Useless Conversation

[justdave]

Pair Programming? Is that what that's called? I've been doing that for years, only in my case instead of another programmer, it's the goddamn client or my boss (or both) sitting over my shoulder backseat driving my shit in Photoshop and Dreamweaver.

Needless to say, it makes me stabby and is a terrible fucking concept.

Not the best comparison; Ideally the person you're asking to look over your shoulder from time to time has a similar skillset and isn't fuckstupid (The first usually rules out boss and the second client). If you're working with someone who's supposed to be you peer but is just freeloading while you do the needful, then you're similarly fucked. When it works, though, it's great. I have a guy that I've been working with off and on for more than ten years at different companies and when we do this shit we're way more than the sum of our parts.

[Merusk]

Forgot my password for Rocksmith. Went to Ubisoft's site to reset it and it has a capcha like all do these days.

"Type the two words"

Image is a single set of numbers.  Audio capcha is ALSO a single set of numbers.

Oh Ubisoft. Don't ever change.

[Trippy]

That's actual pretty common now. Google is using reCAPTCHA it identify Street View numbers but people haven't updated their Web site page text to reflect that.

[Merusk]

I see I forgot to mention there were two fields.

I eventually got a 4 digit number and it took 2 & 2 but the 3 digit one I got after figuring that out when entering it in one field didn't work was a  moment.

[Hawkbit]

The kid's last day of school was today.  She came home and started reading in the backyard, but was laying on the ground.  $108 and a trip to REI, we now have a camping hammock for her to crash out in. 

I never knew how utterly awesome these things are.  I can hang it in ~5 minutes from any set of trees 10ft-24ft.  Eno DoubleNest with Atlas straps.

[Sky]

So. Today's "fuck you" award goes to US Airways for cancelling my friends flight with two hours notice and fucking up plans this weekend. And then doing absolutely nothing to make it right but booking a later flight. Which still fucks up the plans.

Nice work.

edit: Hawk, my cousin had one of those up at camp a couple weeks ago. Want so bad.

[Merusk]

New house had hammock hooks already when I moved in.  Last house didn't have trees as it was too new.

Greatest. Purchase. Ever.

[Polysorbate80]

A man and a woman here were just discussing washing a vehicle.  The woman expresses concern that it might be too tall for the automated carwash, and the man says "well, I might just go wash it by hand anyway."

Her response: "A handjob is always the best"

Soooo many possible responses to that    And yet I stifle them all.

[WayAbvPar]

The proper response is 'as soon as the car is clean' with as innocent a look on your face as you can pull off. Speaking of pulling off...

[Cheddar]

http://www.businessinsider.com/john-legere-profanity-2014-6

I want to switch to T-Mobile. This man is a wizard.

Really?

[Merusk]

Hey, Ched.  What's that thing in your back?

 

[schild]

Cheddar, think about the required steps I had to take and amount of effort I had to put into my problem and think again if asking "really?" is worthwhile.

I'm not switching to T-Mobile because their building coverage in Austin is as shitty as everyone else's. Austin is like, a cellular fucking black hole and I don't know why.

[MisterNoisy]

Fuck jury duty in the goddamned eye.  If I have to hear another of these useless clerks tell me how much they value my time while they piss it away I may end up in the local news.

[Yegolev]

So. Today's "fuck you" award goes to US Airways

Do not fly this airline and do not ask why I state this firmly.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Fuck jury duty in the goddamned eye.  If I have to hear another of these useless clerks tell me how much they value my time while they piss it away I may end up in the local news.

I get to go to my first ever jury duty summons on July 7th.  Ever so looking forward to this.  I'm taking my work laptop so I can at least work while I'm wasting time there.

[HaemishM]

Fuck jury duty in the goddamned eye.  If I have to hear another of these useless clerks tell me how much they value my time while they piss it away I may end up in the local news.

I get to go to my first ever jury duty summons on July 7th.  Ever so looking forward to this.  I'm taking my work laptop so I can at least work while I'm wasting time there.

Most of the courtrooms I've ever been in (jury duty 3 times), they don't even let you use your cell phone, much less a laptop. I'm not talking about during a case, I'm talking about before the judge ever even shows up.

[MisterNoisy]

Been here six fucking hours so far and they're still working through selection, so phones aren't verboten yet.

[Sky]

Do not fly this airline and do not ask why I state this firmly.

Ok but you know I have to ask why you state that firmly.

What airlines do people like? We don't have many that fly into Syracuse. I've flown Delta and it's awesome...if you fly 1st class. Otherwise meh. Jetblue was pretty good though I think we had a military pilot at one point with his slamming acceleration and brakes.

The rebooked flight that landed in Watertown was interesting. I didn't know they still had places without modern security and you deplaned via stairs. Right outside Fort Drum. So tiny and primitive.

[IainC]

Deplaning via stairs is quite common for short-haul flights in Europe or at tiny regional airports that are repurposed military airfields without gangways. Local flights generally have to park out in the north-forties so you take a bus out from the terminal to the plane then get on and off the aircraft via stairs.

[Merusk]

What airlines do people like?

None, they're all equally shitty.  We have people out of office on a regular basis to do site trips and construction visits, not one airline is good. It's all about which will fuck you less.

Unless you can get a regional carrier. We've got ultimate jet charters here that does flights to NYC, Chicago & Charlotte (and when Bhoner was actually traveling, they did D.C. too)  $600 round-trip, no TSA bullshit and they serve alcohol & cookies free on both runs.  I'll never fly commercial again.

[Salamok]

What airlines do people like?

Jet Blue.

[Yegolev]

Flying out of the ATL, I fly Delta a WHOOOOLE LOT.  Almost entirely because it takes me where I want to go.  I keep swearing I'm going to fly regional "next time".

[Teleku]

What airlines do people like?

None, they're all equally shitty.  We have people out of office on a regular basis to do site trips and construction visits, not one airline is good. It's all about which will fuck you less.

Unless you can get a regional carrier. We've got ultimate jet charters here that does flights to NYC, Chicago & Charlotte (and when Bhoner was actually traveling, they did D.C. too)  $600 round-trip, no TSA bullshit and they serve alcohol & cookies free on both runs.  I'll never fly commercial again.

Not true.  I really enjoy flying Virgin America, and Jet Blue is pretty good as well.  I like southwest also.  They are barebones, but it's great for the price and I've never had any bad experiences with them (unlike most other airlines).

US Airways is about the worst I've ever fucking experienced.  Without fail, some sort of big fuck up every time I've had to fly them.  American blows as well.

[Chimpy]

American now owns USAirways.

[Merusk]

Not true.  I really enjoy flying Virgin America, and Jet Blue is pretty good as well.  I like southwest also.  They are barebones, but it's great for the price and I've never had any bad experiences with them (unlike most other airlines).

Which is all well and good if you live in one of the areas large enough for those companies to bother. It's easy to be good when you're small.  Great for those who only ever are going to fly from major met to major met. Shitty for those who have to actually service the rest in between in the areas companies are expanding to.

We're not building another Dicks' Sporting Goods in NYC or Underamor or Sperry outlet in LA. They're going in the Dakotas, Colorado, Southern Georgia or Canada.

http://www.jetblue.com/WhereWeJet/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_largest_airlines

[Strazos]

I've flown:

Delta
US Airways
Brussels Airways
British Airways
Virgin
ASky
United
SwissAir
American
Lufthansa
Royal Jordanian
El Al
EgyptAir
AirFrance

Maybe I'm just lucky, or especially tolerant, but...I've never had a bad flying experience that I can attribute to the actual airline. I've probably flown the most miles with AirFrance, and the most individual flights with US Airways (PHL hub).

Now that's not to say I've never had a shitty flight, but I chalk that up to shitty clientele. However, I will say that in general, I've received the best treatment/service from European flag carriers - US carriers seem to be really big on stripping services down to bare minimum and trying to nickel and dime you to death. Staff and amenities are simply better on EU carriers, usually.

[Ingmar]

Virgin America and Jet Blue are about a million times better than anything else I've flown domestically.

[schild]

And still hilariously bad.

[Salamok]

And still hilariously bad.

Still it is a big step up from the usual "Be grateful we are deigning to take your money and just sit your ass down in that crappy seat or next time you can walk" vibe most airlines seem to give off.  I especially loath it when I see some poor schmuck paying full fair as he gets crammed in next to the dude that needs a seat belt extender while the airline personnel just walk on by and pretend they didn't just fuck this dude over big time.

[Paelos]

I like Southwest.

[Engels]

Southwest was the first 'JetBlue' company. The whole, "Let's all be cheerful as we stuff you in a bit tighter, and ooh, look, we have these one or two amenities taken for granted in the 70s. Look a plastic fork!" thing. I agree with schild, if that's what he meant, that the bar is so low you have to rise a hair above abysmal to have people 'liking' you.

[Nebu]

I'm a big fan of Frontier.  Best airlines I've dealt with for domestic flights... and I fly a lot.

[Paelos]

Frontier is good too.

Spirit is the worst. It's a flying bus. It's cheap and you absolutely get what you pay for. Think you were crowded on other flights? WRONG. Spirit will give you a new take on that, while nickel and diming you on everything. Never again.

[Viin]

Frontier has gotten worse the last couple of years. It's a race to the bottom (in customer service) these days. Southwest is tolerable. United is OK if you have some kind of status (lots of directs from Denver, which is nice).

Once you fly private it is really hard to go back to those buses in the sky called airlines. TSA Precheck and early boarding help, but still...

[Nebu]

Frontier has gotten worse the last couple of years. It's a race to the bottom (in customer service) these days. Southwest is tolerable. United is OK if you have some kind of status (lots of directs from Denver, which is nice).

Doesn't surprise me.  I flew the most 4-6 years ago and have flown less lately.   My sister and her BF work for Delta as an attendant/pilot combo.  Even with her discount, I avoid Delta.