The Good Ol' Days

Seems counterintuitive, but I miss pre-online ordering days.

Used to, if I needed something, I could generally find it in a shop somewhere. But now, increasingly, I'm finding that when I want something the least bit outside of an "everyday" item, it's no longer stocked in a brick-and-mortar store and I'm told I have to order it online.

I %@#*$ hate ordering things online! When I want something, I want to go to the store, look at it, decide I want it, pay for it, and leave with it.
 
TastyReuben said:
Seems counterintuitive, but I miss pre-online ordering days.

Used to, if I needed something, I could generally find it in a shop somewhere. But now, increasingly, I'm finding that when I want something the least bit outside of an "everyday" item, it's no longer stocked in a brick-and-mortar store and I'm told I have to order it online.

I %@#*$ hate ordering things online! When I want something, I want to go to the store, look at it, decide I want it, pay for it, and leave with it.
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I have never ordered on line, credit card mistrust I think. So many scams going on. I'm still waiting on gold ingots from my uncle in Zimbabwe.???
I'm a nightmare to go shopping with, I find what I want in 5 mins then I'm out of there. My wife takes hours.

Russ
 
I rather enjoyed taking photographs the old way. There was something quite exciting about getting your films developed and seeing what came out. You'd usually end up with at least one picture that had you wondering where and what it was.
 
Duck59 said:
I rather enjoyed taking photographs the old way. There was something quite exciting about getting your films developed and seeing what came out. You'd usually end up with at least one picture that had you wondering where and what it was.
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ha ha also, what was supposed to be on the missing ones that turned up black. lol
 
I may as well keep the curmudgeon wheel going: I miss the pre-DVR days when you had to sit your as...er, butt down and actually watch TV.

These days, watching TV is more like this:

"Let's watch Burger Bongo 2!"
<presses start>
<splash screen for production company>
<Wife hits pause>

"I have to pee. Be right back!"
<pees, comes back, presses start>
<opening credits rolling>
<Wife hits pause>

"Oh, I want a drink!"
<Into kitchen, comes back with chips>
<presses start>
<presses pause>

"Tee-hee! I got chips and no drink!
<goes back in for drink, comes back>
<presses start>
<opening scene of a delicious burger>
<presses pause>

"Oh, did I tell you I had a burger for lunch today? Or was it yesterday? Wait, it was definitely today...I think. Anyway, I was over by..."

I swear, it takes us three hours to get through a 90-minute movie, and sometimes, it's even split over separate days. Half the time, I can't follow what's going on with the plot because I get it in 25-second chunks! :(
 
TastyReuben said:
I may as well keep the curmudgeon wheel going
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:laugh:

TastyReuben said:
I swear, it takes us three hours to get through a 90-minute movie, and sometimes, it's even split over separate days. Half the time, I can't follow what's going on with the plot because I get it in 25-second chunks! :(
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I know what you mean!
 
One thing I miss is that 15 years ago, when I left the office, I was done with work until the next day.

Even though I worked in systems, the "connected home office" didn't really exist for everyday workers, and the worst that would happen would be someone from night shift might call and ask a question, but that was about it.

Now, with "work/life blend" being all the rage, we're all expected to be available 24/7, and by "available," I mean connected up and fully functional, no matter where you are.

I have to fight with my manager, every time I go on vacation/holiday, about bringing my laptop along in case I'm needed for something. Guess what, Corporate Overlord, that ain't vacation!

Reading about working life during the Industrial Revolution, where people worked 16 hour days six days a week and had to spend all day Sunday in church...I think we've tilted back to that a bit, instead of moving further from it.

If you would have asked me 30 years ago, I would have predicted that by now, the 32-hour/4-day work week would be standard. Instead, we've got the 70-hour/7-day work week.

Used to, if I needed to work on a weekend, I'd at least get the, "Hey, I know it stinks, but I need you to do XYZ on Saturday," talk. Now, though, every day is fair game, and routine work is scheduled for weekends and evenings just like it's no different from weekday business hours.
 
cookieee said:
Isn't there a law or something to prevent this?
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Yeah, the law of "Go Find Somewhere Else To Work." :laugh:

If you're salaried, anything goes once basic workplace safety requirements are met.

Hourly workers and at my job are closely monitored for time, because overtime does kick in for them, but the trade-off is:

1. I get paid a lot more money than them

2. I don't have to account for literally every minute of my day

For example, they get an hour off each day, for lunch or whatever, and they can choose to take it all at once, or in combinations of 15-minute increments. Most hourly people eat at their desks and opt for 30 minutes for lunch and a 15 minute morning break and a 15 minute afternoon break, and they have to punch a clock that accounts for their time. If they're late, they have to make it up or get docked money.

Me...as long as I'm at a stopping point with something, I can take two hours for lunch if I need it, or leave early and finish out from home, with the understanding that over the week, I'm at least meeting my 40-hour requirement.

On paper that all sounds ok, but it rarely works out in an employee's favor. I rarely work less than 60 hours a week, but at the same time, when my wife had a stroke several years ago, I didn't work one lick for a solid month and was never charged any time for it and never had to report it. I keep track of my hours, though, and even then, I finished out the year averaging more than 40 hours a week.
 
Thanks for the update on what life is like now out there in the working place. I guess it does have it's good points and bad points.
 
TastyReuben said:
One thing I miss is that 15 years ago, when I left the office, I was done with work until the next day.

Even though I worked in systems, the "connected home office" didn't really exist for everyday workers, and the worst that would happen would be someone from night shift might call and ask a question, but that was about it.

Now, with "work/life blend" being all the rage, we're all expected to be available 24/7, and by "available," I mean connected up and fully functional, no matter where you are.

I have to fight with my manager, every time I go on vacation/holiday, about bringing my laptop along in case I'm needed for something. Guess what, Corporate Overlord, that ain't vacation!

Reading about working life during the Industrial Revolution, where people worked 16 hour days six days a week and had to spend all day Sunday in church...I think we've tilted back to that a bit, instead of moving further from it.

If you would have asked me 30 years ago, I would have predicted that by now, the 32-hour/4-day work week would be standard. Instead, we've got the 70-hour/7-day work week.

Used to, if I needed to work on a weekend, I'd at least get the, "Hey, I know it stinks, but I need you to do XYZ on Saturday," talk. Now, though, every day is fair game, and routine work is scheduled for weekends and evenings just like it's no different from weekday business hours.
Click to expand...

When I started my own company up I offered a real good 24/7 service. Most of my customers were a 3 hr drive away on the west coast, plants that operated 24/7. I made a fortune dropping what I was doing and driving parts over there, all hours of the night. I don't miss that now. These were gold mining plants. Money was no object.

Russ
 
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