I really wrote to indicate that, yes, we were being shot at. Or at least shots were occurring very near to us. Definitely not the glamorous life I'd imagined as a statistician. I just kind of got on a roll, though...
Yes, but that's European 36. American 36 is MUCH hotter.;)
It was actually more than 32C, hence the + sign after the 90. Air circulation was very low. At least 34 C (94 F for us Americans) in our office, and I'm told there were offices that were even worse.
This was caused by a relative heat wave (temperatures in the 60F/15C region) after the HVAC had been switched from cooling to heat. They told us that they couldn't switch back to the Air Conditioning and be able to "meet demand" when the temperature dropped that weekend.
The "funny" thing was that when we came in the following Monday, after it was cold all weekend, it was COLD in our office. So, yeah, they couldn't switch to air conditioning because they wouldn't be able to handle the cool weather on the weekend...but then they weren't able to handle it anyway. Frustrating, to say the least.
I should've mentioned that they're building a new building, which will be ready for some employees to move in in a few years. Certainly that'll be a lot nicer, but it's unclear what the cubicle situation will be like: it seems it's going to be lots of cubicles with no real walls. Not many of us are looking forward to that, but the fact is that conditions will be so much better that no one is raising a stink over it.
Yeah, that was a total mess. Someone had an external SCSI cabinet they bought off eBay shipped to their work address. That caused a bomb scare, because the package had been damaged and there were all sorts of wires laying around when they x-rayed it.
Oh, man, I forgot about the time they sent us a message that said some servers would be offline that weekend so they could be moved to an "environmentally sound" facility. Nothing about moving the employees, though...
Where I work, we had a stray bullet come through a window and pass through where someone would've been sitting, had she/he not gone to lunch early that day.
Two people were stabbed to death right across the street. Two 70-year-old women, in a flower shop, during a robbery.
Our buildings are filled with asbestos. We can't drink the water due to bacteria in the pipes. The HVAC is constantly messed up: my boss' office is about 58 degrees F (14C) right now, but a couple weeks ago they had to send us home because it was 90+F (32C). Occasionally, we've been stuck without water for flushing toilets and washing hands.
One time, a sewage backup came out of one of our (already unusable) water fountains.
Ceiling tiles have collapsed on people's desks or right in front of some people from the GSA (Government Service Agency - they own the buildings) here to tour the building. Leaking pipes are the norm.
One time they told us to open the windows to encourage ventilation due to microbes in the air. Then they told us not to open the windows due to lead paint being used on the windows.
Here's an article from 2000 summarizing the problems.
These are the conditions US Census Bureau employees have to work in. Many, many people leave because of the problems.
Actually, I'm male, so I don't think it's likely to happen to me.
But, some women were recently kidnapped (in separate incidents) from a busy local mall and made to drive several miles. One was raped, another got away.
You must live in a pretty safe area. The area where those kidnappings occurred is relatively safe--I don't have much concern outside car theft when I go there--but obviously bad things can happen.
In the freezing cold, late for work, yeah, that's a good plan. Hint: breakdowns never happen when it's convenient or only even a minor inconvenience. Example: people have their car break down in the middle of traffic and can't get it to the side of the road. I see that problem all the time.
Not to mention the dangers of being picked up by a complete stranger. Especially for women...
Err, loosen the lug nuts a little bit BEFORE jacking up the car. Especially if you have a flat rear tire on a front-wheel drive car. Then you don't have to worry about the tire spinning.
It does offer something new: it means I don't have to worry about shifting in stop and go traffic.
My route is a reverse commute, too. I still get in plenty of traffic jams, but then that's DC for you.
Keep in mind: I love the standard transmission in my other car; I like having the control, extra power, and better efficiency. But for stop and go driving, the automatic has it beat, no question.
I learned after a couple weeks with my site (roller-skate.org) that it's best to run your own instead of going with yahoogroups or one of those. When you run your own, you don't have to worry about the provider going out of business, raising rates, or something similar, and you have access to the database that stores all the information (not an option with some of the providers), meaning you could change to a different board and at least have read-only access to the old ones. (I eventually switched my hosting company to one that allows php and mysql use more cheaply than the first hosting company did, and I set up a phpBB system on it. Works perfectly.)
Plus, there are no ads, and you can customize it to do exactly what you want. Also, your user information and your company's data is in YOUR database, where you can monitor what's happening.
I know you said running your own didn't look to be possible, but, seriously, you should try to push this more. If the hassles I experienced after only a couple weeks were any indication, you won't be happy with a provider's board service. You need to be in control.
Where do you live that you don't have traffic jams?
You'd think someone who loves standards would understand what the 1, 2, and 3 are on the automatic gear selector...they're gears! Using those settings, you can lock out the gears higher than the number displaying. So, put it in "2", and the car won't shift into third (but it will use first).
This is occasionally (rarely, but once in a while) useful.
I thought I was the only one. I admit it isn't as good as TNG (I'm a little tired of the ship being taken over), but I've occasionally said that when Enterprise, Simpsons, and Monster Garage are cancelled, that'll probably be the end of TV for me, since those are the only shows that are currently produced that I watch.
I drive an automatic to work: stop and go traffic is torture in a standard. Trust me, I used a standard transmission daily for three years. (Washington, DC traffic, Woodrow Wilson Bridge every day!)
I know what you're saying, but I know what a crash is, and I remember when it happens.
The only thing I can figure for Windows users (older versions like 95 and 98; newer ones are better) is that crashes were so much a part of the background noise that they never really noticed it. Or, perhaps they weren't pushing their systems: at work, on my Windows 95 machine, I would be editing a huge schedule in Project while having WordPerfect, Notes, and other applications open for reference--and I'd crash the machine pretty regularly.
For what it's worth, my desktop Linux system has the following roles: 1. Workstation --Running X Windows, KDE, Firebird, Openoffice.org, Gnucash, etc. 2. Server --Running MySQL (with some large databases), PostgreSQL, DHCP, Apache w/PHP, NFS, Samba, sshd, etc. 3. Internet gateway/firewall/NAT for my network
In other words, my machine is definitely not lightly loaded; the saving grace is that I'm generally the only one using it, so one machine can handle the load okay. I doubt most Windows 98 users would even consider running this kind of load.
(Yes, I could split it into seperate machines, and I've considered doing so. But that could actually reduce my system reliability, because I'd have more components that have to work correctly. Instead, I keep a slower, backup machine that automatically replicates the database, backs up my Gnucash files, etc. A "warm-swap" spare, in other words.)
I tried FreeBSD once, it seemed okay. I agree that the BSDs are probably a better, more reliable operating system than Linux. However, Linux was SO much better than Windows, that any improvements BSD could make seem minimal at best, especially since most of the server and end-user software is identical.
For example, someone once told me that BSD is much more stable than Linux. Assume that's true for a minute: I've NEVER had a Linux system crash, except for hardware failures, and I've been using Linux since 1998 or so. Okay, so maybe BSD is more stable than Linux, but the time spent learning BSD isn't worth the "extra" uptime I'd have, since the extra uptime is approximately zero.
As I mentioned, the end-user software is mostly the same, but I've heard Linux has more variety and more hardware support. My printer is supported under Linux (it's an HP USB printer), but I don't know whether HP is putting resources into BSD support. Same goes for my Palm Pilot. Since everything is working now, and I'm happy with how well everything works, why should I want to switch to BSD?
And why can't we have our own preferences anyway? Why do BSD users have to bash Linux and vice versa? The two are a lot more alike than different, at least compared to Linux vs Windows or BSD vs Windows. (It's almost like brothers fighting...)
I downloaded it to try out mp3s (I was really looking for "Piano In The Dark" by Brenda Russell and Joe Esposito, but I couldn't find it).
That's when I discovered that my 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro 2 card was really only 8-bit sound, because I noticed that my laptop (which had a true 16-bit card) sounded FAR better than my desktop machine. I hadn't used my desktop's sound card for anything of value before, so I never noticed how bad it sounded.
(This was 1999. Being in college and grad school, I didn't have a lot of money to spend on upgrading my computer - at that point, I had a K6-2 333 machine that my brother gave me. The laptop is a Pentium 133.)
We know hurricanes are coming days or sometimes even a week or two in advance. People STILL BUY LAND and LIVE in those areas. A friend of mine had her house destroyed while she was in it during a hurricane (Hugo). But she still lives in the same area.
Why would earthquakes be any different?
Example: we've been hearing about the "Big One" for California. But last I checked, California's population was still growing.
Their customer-service has always been top-notch for me. When I stopped in the office to get a DVR and resolve an error on my bill, they were courteous, friendly, and professional and took care of everything right away.
Another thing that it reminds me of is an news investigation into supermarkets scanning incorrect prices at the checkout. It turns out that almost all mis-scans are in the store's favor (i.e., scans a higher price than the actual item).
No conspiracy here: it makes sense that the computer would be higher, because prices tend to go up, not down. I'd bet almost all of those errors occur when someone forgets to change the shelf price on an item after it was changed in the computer.
Slashdot Mirror
I know Monarchy is the best goverment for me in Freeciv...
--RJ
"My God! It's full of rocks!"
--RJ
Damn.
I really wrote to indicate that, yes, we were being shot at. Or at least shots were occurring very near to us. Definitely not the glamorous life I'd imagined as a statistician. I just kind of got on a roll, though...
--RJ
Yes, but that's European 36. American 36 is MUCH hotter. ;)
It was actually more than 32C, hence the + sign after the 90. Air circulation was very low. At least 34 C (94 F for us Americans) in our office, and I'm told there were offices that were even worse.
This was caused by a relative heat wave (temperatures in the 60F/15C region) after the HVAC had been switched from cooling to heat. They told us that they couldn't switch back to the Air Conditioning and be able to "meet demand" when the temperature dropped that weekend.
The "funny" thing was that when we came in the following Monday, after it was cold all weekend, it was COLD in our office. So, yeah, they couldn't switch to air conditioning because they wouldn't be able to handle the cool weather on the weekend...but then they weren't able to handle it anyway. Frustrating, to say the least.
--RJ
I should've mentioned that they're building a new building, which will be ready for some employees to move in in a few years. Certainly that'll be a lot nicer, but it's unclear what the cubicle situation will be like: it seems it's going to be lots of cubicles with no real walls. Not many of us are looking forward to that, but the fact is that conditions will be so much better that no one is raising a stink over it.
--RJ
Yeah, that was a total mess. Someone had an external SCSI cabinet they bought off eBay shipped to their work address. That caused a bomb scare, because the package had been damaged and there were all sorts of wires laying around when they x-rayed it.
They sent a lot of people home early that day.
Oops. (Kind of funny now, though.)
--RJ
Oh, man, I forgot about the time they sent us a message that said some servers would be offline that weekend so they could be moved to an "environmentally sound" facility. Nothing about moving the employees, though...
That did a LOT for morale...
--RJ
Where I work, we had a stray bullet come through a window and pass through where someone would've been sitting, had she/he not gone to lunch early that day.
Two people were stabbed to death right across the street. Two 70-year-old women, in a flower shop, during a robbery.
Our buildings are filled with asbestos. We can't drink the water due to bacteria in the pipes. The HVAC is constantly messed up: my boss' office is about 58 degrees F (14C) right now, but a couple weeks ago they had to send us home because it was 90+F (32C). Occasionally, we've been stuck without water for flushing toilets and washing hands.
One time, a sewage backup came out of one of our (already unusable) water fountains.
Ceiling tiles have collapsed on people's desks or right in front of some people from the GSA (Government Service Agency - they own the buildings) here to tour the building. Leaking pipes are the norm.
One time they told us to open the windows to encourage ventilation due to microbes in the air. Then they told us not to open the windows due to lead paint being used on the windows.
Here's an article from 2000 summarizing the problems.
These are the conditions US Census Bureau employees have to work in. Many, many people leave because of the problems.
--RJ
Actually, I'm male, so I don't think it's likely to happen to me.
But, some women were recently kidnapped (in separate incidents) from a busy local mall and made to drive several miles. One was raped, another got away.
You must live in a pretty safe area. The area where those kidnappings occurred is relatively safe--I don't have much concern outside car theft when I go there--but obviously bad things can happen.
--RJ
In the freezing cold, late for work, yeah, that's a good plan. Hint: breakdowns never happen when it's convenient or only even a minor inconvenience. Example: people have their car break down in the middle of traffic and can't get it to the side of the road. I see that problem all the time.
Not to mention the dangers of being picked up by a complete stranger. Especially for women...
--RJ
Err, loosen the lug nuts a little bit BEFORE jacking up the car. Especially if you have a flat rear tire on a front-wheel drive car. Then you don't have to worry about the tire spinning.
How hard indeed...
--RJ
It does offer something new: it means I don't have to worry about shifting in stop and go traffic.
My route is a reverse commute, too. I still get in plenty of traffic jams, but then that's DC for you.
Keep in mind: I love the standard transmission in my other car; I like having the control, extra power, and better efficiency. But for stop and go driving, the automatic has it beat, no question.
--RJ
Now all that's left is the not following through part?
;)
I'm confused by your second and third sentences...
--RJ
I learned after a couple weeks with my site (roller-skate.org) that it's best to run your own instead of going with yahoogroups or one of those. When you run your own, you don't have to worry about the provider going out of business, raising rates, or something similar, and you have access to the database that stores all the information (not an option with some of the providers), meaning you could change to a different board and at least have read-only access to the old ones. (I eventually switched my hosting company to one that allows php and mysql use more cheaply than the first hosting company did, and I set up a phpBB system on it. Works perfectly.)
Plus, there are no ads, and you can customize it to do exactly what you want. Also, your user information and your company's data is in YOUR database, where you can monitor what's happening.
I know you said running your own didn't look to be possible, but, seriously, you should try to push this more. If the hassles I experienced after only a couple weeks were any indication, you won't be happy with a provider's board service. You need to be in control.
--RJ
Where do you live that you don't have traffic jams?
You'd think someone who loves standards would understand what the 1, 2, and 3 are on the automatic gear selector...they're gears! Using those settings, you can lock out the gears higher than the number displaying. So, put it in "2", and the car won't shift into third (but it will use first).
This is occasionally (rarely, but once in a while) useful.
--RJ
I thought I was the only one. I admit it isn't as good as TNG (I'm a little tired of the ship being taken over), but I've occasionally said that when Enterprise, Simpsons, and Monster Garage are cancelled, that'll probably be the end of TV for me, since those are the only shows that are currently produced that I watch.
--RJ
I drive an automatic to work: stop and go traffic is torture in a standard. Trust me, I used a standard transmission daily for three years. (Washington, DC traffic, Woodrow Wilson Bridge every day!)
--RJ
Excuse me, but my system starts into the console. X is NOT my default. I constantly monitor /var/log/messages and check the syslog, too.
I see the occasional error message, but so what? The program still runs fine. I don't see core dumps.
--RJ
I know what you're saying, but I know what a crash is, and I remember when it happens.
The only thing I can figure for Windows users (older versions like 95 and 98; newer ones are better) is that crashes were so much a part of the background noise that they never really noticed it. Or, perhaps they weren't pushing their systems: at work, on my Windows 95 machine, I would be editing a huge schedule in Project while having WordPerfect, Notes, and other applications open for reference--and I'd crash the machine pretty regularly.
For what it's worth, my desktop Linux system has the following roles:
1. Workstation
--Running X Windows, KDE, Firebird, Openoffice.org, Gnucash, etc.
2. Server
--Running MySQL (with some large databases), PostgreSQL, DHCP, Apache w/PHP, NFS, Samba, sshd, etc.
3. Internet gateway/firewall/NAT for my network
In other words, my machine is definitely not lightly loaded; the saving grace is that I'm generally the only one using it, so one machine can handle the load okay. I doubt most Windows 98 users would even consider running this kind of load.
(Yes, I could split it into seperate machines, and I've considered doing so. But that could actually reduce my system reliability, because I'd have more components that have to work correctly. Instead, I keep a slower, backup machine that automatically replicates the database, backs up my Gnucash files, etc. A "warm-swap" spare, in other words.)
--RJ
Maybe that's true - I run Slackware, which has a reputation for being very reliable, so perhaps that's the difference...
I ran Mandrake for a while to try it out, but not really long enough to truly get a feel for its stability.
--RJ
just get along?
I tried FreeBSD once, it seemed okay. I agree that the BSDs are probably a better, more reliable operating system than Linux. However, Linux was SO much better than Windows, that any improvements BSD could make seem minimal at best, especially since most of the server and end-user software is identical.
For example, someone once told me that BSD is much more stable than Linux. Assume that's true for a minute: I've NEVER had a Linux system crash, except for hardware failures, and I've been using Linux since 1998 or so. Okay, so maybe BSD is more stable than Linux, but the time spent learning BSD isn't worth the "extra" uptime I'd have, since the extra uptime is approximately zero.
As I mentioned, the end-user software is mostly the same, but I've heard Linux has more variety and more hardware support. My printer is supported under Linux (it's an HP USB printer), but I don't know whether HP is putting resources into BSD support. Same goes for my Palm Pilot. Since everything is working now, and I'm happy with how well everything works, why should I want to switch to BSD?
And why can't we have our own preferences anyway? Why do BSD users have to bash Linux and vice versa? The two are a lot more alike than different, at least compared to Linux vs Windows or BSD vs Windows. (It's almost like brothers fighting...)
--RJ "Firmly sitting on the fence"
I downloaded it to try out mp3s (I was really looking for "Piano In The Dark" by Brenda Russell and Joe Esposito, but I couldn't find it).
That's when I discovered that my 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro 2 card was really only 8-bit sound, because I noticed that my laptop (which had a true 16-bit card) sounded FAR better than my desktop machine. I hadn't used my desktop's sound card for anything of value before, so I never noticed how bad it sounded.
(This was 1999. Being in college and grad school, I didn't have a lot of money to spend on upgrading my computer - at that point, I had a K6-2 333 machine that my brother gave me. The laptop is a Pentium 133.)
--RJ
We know hurricanes are coming days or sometimes even a week or two in advance. People STILL BUY LAND and LIVE in those areas. A friend of mine had her house destroyed while she was in it during a hurricane (Hugo). But she still lives in the same area.
Why would earthquakes be any different?
Example: we've been hearing about the "Big One" for California. But last I checked, California's population was still growing.
--RJ
Their customer-service has always been top-notch for me. When I stopped in the office to get a DVR and resolve an error on my bill, they were courteous, friendly, and professional and took care of everything right away.
--RJ
Another thing that it reminds me of is an news investigation into supermarkets scanning incorrect prices at the checkout. It turns out that almost all mis-scans are in the store's favor (i.e., scans a higher price than the actual item).
No conspiracy here: it makes sense that the computer would be higher, because prices tend to go up, not down. I'd bet almost all of those errors occur when someone forgets to change the shelf price on an item after it was changed in the computer.
--RJ