Rysky |
Rysky wrote:Been listening to a few Rob Bailey songs when I'm lifting lately, just the right amount of energy and anger ^w^I love AWOLNATION's "Sail" for workouts, for some reason. It always gets the blood pumping.
I've actually knitted since I was a kid. I lived in a 3-generation household. My grandma loved to teach me crafts, and I loved to learn them. My poor mom can't knit to save her life. And now they've found knitting has similar benefits to meditation, I'm glad to do it.
Sail resonates a lot with me too.
And oooo, interesting.
Edit: I almost forgot, happy belated birthday Treppa. Here, enjoy a naked succubus :3
Patrick Curtin |
Happy birthday Treppa!
I feel your angst. Being in school and seeing all the Bright Young Things who will be competing for the same job as I will this summer makes me very nervous. Still, I pray someone will look for experience over youth. Else I shall be working 16-hours a day for the rest of my life :/
Still, age is but a number! May we all come to the place we desire this year, safe, happy, and employed.
And please, great Spahetti Monster, not too many more 19-hour days????
Freehold DM |
Happy birthday Treppa!
I feel your angst. Being in school and seeing all the Bright Young Things who will be competing for the same job as I will this summer makes me very nervous.
indeed I saw glimmers of this at the second job, where I am not only one of the older people there, but possibly the only cis hetero man in the office at times. It made not getting my dream job there particularly bittersweet.
Celestial Healer |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Me on the phone with my mom (a nurse) yesterday:
Me: So I figured in case I die in the dentist chair tomorrow, I'd let somebody know where I was.
Mom: Oh you're not going to die.
Me: I know, I know. I'm not even getting the general anesthesia.
Mom: Although I suppose you could develop a blood clot and stroke out...
Me: Now you're thinking positively!
Nurse-moms are great.
John Napier 698 |
I celebrated the impending devastation of my wisdom teeth with a cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake. It felt a little like a last meal.
The next couple of weeks will be rough for you. As I went through the same procedure many years ago, I feel for you. Also, avoid any alcohol-based mouthwash. Use distilled water and a little bit of salt for that.
Ragadolf |
Dang, last night I go to sleep thinking "It's so nice to see somebody my age saying so without calling themselves OLD all the time", like a certain wizard who will go unnamed (you know who you are!).
I resemble that remark. ;P
I know, I know, 'Your only as old as you feel'.
Yeah. Today I'm old. ;P (It's been a really long week.) ;)
Tomorrow? Hopefully not as much. :)
I agree with you 110% Treppa.
I mean, used to, being 'experienced' was what companies were looking for. NOW it just seems like they want to hire younger and younger.
My guess? They just don't want to PAY for the experience they know they need! :)
(Silly companies.) :/
Ragadolf |
Patrick Curtin wrote:indeed I saw glimmers of this at the second job, where I am not only one of the older people there, but possibly the only cis hetero man in the office at times. It made not getting my dream job there particularly bittersweet.Happy birthday Treppa!
I feel your angst. Being in school and seeing all the Bright Young Things who will be competing for the same job as I will this summer makes me very nervous.
On a positive note, My mom is a computer programmer at an oil company, and she works with a lot of peeps her kids age. (and younger) ;P
But after all of the investment that I and my siblings put into her, SHE is the 'Cool mom'. And the other geeks all love her. When the geeks and nerds all go to the latest movie (super heroes or Star Wars, etc) they all go in (really good) hand made costumes, buy her a ticket, put it on her desk and tell her "We're all going to this show. See you there."The lesson here?
The COMPANIES may not know where it's at, but the (smart) co-workers do! :)
David M Mallon |
I mean, used to, being 'experienced' was what companies were looking for. NOW it just seems like they want to hire younger and younger.
My guess? They just don't want to PAY for the experience they know they need! :)
It's all about perspective.
Speaking as someone a couple decades younger, while I'm seeing some job positions getting filled by hiring young, extremely specialized kids straight out of college, just as many are getting filled by laterally promoting company old-timers who may or may not know what they're doing. I've gotten bumped off of waiting lists several times because companies, rather than hiring new employees for new job positions, ultimately decided to eliminate a few "outdated" positions and shuffle those employees into the new open slots.
A buddy of mine works as a lower-mid-level equipment operator at a bottling plant, and when they eliminated a couple of higher-up positions, they told the senior employees who had those positions that they could choose any other employee at the plant and take over their job. Because all of this was based on seniority, this turned into a massive domino effect where someone would get bumped from their job by an employee with more seniority, and then bump someone else from their job, and so on and so forth. The end result ended up being that basically the entire bottom tier of employees, all young people, got laid off.
In my experience, companies hire either young kids who will work for pennies because they still live with their parents, or internally promote and shuffle around old-timers because those people are known quantities.
Ragadolf |
And don't get me started on the number of job postings I've seen that include something to the effect of "entry level position, minimum 5 years experience required."
Yes. This. Thank you. SHEESH! ;P
Someone a few pages ago had posted that jobs they were applying for all said '2-3 years experience with 'Program X' required'. When 'Program X' had only been out for 6 months. :P
David M Mallon |
David M Mallon wrote:And don't get me started on the number of job postings I've seen that include something to the effect of "entry level position, minimum 5 years experience required."Yes. This. Thank you. SHEESH! ;P
Someone a few pages ago had posted that jobs they were applying for all said '2-3 years experience with 'Program X' required'. When 'Program X' had only been out for 6 months. :P
That was me, and yes, that happened.
Freehold DM |
Patrick Curtin wrote:Yeah, another scary thing I see is the experience needed angle. Plus what entry-level paralegals seem to make. I mean, how do people survive these days?They don't.
I have been a supervisor for less than 24 hours. One of the first things I am going to push for is more money for my employees.
We can't survive. At least not for long at this company, making what we do. I'll never forget the confused look on a visiting auditors face when she heard how short the turnovers was for one of our positions.
David M Mallon |
David M Mallon wrote:Patrick Curtin wrote:Yeah, another scary thing I see is the experience needed angle. Plus what entry-level paralegals seem to make. I mean, how do people survive these days?They don't.I have been a supervisor for less than 24 hours. One of the first things I am going to push for is more money for my employees.
We can't survive. At least not for long at this company, making what we do. I'll never forget the confused look on a visiting auditors face when she heard how short the turnovers was for one of our positions.
There are six employee positions and once manager position at the warehouse where I work (note: warehouse is attached to a local chain retail store that has more employees). Since I was hired two months ago, three of the six grunts have quit, and two have been replaced with new guys. The warehouse manager quit before I even got hired, and I'm currently tag-teaming with one of the store's keyholders in doing the guy's vacant job. Of the warehouse guys, I'm the oldest one by at least 7 or 8 years, and the only one with any prior job experience or safety certifications. I was told the average turnover rate for employees is about four months.
In brief, I'm a 30-year-old trained electrician with OSHA safety, powder-actuated tools, and Class 5 forklift certifications, and I'm currently making the same wage (state minimum) as a bunch of greener-than-green high school kids, all while doing their boss's job.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: welcome to the age of nobody gives a f*@*.
Treppa |
At my last job, working as a commercial construction electrician, I was making less money in dollar value, not adjusted for inflation, than someone with the same job was making the year I was born.
Yeah, our work situation is absolutely crazy. It's not going to get any better because automation will take more and more jobs. There simply aren't enough and companies don't want to pay living wages for the jobs that exist.
Our economy is fundamentally changing and we need a new model before there's a revolution.
Patrick Curtin |
At my last job, working as a commercial construction electrician, I was making less money in dollar value, not adjusted for inflation, than someone with the same job was making the year I was born.
I'm actually quite surprised as there is a dearth of electricians here. Is it your locale?
How are the prospects in becoming an independent contractor? Is that possible? I mean, working residential and small business. I don't know if that takes another set of certs or not.
Patrick Curtin |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
David M Mallon wrote:At my last job, working as a commercial construction electrician, I was making less money in dollar value, not adjusted for inflation, than someone with the same job was making the year I was born.Yeah, our work situation is absolutely crazy. It's not going to get any better because automation will take more and more jobs. There simply aren't enough and companies don't want to pay living wages for the jobs that exist.
Our economy is fundamentally changing and we need a new model before there's a revolution.
It's funny, I was reading a short story from a 'mega pack' Amazon offers for the Kindle (basically repackaged SF Golden Age tales from various magazines for .99), and this one was set in the 'Ultra-Welfare State' where the second industrial revolution has automated everything and there was a 'job draft' to lottery off the few remaining jobs (only 1 in a 100 people needed to work). Everyone else had a guaranteed basic income.
Hit close to the mark for 1963....
Celestial Healer |
Treppa wrote:David M Mallon wrote:At my last job, working as a commercial construction electrician, I was making less money in dollar value, not adjusted for inflation, than someone with the same job was making the year I was born.Yeah, our work situation is absolutely crazy. It's not going to get any better because automation will take more and more jobs. There simply aren't enough and companies don't want to pay living wages for the jobs that exist.
Our economy is fundamentally changing and we need a new model before there's a revolution.
It's funny, I was reading a short story from a 'mega pack' Amazon offers for the Kindle (basically repackaged SF Golden Age tales from various magazines for .99), and this one was set in the 'Ultra-Welfare State' where the second industrial revolution has automated everything and there was a 'job draft' to lottery off the few remaining jobs (only 1 in a 100 people needed to work). Everyone else had a guaranteed basic income.
Hit close to the mark for 1963....
The transition from this economy to that one will be ugly.
Patrick Curtin |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Yeah. It will. I'm praying it's a soft transition rather than a hard one. You know, with wars and revolutions and stuff.
But, I recall 1848....
Anyway, veering into politics. Time to knock that sh!t off.
Anyone had an interesting game idea?
I'll go:
If you wanted to run a Scooby Doo gang, how would you do it? And with what gaming platform?
I think it would be interesting to do a haunted ship type of game in the upcoming Starfinder platform, a la Event Horizon .
There's a lot of 'Urban Magical' books out there. What would be a good RPG platform? Has anyone spent any time with the Harry Dresden RPG? Does it work well in this area?
Storyteller Shadow |
Yeah. It will. I'm praying it's a soft transition rather than a hard one. You know, with wars and revolutions and stuff.
But, I recall 1848....
Anyway, veering into politics. Time to knock that sh!t off.
Anyone had an interesting game idea?
I'll go:
If you wanted to run a Scooby Doo gang, how would you do it? And with what gaming platform?
I think it would be interesting to do a haunted ship type of game in the upcoming Starfinder platform, a la Event Horizon .
There's a lot of 'Urban Magical' books out there. What would be a good RPG platform? Has anyone spent any time with the Harry Dresden RPG? Does it work well in this area?
Scooby Doo I would probably do World of Darkness but with real monsters mixed in with the fake ::-)
Starfinder could be interesting but so could Dark Heresy work with that concept too!
Sorry this one is something I have never looked into.
Currently I am Recruiting for: Second Darkness with Vampire Characters, Council of Thieves all Bards, Reign of Winter Witch Named and Themed Classes. So it seems concept games are on the brains in the collective unconscious :-)
taig RPG Superstar 2012 |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I'm going to leave this monster here real quick before I go back to mine some salt
It is a squirrelicious monster, though.
David M Mallon |
David M Mallon wrote:At my last job, working as a commercial construction electrician, I was making less money in dollar value, not adjusted for inflation, than someone with the same job was making the year I was born.I'm actually quite surprised as there is a dearth of electricians here. Is it your locale?
How are the prospects in becoming an independent contractor? Is that possible? I mean, working residential and small business. I don't know if that takes another set of certs or not.
Pretty sure it's the location. The Rust Belt isn't exactly going through a construction boom these days.
In order to become a (legal) independent contractor, I'd have to work for another electrician or electric company (or the union) for another two and a half years, then take my Journeyman's test, then pay $150 for a DBA, and then take a different test and pay a $250 annual licensing fee in order to work legally in the city of Syracuse.
David M Mallon |
6 people marked this as a favorite. |
First show with the new band was tonight. We sounded OK, especially for a first show. I didn't really "get" most of the other bands on the bill, though. The four of us (Mark, Alex, Mike, and I) were probably around 10 years older (15 years older, in Mike's case) than most of the people at the show, which was kind of depressing. Some jerkoff also brought in a bunch of balloons, and by the time we were on stage, the f~&+ing things were everywhere, and people were tripping over them. F!*& balloons.
Here's a video of one of the songs we played, in case anyone's interested.
Ragadolf |
Anyone had an interesting game idea?
I'll go:
If you wanted to run a Scooby Doo gang, how would you do it? And with what gaming platform?
I think it would be interesting to do a haunted ship type of game in the upcoming Starfinder platform, a la Event Horizon .
There's a lot of 'Urban Magical' books out there. What would be a good RPG platform? Has anyone spent any time with the Harry Dresden RPG? Does it work well in this area?
I am playing in (another) long running, sometimes slow then fast PbP Dresden files game. :) It actually captures the spirit of the books fairly well. (compared to other books to game versions I've seen) But the its a version of the FATE system, which is pretty adaptable. :)
Haven't thought about using it as a Scooby Doo platform though. :/
Hm, It SHOULD work well. FATE is flexible, and surely ONE of the FATE books (If not the Dresden Files FATE books themselves) would allow an accurate Scooby-Doo type game?
I did read a thread in Paizo about a group running one of the AP's as the Scooby Gang. Fred was a Paladin, Velma was the Cleric, Daphne was a sorceress, SHaggy was an Alchemist with the Subtype that allowed an Alchemical vehicle (this provided both the scooby snacks AND the Mystery Machine) and Scooby was a raised animal using Orc stats. Sounds good to me! :)
Ragadolf |
First show with the new band was tonight. We sounded OK, especially for a first show. I didn't really "get" most of the other bands on the bill, though. The four of us (Mark, Alex, Mike, and I) were probably around 10 years older (15 years older, in Mike's case) than most of the people at the show, which was kind of depressing. Some jerkoff also brought in a bunch of balloons, and by the time we were on stage, the f!~@ing things were everywhere, and people were tripping over them. F&*~ balloons.
Here's a video of one of the songs we played, in case anyone's interested.
Heh, sounds like ME and my clients that use confetti and/or glitter.
That stuff needs to be banned and killed. With FIRE! :/(I just had a Mardi Gras Krewe in my space that is famous for covering the ENTIRE audience and stage with confetti. I dislike confetti.)
There is currently SO much glitter in the cracks of the building, in 100 years when they finally tear it down and replace it, and the dust settles, they will discover that the dust WAS glitter, and it is STILL in the building! ;P
Congratz David, :)
Sharoth |
I am sorry, but my cats are completely parasitic. Spoiled rotten brats! ~listens~ Yes master. I will pet you now.
Drejk |
Yeah. It will. I'm praying it's a soft transition rather than a hard one. You know, with wars and revolutions and stuff.
But, I recall 1848....
Anyway, veering into politics. Time to knock that sh!t off.
Anyone had an interesting game idea?
I'll go:
If you wanted to run a Scooby Doo gang, how would you do it? And with what gaming platform?
I think it would be interesting to do a haunted ship type of game in the upcoming Starfinder platform, a la Event Horizon .
There's a lot of 'Urban Magical' books out there. What would be a good RPG platform? Has anyone spent any time with the Harry Dresden RPG? Does it work well in this area?
Chronicles Of Darkness (i.e. New World Of Darkness, got renamed after Paradox bought the IP). Old World Of Darkness is less fine tuned for it but still can be used.
Call Of Cthulhu can work after you pass over the cosmic horror.Dresden Files RPG is fine and fun as long as one handles FATE well. I have mixed feeling about the game and I don't exactly like aspects. It works a lot on the basis "can you convince your GM that the aspect fits here due to its name?" Also, while I like Dresden Files books, many of the cosmological and mythological choices made by the author don't fit with what I like to see in urban fantasy game world.
Older Games:
In Nomine can be used for that if you push the angels and demons to second row and focus on magicians and old gods - it would require hunting the right sourcebooks, though.
Nephilim RPG
Neverwhere RPG
Witchcraft RPG, its follow up Armageddon is more apocalyptic horror.
Buff The Vampire RPG/Angel RPG
Unknown Armies
John Napier 698 |
I am sorry, but my cats are completely parasitic. Spoiled rotten brats! ~listens~ Yes master. I will pet you now.
Your link is bad.
Drejk |
Sharoth wrote:I am sorry, but my cats are completely parasitic. Spoiled rotten brats! ~listens~ Yes master. I will pet you now.Your link is bad.
Feline Master: "You failed us, minion!"
niel |
Mutants and Masterminds can work for a bunch of concepts.
It's d20 (based) so is familiar, earlier editions more so.
The difficulty is that it is a super hero game, so characters want to be built with hero powers.
If you set power limits and keep to them, then allow more points for character builds than the power limits start with, you can get some nicely complex characters that don't break the concept of the game.
But it helps to be familiar with the system (as always).
It does take some time to get used to the idea a damaging hit causes a save rather than causing damage.
Sharoth |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Sharoth wrote:I am sorry, but my cats are completely parasitic. Spoiled rotten brats! ~listens~ Yes master. I will pet you now.Your link is bad.