Encouraging pansies ...

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dnewton3

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CAUTION - rant of epic proportions forthcoming, so read at your own peril.

Today I got to work, as typical for me, a bit early. And as soon as I pulled in, I noticed I was the ONLY car in the lot. Hmmmmmmm .... Got to the desk and fired up my computer; there was an email from last evening stating we can "work from home" today due to the cold. (It was an average of -15F here in central IN this morning).

What? Stay home? Why? I bet folks in MN, ND, WI, the UP of MI all don't stay home when it's "cold" outside. To be clear, there's not any significant snow here; it's just "cold" outside. Heavy snow storms are different; they can impede travel and cause accidents which induce harm - I get that. Cold is a state of mind, and typically averted simply by preparation. School cancelled due to cold? Phooey! I bet you kids in MN and MI and Canada are going to school today! We are becoming a nation of pansies; everything is an excuse to not fulfill an obligation. When I was young, I was taught that I needed to prepare for the circumstances to meet my commitments. Cold outside? Go start the car the night before, and make sure you have a good battery. Leave for work 20 minutes early, to allow for unforeseen circumstances such as needing a jump-start or having a flat tire. Do whatever it takes to be a success.

As some of you know, I hold two jobs; one as a statistical process engineer, and the other as a Deputy. Yesterday, I worked the SO and it was down to -5F. Didn't stop us from reporting to work. I dressed for the weather. When I went through the LEO academy, I was told "If you're cold or wet, it's your own fault!". The message is that I am responsible for my own success or failure; don't blame other people or conditions. How would we all feel if firemen, cops, electrical lineman, nurses/doctors and others didn't show up to work just because it's "cold" (or wet, or hot ...)? These folks are prepared for the extremes of life; they plan for contingencies. They have a job that needs them to be in attendance and ready, on time, every time.

I've heard the excuses ... it's for the children! There are kids who walk to school in some municipalities. So what? I had to stand at a bus stop as a kid in this kind of weather; waited often for up to 20 minutes. My mom wrapped me up like a giant corn-dog and I grumbled until I got to school and found something else to grumble about. Plus, I bet you a dollar to your dime that many of the kids who stay home today will still probably go outside and play.

I'm not mad that I'm at work today with very few others. I'm disappointed in that everything in the world today seems to be an excuse for failure, rather than a challenge to build character for success!

Suck it up America; put on your big-boy and big-girl panties and get to work!
 
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I just want to thank you for doing the thankless job. Lots of folks criticize cops,but are the 1st to call 911. I could not do that job.

Thanks for watching out for us nitwits again.
 
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But haven't you heard? It's 2018 so we're totally enlightened and shouldn't be doing anything that makes us uncomfortable. Roses and lollipops and all that.
 
I agree with you that today we makes excuses for FAILURE rather than demanding success (except for sports).
It's all part of the dumbing down of America (and creating DEPENDENCY) that's the AGENDA of some.
 
I was told that school delays due to cold in my area are more due to the bus companies wanting time to resolve starting issues than to any concern for the kids. The buses sit outside and they don't want to pay people to show up early to get the vehicles going. Didn't have any delays in the towns I drive through to work despite it being close to -10F this morning, knew that for sure after getting stuck behind a short bus that was just barely moving down a very busy road. The bus must have turned just after I bailed and took a long way around on side roads because I saw the people who had been stuck with me about 5-6 cars ahead when I made it back to the main drag.
The little mountain town where I ski is notorious for cancelling and delaying school because they don't want to bother really clearing the roads until they have a lot of customers on the weekends.
I think you will find that $$$ are actually behind a lot of these decisions...
 
My dad always reminded me of the "6 P's" Prior Planning Prevents [censored] Poor Performance.

People have forgotten how to suck it up and drive on..
 
I've been saying it for years. We're raising a generation of 'soft' people who are learning by example of apathetic behavior.

"Why should I go to work on this frigid day? Are they giving out participation trophies to those who show up? No? Oh well, forget it then."
 
Wow. It's currently only 54 degrees in my office as I type this and we are all still here haha.

The only thing that I feel is acceptable to cancel or delay is school if it is so cold the buses won't run. We had a few dead buses on the side of the road this morning which isn't the smartest thing.
 
A lot of people develop respiratory issues in a weather like this. It is prudent to make provisions to avoid that -- there is no need to look at the world through a faux-mach lens.
 
I hear you!

It's funny how the local news/weather forecasting has changed as well. They get all in crisis mode over a little lake effect snow, where we wouldn't even have gotten worked up about it at all 15-20yrs ago. Winters tended to be worse and we made due without AWD. Oh the humanity! LOL!
 
Originally Posted By: JTK
I hear you!

It's funny how the local news/weather forecasting has changed as well. They get all in crisis mode over a little lake effect snow, where we wouldn't even have gotten worked up about it at all 15-20yrs ago. Winters tended to be worse and we made due without AWD. Oh the humanity! LOL!


We had a storm last weekend they were talking about for a week. Ended up being less than an inch. I wonder if the weather channels are paid by the grocery stores and oil companies to hype up all the storms. It wouldn't surprise me...
 
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
... The only thing that I feel is acceptable to cancel or delay is school if it is so cold the buses won't run. We had a few dead buses on the side of the road this morning which isn't the smartest thing.


Well - would that not be the crux of my point? Someone didn't plan to get out of bed EARLY, check the busses, and get them started so that the SCHEDULE can stay intact! Maybe they need fuel additive for the diesel fuel? Maybe they need block heaters to get them started on time? For nearly any failure in life, someone somewhere has figured out a way to overcome it IF the motivation is found. Those busses on the side of the road will not just rot there for eternity. They will figure out what was wrong, get them running, and get them moving. So why not do that PRIOR to the exigent event? Why not PLAN to PREVENT the failure mode, rather than just letting it happen? Why not take the extra efforts to quell the concerns before they manifest?
Going to be cold outside, thinks the bus manager ...
- better call around and find someone willing to accept overtime for the early morning start-up
- better get supplies in place; extra batteries, fuel additives, etc
- better prep the busses with grill covers, fueled up with additives, whatever it takes
- better call the building/facility manager make sure the gates and building are unlocked and prep'd early; he needs a staff member on call just in case, too
- better have the phone tree ready and numbers confirmed for all drivers
- better ask a few folks to come warm up the busses, start the window defrosters, etc
- better include a request for extra money in budget; can always bankroll it for parts if it goes unused
- better have a spare bus in good condition on stand-by in case one goes into a ditch and we need an alternative vehicle
- etc ...


Where's the pride in accomplishing things in the face of adversity? Any darn fool can succeed when all things are prefect and easy. A real man (or woman) still claims victory when things go wrong because they planned for obstacles and made the extra efforts!

As a society, we are teaching our kids (and even some adults) that any obstacle is a reason to accept failure.

Safety is important; I don't disagree. Care and caution are paramount. But that is EXACTLY the point here. These cold temps seen in the Midwest are NOT unexpected; this isn't unheard of. And, it's VERY PREDICABLE! We can see cold fronts coming days in advance. Why cancel school or work simply because it's "cold" outside?

Get up early, put on more clothes, go out and curse at the cold, and get on with life!
 
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DNEWTON said: Suck it up America; put on your big-boy and big-girl panties and get to work!

I agree with you on most counts. But, I usually only don the panties at my wife's request.
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As someone pointed out, it's probably just a money issue for stuff like buses. Failure is an option. If there were an onerous financial penalty associated with the buses not running, or people being shown the door like they should be, then they would run, and run on time.

Like everywhere else, we are in the midst of a brutal cold snap, so I've prepared for it. My places all have a $10K deductible, so I have to. Failure is not an option.
 
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as many others have said. Grew up on a farm so I learned young how to deal with the cold. Rode my bike to work today at 2 degrees, although having chest pains which I haven't had before. My kids have it too easy as their school is only 1/2 mile away but their mother drives them anyway.. just blame it on her!
 
I agree with you 100%. I watched my 2 boys play sports where no score was kept and everyone got a trophy, I saw so many "snow days" that would have been regular go to school days, I saw the medical community pass out pain pills because nobody wants to suffer some pain.

What do we have now? a big amount of self absorbed idiots that think they are the best, take no risks and don't prepare, and are addicted to Oxy and other meds.

We've got -15C and 20cm of snow on the ground with more to arrive. Go ahead Winter - Hit me with your best shot!
 
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... We had a storm last weekend they were talking about for a week. Ended up being less than an inch. I wonder if the weather channels are paid by the grocery stores and oil companies to hype up all the storms. It wouldn't surprise me...


I was taking my five year old to the grocery store last Saturday, and a few snowflakes wafted down while we were walking across the parking lot. Within five minutes, the place was practically mobbed. When we got out, the flurry had ended ....

The media mantra here is that just because it keeps getting colder than a witches you know what laying face down in the snow, it doesn't mean what you think it means ....
 
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