Well it has been 5 full months since my accident and I have recovered to the point that I can mostly walk without showing any indication of a limp, at least for a little while. The pain can be blistering but I can take it. I have decided to go back to work, I was not working before my accident for reasons but I need to earn, things are just getting more expensive and there are things I must finish doing to the house before I am to old.
I have had a couple in person interviews and I know I lost my chance at the jobs when they seen my age, I look healthy enough, better than most my age but still I could see the disappointment they had. Another interview later this week. It is a big change from when I was A young man, got nearly every job I went for often hired on the spot back then. I can't hide this big bald head and the grey hairs.
They better get used to seeing old folks at interviews, given the falling number of younger demographics.
What kind of jobs are you applying for?
RE
One was at a Gun range/ campsite facility, keeping the grass mowed down on the range, and campsites with a drivable mower, police up the brass at the end of the shooting day, simple stuff.
Then at a waste handling facility, chemical waste. Operating zoom boom, fork lifts, Vac truck.
I wanted these jobs because they are close to home, and I get to stay out of the city.
I go in later this week to the city for another interview, I don't want this job (jobs) it is the other side of the city so not only do I have to drive to the city but through it at rush hour each day but I need the money and the city is where the jobs are, interviewing for either, Repair tech, service coordinator, or service manager.
Quote from: 18hammers on Feb 04, 2024, 06:44 PMWell it has been 5 full months since my accident and I have recovered to the point that I can mostly walk without showing any indication of a limp, at least for a little while. The pain can be blistering but I can take it. I have decided to go back to work, I was not working before my accident for reasons but I need to earn, things are just getting more expensive and there are things I must finish doing to the house before I am to old.
I have had a couple in person interviews and I know I lost my chance at the jobs when they seen my age, I look healthy enough, better than most my age but still I could see the disappointment they had. Another interview later this week. It is a big change from when I was A young man, got nearly every job I went for often hired on the spot back then. I can't hide this big bald head and the grey hairs.
I don't bother with jobs in my former profession. Part time professional jobs are hard to come by. I work retail, and as long as I am in good physical shape getting a job is not hard despite my age. I can tolerate the low pay since my expenses are also low and social security with the part time job puts me in good financial shape.
Young people have a hard time keeping jobs and showing up. Employers know this. A good work ethic comes with experience more than people care to admit. There is age discrimination, but older employees are reliable employees. Don't get discouraged.
In for a second interview Monday, For the service tech job, mostly because It comes with a company truck that I get to drive home everyday, and that will save me just about 200km wear and tear on my trucks everyday. Plus saves me on fuel costs. I will be turning wrenches, I just don't know if the old body is up for it. I would like to get in a few years and that will set me up better.
Quote from: 18hammers on Feb 09, 2024, 09:53 PMIn for a second interview Monday, For the service tech job, mostly because It comes with a company truck that I get to drive home everyday, and that will save me just about 200km wear and tear on my trucks everyday. Plus saves me on fuel costs. I will be turning wrenches, I just don't know if the old body is up for it. I would like to get in a few years and that will set me up better.
Good luck, getting a few years in is nice.
Quote from: K-Dog on Feb 04, 2024, 09:32 PMI don't bother with jobs in my former profession.
Why didn't you stick with that one until the end? That's my plan, I like what I do, have no desire to be doing odds and ends later when I can do what I do best and have folks paying me for it until the bitter end. Or any time before that if I get cheesed off and want to go walk about. Health benefits and regular professional sized paychecks, inflow of interesting young folks to work with, etc etc.
Why bail early other than boredom, irritation at circumstances (always a good reason for an out), no need for the advantages of late in life professional benefits anymore?
Quote from: K-Dog on Feb 10, 2024, 04:08 PMQuote from: 18hammers on Feb 09, 2024, 09:53 PMIn for a second interview Monday, For the service tech job, mostly because It comes with a company truck that I get to drive home everyday, and that will save me just about 200km wear and tear on my trucks everyday. Plus saves me on fuel costs. I will be turning wrenches, I just don't know if the old body is up for it. I would like to get in a few years and that will set me up better.
Good luck, getting a few years in is nice.
Well the job is down to (old/experienced) me and a technically well educated ( young/less experienced) filipino fellow. I may know by Friday.
Quote from: 18hammers on Feb 12, 2024, 06:58 PMQuote from: K-Dog on Feb 10, 2024, 04:08 PMQuote from: 18hammers on Feb 09, 2024, 09:53 PMIn for a second interview Monday, For the service tech job, mostly because It comes with a company truck that I get to drive home everyday, and that will save me just about 200km wear and tear on my trucks everyday. Plus saves me on fuel costs. I will be turning wrenches, I just don't know if the old body is up for it. I would like to get in a few years and that will set me up better.
Good luck, getting a few years in is nice.
Well the job is down to (old/experienced) me and a technically well educated ( young/less experienced) filipino fellow. I may know by Friday.
good luck
Woke up to a phone call from the western Canada area rep for this company I have interviewed with. He wanted a over the computer face to face meeting with me. Gave me a couple hours notice. I suspect he just wanted to see how old I looked. I am sure I am the oldest candidate for the position they have had apply. Fortunately, while I cant hide my bald head and grey hairs I look fit and strong. They seem to be seriously considering me. I made big changes to my health years ago, I walk 3 to 5 km a day with the dogs, gave up booze years ago, don't smoke and try to eat healthy. It has made a big difference. They will make up their minds this week.
Quote from: 18hammers on Feb 13, 2024, 08:57 PMWoke up to a phone call from the western Canada area rep for this company I have interviewed with. He wanted a over the computer face to face meeting with me. Gave me a couple hours notice. I suspect he just wanted to see how old I looked. I am sure I am the oldest candidate for the position they have had apply. Fortunately, while I cant hide my bald head and grey hairs I look fit and strong. They seem to be seriously considering me. I made big changes to my health years ago, I walk 3 to 5 km a day with the dogs, gave up booze years ago, don't smoke and try to eat healthy. It has made a big difference. They will make up their minds this week.
Good luck!
It being Canada, what % of your paycheck do they let you keep nowadays?
Quote from: TDoS on Feb 14, 2024, 03:40 PMQuote from: 18hammers on Feb 13, 2024, 08:57 PMWoke up to a phone call from the western Canada area rep for this company I have interviewed with. He wanted a over the computer face to face meeting with me. Gave me a couple hours notice. I suspect he just wanted to see how old I looked. I am sure I am the oldest candidate for the position they have had apply. Fortunately, while I cant hide my bald head and grey hairs I look fit and strong. They seem to be seriously considering me. I made big changes to my health years ago, I walk 3 to 5 km a day with the dogs, gave up booze years ago, don't smoke and try to eat healthy. It has made a big difference. They will make up their minds this week.
Good luck!
It being Canada, what % of your paycheck do they let you keep nowadays?
I can't say with certainty, I will look up the tax rate and post it below. I can't say because it has been 24 years or so that I worked as a wage slave, I ran my own business until 2015 and I paid little in tax because, first the company bought me everything, literally. Trucks, meals, computers, booze, clothes, gas and I had a bookkeeper and a accountant that were very good at what they did, I only remember from the yearly sit down that my greatest costs were not tax related it was warehouse leasing costs, and fuel, insurance, truck costs, and maybe employee costs. Those were the big three. I was audited once by rev Canada, not a fun experience but my book keeper and accountant had done a great job.
Up to $53,359 of income is taxed at 15%
Income between $53,359 and $106,717 is taxed at 20.5%
Income between $106,717 and $165,430 is taxed at 26%
Income between $165,430 and $235,675 is taxed at 29%
Above $235,675, income is taxed at 33%
The above is federal income tax, then provincial tax is added but it small, from 5% to 10% depending on the province, though just by contributing to a RRSP you can bring you're tax rate down, often into a lower bracket. From memory you are allowed to contribute a lot to you're RRSP to save on taxes, I remember doing that when a wage slave.
I did not get that job (but wait) it went to the younger less experienced guy. It was my age, tough to be looking for a job in your 60's. So I started looking for other jobs last week, found a few but did not hear back, Then I got a call today from this company that had hired the other guy. They are making a position for a province wide trouble shooter and wanted to know if I would like to try and build that position up.
I said sure, it's not like other opportunities are knocking on my door. It means traveling further away from home than I like but it is what it is. Company vehicle and a hourly rate that I earned 24 years ago. Got to pay my dues and work my way up again. Looks like I start Monday.
That's great news. I don't know how social security is in Canada, but making a fraction of what I used to make is working out ok for me. My social security with the pittance I earn lets me slowly grow savings instead of drawing them down. Which must happen eventually.
Finances aside, I hope it turns out to be a great bunch of people.
Well its only been a couple weeks, the body is adjusting, long days, it is a major clusterfuck with IT not getting my truck laptop linked in with corporate system and company cell linked in with both. I did not realize what a large multi national they are, fingers in everything, division I am in is equipment repair, working as a on site electro-mechanic for the service of a line (lines) of equipment they sell.
Some interesting stuff and some ho-hum boring. I am to specialize in their battery driven systems. AGM banks, lead acid banks, and I seen my first large lithium polymer battery system today being installed into a large riding unit.
I found out they reconsidered me and found a way to make a position for me due to a couple reasons. During the interview I was just casually talking about the battery types I seen in the warehouse, mentioning cell chemistry, voltage charging/discharging parameters and the importance of setting the charging profile right.
I must have seemed like a genius to him (interviewer) as on my 2nd or 3rd day there one of the guys came up to me and said that they had fired a previous guy they were training as he went out to perform a PM on a piece of customer equipment and in going through the check list one item was to check the specific gravity of the battery bank, this unit had AGM's in it. He should have crossed that item out and went onto the next...he didn't do that. I was told he got a drill and started drilling into the batteries to find a way to test the acid.
The other thing that caused them to make me a position was when the guy asked me how I was with mechanics/mechanical. Not having any credentials I could only describe some of the things I had build for industry and without pictures he wasn't impressed, don't blame him, people bullshit. Then I remembered I had one small project I had done for myself maybe 20 years back that was up on the net and I could show him. Now that I work there I hear he talked about that for days after. Mine is John's homemade digger, the best looking one there. https://www.oilyhands.co.uk/Build_your_own_digger.htm Anyway, I am a working drone now, head down, mouth shut, just give me my pay and no one gets hurt.
Sounds as though you have successfully reintegrated yourself as a cog in the great capitalist industrial machine. :) Kudos on being able to still use your skills and knowledge to keep a good supply of Dent Notes of Infinite Duration moving in your direction. How many hours/week of wage slavery are you doing?
RE
Quote from: RE on Mar 24, 2024, 04:54 AMSounds as though you have successfully reintegrated yourself as a cog in the great capitalist industrial machine. :) Kudos on being able to still use your skills and knowledge to keep a good supply of Dent Notes of Infinite Duration moving in your direction. How many hours/week of wage slavery are you doing?
RE
To many slave hours for a old man to do, a hour drive (a little over) then it is 9 hours because they take a hours lunch, then a hours drive home so right now it is a minimum 11 hour days, still going through company "training" so will likely be more hours when done that and in the field, is what it is.
From what I gather this local division was a previous Canadian company bought out by this American conglomerate to both gain market share and reduce competition. Only one employee left from the original company a 30 year employee ready to retire soon.
He tells me he hates the company, loved the old one. I am sure they would have let him go but he has some legacy knowledge of systems they need so it is like a old married couple that fight all the time but stay together cause it is all they know.
It has a depressingly corporate monotonous smell about the place. Everyone seems to cc 50 or more people in their both ass covering, and attention seeking emails, makes me want to puke. I have been warned that birthday cakes are given and everyone is expected to attend and sing happy birthday, For fucks sake I am a grown man I don't need to be part of a dog and pony show. If a company wants to acknowledge a employees birthday then reward them properly with the day off with pay so they can see the faces of their family on their birthday not a couple dozen faces likely half of which wont even be around next year. Somebody is risking a cake in the face if they pull that shit on me.
I suspect I am already frowned upon, as I have not attended the Friday pizza supplied lunch. I told them and was not kidding that I don't eat shit, I really don't. If it was once a year, sure to be social I will choke down a couple oily artery clogging slices but every Friday? They can see the lunches I have brought, lean deer meat sandwiches , assortment of nuts, homemade muffins, and such.
One of the administrative staff, I believe she just started there a week before me and she is telling me how upset her stomach was after lunch on Friday and to my surprise she said she was a vegetarian and wouldn't normally eat such food, I was going to ask her why she did then, but I know why, new job, social pressure, doesn't want to rock the boat. She is going to have to learn to stand up for herself.
Ouch. If that is how you feel while still in training, after a couple of months you'll probably be ready to pull your hair out.
Remember. it's always easier to find a new job while you are still employed, rather than after you recently quit or got fired. I suggest you be proactive and start sending out the resumes now. Take this as advice from an expert at quitting jobs and being fired. I think I held at least 15 different jobs over a 40 year working career. The best time to start looking is the day after you get hired.
RE
Quote from: RE on Mar 25, 2024, 12:34 AMOuch. I think I held at least 15 different jobs over a 40 year working career. The best time to start looking is the day after you get hired.
RE
Ouch indeed. I've had 3 different jobs....each one a new career....in my 40+ working years. I think I'll retire from the 3rd one, don't have enough time left for a 4th career.
Quote from: 18hammers:I suspect I am already frowned upon, as I have not attended the Friday pizza supplied lunch. I told them and was not kidding that I don't eat shit, I really don't. If it was once a year, sure to be social I will choke down a couple oily artery clogging slices but every Friday? They can see the lunches I have brought, lean deer meat sandwiches , assortment of nuts, homemade muffins, and such.
Screw'im. They didn't hire you for your social skills anymore than anyone ever hired me for mine. Sounds like you are in the same game I am...we get paid to deliver results. In different arenas perhaps, but it is the same game. We weren't hired to talk about social media influencers, drink on Friday nights yacking about the boss, commiserate over someone's personal problems....nope. Once skills are recognized, results delivered, they tend to be appreciated, and it becomes terribly difficult to ever get rid of someone like that over not going out with the boss for drinks and that type of nonsense.
There are some fringe benefits. A manufacturer of a type of lithium battery packs had a bad run of production and the BMS in the pack's failed after a couple cycles so these defective batteries found there way to my house. I am ripping the BMS's out and can use the cells individually or install a after market BMS.
I am acquiring some heavy duty DC traction motors, some from junked equipment, some from upgraded equipment. All of it will be useful to me when I get time to play around with this stuff.
The company is a meat grinder though, I don't know if I will last or for how long. Turn over is high, very high. The company has been missing both a job coordinator and service manager for months now. I was told the service manager had a heart attack and had to take some time off work to recover then when he came back they fired him cause his numbers were down. We are all tracked for productivity and have numbers to meat.
Have you sent out any resumes yet? Maybe contact a headhunter?
RE
Yes, I should start looking. I heard, or more correctly overheard the office number crunchers talking and if I heard correctly the turn over rate is in the 60 to 62 % range, and from what I have seen and gathered, I would not dispute that figure.
I was talking with one of the new hires, a younger kid. He was going on about how wonderful it was that the company insists on supplying all the tools (corporate policy), and I don't disagree with that but as a old guy with years of experience in this world I told him straight up to stop and think for a moment, look at the turn over. It means nothing of yours is on site or in the company trucks. So when they can your ass, and it is likely they will, you have no reason to go back on or in company property to retrieve your stuff as none of it is yours. He just looked like a deer in the headlights when I told him. I hope he doesn't take out any loans, or runs up his visa thinking he can count on this job.
Why do you think the turnover is so high? My experience is that turnover is high when hours burn people out and the employer tries to pay for as few of the extra hours as possible.
There are all kinds of businesses. A good one will value your skill and reliability and will try and make you happy and keep you because the combination is worth something. But there are businesses built on a model of squeeze the employee, and get what you can because another waits outside the door. Managers come in both flavors.
Currently my skill and reliability is appreciated. The financial exploitation does not bother me because I have other income. If I had to work forty hours and only live on the wage, things would not be so good for me. I hope your situation works out or that you find one that does.
Quote from: 18hammers on Apr 05, 2024, 09:52 PMYes, I should start looking. I heard, or more correctly overheard the office number crunchers talking and if I heard correctly the turn over rate is in the 60 to 62 % range, and from what I have seen and gathered, I would not dispute that figure.
I was talking with one of the new hires, a younger kid. He was going on about how wonderful it was that the company insists on supplying all the tools (corporate policy), and I don't disagree with that but as a old guy with years of experience in this world I told him straight up to stop and think for a moment, look at the turn over. It means nothing of yours is on site or in the company trucks. So when they can your ass, and it is likely they will, you have no reason to go back on or in company property to retrieve your stuff as none of it is yours. He just looked like a deer in the headlights when I told him. I hope he doesn't take out any loans, or runs up his visa thinking he can count on this job.
as a long time self employed person of the so called "gen X" grouping I have never expected anything but ham fisted exploitation from an employer. Loyalty from them or myself seemed to have been discarded before I joined the workforce. On the trades front it makes sense to provide tools to an employee as it assures your guys can do the work while cynically understanding most trades people are horrible with money. When I ran a crew I used to do a tool allowance where you paid $1 an hour dedicated to tool and consumables purchases and trusted them to have what they needed ... It rarely worked well. I was far from an exploiter of labour but the pulls of consumer society would have tradies driving shiny trucks with ATVs and sleds in garages while slinging a rounded hammer on a broken down tool belt. I gave up that practice for the onsite tool trailer and the seasonal home Depot gift card for personals. It's never a black and white situation. I gave up running a crew as it was professionally unrewarding and I have much more fun as a high skilled consultant and trouble shooter in solar and construction. I do miss having manpower though. If I was starting out I'm not sure how I would do it. If I was smart I would search out a high skilled specialist operation preferably that does a lot of different things and bust my hump to gain street cred. As a senior hire it would be harder of course since hump busting hurts more physically and the life commitments are more essential then they were at a younger age. I like Small personally even if there is a renumeration hit involved I think. That balances out with time though. I hope you can find a better niche. I know in my work competence and a broad skill set has never been as well rewarded or sought out as it is right now.
Cheers,
NF
Quote from: K-Dog on Apr 06, 2024, 12:33 AMWhy do you think the turnover is so high? My experience is that turnover is high when hours burn people out and the employer tries to pay for as few of the extra hours as possible.
To many reasons to name but the largest single reason is the company does not understand the nature of the people in the position I am, the front line workers competent with electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic. I have found the good ones to largely be self motivated, self organizing, and would have what today would be called non neurotypical thinking. This often leads them to be great problem solvers. The company does not let such people run with the ball so to speak.
I kid you not they have our entire days planned out 7 to 10 days ahead, and every one of us knows this wont work, they either don't have stock, or are using just in time inventory that results in jobs backing up. They have average time on site targets we are supposed to meet or beat but that results in mistakes being made because people are in a hurry.
I am finishing up some jobs from as far back as last year. Then as things back up meetings are called where all the blame is on the front line workers. It is a cluster fuck. I suspect this division does not make money. Does not have to, it is being carried by the rest of the conglomerate.
Just in this last week, of the 5 of us on the tools 3 were off sick at least once this week. One guy off 2.5 days this week, and he was really sick, maybe 28 years, I could see he had not been handling the stress well. could not catch his breath, coughing, looking terrible, caught him holding his chest a couple times in pain. They still did not send him home he finally just said I have to leave and he did. That was midway through Wednesday. Maybe there will only be four of us Monday. I was riding shotgun on a job out of town to give a guy a hand replacing a transaxle and when we got there he had forgot to put the part in the van. I don't blame him, the company did though. Mistakes are always made when you are rushing to keep a arbitrary time schedule.
On a more positive note, I picked up another wonderful dc gear head motor with just the right rpm range to build a mid drive electric bike with. Best parts is the nameplate specs indicate this to be a 400 watt motor, 500 watt is the legal maximum here in Canada, but.......here is the good part, this industrial quality motor is extremely conservatively rated, From my experience this thing could put out 1000 watts all day long with peaks even much greater. Bevel cut gears for quiet operation. ( was used in a hospital environment where quiet operation was required) A project for the future.
QuoteTo many reasons to name but the largest single reason is the company does not understand the nature of the people in the position I am, the front line workers competent with electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic. I have found the good ones to largely be self motivated, self organizing, and would have what today would be called non neurotypical thinking.
I'm working in retail part time. The company will schedule me for five hours a day, Sometimes four and a half, sometimes even four. But I think they know that pisses me off, so not so much. I just worked six days in a row to get 31 hours. My proletarian undercover work tells me unions should be mandatory. I hope your sick worker gets well.
When I am at work the young managers I work with who are actually great guys can get in the way of my self-motivated, self-organizing style. The company just opened store number 1500 and to earn my McWage I have to follow recipes for everything. Every day I have to do ten minutes of training video. Cubicle workers in California figure out the 'best' way to do things and everybody learns over time how to do things the 'right' way.
No business ever succeeds without some workers just plain figuring out what their
job is supposed to be and then just takes it upon themselves to do it. But getting off script too much begs for trouble. Not getting off script at all does not deal with the reality of every situation.
It is an ass-kissing pyramid, but I am lucky to work with a bunch of great guys. We all work hard and look after each other.
The company is huge and takes advantage of every opportunity to run the operation at low prices. In WA State lunch is unpaid, but you have to take the time off. And you must be given a half hour lunch if you work more than five hours. This turns into pressure to cut my time. On top of that there is heavy pressure to get things done and 'close early'. Every pay pereiond the walls echo with 'too many hours' 'we have to cut hours'. This does not reward good work but over a few months the company manages to screw me out of a couple of hundred. Wage theft is part of low prices.
Some states have better employment laws, WA state is one of the states that is 'out to lunch'. Telling an employer they must pay for all of an employees time is somehow construed to mean that an employee's civil rights are somehow being violated if you pay them by the rules of their own game. Capitalism. Capitalism pays for time. WA is a 'right to work state'.
I wind up feeling like a full time worker and I currently bask in two days off in a row after working six days in a row. For half the actual work, and of course half of full time pay. But 100% of a full time commitment. My social security is essentially subsidizing the company. Without it I could not get by, and I could not be there. I'd need more hours. It is not would not, it is could not. I have asked myself, 'you are doing this why' a few times in the last few days.
All power to the Soviets. For the time being my undercover proletarian explorations will continue. I have been undercover studying this companys' capitalism for going on three years now.
* A "right to work" state is a state in the United States that has laws prohibiting contracts between employers and labor unions which require all employees in a unionized workplace to become union members and pay union dues. In right-to-work states, employees are not required to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment, even if their workplace is unionized. These laws are intended to protect workers' freedom of association and choice regarding union membership. In the old days even being hit up on the side of the head by a police baton was not enough to discourage union membership. Scabs had to be legalized and protected. In 'right to work' states, workers have few rights, but scabs and exploiters do.
I live in this greater west coast free trade zone.
Quote from: K-Dog on Apr 20, 2024, 11:35 AMQuoteTo many reasons to name but the largest single reason is the company does not understand the nature of the people in the position I am, the front line workers competent with electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic. I have found the good ones to largely be self motivated, self organizing, and would have what today would be called non neurotypical thinking.
I hope your sick worker gets well.
It turns out the kid had covid, just came back to today, the other worker that was off is mid 50's same thing, he has covid to but hitting him even harder. I don't think they had more than one or two shots at most.
Still plugging away as a wage slave, have not been fired yet but suspect it has come close, Close to quitting anyway. New service manager hired last week, can't say it was a good thing, better if the position was not filled.
On a brighter note another great low voltage DC motor of industrial quality came home with me. I wish I could post pictures of some of these motors when I have them apart. Brushed DC motors are a mature technology being replaced by brushless but some of these DC brushed motors (the industrial quality ones) are just a pleasure to work on, and construction is first rate.
This last one was in service for 8 years until the bearings started going and caused the breaker to trip. The company just replaced the motor of course (4 figures) that's how I got it. The brush wear was so little I did not even have to replace them, just the bearings for about 25 bucks.
So I added another 0 to 48 ish volt DC motor to my collection. I was lacking low volt DC motors in my tickle trunk, had plenty of 90 volts to 200ish Dc volts motors from my previous working life but not so much low voltage DC motors of quality and power. More motors coming my way next week as the other guy's will start saving the motors they change out for me.
This week two more great motors came home with me, likely my last, notice given. I will be out of work.
(https://chasingthesquirrel.com/public/pics/trumptowercoffee.jpg)
I would not mind being out of work for a while. My 'part time' job almost steals my time like I work full time. It is not unusual to get six days in a row with five hour shifts being the longest.
Employees don't get a lot of say about how scheduling goes. There is always pressure from corporate to cut hours. It adds to their bottom line and takes away from mine.
Currently we have new people and the company is not getting as much bang for the employment buck as usual. When the crew has experience, the company can cut our hours more easily. Good work winds up being rewarded with less pay in a paradoxical way.
Tonight we had a beautiful orange sunset. There was light at 9 PM. It would be a good time to give up my proletarian undercover work for a while. But. I'm banking all of my 401K is nice to say.
Many people as old as I am don't have a body that lets them work. I'm lucky, if I don't take a job that kills me continuing to work seems to be good for my health. It also lets me live a little better as you can see.
If I had more faith in my future, I'd stop for a while. But if I work the longer it will be before I am poor.
* The gold Donald Trump initials in the black granite over the door behind me are hard to see. The coffee was decent.
Quote from: 18hammers on May 26, 2024, 09:51 PMThis week two more great motors came home with me, likely my last, notice given. I will be out of work.
Didn't figure that slave job would last too long. Based on your description, I wouldn't have lasted a month.
My RT (CNA who watches me lift dumbells to keep from atrophying too fast) does Instacart shopping for Xtra money. Her hubby who is a Mr Mom does it as his main job. Low stress, make your own hours, quit whenever you want. Probably only be a couple of bucks/hr less.
RE
Quote from: K-Dog on May 26, 2024, 11:36 PMI would not mind being out of work for a while. My 'part time' job almost steals my time like I work full time. It is not unusual to get six days in a row with five hour shifts being the longest.
You talk about your post-retirement job as though you aren't thrilled with it. So why did you give up your real one to go for a shittier deal?
The wife says I won't retire, because then people won't pay me to do what I would do for free anyway. Don't see much point in walking away even if I can no longer walk, gotta do something in retirement. No point in taking a 90% pay cut to be hassled by management drones of the world and for what? Just to keep busy? Not a chance. I'd hand out food at the homeless shelter for free just because it would be doing something useful, meet some folks, etc etc. Habitat for Humanity perhaps? More options available than I can count probably.
My first day back since I emailed in my two week notice is tomorrow. I hope they just show me the door and don't make me work it out. The guys I worked with say they will save me some more motors as they swap them out. So I may have a few more trickle in for a while.
The last one I got Friday lists out at 3700 dollars, but even wholesale cost is north of 1500. I just had to turn down the armature a touch, put in new bearings and I will stop by carbon brush supply this week and pick up four new ones. Total cost for me to rebuild it likely under a 100 bucks. I am going to miss getting these motors.
Quote from: TDoS on May 27, 2024, 02:53 PMQuote from: K-Dog on May 26, 2024, 11:36 PMI would not mind being out of work for a while. My 'part time' job almost steals my time like I work full time. It is not unusual to get six days in a row with five hour shifts being the longest.
You talk about your post-retirement job as though you aren't thrilled with it. So why did you give up your real one to go for a shittier deal?
After Paul Allen died, his heirs did not have the same enthusiasm for Computer History and restoration of the old computers that Kdog was uniquely qualified to do. They eliminated the position at the Museum. Finding a cool job that was fun after it, not so EZ.
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Quote from: 18hammers on May 28, 2024, 09:11 PMI am going to miss getting these motors.
What do you use them for?
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Quote from: RE on May 29, 2024, 01:20 AMQuote from: TDoS on May 27, 2024, 02:53 PMQuote from: K-Dog on May 26, 2024, 11:36 PMI would not mind being out of work for a while. My 'part time' job almost steals my time like I work full time. It is not unusual to get six days in a row with five hour shifts being the longest.
You talk about your post-retirement job as though you aren't thrilled with it. So why did you give up your real one to go for a shittier deal?
After Paul Allen died, his heirs did not have the same enthusiasm for Computer History and restoration of the old computers that Kdog was uniquely qualified to do. They eliminated the position at the Museum. Finding a cool job that was fun after it, not so EZ.
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I thought k-Dog was an EE? That seems like far more innate capability than being a history buff or messing with old PCs.
They let me leave, was shown the door as I expected. Much less stress now, just have to find another job.
Quote from: TDoS on May 29, 2024, 03:16 PMI thought k-Dog was an EE? That seems like far more innate capability than being a history buff or messing with old PCs.
He is an EE. One of the few around who still knows enough about older computers to be able to get them working again. One of the ones he restored was an original Cray supercomputer as I recall from my tour of the museum. They also had old IBM mainframes with the tape drives and an Apple IIe desktop with the floppy disk drives. Old CRT displays, etc. Just finding the parts to make them function was a challenge, then the old languages they run on aren't used anymore either. Fun job for a tinkerer like Kdog.
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Quote from: RE on May 31, 2024, 12:30 PMQuote from: TDoS on May 29, 2024, 03:16 PMI thought k-Dog was an EE? That seems like far more innate capability than being a history buff or messing with old PCs.
He is an EE. One of the few around who still knows enough about older computers to be able to get them working again. One of the ones he restored was an original Cray supercomputer as I recall from my tour of the museum. They also had old IBM mainframes with the tape drives and an Apple IIe desktop with the floppy disk drives. Old CRT displays, etc. Just finding the parts to make them function was a challenge, then the old languages they run on aren't used anymore either. Fun job for a tinkerer like Kdog.
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It gave me the background to reverse engineer DYNAMO into JavaScript. Dynamo ran the Limits to growth Model on an IBM mainframe.
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-SDVzstFaU24%2FTp-4qZKSoRI%2FAAAAAAAAAEo%2FdQjOy2iFZZs%2Fs1600%2FLimits%2Bto%2BGrowth%2BStandard%2BModel.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=a9c233b2eb0539700af946c1c4d138a7e90b9f9c9d869f266a7db1f687582341&ipo=images)
Work is proceeding well. There will be a website where graphs can be generated at the touch of a button from model equations. The original program was 10,000 lines of IBM assembly code. 600 man hours of labor. I hope my effort will not require the same investment. But beyond the code I also have to become an expert dynamic modeler. So when all is said and done, I'll have a chunk of time invested no matter how I cut the cheese.
Duplicating the standard run is the first goal. A user will be able to press a button to copy the standard run equations to a clipboard and then they paste the equations into a file.
Then buttons in the dynamo simulator load and run the file to produce the graphs.
I won't be making the procedure any simpler. Making users create the equation file could mean they will get an idea of what is going on. Which is why I'll endure this pain.
Quote from: K-Dog on May 31, 2024, 05:55 PMI won't be making the procedure any simpler. Making users create the equation file could mean they will get an idea of what is going on. Which is why I'll endure this pain.
I think you should add some parameters like be able to break down "resources" into some categories, substitute energy sources and break down Pollution to categories like CO
2 emissions, groundwater contamination, microplastics etc. Try to add detail to make it more realistic, and be able to incorporate new data like the falling fertility rate.
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Yes, but the first milestone will be getting it to run.
Quote from: K-Dog on May 31, 2024, 06:26 PMYes, but the first milestone will be getting it to run.
You have my full confidence! Don't forget to make an App to run on your Android phone! Sell on Google Play for $1 and we can do top quality high production value vids complete with custom CGI special effects and hire a REALLY HOT spokesmodel! I suggest Anya Taylor-Joy from the Furiosa Mad Max movie. ;D
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Well they deposited my last paycheck today. Part of this check goes to pay for two south bend lathes a guy is holding for me. Real nice lathes with all the tooling and spare parts. That will make it three south bend metal lathes I own. One in such good condition the factory stickers are on it. Got no place to put them but I will find somewhere. I am not going to belt drive then, likely just put on a variable freq drive.
Instead of getting a job, why not start your own bizness? Sounds like you have equipment for a good metal shop. How about turning out replacement parts for old engines and farm equipment? You could set up a website and do custom work making assemblies for hard to find out of stock old items. Or maybe make wind generators with that new design I put up a while back? Maybe you could license the patent and do it legally, or bootleg to other doomers on the QT?
https://26011849.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/26011849/Aeromine%20Website/downloads/Aeromine%20cut%20sheet%20231004.pdf
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Quote from: K-Dog on May 31, 2024, 05:55 PMBut beyond the code I also have to become an expert dynamic modeler.
If you have the code, was it annotated or obvious as to which equations handle the non-linear relationships between the various parts and pieces? Fossil use increases, knock on pollution effects occur, recycling kicks in to mitigate pollution, etc etc.
Anything obvious?
As far as what expert dynamic modelers do nowadays, if you find their explicit estimates of uncertainty on at least the input resource volumes, then they would have certainly be ahead of their time. And any annotation there would be a fantastic find.
Quote from: RE on May 29, 2024, 01:25 AMQuote from: 18hammers on May 28, 2024, 09:11 PMI am going to miss getting these motors.
What do you use them for?
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I can use them for anything, one is going on my gate so it will have a remote control option, another one, the 1kw gear head (in reality twice that) is going on this unit, a TB30 riding tractor that I blew the motor on. I will drop the cutting deck, rip off the gas engine and I will have myself a little buggy for driving around the property, visiting neighbours and such. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/troy-bilt-sd-10-5hp-briggs-engine-riding-lawn-mower-30-in-0601737p.html?ds_rl=1283573&ds_rl=1283573&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9vqyBhCKARIsAIIcLMETSVO8DlI0WjhJVaNyXGHP-LS2TsWQdNMLR3WFPSWBbhtWex4dkqgaAj9HEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#store=398