Something Random

[Stereodude]

I'm quite certain I never want to work for a company that large again, so I am more comfortable sharing

Most of the companies I've worked for have had small enough operations in the geographic region I live in that by simply telling you who either of my last two employers were I would basically identify myself down to one of a handful of people. If I told you both it'd narrow that to a single person. The name of my current employer would also narrow me down to one person. Since I use the same screen name on every forum I'm on (which is quite a few) I don't want to make things too easy.

 

[LunarMist]

In the past I've given two weeks notice, but have always been asked to leave immediately. Typical security protocol at larger companies in sensitive positions.

Yet sometimes they make you give longer notice to ensure continuity. Maybe it's different in the IT.

 

[LunarMist]

You've never changed jobs?

Apparently I did long, long ago. I wrote a letter on a Smith Corona typewriter.

 

[LunarMist]

Büchner, Büchner?

 

[CougTek]

Nothing much to say. There's little but work in my life these days.

Trying to keep proper cabling tidiness and documentation up to date on a large building infrastructure is a tedious job, especially when the company's management is constantly moving people for no rational reason and productivity gain.

 

[LunarMist]

That's good if work is your life by choice, but nowadays people are supposed to the have the work-life balance. At least that is what the Minellias in HR say.

 

[ddrueding]

Had someone come visit me yesterday regarding some international consulting work. My parents are moving to a different state (they were our support network with the kid) on Monday, my father-in-law arrives from Moscow (just for a visit) Tuesday. Too much going on.

 

[CougTek]

My parents are moving to a different state

Going back to Oregon?

 

[ddrueding]

Yup. But Portland this time.

 

[Stereodude]

My parents are moving to a different state (they were our support network with the kid) on Monday...

They got sick of providing free daycare/babysitting? :frusty:

:rofl:

 

[ddrueding]

Once a week for 4 hours? After pushing for grandkids?

 

[Stereodude]

Once a week for 4 hours? After pushing for grandkids?

So, you're saying they're moving because they're upset that there's only 1 grandkid? :bomb:

 

[LunarMist]

So, you're saying they're moving because they're upset that there's only 1 grandkid? :bomb:

What is wrong with Portland? I would move there.

 

[ddrueding]

So, you're saying they're moving because they're upset that there's only 1 grandkid? :bomb:

Now that I have a single kid, I don't even want to add a goldfish or a plant. This is all the responsibility I want.

 

[LunarMist]

How many siblings does your wife have and what is the total number of progeny? If <2 then I'd

 

[ddrueding]

<2. so I would

...as well.

 

[LunarMist]

<2. so I would

...as well.

D'OH. What I meant was that if others in the family also produced there may be fewer complaints about your numbers.

 

[Stereodude]

I'm off to Europe for 4 weeks tomorrow evening. I'm trying to make sure I will be able to pay my bills while I'm gone. Since the bills come in the mail I'll need another way to find my balance. I'm trying to set up online accounts with my utilities. Of course one of them seems to be having problems. I might have to call over wifi and check my balance that way if I can't get it squared away before I go.

 

[jtr1962]

I've been paying virtually all my bills online for a number of years now. The only time I have issues is when they update security procedures. NYC Department of Finance is very annoying in that regard. They ask you change your password something like every six months.

BTW, is that going to be a work trip or a pleasure trip? Great if your employer is paying for four weeks in Europe, even if you'll obviously be working. At least you can sight see during your downtime.

 

[Stereodude]

I've been paying virtually all my bills online for a number of years now. The only time I have issues is when they update security procedures. NYC Department of Finance is very annoying in that regard. They ask you change your password something like every six months.

I've been paying my bills on line for many years now. More than a decade for most of them. I push payments from my bank account after I get a paper bill in the mail. Being out of the country with my mail stopped I won't see the paper bill before it's due. My gas and electric bill were the only ones I didn't either have online access to or weren't the same amount every month. I got the gas squared away, but I'm not able to setup online account access for the electric bill (yet?) due to their system being messed up.

BTW, is that going to be a work trip or a pleasure trip? Great if your employer is paying for four weeks in Europe, even if you'll obviously be working. At least you can sight see during your downtime.

It's a work trip. I'll be getting trained. I plan to do some sightseeing when I can.

 

[jtr1962]

I got the gas squared away, but I'm not able to setup online account access for the electric bill (yet?) due to their system being messed up.

In the event you can't get it setup maybe just pay enough in advance to cover the bill. I'm not a fan of paying bills ahead of time, but at least this avoids any issues of the bill not being paid.

It's a work trip. I'll be getting trained. I plan to do some sightseeing when I can.

That sounds pretty good. Even if your sightseeing time is fairly limited, at least the hotel, food, and transportation are covered by your company.

 

[LunarMist]

So now you are working for the Germans rather than Chinese?

 

[CougTek]

It's a work trip. I'll be getting trained. I plan to do some sightseeing when I can.

You being a tourist in a foreign country reminds me a joke I heard yesterday :

"How do you call someone who speaks two languages?"

Answer : "A bilingual person"

"How do you call someone who speaks only one language?"

Answer : "An American"

Please take the time to learn a few words or even basic sentences from the country you visit. The locals will appreciate, even if your accent massacres their language.

 

[LunarMist]

In the event you can't get it setup maybe just pay enough in advance to cover the bill. I'm not a fan of paying bills ahead of time, but at least this avoids any issues of the bill not being paid.

I travel a bit and simply pay basic bills a few months at a time. What is the problem with paying up front? Even if you expire on a trip then the bills will need to be paid for a few months until the properties are dispositioned.

 

[jtr1962]

I travel a bit and simply pay basic bills a few months at a time. What is the problem with paying up front? Even if you expire on a trip then the bills will need to be paid for a few months until the properties are dispositioned.

Normally it's not a problem if the people on the other end are competent. My main worry would be that my account might not be credited properly if there's no balance due.

 

[LunarMist]

Normally it's not a problem if the people on the other end are competent. My main worry would be that my account might not be credited properly if there's no balance due.

If you receive a bill for $300 and write a check for $800, there will be a $500 credit every time. I've been doing that on and off for 30 years.
Nowadays, I pay by phone if necessary. Many phones work in the EU, but in Africa or some Asian countries not so much unless on the Wi-Fi.

 

[Stereodude]

So now you are working for the Germans rather than Chinese?

No, I don't work for the Germans. It's headquartered in a different European country. I will be spending some time in the company's German office though.

 

[Stereodude]

You being a tourist in a foreign country reminds me a joke I heard yesterday :

"How do you call someone who speaks two languages?"

Answer : "A bilingual person"

"How do you call someone who speaks only one language?"

Answer : "An American"

Wow, I've never heard that one before... Are you going to start on the Australia criminal jokes next?

Like it's my fault my native language is the language of international business and learning other languages is totally unnecessary for the vast majority of the population.

Besides, I know other languages. Like C, BASIC, Perl, etc. :bomb:

 

[jtr1962]

Besides, I know other languages. Like C, BASIC, Perl, etc. :bomb:

:lol: Same here, although mostly to program microcontrollers. Occasionally I end up on foreign language sites, so I tend to pick up a few words here or there. I had French in high school. I still remember enough of it to find my way around. Would love to have learned Chinese. That's probably going to practically be an international language at the rate we're going. That said, if you only know one language, American is probably the best one to know. Nearly every other country teaches it to a large percentage of their students.

 

[LunarMist]

My English is so awesome I don't need any other languages. :lol:

 

[Stereodude]

My English is so awesome I don't need any other languages. :lol:

I can't say that I've gotten that impression from reading your forum posts.

 

[sedrosken]

I'm finding Windows 10 to be a very dual-boot unfriendly OS. Every major update results in it usurping my bootloader (GRUB) to instead force itself into my MBR. Even on an entirely separate drive I can't escape it! It's infuriating to have to, every time it does this, reboot from my Linux install media and chroot into my install just to reinstall my bootloader. Sure, it's all of, what, eight commands (decrypt my root volume, activate my logical volumes, mount both / and my /boot, manjaro-chroot, give /etc/default/grub a quick sanity check, install it to the MBR, and generate a fresh config file for it) for me, and it takes no time at all, but it's annoying.

On another note I find it odd that this motherboard doesn't seem to support UEFI at all. Not a big deal, since my boot volumes are all <2TB, but it's odd. This board's latest BIOS (installed) comes from mid-2014 at least and it shows no signs of support for it. Meanwhile, the DQ35JO it replaced supported it just fine.

 

[LunarMist]

Can you use a removable drive setup and only use one or the other drives?

 

[LunarMist]

I can't say that I've gotten that impression from reading your forum posts.

Exactly.

 

[sedrosken]

Can you use a removable drive setup and only use one or the other drives?

Possible, but a major pain. Since the drive connectors are easily accessible from the side panel visible to me (it's set up with the side with the acrylic window up to the wall) I could pop the cover off and manually unplug what isn't needed, but I like having access to all my stuff no matter what OS I'm booted into at the time.

 

[Howell]

You may find it less irritating to virtualize one install or the other. Also a more marketable skill to have.

 

[Stereodude]

I arrived at the airport in my final destination, but my checked bag did not. I don't recall this ever happening to me before in my travels.

 

[Howell]

I arrived at the airport in my final destination, but my checked bag did not. I don't recall this ever happening to me before in my travels.

I've only had it happen on legs home, never at the start. Even worse when you are not staying in the arrival city.

 

[Stereodude]

I've only had it happen on legs home, never at the start. Even worse when you are not staying in the arrival city.

After thinking about it more, I think I had a bag get lost one on the way home before. But this is a new one for me.

Delta's app and their website both show no activity for the bag after it was loaded on the plane to Amsterdam. They don't show it being unloaded. So it's apparently a worse scenario than they didn't get it onto my tight connection and it will be on the next flight...

 

[LunarMist]

After thinking about it more, I think I had a bag get lost one on the way home before. But this is a new one for me.

Delta's app and their website both show no activity for the bag after it was loaded on the plane to Amsterdam. They don't show it being unloaded. So it's apparently a worse scenario than they didn't get it onto my tight connection and it will be on the next flight...

I've had baggage delays through Amsterdam. Was your connection less than two hours?