why do the restrooms at train stations have no soap?

I wonder about that at times.

On the other hand, there may be some hidden culture thing involving people carrying personal supplies of soap around with them...?

I think that's correct.
I have a book about "living abroad in Japan" and one of the first things it notes to bring (on your fact-finding trip) is your own package of tissues/toilet paper and soap since it's never seemingly in stock in the public restrooms.

When I was packing for an exchange program in Taiwan, I was advised to prepare for "Crouching Toilet, Hidden Paper." That advice served me well. And I totally didn't accidentally crap on my backpack during a bus trip and pretend nothing happened. And I totally didn't participate in the abduction and defilement of the program's chief asshole's favorite ballcap by pissing and shitting on it whilst drunk on cheap vodka, and then surreptitiously returning it, whereupon he wore it as if nothing happened.

Good lord, I was an asshole in my teens.

[Lord Satori]

When you have a sexual dream about an unwanted person (won't go into any further detail)

When I finished masturbating, for no reason the song "It's off to work we go" (or whatever the name is) from Snow White pops into my head.

Random boners.

[gs68]

If Japan is so concerned about public health, why do the restrooms at train stations have no soap?

I wonder about that at times.

On the other hand, there may be some hidden culture thing involving people carrying personal supplies of soap around with them...?

I think that's correct.
I have a book about "living abroad in Japan" and one of the first things it notes to bring (on your fact-finding trip) is your own package of tissues/toilet paper and soap since it's never seemingly in stock in the public restrooms.

I'm in the Philippines for vacation and bathrooms have a similar issue. At best (e.g. the ten million shopping malls in the Metro Manila area), you get soap, alongside toilet paper for paper towels and/or a crappy-quality hand dryer. (I'm surprised I saw a Mitsubishi-brand Dyson knockoff today, after so many terrible dryers.) At worst (e.g. restrooms at places of worship in the mountains) you don't even get soap.

This is probably to conserve resources, as Philippines is a third world country--one where those working menial jobs are paid the equivalent of 8 USD per day. Yes, per day, not hour.

When you have a sexual dream about an unwanted person (won't go into any further detail)

When I finished masturbating, for no reason the song "It's off to work we go" (or whatever the name is) from Snow White pops into my head.

Random boners.

Speaking of vacation and lewdness: Having nowhere to *ahem*. Which means if I develop any lewd thoughts, I get to hold them off until I get home about 5 days from now. (I've been here since Christmas.)

[drauch]

Neglected electronics. I work at an electronic recycling center. Some guys did a load from a local hospital, mostly CRTs, then dumped them outside in the snow. So many casualties. A huge Sony PVM. Almost brought a goddamn tear to my eye. I salvaged 4 PVMs altogether, which I unfortunately cannot keep all of them. My boss thankfully said I could have my pick, since they didn't know these had value in the first place, but goddamn, they're in rough shape. Probably were in perfect condition before the ride over here as well. RIP 22" Viewsonic. You would have looked great while playing Doom.

[BitFaced]

Getting a DVD only to discover it doesn't have all of the bonus features you wanted simply because it's the PAL version or something. Happened to me twice with some Toy Story and Spongebob boxsets for no apparent reason.

[nZero]

(I'm surprised I saw a Mitsubishi-brand Dyson knockoff today, after so many terrible dryers.)

When the knockoff label gets misattributed by reversing the actual situation.

[Ji-L87]

Import charges.

No offence guys, but I have the worst luck buying things from the US - it's like a 90% chance to get slapped with an extra bill.
If it's from Japan, sometimes I need to pay some import charges, especially if things arrive by boat but not nearly as often.

In this case, I thought that "hey! I got money now, I think I will actually buy a legal, physical copy of this drawing program and not be a software pirate for once. With the possible exception of Photoshop".
The shipping was expensive, almost cost the same amount as the software but the total amount was still "acceptable".

Now I get home from work and having a letter from FedEx waiting for me telling me that I need to pay an additional sum for import charges, taxes & an "administration fee".

It's 2014, we should really be better at this international commerce thing.

[Xyga]

Well it is meant to dissuade specific customers from buying stuff outside Europe after all.
The method is very mafia-like but if it weren't for it the European market would collapse. Hard.

[Ji-L87]

Well it is meant to dissuade specific customers from buying stuff outside Europe after all.

Oh, I'd love to buy from within Europe, if what I wanted was available there.

...Actually.

Writing this, I see now that this specific software is available through Amazon.co.uk, from which I can use their speedy free shipping option, for about the same cost I paid prior to the import charges.
Feeling like such a tool now. And I usually check availability on Amazon first.

I.

I just don't know

[Xyga]

Thankfully businesses don't have to go through this custom fees crap (if some specific terms apply but heh).

One of my jobs is to buy stuff in the US, stuff that can't be found in the EU.
Freight costs are a bitch but since the $-€ exchange rates are at our advantage (most of the time) it is okay.

My only problem when I contact US companies is that I get the "OMG European commies ! Block their contact/IP and report to NSA ! NOW !" kind of treatment.

[Ji-L87]

"OMG European commies ! Block their contact/IP and report to NSA ! NOW !" kind of treatment.

Isn't it the other way around now, tho'?
OMG US GOODS! It must surely be bugged with NSA backdoors! NO NO NO!

/off-topic

[Xyga]

Isn't it the other way around now, tho'?
OMG US GOODS! It must surely be bugged with NSA backdoors! NO NO NO!

/off-topic

Nope, Orwell was wrong anyway, people BUY cameras and WANT to be seen/spied on.
And poor Snowden is a good guy but he failed to see that most people are like: 'Cool story bro!'

/off-topic

[Ed Oscuro]

Nah, Orwell wasn't wrong. But maybe "it's not a problem for me" makes many people not worry about it. The countries that are OK with spying are basically those that have either had a long history with government surveillance (Russia), see an overriding security need for it (Israel), or have been heavily marketed with a "spies are good guys" message (the UK with James Bond, notably).

Speaking of things, let's hear what a Butterfly Labs account manager has to say about making people trust Bitcoin:

"Mining is a treadmill," said Dave McClain, account manager at Butterfly Labs. "You've got to be reinvesting money into more hardware and the latest hardware. It's like the lottery; the more tickets you buy, the better your chances."

Well, okay, maybe that's not exactly the right message.

[mosey]

Waking up nice and early on one's day off, having a coffee and a nice shower. Then while routinely shaving one's stubby head, feeling a soapy bump of skin shear clean from one's scalp. And here comes the blood...

[hecheff]

Neglected electronics. I work at an electronic recycling center. Some guys did a load from a local hospital, mostly CRTs, then dumped them outside in the snow. So many casualties.

This reminds me of my money-saving habits during the time I was living in Tokyo.
The area where I lived had a dumpster which had a steady supply of various electronics, comics, home furniture (chairs, tables, etc) in almost-new condition.

Such a horrible waste, so I decided to help myself to them after a quick disinfecting and cleaning; they were clearly not saved for recycling or second-hand selling anyway.

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

I hate how practically every piece of electronic equipment that I own has to have some bright ass light put in it that annoys the crap out of me at night. As if I were too stupid to know if it was turned off or not by simply looking at the screen. With a lot of this stuff the light stays on even after it is turned off, totally nullifying the entire purpose of the light to begin with. Then as soon as I cover it with duct tape or something I'll need to use whatever brightly lit button that I hid it underneath with.

[null1024]

The absolute worst thing was a Dell power adapter that had the brightest blue LED I've seen. I've used the thing as a flashlight when looking under the desk it was plugged into, it was so damn bright.
You couldn't reasonably have the thing sitting face-up, since even in a lit room, the light from it is blinding.

And yeah, covering with tape is usually good -- if I'm copying files to my external HDD overnight, the flashing access light is really bothersome in the dark [if it were constant, it wouldn't be as much an issue, although it'd be a much less useful indicator]. Had to slap a bit of black tape over the thing.

[hecheff]

@null1024: For me, my biggest offenders would be my USB chargers and HDDs (I do my share of hardware stuff, especially over the weekend).
It gets worst during my travels, when the bright light just fills the hotel room at night (which I can't compromise or cover due to lack of duct tape on-hand)