What's messing with your Groove?

[Flixy]

Tsk.

I've grown to respect Mr Oliver too. He used to annoy the shit out of me in the first few years he was around. Irritating, ingratiating Essex-boy nonce.

But in the intervening years I've come to like and admire him, what he has come to stand for and what he does. Bought a number of his books, and his restaurants are yum.

I guess I'll avoid his ... glassware.

Well, to be honest, i didn't get these out of respect or anything. Because to be honest, paying more for glassware because it has someone's name on it seems a it stupid to me! Got a set of a water jug and glass, for christmas from my payrolling company. Made from recycled wine bottles, would have preferred the full bottles to be honest Considering it was explicitly designed for serving plain water on your table, I guess it wasn't made for boiling water.. The jug has a swing top and is pretty sturdy, I actually use it a lot after thinking it was a useless gift at first.

He used to annoy me at first too, but he knows his cooking for sure. Haven't got any of his books myself, but ate and made a bunch of his recipes over the years His kids' names are horrible, though.

[Hazir]

The Kitchen; the contractor is ready and so is the room where the kitchen will be fitted on tuesday. Still, I have no idea what I can and cannot expect from the people who I bought the damn thing from. Ronald never bothered to ask what it actually is they will be doing on monday other than putting everything in its proper place. We're gonna make sure that we have the number of our handymen handy just in case. I want everything to be up and working by tuesday afternoon.

[GGT]

I poured hot water in a glass to make tea, and the bottom cracked clean off. Right next to my laptop but luckily it held together okayish.

And it was a Jamie Oliver glass!

Same thing happens with crystal. That's why "tea service china" became important, historically.

[Flixy]

Same thing happens with crystal. That's why "tea service china" became important, historically.

My tea glasses surive it All my mugs were dirty..

..and I don't have any crystal

[Khendraja'aro]

So, my mother contracted a highly infectious eye virus about one week ago. Yesterday my father's eyes were infected as well.

And now my left eye is feeling not-normal. I hope it's just a nervous reaction and not the real thing as that would mean one week of sick-leave.

And that would wreak havoc unto my lesson plans for this school year. One example:

Due to lesson planning shenanigans, I saw one of my classes for the first time two weeks after the year had already begun. This week contains a national holiday, so I'd see them only on monday (or not, if I actually have the virus). The week after that would be normal for once, after that they're on a field trip. Which means that out of 7 weeks of school, I'd have effectively seen them for 3-4 weeks.

Wouldn't be such a problem if a) this school year wasn't a month shorter than the last and b) the curriculum wasn't absolutely stuffed to the brim with topics. Hmmh. What to cut short? Semi conductors? Radioactivity? Thermodynamics?

[Ominous Gamer]

Another recall on my Ion related to the fuel system. I love that the car is so lightweight and easy to fling around. But holy hell, can they stop using plastics everywhere? At this point I wouldn't be surprised if I'm woken up one day cause the damn thing exploded.

[Nessus]

Wouldn't be such a problem if a) this school year wasn't a month shorter than the last and b) the curriculum wasn't absolutely stuffed to the brim with topics. Hmmh. What to cut short? Semi conductors? Radioactivity? Thermodynamics?

Without knowing what is in each lesson plan for those things, I would think the "average Fritz" would need semi conductor knowledge the least, but I'm just a hobbyist teacher for higher level students

[Khendraja'aro]

Well, that may be. However, the point is that our curriculum for semi conductors actually stops just when it comes to the main application of semi conductors, namely: Transistors.

It's a bit like going to Paris for the first time without visiting either the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Montmatre or the Champs Elysee.

[RandBlade]

Feels like the end of an era for me but after nearly 8 years with the same company I'm leaving today. In a few hours time I'll be handing in my keys.

[Dreadnaught]

Feels like the end of an era for me but after nearly 8 years with the same company I'm leaving today. In a few hours time I'll be handing in my keys.

What what what?

[Timbuk2]

New company doing the same sorta franchise thing?

Same industry at least?

Details man. Details!

[Loki]

ATT Wireless are freaking scammers. I'll write more later, but their deceitfulness and blatant fraud (committed on multiple occasions) is just astounding.

Edit: I was on their $50 plan, and for various reasons, decided to switch to the $30 plan. First their automated number doesn't work for several days, which meant that a new billing cycle started and I had to pay $50, instead of $30. I suppose I could have contacted customer support, so that's fine. Then the automated number does work, I make the change, have the change confirmed, just to have ATT charge me $50 anyway. I call them, and they tell me that they have no record of me changing my plan. Incidentally, when I originally changed my plan from $30 to $50, they didn't have such a problem. Despite it clearly being their fault, they refused to refund the $20 and said the $30 plan will start from next month. I checked my online account, and it finally stated that I have a $30 plan.

Next month started today. ATT charges me $50. I was not getting the benefits of a $50 plan, I freaking called them to make them change the plan, the online statement says $30, but they still charge me $50. After another phone call, they're claiming they'll refund the money this time. WTF ATT?

[Ominous Gamer]

I finally got out from under T-Mobile, switched to MetroPCS. Today's big news?

T-Mobile and MetroPCS are merging.

Fuck

[Nessus]

By the logic displayed in this election cycle, you fired a guy and then the temp agency sent him as the replacement, I guess

[Loki]

ATT credited me the $50, but then they took off $70 from my phone. Seriously, WTF? I was going to get a new plan with them, but no more.

[GGT]

It's a big WTF when folks have to use their phone service, to complain about their phone service. Or when phone and internet are bundled, but not coordinated, so you can't even use the computer to complain about....the cell phone.

I'm amazed so many Americans continue to accept this crap. Including paying taxes on services they don't really get, or double taxation from the provider and their provider services, which are neither.

[oldmunchkin]

A good friend's son was killed in a car wreck Wednesday evening! I have decided I need to go away...I am losing friends at a horrifying speed!

[Loki]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-19867445

[Flixy]

Apparently getting permission to film in a casino is not so easy

[Loki]

Shooting another porno?

[Flixy]

I'm running production for shooting a video clip for a fairly big (especially in their scene) Dutch band, who have a new album coming out next month

We do by now have babes, a nice convertable (a triumph), a truck, an office, and a fancy bar to shoot in! Leaves jacuzzi and a casino but we can also put a roulette table in another room I suppose.

[Ominous Gamer]

Apparently getting permission to film in a casino is not so easy

Casinos are extremely paranoid when it comes to recording on the floor. Especially during business hours. If you're good enough you can use the tapes to figure out certain patterns on some of the games, such as the relation between the speed of the wheel and the ball in roulette.

They are already moving against tech like Google Glass because of the edge something like that may give to the customer in the foreseeable future.

[Flixy]

Casinos are extremely paranoid when it comes to recording on the floor. Especially during business hours. If you're good enough you can use the tapes to figure out certain patterns on some of the games, such as the relation between the speed of the wheel and the ball in roulette.

They are already moving against tech like Google Glass because of the edge something like that may give to the customer in the foreseeable future.

We didn;t want to film a real game, that's not the issue. They just get too many applications and simply tell everyone 'no'!

[wiggin]

I'm still shocked that Thomson wasn't given the Nobel for IPS cells along with Gurdon and Yamanaka. The committee could have easily included him (they had one free spot), and his work was neck-and-neck with Yamanaka in terms of impact and timeliness. He already missed out on the ES cell Nobel because they chose to rely on earlier work in mice (fair enough), but I was sure that he and Yamanaka would share a Nobel within a few years. Now, it seems unlikely he'll ever get one.

(Obviously Gurdon and Yamanaka are very deserving; not trying to take anything away from their accomplishments.)

[Loki]

There are apparently about 200 qualified people applying for every good (but not great) job in my area, and 100 to every mediocre job. There are only about 30 openings at this point.

[Flixy]

There are apparently about 200 qualified people applying for every good (but not great) job in my area, and 100 to every mediocre job. There are only about 30 openings at this point.

Those numbers are pretty bad

..so does that mean 270 people who won't be able to get a job are lazy slackers?

[Loki]

THose numbers are pretty ad

..so does that mean 270 people who won't be able to get a job are lazy slackers?

It's not the same 200/100 applying to every job. There are probably far more than 300 people on the market. Also, there's a second wave of openings in January, so hopefully there will be another 30 jobs.

They're definitely part of the 47%.

[Flixy]

"Wave" seems a bit.. euphemistic for 30 new jobs And I know, but I thought I'd be conservative with my estimate.

If there are that few jobs available, would you say that someone being unemployed in these times might not necessarily be a personal failure but bad luck?

[Loki]

"Wave" seems a bit.. euphemistic for 30 new jobs And I know, but I thought I'd be conservative with my estimate.

If there are that few jobs available, would you say that someone being unemployed in these times might not necessarily be a personal failure but bad luck?

Grad students who don't find a job are rarely unemployed. You either remain in grad school or you get some crappy adjunct position until you can find a real job.

[Flixy]

I assume remaining in grad school isn't for free? Though I am a bit unclear about the US system, over here, at least in (real ) sciences PhD positions are generally paid.

Also I assume 47% of the population aren't grad students, nor should they be.