The Vent and Rant Thread

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DNSB

If it's even in the neighbourhood of one collection of "poetry" I was asked to read which was an AI-generated collection of free verse. The first couple of poems made a desire to "gouge out eyeballs with a dull, rusty spoon before reading" seem reasonable.

I did feel the author/compiler's response to my quoting Bored of the Rings as to the sales potential was a bit overboard. My opinion was that "A cursory assessment of the manuscript’s sales appeal, however, convinced us that dollarwise the thing would be better employed as tinder for the library fireplace." was pretty accurate.

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Hitch

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Honestly, I'm gobsmacked. I mean, who is this clueless and inconsiderate, to feel that book designers and formatters should do all this unpaid secretarial and clerical work, because what? You're too lazy to learn how to use your tool, Pages or Word? or can't be bothered, because--gasp--you're a POET?

Unbelievable. He feels it's far too much work for him to do--but apparently, a matter of a trice for us to do, amirite?

Wowzers. Just Wowzers.

Just quote him the price of 20 hours work to convert his 100 files into a form suitable for getting a quote for the ebook conversion. Then either he should go away quickly, or you get properly compensated for your time and effort.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Just quote him the price of 20 hours work to convert his 100 files into a form suitable for getting a quote for the ebook conversion. Then either he should go away quickly, or you get properly compensated for your time and effort.

Yes, of course and that's what we've done. but...I mean, where do people's brains go? Especially as it's been pointed out to them, that we're talking all those hours and they still act as if it's NBD? (No big deal).

Hitch

[Hitch]

So, today, I get an email from a woman whose ebooks we've done, as the customer of a customer--in other words, she was the customer of a business that shepherds authors and their books to publication. She emails me directly, which is not normal.

I email the customer (my customer, that is) and he tells me that "I'm retiring from this crazy-ass business."

I'm bummed. I really liked this guy. I've worked with him since 2011; he was fun and easy to get along with and, most importantly, a professional. He's had it with "our" line of work. It's hard to blame him, but dammit, I'm gonna miss his ass.



Hitch

[ownedbycats]

I wasn't able to get the usual litter so one of my cats decided that a basket of freshly-washed laundry was a suitable replacement for the litterbox.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I wasn't able to get the usual litter so one of my cats decided that a basket of freshly-washed laundry was a suitable replacement for the litterbox.

Uhoh, you didn't have their litter? You used--gasp!--a replacement? Man, I buy litter 100lbs at a time, for this reason. I live in dread that Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Clumping litter will go on hiatus or something.

You have my sincere sympathies.

Hitch

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Uhoh, you didn't have their litter? You used--gasp!--a replacement? Man, I buy litter 100lbs at a time, for this reason. I live in dread that Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Clumping litter will go on hiatus or something.

You have my sincere sympathies.

Hitch

Indeed! Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Clumping litter is the standard here too! Couldn't imagine being without it

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Indeed! Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Clumping litter is the standard here too! Couldn't imagine being without it

There is no other litter. It's like The Highlander of litters--there can be only one. :-)

Hitch

[Rumpelteazer]

It's been a stressful two weeks, but it looks like Saturday was a turning point and we're on the right way again.

Two weeks ago today my father got a triple bypass. The operation went well. But in the days after the operation he didn't improve like he should. He was having heart fibrillation, a low blood pressure and he was often feeling dizzy and nauseous. On the Sunday after his operation they changed his medication, to see if that would help, if it didn't he would get a light anesthetic on Monday and his heart would be shocked.

But that evening we got a phone call that he was on his way to the operating theater because they discovered that there were blood clots in the sac around his heart. Probably a left over from the operation they said. That operation also went well.

But again, there wasn't much improvement. And again, last Wednesday at 10.30pm we got another phone call, that they did an ultrasound and there were again blood clots in the sac around the heart. This time they found a teeny tiny bleed from an artery/vein, which they fixed.

He slightly improved, until Friday evening, when he again had a fibrillation attack. He got another ultrasound, there were no fluids around the heart. The next morning he still felt unwell, so they did a CT scan and didn't find anything. But he soon started to feel better.

He occasionally still has fibrillation, but it's getting less frequent and less severe each time. He's still weak (having three serious operation in eight days). But yesterday he walked with a walker to the door of his room and back to his bed. He is also complaining and grumbling a lot when he talks to us, so that's a good sign.

Yesterday, the hospital talked to him about that he won't be needing hospital care soon, since he's improving rapidly. But that it might be a good idea to go to a rehab facility for one or two weeks to get his strength up before returning home. I'm glad to say he agreed. I wouldn't be able to take care of him, my mother, the house and the store.

My mother and I also talked. I don't need to keep her company in the evening, like my father wanted me to do. So I have a bit more time to myself (unless it's my turn to visit my father, then it's a long day). And my mother is going to look into getting help cleaning, you can do that through the council and get most of it subsidized, but currently it takes seven months from requesting the help for the council to get back to you to approve or refuse it. Also, she talked about it before and my parents never took it any further. So we'll see where that ends up.

Then there is the issue with my aunt, but that a rant for another time soon.

[DiapDealer]

Funny how I seem to be replacing 9w LED bulbs with the same regularity I did 60w incandescents. At least they're only loads more expensive!

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Funny how I seem to be replacing 9w LED bulbs with the same regularity I did 60w incandescents. At least they're only loads more expensive!

Yes, funny that, isn't it?

Hitch

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Yes, funny that, isn't it?

Hitch

Not really, no. I've ranted here about this myself. And I have a suspicion that if you account for all the plastics, solder and semiconductors involved in an LED bulb manufacture, the net lifetime energy cost may be no better than incandescent bulbs.


DD, keep your receipts in a file and contact the manufacturer when a bulb fails. They have always replaced them free for me.

(and if you're using them in an enclosed fixture, make sure you get bulbs rated for such.)



ApK

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Funny how I seem to be replacing 9w LED bulbs with the same regularity I did 60w incandescents. At least they're only loads more expensive!

Some planned obsolescence going on, you think?

[ApK]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Some planned obsolescence going on, you think?

Hard to attribute motive in the absence of evidence.


If a company uses the absolute cheapest, most poorly made components and manufacturing which are sure to fail, is it primarily because:

1. they need to race to the bottom to reach a price point that people will pay or lose out to a competitor who will do so, and product failure is merely the consequence?
or.
2. They want to minimize cost to maximize short term profits and simply don't give a thought to quality or long term relationships?
or
3. They actually plan for the item to fail for the express purpose of selling replacements?

Consumers have a big part in #1, less so as you move up the spectrum of Evil.
ApK

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

It's been a stressful two weeks, but it looks like Saturday was a turning point and we're on the right way again.

Two weeks ago today my father got a triple bypass. (snippage)

My mother and I also talked. I don't need to keep her company in the evening, like my father wanted me to do. So I have a bit more time to myself (unless it's my turn to visit my father, then it's a long day). And my mother is going to look into getting help cleaning, you can do that through the council and get most of it subsidized, but currently it takes seven months from requesting the help for the council to get back to you to approve or refuse it. Also, she talked about it before and my parents never took it any further. So we'll see where that ends up.

Then there is the issue with my aunt, but that a rant for another time soon.

I'm glad to hear that Dad is doing better. I'm equally glad to hear that at least Mom is considering some help, even if it's a bit problematic to execute.

So, what'd your Aunt do?

Hitch