Older Folks and Vaping Back Porch - Part Four

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Robert Cromwell

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I did! I did! I cut my teeth on mainframes w/ a 36 bit word. Yes I did. UNIVAC 1100 Series mainframes running EXEC 8 for their OS. I may still have a machine language code card around for it.
Did it actually use all 36 or just 32 and the other 4 for Parity and such?
 

Fuzzy Thunderbear

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At one point along my path the company was bought out. It was played out as a merger but underneath it was a hostile takeover.
At one point, Tek was threatened with a hostile takeover by George Soros. We had all heard about that guy and knew that it would play out like the movie Pretty Woman (without the benefit of the sex or the relenting at the end) and almost every employee owned at least a little stock. We all got together and gave our proxy vote to the surviving wife of one of the Founders, so she came up with over 51% and Soros went away. At that time, our CEO was a long-term employee whose desk was in the middle of a bunch of cubicles in Beaverton like everyone else. He routinely walked around the entire campus and talked with employees, calling each of us by name. A few years later, the board of directors hired a CEO from outside, who had an office built for himself at the Wilsonville plant... cherry wood panels, Italian marble floors, and anti-tank berms all around (seriously!). You needed a key to get in the bathroom and unless you were an executive, you were not allowed in that building. HE never visited the work areas. It didn't take long before that jerk started dismantling the company "for the profit of the stock holders." Had I not been hired by another company, I am sure I would have been eliminated.
 

Kenna

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Well the littlest sister & rest of the family dug themselves out of the Thanksgiving Debacle Doghouse with very nice giftcards at Christmas. I was able to get myself an LG G Pad Tablet, & a cover & stylus for it, & a blemmed Hana Modz V4s in gunmetal. Sister immediately crawled back in the doghouse by giving our Mom a Kindle & sending us home so I can teach her how to use it. But she won't let me. [emoji15]
 

WhiteHighlights

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Fuzzy,
I couldn't like your post. Sadly I've known CEO's who thought they were entitled - heck with the over-the-top office trappings, how about private jet etc etc. I went from hardware to finance and saw that those in the trenches suffered while exec perks went up. It still makes me angry. I don't miss that life at all.

In a 2nd (3rd?) career now, working for a health and fitness club. If I can get my darn sleep cycle straightened out there's a sr swim class in the morning and the pool is a comfy 80 deg. I could like this benefit!
 

clnire

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Last tech job I had was as an outsourced, independent contractor for a division of one of the big insurance companies. I did all the installation, repair, and inventory of their PC equipment. Proud to say I kept the inventory pretty accurate , even through a 400 system replacement. Out with the old, in with the new. Only inaccuracy was stuff sales people bought on their own. This division was independent, then main company took over. Cut hours, layoffs. I ended my contract (no legalities involved, was wtitten in at that point) and went to the dogs. 2 months later my position was eliminated and 6 mos after that the entire IT department was replaced. People who worked for the division for 20+ years. Here's your severance, bye. I don't miss big corporate. Self employment is not easy, but I have a job and can pay my bills. I was self employed then, but I have job security now.
 

Robert Cromwell

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Never could understand that... Binary - on or off - how can you something other than that - ummmm - what on or off or uhhhh...
It can be both or neither all at the same time according to the cat.

A Quantum base number system?
 

umanbean

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Good morning Good Folks!

First time I've posted ALL year. :D

Hope everyone has a GREAT 2016!

Laid down a while ago, couldn't sleep, so here I am.

Gotta couple of good songs for us to listen to though.

I know everyone knows Werewolves of London, but this is one of my favorites by Warren Zevon (RIP):



And y'know, I've always wondered how to embed utoobs into a post, just mild curiosity - never have cared to until now...

Another of my old-time favs:



For a while, I think I'm:

Just gonna quietly sit here
And slowly finish off this beer
(yes really, I know it's after two)
But who can resist the good ol' Guess Who?

Ok... now I'm gettin' silly
Later Gaters
 

3mg Meniere

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This division was independent, then main company took over. Cut hours, layoffs. I ended my contract (no legalities involved, was wtitten in at that point) and went to the dogs. 2 months later my position was eliminated and 6 mos after that the entire IT department was replaced. People who worked for the division for 20+ years. Here's your severance, bye. I don't miss big corporate. Self employment is not easy, but I have a job and can pay my bills. I was self employed then, but I have job security now.
Even though the rules are different, my horror stories from the world of education are not radically different from the world of technology. I read these posts thinking "Yes, it is the same everywhere."
 
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