[Rant] Minor Rant III: For a Few Hollers More

Women’s sizes vary in the same store. I usually wear one size at Old Navy and just buy clothes and bring them home. It’s hard to use a changing room with my mobility issues.

Nothing drives me more bananas than the occasional item that is sized using a different chart. Grrr.

It’s mostly shirts.
 
Ordered new cargo shorts online. Listed size: 46 inches. Actual size: ~51 inches. I fucking hate vanity sizing.
I have two pairs of jeans I bought at the same time from the same store. They are the exact same brand and both report the exact same waist and inseam measurements. The only outward difference between the two is that one is a darker shade of blue than the other.
Yet one of them is 2-3in larger in the waist than the other and has to be cinched up tight to fit. Trouble is, since I only bought those two... I don't know which one is the liar!

--Patrick
 
So here's an odd one: I'm getting laid off some time before the end of the year. That will be followed by six months of severance (if I get a new job, they don't have to pay, so I simply won't). I'm actually fine with all of that.

The issue is this: do I still want to be a programmer? I'm good at it, people like my work, yadda yadda yadda, but come on. I'm 46, so I'm going to be aged out of the job as soon as someone can make up an excuse, and I don't really want to go into management. I genuinely don't know what I'm going to do. I'll probably just end up in another coding job, but it's always just been for a check, and that's going to be hard to maintain for twenty more years. Where do old coders go who don't want to manage people or infrastructure (monitoring a bunch of AWS machines sounds like a terrible time to me personally).
 
So here's an odd one: I'm getting laid off some time before the end of the year. That will be followed by six months of severance (if I get a new job, they don't have to pay, so I simply won't). I'm actually fine with all of that.

The issue is this: do I still want to be a programmer? I'm good at it, people like my work, yadda yadda yadda, but come on. I'm 46, so I'm going to be aged out of the job as soon as someone can make up an excuse, and I don't really want to go into management. I genuinely don't know what I'm going to do. I'll probably just end up in another coding job, but it's always just been for a check, and that's going to be hard to maintain for twenty more years. Where do old coders go who don't want to manage people or infrastructure (monitoring a bunch of AWS machines sounds like a terrible time to me personally).
We have plenty of old coders, some that are almost 20 years older than you. As long as you continue to want to improve and learn, I don’t see any reason a company would want to get rid of a good experienced dev.
 
I have two pairs of jeans I bought at the same time from the same store. They are the exact same brand and both report the exact same waist and inseam measurements. The only outward difference between the two is that one is a darker shade of blue than the other.
Yet one of them is 2-3in larger in the waist than the other and has to be cinched up tight to fit. Trouble is, since I only bought those two... I don't know which one is the liar!

--Patrick
Jeans are sized by waist inches..just take a ruler to them to find the liar :)
 
Isn't the problem that American sizes aren't standardized?
Most American sizing, as all over the place as it is, runs larger that European or Asian sizing (a Medium in the US is usually a Large in the rest of the world). However, a number of high-end US brands (and some less high end) adopt smaller sizing because they don't want people above a certain size wearing their clothes.
 
Shirt sizes vary by what they're made from. Some shirts say XL, but turn into a M after two washings. Some shorts or briefs say XL, but they're actually L because the waistband doesn't expand as much as it says, or because of how it's stitched/sewn together.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Most American sizing, as all over the place as it is, runs larger that European or Asian sizing (a Medium in the US is usually a Large in the rest of the world). However, a number of high-end US brands (and some less high end) adopt smaller sizing because they don't want people above a certain size wearing their clothes.
Well, if they don't want 3XL people wearing their clothes, maybe they shouldn't offer a "3XL" size :p
 
I have this new job, and it pays about 50% of my old job. But I work from home, and I can automate part of it. You'd think I'd be thrilled but the boredom is somehow more exhausting than standing and working 8 hours - talking to people, counting inventory, etc. ever was. I think I hate it? Hate's strong. But I want to DO something. Maybe I am not cut out for office jobs. Funny, since I thought I wanted one so badly after 5+ years of managing retail.
 
the boredom is somehow more exhausting than standing and working 8 hours
I don't know if it's boredom so much as anxiety over the periods where you are not being productive. Is there a hobby you can do alongside the job? Assuming your downtime is relatively continuous, that is, and that the hobby would be something that uses a different skillset than your actual job. Extra points if the hobby is something that improves your life somehow (i.e., not only "because you can sell what you make" but maybe new skills/proficiencies).

--Patrick
 
My health insurance provider, about 4 years ago:
Because of expenses, we are moving the monthly copay for MedicationA from a $10 tier to $30.
You should consider moving to MedicationB which we have determined is equivalent.
Ok so two people in my family take MedicationA, that means $60/mo instead of $20/mo but whatever. We tried B but had to switch back to A for reasons, guess we're just stuck paying more.

My health insurance provider, about 2 years ago:
Because of expenses, we are moving the monthly copay for MedicationA from a $30 tier to $50.
You really should consider moving to MedicationB which we have determined is equivalent.
Okay so now $100/mo, great.

My health insurance provider, as of June 1, 2021.
Because of expenses, we will no longer be providing any coverage whatsoever for MedicationB
What? Then why were you driving us SO HARD to move to B if you were just going to take it away anyway?

--Patrick
 
I don't know if it's boredom so much as anxiety over the periods where you are not being productive. Is there a hobby you can do alongside the job? Assuming your downtime is relatively continuous, that is, and that the hobby would be something that uses a different skillset than your actual job. Extra points if the hobby is something that improves your life somehow (i.e., not only "because you can sell what you make" but maybe new skills/proficiencies).

--Patrick
I've thought about starting a blog (not a sex advice one!) or trying YouTube videos (for fun, not 'being a youtuber').

You know that episode of The Office where Will Ferrell's character is like "Yeah dude, I got loads of time, this job's a joke!"

That's me. Almost every day.
 

Dave

Staff member
I've thought about starting a blog (not a sex advice one!) or trying YouTube videos (for fun, not 'being a youtuber').

You know that episode of The Office where Will Ferrell's character is like "Yeah dude, I got loads of time, this job's a joke!"

That's me. Almost every day.
Yeah I know how you feel. Like I really, really know how that feels.
 
You know that episode of The Office where Will Ferrell's character is like "Yeah dude, I got loads of time, this job's a joke!"
I have never seen The Office. Not even a single episode.
But depending on your job, you may not want your hobby to be one that duplicates the same kind of activity.

--Patrick
 
We have a new client that has their own browser-based online translation software. They have specified that all translation cases need to be done on their software. They provide us with a user manual and a quick-start guide so that we can learn how to use this software properly.

The quick-start guide is an 18 page pdf file. Only text, no diagrams or anything.

I don't want to open the manual.

EDIT: Holy crap this quick-start guide has a FAQ section, and literally half the answers in the FAQ are "please watch the Youtube video tutorial at this URL." Ain't nobody got time for that.
 
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We have a new client that has their own browser-based online translation software. They have specified that all translation cases need to be done on their software. They provide us with a user manual and a quick-start guide so that we can learn how to use this software properly.

The quick-start guide is an 18 page pdf file. Only text, no diagrams or anything.

I don't want to open the manual.

EDIT: Holy crap this quick-start guide has a FAQ section, and literally half the answers in the FAQ are "please watch the Youtube video tutorial at this URL." Ain't nobody got time for that.
You guys can fire clients, right?

Right?
 
Wait a minute. They have their own translation software and they demand that you guys use it which implies that they think it's awesome.

Why are they hiring translators? Couldn't they just assign somebody from within to feed their docs in the machine and publish whatever gets vomited out?
 
Wait a minute. They have their own translation software and they demand that you guys use it which implies that they think it's awesome.

Why are they hiring translators? Couldn't they just assign somebody from within to feed their docs in the machine and publish whatever gets vomited out?
Their website actually works by simply copying whatever you want translated, emailing it over to @bhamv3, then publishing his replies.
They want to see if they can simplify it even further by simply asking 5% of all other customers @bhamv3 's company works for.
 
I'm trapped in my office while custodians clean the floors immediately outside. They are just buffing and shining and say they will be done in 30-45 minutes and I can't walk on it in the meantime. As soon as they got past my office I suddenly had to pee really bad. :(

Edit: Well, it was an hour later, but made it out and to a bathroom with no ill effect.
 
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