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What I'm doing tonight: a three-hour Zoom lecture on the Geology of Texas.
Spoiler alert: big states have lots of kinds of rocks. Also, not *all* geologists in Texas work for the petroleum industry.
Some teach.
Sunday: Twilight 2000 review.
Today: USA is sending 12 AH-64 Apache to be stationed in Poland because of Russian preparations to invade Ukraine.
Hmmmm...
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It's 42˚F and sprinkling.
Who moved our state?
It was 75*F Saturday. It is currently 12*F right now, was a high of 22*F today. Kansas weather, man.
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I have the ULTIMATE idea for a DragonCon mashup costume, but it requires that the cosplayers be (a) twins, and (b) Black.
The Millivanillion.
Like, Milli Vanilli, but dressed as characters from the Silmarillion.
I'll go now.
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Everyone seems to be looking to find a better employment opportunity.I think I've said it before, but for my position and area I'm grossly underpaid: Even AWS's post for a mid-level position lists a top salary that's 10% over what I'm making now.
I didn't mind because I had significant quality-of-life benefits:
(1) Permanent work from home
(2) Infinite sick leave
(3) Infinite vacation time
(4) No overtime. Ever
(5) Most weeks I typically only have 25-30 hours of "real" work
(6) A fantastic manager who focused on giving me work that was intellectually stimulating and challenged me to learn and growWith COVID, employers have learned that (1)-(3) are to their benefit, so most tech employers now offer the exact same package. With the Great Resignation, (4) is extremely unlikely to be an issue anywhere. And now I've lost (6).
So... stay at a company and get underpaid and underutilized and deal with a nightmare s****torm of politics and jockeying for power within the division, or get out, get a significant raise, and maybe have to work an actual 40 hours a week?
Seems like the latter is the wiser choice.
(1-6) Does not occur in 'essential' retail environment. Please input parameters and try again.
Your answer in such a case is underpaid, over-utilized, have to deal with the s%@%-storm of politics from the downhill position, and having to clean up the raw sewage of a half-dozen incompetent managers who know how to 'play the game' while bending all the employees over the barrel and doing the sort of things that they'd probably pay good money to an 'expert' for.
Yes, have salt vein here.
Everyone seems to be looking to find a better employment opportunity.(1) Permanent work from home
(2) Infinite sick leave
(3) Infinite vacation time
(4) No overtime. Ever
(5) Most weeks I typically only have 25-30 hours of "real" work
(6) A fantastic manager who focused on giving me work that was intellectually stimulating and challenged me to learn and grow
(1-6) Does not occur in 'essential' retail environment. Please input parameters and try again.
Your answer in such a case is underpaid, over-utilized, have to deal with the s+*#-storm of politics from the downhill position, and having to clean up the raw sewage of a half-dozen incompetent managers who know how to 'play the game' while bending all the employees over the barrel and doing the sort of things that they'd probably pay good money to an 'expert' for.
Yes, have salt vein here.
That's the really depressing aspect of most work. When I worked for a small mom-and-pop retail store I had (5) and (6), though (5) hardly counts because I had to be there, but with no customers and all the videos and shelves sorted I could sit down and watch videos. But yeah, there was no WFH, sick and vacation was 100% unpaid, and if someone was sick we'd be asked to come in and cover for them without getting paid overtime. It was still a nice gig, but I was in my early 20s and living at home. It would have sucked trying to live on my own on what I was paid there.
Treating people like that once they're full-time is borderline criminal.
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Never send a PM before coffee.
I hereby do a public "I'm so sorry" dance to LM for my first PM of the morning.
The follow-up PM is the "polite" one, but I figure a public apology is in order.
And no, you don't get to know what it was about. :-P
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Never send a PM before coffee.
I hereby do a public "I'm so sorry" dance to LM for my first PM of the morning.
The follow-up PM is the "polite" one, but I figure a public apology is in order.
And no, you don't get to know what it was about. :-P
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In lighter news, it really is amazing how important gender pronouns and gender roles are in our society, and how insidious the problem is. It brings the, "I prefer these pronouns," thing into stark focus.
There's the old riddle: A man and his son are flying in a plane. The plane crashes. The man dies but the son survives and is rushed to the hospital. The surgeon says, "I can't perform the operation. That's my son!"
What's going on?
It's depressing how many people that riddle stumps.
Then there's
Last night they learned:
(1) "All inmates are prisoners. Not all prisoners are inmates," so they made the connection that the "man" they seek isn't an inmate at all, but rather trapped in by the dungeon.
(2) They have the original codex from the founding of Galt, including every law and bylaw. "Anyone who followed this codex lawfully and with good intent could restore Galt."
...and yet the Lawful Good female silver dragon sitting on the doorstep of the dungeon, trapped by a Binding she cannot break, still hasn't crossed their minds.
In lighter news, it really is amazing how important gender pronouns and gender roles are in our society, and how insidious the problem is. It brings the, "I prefer these pronouns," thing into stark focus.
There's the old riddle: A man and his son are flying in a plane. The plane crashes. The man dies but the son survives and is rushed to the hospital. The surgeon says, "I can't perform the operation. That's my son!"
What's going on?It's depressing how many people that riddle stumps.
Oh man, that's an oldie.
In my experience it is told in the fashion of a fast-talking riddle meant to confuse moreso than enlighten someone to things they may be blind to.
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In lighter news, it really is amazing how important gender pronouns and gender roles are in our society, and how insidious the problem is. It brings the, "I prefer these pronouns," thing into stark focus.
There's the old riddle: A man and his son are flying in a plane. The plane crashes. The man dies but the son survives and is rushed to the hospital. The surgeon says, "I can't perform the operation. That's my son!"
What's going on?It's depressing how many people that riddle stumps.
Oh man, that's an oldie.
In my experience it is told in the fashion of a fast-talking riddle meant to confuse moreso than enlighten someone to things they may be blind to.
Growing up in the 70s and 80s, you wouldn't believe how many people got angry with me because they called and asked, "Is Dr. Home in?" and I responded, "Which one?"
They always thought I was being a smart-a$$.
My father was a Ph.D. My mother was an M.D./Ph.D. It was a legitimate question.
I knew plenty of people who got mad at that riddle when I was growing up that responded openly with "Women shouldn't be doctors" or, later, "gay people shouldn't be doctors".
So no, I don't think it's just fast-talking. It's very much shining a light on still-present cultural biases, bigotries, expectations, and assumptions.
Riddles aren't very popular in Wisconsin so most of the riddles I know or have heard come from television.
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Then there's ** spoiler omitted **
In their defense, it might not be the gender that throws them off the trail...
Then there's ** spoiler omitted **In their defense, it might not be the gender that throws them off the trail...
I'm still eagerly awaiting the first "a ha" moment.
They're going to hate me.
In lighter news, it really is amazing how important gender pronouns and gender roles are in our society, and how insidious the problem is. It brings the, "I prefer these pronouns," thing into stark focus.
There's the old riddle: A man and his son are flying in a plane. The plane crashes. The man dies but the son survives and is rushed to the hospital. The surgeon says, "I can't perform the operation. That's my son!"
What's going on?It's depressing how many people that riddle stumps.
Oh man, that's an oldie.
In my experience it is told in the fashion of a fast-talking riddle meant to confuse moreso than enlighten someone to things they may be blind to.
Growing up in the 70s and 80s, you wouldn't believe how many people got angry with me because they called and asked, "Is Dr. Home in?" and I responded, "Which one?"
They always thought I was being a smart-a$$.
My father was a Ph.D. My mother was an M.D./Ph.D. It was a legitimate question.
Y U NO MAKE HOUSE JOKE
OMG. Speaking of jokes:
Calv Sevcenko <bhlsjxlufgbldxweczzbhyperresonant@outlook.com>
NobodysHome, Hello my name is Calv Sevcenko, We tried to contact you at your home and did not hear back. It looks like your student-loan may be eligible for the recent stimulus forgiveness and relief legislation (Cares Act), however your application does need to be completed. This applies to all loan statuses including those loans in default and garnishment. If you could please give your dedicated eligibility line a call at: xxx-xxx-xxxx and we can have this applied immediately. Please be aware that these benefits come on a first come first serve basis though. Please make sure to provide your personal validation code #xxxxx. Our office hours are 8am-5pm (PST) Monday-Friday. Thank You, Calv Sevcenko
That's just not even trying.
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Yeah.
My manager and I were discussing all the issues with working here at Global Megacorporation and the timeline for our (presumed) departures. Unspoken was how little Global Megacorporation does for employee appreciation: No annual events, a $150 gift card once per 5 years of employment, and absolutely nothing else...
...then along comes the FedEx truck from GothBard's employer with a random, out-of-the-blue box full of snacks and a note: "We appreciate you! Have some snacks to brighten your day!"
I'm at the wrong company...
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I offhandedly mentioned to Babynerds 3.0 that I was considering throwing together a Redwall-inspired 5e campaign for giggles because I've been rereading them. Three of them immediately declared they'd be all in on that and helped assign a core race to the critters.
So...that's happening apparently.
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I offhandedly mentioned to Babynerds 3.0 that I was considering throwing together a Redwall-inspired 5e campaign for giggles because I've been rereading them. Three of them immediately declared they'd be all in on that and helped assign a core race to the critters.
So...that's happening apparently.
Why not? Redwall is fun. Doesn't it already have it's own RPG?
There's Mausritter as well, which I believe is similar in concept.
Why not? Redwall is fun. Doesn't it already have it's own RPG?I offhandedly mentioned to Babynerds 3.0 that I was considering throwing together a Redwall-inspired 5e campaign for giggles because I've been rereading them. Three of them immediately declared they'd be all in on that and helped assign a core race to the critters.
So...that's happening apparently.
No idea about the RPG. Mostly surprised because they're high school kids, and there's always the risk of "ugh kids' book."
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I offhandedly mentioned to Babynerds 3.0 that I was considering throwing together a Redwall-inspired 5e campaign for giggles because I've been rereading them. Three of them immediately declared they'd be all in on that and helped assign a core race to the critters.
So...that's happening apparently.
<observes very carefully>
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Never send a PM before coffee.
I hereby do a public "I'm so sorry" dance to LM for my first PM of the morning.
The follow-up PM is the "polite" one, but I figure a public apology is in order.
And no, you don't get to know what it was about. :-P
Lol, Grumpy old grognard NH is my favorite curmudgeon.
You weren't actually that rude.
What the Spock is a "grognard", anyway?
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What the Spock is a "grognard", anyway?
The term was ancient even before I entered tech, but "summoning the troll" is a great example:
Back in my real time training days, we attended the real time conferences. Being technical trainer/consultants, we had deeply technical questions about our competitors' products. So we'd approach the pretty, pretty, smiling people at the booths and ask our questions. And they would smile prettily, and say, "Oh, you need to talk to Bob! I understand. Oh, Bob! Would you come out, please?"
And from behind a pile of shiny brochures and gleaming PC cases would emerge a 300-pound man with a neck beard capable of stopping bullets, and "Bob" would explain in intimate details the answer to our question and the underlying technology around it.
We loved "Bob".
And "Bob" was a "grognard": Stereotypically a socially-inept, frequently physically unattractive person who knows every minute detail about something and can explain it clearly, at length, to anyone who asks at any level of expertise. We loved our grognards.
And yes, I have become one.
My favorite conference ever: Microsoft sent a team of pretty, pretty marketing people with no grognards. They soon attracted a crowd of extremely amused engineers calling out technical questions and getting ridiculously terrible answers. It was hilarious. Sad, but hilarious.
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Impus Minor has mastered the art of getting expensive presents.
Christmas: Dad, I want to be able to print up some terrain pieces and glue them to pizza platters so we have portable 3-dimensional battle mats to play on. Can I have a 3D printer for Christmas?
And we thought that was a constructive thing so we got him the printer, and his uncle got him a dozen spools of printer stuff, and he was happy.
And GothBard learned the joys of designing figures in Hero Forge, paying the $10 for the 3D printer image, and having Impus Minor print them.
So of course, being a clever young man:
Impus Minor's Birthday: Dad, the 3D printer we have is great for terrain, but I need one that does much higher-resolution printing for minis. Can I get one for my birthday?
And of course GothBard thinks this is a fantastic idea...
So normally his presents run $50-$100. And he's pulling off two $350 presents in a row. I'm impressed.
| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
Impus Minor has mastered the art of getting expensive presents.
Christmas: Dad, I want to be able to print up some terrain pieces and glue them to pizza platters so we have portable 3-dimensional battle mats to play on. Can I have a 3D printer for Christmas?
And we thought that was a constructive thing so we got him the printer, and his uncle got him a dozen spools of printer stuff, and he was happy.And GothBard learned the joys of designing figures in Hero Forge, paying the $10 for the 3D printer image, and having Impus Minor print them.
So of course, being a clever young man:
Impus Minor's Birthday: Dad, the 3D printer we have is great for terrain, but I need one that does much higher-resolution printing for minis. Can I get one for my birthday?And of course GothBard thinks this is a fantastic idea...
So normally his presents run $50-$100. And he's pulling off two $350 presents in a row. I'm impressed.
Yes, but you have a GothBard, who has put many, many skill points into painting miniatures.
Most of the rest of us would come up with something that looks like an ogre with Parkinson's and cataracts threw some pigment at it.
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Impus Minor has mastered the art of getting expensive presents.
Christmas: Dad, I want to be able to print up some terrain pieces and glue them to pizza platters so we have portable 3-dimensional battle mats to play on. Can I have a 3D printer for Christmas?
And we thought that was a constructive thing so we got him the printer, and his uncle got him a dozen spools of printer stuff, and he was happy.And GothBard learned the joys of designing figures in Hero Forge, paying the $10 for the 3D printer image, and having Impus Minor print them.
So of course, being a clever young man:
Impus Minor's Birthday: Dad, the 3D printer we have is great for terrain, but I need one that does much higher-resolution printing for minis. Can I get one for my birthday?And of course GothBard thinks this is a fantastic idea...
So normally his presents run $50-$100. And he's pulling off two $350 presents in a row. I'm impressed.
Yes, but you have a GothBard, who has put many, many skill points into painting miniatures.
Most of the rest of us would come up with something that looks like an ogre with Parkinson's and cataracts threw some pigment at it.
You've seen my painting, I see...
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*wakes up*
Crap.
And I am too awake, can't even go back to sleep...
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Impus Minor has mastered the art of getting expensive presents.
Christmas: Dad, I want to be able to print up some terrain pieces and glue them to pizza platters so we have portable 3-dimensional battle mats to play on. Can I have a 3D printer for Christmas?
And we thought that was a constructive thing so we got him the printer, and his uncle got him a dozen spools of printer stuff, and he was happy.And GothBard learned the joys of designing figures in Hero Forge, paying the $10 for the 3D printer image, and having Impus Minor print them.
So of course, being a clever young man:
Impus Minor's Birthday: Dad, the 3D printer we have is great for terrain, but I need one that does much higher-resolution printing for minis. Can I get one for my birthday?And of course GothBard thinks this is a fantastic idea...
So normally his presents run $50-$100. And he's pulling off two $350 presents in a row. I'm impressed.
Father, my birthday passed in December...
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Teenagers are so dramatic!
It's not the end of the world, it's just morning. It'll wear off in a few hours.
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In lighter news, last night our "local" utility company (Pacific Gas & Electric) had a system error that created a false alert that 77,000+ customers had lost power. OK. Such things happen.
The robodialer cranked into overdrive to call every customer and notify them that they didn't have power. Seems pointless, except the call also said, "We expect to restore your power by 8:30 pm," so I count it as a useful call.
Unfortunately, something was also seriously wrong with the robodialer. We received no fewer than 8 calls over a 5-minute span to tell us that we didn't have power. I listened in full to the first call, hung up, put the phone down, and it immediately rang again. PG&E again. I hung up. Repeat. Again and again and again and again.
It's one thing to have a rare system error that generates a false power outage. It's another thing entirely to have your robodialer so poorly-configured that it can't tell that it already called someone SEVEN TIMES.
It was... annoying...
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XKCD understands my objection to rounding.That's the rounding equivalent of running something through google translate 37 times.
Yes, but... it's what I was complaining about in Impus Major's physics textbook, and it's something that's utterly unforgivable in the sciences.
His book's approach:
(1) Take the sine of an angle. Round off.
(2) Multiply by the force. Round off.
(3) Plug the force into a formula. Round off.
(4) Perform all the additions and subtractions.
(5) Take the square root. Round off.
By the time it's done, the "solution" in the back of the book is off from the correct answer by 10-20%. Every time.
Teaching kids to do scientific calculations incorrectly is awful.
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XKCD understands my objection to rounding.That's the rounding equivalent of running something through google translate 37 times.
Hey! Let’s try an experiment!
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.2. Somali: Inta badan roobka ka da'a Spain waxa uu da'a bannaanka
3. Kurdish: Piraniya barana li Spanyayê li derve dibare
4. Sweidsh: Det mesta av regnet i Spanien faller utanför
5. Corsican: A maiò parte di a pioggia in Spagna cade for a
6. Icelandic: Mest af rigningunni á Spáni fellur úti
7. Ukrainian: Bilʹshistʹ doshchiv v Ispaniyi vypadaye na vulyts
8. Lithuainian: Didžioji dalis lietaus Ispanijoje iškrenta gatvėse
9. Māori: Ko te nuinga o te ua i Spain ka taka ki nga tiriti
10. Dutch: De meeste regen in Spanje valt op straat
11. Greek: Oi perissóteres vrochés stin Ispanía péftoun stous drómous
12. Arabic: tasqut muezam al'amtar fi 'iisbanya fi alshawarie
13. Hindi: spen mein sabase jyaada baarish sadakon par hotee hai
14. Mandarin: Dà bùfèn yǔshuǐ luò zài xībānyá de dàolù shàng
15. Swahili: Mvua nyingi hunyesha kwenye barabara za Uhispania
16. Pashto: د اسپانیا په سړکونو سخت بارانونه کیږي
17. Welsh: Mae'n bwrw glaw yn drwm ar ffyrdd Sbaen
18. Hungarian: Erősen esik az eső a spanyol utakon
19: Afrikaans: Dit reën swaar op Spaanse paaie
20. Burmese: hcapein lammyarrpawtwin moesaee hcwar rwar naysai .
21. Korean: seupein dolo-eneun manh-eun biga naeligo issseubnida.
22. Slovak: Na španielskych cestách husto prší.
23. German: Es regnet stark auf spanischen Straßen.
24. Basque: Euria gogor ari du Espainiako kaleetan.
25. Zulu: Imvula ina kakhulu emigwaqweni yaseSpain.
26. Mongolian: Ispaniin zamd shirüün boroo orj baina.
27. Samoan: E mamafa timuga i luga o le auala Sipaniolo.
28. Scottish Gaelic: Bha an t-uisge ann gu mòr air rathad na Spàinne.
29. Portuguese: Chovia muito na estrada espanhola.
30. Amharic: besipēni menigedi layi bizu zinabi zenebe።
31. Finnish: Espanjan teillä satoi rankkoja sateita.
32. Luxembourgish: Op spuenesche Stroossen hu staark gereent.
33. French: Il a beaucoup plu sur les routes espagnoles.
34. Urdu: ہسپانوی سڑکوں پر بہت بارش ہوئی۔
35. Hebrew: ירד גשם חזק בכבישי ספרד.
36. Vietnamese: Mưa lớn rơi trên các con đường ở Tây Ban Nha.
37. English: Heavy rain falls on the roads in Spain.
Yep, there is definitely drift...
:)