Octopus Overlords

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:05 pm found out why i wasn't getting notified about the company events (even the ice cream and cake soirees in the public kitchen area) - contractors are not invited.

No respect for the Ronin.

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:05 pm found out why i wasn't getting notified about the company events (even the ice cream and cake soirees in the public kitchen area) - contractors are not invited.

https://www.reuters.com/article/busines ... 3S20090401

Show them you're independent by showing up anyway!

coopasonic wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2019 9:21 pm https://www.reuters.com/article/busines ... 3S20090401

that article is talking about 1099 contractors. i'm on W2, where no one takes seriously the whole façade of being an 'independent company'. i'm still getting (not-so-hot) health insurance from the staffing company i'm (technically) working for, am provided admittance card keys and office equipment by the company i'm situated at, i have to show up during actual employee core hours and work with the regular employees, and i report to the same on-site manager that deals with the actual employees. (_technically_ i am supposed to report to the hiring manager at the staffing company, but i haven't heard from this person since i got this job.) i'm an employee of this onsite company in all but name - just like with what Microsoft got in trouble for doing.

this situation is blatantly 'try before you buy' for the company one is situated at, they're too cheap to give you benefits in the first place, or they just don't want to deal with HR liabilities. it's very common here in the Seattle/Redmond tech industry corridor; i don't know about other places or industries.

I've seen that elsewhere, and it's generally considered scummy. The host business is basically trying to avoid taking on the full responsibility of having an employee while enjoying the benefits of having an employee. The one getting shafted is the "non-employee" as they're paying extra money to the firm handling you instead of giving it to you directly.

I'd be asking questions about going full time, on the books, and legit - with whoever is running your department. Moreso if it's been more than a month or two and it's not a contract gig with a time limit (like 6-9 months).

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:28 am this situation is blatantly 'try before you buy' for the company one is situated at, they're too cheap to give you benefits in the first place, or they just don't want to deal with HR liabilities. it's very common here in the Seattle/Redmond tech industry corridor; i don't know about other places or industries.

I can do one better. I'm a contract employee, hired every semester for the last decade. I have no benefits, no vacation time - nothing. However, I do have supervisory authority over a graduate student and I'm signing off on their time sheets so they get paid. A contractor signing off on a payroll sheet for a part-time worker!

Sometimes I get work nightmares/dreams about an old job waiting tables/bartending. I had one last night and when I woke up, I had this thought:

Would a work nightmare for a porn star be a wet dream?

Clinic visit and needles.

Tree fell down in the back yard last night. One of the three trunks anyways. The other two are leaning over the house. Called a tree man. $850 to cut it down and cut it up but not remove it. Talked my step grandchildren to do that part.
Good thing I have lots of money.

It just amazes me sometimes when I see or hear something I don't like and think of all the people who think these things are the greatest. Or on the other hand not understanding how people can't like something I love.

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:12 pmWould a work nightmare for a porn star be a wet dream?

Probably more like being chased by Ron Jeremy with a bowling pin.

dbt1949 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:55 am Tree fell down in the back yard last night. One of the three trunks anyways. The other two are leaning over the house. Called a tree man. $850 to cut it down and cut it up but not remove it. Talked my step grandchildren to do that part.
Good thing I have lots of money.

For the record, paying a grand to cut down a tree makes my wallet cringe as well.

dbt1949 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:58 am It just amazes me sometimes when I see or hear something I don't like and think of all the people who think these things are the greatest. Or on the other hand not understanding how people can't like something I love.

Empathy absorbs tension, and is the backbone for the robust exchange of ideas and respectful disagreement and discourse (but alas, nowadays tends to be in scarcely short supply).

The point being, there's always two perspectives: the way we see a situation, and the way the other person sees a situation. Trying to see the situation from their perspective generates empathy and understanding, but it's always easier to cast aspersions and dismiss the views of others out of hand.

Nothing brought that out to me more than the election of Trump.
Now I see a little more clearly.

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2019 11:33 am The point being, there's always two perspectives: the way we see a situation, and the way the other person sees a situation. Trying to see the situation from their perspective generates empathy and understanding, but it's always easier to cast aspersions and dismiss the views of others out of hand.

To be fair, understanding the other person's perspective and how they view a situation does not automatically alleviate the idea that their viewpoint is worthy of aspersions and dismissal.

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2019 5:57 pm

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2019 11:33 am The point being, there's always two perspectives: the way we see a situation, and the way the other person sees a situation. Trying to see the situation from their perspective generates empathy and understanding, but it's always easier to cast aspersions and dismiss the views of others out of hand.

To be fair, understanding the other person's perspective and how they view a situation does not automatically alleviate the idea that their viewpoint is worthy of aspersions and dismissal.

Perhaps not. Of course, there's also a world of difference between assuming one comprehends the other's perspective, and confirming it with them by paraphrasing or the like.

Sure, but it's hard to misinterpret straightforward and simple viewpoints.

Separately, sometimes there's little point in understanding *why* a person is a bigot, as just one example.

Also, there are limits to the value of empathy, or what empathy is capable of achieving.

I will say the world suffers from a shortage of empathy, rather than an excess.

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:09 pm I will say the world suffers from a shortage of empathy, rather than an excess.

I'd say compassion. Empathy is too often combined with apathy or outright sadism. Some people see others suffering an chuckle because those suffering are a 'them.'

Compassion is what the world needs.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:32 pm

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:09 pm I will say the world suffers from a shortage of empathy, rather than an excess.

I'd say compassion. Empathy is too often combined with apathy or outright sadism. Some people see others suffering an chuckle because those suffering are a 'them.'

Compassion is what the world needs.

Eh? Can you elucidate how empathy is "too often combined with apathy or outright sadism"?

Well, I can't speak for Blackhawk but empathy is just understanding how someone feels. Apathy would mean you understand but just don't care. Sadism would mean you understand and use that understanding to apply the maximum amount of hurt to someone. Think "Hannibal Lecter vs. Starling".

We were discussing bigots. To many bigots, finding out that their action is causing unhappiness to the 'them' that they hate is satisfying, which drives them rather than hinders them.

Empathy gives them the awareness of that unhappiness. It doesn't push them to care. It's compassion that makes you feel unhappy when somebody else suffers and makes you want to take action to halt it.

So this whole boy band craze over some Korean pop group called BTS is huge, as evidenced by the reaction to their appearance on SNL last night, I guess. However, I still read their name as BTK whenever I see it.

hepcat wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2019 6:41 am So this whole boy band craze over some Korean pop group called BTS is huge, as evidenced by the reaction to their appearance on SNL last night, I guess.

I watched that this morning. Pretty sure that kid with the white hair said The "N" word a bunch of times.

Z-Corn wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2019 12:53 pm

hepcat wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2019 6:41 am So this whole boy band craze over some Korean pop group called BTS is huge, as evidenced by the reaction to their appearance on SNL last night, I guess.

I watched that this morning. Pretty sure that kid with the white hair said The "N" word a bunch of times.

What sounds like the N-word actually means "you are" in Korean.

gilraen wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2019 1:17 pm

Z-Corn wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2019 12:53 pm

hepcat wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2019 6:41 am So this whole boy band craze over some Korean pop group called BTS is huge, as evidenced by the reaction to their appearance on SNL last night, I guess.

I watched that this morning. Pretty sure that kid with the white hair said The "N" word a bunch of times.

What sounds like the N-word actually means "you are" in Korean.

Whoa, thanks for the info, I did not know that! Glad too to know my ears didn't deceive me.

Another Yahoo headline

This Poor Man Accidentally Got His Balls Trapped in an IKEA Stool

https://v.redd.it/ef5owpwgc9s21
Sound

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Mar 05, 2018 11:46 am I wonder if slot cars are still a thing. They were a phenomenon when I was a kid; there were commercial slot car parlors with races and tournaments. They were considered shady establishments, on a par with pool halls. If they still exist at all, I imagine the technology has grown up considerably from what I remember.

I never got into that larger scale, but I did eventually get a nice HO slotcar set one Christmas, and had an elaborate track permanently set up on a large sheet of plywood.

Over the weekend, I went to Brooklyn's last slot car racing parlor. It's amazing: five sizeable tracks, run by elderly Italian Americans, smack dab in what is now a Bangladeshi immigrant neighborhood. We spent about 90 minutes there putting our trigger fingers to the test. It was joyful.

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2019 7:32 pm Airport terminals are very quiet and kinda eerie places when there’s literally no one checking in for flights.

Highways are the same. I recently took some back roads on way home from work and entered 285 right pas "spaghetti junction" in Atlanta at 445pm. The had all lanes blocked about a quarter mile before that exit so no cars were coming. Nobody was entering where i did either so I had one of the busiest sections of hwy in the country all to myself for about 2 or 3 miles without a car in sight. Well one direction anyways as the other one was bumper to bumper. It was very unsettling. If you recall from the Walking Dead season one it was pretty much exactly like that albeit 5 miles east of that shot with Glenn hauling ass. I felt like i was driving towards the apocalypse and everyone else was getting out....so creepy.

You drive very fast.

Remember, if the women don't find you handsome at least they can find you handy.

If you carry duck tape / duct tape.

Losing your work BFF sucks. Dude that I've been going to lunch with 3-4 times a week for the past 10 years just took another job.

I'm not an overly social guy, but he and I just hit it off really well when he started on our team ages ago, and we've have become good friends. He's been my sanity sounding board for this place for a long time, and I'm gonna miss that.

For just $29.95 per month, you can upgrade your relationship to "with benefits" and continue texting after he leaves!

Or you could just stalk him.

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2019 2:16 pm Losing your work BFF sucks. Dude that I've been going to lunch with 3-4 times a week for the past 10 years just took another job.

I'm not an overly social guy, but he and I just hit it off really well when he started on our team ages ago, and we've have become good friends. He's been my sanity sounding board for this place for a long time, and I'm gonna miss that.

I've been working here for 17 years and I have been through at least 6 work BFFs.

My longest stint at any one place was eight years, and I went through four different positions in different departments. And that was one of two call centers. Turnover in those is so high that losing people that you hit it off with is a regular recurrence.

My home mortgage company has refused to lower my monthly payment that I cant afford now that my wife died and I have half the income we had. And they cite the reason as my good credit score.....of all the dumb shit asshole moves. My bankruptcy lawyer said they have NEVER seen that one before. Does the mortgage place think my good credit score will pay my monthly mortgage or buy my medicine or perhaps pay my doctor bills too and buy me food and gas? Do they expect me to get some credit cards and pay my house loan payment each month with them? WTF??

About 12 years ago my credit score was 720. When we entered bankruptcy 4 years ago it dropped to low 600s if not the 500s. Over the last year and a half it has risen to about 700 then when my wife died in Jan it jumped up another 10 or 20 points. My Transunion score says 590 'needs work'. its sucked for many many years. My Equifax says 714 and reads 'good'. The BR lawyer said it probably went back up to good from both paying off bills in BR and from my wife passing away and all her stuff going away. ARGH.

How does a mortgage place base payments on a damn credit score...and why would they do that? As I said my bankruptcy lawyer place says thats a first for them. They are going to try to talk to the company again. Its nuts. I dont have it. I could use my entire monthly check on the house/bankruptcy payment and all my must do bills and Id still be over by $100 a month...and that doesn't include gas, food, toilet paper, emergencies, or any saved to go for higher than normal power bills, home insurance, or property tax. I have nothing else to drop or turn off except power and my $25 a month life insurance. My physical and mental disabilities precludes and jobs and I dont know any under the table places lol. Unless I win a lottery or something I could be boned.

My bankruptcy place is thinking my best bet is to stop paying completely and when they file to foreclose on my home then I file another bankruptcy.....but this is MY home not theirs..it matters to me. I want to keep and pay off the home and bankruptcy. If I close out BR then anyone left to pay can come back at me yet again.

If my wife was alive we would pay off BR around September and the home in 5 years. I dont have the incoming monthly amount to do that or I could do the same thing. If they could LOWER my house payment I could handle it but it would take longer to pay.

If your score is in the 700s you can probably refinance. If the balance is low enough you might even convert it into a line of credit and only owe interest every month. Our minimum HELOC payment is only $150/mo. I pay a lot more than that because I want to retire the debt...but I don't have to.