Archive for 'work' Category
2009.10.19
Flooding at Work
Today’s hot news at work was the flood. Yes, I live in San Francisco. We’re known for our earthquakes but not so much for flooding. Ironically it wasn’t even supposed to rain today, so I had ridden my motorcycle. Anyway, rain it did to the point where the storm drains basically EXPLODED. Take a look at this video. If you look carefully in the background you’ll see a brick building; that’s where I work.
The video was shot from where I get my morning coffee almost every day. As a result of that geyser in the middle of the road we got this, which was shot by Courtney from the front of our building. This was after the water receded a bit! The water was coming in all of our doors and even a few places, like a wall window, we never expected it. Courtney also took this picture, which looks out on the intersection of Bay and Powell.
As a result of the water damage and the unsanitary water itself (not to mention the stench) the offices are closed tomorrow. Yay…?
What a day to spend my Mom’s birthday!
No Comments | Catergorized: life photos san francisco work2009.09.10
Meeting Agendas
At my place of employment we’ve switched our enterprise calendaring system. I won’t go into the details of this because it would deserve a very long post. It has brought up an interesting point, though, about (some) corporate cultures regarding meeting.
For fsck’s sake people, if you set up a meeting then put some bloody details in the comments section so I know what it’s about. If you make a meeting and call it, “Let’s Talk,” I have no idea WTF you want to talk about. I can’t read your mind.
A meeting should have an agenda, or your wasting my time and yours. Four out of five times we don’t even have to have a meeting; stop by my desk and ask your question. We can resolve this in five minutes or less. If you insist on setting up a meeting, though, tell me what it’s about. If you can’t do that much, I’m making a public vow to start declining your meetings. With prejudice.
No Comments | Catergorized: grrr work2009.04.19
A Bevy of Updates
I haven’t written Jack Crap here for a long time now. It’s not that there hasn’t been anything to write about… I’ve just been a lazy SOB. Not that it’s any consolation to me or you, but here’s some tidbits to maybe distract you from noticing it’s been some three weeks since I wrote here last.
Unemployed? Over 11% in California are. Looking for a career change, probably in a more tech/sci direction? Check out MIT’s Open Courseware. They have courses in architecture, biology, electrical engineering and tons more. I don’t know if you get a degree for this sort of thing, but it certainly can’t hurt, and for the whopping price of free you can’t go too wrong, either.
At long last Zombies are getting representation. The Zombie Anti Defamation League is live and active addressing the concerns of the Post Vital as they continue through existence.
When I was a kid in Korea there would come occasions when a friend was going to Japan and would ask if they should bring something back from their trip. The answer was almost always Felix Gum. Allegedly made from whale blubber, this gum could be chewed for days on end with little diminishment of its flavor. In fact we’d have contests. The funny thing is that when I ask my Japanese coworkers about this stuff they look at me like I’m an alien. Well, prepare to be probed because I found Felix Gum here in San Francisco. Behold.
Hmm… Many of the other updates I won’t be going over because, well, they’re not that big a deal for this venue. Been to a few parties, hung out with friends, work, etc. I will just try to keep this up now at my more frequent approximation of a post a week. Ciao for now!
3 Comments | Catergorized: friends korea san francisco science technology work2009.03.08
COBRA Benefits
As the nation climbs towards double digit unemployment I hope my fellow Californians remember that COBRA, a law that helps the unemployed retain their health benefits, is being aided by the recent federal stimulus plan. See this:
My Feb. 26 column said that, thanks to the stimulus act, if you are involuntarily terminated between Sept. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2009, and are eligible for COBRA, the federal government will pay 65 percent of your premium, through your employer, for up to nine months. You pay the other 35 percent.
This is kind of a big deal since with COBRA an individual often had to pay the entire premium, which could be hundreds of dollars a month.
2 Comments | Catergorized: life san francisco work2009.03.01
California’s 10% Unemployment
I haven’t been posting much lately. It’s been a rough several weeks partly/greatly because of work. This is life.
California recently hit the 10% unemployment mark. Generally speaking, one in every ten people you see around you has no job. That’s quite a bit of people. Over the winter holidays I was out on the east coast and it was obvious the economy wasn’t doing well out there. Tons of stores were shut down, not nearly as many people were out and about as I was used to, and everyone seemed to be talking about the loss of jobs and the fact that the economy was in the crapper. I came back to San Francisco and looked around and things didn’t seem that bad and I was A) relieved and B) worried it might happen here.
Well, it’s happening. I’ve never seen so many houses for sale in all the time I’ve lived here. They are on the market because folks are either foreclosed or realizing they really can’t afford the mortgage. Stores are starting to shut down, and I’m hearing about more coming. Worst of all is that every company seems to be laying people off. Every day I hear about it from the news and from friends. It’s rough and I wish there was something I could do about it because I have the strong feeling it will get worse before it gets better.
No Comments | Catergorized: friends grrr life san francisco work2008.11.17
Working in Paris
As if posting was inadequate enough of late, I’m in Paris right now working. Well, not literally this moment. Right now it’s 11:30PM and I’m trying to motivate myself to goto bed. That it’s almost midnight on my second day here seems to indicate I’m over my jet lag. Coffee helps.
It’s kind of odd to be back. I was here a year and a half ago and while not much has changed, something definitely has. Maybe it’s the different season (it was a bloody hot summer last time, now it’s a late autumnal chill) or maybe it’s the fact that most places have banned smoking indoors causing the natives to be a touch nastier or maybe it’s the lesser number of tourists… I’m not sure. Whatever it is, I’m not worried about it; I’m in Paris. The only drawback is I’m working and am not able to take a few extra days to myself.
Of course working is fine. I love my job (though I still say bartending was my favorite job). I just wish I made the kind of money that coming back here for myself, on a whim, made possible. I’ll get right on that. In the meantime I’ll try to take a few obscure pictures and post them up… There are many strange details in Paris (and most European cities) that American cities mostly seem to lack.
For example on any given sidewalk, if it is more than a meter wide, at some random distance down the block, they will have posts sticking up. They serve no purpose. I’m willing to bet no one knows, if they’ve even noticed them. These are some of the things that give a place character. And something to jam your leg into stumbling home after too many glasses of wine.
1 Comment | Catergorized: life paris work2008.09.03
Fire Near Work!
Yesterday’s excitement was a fire across the street from work. While some of my friends on Facebook didn’t believe it happened unless pictures were posted, it did actually happen. No news yet on what caused the fire. Pictures, in case my readers here don’t believe me, can be found at Banana Land and with zionvlad.
1 Comment | Catergorized: life san francisco work2008.08.12
Welcome to the Help Desk
Life at work has been busy. A little too busy. Which is why this picture that NHK sent me seems just far too appropriate… :-)
2008.07.31
Sequence of Vengence
Or, How to Play a Prank and Get Punked
It all started innocently enough with a couple of my friends at work playing a prank on the new girl concerning a Pocky Incident. Jenner, however, isn’t one to take it sitting down and plotted a path to revenge. One car covered in saran wrap and toilet paper, the truck covered in 1600 yellow post-it notes. The thing was covered.
Unfortunately, the victims found out (partly because Jenner had done something like this before) and turned the tables, taking all of it and covering her car. I guess that happens when everyone parks in the same garage and knows what you drive. From Jenner:
I should have moved my effing car though, they promptly dumped all this crap onto my car when they discovered my handiwork. Buts that’s OK. For the next phase (or is it phases?) that isn’t an option.So who is the next target? What will the payback be? When will I strike? Only I know………
All I know is they’d best leave me out of it because if I get served, well, let’s just say revenge is a dish best served cold. Meanwhile you can watch events unfold at Operation Pocky Payback.
3 Comments | Catergorized: friends life work2008.07.23
Karoshi… Do Not Want
Work has been crackers. I mean, it gets busy sometimes but lately it’s been nothing but frantic and I can feel it. Partly it’s the season, partly it’s my own fault, but mostly I attribute much to Murphy.
Which is why when I saw this article about Japanese salary men working so much they keel over dead I thought, Do not want. It happens often enough that they even have a word for it: Karoshi.
Absolutely. Positively. Do. Not. Want.
3 Comments | Catergorized: life work
