Useless Conversation

[Rendakor]

I should get my own fucking butt.

Wordfilter continues to deliver.

[Cyrrex]

So everything is on a cloud now, right?  And once it's there, you can't ever take it off.  Right?  Some company calls my sister today and tells her to make an appointment with her doctor.  Needless to say, she's confused and asks who's calling.  It's a tech company named "Inovalon" that she's never heard of... me either.  From what it says online they are a "data analytics technology company that combines advanced cloud-based data analytics with targeted interventions to achieve meaningful impact in clinical and quality outcomes, utilization, and financial performance across the healthcare landscape based in Bowie, Maryland" and, it seems, Independence Blue Cross uses them to do something... data mine, legal phishing, collect private and sensitive information about anyone's everything, whatev, and they have all her medical records and who knows what else.  Maybe yours and mine, too.  It's unnerving and the number of buzz words on their website makes me very, very nervous. 

My insurance company, who already demands my medical records and history from my doctors even though it doesn't even have a medical degree and has no idea what those big words mean, just hands over my info to this company who then finds out all my medical shit and other shit too?  To do with as they please?  Is this okay?  If my private info is on someone's cloud, can I get it off of it?  Can I sue the cloud for taking my info without my permission and using it for their own nefarious reasons?  These companies are making money off of us, aren't they?  And they're not sharing.

Abagadro?  CmdrSlack?  Really?  I was already paranoid over the number of socks I've had go missing this past week, but now it's even worse.  I understand (and hate) the fact people can just collect personal info and mess with it, but now there's some tech company ringing my sister and telling her when to make doctor appointments?  She was not very nice to the woman who was just doing her job.  But, srsly, this is some tech company telling people who don't need to see their doctor to make an appointment anyway.  It just seem wrong, that's all. 

Dammit.

I went and checked the cloud, and I can see that you blood pressure is just a bit too high and you need to calm down, ma'am.  Don't worry, I've wrote you up a prescription for some meds (including some nice ones, you'll thank me), it's waiting for you at Walgreens.  Oh and those socks you're missing...sorry to tell you, but I can see that your cat ate them.  The fat one.  I've taken the liberty to get you a vet appointment, we really need to get your cat on a better diet.

[Phildo]

Sounds like they're trying to cash in on the name of the Inova healthcare system in Northern Virginia (NoVa), too.  Inova runs a lot of medical facilities around Fairfax and Arlington, VA.  Pretty good ones, I've been there a few times.

Fuck Inovalon, though.

[Merusk]

I should get my own fucking cloud.

Most people just call them memory foam mattresses, but yes, they're marvelous.

[Pennilenko]

I should get my own fucking cloud.

Most people just call them memory foam mattresses, but yes, they're marvelous.

I have this One and it is AWESOME!

[satael]

The Dane has written a book called Breatheology which helps people find their 'inner dolphin' - a state of mind to help control breathing underwater. That sentence made me immediately think of some new age -crackpot (and not of a world record holder) 

[schild]

I should get my own fucking cloud.

Most people just call them memory foam mattresses, but yes, they're marvelous.

I have this One and it is AWESOME!

A good bed is the best quality of life purchase a human can make. Wife and I got this one (through her badass corporate discount): http://www.whotelsthestore.com/productGroup.aspx?plush-top-bed

[Pennilenko]

A good bed is the best quality of life purchase a human can make. Wife and I got this one (through her badass corporate discount): http://www.whotelsthestore.com/productGroup.aspx?plush-top-bed

Totally agree with you. We settled on ours because they are not bullshitting about the cool tech whatever stuff they have inside. My wife is a nuclear furnace when she sleeps and not only does our bed cradle you like a cloud but not even a tiny bit of her heat transfers to me.

Previously we had one of those sleep number beds, it is literally shit compared to the new bed.

[Phildo]

Memory foam hurts my back for some reason.

[Numtini]

Is there any "go to" site for learning about bed stuff. We have and have had a Japanese futon, but my partner has indicated she'd like something different.

[Merusk]

No Go-To site here but in my experience you need to visit and try out the mattesses in-store anyway.  Most of the high-end beds also have a 90 day return if you don't like it.

Previously we had one of those sleep number beds, it is literally shit compared to the new bed.

This is good to know.  We're shopping for a new mattress and tried the memory foam in a few stores but were going to give a sleep number a shot, too.  She and I have very different ideas about a good bed.  I've always liked stiffer mattresses and she prefers that pillow-top nonsense.

[Nebu]

Why kind of luck have you folks had with foam beds?  I've been considering one for a few years but have concerns about heat dissipation.  I hate mattresses that hold heat.

[Ingmar]

People keep recommending this place to me: http://www.sleepworks.com/

I haven't pulled the trigger yet. Not sure what their delivery radius is but I'm guessing it doesn't reach New England.  

[Rasix]

Why kind of luck have you folks had with foam beds?  I've been considering one for a few years but have concerns about heat dissipation.  I hate mattresses that hold heat.

I really haven't noticed that much with mine.  

[Mazakiel]

I sleep with less oovers on my memory foam bed than I did on a traditional mattress less I get a bit toasty, but it's so damn comfortable I don't really care. 

[Rasix]

Actually being able to sleep is a wonderful thing.  I thought I had minor insomnia before going from a spring mattress to the one I currently have. Also, not waking up your sleeping wife when you come to bed is nice as well.

[Yegolev]

Why kind of luck have you folks had with foam beds?  I've been considering one for a few years but have concerns about heat dissipation.  I hate mattresses that hold heat.

It starts off feeling cooler due to density.  It doesn't seem to insulate much more than a traditional mattress, in my opinion.  Although I just have the foam topper, not the entire mattress made of space-foam.

[Sky]

I've got an amazing pillow top with a pillow top goddamned mattress cover. Floaty but firm underneath. Best thing I've ever purchased, I sleep great every night. Actually ruined most hotel rooms for me.

Despite me telling her to buy a new mattress, my ex insisted on using her 40+ year old mattress and then complained about not being able to sleep and back pain. Derp.

[Ironwood]

Fuck Salespeople.

[Chimpy]

Fuck Salespeople.

I have met a few where the thought of doing that crossed my mind   

[Merusk]

Only a few? My man you haven't been buying the right things.

Though I will concede there's a marked decline in quality of sales eyecandy on the IT side vs. salespeople dealing with Architects, Interior Designers and Contractors.

[Chimpy]

I rarely deal with sales people in my IT job. I used to deal with them more often in previous jobs.

[WayAbvPar]

Only a few? My man you haven't been buying the right things.

Though I will concede there's a marked decline in quality of sales eyecandy on the IT side vs. salespeople dealing with Architects, Interior Designers and Contractors.

The woman who completed the paperwork for our minivan a couple of years ago was just GORGEOUS. I have no idea why she wasn't out on the floor overselling horny old men. She seemed to have a bit of brain, so maybe that explains her reticence for sales 

[Draegan]

I've tossed my resume out on the internet and see what kind of job offers I can get. I'm currently employed, but it's always nice to see what's out there to re-evaluate my worth. A recruiter called me up yesterday and asked if I may be interested in a new opportunity. I said sure and asked some prelim questions. She then asked if I could meet for an interview on Thursday with some management because they were in the area for the day.

Seemed like a very fast turn around. I was a bit thrown off with that. Am I just some filler interview for them? Is the recruiter just trying to look good by putting people in front of her client?

So I said ok to the interview anyway. I have flexibility at work that I can a few hours in the morning off and it's good experience. I've been at my current position for 9 years and it's always good to brush up on my interview skills.

So I schedule the interview, now mind it's the first time I'll be speaking to people from this company. I haven't even had a preliminary phone conversation with anyone yet and they want to book a solid hour and a half for the interview. Now, I haven't been in the game in quite some time, but that seems like a long time for a first interview especially in the sales and account management field. It's not an executive position or top end management so I'm even more curious.

Should be an interesting morning.

[Hawkbit]

We usually have prelim phone interviews that last 30minutes, just to see if the recruiter thinks he can get a person in the door.  Then we do 1.5 hour interviews, because my boss wants a half-hour, I want a half-hour and the other people on the team split the last half hour up.  30 minutes goes by surprisingly fast to an interviewer.

[Khaldun]

Hey, in the same boat! I'm talking with a recruiter later today for an executive position that would be a huge change in my life. I don't need the position, would be perfectly happy to stay where I am, but there are things that seem exciting about it. First time in a very long time I've been in any sense thinking about this big a change in my working life.

[Draegan]

We usually have prelim phone interviews that last 30minutes, just to see if the recruiter thinks he can get a person in the door.  Then we do 1.5 hour interviews, because my boss wants a half-hour, I want a half-hour and the other people on the team split the last half hour up.  30 minutes goes by surprisingly fast to an interviewer.

I just got off the phone with the Managing Partner of the recruiting firm who has hired a bunch of people for the company I'm interviewing for. Talked for 10 minutes or so on just basic prep work. The person I'm meeting is a VP and it'll only be him. I was informed that if it moves to the next level, they will fly me out to their headquarters in Ohio for a second interview.

Seems extensive. Sounds like a good sign though.

[Sky]

Why is Dell shipping so many computers with no DVI or HDMI ports?

[Merusk]

Why is Dell shipping so many computers with no DVI or HDMI ports?

I assume for the same reason HP is still making laptop docks with Serial, Parallel and VGA ports.

[Hammond]

Because Dell is balls deep into the Displayport camp. Most of the PC's ship with adapters for Dvi at least.

[Sky]

I went through the displayport nonsense a year or two ago. I just put one of those on the desk to recondition.

I hate non-conformity.

That statement, uttered un-ironically, makes me chuckle.

[Yegolev]

It's definitely ironic, though.

[Chimpy]

Display port is awesome, I just wish Dell would include a cable with the monitors that have it.

Also, dell is not the non conformist, they are conforming to the new standard. Buy any graphics card now and it will be mostly display port or mini display port.

[Khaldun]

Well, I think that went ok. Clearly they're interested in whether I can make the leap from one tier of authority & experience to a top level of authority. Wait and see, I guess.

[Ingmar]

Sounds like our biggest layoff/strategic repositioning ever is coming down the pipe. I got a tip that I'm probably safe, but it's not the first thing that I wanted to hear the month after signing a new lease.