The last post is the WINNER!

[ChristineM]

It's been a lousy day, the only place I've won anything is here. The doctor has told me i need an operation, after the mess they made last time I've been scared ****less all day, and it'll be months before i go into hospital, so much time to worry whether the surgeon is going to be a butcher or not.
And to top it all, I've just got cramp in my big toe.

I'm now going to try and get some sleep, goodnight people.

 

[John53]

It's been a lousy day, the only place I've won anything is here. The doctor has told me i need an operation, after the mess they made last time I've been scared ****less all day, and it'll be months before i go into hospital, so much time to worry whether the surgeon is going to be a butcher or not.
And to top it all, I've just got cramp in my big toe.

I'm now going to try and get some sleep, goodnight people.

The brain is the most dangerous of our organs. It should come with an off switch.

 

[sun rise]

View attachment 94600

You want to know what it's really like? Well, probably not. But in 1998 I tracked everything I did one day for my boss who did not understand what I was doing as a system administrator. A lot is obsolete of course but here is the unedited list of what I considered a typical day. The *'s were project related work.

6:40 arrive at work
6:40-7:20 review email, voicemail, netnews, WO queue
7:20-7:25 close WO related to spam filtering bug.
7:25-7:45 work on WO to add users to CSO - test Susan's script
7:45-7:50 talk with Lucy about LDAP issues and how names get in database
7:50-8:05 finish WO. Needed to access two different netscape servers to do the work, modify access lists and restart server. sent email.
*8:05-8:08 Intranet talk notes.
8:08-8:14 Email candidate confirming 6/18 interview and giving directions.
8:14-8:22 potty break
8:22-8:30 review resume for this morning's phone screen
8:30-8:37 review voicemail. Forward one re Sunservice renew to Bill
8:37-8:40 review new email. Reply to one changing time for phone screen.
8:40-8:44 review June product BAR agenda to see if I should go
8:44-8:50 review Mike's email - followup to meeting Morris and I had with him.
8:50-8:52 review change control items for meeting today
8:52-8:53 Morris called about his car trouble
8:53-8:56 review change control items for meeting today
*8:56-8:59 Intranet talk notes.
8:59-9:09 feedback to Darcy at future computing re Troy
9:09-9:12 Call from Mark re CSO problem WO 40528 created.
9:12-9:15 reply to email from Bobby about majordomo issue
9:15-9:22 investigate CSO issue
9:22-9:24 talk with Bob about reboot of sysmgt
9:24-9:25 continue investigating CSO issue - send email to Mark and Greg
9:25-9:27 Mary called re problem with printer in IS area
9:27-9:29 Review calendar for today and next week
9:29-9:31 stretch break
9:31-10:06 phone screen Emily
10:06-10:08 check voicemail. Conor Manton: ICO meeting
10:08-10:09 call Joe re 10am meeting
10:09-10:13 check email
10:13-10:14 create calendar entry for Emily interview
10:14-10:25 stretch break
10:25-11:06 change control meeting
11:06-11:08 check email
11:08-11:10 leave voicemail for Scott, call from front desk looking for Stan
11:10-11:12 Norris - re outage announcement
11:12-11:14 work on Kevin's intranet counter request
11:14-11:14 Lucy asked question about email between exchange and unix
11:14-11:21 finish Kevin's WO and send him email.
11:21-11:24 look at Norris W's pushweb WO
11:24-11:25 followup with Lucy re email addressing
11:25-11:27 continue working on Norris W's pushweb WO
11:27-11:30 talk with Masha about a majordomo WO I created
11:30-11:50 lunch
11:50-11:58 review web ddts info sent by Kevin
*11:58-12:02 review VPN article in trade press
12:02-12:08 review intranet email about netscape server patches
*12:08-12:10 Intranet talk notes in light of that email.
*12:10-12:14 Create WO for Todd to work with James on OEM conversion
*12:14-12:25 Intranet talk - start gathering files
12:25-12:30 Call from Dowjones - web-based news - start downloading
*12:30-12:40 Intranet talk - get to a known stopping point
12:40-12:45 Start installing Dowjones software
12:45-12:55 Greg in person to ask about WO relating to CSO
12:55-1:07 try to finish up to a known stopping point for DowJones WO
1:07-1:08 read email - forward Conor's email re ICO.
1:08-1:13 work on CSO WO
1:13-1:16 Bill Hayes re Sun support renew
1:16-1:23 work on CSO WO - find potential resolution.
1:23-1:25 email - reply to Scott re OEM
1:25-1:30 stretch break.
1:30-1:48 work with Masha about a problem she's having
1:48-1:55 talk with Bill about ultra 5 quantity pricing
1:55-1:57 read and replied to Greg's email re CSO WO - it is fixed.
1:57-2:03 email to is-mgt and Kevin re ultra 5's and read email
2:03-2:04 review open WOs looking for any that I NEED to do.
2:04-2:11 tried to setup DowJones - failure - email to Chris
*2:11-2:13 y2k reply to Cathy's email
2:13-2:18 follow up with Lucy re X.400 problem out of curiousity
2:18-2:21 stretch break
2:21-2:50 DowJones WO - try to work around display problem
2:50-2:55 call from my wife - re bathroom remodel problem
2:55-3:12 Mark's training servers - email Scott/Norris voicemail
3:12-3:13 Christophe re palm pilot interest
*3:13-3:15 create WO for Tom to work on Y2k stuff
3:15-3:20 DowJones WO - talk to tech support rep/send him config file
3:20-3:25 potty break
*3:25-3:27 email to Y2k group about a conference in SF
3:27-3:29 email to isall re LDAP add/change
3:29-3:36 review this list - get even more tired out
3:37 mail this message and get ready to go home

 

[sun rise]

While I'm on a roll, in 1994 my boss sent an email
> From xxx Mon Oct 3 09:56:12 1994
...
> And besides, we have a pecking order for going insane and running
> away...

To which I responded:

If you assume that the longer you stay here the crazier you get, then seniority counts but due to my age, I'm already insane so when I run away is a random event generated deep in the bowels of my crazed cerebrum or perhaps brain stem. After all, the martians living in the computers are in alliance with the people living under the earth to send waves into our brains and force us into servitude to the machines. We are being forced to serve the machines while all the time the plotters make them go down at inconvenient times to try to drive us insane but I know better I will be prepared for these events and no one can stop me so you better turn off your TV before it is too late and besides which the water is suspect and pollution is part of their plot so don't answer your phone since they will try to control you by having people not send email to admin.

 

[sun rise]

Someone else penned this during that era (it was a fun job because we had a sense of humor. IT gallows humor, but still humor

How my Saturday started out:

6:00AM Arrived SJ - found parking lot
6:05 Guard couldn't find my name on list - tried to argue my way in
6:15 Still arguing - very stubborn guard - I'm desparate and he looks ready to draw his gun
6:20 Convinced guard to look for another list - found my name - yea!
6:21 Elevator won't go up.
6:21 Conducted a futile search around the elevator for a keypad
6:25 Gave up and asked guard for help
6:26 Guard looks at me like I'm a moron and says to use the floor buttons to enter the code
6:30 Arrived at 5th floor - yea!
6:30 Started installing netapp shelves
6:55 Finished installing shelves
6:56 Realized shelves were upside down - started de-installing

Ack - not even 7AM and I'm already about to see if these beeeeaUtiful windows are indeed shatter proof...

10AM Lock self out of server room - decide to go to 9th floor to see if anyone is around

10:05AM In elevator - realize that paper with elevator codes is setting under my keys in the server room - elevator automatically returns me to lobby.

10:10AM In lobby trying to convince guard that one could really be stupid enough to lock both keys and elevator codes in an inaccessable room (and still be responsible enough to work on computer servers.)

10:20AM Guard lets me into the server room an insists on seeing me test both my keys and elevator code.

10:25AM Decide to go buy the guard a christmas gift...

(Oh yeah, and netapp create filesystem to finish in 501 minutes (8.3 hours) which is 251 minutes longer than I planned...)

Its going to be a FUN day!

 

[sun rise]

It's been a lousy day, the only place I've won anything is here. The doctor has told me i need an operation, after the mess they made last time I've been scared ****less all day, and it'll be months before i go into hospital, so much time to worry whether the surgeon is going to be a butcher or not.
And to top it all, I've just got cramp in my big toe.

I'm now going to try and get some sleep, goodnight people.

Well that sucks.

 

[sun rise]

I can't help myself. This was passed around work in 1994. There was something particularly attractive about some of these. "Terminal room" - pre PC people gathered in a room with very expensive shared terminals connected to a humongous back end computers. Needless to say don't try this at home.

50 WAYS TO CONFUSE, WORRY, OR JUST SCARE PEOPLE IN THE COMPUTER LAB - I've excerpted this list because, after all, enough is enough

1. Log on, wait a sec, then get a frightened look on your face and scream "Oh my God! They've found me!" and bolt.

2. Laugh uncontrollably for about 3 minutes & then suddenly stop and look suspiciously at everyone who looks at you.

5. Before anyone else is in the lab, connect each computer to a different screen than the one it's set up with.

6. Write a program that plays the "Smurfs" theme song and play it at the highest volume possible over & over again.

7. Work normally for a while. Suddenly look amazingly startled by something on the screen and crawl underneath the desk.

10. Make a small ritual sacrifice to the computer before you turn it on.

14. Light candles in a pentagram around your terminal before starting.

31. Laugh hysterically, shout "You will all perish in flames!!!" and continue working.

34. Attempt to eat your computer's mouse.

42. Point at the screen. Chant in a made up language while making elaborate hand gestures for a minute or two. Press return or the mouse, then leap back and yell "COVEEEEERRRRRR!" peek up from under the table, walk back to the computer and say. "Oh, good It worked this time," and calmly start to type again.

48. Run into the computer lab, shout "Armageddon is here!!!!!", then calmly sit down and begin to type.

50. Two words: Tesla Coil.

 

[Stevicus]

You want to know what it's really like? Well, probably not. But in 1998 I tracked everything I did one day for my boss who did not understand what I was doing as a system administrator. A lot is obsolete of course but here is the unedited list of what I considered a typical day. The *'s were project related work.

6:40 arrive at work
6:40-7:20 review email, voicemail, netnews, WO queue
7:20-7:25 close WO related to spam filtering bug.
7:25-7:45 work on WO to add users to CSO - test Susan's script
7:45-7:50 talk with Lucy about LDAP issues and how names get in database
7:50-8:05 finish WO. Needed to access two different netscape servers to do the work, modify access lists and restart server. sent email.
*8:05-8:08 Intranet talk notes.
8:08-8:14 Email candidate confirming 6/18 interview and giving directions.
8:14-8:22 potty break
8:22-8:30 review resume for this morning's phone screen
8:30-8:37 review voicemail. Forward one re Sunservice renew to Bill
8:37-8:40 review new email. Reply to one changing time for phone screen.
8:40-8:44 review June product BAR agenda to see if I should go
8:44-8:50 review Mike's email - followup to meeting Morris and I had with him.
8:50-8:52 review change control items for meeting today
8:52-8:53 Morris called about his car trouble
8:53-8:56 review change control items for meeting today
*8:56-8:59 Intranet talk notes.
8:59-9:09 feedback to Darcy at future computing re Troy
9:09-9:12 Call from Mark re CSO problem WO 40528 created.
9:12-9:15 reply to email from Bobby about majordomo issue
9:15-9:22 investigate CSO issue
9:22-9:24 talk with Bob about reboot of sysmgt
9:24-9:25 continue investigating CSO issue - send email to Mark and Greg
9:25-9:27 Mary called re problem with printer in IS area
9:27-9:29 Review calendar for today and next week
9:29-9:31 stretch break
9:31-10:06 phone screen Emily
10:06-10:08 check voicemail. Conor Manton: ICO meeting
10:08-10:09 call Joe re 10am meeting
10:09-10:13 check email
10:13-10:14 create calendar entry for Emily interview
10:14-10:25 stretch break
10:25-11:06 change control meeting
11:06-11:08 check email
11:08-11:10 leave voicemail for Scott, call from front desk looking for Stan
11:10-11:12 Norris - re outage announcement
11:12-11:14 work on Kevin's intranet counter request
11:14-11:14 Lucy asked question about email between exchange and unix
11:14-11:21 finish Kevin's WO and send him email.
11:21-11:24 look at Norris W's pushweb WO
11:24-11:25 followup with Lucy re email addressing
11:25-11:27 continue working on Norris W's pushweb WO
11:27-11:30 talk with Masha about a majordomo WO I created
11:30-11:50 lunch
11:50-11:58 review web ddts info sent by Kevin
*11:58-12:02 review VPN article in trade press
12:02-12:08 review intranet email about netscape server patches
*12:08-12:10 Intranet talk notes in light of that email.
*12:10-12:14 Create WO for Todd to work with James on OEM conversion
*12:14-12:25 Intranet talk - start gathering files
12:25-12:30 Call from Dowjones - web-based news - start downloading
*12:30-12:40 Intranet talk - get to a known stopping point
12:40-12:45 Start installing Dowjones software
12:45-12:55 Greg in person to ask about WO relating to CSO
12:55-1:07 try to finish up to a known stopping point for DowJones WO
1:07-1:08 read email - forward Conor's email re ICO.
1:08-1:13 work on CSO WO
1:13-1:16 Bill Hayes re Sun support renew
1:16-1:23 work on CSO WO - find potential resolution.
1:23-1:25 email - reply to Scott re OEM
1:25-1:30 stretch break.
1:30-1:48 work with Masha about a problem she's having
1:48-1:55 talk with Bill about ultra 5 quantity pricing
1:55-1:57 read and replied to Greg's email re CSO WO - it is fixed.
1:57-2:03 email to is-mgt and Kevin re ultra 5's and read email
2:03-2:04 review open WOs looking for any that I NEED to do.
2:04-2:11 tried to setup DowJones - failure - email to Chris
*2:11-2:13 y2k reply to Cathy's email
2:13-2:18 follow up with Lucy re X.400 problem out of curiousity
2:18-2:21 stretch break
2:21-2:50 DowJones WO - try to work around display problem
2:50-2:55 call from my wife - re bathroom remodel problem
2:55-3:12 Mark's training servers - email Scott/Norris voicemail
3:12-3:13 Christophe re palm pilot interest
*3:13-3:15 create WO for Tom to work on Y2k stuff
3:15-3:20 DowJones WO - talk to tech support rep/send him config file
3:20-3:25 potty break
*3:25-3:27 email to Y2k group about a conference in SF
3:27-3:29 email to isall re LDAP add/change
3:29-3:36 review this list - get even more tired out
3:37 mail this message and get ready to go home

An 8-minute potty break? And only 20 minutes for lunch?

 

[sun rise]

An 8-minute potty break? And only 20 minutes for lunch?

Yup. Those were the daze.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

FFRREEEEEEDDOOOOOM!!!!!

 

[Wu Wei]

It's been a lousy day, the only place I've won anything is here. The doctor has told me i need an operation, after the mess they made last time I've been scared ****less all day, and it'll be months before i go into hospital, so much time to worry whether the surgeon is going to be a butcher or not.
And to top it all, I've just got cramp in my big toe.

I'm now going to try and get some sleep, goodnight people.

This will not work for everyone. And it would not have worked for me a few years ago. But when i hit 60, for some reason, when i got nervous about such things a thought hit me, and will be looking back at this procedure, when its all over. It did not and does not stop the nervousness, but it made me less nervous and less anxious.

 

[John53]

Some words I hear on TV regularly but I don't really know what they mean... f-boy, woke and brat.

 

[Wu Wei]

Some words I hear on TV regularly but I don't really know what they mean... f-boy, woke and brat.

f-boy woke up the brat

 

[sun rise]

Some words I hear on TV regularly but I don't really know what they mean... f-boy, woke and brat.

Brat was defined in a different thread. I posted this:

Wow. That last one is really something: What is Kamala Harris' 'brat' rebrand all about? "you think you just fell out of a coconut tree" - pass it on. Dark Brandon has passed the torch to Brat Harris. I'm lovin' it.

Brat is the name of Charli's sixth studio album and her tweet about Vice-President Harris received almost nine million views in just four hours.
....
Charli told the BBC's Sidetracked podcast that brat is a concept that represents a person who might have "a pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra".

It has been deemed by some pop critics as a rejection of the "clean girl" aesthetic popularised on TikTok, which spurned a groomed ideal of femininity, and instead embraces more hedonistic and rebellious attitudes.

“You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things some times,” Charli explained on social media.

“Who feels like herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.”

 

[John53]

Brat was defined in a different thread. I posted this:

Wow. That last one is really something: What is Kamala Harris' 'brat' rebrand all about? "you think you just fell out of a coconut tree" - pass it on. Dark Brandon has passed the torch to Brat Harris. I'm lovin' it.

Brat is the name of Charli's sixth studio album and her tweet about Vice-President Harris received almost nine million views in just four hours.
....
Charli told the BBC's Sidetracked podcast that brat is a concept that represents a person who might have "a pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra".

It has been deemed by some pop critics as a rejection of the "clean girl" aesthetic popularised on TikTok, which spurned a groomed ideal of femininity, and instead embraces more hedonistic and rebellious attitudes.

“You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things some times,” Charli explained on social media.

“Who feels like herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.”

You may as well typed that in ancient Greek, I still don't understand.

 

[John53]

f-boy woke up the brat

Thanks

 

[Stevicus]

 

[sun rise]

Generic win

 

[JustGeorge]

It's been a lousy day, the only place I've won anything is here. The doctor has told me i need an operation, after the mess they made last time I've been scared ****less all day, and it'll be months before i go into hospital, so much time to worry whether the surgeon is going to be a butcher or not.
And to top it all, I've just got cramp in my big toe.

I'm now going to try and get some sleep, goodnight people.

****, I'm sorry... What's the problem?

 

[ChristineM]

This will not work for everyone. And it would not have worked for me a few years ago. But when i hit 60, for some reason, when i got nervous about such things a thought hit me, and will be looking back at this procedure, when its all over. It did not and does not stop the nervousness, but it made me less nervous and less anxious.

I'm looking back ar my last operation with horror. The surgeon really ****ed up my stomach. The op needed redoing to tidy up the mess. Still not right but acceptable. Weeks of intense agony, months of pain and im still having intenser episodes 4 years later.

I can't go through that again hence my fear.