Bonehead's recent activity
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Comment on Using Barbie as a litmus test on feminism and patriarchy in ~life.women
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
Bonehead Link ParentI'll second the SwiftKey vote. I bought it before Microsoft bought them, but I've been able to download it on every phone I've owned with the same license. I do use the swipe function often just...I'll second the SwiftKey vote. I bought it before Microsoft bought them, but I've been able to download it on every phone I've owned with the same license. I do use the swipe function often just for quick notes, but it's natural to switch from typing to swiping when I need it. It's lightyears better than the alternatives.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~lgbt
Bonehead Link ParentUnfortunately we can't count some of those. The Julien/Miles thing was more of a way to separate Julien and Garak, who was obviously a much better relationship (at least on screen in a dramatic...Unfortunately we can't count some of those. The Julien/Miles thing was more of a way to separate Julien and Garak, who was obviously a much better relationship (at least on screen in a dramatic sense). Then they ham fisted a romantic relationship between Garak and Ziyal, which was much more inappropriate but that's what Berman wanted. The writers still found ways to write in some elements that went against that at least. I still have a head canon story line that Garak was exiled due to a gay relationship that was discovered by Tain, which was the head of a massive organization in a society that repressed anything that didn't result in procreation and creating a large family. That's why he was chasing after Julien and then tried to feign a relationship with Ziyal after the reunion with his father.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~lgbt
Bonehead (edited )Link ParentThere have been at least some bisexual characters in DS9. Granted, they were all women from the alternate universe. Except for one kiss between prime universe characters, but that's more debatable...There have been at least some bisexual characters in DS9. Granted, they were all women from the alternate universe. Except for one kiss between prime universe characters, but that's more debatable whether that was a gay episode or a trans episode.
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Comment on How Microsoft's ruthless employee evaluation system annihilated team collaboration in ~tech
Bonehead Link ParentOh, yeah, there's all that which I'm dealing with. I worked my ass of for the first couple of years as an OCRE. And management is really hit or miss, but the union really makes up for any problems...Oh, yeah, there's all that which I'm dealing with. I worked my ass of for the first couple of years as an OCRE. And management is really hit or miss, but the union really makes up for any problems with management. I've had serious problems dealing with management here, but it's because of the union that I've been able to resolve those problems. I will never take another job without one.
But the seniority thing isn't that much of a problem. From I've been seeing, yes people keep their big well paying routes for a long time. But people also retire regularly, so routes do come up. If you want a specific route, then you might be waiting a while. I'm looking within 45 minutes of my house for anything that pays well. I got lucky and my next route is 5 minutes away, but I'm not stopping until get my 6-figures because I've seen many people get theirs. I know it's possible in this job specifically because of the seniority, which I never had in IT.
I was made so many promises by IT managers that I'd be promoted if I hit certain metrics. Was told more than once, if I start in Support then I would be given a chance to move to Development. But no matter how hard I worked, I never got promoted. Ever. The only way my salary increased was by threatening to quit or changing jobs, and after the last few layoffs my wages stagnated for a decade. I don't have to worry about any of that anymore. I have a union that enforces promotions based on something more that the whims of a manager that see me as nothing but a number on a balance sheet. Sure, the managers here aren't much better than what I saw in IT, but having a union backing me up makes all the difference.
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Comment on How Microsoft's ruthless employee evaluation system annihilated team collaboration in ~tech
Bonehead Link ParentIt all depends on office you start in. I got into a good office in a rural area. I've heard stories of other offices with incompetent postmasters that make life hell. I've also heard that bigger...It all depends on office you start in. I got into a good office in a rural area. I've heard stories of other offices with incompetent postmasters that make life hell. I've also heard that bigger cities have a lot more stress due to the volume and the amount of abuse that some carriers get from the public. I'm trying to avoid all of that while heading to my last route with the really good salary. So far I've been lucky. But I'm still not stopping until I get my 6-figures, even if I do end up in a bad office.
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Comment on How Microsoft's ruthless employee evaluation system annihilated team collaboration in ~tech
Bonehead Link ParentI have to manually process and sort huge volumes of mail, so the years of skimming through code looking for specific information markers came in really handy. I naturally memorize pretty much all...I have to manually process and sort huge volumes of mail, so the years of skimming through code looking for specific information markers came in really handy. I naturally memorize pretty much all the names and addresses on my route, given that I worked with and memorized huge datasets in databases. When I'm out of the route, I'm free to do it however I want without anyone checking up on my or looking over my shoulder. There's some heavy lifting involved, and I'm standing up and leaning over and out the passenger window about 200 times a day, which has done wonders for my calves and core muscles. In the winter sucks because of the massive increase in parcels and mail combined with the weather, which my work ethic won't let me leave Christmas parcels and letters go undelivered. But the summers I'm working outside on my own in beautiful weather, and I'm usually done by 2PM, even on the bigger routes. And when I'm done...I'm done. There is no on call, there is no carrying a cell phone and answering emails at home. And then there's the pay. After 3 and a half years, I have a full time route that pays about the same as I was making when I left IT. In a few more years, I'm hoping to have a route that pays 6 figures. I don't think I'd have ever made that much in IT.
I don't know how long I have before my body betrays me and I can't do physical labour anymore, but I'm hoping to put in at least 20 more years. I should have a half decent or at least livable pension when I retire, which I would have never gotten in IT. Overall I'm happy with the career switch.
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Comment on What's good to cook on a propane grill? in ~food
Bonehead (edited )Link ParentBrisket is really not that difficult. The key is just to put one burner on low and see what temperature it gets up to, then adjust it until the temp reaches 250f. Put a good dry rub on the...Brisket is really not that difficult. The key is just to put one burner on low and see what temperature it gets up to, then adjust it until the temp reaches 250f. Put a good dry rub on the brisket, even just salt and pepper will work well. Wrap it up in tin foil really well, put it on the side with the burner off, close it and walk away for 12 hours. Read the internal temperature with a probe thermometer, then up the temperature a bit and let it go longer if it hasn't hit 200 yet. You don't need to smoke it if you don't want to, and you don't have to smoke it the entire time if you don't want to either. At absolute worst, finish it in the oven if you run out of propane. I've done it at a rented cottage with half a tank of propane. Brisket is really forgiving, you just need patience.
Edit: you also don't have to cook a whole brisket if you don't want to. You can buy smaller cuts of a brisket and just cook it for 8 hours if that's all it takes. As long as the internal temperature reaches 200f and you let it rest for 2 hours in the tin foil, it'll turn out incredibly tasty.
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Comment on What's good to cook on a propane grill? in ~food
Bonehead LinkBrisket. It takes about 12 to 16 hours plus a bit of work, and some will argue that you can't truly smoke with propane grill, but the end result still be amazing regardless. Smoke some potatoes...Brisket.
It takes about 12 to 16 hours plus a bit of work, and some will argue that you can't truly smoke with propane grill, but the end result still be amazing regardless. Smoke some potatoes and a head cauliflower with it in the last few hours, then grill some corn while the roast is resting, and you've got a nice full meal.
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Comment on Twine is an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories in ~creative
Bonehead LinkAbout 7 years ago, after a layoff, I was bored and wrote a story telling bot that worked over Kik when it was still around. It would present a block of text, and then present options for the...About 7 years ago, after a layoff, I was bored and wrote a story telling bot that worked over Kik when it was still around. It would present a block of text, and then present options for the player to choose that would change the story depending on what the player picked. I had plans to build an interface to write stories easier and just feed it into the software. I only stopped working on it because I got a new job that took up most of my time. That software was basically this...and now I really regret not continuing work on it. I knew this was a good idea. Now it's too late.
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Comment on How Microsoft's ruthless employee evaluation system annihilated team collaboration in ~tech
Bonehead (edited )Link ParentThe problem is that if everyone is doing it, all you can do is try to get in and then hope for the best while playing the game the best that you can. That was my entire existence in the IT world....If you’re always firing 10% of groups, nobody will join the best groups, because that’s almost a guaranteed firing. Just like the article said.
The problem is that if everyone is doing it, all you can do is try to get in and then hope for the best while playing the game the best that you can. That was my entire existence in the IT world. I'd get hired, work for a few years playing the game and avoiding the layoff metric the best I could, but eventually it would catch up to me an I'd be unemployed again. At one company, they literally just let go the last 2 people hired, of which I was one even though I had been there for 2 years. Another place, it was ticket age that was the metric. I had been playing the game and avoided the 2 previous layoffs (one was right after I first started and wasn't affected by the metric, the other was right after a "team building exercise" that split us into teams and the team with the worst performance was all let go). But this time, one account manager kept reopening the ticket and putting it back in my name. I had been arguing for months that this ticket had nothing to do with our software and by actually working on it I'd be violating our own software agreement with the customer. I even went as far as explaining it to the support director and still got nowhere. Then my boss started telling us it was extremely important to clean up old tickets for some reason. And then this ticket came back again, and then I was laid off a week later.
Sometimes you just can't avoid it. If you're lucky or smart enough to move to a management position, you can mitigate the risk a bit (but not much, since I've seen managers laid off for similar reasons). But if you're in the trenches of IT work, you're playing this game. And if you don't watch for the warning signs, you'll end up laid off often. It's just how IT operates. And that's why I'm now a mailman...
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Comment on It's July 1st, my third party app still works to visit Reddit? in ~tech
Bonehead Link ParentRIF still works only because I'm pretty sure it's just pulling the old website and reformatting it without the API. It fails with an API error when you try to login.RIF still works only because I'm pretty sure it's just pulling the old website and reformatting it without the API. It fails with an API error when you try to login.
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Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
Bonehead LinkI'm current in the process of building a remote control lawnmower. It started as a way to avoid going near the trees when I mow the lawn because I take a massive allergic reaction to said trees...I'm current in the process of building a remote control lawnmower.
It started as a way to avoid going near the trees when I mow the lawn because I take a massive allergic reaction to said trees every time I touch them. I searched Google for other people that have done similar things. I saw one guy's project where he attached wheelchair motors and an alternator to a gas powered push mower that he controlled with a Flysky. Saw another project where someone converted a riding mower to electric with 3 12v motors in place of the pulleys. I decided that I liked these ideas, and combined the 2.
First I found an old 48" 3 blade deck. I figured the wider the deck, the faster I can mow and the less battery power I'd need overall. It's heavy and from the 1970s, but it's solid and had no real rust. I saved the blades to reuse, which shouldn't take much modification. Then as I was looking around for wheelchair motors, I stumbled onto the fact that hoverboards are powerful enough to move up to 270 pounds and are incredibly easy to reprogram for remote control. And they can take 4.10/3.50 x 5 tires and inner tunes to give it extra grip. I still have to wait for the remote controller and the STLink V2 programmer to find out if in can use just one hoverboard or if I need 2. But if I need 2, then it becomes a 4x4 zero-turn, so that's not a bad thing. Next I figured out that 12v 3000rpm 895 electric motors have about the same torque as a gas powered push mower, which is what was likely used on the electric riding mower project. Combined with some fuses, some relays and some 12v batteries for the motors and one for the various extra electronics, I shouldn't need high powered contactors or massive fuses to deal with. The motors run at 200 watts, so I shouldn't need anything more than 20 amp fuses and standard car relays running directly from standard deep cycle batteries connected to each motor individually. The hoverboard has its own 36v battery and charger. Recharging everything may take some effort, but the electrical work on the project itself shouldn't be complicated.
I have an old hoverboard ready to reprogram. I spent $100 on a new 36v battery, the STLink V2 programmer, and a noname remote control and receiver. I'll spend another $100 on the motors, blade attachments, and various wires and bits. The tires and inner tubes I found on Walmart.ca for $65. And the batteries will be deep cycle electric scooter batteries rated for 12v 55ah, which is overkill but there are some good deals on Facebook marketplace at around $120. The deck was $30, and the hoverboard was free plus $40 in gas to pick it up. I have an old bed frame that I'll reuse the steel to make the frame. Add another $50 for relays and fuses, and the whole project should come in around $500, or about the cost of a good electric 20" push mower. Unfortunately it won't be ready to use until about October, but it'll be ready to go for next year. And then I can finish off my trailer hitch snowplow with an old winch to lift it up.
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Comment on What wiring decisions do you wish you made when building a house? in ~hobbies
Bonehead Link ParentIn your specific area only. In my area, there's only one electricity provider, and they charge for the installation, service, delivery, and maintenance on a scale depending on the service you...I'm disagreeing with your method because it is the less cost effective then what power companies will provide.
In your specific area only. In my area, there's only one electricity provider, and they charge for the installation, service, delivery, and maintenance on a scale depending on the service you have. And it's still a better idea in the long run to just lower your capacity needs so that you don't overload the system and raise the price for everyone. That's the part you seem to ignore...the part where if everyone does what you suggest, then everyone will end up paying a lot more regardless because delivering double the capacity to everyone means upgrading the entire grid. So what's less cost effective in the long run? Installing a smart panel that may cost a little extra now but doesn't put anymore strain on the grid? Or being cheap now and forcing the power company to upgrade the entire system which they will just pass the costs onto you and everyone else?
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Comment on What wiring decisions do you wish you made when building a house? in ~hobbies
Bonehead Link ParentI don't know where you live, but where I live there is a separate charge for delivery and maintenance on my bill. This charge increases with the amount of capacity that you have installed, and...I don't know where you live, but where I live there is a separate charge for delivery and maintenance on my bill. This charge increases with the amount of capacity that you have installed, and it's charged whether you use electricity or not. If you use a lot of electricity, regardless of time of day, this charge increases even more. So yes, in my area, the amount of capacity to your house absolutely results in an increased monthly charge. That's how you're "paying for the privilege".
In my area, keeping a 100 amp service but using a smart panel that will turn off certain outlets when other outlets are in use will save you money in the long run. And in my particular neighborhood, I can't upgrade to 200 amp service anyways because there isn't enough capacity. These are all things that people need to be aware of when making these decisions. But the general idea is that keeping your service at the standard 100 amp can go long way to keeping a stable grid. If everyone upgrades to 200 amp, that's more strain on the grid, which requires more maintenance, which means your bill goes up even if you only pay for electricity. But managing your load eliminates the need to upgrade. So while you may be resistant to this idea, this is something we need to consider as a society. This whole issue is much bigger than just you and me...
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Comment on What wiring decisions do you wish you made when building a house? in ~hobbies
Bonehead Link ParentLook...if it's absolutely that important to you that you're able to charge your car while cooking dinner and drying your clothes all at the exact same time, then more power to you, both literally...Look...if it's absolutely that important to you that you're able to charge your car while cooking dinner and drying your clothes all at the exact same time, then more power to you, both literally and figuratively. All in saying is that instead of paying continuously for that privilege, maybe it's a good idea to explore ways to reduce your electricity consumption needs.
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Comment on What wiring decisions do you wish you made when building a house? in ~hobbies
Bonehead Link ParentThose smart panels start at around $2k, not $5k. While you could just install 200 amp service, you have to consider that the upgrade from the standard 100 amp service could cost as much as just...Those smart panels start at around $2k, not $5k.
While you could just install 200 amp service, you have to consider that the upgrade from the standard 100 amp service could cost as much as just installing the smart panel. Not only that, but there's also the ongoing delivery and maintenance cost for the 200 amp service on your bill. That's if your even able to get 200 amp service, which your local transformers may not be capable of delivering. And all it gets you is the ability to charge your car at the same you cook dinner and dry your clothes.
If you're ok with your car charging after you cook dinner, a 100 amp service with a smart panel will save you money in the long run.
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Comment on What wiring decisions do you wish you made when building a house? in ~hobbies
Bonehead LinkA 40 amp 240 volt circuit to your garage, and a smart panel to balance the load. You'll be thankful you did in about 10 years or less.A 40 amp 240 volt circuit to your garage, and a smart panel to balance the load. You'll be thankful you did in about 10 years or less.
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Comment on How did you learn to cook? in ~food
Bonehead LinkI was shown how to fry an egg when I was 7. I've pretty much been left on my own to figure it out since then. I watched a lot of people cooking, but the actual cooking part I had to learn by...I was shown how to fry an egg when I was 7. I've pretty much been left on my own to figure it out since then. I watched a lot of people cooking, but the actual cooking part I had to learn by trying to recreate what I've seen. It's been a long journey, but I'm cooking things without overcooking or over-seasoning more often now.
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Comment on Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Nintendo Direct 6.21.2023 in ~games
Bonehead Link ParentJust as long as they don't make it another dream this time...Just as long as they don't make it another dream this time...
Pretty much this. No one will come out and directly say that they are a misogynistic douchebag. But they will say that the Barbie movie is woke feminist propaganda, which says almost the same thing.