Just a quick post to give props to the Buffalo Bills, who have started 4-0 for the first time since 1992 (our second Super Bowl season). There are only 3 other undefeated teams in the league right now, and one plays tonight, so a big deal it is indeed. We're not only ahead of the Patriots in the division but tied for first in the entire league! Now to beat Arizona next week and take a 5-0 record into the bye week. (crosses fingers)
Tiburon1724's Journal
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09/29/2008 10:53 #45839
Kudos to the Bills!Category: sports
08/31/2008 00:56 #45520
I hate AppleCategory: phone
I've always hated Apple, but won't get into that now.
I am writing because I'm cut off from society because my iPhone is FUCKED!!! I open iTunes and it says a new version of iPhone is available, 2.02. So I click to Update. After like 5 minutes it says an unknown error has occured...update not installed. Now it only has an option to Restore, meaning I lose all data. GREAT!!!!! So I angrily choose that option. Well guess what, same deal. Now all I can do with my iPhone is turn it on to a screen that shows a USB cable going into an iTunes logo! wow!
I am writing because I'm cut off from society because my iPhone is FUCKED!!! I open iTunes and it says a new version of iPhone is available, 2.02. So I click to Update. After like 5 minutes it says an unknown error has occured...update not installed. Now it only has an option to Restore, meaning I lose all data. GREAT!!!!! So I angrily choose that option. Well guess what, same deal. Now all I can do with my iPhone is turn it on to a screen that shows a USB cable going into an iTunes logo! wow!
tiburon1724 - 09/01/08 22:21
Scheduled an appointment with a "Genius" at the Apple Store. He hooked it to one of their computers, performed the update with no problem. Apparently this is fairly common - so if anyone runs into it, just connect the iPhone to another computer and perform the update from there.
Scheduled an appointment with a "Genius" at the Apple Store. He hooked it to one of their computers, performed the update with no problem. Apparently this is fairly common - so if anyone runs into it, just connect the iPhone to another computer and perform the update from there.
tinypliny - 09/01/08 20:03
So what happened next??
So what happened next??
08/28/2008 23:17 #45491
219 and CasinoBeen seeing stories on TV today about landslides and such around the 219 extension. My question is.....why are we building this road?? It goes nowhere! Roads like this just help sprawl and urban flight progress. In a county that's basically bankrupt, how are we undergoing such a large and useless project? There must be background I'm unfamiliar with.
Second, I hope the NIMBYs are happy that we'll now have an ugly steel frame sitting on the Seneca land downtown for God knows how long. They say it's due to the economy....that's a line of crap, their casinos are faring just fine. They obviously backed down from the court ruling and won't admit it. Prideful bunch. I do believe the city should have made an agreement where the casino would be built without entertainment, hotel operations or restaurants so it could draw people to the area while still offering some benefit to downtown as well, but since the deal was done, let's bring the landmark building and roll the dice. The conservative nature of the people in WNY really pisses me off and it's very obvious how the area became so decayed. I want to run for mayor and kick everyone's ass!!!
Second, I hope the NIMBYs are happy that we'll now have an ugly steel frame sitting on the Seneca land downtown for God knows how long. They say it's due to the economy....that's a line of crap, their casinos are faring just fine. They obviously backed down from the court ruling and won't admit it. Prideful bunch. I do believe the city should have made an agreement where the casino would be built without entertainment, hotel operations or restaurants so it could draw people to the area while still offering some benefit to downtown as well, but since the deal was done, let's bring the landmark building and roll the dice. The conservative nature of the people in WNY really pisses me off and it's very obvious how the area became so decayed. I want to run for mayor and kick everyone's ass!!!
07/24/2008 17:48 #45129
Beef JerkyCategory: work
So my assistant (who's new to the company, I'm training him up) calls me on my cell last night and quickly asks, "what's our policy on catching shoplifters?" I was caught off-guard since shoplifting is not a problem in my Amherst store..haven't really had to deal with that since my month-long stint at the downtown store. He said he got the plate number and the cops were at the customer's house as we spoke! I said go ahead and tell them you'll press charges.
So today I go into work and find the police report on the desk with an opened bag of Beef Jerky. Yes, the woman stuffed a bag of beef jerky in her purse and ran out. And the cops showed up at her house for it!! I find that extremely hilarious! How embarrassing it must have been for her. Pretty interesting that the Amherst Police actually responded in that manner, I could never get anything done in Florida with a plate number. Guess the cops really are bored there!
Shoplifting is dramatically on the rise lately, particularly the last 2 weeks. As the economy continues to worsen, I'm prepared for it to continue to escalate. I ALWAYS prosecute. I'd do it again for another $4.99 bag of beef jerky, lol. I'm finding more and more empty packages around the store. A couple days ago one of the shift supervisors who works for me saw a lady take a pack of gum out of a 3-pack and stick it in her purse. She brought the remainder of the pack to the register and when the customer went up to pay for her other stuff, she rang up the gum too. "THAT'S NOT MINE!!" she barks...."oh sorry I thought it was since you have the missing pack" "IT WASN'T MEEEE!!!!" and she leaves red-faced.
I take it very personally because it's my JOB. I have inventory once a year and if I don't come in under budget I am disciplined - twice in a row and I am terminated. That's also a major factor in my bonus, and thus stealing from my chain store is stealing from me!! People also like to steal dryer balls.....very odd things people choose to take.
So today I go into work and find the police report on the desk with an opened bag of Beef Jerky. Yes, the woman stuffed a bag of beef jerky in her purse and ran out. And the cops showed up at her house for it!! I find that extremely hilarious! How embarrassing it must have been for her. Pretty interesting that the Amherst Police actually responded in that manner, I could never get anything done in Florida with a plate number. Guess the cops really are bored there!
Shoplifting is dramatically on the rise lately, particularly the last 2 weeks. As the economy continues to worsen, I'm prepared for it to continue to escalate. I ALWAYS prosecute. I'd do it again for another $4.99 bag of beef jerky, lol. I'm finding more and more empty packages around the store. A couple days ago one of the shift supervisors who works for me saw a lady take a pack of gum out of a 3-pack and stick it in her purse. She brought the remainder of the pack to the register and when the customer went up to pay for her other stuff, she rang up the gum too. "THAT'S NOT MINE!!" she barks...."oh sorry I thought it was since you have the missing pack" "IT WASN'T MEEEE!!!!" and she leaves red-faced.
I take it very personally because it's my JOB. I have inventory once a year and if I don't come in under budget I am disciplined - twice in a row and I am terminated. That's also a major factor in my bonus, and thus stealing from my chain store is stealing from me!! People also like to steal dryer balls.....very odd things people choose to take.
tinypliny - 08/29/08 11:16
I followed the link and I am somehow very impressed. I think I want a dryer ball (not for sexual reasons but for claims on that website).
"Dryer Max Dryer Balls are the safe, natural, easy way to soften fabrics while saving money on fabric softeners, dryer sheets and energy. Your clothes dry faster too. Dryer Max Dryer Balls can be used over and over again and they last for years!"
The dryers in my building don't do a good job in the winter.
I followed the link and I am somehow very impressed. I think I want a dryer ball (not for sexual reasons but for claims on that website).
"Dryer Max Dryer Balls are the safe, natural, easy way to soften fabrics while saving money on fabric softeners, dryer sheets and energy. Your clothes dry faster too. Dryer Max Dryer Balls can be used over and over again and they last for years!"
The dryers in my building don't do a good job in the winter.
carolinian - 08/29/08 09:02
(e:tinypliny), dryer balls with their silicone material and slight protuberances, actually kinda do look like something you'd buy in an adult store :::link:::
(e:tiburon1724), the really sick part of shoplifting is when you have people who can easily afford what they're stealing and are shoplifting for some neurotic reason that has nothing to do with economics. Like if the beef jerky lady drove off in a mercedes to her 5000 sq ft mansion.
(e:tinypliny), dryer balls with their silicone material and slight protuberances, actually kinda do look like something you'd buy in an adult store :::link:::
(e:tiburon1724), the really sick part of shoplifting is when you have people who can easily afford what they're stealing and are shoplifting for some neurotic reason that has nothing to do with economics. Like if the beef jerky lady drove off in a mercedes to her 5000 sq ft mansion.
trisha - 07/25/08 09:30
i can relate... at our store we have a lot of hardware and beer thefts. someone took something *with their 4 year old kid present*, ug.
it's a problem, cause everyone's so poor, and things are rising so much. what's a business owner (or mgr.) supposed to do?
i can relate... at our store we have a lot of hardware and beer thefts. someone took something *with their 4 year old kid present*, ug.
it's a problem, cause everyone's so poor, and things are rising so much. what's a business owner (or mgr.) supposed to do?
tinypliny - 07/24/08 23:34
Hahaha... everything is about sex, whether you know it or not! :)
Hahaha... everything is about sex, whether you know it or not! :)
tiburon1724 - 07/24/08 22:40
I assure you they're not sexual. You throw them in the dryer and they supposedly make your clothes I think softer? They're like maybe tennis ball sized blue and spikey. One of those As Seen On TV gimmick things. It's $9.99.
I assure you they're not sexual. You throw them in the dryer and they supposedly make your clothes I think softer? They're like maybe tennis ball sized blue and spikey. One of those As Seen On TV gimmick things. It's $9.99.
tinypliny - 07/24/08 21:53
That is extraordinary - almost like fiction! I wonder what they said to that lady - give up the beef jerky or else you go to jail! Hahaha.
Dryer balls? What are they?
That is extraordinary - almost like fiction! I wonder what they said to that lady - give up the beef jerky or else you go to jail! Hahaha.
Dryer balls? What are they?
07/23/2008 16:20 #45112
What do I do?Category: work
So I think the interview went well. The thing is, being a District Manager, the job requires relocation. There's basically a 25% chance I'd end up in Buffalo but 75% chance I'd end up in one of their other upstate NY markets. And there's a one year training period where I could be in a different market from where I would be after that year. If I WERE offered a position I'd really have to think about it...I mean, I LOVE Buffalo and just moved back here 2 years ago, just bought a house a few months ago! The thing is it would be a $21,000 salary increase and I'd get a company car...then a guaranteed $5000 salary increase each year on top of that for 4 years each, plus bonuses!
I'd have to find someone to rent the house out from me...someone I trust and preferably someone I know so I can stay here when I'm back in town! This way I can drive back into town often....I don't know how the arrangement would work :( I don't really want to sell though as I'd lose major money since I rolled the closing costs into the mortgage and have only made a few payments so far. If I just let the house sit and made payments on it and some tiny apartment wherever I moved, I'd basically be netting no additional money, probably would end up costing me more in fact.
Please share your thoughts!
I'd have to find someone to rent the house out from me...someone I trust and preferably someone I know so I can stay here when I'm back in town! This way I can drive back into town often....I don't know how the arrangement would work :( I don't really want to sell though as I'd lose major money since I rolled the closing costs into the mortgage and have only made a few payments so far. If I just let the house sit and made payments on it and some tiny apartment wherever I moved, I'd basically be netting no additional money, probably would end up costing me more in fact.
Please share your thoughts!
tiburon1724 - 07/24/08 17:34
Thanks guys for your input!
I can say if offered the position and relocating was not in the picture I would take it. But relocating and not being thrilled with the job combined would be an issue. That said, I would never take the job and relocate if it weren't so much money, to tiny's point.
I'm no stranger to hard work, my job now is quite physical, I basically have to do all the resets/planograms, seasonal sets, remerchandising, unload the truck each week, work the truck, build displays, etc etc. So I'm really not afraid of that. But where does this come into play as a District Manager (directed more to Jason)? I know the first year is all training and that's fine, and a DM has 4 stores in his/her district here.
What about it was so greuling? Everything on the floor is palletized and I assume it comes off the truck that way, so it's just a matter of rolling it into it's spot on the sales floor?
As far as hours, that's retail. Right now if working early I'm in by 7 or 730am, and if working a night shift as I do twice a week on average, I'm out at 10pm. Before CVS I worked at Disney as a retail manager and often didn't get out until 2am on a night shift, in at 6am on a morning shift. My average day is 9 hours, often more.
Thanks guys for your input!
I can say if offered the position and relocating was not in the picture I would take it. But relocating and not being thrilled with the job combined would be an issue. That said, I would never take the job and relocate if it weren't so much money, to tiny's point.
I'm no stranger to hard work, my job now is quite physical, I basically have to do all the resets/planograms, seasonal sets, remerchandising, unload the truck each week, work the truck, build displays, etc etc. So I'm really not afraid of that. But where does this come into play as a District Manager (directed more to Jason)? I know the first year is all training and that's fine, and a DM has 4 stores in his/her district here.
What about it was so greuling? Everything on the floor is palletized and I assume it comes off the truck that way, so it's just a matter of rolling it into it's spot on the sales floor?
As far as hours, that's retail. Right now if working early I'm in by 7 or 730am, and if working a night shift as I do twice a week on average, I'm out at 10pm. Before CVS I worked at Disney as a retail manager and often didn't get out until 2am on a night shift, in at 6am on a morning shift. My average day is 9 hours, often more.
jason - 07/24/08 08:20
Tib,
I have a friend who took an Aldi DM job straight out of college. He is no longer with them, and hasn't been for a long time. I know a little about what it is like through him.
Basically, they work you like a mule. You work early, you work late, you're always on the road, and the physical labor aspect of it is true as well. We would go to visit my pal and get there at 11, when he was just getting off of his shift.
Also consider the relocation. You very well may end up moving to bumblefuck. Of course, the benefits and salary are very nice (they do count your miles on that car), and if you did it for a short time just to boost up your bank it isn't a bad option. Just know what you're going to have to sacrifice to get there.
Tib,
I have a friend who took an Aldi DM job straight out of college. He is no longer with them, and hasn't been for a long time. I know a little about what it is like through him.
Basically, they work you like a mule. You work early, you work late, you're always on the road, and the physical labor aspect of it is true as well. We would go to visit my pal and get there at 11, when he was just getting off of his shift.
Also consider the relocation. You very well may end up moving to bumblefuck. Of course, the benefits and salary are very nice (they do count your miles on that car), and if you did it for a short time just to boost up your bank it isn't a bad option. Just know what you're going to have to sacrifice to get there.
tinypliny - 07/23/08 22:08
I think (e:janelle) has made a very valid and important point. The organization interviewed you, so now its your turn to analyze them. Go undercover, talk, email etc. Find out everything you can.
That being said, I also think following your heart is important. It cannot be a bad decision if you learn something from it. I think any decision that is more appealing has a learning quotient as well. If your motivation for this job is merely the extra money, I would reconsider again.
Ask yourself; do you expect this job to enrich your self, and your experience and not just your bank balance? If the answer is yes, then I think not earning more than your present job, but just earning new experiences and perspectives is valuable enough to not worry about anything else. Newer opportunities will present themselves in the future if you would like to take the door out. This will merely be a grade in the school of your life.
I think (e:janelle) has made a very valid and important point. The organization interviewed you, so now its your turn to analyze them. Go undercover, talk, email etc. Find out everything you can.
That being said, I also think following your heart is important. It cannot be a bad decision if you learn something from it. I think any decision that is more appealing has a learning quotient as well. If your motivation for this job is merely the extra money, I would reconsider again.
Ask yourself; do you expect this job to enrich your self, and your experience and not just your bank balance? If the answer is yes, then I think not earning more than your present job, but just earning new experiences and perspectives is valuable enough to not worry about anything else. Newer opportunities will present themselves in the future if you would like to take the door out. This will merely be a grade in the school of your life.
janelle - 07/23/08 21:45
tiburon, have you talked to other people who have done the Aldi management route? Here's my anecdotal evidence that makes me want to encourage you to seek out other Aldi employees.
There's two red flags for me. At my college they advertised really heavily that they would take anyone with a degree and make them a manager of a store. So my thought was that they probably had really high turnover.
My best friend's brother went the Aldi's route and was a store manager for a couple of years before he quit because he was working brutal hours and the work was more physical than he anticipated for being management. Of course, you'd be a district manager so the work load might look different for you.
I wouldn't leave Buffalo and your new house unless you were sure that this job is really what you want. But I tend to be more conservative and less risk-taking.
tiburon, have you talked to other people who have done the Aldi management route? Here's my anecdotal evidence that makes me want to encourage you to seek out other Aldi employees.
There's two red flags for me. At my college they advertised really heavily that they would take anyone with a degree and make them a manager of a store. So my thought was that they probably had really high turnover.
My best friend's brother went the Aldi's route and was a store manager for a couple of years before he quit because he was working brutal hours and the work was more physical than he anticipated for being management. Of course, you'd be a district manager so the work load might look different for you.
I wouldn't leave Buffalo and your new house unless you were sure that this job is really what you want. But I tend to be more conservative and less risk-taking.
tiburon1724 - 07/23/08 18:32
imk: District Manager for ALDI.
drew: I hadn't thought of using a property manager, sounds like something to look into.
imk: District Manager for ALDI.
drew: I hadn't thought of using a property manager, sounds like something to look into.
drew - 07/23/08 17:22
Sounds like a good job. Can you pay somebody to rent out your house? (like a property manager) Then you could just stay with friends or whatever when you came to Buffalo.
Sounds like a good job. Can you pay somebody to rent out your house? (like a property manager) Then you could just stay with friends or whatever when you came to Buffalo.
imk2 - 07/23/08 17:05
can you share what kind of managing this would be? what sort of business?
can you share what kind of managing this would be? what sort of business?
Yes the 4-0 start is great and I'm glad the Bills are doing good. But there is one thing that doesn't get mentioned in that 4-0 and that is why haven't played any intradivisonal games. We have 6 of those to go and those are the games that matter the most and really say who is the better team and who goes to the playoffs. That is why the Jags beating Indy (was that last week) was so important and that is why The Redskins winning Could be Huge in the NFC. The season is early and so far the bills are doing good but before I get to happy I want to see how they do When they play New England and the Jets.
Sorry. You can take the man out of Pittsburgh, but you can't take the 'burgh out of the man.
Steelers? You live in Buffalo, you're not allowed to have anyone else as your first team!
One of those other teams will lose tonight, restoring the Stillers to their rightful place atop the AFC North.
Here's hoping the Bills lose to the Steelers in the AFC championship!