Pet Peeves: Aka Things That Make You Go "Gah!"

[ABay]

My father lived in Floriday for 5 years before he died and it will always be Death's Waiting Room to me. One of my friends lives there now somewhere around Orlando. I've visted both and couldn't wait to escape every time. It's flat, hot, humid, there are cockroaches everywhere, i.e. Hell on Earth to me. I can't conceive of going there voluntarily. So here's one less tourist for you guys to bemoan!

[Mountainair]

Where we live in the mountains the Floridian's summer here. They are lovingly referred to as "Floridiots" because they can not drive the roads properly. They drive at a snails pace and are forever crossing the double yellow lines!

Edited October 3, 2016 by Mountainair

[AgentRXS]

Quote

It's flat, hot, humid, there are cockroaches everywhere, i.e. Hell on Earth to me.

LOL yes its all those things, which I hate. But I loved the beach until it became so over-developed that it was a nightmare and not worth the headache to go anymore. All the parking lots that used to be available for patrons have been replaced by hotels for the tourists and housing for the rich. Fuck the middle-class/poor natives---we don't deserve to see the beach apparently. So down here we have housing to the east that's expensive due to the beach, and the western parts of the county are also expensive and filled with rich, privately gated communities. So where does the middle class/poor live? The inner cities right? But oh wait......they are slowly gentrifying the poor areas of town by buying out older apartment buildings/used car lots/available green space and building "luxury" (aka unaffordable) housing for the rich.  Which I guess is today's peeve for me: Gentrification, which is happening in big cities all over the country.  Where is the middle class/poor supposed to live when even a studio is going for $800 a month these days? And property taxes on homes are rising sky high? The fast food workers/retail sales people all need places to live, right? Poor doesn't have to mean ghetto. Their are plenty of neighborhoods that used to be middle-class and quaint that are slowly being bought out by these developers. Its frustrating.

Edited October 3, 2016 by AgentRXS

[DeLurker]

Florida is haven for all sorts of unbearable and unbelievable things, but it has given me books by Carl Hiasssen (don't hold the movie version of Strip Tease against him, because the book was great) and the Florida Man twitter account.  Not to mention the fictional serial killer Serge Storm in books by Tim Dorsey.

6 hours ago, candall said:

Yikes, try Key West.  I lived there for years when everyone worked their asses off for three months during "the season" and the rest of the year it was a sleepy little stonerville with a population of characters you knew from being perched on the next barstool

Oh my, I can only guess how good some of your stories are!    Plus, you never know who is selling you tourist trap crap like seashells or t-shirts.  I've met some Ivy League professors, Wall Street Execs and the likes who decided they had enough of dropped off the grid of any social normalcy down there.  It was so unnerving that these people who by any standard "made it" left "it".

Edited October 3, 2016 by DeLurker
How and who have the same letters, but don't mean the same thing

[Guest]

While we are on the topic of seasonal peeves, I have a variation.  Traffic.

I do not understand why there is no traffic in summer and tons of traffic the rest of the year.  The childless can literally pinpoint the first and last day of school to the day just based on the volume of traffic.

Do working parents not having to coordinate their drive to work around their kid's school really create that much dispersal of when people go to work that there is no traffic no matter when you leave in Summer.  Or are buses clogging roads because they collect the kids on the main road now?  Or do that many high school kids drive ?  Or do stay at home parents drive their kids to school instead of using the bus?

Edited October 4, 2016 by ParadoxLost

[auntlada]

On some roads here, the traffic changes drastically when school starts because parents do take their kids to school. Here, kids can only ride the bus if they live more than a mile from their school. If they live closer, they don't have a stop for a bus that goes to their school. And since we have neighborhood elementary schools, there's a school in almost every area of town.

Of course, the university starting at the same time adds to the traffic.

Edited October 4, 2016 by auntlada

[Sandman87]

9 hours ago, Mountainair said:

Where we live in the mountains the Floridian's summer here. They are lovingly referred to as "Floridiots" because they can not drive the roads properly. They drive at a snails pace and are forever crossing the double yellow lines!

 

You just reminded me of a minor peeve: The word "Floridian." No. Floridian would be someone who lives in a place named Floridia. Why the hell do they need that extra syllable? Are they too good for "Floridan"? That's like someone from Kansas calling themselves Kansian, or a Texan insisting on being a Texian.
 

[bilgistic]

I live near and drive part of my morning commute to work on a road that has two private schools on it, along with some fancy daycare/preschool. Nightmare! For some reason, there are no stoplights for a solid mile or more on this four-lane road (with a middle turn lane), so I sit waiting sometimes literally five minutes to make a left turn. I've put in a request with the city to look into putting in a stoplight where I turn left (where there is also a left turn lane onto the road from which I'm turning; one can also turn right onto the road from the other direction), and I saw surveyors out there one morning, so hope springs eternal.

13 minutes ago, Sandman87 said:

You just reminded me of a minor peeve: The word "Floridian." No. Floridian would be someone who lives in a place named Floridia. Why the hell do they need that extra syllable? Are they too good for "Floridan"? That's like someone from Kansas calling themselves Kansian, or a Texan insisting on being a Texian.
 

We're called North Carolinians, not Carolinans. I don't know.

[auntlada]

And Texans used to be Texians. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texians

[Sandman87]

See? Texas got it's act together, so why can't Florida?

[DeLurker]

^^^Hahaha!

Let's just say that is part of the state charm!

Born in Maine and love how they are the Mainiacs.

[Maharincess]

On 10/2/2016 at 2:28 PM, Bastet said:

I'm addicted to plane crash documentaries (odd, perhaps, given how much I enjoy flying; maybe it reinforces for me how statistically unlikely I am to be in one, I don't know) and I'm readily familiar with that crash.  It has always struck me how very similar a later jet vs. small plane midair collision was, an Aeromexico flight that went down in Cerritos (and was also captured on camera by ground photographers who happened to be in the area for other events).

I had to fly for business that November, which was my first time in the air since the attacks.  (I was on vacation when they happened, and scheduled to fly back the following weekend, but I was just a state away from home and the airports were still horribly backed up from just being re-opened, that I just rented a car.)  I wasn't nervous that I can recall, but I remember my mom being pretty anxious about me flying.

Getting back to peeves, we have great tree-lined streets in my neighborhood (the kind where the trees meet in the middle overhead, creating a lovely canopy), and it would drive me batty if the city had planted trees that dropped things like crazy.  Especially those spiky brown balls someone was talking about up-thread; growing up, a friend's neighbor had one of those trees in their front yard, close enough it would drop those deathtraps on the sidewalk, which wreaked havoc when we were roller skating or riding bikes down the sidewalk.

That's how the trees are on the main road leading to my road. The trees form over the road and its beautiful. 

My tree hate is for mulberry trees.  At my old house we had two in the front yard and three in the back. Every single fall the trees have to be trimmed back to the stump and its a pain in the ass. We did it ourselves for a few years then said screw it and hired a company to do it the remaining years. We couldn't cut them down because they were the only trees we had for shade. 

When we moved to this property there were a few mulberry trees and since we have a hundred trees up here those trees were chopped down right away. 

[Moose135]

28 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

Born in Maine and love how they are the Mainiacs.

The Maine Air National Guard actually has a MAINEiac logo they put on their aircraft.  I went through pilot training with one of their guys, and Maineiac was a good word to describe him!

[ABay]

My favorite name for a state's residents is Masshole for Massachusetts.

[FormerMod-a1]

Born and raised in Michigan (now live in MN, though).  According to that article, the official term is Michiganite, which I have never heard in my life.  I've only heard the "alternatives" of Michiganian (there's that "ian" again) and Michigander.  Most people I knew used the last one - Michigander, because it kept the sound of the state name right and seemed to flow easier than the "ian" one.

[rcc]

12 hours ago, DeLurker said:

^^^Hahaha!

Let's just say that is part of the state charm!

Born in Maine and love how they are the Mainiacs.

Or Mainers.

[potatoradio]

Quote

Born and raised in Michigan (now live in MN, though).  According to that article, the official term is Michiganite, which I have never heard in my life.

Seconded. Who are these Michigan-ites? Sounds like a type of rock you'd pick up on the shores of Lake Superior. I only know of other Michiganders and Michiganians who can't help the fact that they were born with a state map attached to their body and YES I am going to whip it out and show you EXACTLY the city I am talking about. You can't stop me.

Plus, it's fun to make the Wisconsonites jealous because they'll start talking about how their state is shaped like a mitt, then try to use their hand to show you and....oh, please, just stop right there.

I didn't know I had a peeve about tight clothing until our local weatherman decided to paint his shirts on instead of wearing them. Look, dude, I get it. You eat kale and pump iron and you are massive. Congratulations. Now, could you please find a shirt that fits so I can get my weather report without wondering if you're going to go all Hulk at any minute? Find a catwalk somewhere else, k?

Speaking of clothing - I thank my lucky stars every day that my wife loves laundry and every week the magical laundry fairy visits. But today, I grabbed what I thought was a pair of black pants to wear and then, at the gym, realized that, whooops, they're PJ bottoms. Luckily, the line between PJ and pants in women's wear is very thin, so nobody has said anything, but it's a really weird feeling to sit at my desk in a jacket and pajama bottoms. Should I do my hair in curlers or hop on some power emails? Hmmmm....

Edited October 4, 2016 by potatoradio

[bilgistic]

If I could wear pajamas to work, I would. I wear "business casual" as loosely defined as it can be. I wear the same style black knit shirt every day (I have several of them), and casual "khakis". I hate being dressed up and uncomfortable.

[JTMacc99]

12 hours ago, ABay said:

My favorite name for a state's residents is Masshole for Massachusetts.

Only when they are behind the wheel. 

[Maizie131]

13 hours ago, aquarian1 said:

Born and raised in Michigan (now live in MN, though).  According to that article, the official term is Michiganite, which I have never heard in my life.  I've only heard the "alternatives" of Michiganian (there's that "ian" again) and Michigander.  Most people I knew used the last one - Michigander, because it kept the sound of the state name right and seemed to flow easier than the "ian" one.

Aquarian1 - I'm born & raised in Michigan, also, & I've never heard of a Michiganite, either.  I do prefer Michiganian to Michigander because the latter always reminds me of a duck!  Must say I'm proud when I'm out of state & people ask me where I'm from that I can hold up my right hand to show them & point!  I DO love my "mitten-shaped peninsula"!  However, just today I saw a forecast for this winter, and it absolutely SUCKS!!  Oh well...good news is that all those frigid temps & snow kill all the bugs!  (I lived in North Carolina for 2 years and let me tell you ... the insects even in the dead of winter are frickin' HUGE!!!!  It never gets cold enough for long enough there to kill them....seriously!)

[AgentRXS]

I'm so sick of these people freaking out over Hurricane Matthew down here. C'mon folks---its not due to even direct hit Florida and its still 2 days away. Yes, its huge and powerful. But you still have 2 whole days to catch up on getting supplies......and this is FL. We've been lucky that we've been spared a major hurricane so far in the last 11 years but you couldn't have thought the streak would last forever. I'd take a hurricane I can prepare for rather then a sudden event like a tornado or earthquake any day.  We've come along way in building hurricane-grade windows and buildings since Andrew. These doomsdayers are all getting on my last nerve.

[Sandman87]

16 hours ago, ABay said:

My favorite name for a state's residents is Masshole for Massachusetts.

Which reminds me of a peeve I had when I lived in the Bay Area. I used to refer to the "Critical Mass" bikers who periodically jammed up SF's streets by riding around in a gigantic mob as the Critical Massholes.

[JTMacc99]

6 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

Hurricane Matthew

My 6th grader is very proud that "his" hurricane is a big one. 

[DeLurker]

11 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

I'm so sick of these people freaking out over Hurricane Matthew down here. C'mon folks---its not due to even direct hit Florida and its still 2 days away. Yes, its huge and powerful. But you still have 2 whole days to catch up on getting supplies......and this is FL. We've been lucky that we've been spared a major hurricane so far in the last 11 years but you couldn't have thought the streak would last forever. I'd take a hurricane I can prepare for rather then a sudden event like a tornado or earthquake any day.  We've come along way in building hurricane-grade windows and buildings since Andrew. These doomsdayers are all getting on my last nerve.

I'd pick a hurricane over an earthquake any day.  Never experienced a tornado, so I can't say based on experience (but I really like the lead time you get with a hurricane). 

I think part of the problem now is 24/7 coverage of the storm.  Yes, having accurate storm condition and path information is great, but I live in the Houston area and a good part of what should be our local news broadcast is talking about the storm, showing the lines of people waiting to buy gas and propane tanks.  In Florida.

I hope anyone in the area (that's at least @AgentRXS) is hunkered down safe when it hits, but The Sky Is Falling mania is overdone.  Most Floridians are housed in substantially more secure buildings than the people of Haiti, Puerto Rico, Cuba...

Edited October 5, 2016 by DeLurker
Cause I always catch a typo AFTER I hit Submit.

[Sun-Bun]

Not so much a peeve as a random observation: wish I could find the joy that others out there seem to in pot. Over the years I've smoked it, injested it, drank it and all, yet despite my ongoing experimentations, the only thing it *ever* seems to do for me is turn me into a braindead zombie.

Maybe for some folks they like turning off their brains for a bit and just going into that gleeful haze, but after being on vacation in Denver for the past few days and revisiting my former curiosity with the green stuff, I've officially come to accept that it's just not the right vice for me. Guess I'll just stick to good ol' booze for kicks then. 

I will add that I think pot should in fact be legalized in all of America, and that cannabis, especially when used medicinally, offers far more pros than cons to the world.

[topanga]

7 minutes ago, Sun-Bun said:

Not so much a peeve as a random observation: wish I could find the joy that others out there seem to in pot. Over the years I've smoked it, injested it, drank it and all, yet despite my ongoing experimentations, the only thing it *ever* seems to do for me is turn me into a braindead zombie.

Maybe for some folks they like turning off their brains for a bit and just going into that gleeful haze, but after being on vacation in Denver for the past few days and revisiting my former curiosity with the green stuff, I've officially come to accept that it's just not the right vice for me. Guess I'll just stick to good ol' booze for kicks then. 

I will add that I think pot should in fact be legalized in all of America, and that cannabis, especially when used medicinally, offers far more pros than cons to the world.

Sun-Bun, you sound like a non-stop party. Is there really liquid marijuana, or were you kidding? 

I'm not a weed smoker, but I see what it does to other people. Most do become brain-dead, as you described. Or they'll sit on the couch and come up with great ideas they never pursue because...they're sitting on the couch. 

You've made me think about one of my pet peeves: the glamorization of drug use and drug dealing. It's the main reason I never watched "Breaking Bad." It didn't seem like the show explored the consequences of being a meth dealer, a meth user, or meth addict. I mean, Walter White never had rotting teeth, did he?

Unfortunately, I've seen the dark side of drugs: crack addicts who steal from family members and sell their own bodies for a quick fix--and sometimes their children's bodies. I've seen the job losses, homelessness, worsening of medical and mental health conditions, the rotting teeth, the DUIs, the death and destruction caused by DUIs, the violence surrounding drug dealers, the stray bullets that kill babies... 

But then you see people on TV and in the entertainment industry who make drugs sound like a great ol' time. I have no doubt that Doug Benson smokes a lot of weed. But he must have some lucid moments, or he'd never have such a great hustle going in the worlds of stand-up comedy and podcasting. Billy Idol talked to Howard Stern about using heroin daily at the height of his career "just to maintain." I haven't read his autobiography, but in the interview, he made it sound like he just stopped using one day. Well, heroin doesn't work that way for most people. They have to lose everything and hit rock bottom before they get rehabilitated. And then staying sober becomes life-long struggle. 

[Blergh]

topanga,

 

  I cosign all the above you said AND would like to add how infuriating it is to me how   are parents told  by many medical and educational 'authorities' that they must turn their kids into zombies via drugs rather than attempt to teach them to sit still or spend time with . Moreover it's also maddening how, rather than encourage adults to find the means to positively cope with their demons (or, even better, try to overcome them) the TV and 'Net's chock-full of ads selling them zombie pills that have the 'side effect' of suicidal thoughts ! How can we tell kids to 'say no to drugs' when we're telling them that drugs are THE answer to everyone's problems even if  folks wind up killing themselves?! Why would I not be surprised if folks in 50 years time will wonder WHY this mentality happened even MORE than we wondered in retrospect  why folks thought shag carpets and leisure suits were great ideas back in the day?

[zxy556575]

2 hours ago, DeLurker said:

I think part of the problem now is 24/7 coverage of the storm. Yes, having accurate storm condition and path information is great, but I live in the Houston area and a good part of what should be our local news broadcast is talking about the storm, showing the lines of people waiting to buy gas and propane tanks. In Florida.

I'm 90 miles inland in Central Florida and even we're getting dire warnings. The electrical cables in this area are underground and if we do get some wind/rain, any power outages are likely to be minimal. I'm deliberately not reading my community discussion board because all the talk of bug-out bags and extra provisioning is super peeve-y.

Edited October 5, 2016 by lordonia

[Sun-Bun]

Thank you, Topanga: I do strongly believe that we're not here for a long time, but a good time!

That said, I've indeed learned so much from visiting a few dispensaries around here in Denver, and yes, they offer pot in every form there, from liquid sports drinks/sodas/wine, to baked goods/snacks to hard candy/candy bars and straight blunts and buds. Cash only, no pics, no large groups---lotsa regulations. Facinating stuff and the legalization has actually been quite beneficial to the state economy.

Believe me, I'm not into supporting the drug scene at all and have witnessed it ruin folks around me as well, but I don't think marijuana falls into the same category as coccaine, heroin, meth or even prescription drugs. It might get folks a bit loopy and lazy, but it sure doesn't have the adverse effects of those harder drugs, nor do I think it's the "gateway drug" that most people wrongfully fear.

If anything, prescription drugs scare me more than anything. All those feel-good ads they show promoting various ones on TV really don't need to be plastered everywhere, especially when there's happy images and bouncy music played while the narrator gleefully announces all the side effects of those same drugs. No thanks!

[auntlada]

2 hours ago, Blergh said:

topanga,

 

  I cosign all the above you said AND would like to add how infuriating it is to me how   are parents told  by many medical and educational 'authorities' that they must turn their kids into zombies via drugs rather than attempt to teach them to sit still or spend time with . Moreover it's also maddening how, rather than encourage adults to find the means to positively cope with their demons (or, even better, try to overcome them) the TV and 'Net's chock-full of ads selling them zombie pills that have the 'side effect' of suicidal thoughts ! How can we tell kids to 'say no to drugs' when we're telling them that drugs are THE answer to everyone's problems even if  folks wind up killing themselves?! Why would I not be surprised if folks in 50 years time will wonder WHY this mentality happened even MORE than we wondered in retrospect  why folks thought shag carpets and leisure suits were great ideas back in the day?

I'm in a meeting and can't look for the video, but this makes me think of, " You, Dad! I learned it from you!"

[DeLurker]

54 minutes ago, Sun-Bun said:

Believe me, I'm not into supporting the drug scene at all and have witnessed it ruin folks around me as well, but I don't think marijuana falls into the same category as coccaine, heroin, meth or even prescription drugs

It depends on the person.  My ex was addicted to pot and whenever he went to long without it (which was not long by anyone's definition), he got ugly along the lines that other addicts get.  And whenever he tried to quit, he went through extreme withdrawal symptoms.  And his need for pot outweighed his need to buy diapers and milk, gas, utilities, etc... I've known a variety of people who smoke pot - both infrequently and frequently, but he's the only one I know who fell into the addiction category.  To put it in perspective, it was cheaper for me to pay him spousal support then what he spent on pot when we were married.

Plus the amount of THC in what is available now is a whole hell of a lot more than back when I was in high school.

[AgentRXS]

Great....the dumb witch down at the end of my apartment is at it again with her stereo system bass. Nothing like being confined in your home awaiting a hurricane and being stuck hearing "boom-boom-boom" and having your whole bedroom vibrate. I hate this shit. Normally I would be at work at this time. Fuck  you Matthew.

[JTMacc99]

16 hours ago, auntlada said:

I'm in a meeting and can't look for the video, but this makes me think of, " You, Dad! I learned it from you!"

Ha! And if I ever catch my kids with a glass of gin with an odd number of olives in it, I'll know where they learned it. 

Even number and I'll assume they picked it up on the streets, because that's just wrong. 

[partofme]

My pet peeve is office buildings that don't allow space heaters(while simultaneously allowing people to keep 2 fans at their desks).  I freeze my butt off every day and no amount of complaining to building maintenance makes any difference.

Edited October 6, 2016 by partofme

[Moose135]

You can wear a sweater - you don't want me taking off my shirt... ;-)

[partofme]

A sweater isn't enough.   I have to wear gloves and my heavy winter coat as well.  I don't understand why they don't allow a space heater.  I have one that shuts off if you touch it and shuts off automatically after 4 hours.  Yes I would prefer naked people in the office, I am that uncomfortable.  And they allow people to keep 2 fans at their desks, I don't understand the hypocrisy.

Edited October 6, 2016 by partofme

[auntlada]

Sweaters and coats don't keep hands warm, and if you have to type a lot -- say id your job is writing, for instance -- gloves make work impossible. I was never asking for the temperature to be 75, although I would have liked that. I just wanted it to be above 65. And I did not need to eat a sandwich and gaine weight to be warm (believe me), although some of the extra hot people in our office at the time could have stood to put a few sandwiches down. (Not that I was ever so rude as to tell them that even while some of them said those of us who were cold should eat more.)

[3pwood]

4 hours ago, partofme said:

...  I don't understand why they don't allow a space heater.  I have one that shuts off if you touch it and shuts off automatically after 4 hours.  ...  And they allow people to keep 2 fans at their desks, I don't understand the hypocrisy.

Heaters use a lot more energy than fans, so the utility bill is higher with space heaters.  

[ZaldamoWilder]

This wasn't an issue when I was younger but if I had to find another full time job tomorrow, I swear one of my interviewee questions would be do you allow employees to have space heaters.  It's on ALL year round.  Not because the building's default temperature is cold, per se, but when a setting is on anything other than warm, after 4 hours of not being affected by sunlight or having office building windows that don't open, other than warm = freezing.   It sounds crazy but if I couldn't control the temperature of my extremities I'd find another gig.  

[JTMacc99]

57 minutes ago, 3pwood said:

 I don't understand why they don't allow a space heater.

In our old building, space heaters were not allowed. I had one under my desk anyway, as did my neighbor in her office.  On one particularly cold day, we both fired ours up at the same time. Mine was rarely on, hers... much less rarely.  Shortly thereafter, the power went out along our wall of offices. Given the way we were packed into that office, there was probably already a lot of power being drawn, and just a could of space heaters blew out the circuit.  

Not that we told maintenance that we had heaters on, of course, but that was definitely the reason the power went out.

The new building is much better balanced with the temperature, and our people here are do make honest efforts to keep everybody comfortable.

[Bastet]

The insurance policy may prohibit space heaters.  Also, since they have both a motor and a heating element, they draw a lot of power; allowing them would run the risk of too many people on the same circuit running one at the same time (thus tripping the breaker).  I imagine the liability concerns (overblown, given the safety features on modern space heaters, but present) and power usage are the main considerations behind most policies prohibiting them.

But keeping the workplace cold enough that people need gloves and winter coats?  Ridiculous!

Edited October 6, 2016 by Bastet

[PradaKitty]

I am so with you and the freezing office. I have driven home numerous times in 100 plus degree weather with the windows of my car rolled up, just to get my body temperature back up to normal after being in the freezing office all day.

On to my pet peeves now:  I hate it when people don't use the freeway on ramp correctly. It is designed to allow the driver to speed up with the flow of traffic before merging with traffic, not to drive at 20 miles per hour, looking for openings in traffic.  It's a freeway. They are not going to slow down for you.

Also, I am not trhilled with the yahoos who wait until their lane ends to switch lanes. If you don't want to exit, then plan ahead.  That's what all of the signage is for.

Lastly, what is with people who have to stop at every GREEN light?  It's green. It means GO. 

Ahhh... thanks for the venting - it was a rough commute this morning...

[zxy556575]

Below is the local forecast for my city in central Florida from the Weather Channel. We're under a tropical storm watch (which, btw, happens several times a season). I went to the grocery store tonight for my regular Thursday BOGO buys and the entire aisle of bottled water was empty, along with half the chips. Bagged salads were cleaned out, and canned foods noticeably deplenished. The gas station had closed off the pumps.

For heaven's sake, people. Get a grip!

[bilgistic]

There was a video on the Weather Channel online in which an authority figure (I want to say the governor of Florida, but I'm making that up) said during a press conference asking citizens to evacuate before the storm, "Lives will be lost!" Thanks for the positivity there, chief.

[DeLurker]

No, you're not making it up.  That's Gov. Rick  Scott.  

Assume crash positions! 

But Disney World is closed tomorrow because of the storm - that's the 4th time ever since opening in 1971.  Must be bad to effect the mouse's cashflow.

Edited October 7, 2016 by DeLurker

[Maharincess]

On 10/5/2016 at 8:18 AM, DeLurker said:

I'd pick a hurricane over an earthquake any day.  Never experienced a tornado, so I can't say based on experience (but I really like the lead time you get with a hurricane). 

Hell no. I would choose one of our earthquakes over hurricanes any damn day. We don't have earthquake season every year.  With most earthquakes, unless you're right on the epicenter, by the time you think "oh shit, it's an earthquake", it's over.  

My brother moved from here to Florida about 12 years ago so he's been through both earthquakes and hurricanes.  He said all the prep time does is give more time for people to be stupid and he said people start acting really stupid when this happens.  I'll take my here and gone earthquakes for sure. 

Edited October 7, 2016 by Maharincess

[zxy556575]

Welp, it's 4 am and has had hardly rained at all. No storms, thunder or otherwise. The "squall" forecasts for Friday afternoon have been downgraded to "rain."

Central Florida is much more likely to have sinkholes than hurricane force winds this far inland. The big ones that swallow you up evoke a greater sense of fear in me than earthquakes or hurricanes. A tornado bearing down would not be wonderful, either.

Edited October 7, 2016 by lordonia

[Maharincess]

I hate when people talk about a character on a show and refer to them by a character they played on a different show.  In the forum for the show Speechless they keep calling the father by the name of a character he played on another show.   It's so annoying and it's confusing for the people who don't know who the hell they're talking about.   While I'm on the subject,  no...your husband/friend/son/dog did NOT walk through the room at the perfect time and make a witty comment on the show you were watching.  Also? No,  nobody owes you a new keyboard because you did not laugh so hard at their comment that you spewed your drink all over your keyboard.   Finally, please...I'm begging the people of the forums everywhere, PLEASE write whole words.  It's not that hard, I promise it only takes a second to type a whole word. 

@lordonia, my brother is in Palm Bay. We were texting all day and everything was OK there. He stopped responding in the afternoon but from what I can tell on the Weather Channel everything is OK there so far. He's just South of Melbourne. 

Edited October 7, 2016 by Maharincess

[Mountainair]

9 hours ago, DeLurker said:

No, you're not making it up.  That's Gov. Rick  Scott.  

Assume crash positions! 

But Disney World is closed tomorrow because of the storm - that's the 4th time ever since opening in 1971.  Must be bad to effect the mouse's cashflow.

I spent my childhood years in a hurricane prone area. Our entire town was wiped out by Floyd in 1999. Not all by wind but by flooding. As a teen I volunteered to help people wade through the water in their homes to get whatever valuables they could recover. My thoughts are with everyone affected by Matthew. 

Disney closing is huge! We are taking our two boys for their first trip there in two weeks. A years worth of planning has gone into this. I hope there aren't any more hurricanes for a while! 

Edited October 7, 2016 by Mountainair

[DeLurker]

4 hours ago, Maharincess said:

@lordonia, my brother is in Palm Bay.

That's where one of my brothers is too!  Small world (after all, its a small world after all...)

@lordonia - glad it was a nonevent for your area.  The sinkholes are pretty crazy - forgot about them.

47 minutes ago, Mountainair said:

Disney closing is huge! We are taking our two boys for their first trip there in two weeks.

I hope you guys have a great trip!  As much as Disney rubs me the wrong way, going to Disney World with kids is all kinds of awesome.