What annoys you? (1 Viewer)

[BobO'Link]

Lately, whenever I go into YouTube, the video pops up right away, but the surrounding text and text fields take FOREVER to load (Until then ,everything surrounding the video portion is literally a blank white background!), which is a real pain when I want to enter text! Is this just a Firefox browser thing?

CHEERS!

I see this on a Chromebook with Chrome browser. The video loads, starts, white everywhere else, page reloads, everything is there, and the video starts again. Superbly annoying. It also does this with Firefox and its variants (Palemoon and IceDragon). I've just thought it was something to do with our work filter/setup. The Chromebook is work issued - I use it to test policy and filtering we push to those devices. It requires a work login both on/off our network, but since I don't own a laptop I use it while in my comfy chair watching TV and surfing. I rarely (almost never) watch a youtube video on my home desktop system and don't watch that many on the laptop. Mostly board game reviews from the guys at Dice Tower.

 

[BobO'Link]

On the subject of vaccines, there's one thing that irritates the hell out of me. For years now, there's been a push in our country for those who are over 50 and have had chicken pox to get the shingles vaccine. I had chicken pox in my 30s, and am also diabetic, which puts me at high risk. Yet, our wonderful Canadian government won't cut me a break on the $200 they charge for this vaccine (Have to be over 65, NO exceptions!), and I can't afford it on my income level. Very frustrating!

That's nuts! As long as you meet the age requirement (50+) most (all?) insurance here covers it 100%, even without a prescription. I got mine a couple of years ago after watching what my mother-in-law and father went through when they caught shingles (my father took over 2 years to recover and still has occasional flair ups). I walked into my pharmacy, told them what I wanted and that the doctor would be sending the prescription. They said "No need - we keep the permits and forms. Have a seat." Bam! I had to wait ~20 minutes before I could leave - in case there was any sort of reaction. It stings and hurts like heck due to where they give the shot but it's over fairly quickly.

 

[Tony Bensley]

I see this on a Chromebook with Chrome browser. The video loads, starts, white everywhere else, page reloads, everything is there, and the video starts again. Superbly annoying. It also does this with Firefox and its variants (Palemoon and IceDragon). I've just thought it was something to do with our work filter/setup. The Chromebook is work issued - I use it to test policy and filtering we push to those devices. It requires a work login both on/off our network, but since I don't own a laptop I use it while in my comfy chair watching TV and surfing. I rarely (almost never) watch a youtube video on my home desktop system and don't watch that many on the laptop. Mostly board game reviews from the guys at Dice Tower.

That's unfortunate about YouTube having become problematic on at least 2 different browsers on which they were formally browser friendly.

Frankly, with all the stupid crap that I've had to deal with regarding various online applications, especially in the last year or so, I'm beginning to understand the frustration of others who are sick and tired of dealing with the ever changing technology. Why did Facebook have to add on that stupid Messenger service, for instance? Now, I find that getting to my FB messages is a huge bloody PITA! Too many useless effing apps that don't work worth shit that replaced perfectly functional ones that didn't take several minutes (Or sometimes, not at all!) to access! SHEESH!

 

[Tony Bensley]

My latest annoyance relates to Facebook email notifications. Whereas in the past, I'd typically receive Birthday reminders of Facebook friends in the early AM hours, they've recently been coming later and later in the day. Just today, for instance, I didn't receive a Birthday reminder notification until after 3PM (3:06 PM was the actual time stamp on my email!), which I consider to be completely UNACCEPTABLE, especially when differing time zones are taken into account! To top it off, I had Birthday reminders for multiple friends today! At least they were in the same email reminder, but still!

At the very least, Facebook needs to resume emailing such time sensitive notices between 6 and 9AM on the day, if not sooner!

CHEERS!

 

[LeoA]

Did you keep the ticket from the toll booth where you entered? I live in Pennsylvania and my dad did the same thing recently. They'll send you a ticket in the mail saying how you went through EZ Pass without EZ Pass blah blah blah but it says how if you send them the ticket from the toll booth and the correct toll fee, there's no extra fee so you'll be OK.

The letter arrived today. I didn't get off quite that lucky.

They want the correct toll, but they also want the remittance fee. I'll have to read the letter over carefully, but I assume it's the $25 administrative fee I see elsewhere in their itemized list of stuff I'd have to pay if I hadn't kept my ticket (Since Pennsylvania apparently can't see fit to use the same term throughout their letter).

So it's going to be a bit over $30.

 

[Mike Frezon]

But you already paid $45, right (way over the amount due)?!?

Read it closely Leo.

If your interpretation is correct, that flat out sucks.

 

[Mike Frezon]

If EZ Pass is going to work regionally, states are going to have to make the process a bit more uniform so that us drivers don't run into these types of confusing differences as to how things work when getting on/off highways.

 

[LeoA]

But you already paid $45, right (way over the amount due)?!?

Read it closely Leo.

If your interpretation is correct, that flat out sucks.

I screwed up twice that day. First was coming to Dover where I picked up a toll ticket but inadvertently bypassed the tollbooth later on where I'd of handed over the ticket and paid before I exited the turnpike system. That's what the letter is for today.

Then later that night coming home, I essentially did it in reverse. I carelessly skipped the ticket booth by staying out on the interstate at 75 mph in the "EZ Pass lane" and ended up at the tollbooth at my exit later on where I had to pay, without my ticket.

And since I didn't immediately know exactly where I had entered the turnpike in the Philadelphia area, the toll attendant got extremely agitated and said it was going to be $45. He saw a cellphone on my dash and assumed I was a mindless drone following GPS and made some negative comments about such types, where as I'm about the last person that writes out directions and uses paper maps far away from home (I was using the phone to stream my favorite oldies station out of Burlington Vermont, not as a GPS).

So I paid that $45 right then and there, which has erased that debt (I was half expecting a letter for that one as well and having to fight it, so kept my receipt to prove I had paid the maximum toll already).

 

[Mike Frezon]

So you think the first half of the trip is now going to cost you $30?

Man. I'd consider trying to call someone at DRPA to explain what happened on your trip and even work in your story about their toll-taker. As someone who works for NYS government, I seriously doubt it would do you much good. But as our lottery slogan goes: "Hey, you never know." I'd say write a letter to plead your case, but you've probably got a deadline to send them their $$$.

 

[Mike Frezon]

And you're not the last guy to print out directions on a long trip. I did that on my trip from Albany to Philadelphia. I wanted to avoid the Garden State Parkway (I HATE that road)...and couldn't get my changed directions to "stick" in my GPS on my phone.

 

[Stan]

So glad I live in the Pacific Northwest, none of those issues.

Used to travel to Rockford Illinois for business trips several times a year. Fly into O'Hare and then drive the 90 or so miles. Never experienced toll roads before, very strange. And OMG, pay the toll and it was like a war zone as everybody tried to get back on the freeway. 2-3 lanes turned into about 10 to pay the toll, then good luck getting back on the road. Incredibly rude people, everybody had to be first.

 

[TravisR]

The letter arrived today. I didn't get off quite that lucky.

They want the correct toll, but they also want the remittance fee. I'll have to read the letter over carefully, but I assume it's the $25 administrative fee I see elsewhere in their itemized list of stuff I'd have to pay if I hadn't kept my ticket (Since Pennsylvania apparently can't see fit to use the same term throughout their letter).

So it's going to be a bit over $30.

Maybe I should be wearing a tinfoil hat but I wonder if they're charging a fee because you're from out of state. Or maybe the fee has changed somewhat recently because it's been probably close to a year since my old man accidentally ran the EZ Pass.

 

[ChristopherG]

taking time off from work to have an appliance repaired only to have the problem reappear the very next day...

 

[Stan]

taking time off from work to have an appliance repaired only to have the problem reappear the very next day...

Isn't that fun? Had to have a new thermostat installed for my furnace, turns out it only turned on the fan, no heat. Came back again and did some work, still no heat. Third trip, found a burned out control board in the furnace. Shipped overnight by the manufacturer, day four, I finally had heat again.

Bought a new dishwasher a few years ago (single guy, I don't to dishes, that's what machines are for). Took three days for the install. Ugh......

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Flu shots have little effect- just ask anyone in Australia who had the flu injection this year.

Flu shots work very well at protecting against the strains that are included in the vaccine. But because influenza changes rapidly, every year they have to make their best guess as to which strains are going to be prevalent for that flu season, and include the top half-dozen or so in the vaccine.

If they guess correctly, the flu shot is very effective. If they guess poorly, the flu shot will have, as you say, very little effect.

It went flawless, thanks. Hurts like hell today but that just lets me know I’m still alive.

It's not just you. My arm also hurt like hell the day after, and everybody else I know who's gotten reported the same thing. Definitely seems to be worse than prior years, for whatever reason.

That's interesting. I thought everyone used the same vaccine no matter where you get it.

From what I understand, there are two versions: the "regular" vaccine and the heavier duty vaccine for older people who are at greater risk. I think most doctor's offices have both while pharmacies and the like might only have the "regular" version.

Used to travel to Rockford Illinois for business trips several times a year. Fly into O'Hare and then drive the 90 or so miles. Never experienced toll roads before, very strange. And OMG, pay the toll and it was like a war zone as everybody tried to get back on the freeway. 2-3 lanes turned into about 10 to pay the toll, then good luck getting back on the road. Incredibly rude people, everybody had to be first.

New York State is moving very aggressively toward cashless tolling. Every fall I go on a business trip to Long Island for a few days, and it's interesting to see how that process has evolved. Until last year, we always just paid cash for the tolls and kept our receipts to get reimbursed. Last year, for the first time, some of the bridges didn't have a cash tolling option and the rental company paid the tolls (and then fined us accordingly). This time, we brought an E-ZPass with us and didn't pay one single toll. Except for the Thruway, everything was either E-ZPass or tolls by mail, with license plate readers. The E-ZPass network extends as far south as North Carolina, I believe, now and West to the Mississippi River.

I would bet in five years, tollbooth collector will be an obsolete profession -- at least for the states with electronic toll collection systems.

 

[TJPC]

We go to the Buffalo area often. EZpass is everywhere, even to pay the bridge back to Canada.

Watch yourself by the way. The only toll road in Ontario is the 407. A past government mistakenly gave a 99 year contract to a European company to collect the totals. They can charge whatever they want. A relatively short trip can cost you $25.00!

 

[Johnny Angell]

I'm just wondering, has the dearly departed (banned) Alf achieved a certain degree of immortality? This thread seems to be very long-lived, thus preserving his icon on the first page of this forum for......

 

[LeoA]

The letter arrived today. I didn't get off quite that lucky.

They want the correct toll, but they also want the remittance fee. I'll have to read the letter over carefully, but I assume it's the $25 administrative fee I see elsewhere in their itemized list of stuff I'd have to pay if I hadn't kept my ticket.

Actually, I just had to pay the $5.35 fare to bring all this to a close.

 

[Mike Frezon]

 

[Tony Bensley]

This past week or so has been filled with a Garden variety of annoyances:

- Last Saturday night at suppertime, we were hit with an attempted door to door scam, in which the guy tried to pass himself off as having been sent by housing for some sort of inspection. There were two problems with his story, for starters; that housing always provides all tenants with 24 hours written notice, and such things are always conducted on weekdays, NEVER on weekends. I have words for these sorts that I will refrain from using here, but they're most definitely not of the complimentary variety!
They were apparently casing our units, and perhaps some others! At least one tenant actually let one of these guys (There were a few of them in our complex!) inside their home. We did notify the local law enforcement of the goings off.

- Earlier today, the Mrs found out that a recent insurance payment checks failed to get cashed, due to their bank misplacing one of their deposits, which affected about a dozen of the insurance company's clients, including us, unfortunately. It really sucks to have to be extra wary of such potential foul ups like this when personal funds are short to begin with! This is one reason why I personally HATE having to write checks, that and checkbooks have become rather expensive in our neck of the woods!

- The realization of having to spend yet another grueling winter in the snow belt. My back is already protesting on colder days, and I'm finding the six month winters increasingly intolerable. On the plus side, our son is starting a new job in London next week. Hopefully, we'll be able to join him down there in the spring, but it's going to require saving any spare change, which has been a real challenge, as of late. Just have to take things one day at a time.

CHEERS!