The Vent and Rant Thread

[Blossom]

The problem Kat is having someone make you look bad and lying on you. He's never had that happen before ever. I'll be honest I don't know how hubby stayed so silent. I would have let the jerk have it. I may even got physical. His self control in this situation amazes me then again I remember our young hot headed neighbor in Tennessee who tried to start a fight. He pushed hubby twice trying to get him to hit him. Hubby never touched the guy. He just shook his head and walked away after telling him calmly to back off.

Why do people want to pick on my husband here. Is it his southern accent? His manners, his weight? Yes he's a big guy but he's 43 years old and had two hernia operations in 2013. So he's slow moving they knew that when they hired him. The HR guy told hubby "You see what I have to deal with everyday." He knows this guy lied, he knows this guy is mean but he can't do anything about it.

Factories here are different then other places. As temp you are put where needed so you don't have a designated machine. There is a very high turn over rate. It's impossible to get hired on full time unless you know someone. It also pays less than other states because you are doing five jobs in one.

Sent from my Nexus 7

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

The Netherlands isn't much better with regard to the job market. Companies are screaming they can't find good software engineers (or IT people) in general. Then when you send in your resumé, you're almost treated as if you're lying through your teeth, and they want to give you 'tests' to 'see what your skills are.' Dude, I've got diploma's. I've worked at several companies for several years on end, delivering systems you can go and **** SEE RUNNING for yourself if you so want to. Call the factories who're using them or something.

In addition to the test, they want you to have a talk with an HR person, the manager of the department, the teamleader, and if all that is 'fine', there would be a talk about salaries. If there was a test, they might also want you to come in again to discuss the results. Do they care that each of those mostly useless talks cost me €25 each way? Of course not. With a 3 to 5-step application procedure like that, an application costs me up to ****** €250!

And then, somewhere along the way, you get told: "Yeah, your tests were fine, and you'd be a nice addition to the company, but.... dude X or Y isn't feeling the vibe." As I told you.

Just to cheer you up, I secured my current IT job over a fish finger sandwich and a pint of beer at a pub a mile from my home.

It's with a company whose Managing Director is a guy I worked with about 15 years ago and with whom I've kept in touch. He's the guy I spoke to in the pub; he even picked up the bill! Sometimes, it's who you know

[Katsunami]

It's not being rejected for a job that angers me. It's not even doing a test that's the problem. The problem I have is seeing companies scream "We can't find enough people! More people need to study IT!", while there are loads of people who HAVE studied IT sitting at home doing nothing. When these people apply for a job, the application procedure is set up like some sort of survival course, which, even if you pass it entirely with flying colors, you can still fail and not be hired because of someone "not feeling the click." (It's just the 'we don't want to hire you' catch-all for any reason which is officially prohibited, such as rejecting a 300 pound guy because of his weight.)

The only three things companies have to do to stuff their departments to the rafters with current and future IT-staff are the following:

- Set **** _normal_ requirements. No asking for three years of experience in frameworks that just appeared half a year ago and having that as a rigid requirement, not listening to reason. When you're at it, condense the application procedure into one or two conversations instead of 3 or even 4.

- If you use something different as compared to what the employee used before (i.e., Python instead of PHP, Git vs. Mercurial, Visual Basic instead of C#, whatever), then give them a week or two to get to know your stuff. It's impossible to just sit down on monday and start writing code on a code base you've never seen and which has been in development for 10 years.

- Pay a **** normal salary. A 23-year old teacher starting out as a vocational school teacher gets a salary equal to or even exceeding to what I get offered in IT after 13+ years of work experience. If I point that out, I'm regarded as if I'm some sort of idiot who's asking way beyond what he's worth.

To my mind, it's no wonder companies can't find anyone anymore (because they reject everyone), and people are only studying "management" over here. A short while ago, a professor even said that if we don't do something about this (especially with regard to salaries in technical occupations), then the Netherlands will end up with hundreds of thousands of people able to manage projects, but no-one who is able to actually execute them.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Blossom

The problem Kat is having someone make you look bad and lying on you. He's never had that happen before ever. I'll be honest I don't know how hubby stayed so silent. I would have let the jerk have it. I may even got physical. His self control in this situation amazes me then again I remember our young hot headed neighbor in Tennessee who tried to start a fight. He pushed hubby twice trying to get him to hit him. Hubby never touched the guy. He just shook his head and walked away after telling him calmly to back off.

Why do people want to pick on my husband here. Is it his southern accent? His manners, his weight? Yes he's a big guy but he's 43 years old and had two hernia operations in 2013. So he's slow moving they knew that when they hired him. The HR guy told hubby "You see what I have to deal with everyday." He knows this guy lied, he knows this guy is mean but he can't do anything about it.

Factories here are different then other places. As temp you are put where needed so you don't have a designated machine. There is a very high turn over rate. It's impossible to get hired on full time unless you know someone. It also pays less than other states because you are doing five jobs in one.

Sent from my Nexus 7

I don't know, but Hubby should have fought back, and told HR to tell the guy to PROVE IT. Since it's not a right-to-work situation, and they can't just fire him for any old reason (I mean, it may be a RTW state, but once the guy CLAIMED a reason, your hubby had a right to appeal/fight it), he should have insisted that they make the guy prove that your husband said it. I would have gotten up in their faces and told them to come to your apartment, and see for themselves--right at that minute--that he didn't have any video games like that. And once he'd said that, they would have had to back down on the rest, because he obviously wouldn't have said it, if he didn't HAVE that game, or games like it, at ALL.

That's one thing I was never, as an employee/contractor, able to tolerate--being pushed around or manipulated by liars. Even if I lost, I always fought back. Now, as a "boss" (ha), I take a lot of crap from clients, because I feel worried all the time about making sure that my employees eat--but when it was just me? I'd come out swinging--hard. What's there to lose?

Hitch

[Blossom]

Missouri is a "at will" state not just right to work. There's nothing he could have done to change it. The HR guy knew the guy was lying but his hands was tied.

I may or may not have growled at the HR guy and I may have said something things defending my husband. He was sympathic but there's nothing he could do.

Hubby was in shock all he could say was "What!?! And "That's crazy." Hubby has never had to deal with people like this before. I grew up here so I know the mentality.

Unfortunately here in Missouri they can let you go for any reason other than discrimination then you have to prove your claim. There's no job security unless you are contracted.


Sent from my XT1528

[Rumpelteazer]

Yesterday the maintenance guy for a women's clothes store came by with an old fluorescent tube. He needed a new one because this one had been flickering for a while and now was really broken; it had started leaking and it started stinking . He was already grumbling, that had told the girls in the store numerous times that when a fluorescent tube started flickering they should switch it off and let him know so he could exchange it for a new one asap.

He got even more annoyed when I told him that when a tube stops working it doesn't start leaking and doesn't stink. And that since he told me it has been flickering for a while he should check the wiring and ballast. The flickering heats up not only the tube's ends but also the ballast. So if something was smelling that it would be either or both the wiring or ballast.

He came back fifteen minutes later with the ballast, the starter and bit of wiring, which had not only turned nearly black of the heat, the paint had already started to peel off. That is heat resistant paint. Even my father had never seen such damage. The wiring was mostly blank copper with some charred bits of plastic and the starter didn't have much of the plastic casing left.

We got him a newer type of ballast, an electronic one that doesn't need a started. They are more expensive and break when you leave a flickering tube on too long (which isn't long). But that's better than having things overheat. It could have easily set something on fire if it got so hot that the paint came off!

He was very very annoyed because of the fire hazard and because he had warned the girls before. IMHO those are the type of women that give other women a bad name when it comes to technology. Just like our neighbour, the owner of the lingerie store, who believes that women can't replace light bulbs. When one needs replacing she always calls my father. I've starting doing the replacing for her, when I'm working when she calls. It annoys her that I do it.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

Yesterday the maintenance guy for a women's clothes store came by with an old fluorescent tube. He needed a new one because this one had been flickering for a while and now was really broken; it had started leaking and it started stinking . He was already grumbling, that had told the girls in the store numerous times that when a fluorescent tube started flickering they should switch it off and let him know so he could exchange it for a new one asap.

He got even more annoyed when I told him that when a tube stops working it doesn't start leaking and doesn't stink. And that since he told me it has been flickering for a while he should check the wiring and ballast. The flickering heats up not only the tube's ends but also the ballast. So if something was smelling that it would be either or both the wiring or ballast.

He came back fifteen minutes later with the ballast, the starter and bit of wiring, which had not only turned nearly black of the heat, the paint had already started to peel off. That is heat resistant paint. Even my father had never seen such damage. The wiring was mostly blank copper with some charred bits of plastic and the starter didn't have much of the plastic casing left.

We got him a newer type of ballast, an electronic one that doesn't need a started. They are more expensive and break when you leave a flickering tube on too long (which isn't long). But that's better than having things overheat. It could have easily set something on fire if it got so hot that the paint came off!

He was very very annoyed because of the fire hazard and because he had warned the girls before. IMHO those are the type of women that give other women a bad name when it comes to technology. Just like our neighbour, the owner of the lingerie store, who believes that women can't replace light bulbs. When one needs replacing she always calls my father. I've starting doing the replacing for her, when I'm working when she calls. It annoys her that I do it.

Rumpelteazer, please message me a link to this ballast.
I dislike those kind of women too.

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

I've starting doing the replacing for her, when I'm working when she calls. It annoys her that I do it.

Huge grin at this!

I live alone, and if I didn't do stuff like this, my house would be dark and unlivable.

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Rumpelteazer, please message me a link to this ballast.
I dislike those kind of women too.

It's pretty much any new electronic ballast (not the old fashioned, heavy, coiled ones). We have yet come across an electronic ballast that doesn't break when people leave in a flickering tube. There probably are those that have an anti-overheating sensor and switch off when the ballast gets too hot, probably the professional and expensive ones.

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Huge grin at this!

I live alone, and if I didn't do stuff like this, my house would be dark and unlivable.

There are various reasons I don't like her, but this is number one. Her "I'm a helpless woman" act. It's a good question what she does at home, since she's single. When it has snowed and/or the pavement is icy she complains about the fact that the council doesn't clean the pavements. Actually, that's the responsibility of those living in the house adjacent to the pavement. My father is nice and sweeps half her pavement (the other half is around the corner). I refuse to do so, and since the last couple of cold snaps it was my responsibility to keep the pavement clear hers wasn't.

Luckily, she'll be gone soon. She's sold her store to two younger ladies, she has offered to help out in the store when needed. But she'll be mostly gone.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

It's pretty much any new electronic ballast (not the old fashioned, heavy, coiled ones). We have yet come across an electronic ballast that doesn't break when people leave in a flickering tube. There probably are those that have an anti-overheating sensor and switch off when the ballast gets too hot, probably the professional and expensive ones.



There are various reasons I don't like her, but this is number one. Her "I'm a helpless woman" act. It's a good question what she does at home, since she's single. When it has snowed and/or the pavement is icy she complains about the fact that the council doesn't clean the pavements. Actually, that's the responsibility of those living in the house adjacent to the pavement. My father is nice and sweeps half her pavement (the other half is around the corner). I refuse to do so, and since the last couple of cold snaps it was my responsibility to keep the pavement clear hers wasn't.

Luckily, she'll be gone soon. She's sold her store to two younger ladies, she has offered to help out in the store when needed. But she'll be mostly gone.

Ok. Thanks. That is the kind hubby uses.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

<snippage>


There are various reasons I don't like her, but this is number one. Her "I'm a helpless woman" act. It's a good question what she does at home, since she's single. When it has snowed and/or the pavement is icy she complains about the fact that the council doesn't clean the pavements. Actually, that's the responsibility of those living in the house adjacent to the pavement. My father is nice and sweeps half her pavement (the other half is around the corner). I refuse to do so, and since the last couple of cold snaps it was my responsibility to keep the pavement clear hers wasn't.

Luckily, she'll be gone soon. She's sold her store to two younger ladies, she has offered to help out in the store when needed. But she'll be mostly gone.

Really, does she sit in her garbage?

I loath that behavior. I had a friend that didn't quite do that, because she liked to think of herself as liberated, and all that, but she was a pro at standing around, looking like she was at wit's end--so all her friends would "chip in and help her." The last time I got suckered like that, a bunch of us were all there, slaving away (on some artwork of hers that was supposed to hang in a museum, right?), and she was walking around the house...eating nuts and stuff. I was like...uhhhhhh...yeah, no thanks.

Hitch

[Hemmi]

So, I got another new ereader yesterday. Today Mom says, hey, if I have a yardsale you can sell some of those things since you have so many (gesturing to my ereader). No, I say. Not happening. Then it's, but why do you have so many? Do they all come with different books? Uh huh and that is why you'll never have an ereader mother.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Hemmi

So, I got another new ereader yesterday. Today Mom says, hey, if I have a yardsale you can sell some of those things since you have so many (gesturing to my ereader). No, I say. Not happening. Then it's, but why do you have so many? Do they all come with different books? Uh huh and that is why you'll never have an ereader mother.

Love your response.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Bah. Since the last update Firefox is behaving poorly. When starting or opening a tab, the mouse freezes until Firefox/tab has loaded. Then it freezes for a fraction of a second while the page loads. On my systems it only takes a second or so, but it's annoying.

<...>

Which version are you currently running, and under what OS?

I don't see that here. My desktop is a quad-core Intel based system at 3.1ghz, with 8GB RAM, under Win10 Pro. One bit that helps speed is that Firefox, and its profile, are on the SSD that is my boot drive.

The only conclusion I can draw is that 'something' has changed in Mozilla's XUL framework.

XUL is deprecated and going away. Mozilla has been developing a new rendering engine they call Quantum, which they claim is up to twice as fast as Gecko.

This bites in various ways. One is extensions. Going forward, extensions must use the Web Extensions API, and be pure JavaScript. Extensions will be limited to what can be done using Web Extensions. The good part is that such extensions can be largely cross-browser, and installed in Chrome or MS Edge as well as FF with minor code changes. The bad part is that most existing extensions will be broken.

I have about 40 extensions installed in Firefox, and all will stop working in FF 57. Some of my standard kit is implemented in XUL and JavaScript, and I've already gotten notices from developers saying "Sorry, but development is ended. What my extensions do can't be done in just JavaScript using the WebEx API."

I backed off to a Firefox ESR release (which is currently based on v52.4) for production use. I have a test profile I use with Firefox Developer Edition that uses only FF 57 compatible extensions to track progress in replacements for my current kit. See http://arewewebextensionsyet.com/#addons for a current progress list. Most of what has been converted is stuff I never used in the first place. See https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...?tag=firefox57 for extensions that are FF 57 compatible.)

I have current versions of other things like Chrome and Edge installed to track browser development, but I'm in a position where Firefox increasingly looks and acts just like Chrome, leading to the question "Why continue to use Firefox? Bite the bullet and just run Chrome." (Edge is actually usable, but I spend time in Linux, too, and need a browser that runs in both environments.)
______
Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Hemmi

So, I got another new ereader yesterday. Today Mom says, hey, if I have a yardsale you can sell some of those things since you have so many (gesturing to my ereader). No, I say. Not happening. Then it's, but why do you have so many? Do they all come with different books? Uh huh and that is why you'll never have an ereader mother.

My current eBook viewer is a 7" Android tablet. I use an open source viewer application called FBReader for Android to view books. It gets the nod because it handles Mobi, ePub, FB2 and a few other things "out of the box", and PDF and DjVu via plugins. I prefer ePub, but if I can't get a book in that format, I normally don't care. (FBReader doesn't handle books with DRM, but I don't care because I don't get eBooks with DRM.)

eInk is out here. Too much of what I do and read requires color, and monochrome conversions aren't adequate. An illustrated volume on art history talking about an artist's use of color needs to display in color. (There is color eInk, but it's 12 bit, insufficient for the sorts of things I do, and has only been implemented by one obscure Chinese manufacturer.)

I do have older devices that used to be eBook viewers, like my Palm PDA, but I use one at a time.
______
Dennis