What's messing with your Groove?

[littlelolligagged]

So, you leave the living room to go grab a drink from the kitchen, and you turn the light off on your way out even though you are coming right back?

Fuck that shit. I always have a couple of lights on. Granted, the rest of the lights in the house are off and usually stay off, but I keep one on at all times in the kitchen, and a lamp in the living room. The usage for the streetlight is equally minimal. Who cares? I could leave every light in the house on all the time, and it still wouldn't make my power bill ridiculous.

[RandBlade]

So, you leave the living room to go grab a drink from the kitchen, and you turn the light off on your way out even though you are coming right back?

Turn the light out in the living room for the seconds I'll be out of it? No. But I will turn the light on in the kitchen for seconds I'll be inside it, then turn it back off as I leave.

I'm still "in" the living room, even if out for a few second to go to the kitchen, or even a minute or two to go to the toilet. But I'm not using the street at all, if I'm using the streetlight its for a minute if that while I drive out. IE for as little time as the kitchen one that'll be turned off.

[Illusions]

The lights here are attached to the same poles the electrical lines are...seems kind of strange that you have it directly tied into your home.

[littlelolligagged]

All our wiring is underground. The county just sees an opportunity to save a few pennies, and takes it.

I was, I admit, rather surprised the first time a light was out and I found out why, but they are usually reasonable about it.

[Illusions]

All our wiring is underground.

There have to be junction boxes and transformers underground then that they can hook the light up to...it just seems odd, does every house have a light? Because here they're at both ends of the block and sometimes in the middle if its a long one.

[littlelolligagged]

There have to be junction boxes and transformers underground then that they can hook the light up to...it just seems odd, does every house have a light? Because here they're at both ends of the block and sometimes in the middle if its a long one.

No, just occasionally. They also charge people for trimming if a tree on their property is blocking a light or street sign, even if it is all on the easement. They are cheap bastards. The only reason they do it the way they do is to save a tiny bit whenever possible.

They told me they would fix it for me today, but they didn't.

[Flixy]

I seem to have a bad luck spell at work. Last time I was at work, the machine I operate got broken. Tonight, it seems broken again

[Lor]

A distribution company down the road shut it's doors, so our company hired them and brought the equipment for our own distribution center as their knowledge is to good to ignore.

One of the employees from the 'other' place can run a specific machine and is currently under a 'Temporary' contract as the politics isn't yet sorted. As she's a 'Temp' and not a full time employee she's not allowed to run a machine she's got vast amounts of experience on, yet someone who has minimal to no experience is allowed to run it (He is also the head of the union chapel). This all stems from the union and the rules they've put in place on shop floor levels.

Perhaps i'm missing the point but wouldn't you put the best person for the job on the machine?

Does anyone else think unions create MORE problems than solve them?

This is why i haven't joined and refuse to, nothing more than personal agenda's.

[Loki]

No, the point of unions is to maximize the revenue of union members while minimizing the effort they put into the work. Productivity or common sense are not something they strive for.

[Illusions]

No, the point of unions is to maximize the revenue of union members while minimizing the effort they put into the work. Productivity or common sense are not something they strive for.

Can't we go back to the good old days of unions where they existed simply as an entity that collectively agreed to stop working in instances where the company was abusing its workers?

[Aimless]

No, the point of unions is to maximize the revenue of union members while minimizing the effort they put into the work.

Yes, work better and smarter and healthier.

EDIT: Yes, I know that the motives of unions can be questionable.

[Loki]

Yes, work better and smarter and healthier.

EDIT: Yes, I know that the motives of unions can be questionable.

Or get paid 5 times above the market rate for 5 times less work because you have the local political bosses under your thumb and threaten violence against anyone who doesn't hire your members. And that's not referring to a few unions; it's a pretty accurate description of most of them.

[Aimless]

Or get paid 5 times above the market rate for 5 times less work because you have the local political bosses under your thumb and threaten violence against anyone who doesn't hire your members. And that's not referring to a few unions; it's a pretty accurate description of most of them.

So how do you deal with that kind of thuggery?

[GGT]

Or get paid 5 times above the market rate for 5 times less work because you have the local political bosses under your thumb and threaten violence against anyone who doesn't hire your members. And that's not referring to a few unions; it's a pretty accurate description of most of them.

That's the old labor unions, the Teamsters, AFL/CIO. The new unions are service worker oriented, janitors, hotel workers, teachers and government workers. They don't threaten violence.

[Timbuk2]

No, the point of unions is to maximize the revenue of union members while minimizing the effort they put into the work. Productivity or common sense are not something they strive for.

Actually, the point of unions is to protect the rights of workers and ensure they aren't being exploited.

What unions have grown to become is another matter ...

[Loki]

Actually, the point of unions is to protect the rights of workers and ensure they aren't being exploited.

What unions have grown to become is another matter ...

This is 2010, not 1910.

[Timbuk2]

Or 1810.

But the question was what is the point of unions.

[Loki]

Or 1810.

But the question was what is the point of unions.

Are we talking about what they should stand for or what they actually stand for?

[Timbuk2]

Are we talking about what they should stand for or what they actually stand for?

Well, the 'point' of something is surely its purpose. Its intention.

In that, unions grew out of the back of the Industrial Revolution in Europe with the purpose or intention of protecting underpaid and mistreated workers from exploitative employers who had total bargaining power.

Which is what they should stand for, in answer to your question.

[earthJoker]

Not being able to stay in Zürich and Melbourne at the same time. We really should push science on teleportation.

[Lor]

I'm all for unions being used if, as an employee, you are being mistreated but that doesn't seem to be the case. If anything i think they've become a barrier and they seem to think they are living in the 60's/70's where they may have had more power. Yesterday i overheard one head of the chapel talking about how they wanted employees paid overtime for visiting other sites outside of work! Lets not forget they get paid anyway and they've got no expenses to splash out on as the company pay everything, they wanted more money. The reason for it? If they were supposed to be doing a shift from 6am till 2pm and they got home at 4pm they wanted the 2 hours as overtime pay.

Fucking idiots.

Don't even get me started on the people that run the unions here. Our heads of chapels are utterly lazy, i'm not allowed to touch a machine or even a PC in certain departments as i'm not classed as a tradesman, yet i know MORE about that system than they do! They constantly moan about the state of production but seem unable to understand or appreciate that print as a general industry isn't as big as it once was. Print runs are decreasing, cost of materials are increasing.

Bah, the whole thing and the individuals really fuck me off.

[Illusions]

The reason for it? If they were supposed to be doing a shift from 6am till 2pm and they got home at 4pm they wanted the 2 hours as overtime pay.

Invention of teleportation technology just might cure this...

Jim (Over the Phone): Hey yeah, Bob? I'm going to need you to come in for a meeting at 8, its about 7:45 now, do you think you can make it?
Bob (Whilst getting dressed): Yeah, just let me fire up the teleporter. Okay, its warming up as we speak. Whats the meeting about anyways?
Jim: Alan in accounting doesn't like the look of our second quarter projections, so we're going to look into ways to improve that. Hows the teleporter coming?
Bob: It says...PC Load Human? Whats that mean?
Jim: Did you try hitting it? (Audible thumping in the background)
Bob: Yeah.
Jim: Does it still say it?
Bob: No, but a lights on now. Is it supposed to be on?
Jim: I'm not really sure. Whats the light labeled?
Bob: Wait, its blinking now. I think its okay, I'm going to go ahead and teleport into work now.
Jim: Alright, I'll meet you at the receiver in five minutes.
*Five Minutes Later at the Receiver*
Bob (stepping out of the receiver): Alright Jim, lets get to that meeting.
Jim (visibly disturbed): Uhm, Bob, I don't know how to tell you this but...I think there's been an accident.
*An intern walking by sees Bob, and vomits into a nearby trashcan*

[GGT]

Chapels? WTF.

[Lor]

Chapels? WTF.

Glad you asked, because i expressed the exact same thing as you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_of_the_Chapel

[Timbuk2]

Chaboobies responding to posts before he's read the entire thread, thereby rendering his own posts entirely moot in the process.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Just went to the dentist. Had both my wisdom teeth on the right side removed. Top one, no problem, the bottom one they pulled out the whole tool shed.

It's all nice and sedated right now, but I'm going to be in pain tonight.

[Timbuk2]

Local anaesthetic?

My sister had all four of her wisdom teeth out when she was 18 or 19. She was put under with general anaesthetic and had a hospital stay.

Wisdom teeth are absolute bastards to pull out. So deeply rooted ...

[Ziggy Stardust]

Local anaesthetic. Right side of my mouth is all numb.

[Illusions]

Local anaesthetic. Right side of my mouth is all numb.

Take whatever they told you to take before the pain starts to get bad. Once it does, its already too late...you'll be waiting for however long it takes for them to kick in...

[Ziggy Stardust]

Take whatever they told you to take before the pain starts to get bad. Once it does, its already too late...you'll be waiting for however long it takes for them to kick in...

Nothing more fancy than aspirins And it's kicking in alright. I'm burying myself in running and analysing testruns, because they're a bother but keeping my mind occupied.

Trying to get to sleep tonight will be fun.

Wonders if Ziggy will self-medicate. It'll be okay. Bite that gauze, drool--don't swallow the blood, don't use a straw but do sip soup!

I've got a bottle of whisky and am not afraid to use it!

And I haven't eaten all day, so I'm going to need something more substantial than soup.