[Rant] Minor Rant III: For a Few Hollers More

GasBandit

Staff member
I can always count on work to snap me out of a funk with a perplexing practical problem. So the renovators were here again this weekend, unbeknownst to me they were tearing down one of the offices. Unbeknownst to THEM there was a switch housed in that office that fed half the building's internet. I just spent the last hour tracing down one unplugged switch (out of the seven in the building, not counting routers/wireless access points).
 
I've never understood why some people seem to delight in trying to be know-it-alls. A fellow neuroscientist made it a point to tell me what he perceived to be several flaws with my recent tattoo, stating that I may want to get it re-done since it wouldn't be functional in a real network. He was flat-out wrong in everything from identifying the specific cell types I chose to its functionality (and I corrected him on this). It doesn't bother me that it was about my tattoo (art is subjective, after all) or even that he was wrong, but that he acted like a superior twat in the process. Scientists already have a bad enough reputation for being ivory tower elitists, and it pisses me off to no end when people seemingly take pride in living up to the stereotype.

But enough bitching.
I do this all the time and it troubles me when I do it... mostly because I don't realize it until after I'm done. I don't know what I can do about it, because it's so ingrained and automatic, but it's become a problem and I'm worried it's going to cost me.
 
The head of HR just walked into my office and gave me a minibottle of rum.
The head of HR knows how best to boost employee morale.
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I do this all the time and it troubles me when I do it... mostly because I don't realize it until after I'm done. I don't know what I can do about it, because it's so ingrained and automatic, but it's become a problem and I'm worried it's going to cost me.
I used to do it also. Now it has been redirected, and I only do it where I believe that the person(s) will genuinely benefit from the info. I also watch for feedback to see if it is being received well, and stop if it is not.
I'm not 100% yet on this, but I've gotten better about it over the years, and will continue to improve.

--Patrick
 
The head of HR knows how best to boost employee morale.
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I used to do it also. Now it has been redirected, and I only do it where I believe that the person(s) will genuinely benefit from the info. I also watch for feedback to see if it is being received well, and stop if it is not.
I'm not 100% yet on this, but I've gotten better about it over the years, and will continue to improve.

--Patrick
Same here. I'm known for being a bit of a know-it-all among my friends, but they say I present my information in an interesting way, and they never feel like I'm thinking they're stupid.

(I mean, I do think they're stupid, but I'm better at hiding it these days.) :troll:
 
I like how this started out as @Enresshou being all "Man, people knock my tattoo for stupid reasons," and Halforums collectively responded with, "You think that's stupid, well, I can knock it for yet more insane a reason!"

Good people here. :)

(also, I do know it all, so feel free to ask)
 
Well, dear Emrys, there was a meeting.

A meeting in a dimly lit room (you know the type, big soft leather chairs sat upon by men at least big and leathery, but by no means soft, more light coming from their fast-burning cigar ends than the low quality incandescent bulbs behind light fixtures from the 40s.) was held, and the greatest, most baritone of the hulking leathery men held his cigar out of his mouth too harshly, squishing in its middle, while flecks of tobacco and ash flitted in the light as they came off his fat, cracked, purple lips. "Now, gentlemen," and his yellowed teeth grinned the grin of the happily soulless, "It has come to my attention that there is a weaseling in Saskatchewan. As you know, this cannot come to be."

Silence penetrated the meeting, and the newest member of this dark crowd tried not to let the burning feeling in his nostrils make him sneeze.

"I don't care how, or what, or by whom, but if this isn't stopped, if the entire force of the Illuminati is not arrayed against the happiness and success of this one Saskatchewanian..."

The ellipsis hung there, like the ellipses on any given page of a Dan Brown novel, or a post by @Li3n-ohmygod is @Li3n Dan Brown?!- but everyone knew what dark times were coming.

"For the Doomening is at hand," he lit a new cigar, "And I will not be weasel'd."

Annnnnnd

That's why.
 
Annnnnnd I just shot Coke out my nose. My minion co-worker is trying to decide between the straight jacket or the tranquillizing dart.

You win the internet, my dear @Chad Sexington.

And you will be weasel'd.
 
This girl I'm vaguely aquatinted with posts the dumbest shit on Facebook. Usually it's just kinda funny to laugh at in a mocking way, but today it pissed me off. She's pregnant and apparently her doctor told her that if she doesn't lose weight, she will need a C-section (she is very large even without the pregnancy). So of course she posts a status about how ridiculous that doctor is and she doesn't understand why people act like their opinions are so valuable. Hmmm maybe because he went to medical school for at least 4 years! And of course she got a ton of comments encouraging her and saying that the doctor only said it because hes lazy and just wants to schedule her birth on his time.

People just suck and shit like this pisses me off.
 
This girl I'm vaguely aquatinted with posts the dumbest shit on Facebook. Usually it's just kinda funny to laugh at in a mocking way, but today it pissed me off. She's pregnant and apparently her doctor told her that if she doesn't lose weight, she will need a C-section (she is very large even without the pregnancy). So of course she posts a status about how ridiculous that doctor is and she doesn't understand why people act like their opinions are so valuable. Hmmm maybe because he went to medical school for at least 4 years! And of course she got a ton of comments encouraging her and saying that the doctor only said it because hes lazy and just wants to schedule her birth on his time.

People just suck and shit like this pisses me off.
Heck, if it pisses you off--imagine how the doctor must feel. Let me give you a little excerpt of an incident report I had to write after leading a science trip down to Hong Kong and one of my students got a severe allergic reaction:

*sensitive information like names edited out*

Date- I was awoken by teacher of school and a Tour Group team member to inform me that student had woken staff members because of a difficulty with breathing. His allergic reaction had spread further and we immediately decided to rush him back to the emergency room. Teacher went with a Tour Group member to the hospital with student and returned after 6AM. I was told that student had received four more injections and more medication. I was also told the doctors initially wanted to admit student as an in-patient but then decided against it. Student was allowed to sleep and I sat nearby him so that he was not left without supervision in case another breathing problem occurred. When student woke up and claimed the area around his throat still had some discomfort, teacher and myself determined that it was too dangerous to allow student to fly home that day due to the dangers of complications during flight. After consulting with school campus leaders principal and principal we returned student back to the hospital for another consultation. His mother and aunt were also contacted and they decided to fly directly to Hong Kong to see their child. His mother also advised that student should not be allowed to take a shower because the water would make the reaction worse.
This time the doctor seeing student determined the medicine given had not been effective and the reaction had reached dangerous levels, or to quote the doctor, “life-threatening”. The doctor strongly recommended student be admitted as an in-patient to the pediatric ward. His mother and aunt were called and informed of the seriousness of the situation.
While we waited for student's guardians to arrive and make the determination whether or not to admit student, student was given further injections and closely monitored by a hospital nurse while his other needs were seen to by teacher and myself. When student's parent’s arrived to the hospital around 9:30-10PM, they were brought to see student to make a decision as to the kind of treatment they wanted to give him. They initially decided that student had no major issues and claimed that he had been having these types of reactions since he was a child. They claimed the cause was a lack of rest, and wanted to take him from the hospital. I advised that before they did this, they should first consult with the doctor on call. The doctor explained the seriousness of the situation, pointing out several lesions on his face which indicated the danger to student's health. Student's mother was reluctant to accept the explanation, continuing to claim that it was simply a matter of not having enough sleep. With my assistance, the doctor explained to his mother that the amount of rest and the allergic reaction were two separate issues and how much rest student's has had should not be a factor in determining student's treatment. His mother agreed and student was admitted as an in-patient to the pediatric ward.

The underlined bits are what made me rage. If this kid's parents had their way, he might have died. The doctor looked at me in English and said "Please help". I had to explain in Chinese to the parents that they need to get this idea of him being tired as a cause for his allergies out of their head and admit him into hospital care before something truly serious happens. To top it off, when we had a parent meeting about it a few days later, his parents insisted it was just because he was tired. Thankfully the principal refused that explanation and *strongly* advised them to get proper allergy testing (and will probably their decision to get the results as to whether or not to allow the student to stay if the parents continue to refuse).
 
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I'm working a retail job while I apply for serious science jobs, over the holiday season, there was the annual gift card contest. Workers were split into 4 teams, the team that sold the most in gift cards gets a prize. Two years ago, the winning team won a tablet (a decent one, from a bookstore chain, not a no-name budget model). One year ago, the winning team got a salary bonus of over $100 (subject to taxes, but still not bad). This year, I was on the winning team, we got lunch (for 30 minutes) - grocery store salad and lasagna, and those brownie bites, BYO-beverage. Granted, there was homemade mac&cheese and meatballs, but the apparent dollar value was probably less than $10 per winner. Some people on the winning team weren't even scheduled today, so they missed out entirely.

 
I'm working a retail job while I apply for serious science jobs, over the holiday season, there was the annual gift card contest. Workers were split into 4 teams, the team that sold the most in gift cards gets a prize. Two years ago, the winning team won a tablet (a decent one, from a bookstore chain, not a no-name budget model). One year ago, the winning team got a salary bonus of over $100 (subject to taxes, but still not bad). This year, I was on the winning team, we got lunch - grocery store salad and lasagna, and those brownie bites, BYO-beverage. Granted, there was homemade mac&cheese and meatballs, but the apparent dollar value was probably less than $10 per winner. Some people on the winning team weren't even scheduled today, so they missed out entirely.

Next year, the winners shall get half a stick of gum.
 
I got to urgent care early and was in and out of the doctor's really quick... then it took nearly 4 hours to actually get my medicine because the pharmacy was having an issue clearing me with my insurance. It turned out at some point somebody decided my name was "Davis" and thus couldn't verify me in the system, as a person with that name doesn't exist on our insurance.

Also, 60 freaking dollar deductible for an inhaler? I'm glad I didn't get around to asking how much it would have been to simply get without the insurance.
 
Also, 60 freaking dollar deductible for an inhaler? I'm glad I didn't get around to asking how much it would have been to simply get without the insurance.
Your left arm and your first-born.

Canada's a little cheaper. You get to choose.
 
Last time I picked up an inhaler in 2008, the Walgreen's pharmacy wanted $80 (with insurance), I went to target where the generic cost $15, plus $6 off for a new prescription account, for a total of $9. Might have been a half-normal size capsule, but a better deal. It still works today.

Regarding my work lunch "prize" - the leftovers were available to everyone, so it wasn't even an exclusive prize, more like a "thanks everyone" lunch.
 
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