*snerk*
We're not quite ready to perma-open the windows yet, but it's getting close: The lows are starting to inch from the 40s into the 50s, and once the lows are around 54 then I can leave the windows open all night.
It's kind of terrifying watching just how badly you can get hosed by construction in this area.
Our (non-missing) neighbors got solar and were promptly told by their insurance company that their house was no longer insurable because it had solar panels and knob-and-tube wiring. (Though I would double-dog dare them to run 50 amps through the house and see whether it was the knob-and-tube or the conduit/romex that gave out first.) So our neighbors hired a company to completely rewire their house. The guys were astonishing. They were friendly, hard-working, one of them basically lived in the attic all week and another lived in the crawl space, and they did a complete rewire of the house in 5 days with a team of 6 guys. And they did it all inside the walls; a few drywall patches and you couldn't tell they'd been there.
Perhaps inspired by this, the house 2 houses up hired a different company to do electric work on their house. It's a team of 8 guys, they're on week 2, and there's no end in sight. They're surly. They disappear for random amounts of time. And I suspect they aren't going to do as good of a job.
And as consumers, there's no way to tell which kind of contractor you're going to get...
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Triple 69s... knob and tube... Mrs Fortescue showing a glimpse of ankle when climbing onto the omnibus to Alma Crescent... It's a veritable Sodom and Gomorrah around here, by Bacchus!
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Back from Dune, part 2
Excellent sound and visuals. The narration and story presentation fares much worse.
Acting is good with some excellent scenes, though some could work better with better direction and better scenes. I am pretty sure that underusing talents of Christopher Walken qualifies as a crime against art.
Some of the changes to the story make sense, some contribute to disjointed narration and make the story worse, sadly.
Lady Fenring can lead me to her chambers anytime she wants... Wait... What is that? AaarghhahaaNNoooargh!
My current verdict is that translating Dune to the screen requires multi-season, insane budget series, akin to Games Of Thrones to do it justice where long discussion or monologues regarding politics, sociology, and psychology (which are vital part of Dune) could be fit in.
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Uhuhu...
If GothBard IS starting a new job... Does that mean that her old work laptop is no longer off-limits?
Asking for a kobold acquisition team friend?
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Scenes from this week's demolition job, part 1:
There are two dumpsters on the job, one for concrete and one for garbage. My helper, "The Kid" picked up some pieces of trash that one of the other crews (probably one of the masons) put in the wrong dumpster. "I don't know why they just throw this stuff in the concrete dumpster," said The Kid. "It could be worse," I replied, "they could have thrown it in the abstract dumpster." He didn't get the joke.
This year is weird, I kept in better shape during the winter then usual I think because usually how things go, the first week back breaks you, the second week you get in shape and by the third week you're starting to build new muscles.
This year I was able to compress the breaking down and getting into shape the first week and so this week I've been building muscle.
I'm out of shape.
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Uhuhu...
If GothBard IS starting a new job... Does that mean that her old work laptop is no longer off-limits?
Asking for a
kobold acquisition teamfriend?
I don't think you'd want any of the spare computers in our house. Being a tech family, it's a pretty astonishing list:
(1) Blueberry iBook (1999): Yes, I checked it a year or so ago and it still boots. They knew how to make these things. But playing a modern game? Not possible.
(2) MSI laptop (circa 2015): This was the one where the hinge was so tight that it ripped the screen open. Sure, I fixed it, but it's a 2 kg laptop that's nearly 10 years old. On the bright side, it's just sitting in storage in Impus Minor's room, so at least this one is available. And as typical for all MSI laptops, the battery died within 2 years so there's no working battery.
(3) NobodysHome's Mac Mini (circa 2016): This is my workhorse. You can't have it.
(4) GothBard's Desktop (NH built, circa 2018): She's still using it and she just upgraded the video card. You can't have it.
(5) MSI laptop (circa 2018): When I was building new desktops for everyone, Impus Major requested a laptop instead. He's regretted the decision ever since. This one came with a bad fan which caused the computer to run ultra-hot (you could burn yourself touching the case), which caused the internals to swell, popping up the keyboard. And just like the other MSI, the battery died very quickly. So warped case, runs hot, and no battery. Yet this is still the laptop I use on Friday nights when Impus Minor is running his game in the living room. So no, you can't have it.
(6) Impus Major's Desktop (NH built, circa 2021): He had to give up on the laptop and get a real computer. It's his main computer, so no.
(7) NobodysHome's Desktop (NH built, circa 2022): After Impus Major got his, I built one for myself. Nope. I luurv it.
(8) NobodysHome's work laptop (circa 2022): Owned by Global Megacorporation. You can't have it.
(9) Impus Minor's laptop (circa 2023): A really solid little Dell with a tiny form factor for school. No, you can't have it.
(10) GothBard's work desktop (circa 2023): An absolute piece of junk from AlienWare. All of our desktops except GothBard's outperform it. And it's owned by GothBard's work.
(11) Impus Minor's desktop (NH built, circa 2023): Impus Minor paid for it. I built it. It screams. Nope. Impus Minor would knife battle you for it.
(12) Impus Major's laptop (2024): Impus Major hated the tiny form factor of the replacement Dell, along with all the other complaints I listed a couple of months ago, so he got himself a $400 "clunker" from ACER that he absolutely loves. No idea whether or not it could actually play any games, though.
So yeah, we have a dozen computers in our house, ten of which we use regularly. Did I mention we're a tech-y family?
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Teensy Valeros is eleven today. I made beignets for breakfast, we're off to his favorite arcade, and he's requested barbecue ribs and my great-grandmother's fudge pie for dinner. His birthday haul is mostly comics and archery paraphernalia (his own quiver, arrows, glove, forearm guard and target, and getting the lightest of WW's three bows restrung for him.) He's ridiculously happy.
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Teensy Valeros is eleven today. I made beignets for breakfast, we're off to his favorite arcade, and he's requested barbecue ribs and my great-grandmother's fudge pie for dinner. His birthday haul is mostly comics and archery paraphernalia (his own quiver, arrows, glove, forearm guard and target, and getting the lightest of WW's three bows restrung for him.) He's ridiculously happy.
Impus Minor turned 20 on Monday. His entire birthday was cheap takeout from our local Greek place. We did nothing; not even cards. So I gave him the expected expenses in cash. He declared it the "best birthday ever".
He is truly my son.
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Teensy Valeros is eleven today. I made beignets for breakfast, we're off to his favorite arcade, and he's requested barbecue ribs and my great-grandmother's fudge pie for dinner. His birthday haul is mostly comics and archery paraphernalia (his own quiver, arrows, glove, forearm guard and target, and getting the lightest of WW's three bows restrung for him.) He's ridiculously happy.
Uhuhu...
If GothBard IS starting a new job... Does that mean that her old work laptop is no longer off-limits?
Asking for a
kobold acquisition teamfriend?I don't think you'd want any of the spare computers in our house. Being a tech family, it's a pretty astonishing list:
(1) Blueberry iBook (1999): Yes, I checked it a year or so ago and it still boots. They knew how to make these things. But playing a modern game? Not possible.
(2) MSI laptop (circa 2015): This was the one where the hinge was so tight that it ripped the screen open. Sure, I fixed it, but it's a 2 kg laptop that's nearly 10 years old. On the bright side, it's just sitting in storage in Impus Minor's room, so at least this one is available. And as typical for all MSI laptops, the battery died within 2 years so there's no working battery.
(3) NobodysHome's Mac Mini (circa 2016): This is my workhorse. You can't have it.
(4) GothBard's Desktop (NH built, circa 2018): She's still using it and she just upgraded the video card. You can't have it.
(5) MSI laptop (circa 2018): When I was building new desktops for everyone, Impus Major requested a laptop instead. He's regretted the decision ever since. This one came with a bad fan which caused the computer to run ultra-hot (you could burn yourself touching the case), which caused the internals to swell, popping up the keyboard. And just like the other MSI, the battery died very quickly. So warped case, runs hot, and no battery. Yet this is still the laptop I use on Friday nights when Impus Minor is running his game in the living room. So no, you can't have it.
(6) Impus Major's Desktop (NH built, circa 2021): He had to give up on the laptop and get a real computer. It's his main computer, so no.
(7) NobodysHome's Desktop (NH built, circa 2022): After Impus Major got his, I built one for myself. Nope. I luurv it.
(8) NobodysHome's work laptop (circa 2022): Owned by...
I have my phone and my Xbox, that's all I need.
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Crookshanks' birthday is in April, this will be her first birthday without her mother (which is pretty f*%#ed up) so I'm going to try my hand at birthday cakes.
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On the one hand, I know that the time between tenants can be lengthy; my family's infamous decision to boot my tenants in favor of someone who could pay much more in rent ended up costing them over $60,000 in repairs and lost rent as the house sat empty for 6-7 months.
--BUT--
It was empty because people were working on it. The day after the tenants moved out I did a walk-through with the new property manager. Every time I went by there was a gardener, or a cleaner, or a hardwood guy, or a carpet guy, or a painter, or someone working on the house to make it rentable. Once they were all done it still took 2-3 months to rent it, so the property managers were still sending a gardener and a cleaner every week to make sure it stayed relatively pristine for the new tenants. Cost us a pretty penny, but it's how you manage a rental property.
So yeah, two weeks now and still no activity whatsoever at the house. You'd think that even if they were doing a remote sale there'd be an inspector or an appraiser or someone to verify that the tenants are gone and the house is still standing.
I've got to admit, I'll be really curious as to their explanation when they finally show up. I don't know of anywhere else where you'd see a $1.4 million, $4000+/month rental house sitting empty and untouched for weeks at a time...
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Crookshanks' birthday is in April, this will be her first birthday without her mother (which is pretty f&&@ed up) so I'm going to try my hand at birthday cakes.
I'm (in)famous for my delicious-yet-hideous cakes. I'm sure you'll do better than I do.
Uhuhu...
If GothBard IS starting a new job... Does that mean that her old work laptop is no longer off-limits?
Asking for a
kobold acquisition teamfriend?I don't think you'd want any of the spare computers in our house. Being a tech family, it's a pretty astonishing list:
(1) Blueberry iBook (1999): Yes, I checked it a year or so ago and it still boots. They knew how to make these things. But playing a modern game? Not possible.
(2) MSI laptop (circa 2015): This was the one where the hinge was so tight that it ripped the screen open. Sure, I fixed it, but it's a 2 kg laptop that's nearly 10 years old. On the bright side, it's just sitting in storage in Impus Minor's room, so at least this one is available. And as typical for all MSI laptops, the battery died within 2 years so there's no working battery.
(3) NobodysHome's Mac Mini (circa 2016): This is my workhorse. You can't have it.
(4) GothBard's Desktop (NH built, circa 2018): She's still using it and she just upgraded the video card. You can't have it.
(5) MSI laptop (circa 2018): When I was building new desktops for everyone, Impus Major requested a laptop instead. He's regretted the decision ever since. This one came with a bad fan which caused the computer to run ultra-hot (you could burn yourself touching the case), which caused the internals to swell, popping up the keyboard. And just like the other MSI, the battery died very quickly. So warped case, runs hot, and no battery. Yet this is still the laptop I use on Friday nights when Impus Minor is running his game in the living room. So no, you can't have it.
(6) Impus Major's Desktop (NH built, circa 2021): He had to give up on the laptop and get a real computer. It's his main computer, so no.
(7) NobodysHome's Desktop (NH built, circa 2022): After Impus Major got his, I built one for myself. Nope. I luurv it.
(8) NobodysHome's work laptop (circa 2022): Owned by...
You beat me on functioning computers per head.
I have at least five computers (that I know of), but three of them are computers from 80s (Atari 130 XE, which might or might not actually work, I don't have a tv/monitor that I could connect to check, Amiga which likely isn't working but again I don't have monitor, and C64 which almost certainly isn't working, but you never truly know with such ancient things that weren't turned on in this millenium).
Teensy Valeros is eleven today. I made beignets for breakfast, we're off to his favorite arcade, and he's requested barbecue ribs and my great-grandmother's fudge pie for dinner. His birthday haul is mostly comics and archery paraphernalia (his own quiver, arrows, glove, forearm guard and target, and getting the lightest of WW's three bows restrung for him.) He's ridiculously happy.
Happy birthday, TV!
(I've been getting into archery too, but decided to make the targets myself. This has not worked well)
You beat me on functioning computers per head.
Oh, I'm sure we're atypical for even a Bay Area family. Most families of four would have five computers:
(2) A school laptop for each kid. And they get to play any games that will run on it.
(2) A work laptop for each adult.
(1) One home computer used for family finances, streaming, or whatever else.
So since we're all gamers, take those five and add four gaming desktops and you get the nine that are in daily use. Then there's the "once a week" craptop where I suffer my Friday night games.
Speaking of Helldivers 2, it's clear that someone has played way, way too much...
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Speaking of Helldivers 2, it's clear that someone has played way, way too much...
Looks like a typical rpg party IN SPACE!
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LOLOL. I was trying to explain to Impus Major the difference between my visceral reaction to his doing something (he's going to Santa Cruz over Spring Break to hang out with a group of heavily substance-abusing friends), and I finally said, "Let me explain my childhood to you."
I Googled, "When did the U.S. have its highest crime rate?"
1991. Right when I was going out and getting into trouble. Of course. But I noticed that was for property crime. I'm afraid I have to admit I just might have had something to do with that.
So I Googled, "When did the U.S. have its highest violent crime rate?"
1992.
Yep. I was running around with my punk friends in the middle of the night in the most violent crime period in U.S. history. Is it any wonder I'm not comfortable when Impus Major goes out with a small group of nerdy friends in the middle of the night? I always remember the types of groups we ran into in those hours... So I let him go and I worry, but I don't bother him. I just explain to him why I worry so much.
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I was reading it and thinking, "Under $50k, but fully remote and working on RPG game design... I can think of a lot of people I know who would like that..."
...then I saw that:
(a) They're looking for someone with a college degree, and
(b) union dues are over $500/year.
Yeah, good luck with that search, Paizo!
$48,800 would be almost an order of magnitude more than my current (projected) income.
Still, I am not moving to Minnesota for Paizo.
Part of the work done, and now I am going to sleep before my eyes fall off on the keyboard...
It's almost 8 am.
I was reading it and thinking, "Under $50k, but fully remote and working on RPG game design... I can think of a lot of people I know who would like that..."
...then I saw that:
(a) They're looking for someone with a college degree, and
(b) union dues are over $500/year.Yeah, good luck with that search, Paizo!
We're both in unions - none of our dues (nor those of anyone else I know) approach $500 a year...
Jesus! I make over 50k a year AFTER taxes and insurance!
Crookshanks' birthday is in April, this will be her first birthday without her mother (which is pretty f@&+ed up) so I'm going to try my hand at birthday cakes.
If there's a good local bakery in the area and your test runs are flops, don't hesitate to reach out.
The time and effort to make the cake, while a labor of love in the house, might result in a clean-up time that's frustrating.
They would probably enjoy the challenge you'd throw at them.
They can be a little pricey, but it's rare that I've ever eaten a cake that was a 'dud'
I was reading it and thinking, "Under $50k, but fully remote and working on RPG game design... I can think of a lot of people I know who would like that..."
...then I saw that:
(a) They're looking for someone with a college degree, and
(b) union dues are over $500/year.Yeah, good luck with that search, Paizo!
...yikes.
It's depressing when a supposedly-reputable company goes along with the shady business requests of their employer and pulls quasi-legal stuff that can get them sued. We'll see how this plays out.
Long story short, GothBard's current company used ADP to generate their payslips. ADP is a well-established company used by many corporations to manage payroll. By law, GothBard must receive her final payslip so she can make sure she was compensated accordingly.
You know where this is going.
This morning she got her final paycheck and it was a few hundred dollars short, as if somehow they'd neglected to cash out her vacation, which they are legally required to do. I signed in to ADP to check her payslip and, even though she's technically working through EOD today, they've already locked her out so she can't access any of her payslips.
My guess is that they accidentally cut her one day short, but hiding all the records makes me extremely mistrustful of them. We'll see whether we get a physical copy of the paycheck.
And as usual, it's, "Do you really want to lawyer up and sue the company for $350?"
Most people would say, "No," and thus the company makes a tiny bit of extra profit on every leaving worker.
EDIT: I figured as much. Given that GothBard's ADP account was locked as of 6:00 am this morning, I guessed that HR had ended her employment a day early. Putting that in and adjusting for vacation accumulation the paycheck was less than $20 off expectations. So an HR goof and I need to let GothBard know she's not being paid to work today and she may not even be able to access her system. It's too bad, since they were supposed to be giving her a going-away party today, and that'll be hard if she can't join them...
We're both in unions - none of our dues (nor those of anyone else I know) approach $500 a year...I was reading it and thinking, "Under $50k, but fully remote and working on RPG game design... I can think of a lot of people I know who would like that..."
...then I saw that:
(a) They're looking for someone with a college degree, and
(b) union dues are over $500/year.Yeah, good luck with that search, Paizo!
It was a while ago, but last time I was in a union it was $40/year. Putting it into the handy-dandy inflation calculator, that would be... $79.93 today. A far cry from $500.
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And it begins...
As I've mentioned, while Albany's violent crime rate is enviably low, its property crime rate is right in line with all the other cities in the area: If you leave something out in the open or any doors to obviously-unpopulated areas unlocked, you are remarkably likely to get burgled. (Yep. I looked up the correct term.)
Yesterday was an unusually windy day, so missing neighbors' tool shed blew open in the middle of the night, leaving a visible-from-the-street open building. Remarkably, nobody seems to have come on the property (yes, it's that bad), so I went over and closed up the shed and made sure it was properly latched.
But I'm an excessively nosy/active neighbor; I shouldn't have to be in the business of protecting someone else's house from burglary or vandalism.
If anything else like this happens I'm going to abandon my whole, "Give them a month so as not to be a pushy jerk," stance and get in touch with the owners with a polite, "Erm, you know your house is sitting here abandoned, right?"
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Even over 500 a year is less than the 70 a month I pay for internet.
o.O
Does it come with instantaneous Galaxy-wide subspace connection?
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It was a while ago, but last time I was in a union it was $40/year. Putting it into the handy-dandy inflation calculator, that would be... $79.93 today. A far cry from $500.We're both in unions - none of our dues (nor those of anyone else I know) approach $500 a year...I was reading it and thinking, "Under $50k, but fully remote and working on RPG game design... I can think of a lot of people I know who would like that..."
...then I saw that:
(a) They're looking for someone with a college degree, and
(b) union dues are over $500/year.Yeah, good luck with that search, Paizo!
Political lobbying costs and lawyer fees went up.
I guess.
It might well be. I'm in the unwelcome position of waiting to see how the negotiations between my union and the powers that be for renewing our collective agreement go, and it's always been unpleasant.
(Insert, since that would be getting too political here, subversive pinko leftist whispers here.)
Might be a question too of degree of readiness for labour action? The thought of (gods no gods, no masters! help us ;) ) striking in the US or UK fills me with even more vicarious horror than the prospect of doing so in my part of the world. The sort of strike pay I could expect in the worst case is hardly comfortable, given the way the world's been going, and I'm not in a sector marked by particularly secure employment to build up a cushion otherwise, so. (My dues are 1.5% of my pay, 90% of which dues stay in my local, and seeing its offices should pop the bubble of the sort of nightmarish, decadent cabal that troubles capital's dreams.)
Um. So much for whispers. At the risk of having said the quiet part too loudly, I'll leave it at that. I miss that Anklebiter goblin comrade. :)
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My parents and betters always taught me that it's better to ask and receive a no than not to ask at all so I might as well: Does have an extra 8 or 10 grand lying around rotting a hole in their bank account they'd be willing to part with? I'd LOVE to buy a home instead of renting but the down payment requirement is just so far out of reach with the family living paycheck to paycheck and it's just so... demoralizing. I'm already paying 30-40% MORE every month for rent than a mortgage plus adding in the cost of property tax divided across the year would cost in my area but without the extra capital up front, the bank/CU would rather see me drain my bank account to pay landlords every month than pay THEM for a 30-year loan.
It might well be. I'm in the unwelcome position of waiting to see how the negotiations between my union and the powers that be for renewing our collective agreement go, and it's always been unpleasant.
(Insert, since that would be getting too political here, subversive pinko leftist whispers here.)
Might be a question too of degree of readiness for labour action? The thought of (
godsno gods, no masters! help us ;) ) striking in the US or UK fills me with even more vicarious horror than the prospect of doing so in my part of the world. The sort of strike pay I could expect in the worst case is hardly comfortable, given the way the world's been going, and I'm not in a sector marked by particularly secure employment to build up a cushion otherwise, so. (My dues are 1.5% of my pay, 90% of which dues stay in my local, and seeing its offices should pop the bubble of the sort of nightmarish, decadent cabal that troubles capital's dreams.)Um. So much for whispers. At the risk of having said the quiet part too loudly, I'll leave it at that. I miss that Anklebiter goblin comrade. :)
I lost all respect for unions when the state had a budget surplus so it gave an extra 15% permanently to schools and our union's "negotiations" resulted in a 17% raise for administrators and a 6% raise for teachers. If you can't even break even, you're not negotiating worth a darn.
My parents and betters always taught me that it's better to ask and receive a no than not to ask at all so I might as well: Does have an extra 8 or 10 grand lying around rotting a hole in their bank account they'd be willing to part with? I'd LOVE to buy a home instead of renting but the down payment requirement is just so far out of reach with the family living paycheck to paycheck and it's just so... demoralizing. I'm already paying 30-40% MORE every month for rent than a mortgage plus adding in the cost of property tax divided across the year would cost in my area but without the extra capital up front, the bank/CU would rather see me drain my bank account to pay landlords every month than pay THEM for a 30-year loan.
It's harmless to ask, but I'd suggest a GoFundMe. My friend needed hip replacement surgery he couldn't afford and did that with a simple, "Hi! I'm a poor man with a disabled wife and I can't afford necessary surgery. Can anyone help?"
And it fully paid for his surgery.
Unfortunately for us, in spite of Quicken telling us that we're in the black we're still around $66,000 away from actually being in the black, and then we need to address all our deferred maintenance, so we're still at least a decade away from having that kind of cash to spare.
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And isn't communication simple?
GothBard got her ADP access restored, I was able to check the payslip, and it was (d) None of the above.
Since the extra pay looked like a sizable raise, taxes were withheld at a much higher rate.
So it was the tax man who was to blame, not her former company nor ADP.
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What I hate about Impus Major's friend: He's heavily into drugs and drug culture and likes to go out at 2:00 or 3:00 am to unsavory neighborhoods to "people watch".
What I like about Impus Major's friend: He is adamantly opposed to driving under the influence, and tends to hand Impus Major his keys whenever they're out and about, and actively encourages Impus Major not to partake "because addiction sucks, and I need you to drive me around".
This one friendship has convinced Impus Major that he never has any need to drink nor do drugs; it's messing up too many of his friends' lives right before his eyes.
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I lost all respect for unions when the state had a budget surplus so it gave an extra 15% permanently to schools and our union's "negotiations" resulted in a 17% raise for administrators and a 6% raise for teachers. If you can't even break even, you're not negotiating worth a darn.
Wow, yikes. I've been lucky here, but that's veering off-topic. Off-off-topic?
Getting back to less wicked problems than the state of the world in general, much as I'm always pleasantly bemused to see what folks are playing on their computers, since I've never kept my machines up assiduously enough to run the big studios' things remotely near when they come out, the usual suspects are doing their best to tempt me to open my purse (belatedly), despite having a shameful library to work through.
Trying to decide if there's a realistic chance that I'll get around to playing either Expeditions: Rome or Assassin's Creed: Odyssey if I give in, since I have a soft spot for (ancient) historical fantasy. One of these days I'll have to sit down with a notebook and revisit Hellenica to confirm some of the Easter eggs, because there were a lot for a nerd of my ilk even at a casual glance. It's a silly place, but I can't not have a soft spot for anything that manages to work in a reference to Erinna's Distaff. 11/10, because I'm predictable that way. :)
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I lost all respect for unions when the state had a budget surplus so it gave an extra 15% permanently to schools and our union's "negotiations" resulted in a 17% raise for administrators and a 6% raise for teachers. If you can't even break even, you're not negotiating worth a darn.
Yeah, that checks out. I've been a member of two unions over the years (Teamsters and IBEW), and my personal experience has been that union leadership will bend over backwards for the organizations they're supposed to be protecting their workers from in exchange for an attaboy, or otherwise just look after themselves and a small in-crowd of buddies, and leave everyone else swinging in the wind.
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Scenes from this week's demolition job, part 2:
The Kid has a remarkable talent for finding shit inside walls. For example, last winter, he found an absolutely pristine late '90s-era DeWalt angle grinder. No such luck on this job, though. However, he did find something, which prompted this exchange between him and "Old Timer," the site foreman. Overheard from behind a pile of debris (edited for clarity):
The Kid: "Check out this cool old pop can I found!"
Old Timer: "That ain't old, ain't even got a ring pull."
The Kid: "Look at the date on it, though-- this one's from 1997. I wasn't even born yet!"
Old Timer: "Yeah, that don't make it old, it just makes you really young."
The Kid: "I'm almost 25."
Old Timer: "You heard me."
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"i'm looking at something funny in the walls, I think we need the wookie <wolf>
"Why's that?
"cause its lookin back at me....
I lost all respect for unions when the state had a budget surplus so it gave an extra 15% permanently to schools and our union's "negotiations" resulted in a 17% raise for administrators and a 6% raise for teachers. If you can't even break even, you're not negotiating worth a darn.Yeah, that checks out. I've been a member of two unions over the years (Teamsters and IBEW), and my personal experience has been that union leadership will bend over backwards for the organizations they're supposed to be protecting their workers from in exchange for an attaboy, or otherwise just look after themselves and a small in-crowd of buddies, and leave everyone else swinging in the wind.
Huh.
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Between Toys R Us and my current job I've spent too much time with zero accountability and complete artistic freedom to even consider joining a union.
I fully respect what they've brought us as far as worker's rights and everything but I feel like how they are currently it's outdated and probably unnecessary.
Of course I say that as someone with zero education on the matter so correct me if I'm wrong.