The Random Crap Thread 2: It Hits the Fan.

GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
In case anybody was ever considering buying a late model Ford Escape - don't.

Just had to send a 2019 model into the shop for shifting problems... gonna need a new transmission. $7000. Posted here instead of rant because it's a company vehicle, so I'm not on the hook for it.
 
PatrThom

PatrThom

GasBandit said:
In case anybody was ever considering buying a late model Ford Escape - don't.
Just had to send a 2019 model into the shop for shifting problems... gonna need a new transmission. $7000.
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I find this curious, because while the 2019 Ford Escape has only an "average" repair history (according to Consumer Reports, that is), the transmission is actually the one system that ranked best and which had the fewest problems among all reporting users. The transmission is one of only two areas that consistently scored a perfect 5/5 rating. The "good" year for the Ford Escape seems to have been 2015.

--Patrick
 
Tinwhistler

Tinwhistler

I've taken to listening to audio books when crocheting or on long drives. Lately I've been listening to the Wheel of Time, and I realize the internet has ruined me.

Over and over, I hear of the "Dark One's taint" and i giggle every time.
 
Dei

Dei

So if people remember, a little over a year ago, I started playing on NoPixel, a GTA V RP server. My cringe RP friends and I recently put together a RomCom by filming completely in game and editing it together, and if anyone wants to spend 24 min watching the fruits of our labor, here it is.

 
bhamv3

bhamv3

We have a client whose primary point of contact with us is a guy with the title "Overseas Affairs Supervisor" or "Foreign Language Supervisor" or something like that. Basically, he's in charge of everything related to their communications in a foreign language, which is why he is in charge of dealing with us (the translation company).

Every eight to twelve months, this guy will apparently get into a cycle where he has to prove his worth to his company, so he'll suddenly start picking some really bullshit problems with our translations. Stuff like "you guys shouldn't use Oxford commas" or "you should just refer to the Board of Directors as the Board" or "you guys need to use Oxford commas" or "please write out the full title Board of Directors". I think every few months his company starts getting a hankering to eliminate his position so he needs to show that he's really important and knowledgeable and look at all the improvements he can make to the professional translation company's translations, man!

We still get paid either way, so I'm actually fine with dealing with his idiosyncrasies.
 
Sparhawk

Sparhawk

bhamv3 said:
We have a client whose primary point of contact with us is a guy with the title "Overseas Affairs Supervisor" or "Foreign Language Supervisor" or something like that. Basically, he's in charge of everything related to their communications in a foreign language, which is why he is in charge of dealing with us (the translation company).

Every eight to twelve months, this guy will apparently get into a cycle where he has to prove his worth to his company, so he'll suddenly start picking some really bullshit problems with our translations. Stuff like "you guys shouldn't use Oxford commas" or "you should just refer to the Board of Directors as the Board" or "you guys need to use Oxford commas" or "please write out the full title Board of Directors". I think every few months his company starts getting a hankering to eliminate his position so he needs to show that he's really important and knowledgeable and look at all the improvements he can make to the professional translation company's translations, man!

We still get paid either way, so I'm actually fine with dealing with his idiosyncrasies.
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Review time man, review time.
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

On Day 2 of a 6-day vacation. I didn't book my vacation days, so they gave this time to me just last week. Yesterday, I biked around the city for a few things. Today...I don't know, I think I might have a lazy day. I don't really have anywhere to go or anything to do.

I thought about doing a short bike tour, like maybe to Lunenburg again, but it's supposed to rain all week. So that doesn't sound fun.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
I didn't take that job that would have relocated me to DFW, which I think I mentioned.

But I did just interview for another job here in BCS.

I hope I get it and I also kinda hope I don't but I'm afraid of what happens if I don't but I'm afraid of what happens if I do because word got out where I work now that I applied for this job... and in the interview today, the interviewer said "Don't worry we won't contact (your current employer) because we know the reputation they have where if they find out you're looking to leave they 'help you along.'"

Uhhhh I know for a fact the dude who is leaving whose job I applied for is the one who spilled the beans. Told our most loudmouthed salesperson.

So anyway, there's no guarantee I'm going to get this job, and ordinarily I would not be too stressed about it because I've got a decent job already... but the prospect of executive retribution for daring to look and see what is out there has me discomfited.
 
General Specific

General Specific

GasBandit said:
I didn't take that job that would have relocated me to DFW, which I think I mentioned.

But I did just interview for another job here in BCS.

I hope I get it and I also kinda hope I don't but I'm afraid of what happens if I don't but I'm afraid of what happens if I do because word got out where I work now that I applied for this job... and in the interview today, the interviewer said "Don't worry we won't contact (your current employer) because we know the reputation they have where if they find out you're looking to leave they 'help you along.'"

Uhhhh I know for a fact the dude who is leaving whose job I applied for is the one who spilled the beans. Told our most loudmouthed salesperson.

So anyway, there's no guarantee I'm going to get this job, and ordinarily I would not be too stressed about it because I've got a decent job already... but the prospect of executive retribution for daring to look and see what is out there has me discomfited.
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The fact that other companies know they do that makes me want to stay FAAAAAAAAAR away from that company.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
General Specific said:
The fact that other companies know they do that makes me want to stay FAAAAAAAAAR away from that company.
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I mean, there's reasons I'm looking for another job. And it's only part the money. The executive culture here is pretty toxic, there's staggering levels of office politics, and the middle managers are largely just there to keep the plebes from having any face time with anyone who actually makes decisions (for example, the executives approve/deny raises on an individual basis but never meet with the employees affected, that's for the middle managers to do).

Basically our 3 majority owners are:
1) A micromanaging control freak who spends most of his day watching his employees on the security cameras. 90% of the people who quit this company quit because of him, his meddling, and his asshole personality.

2) The boomer-est of beancounting accountants who begrudges every dollar spent (other than on executives of course) and refuses to accept the march of time. He practically went apopleptic when my entire department said we didn't need landline phones at our desk because (A) we all have cell phones and (B) 99% of company communication happens through Teams and the other 1% happens through e-mail. And guess what, if we need to "call" each other... Teams has that functionality.

3) A huge dogmatic blowhard of an old school network admin whose industry knowledge hasn't been relevant since Novell Netware was the dominant force in networking. But he often insists on getting involved in big projects, much to our detriment. How do you tell the majority stakeholder, your boss's boss's boss, that yes, the problem IS his bad network, despite his protestations? "Nah, network's fine. Must be YOUR shit."

And yeah, I can definitely see #1 above being the guy that goes venomous when he "senses disloyalty" among our poor hapless installers who look to better their lot.

What they don't know, or perhaps don't want to admit, is that when my former boss quit (taking 20 years of experience with him), it kicked off a mass exodus of all the actual producers. Both myself and the other remaining engineer applied for THIS SAME JOB I just interviewed for (I found out through that same grapevine that was what outed ME, and incidentally I think it's about 50/50 which of us they'll go for). It already lost us our best service tech and our second best Job Superintendent. And our lead Job Superintendent is looking for something else, too.

I'd like out, but there's also the fact that every one of these other people who manages to leave also makes my position in the company stronger. I notice a lot more attempts to make me happy lately. Lots of ego stroking and a raise out of nowhere (that, truth be told, was LONG overdue and still hasn't brought me to where I should be).

But things are complicated by a non-compete I had to sign when I came on. I can't go to work for a competitor within 100 miles for a year after I leave this job. So either I'd have to move (say, to DFW, which almost happened), or go to work for someone who isn't technically a competitor.. Like, for example, a customer whose head AV tech is looking to retire so they want to replace him - which would hilariously turn me into a customer for the company I quit.

And that's probably what's saddest... the A/V industry is full of integrator/dealer companies that are absolute SHIT. Like the worst ever. Terrible selection, awful prices, shoddy install quality, and horrific/broken code. The company I work for probably does the highest quality work in Texas. Which is why we have customers from Sherman to Corpus Christi.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
GasBandit said:
So anyway, there's no guarantee I'm going to get this job, and ordinarily I would not be too stressed about it because I've got a decent job already... but the prospect of executive retribution for daring to look and see what is out there has me discomfited.
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So, all day today I've been making the drive to Corpus Christi, where I will be spending the week doing some work at City Hall. I stop in Victoria for gas and stuff, and see I've got a Teams meeting invite for 4pm this afternoon. Only attendees are me, my new boss, and my boss's boss.

Well, that's sure interesting timing.

"Yeah, we found out you applied for that position with the county. We hope you stay with us. Anyway, on a COMPLETELY unrelated note, we know we just gave you a raise a month ago but here's another one. Also we're reorganizing your department in a way we've been working on for a long time that, while might be coincidentally IDENTICAL to what your old boss wanted and we didn't give him which is why he quit, it has nothing to do with that. "

I guess once word got around to the shot callers, britches were shat. Pity that it took my old boss leaving and impending turnover armageddon to get them to start coming around. If they'd just done what my old boss said a year ago, we'd still have him and it'd have cost them way less money.

Here's hoping I can keep my job through the rest of this supply line nonsense though... I get worried because stuff we're used to getting in 6 weeks is now clocking at 16 months.
 
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