Author Topic: Small victories  (Read 14678 times)

Small victories
« Reply #75 on: 10 October, 2020, 10:28:37 am »

Now I'm wondering if I'm the only one round these parts still using LaTeX for writing stuff. Much nicer quality output than anything made with Word et al.

Anyone else a fan of LaTeX  ?

J
Work mostly do things in google drive or markdown, so not as an everyday thing.
I’d reach for LaTeX again for anything substantial, and I think my CV is still in it.

Re: Small victories
« Reply #76 on: 10 October, 2020, 11:20:32 am »
I've used LaTeX for some things in the past, but for much of my current writing it has drawbacks: Getting it to play nicely with Windows (and thus my library of better fonts than Computer Modern) is bit of a pain; last I checked there still wasn't a decent reference package for the humanities that allowed for the use of primary sources (at least without much pain); and, most importantly, the workflow for almost all of my pro clients is writing and editing in Word (using Word's change tracking and commenting tools) - it then gets passed to designers, who presumably use InDesign or some other proper layout and typesetting tool. I might investigate and see if anything's changed.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Small victories
« Reply #77 on: 03 December, 2020, 01:08:57 pm »
Two minor wins today -

First, had to call up about changing payment details on my car insurance and ended up with a revised cheaper quote. Not a lot cheaper, but still counts as a victory.

Second, I had a notification the other day about my Dart charge account being closed due to inactivity (not had much call to cross the river this year for some reason). Called them up and got a refund of the £18 they're holding in my account. Only problem is I now have to remember that my account is closed next time I do make the crossing so I don't end up with a hefty fine.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: Small victories
« Reply #78 on: 03 December, 2020, 01:26:51 pm »
Two minor wins today -

First, had to call up about changing payment details on my car insurance and ended up with a revised cheaper quote. Not a lot cheaper, but still counts as a victory.

Second, I had a notification the other day about my Dart charge account being closed due to inactivity (not had much call to cross the river this year for some reason). Called them up and got a refund of the £18 they're holding in my account. Only problem is I now have to remember that my account is closed next time I do make the crossing so I don't end up with a hefty fine.


I'll have to keep an eye out for that.  I haven't been over the water in almost a year...
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Small victories
« Reply #79 on: 03 December, 2020, 01:27:59 pm »
Clays of Bungay
Bungay is one of those real names that sounds fictitious, like Sheepy Parva.

In about 1994 I had a flatmate who worked for Bath Press. I guess they were already in the digital era (he was in sales so we didn't get the technical info) and now they're gone.

Anyone else a fan of LaTeX  ?
No, we're into erudite smut not inner tube fetish!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Small victories
« Reply #80 on: 03 December, 2020, 01:45:36 pm »
Two minor wins today -

First, had to call up about changing payment details on my car insurance and ended up with a revised cheaper quote. Not a lot cheaper, but still counts as a victory.

Second, I had a notification the other day about my Dart charge account being closed due to inactivity (not had much call to cross the river this year for some reason). Called them up and got a refund of the £18 they're holding in my account. Only problem is I now have to remember that my account is closed next time I do make the crossing so I don't end up with a hefty fine.


I'll have to keep an eye out for that.  I haven't been over the water in almost a year...

You should get an email notification when a year passes (which is how I found out), then you have 90 days to take action before your account is closed.

I was slightly surprised at first because I have been over the water once this year, but then I remembered I was driving someone else’s car.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Small victories
« Reply #81 on: 03 December, 2020, 10:16:44 pm »
Clays of Bungay
Bungay is one of those real names that sounds fictitious, like Sheepy Parva.

*rummages*


Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Small victories
« Reply #82 on: 07 December, 2020, 12:12:06 pm »
Appropriate road sign: the sheep here are so small, they look like ducks! In Sheepy Magna, they look like elephants!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Small victories
« Reply #83 on: 07 December, 2020, 01:19:59 pm »
Decided I would like some kippers, as I’ve now convinced my wife I can cook them without stinking the whole house out. Lots available online (the local farm shop’s supply is very sporadic, and M&S’s are the size of sprats), but £10 postage was a bit steep. Luckily a call to Eversfield Organics (who already have my Christmas order) allowed me to add kippers.

Oh, and I tried Airplay from my iPad to the TV yesterday, and it worked instantly. Perhaps the high-strength mesh  WiFi is helping. So I’ll be able to watch the Bathurst 1000 replay in comfort over Christmas whilst my wife’s away for a couple of days.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Small victories
« Reply #84 on: 26 July, 2021, 10:09:39 am »
Got the home insurance renewal quote through the other day. The thieving bastards want to hike my premium by 15%.

Phoned up and asked, very politely, if they could explain the rationale for increasing it by that much. The nice woman I spoke to gave me the usual bullshit, none of which makes any sense in English but what it amounts to is a roundabout way of saying "we just make it up as we go along and see what we can get away with".

"But let me see what I can do..."

Hey presto, £52 knocked off just like that - what you might call the "because you can be bothered to phone us" discount.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Small victories
« Reply #85 on: 26 July, 2021, 10:20:32 am »
Hey presto, £52 knocked off just like that - what you might call the "because you can be bothered to phone us" discount.

These kind of things must be systematically discriminatory against people who hate making phonecalls. I wonder if that's a protected characteristic?

(and doubly weird that they're incentivising calling them up, because most companies' dream is that their customers never ever phone them)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Small victories
« Reply #86 on: 26 July, 2021, 10:38:51 am »
(and doubly weird that they're incentivising calling them up, because most companies' dream is that their customers never ever phone them)

I hate making phone calls, but I hate being fleeced more. I guess their business model is very much predicated on the majority of customers accepting the renewal without querying it.

Also there was a note on the covering letter saying "we're very busy because of covid so please don't call us unless it's really, really, really important". Luckily, I only had to hold a couple of minutes before getting through to a human being.

The other thing they bank on is you not bothering to look for better quotes, but I did that too, so was forearmed with some cold, hard numbers. In the end, I decided to renew rather than move because no other offer was so much better as to be worth the hassle of moving - I don't mind paying a couple of quid extra for that convenience.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Small victories
« Reply #87 on: 26 July, 2021, 10:45:04 am »
That was my experience this year, other quotes were very similarly priced as my renewal notice with all rising some 20% or so. Strange given lockdown and most people being home all day.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Small victories
« Reply #88 on: 26 July, 2021, 02:41:09 pm »
Hey presto, £52 knocked off just like that - what you might call the "because you can be bothered to phone us" discount.

These kind of things must be systematically discriminatory against people who hate making phonecalls. I wonder if that's a protected characteristic?

No, but being deaf, speech impaired, autistic, anxious or transgender could be.  Unfortunately, they'll just use the "you can use TypeTalk TextRelay Relay Assist" defence.

Also, marginalised groups are less likely to have insurance in the first place.

ian

Re: Small victories
« Reply #89 on: 26 July, 2021, 07:59:53 pm »
(and doubly weird that they're incentivising calling them up, because most companies' dream is that their customers never ever phone them)

I hate making phone calls, but I hate being fleeced more. I guess their business model is very much predicated on the majority of customers accepting the renewal without querying it.

Also there was a note on the covering letter saying "we're very busy because of covid so please don't call us unless it's really, really, really important". Luckily, I only had to hold a couple of minutes before getting through to a human being.

The other thing they bank on is you not bothering to look for better quotes, but I did that too, so was forearmed with some cold, hard numbers. In the end, I decided to renew rather than move because no other offer was so much better as to be worth the hassle of moving - I don't mind paying a couple of quid extra for that convenience.

Honestly, I'm one of those people who doesn't bother, because it's so tedious. I know there are people out there who probably keep spreadsheets of insurance quotes, but it's all so intentionally soul-destroying, I just don't want to do it. I've been meaning to move from British Gas since before I was born. Plus there's always that risk it'll all go wrong, and then you'll end up in Indian call centre hell. Your call is very important to us. You are call number 67,564 and the current wait time is fourteen years [ersatz version of Oasis Wonderwall starts to play on continuous loop]

Re: Small victories
« Reply #90 on: 26 July, 2021, 10:07:55 pm »
Just informed my car insurance company of my new status as a pensioner. They said that most
insurance companies view them us as a lower risk, so I should get a cheaper quote from them
next time round.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Small victories
« Reply #91 on: 27 July, 2021, 07:20:44 am »
Lower car insurance is one of the few benefits of getting older.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Small victories
« Reply #92 on: 28 July, 2021, 03:59:02 pm »
It might be a small victory, or it might indeed be the apogee, the zenith of my career.

I have successfully introduced the phrase "Cloud Readiness Assessment Program" into common usage at work.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Small victories
« Reply #93 on: 28 July, 2021, 04:03:11 pm »
It might be a small victory, or it might indeed be the apogee, the zenith of my career.

I have successfully introduced the phrase "Cloud Readiness Assessment Program" into common usage at work.

 ;D

This sounds like the start of a fun game...
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

TheLurker

  • Goes well with magnolia.
Re: Small victories
« Reply #94 on: 28 July, 2021, 04:08:49 pm »
We can only genuflect and prostrate ourselves at Ham's genius.   You *evil* git you.  :D
Τα πιο όμορφα ταξίδια γίνονται με τις δικές μας δυνάμεις - Φίλοι του Ποδήλατου

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Small victories
« Reply #95 on: 28 July, 2021, 04:19:46 pm »
It might be a small victory, or it might indeed be the apogee, the zenith of my career.

I have successfully introduced the phrase "Cloud Readiness Assessment Program" into common usage at work.
;D
It is the zenith of your career. From here you can only go to the bottom.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Small victories
« Reply #96 on: 28 July, 2021, 04:48:03 pm »
We had a Credit Rating Agency Project years ago!
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Small victories
« Reply #97 on: 28 July, 2021, 05:02:34 pm »
You need a Performance Improvement Support Strategy backed up by Super High Intensity Training.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Small victories
« Reply #98 on: 28 July, 2021, 05:30:33 pm »
You need a Performance Improvement Support Strategy backed up by Super High Intensity Training.

That reminds me of something a cow-orker once emailed me...

~MEMO~

FROM: Personnel
TO: All employees

SUBJECT: Special High Intensity Training


In order to assure the highest levels of quality work and productivity from employees, it will be our policy to keep all employees well trained through our program of Special High Intensity Training (S.H.I.T.). We are trying to give employees more S.H.I.T. than anyone else.

If you feel that you do not receive your share of S.H.I.T. on the job, please see your manager. You will be immediately placed at the top of the S.H.I.T. list, and our managers are especially skilled at seeing that you get all the S.H.I.T. you can handle.

Employees who do not take their S.H.I.T. will be placed in Departmental Employee Evaluation Programs (D.E.E.P.S.H.I.T.). Those who fail to take D.E.E.P.S.H.I.T. seriously will have to go to Employee Attitude Training (E.A.T.S.H.I.T.). Since our managers took S.H.I.T. before they were promoted, they do not have to do S.H.I.T. anymore, as they are all full of S.H.I.T. already.

If you are full of S.H.I.T., you may be interested in a job training others. We can add your name to our Basic Understanding Lecture List (B.U.L.L.S.H.I.T.). Those who are full of B.U.L.L.S.H.I.T. will get the S.H.I.T. jobs, and can apply for promotion to Director of Intensity Programming (D.I.P.S.H.I.T.).

If you have further questions, please direct them to our Head Of Training, Special High Intensity Training (H.O.T.S.H.I.T.).


Thank you,

Boss In General, Special High Intensity Training (B.I.G.S.H.I.T.)
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Small victories
« Reply #99 on: 28 July, 2021, 05:50:13 pm »
It might be a small victory, or it might indeed be the apogee, the zenith of my career.

I have successfully introduced the phrase "Cloud Readiness Assessment Program" into common usage at work.

I referenced Packet Orientated Radio Network through out a proposal.

Get to the meeting to discuss it, the professor is making notes on the board.

"Let's use the acronym for this"
*writes the acronym on the board*
"You did that on purpose didn't you?"

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/