The Captain
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Post by The Captain on Sept 30, 2015 11:43:43 GMT -5
No one thought this quote was real. Everyone who read it or will read it will immediately understand that the claim that Brian Williams said he was named "Co-Pope" is a joke. It is based in Brian Williams' well-known propensity to tell incredible fish tales. Co-Pope? Seriously? Challenging me to source this quote is almost as ridiculous as the quote. Paul - FWIW I agree with you 100%!!! (and yes, I thought it was funny!). You know it's a joke, I know it's a joke. Just like everyone knows McDonald's coffee is hot. BUT you and I also live in one of the most litigious societies on the face of this planet. That, and we do try to be consistent as humanely possible when we moderate. As such, when items are directly attributable to a living person we ask for a link. Else some single celled amoeba should decide another lawsuit is needed to clog the courts. Or alternatively, could you go back and add something like (I'm kidding - it's a joke)? Thanks! and regards - The Captain - Mod.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 30, 2015 10:14:19 GMT -5
Can you recommend some books to read? I like books with plot and dont always get symbolism. I just discover Kurt Vonnegut. I got some Roberty Heinlein to read. When I was in my 20's I could get books half off the original price so ended up reading a lot of classics. By recommend I just mean, some of your favorites that a guy might also like. thanks I think you underestimate yourself. Symbolism is very much an individual thing. The same story will mean different things to different people. Asimov - I highly recommend the Foundation Series. I think someone else already mentioned the I Robot series as well. Heinlein - Friday and Stranger in a Strange Land - just go with me on these. I wish I could say your library should have these, but mine doesn't. We have a inter-library loan system which is pretty good, though.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 30, 2015 8:40:19 GMT -5
I try to buy made in the USA as much as possible. As others have mentioned, it's difficult to find some things that are made in the US.
I avoid things made in China as much as possible. ESPECIALLY food items. Next time you're in walmart look at where that can of mushrooms came from. Where sissy lives (at least) it's from China.
Don't trust their agricultural practices at all.
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Blech
Sept 30, 2015 8:25:01 GMT -5
Post by The Captain on Sept 30, 2015 8:25:01 GMT -5
My husband has officially dubbed me the "plague bringer". On the positive side of things I can personally attest to the fact that the Walgreens brand Severe Daytime Maximum strength non-drowsy Cold and Flu gel caps are some pretty amazing things! While I don't feel great, I'm at least able to function. That and getting to bed before 8pm. I have two indirect reports that are out with pneumonia right now. Quarter end close is going to be a real treat. Everyone else, I hope you're feeling better, and if you haven't gotten your flu shots yet, please do so. My gut tells me it's going to be a bad season (yea real scientific I know...).
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Post by The Captain on Sept 29, 2015 15:51:51 GMT -5
When someone then changes their mind, the recruiting process usually starts at square one (as the second and third choice candidate will rarely take the offer, no one likes to know they were not the first choice).
Really? I find that odd personally, who cares if you weren't the first choice for a job?
If I need a job or want a new one I really am not going to care if I was first/second or third. I'd jump right now if the VA called me and told me that secretary wasn't working out. I wanted that job BAD and still do to be honest. It may have something to do with the fact that my field has always been in demand. It is fairly common for candidates to be interviewing for several positions and to have more than one offer come in simultaneously. The second and third choices know they won't have to wait too long for another offer. I've also lost my first choice candidate because another company offered first. Recruiting in my area is cut-throat. There are fewer and fewer younger people going into the profession, and those that do tend to switch paths by the time they hit senior level. It's very hard to hire with experience. There's a huge cohort that is going to retire from the IRS in the next 5-8 years. I do not look forward to what service levels will be as they try to fill those spots.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 29, 2015 14:41:21 GMT -5
No, I don't do grocery shopping from work. Prices are much higher downtown (where I work) than out in the surburban wastelands (where I live).
Name one thing you'd hate to give up, if you moved from the city to the country.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 29, 2015 13:50:57 GMT -5
And now the voice of dissent...
By the time a job offer is extended (and accepted) the employer has put a good chunk of time into filling the position. Once we have an offer accepted, we let the other candidates know that we extended the job to someone else. It's only fair not to keep them hanging for too long.
When someone then changes their mind, the recruiting process usually starts at square one (as the second and third choice candidate will rarely take the offer, no one likes to know they were not the first choice).
This puts the hiring manager in a really shitty spot. They are already behind because they have an open position to fill, and now they are going to become further behind because you are going back on your word. Sorry if it sounds harsh, but that's how I look at it.
Those names/resumes go into a file. I will never again extend an offer to anyone who's accepted, then changed their mind later on.
I work in a field with a relatively small community. Word does get around. If that's not the case in your instance then you should be ok. However, I wanted to present a differing opinion.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 29, 2015 12:56:59 GMT -5
Ummm, maybe because this thread is about Trumps' plan for Federal Income taxes?
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Post by The Captain on Sept 29, 2015 8:46:51 GMT -5
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Post by The Captain on Sept 29, 2015 8:41:59 GMT -5
In that case, you'd also have to factor in the social support of other countries, such as welfare, aid to families with dependent children, childcare subsidies and housing subsidies. It's not only the US that has them.
You'd still be near the very bottom.
Do you know that for a fact? Do you have a source for your assumption? Using the same argument, you 'd also need to factor in the average age of the mother at first birth. Not surprisingly there is a very high correlation between poverty and having children at a young age. Shocker I know, but true. I'd love to see a chart by country that compared the childhood poverty rate by country when the age of the mother at first birth was 28. What do you think that would look like? I also go back to DJ's post, define poverty in a term most parties would agree is truly representative of what the word is supposed to mean, then come up with a measurement, and I will argue that US children living in "poverty" still have enormous advantages over most of the world.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 29, 2015 8:34:52 GMT -5
ok, fine- this is from the CIA World Factbook. i am presuming you are OK with that source and that methodology. not as bad as the child poverty numbers, but plenty of room for improvement. and no, we are not Africa. DJ - I'm not trying to be difficult, but I will never say I'm comfortable with a source and mythodology unless I have a chance to look at the data and criteria used to establish a result. Just like using anything as half of a national average in a very wealthy country as a baseline to call a standard of living "poverty" is laughable, I don't know what the baseline or unit of measurement was for the above chart.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 16:41:55 GMT -5
...and 98% of Catholic women use it.
Now, I'm no mathematician, but something isn't adding up.
Do you have a source for that statistic? Just curious.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 16:14:34 GMT -5
Those charts measure household income only. To a certain extent it is fixable, and patches are already in place. I would like to see the same charts once social support (such as WIC, SNAP, Medciaid, EIC, childcare subsidies, TANF, housing subsidies, etc) are factored in. In addition, I also challenge how the baseline for "poverty" is determined. From the article: More than one in five American children fall below a relative poverty line, which UNICEF defines as living in a household that earns less than half of the national median.
As one of the wealthiest nations on the planet, the median is going to be comparatively higher than other nations measured. Now I acknowledge the income gap is driving increasing disparaties, but that is a whole different topic for discussion. The demographics hardest hit by the last recession is also the most likely to have higher birth rates (younger people, recent immigrants, etc). I once lived in an area where the majority of the school children qualified for free lunches. I must be a pretty simple person because I didn't see standards of living that were different (and honestly - better) than what I had growing up. Finally, people tend to have children in their younger years when their income has not yet hit it's peak. That simple reason alone puts children in a demographic where the household income will tend to be less than the national median. The logic used for measurement is flawed in many ways.
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Sept 28, 2015 14:29:45 GMT -5
Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 14:29:45 GMT -5
I did a roadtrip over the past four days and have a feeling I caught something. To add insult to injury, got home late last night so I didn't cook. I just paid $5 bucks for a little cup of soup.
Better be damn well worth it. As long as you got it in in Panera, you are all good. Bc it's cheap and nutritious and good for you. Two out of three isn't bad. But $5 for a 12 oz serving of soup is cheap? Ummm....
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Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 14:26:07 GMT -5
Is that why so many other countries have a lower poverty rate than the USA? Because you do more to help the poor than any other country on earth?
Myth....meet reality. Not True... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Giving_Index
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Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 14:23:09 GMT -5
Work from home is highly discouraged by my employer.
That being said, I am fully set up to work from home down to having the virtual environment access key generator loaded on my tablet (I do a lot of stuff on the train).
They may not have a choice. I will stay home if I start running a fever.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 14:02:37 GMT -5
GET OUTTA THERE! take yourself home and try and sleep it off. otherwise, you'll end up passing it to coworkers and then it will make its way back around to you as soon as you get better! I usually wipe down my keyboard and desk and everything with a clorox wipe... and then spray lysol as i leave. I may be a tad germophobic. Normally I am the first one to tell my staff to take sick time if they need it...unless there are deadlines to be met. We don't miss deadlines. I'm coming up on a quarter end close (we're a SEC filer). I can't be out right now. I have to roll over and distribute templates and get cash settlement letters out. The Clorox wipes idea is a good one, I added that to DH's shopping list. AND one of my peers swung by an hour ago, they're modeling a transaction and want me to review and sign off on the projections...by end of business today. When am I going to get the model? Hopefully by 4pm. So much for leaving early.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 13:00:03 GMT -5
Thanks ladies. DH was on call last night so he's off today. Just emailed me asking me to give him a grocery shopping list (because yannow, he couldn't do it for me while I was gone ). I'm basically going to tell him he's on his own, just get me some Nyquil and cough drops. Oh and some lemons too (I have plenty of honey - thanks sarcasticgirl!) Cause you know that hoarse, croupy, dry sounding cough? Guess who has that now? My chest is starting to burn too. Shit! Shit! Shit! I'm pounding down water and hot tea like no one's business. Can't stand the thought of coffee right now, and if you know me you know that's one of the seven signs...
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Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 12:41:40 GMT -5
Buying local is always a good idea-be it a local minority business or a small hardware store competing against a super-sized Walmart. As for black leaders personally putting pressure on large companies to hire more black employees in the same percentage as their customer base, kind of runs right into a different type of the EEOC/Affirmative Action scenario. But instead of the EEOC encouraging businesses to hire and utilize more females and minorities, you have black leaders pressuring white-majority businesses to hire more minorities to reflect the racial makeup of their customers. It would be great if they did, but there is no financial pressure to the business to do what may be the right thing to do, especially if the business is outside of a minority majority neighborhood/area. As for not hiring minorities to fill not low level jobs but mid-level and executive positions, well just about everyone started at the bottom and worked themselves up when possible. Again, hiring minorities for mid-level and executive positions just because they are a minority starts getting into Affirmative Action again. It is my understanding that blacks spend a lot of money in this country, so have power. If a large enough percentage of them told Coke or Wal-Mart or most any company they buy at, that they would boycott until the hiring matched the population, they would have power. I am for voluntary Affirmative action if people want that. I am for consumers banding together to force ideas they want, just not forcing through law. It's honestly a nobel thought...BUT it only works if those who have the power (let's be honest here - rich older white men) can get beyond their programming and honestly see people for who they are, instead of what they look like. If not for equal rights laws, there would still be businesses that wouldn't allow minorities or women to go there (hell - they still exist today). If you happen to be in an area where you really are the minority, then you don't have enough economic clout to encourage change. Thus, in some cases change through legislation makes sense because it won't happen otherwise. That being said, I think affirmative action may be doing as much harm, as good.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 12:29:14 GMT -5
Thanks @sroo4! I was in bed by 9 last night and will probably leave work a little early today. I can't get sick right now.
Trying to baby myself, don't know if it will work.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 12:27:16 GMT -5
I don't like Affirmative Action or the idea behind it any more than you do. I consider it unjust, inefficient, racist (true racism, per the definition), instrumental in fostering resentment for minorities, and anachronistic. It would be wonderful to live in a world where we could be certain Ms. Noor was hired for being the most qualified candidate and not because she's a dark-skinned Islamic woman who grew up abroad. We could celebrate her appointment and wish her well without skepticism. Unfortunately, we don't live in such a world. Her belonging to various minority groups may well have contributed to her appointment. Having said this, we have no evidence that she was afforded any kind of preference. I don't know what the statistical likelihood of preferential appointments is, but I don't believe it's so high that Ms. Noor doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt. She does have first-hand experience with the immigration system (this falls into the category of what is called "lived experience", which is counted as an asset, especially for employment in the social services), a degree from a reputable university, and good academic credentials. It behooves us to assume she's the most qualified person for the job, hope she knows what she's doing, and wish her well. "Do unto others, ..." This is what I'd have others do unto me in these circumstances. I would argue that that would make her a bit more qualified to understand the nuances of our immigration system than someone who is native born. As with any organization, you have to start somewhere. I think people who have had to go through a process are better suited to identify weaknesses and suggest improvements. Maybe we should get more people in different areas who are representative of those whom those areas serve.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 12:14:43 GMT -5
Ok. It's spicy chicken tortilla soup, and yea - it's good.
So worth it!
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Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 12:08:05 GMT -5
I did a roadtrip over the past four days and have a feeling I caught something. To add insult to injury, got home late last night so I didn't cook. I just paid $5 bucks for a little cup of soup. Better be damn well worth it.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 11:15:21 GMT -5
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Post by The Captain on Sept 28, 2015 9:56:04 GMT -5
No, I don't have a VW, and after their BS never will either.
What is the longest you've gone without sleep?
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Post by The Captain on Sept 23, 2015 16:06:28 GMT -5
My sister works for the government. In theory she gets furloughed every time this happens. In practice she puts her job at risk because she goes into work anyway because only she can do certain documents and filings needed in her office to issue arrest warrants, etc. Seriously, she doesn't go in, they can't arrest or hold people. Lots of other people don't go in at all, then get all their back pay so it's really just extra paid time off if you are a governmental employee. As a taxpayer (depending on how long it lasts) I get asked to sign a form extending the statute when my company is under audit (which we are all the time). I could refuse, but that creates bad will and puts undue pressure on my IRS audit team (which isn't fair to them). If you're in the service and scheduled to return home from overseas chances are good your flight home may be delayed. There will be delays in the issuance of passports, permits (it throws the fishing season off kilter) and seriously impacts people who rely on governmental approval to do their jobs. Countless resources will be spent coming up with contingency plans (such as in the are where my sister works) to cover critical functions during the shutdown. Then more resources will be spend doing triage afterward to try to catch up. Really efficient all around.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 23, 2015 15:25:51 GMT -5
Must be nice to have a worldview where you can deny responsibility for your actions because the long term effects don't physically impact you. That is not my worldview, which is why I chose to wait until I got married to have children. It is interesting that this information- that there are men who will deny responsibility for their actions because the long term effects don't physically impact them- seems to be widely available. Again, I am not saying it is fair. I am saying it is, and women should conduct themselves accordingly. and I quote: you only assigned the responsibility to one gender, Paul. I would counter and state it's 100% the responsibility of each partner to use birth control if they don't want children. Men are should be just as responsible as women when it comes to family planning. By your own admission, they're not - but that doesn't mean we as a society should then place all the responsibility on the women because the men can't be bothered. That's like saying women shouldn't dress in a way that would attract men because the stupid beasts can't control themselves (and yes I'm trying to make a point here folks please note I'm stating obvious irony here). You and I both know men are capable of more than that and we as a society should stop giving them a buy. Yes, I tell my daughter repeatedly that most boys don't know which head to think with, so she damn well better know how to use hers. If I had a son I'd tell him he better damn well know which one should be driving his actions. He wouldn't get a buy because "boys will be...".
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Post by The Captain on Sept 23, 2015 15:15:28 GMT -5
I work in tax for what is considered a super large case taxpayer so I am considered a practitioner.
We are supposed to have an IRS representative assigned to assist us with resolving minor kinks that come up.
My representative is on the east coast, and has a start time of ...wait for it - 6:30 am folks (that's 5:30 am my time).
So when I get in at 7:30 and call her she only has - oh - only 6 working hours or so to call me back.
She ALWAYS returns calls at 5:30am the next day. That is, if she returns calls at all. Obviously I'm not there and nothing gets resolved.
I have other resources in the IRS that I can get to help me out (sometimes but not always). So I have an issue now that I need to go to the local taxpayer's advocate office and address with someone in person. A minor issue that my company did everything correct on, that the IRS has messed up two different ways.
It will likely take up at least half my day. And because you have to be an officer or have POA I can't send a staff to handle it.
Keep cutting service levels congress, keep cutting.
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Post by The Captain on Sept 23, 2015 14:58:36 GMT -5
I pulled out one of my copper colored short sleeved dress sweater/jackets for work.
Speaking of fall, do you do the whole clean out the closet and dresser seasonal clothing switch?
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Post by The Captain on Sept 23, 2015 14:52:46 GMT -5
WTF? Seriously. Xmas break is 7 weeks? Are you in the US or somewhere odd, like Europe? Back in the day we got Wed-Friday for thanksgiving. Christmas I do recall being about two weeks, and spring break was a week. That's it (besides the floaters like presidents day or whatever). I remember this pretty clearly because I was scrambling to find a place to stay for my internship when the dorms were closed.
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