Daily Stoic Week 32

by | Aug 5, 2022 | Advice, LifeSkills, Musings | 174 comments

 

Daily Stoic week 31

The Daily Stoic

The Practicing Stoic

Meditations

How to Be a Stoic

If you have anger issues,Ā this oneĀ is a great tool (h/t mindyourbusiness)

I am trying to write this on my tablet while on vacation.

If it doesn’t come out right ask for a refund.

August 6

ā€œApply yourself to thinking through difficultiesā€”hard times can be softened, tight squeezes widened, and heavy loads made lighter for those who can apply the right pressure.ā€ ā€”SENECA,ON TRANQUILITY OF MIND,10.4b

 

If I have difficulty with a certain problem, I like to think it over while I run. I don’t always come up with a solution, but I usually figure out a different way to approach the problem. Sometimes that opens up an alternative and I can figure out a workable solution.

 

August 7

ā€œā€œWherever a person can live, there one can also live well; life is also in the demands of court, there too one can live well.ā€ ā€”MARCUSAURELIUS,MEDITATIONS,5.16

Another reminder that my quality of life is determined more by my outlook than it is by my circumstances. Although I am currently at a lake house and we are all having a great time, there were a couple times my mom tried to bring politics up and I deflected, so we had no issues. If I had taken the bait, I could have been having a crappy time in spite of our surroundings.

 

August 8

ā€œDo now what nature demands of you. Get right to it if thatā€™s in your power. Donā€™t look around to see if people will know about it. Donā€™t await the perfection of Platoā€™s Republic, but be satisfied with even the smallest step forward and regard the outcome as a small thing.ā€ ā€”MARCUSAURELIUS,MEDITATIONS,9.29.(4)

I keep trying to improve myself. It is not always the result I was hoping for, but I keep taking steps in the right direction. Maybe one day I’ll get there, but I still have a long way to go. When my mom said, “We watch CNN, we can’t watch Fox News, those people are crazy”, my wife pointed out that I shouldn’t have laughed. She’s right, but that is much improved over how I would have reacted last year.

 

August 9

ā€œDonā€™t tell yourself anything more than what the initial impressions report. Itā€™s been reported to you that someone is speaking badly about you. This is the reportā€”the report wasnā€™t that youā€™ve been harmed. I see that my son is sickā€”but not that his life is at risk. So always stay within your first impressions, and donā€™t add to them in your headā€”this way nothing can happen to you.ā€ ā€”MARCUSAURELIUS, MEDITATIONS,8.49

I had to deal with this last week at work. We had an exercise come up that entailed sending a dozen packages FedEx on a Friday. We also had one routine FedEx package that day. I drove my vehicle to the door and the government workers brought out the packages. I had the exercise list but forgot the lone straggler. At FedEx, I crossed all the packages off as the labels were made. On Monday, my boss tells me that he was told I forgot the package in the packing area. I told him what happened and was PISSED. Then I thought about it and he didn’t say it was all my fault, plus he has a history of not expressing things other people have said clearly. I figured it was not worth getting worked up about, and I haven’t heard anything about it since. No big deal, but if I had talked to someone before I thought it through, I could have made a big deal out of nothing.

 

August 10

ā€œWe donā€™t abandon our pursuits because we despair of ever perfecting them.ā€ ā€”EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 1.2.37b

I will never run 3 miles in 18 minutes again. I may never do 20 pullups again. That doesn’t mean that I don’t set these as goals and do my damndest to achieve them. I also know I will never be a great mechanic. I still enjoy the process and learn as I go. I just need to admit when I can’t do something and turn it over to a professional.

 

August 11

ā€œWhen the problem arose for us whether habit or theory was better for getting virtueā€”if by theory is meant what teaches us correct conduct, and by habit we mean being accustomed to act according to this theoryā€”Musonius thought habit to be more effective.ā€ ā€”MUSONIUS RUFUS, LECTURES,5.17.31ā€“32, 5.19.1ā€“2

It is more important to do the correct thing, than it is to be able to explain exactly why it is correct. Theory is nice, but actions that build habits are better in my opinion. When I successfully control my anger, it doesn’t matter which method I use or why that method worked. What matters is having more than one method and building a habit of doing it.

 

August 12

ā€œMany words have been spoken by Plato, Zeno, Chrysippus, Posidonius, and by a whole host of equally excellent Stoics. Iā€™ll tell you how people can prove their words to be their ownā€”by putting into practice what theyā€™ve been preaching.ā€ ā€”SENECA,MORALLETTERS,108.35;38

There is not an original thought in any of the Stoic writings. Although some use this as a criticism, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the ability to learn from them and not just repeat them, but actually put them in practice and see positive change in my outlook and how I deal with problems and setbacks.

Music this week is a midwestern country band that I recently discovered, the Turnpike Troubadours.

I hope I didn’t jack the links up, but if I did and you like country, not pop with a southern accent, they are definitely worth checking out.

 

I will not be around for the comments, but I should read them later tonight.

 

Thanks for the kind words, I hope these are useful to some of you and I hope the rest at least enjoy commenting off topic.

About The Author

ron73440

ron73440

What I told my wife when she said my steel Baby Eagle .45 was heavy, "Heavy is good, heavy is reliable, if it doesn't work you could always hit him with it."-Boris the Blade MOLON LABE

174 Comments

  1. PieInTheSky

    ā€œApply yourself to thinking through difficultiesā€”hard times can be softened, tight squeezes widened, and heavy loads made lighter for those who can apply the right pressure.ā€

    Easy to say when you lived in a cool.climate period when it did not get to 35C every damn day

  2. PieInTheSky

    Although I am currently at a lake house and we are all having a great time – ah bourgeois decadence. There will be no lake houses when the revolution comes

    • The Other Kevin

      Not for us anyway.

      • Name's BEAM. James BEAM.

        Yeah, TPTB will never give up their dachas.

      • Bobarian LMD

        The new PTB will have rugs made from the skin of the old PTB.

  3. Translucent Chum

    I will be stoic about you not linking Long Hot Summer Day.

    • Translucent Chum

      And Unrung is really good too.

  4. PieInTheSky

    Do now what nature demands of you – seriously, that really depends on what your nature demands of you. I interpret this like i should drink more scotch

  5. PieInTheSky

    I may never do 20 pullups again – go crossfit style and you will do 50

    • PieInTheSky

      Also my max strict pullup was 11 now i can do maybe 6. Sometimes it dont pay to be fat

      • Ted S.

        Maybe if you didn’t drink so much scotch you wouldn’t be fat.

      • rhywun

        Sounds like a fair trade-off to me.

  6. DEG

    ā€œApply yourself to thinking through difficultiesā€”hard times can be softened, tight squeezes widened, and heavy loads made lighter for those who can apply the right pressure.ā€

    Sounds like a variation on “work smarter not harder”.

    • Plisade

      Work stoically, not laboriously.

  7. The Other Kevin

    ā€œDonā€™t tell yourself anything more than what the initial impressions report. Itā€™s been reported to you that someone is speaking badly about you. This is the reportā€”the report wasnā€™t that youā€™ve been harmed. I see that my son is sickā€”but not that his life is at risk. So always stay within your first impressions, and donā€™t add to them in your headā€”this way nothing can happen to you.ā€

    I’m once again reminded of the cognitive distortions we learned about when I took my kids to therapy. I think this quote would fall under several of them. These Stoics were ahead of their time.

    https://dbtselfhelp.com/dbt-skills-list/miscellaneous/cognitive-distortions/

    • WTF

      There is an ongoing concerted effort to erase the centuries of accumulated wisdom of civilization in general and Western Civilization in particular.

    • Ownbestenemy

      That is like a list of my ex-wife and I can hear her voice say every example.

    • Mojeaux

      Cognitive distortions — I do this all the time. I’ve been trying to get better about it, but I wouldn’t be able to without medication, for sure.

      • The Other Kevin

        That’s where the skill of mindfulness comes in. You have to pause and ask yourself if you’re engaged in any of these. This is where you can really see the influence of Buddhism.

    • Fourscore

      I’m having a problem. A toilet leaking at the water input. Not much but leaking. I’ve had the damned thing apart 25 times. I’ve changed the washer, the hose, and used teflon tape. Tighten the parts that say “Hand Tighten” with a pair of slip joints. It was leak free for 30 years (installed by me). I bought a new ball cock yesterday but haven’t installed it, seems like it would still suffer the same problem.

      I’m getting ready to change the washer again. Seems like the leak is somewhere between that top nut (that tightens on the bowl) and the nut that connects the input hose to the toilet. I forgot to mention that it’s a one piece toilet (a low rider) and it’s tough to work off a stool, using a mirror to see what’s going on. Old bones don’t flex like young bones. My stoicism is running rather shallow right now.

      Thanks, Ron, for keeping me on track so far. Sometimes a leak is just a leak.

      • Fourscore

        I’ve turned the water off a few times, checked the thermostat. Nothing.

      • R.J.

        My suggestion: Lay on the couch for 15 minutes with a drink, in your hand.
        Sigh deeply a few times, complain the problem cannot be solved.
        After about 15 minutes, you will leap up, have the solution and go implement.

        Apparently that is a genetic trait in my family. Always works.

      • Fatty Bolger

        Check for a crack in the tank. I’ve heard that even a hard to see hairline crack can leak like that.

      • juris imprudent

        A little blue dye in the tank would make that more obvious.

      • MikeS

        A handy bonus of 2000 Flushes tablets.

      • Bobarian LMD

        It’ll turn your tongue blue.

      • Bobarian LMD

        Could also be a leak in the actual line.

      • db

        Can you see for sure where the water is coming from and ending up?

      • Fourscore

        I think it’s seeping from between the tank connection and the line connector,a drop, a drop. Fortunately it’s ending up in a pan. I can see it form the droplet . I’m going to try a new washer and pipe threading compound. Just might work. Thanks, db, juris, Fatty and R.J. Frustrating but not like working under a car.

        I’m afraid to lie down on the couch, 15 minutes will stretch into an hour and I’ll be wearing the drink. Idea is good though

      • Bobarian LMD

        Drink the drink before you lay down, then.

      • R.J.

        Indeed. Adjust process to match available people and technology.

      • db

        Also, that’s an impressive number of euphemisms, Mr. Score.

  8. UnCivilServant

    I am increasingly frustrated with the way New York handles civil service openings.

    Okay, I take the test and get on the list, and eventually I get a canvas letter asking if I’m interested in this position. Only information provided – agency and city. And since my entire title series was consolidated into one agency, that tells me nothing about the work. So it’s become “are you interested in a possible job in [City]?” And they want a cover letter in my response. How am I supposed to write a meaningful cover letter to a mystery post?

    • PieInTheSky

      I thought you wanted to leave new york.

      • UnCivilServant

        I also need to make the best decisions for myself in the meantime.

      • PieInTheSky

        have you considered winning the lottery

      • UnCivilServant

        The lottery hasn’t been cooperative so far.

    • Rat on a train

      I’ve applied for jobs through the corporate job board. Customer is either government at the department level or a corporation. Worksite is often at the county level. I have to apply and talk to the project lead to find out more details which often results in a nope.

      • UnCivilServant

        That’s got to be frustrating from the hiring side. The lack of info causes a lot of no-responses and a lot of those “Interview and nope out” results. More info would make the self-filtering better.

      • Rat on a train

        I ended up applying for a project I left years ago because I couldn’t identify it from the information given. I’ve heard of people applying for positions on their own project when looking for a change.

      • UnCivilServant

        Well that’s just awkward.

    • Penguin

      Let me help you out:

      “I am UCS. I am fucking awesome at everything. Hire me, and I’ll blow your nipples off – or just make them hard. Your pick. If you pass on hiring me, 20 years from now you’ll still be regretting it. You will be crying into your beer at the retirement home while others avoid you, and the staff steals your meager possessions, which they pawn with contempt. But you can avoid that fate by locking me down now, and all it will take is a measly 6 figures.”

      See? Also – make sure you use periods and not exclamation points. You don’t want to come off as showy.

      • UnCivilServant

        Since it’s a lateral into the same title at a different location, I’d be making exactly the same amount I am now.

  9. The Other Kevin

    For the first time in years, I did 20 pullups just this week. So you never know.

    • PieInTheSky

      So you never know. – sometimes you do šŸ™‚

      • UnCivilServant

        Okay, Pie. Next year we’re going to put you in a oubliette with twenty successively higher ledges between the floor and the opening at the top. If you can’t pull yourself up on each of those ledges, you’ll be left down there to starve.

        Start training now.

    • Bobarian LMD

      Did it take all week?

  10. The Late P Brooks

    Out of line

    When a bipartisan group of lawmakers visited the Ukraine border in March, an unexpected guest showed up on the trip: GOP Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana.

    Spartz, the first Ukrainian-born member of the US Congress and an outspoken advocate for her home country, had expressed interest in joining the congressional delegation but wasn’t invited to attend the trip, which consisted primarily of House Foreign Affairs Committee members, a panel where Spartz is not a member.
    So, she used her own funds to fly to the border of Ukraine in Poland and linked up with lawmakers once there to join in on some of their meetings, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.

    ——-

    But members who were part of the official trip told CNN that Spartz was “argumentative,” “accusatory,” and “unhelpful” during key meetings with NATO members, generals and government officials, sparking concern that her presence was doing more harm than good.
    “She crashed our CoDel. She was like a bull in a china shop,” said one GOP lawmaker, who like other members for this story was granted anonymity to speak more freely about a colleague and due to the sensitive nature of the subject. “I don’t know if it was pent-up frustration or she didn’t feel like she was getting enough proper information, but she was just accusatory and rude.”

    ——-

    Once seen as a crucial messaging asset, Spartz has now become something of a liability for defense hawks who were already worried about fatigue in the United States over the ongoing war abroad. And her continued criticism of Ukraine also comes amid growing skepticism from the MAGA wing of the GOP about keeping weapons and aid flowing to the country.
    “Because she’s the only Ukrainian-born member of Congress, she has outsize megaphone, outsize influence,” Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat and former CIA analyst, said to CNN. “I think there’s an open question of why she’s so openly saying something that’s so clearly aligned with Russian talking points.”

    Corruption? Authoritarianism? In UKRAINE? Preposterous.

    Long article, worth a read. I have no idea how it got published at CNN.

    • The Other Kevin

      “a Michigan Democrat and former CIA analyst”

      I can’t even right now.

      • Translucent Chum

        Based on her campaign commercials you’d think she was fast roping out of helicopters and killing terrorists bared handed rather than being a fat slob.

      • Rat on a train

        Aussie rappelling down the side of buildings while one-arming a M-60.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Maybe the Russian talking points are more in line with the truth in this case. The Ukrainian government is the most corrupt and most authoritarian in all of Europe and that includes Russia if you lump them in.

      • Penguin

        There was at least one Ukrainian judge who might have been willing to look into corruption, but a well connected US politico was able to use his pull to get that judge fired. Then the politico laughed about it on video.

        Whatever became of him?

      • UnCivilServant

        He got appointed president in the dirtiest election in decades.

        Oh, you meant the judge.

    • Rebel Scum

      I think thereā€™s an open question of why sheā€™s so openly saying something thatā€™s so clearly aligned with Russian talking points.

      Such as anything that might acknowledge that the relationship between the countries is complicated and that it’s possible for both governments to be the bad guys?

      • juris imprudent

        THAT’S NOT THE NARRATIVE!!!

    • rhywun

      Yes, I am experiencing “fatigue” from a war that supposedly doesn’t even fucking involve us but is nevertheless sucking up all the air in the room and a considerable number of my tax dollars too.

      Good catch, CNN. šŸ™„

  11. The Late P Brooks

    Even as lawmakers express understanding and sympathy for Spartz’s situation, the top three Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the House Intelligence Committee and the House Armed Services Committee have all urged Spartz to tone down her posture, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.
    “We’ve all talked to her,” said a third GOP lawmaker. “It’s pissing people off. Because it hurts the cause.”

    Which “cause” would that be, I wonder.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      Cause? Its a war son, buckle up and get straight

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      The cause is funneling money into defense contractorsā€™ pockets while pretending to stand up for democracy. Grift would be a more apt word.

    • Plisade

      “So, we go to Ukraine, right, for a free vacay and some Current Thing optics, and this chick just shows up and actually wants us to work!”

    • Rebel Scum

      Grift.

    • Bobarian LMD

      Money Laundering.

  12. The Late P Brooks

    Spartz told CNN that her meeting with Milley “was not my first meeting with him,” and that “I give him credit for his willingness to listen.”
    “I believe he understands the challenges of our effort in Ukraine, but the politicians and foreign policy establishment are making strategic decisions, not military leaders,” she said. “This should trouble all Americans as these are the know-nothing know-it-alls who oversaw the debacle in Afghanistan, and other foreign policy blunders, and have faced zero accountability.”

    Those people are EXPERTS.

    • juris imprudent

      So who wants her out of Congress more – Repubs or Dems?

      • rhywun

        Yes.

    • R C Dean

      This should trouble all Americans as these are the know-nothing know-it-alls who oversaw the debacle in Afghanistan, and other foreign policy blunders, and have faced zero accountability.

      I like her so far.

  13. The Late P Brooks

    So itā€™s become ā€œare you interested in a possible job in [City]?ā€ And they want a cover letter in my response. How am I supposed to write a meaningful cover letter to a mystery post?

    Greetings, faceless drone…

    • db

      I have a suspicion that it’s a scam to get you to write a cover letter and then they sell the cover letter to someone else.

      • UnCivilServant

        I might agree if not for the fact the cover letter is only mentioned well into the canvas response process, which is on a system I used to support, so I know it fairly well.

        Besides, my shitty cover letters can’t even get me a job. They won’t get anyone else a job.

  14. juris imprudent

    If it doesnā€™t come out right ask for a refund.

    Looks suitable to me, as always. Which is impressive considering you are on vacation – I should get my two in the hopper done before I go off, or I might never finish them.

    -1 point on Marcus Aurelius speaking well of Plato

  15. The Late P Brooks

    Iā€™m having a problem. A toilet leaking at the water input. Not much but leaking. Iā€™ve had the damned thing apart 25 times. Iā€™ve changed the washer, the hose, and used teflon tape. Tighten the parts that say ā€œHand Tightenā€ with a pair of slip joints

    That’s a rubber washer, right? Could there be mineral or rust deposits keeping it from sealing properly? What if you clean the mating surfaces with scotchbrite first?

    Or have you already done that?

    • Plisade

      “clean the mating surfaces with scotchbrite”

      Ouch!

      • Fourscore

        “speaking of ex-wives”

    • Fourscore

      I haven’t, I’ve cleaned off inside the tank but not too well. I can’t remember if I did the outside around the inlet. I’ll take it apart again and take a look and feel.

      • mindyourbusiness

        Take the advice above and go for the drink and couch first.

  16. Penguin

    Donā€™t await the perfection of Platoā€™s Republic…

    Way ahead of you, Marc.

    More serious – good column.

    • Penguin

      Musonius thought habit to be more effective.

      Theory without practice is useless, and practice will often show the mistakes in theory.

      • juris imprudent

        Ah, but the contemplation of theory without practice allows one to imagine perfection. See e.g. Plato.

      • Penguin

        …and Marx, of course.

      • juris imprudent

        It is amusing to read the struggles of Trotskyites to reconcile the theory to the Stalinist practice.

  17. Draw Me Like One of Your Tulpae, Jack

    NGL I was indulging in emotional crap this week, allowing people to irritate me and affect my mood.

    People are still irritating me, and 1 or 2 I have actual malice toward, but I’m working on it.

    • Gender Traitor

      NGLSIGTOHTLUATLIA šŸ˜‰

      • Gender Traitor

        “Not gonna lie – sometimes I get tired of having to look up all the latest Internet acronyms.”

        ::shakes fist at clouds, shoos children from lawn::

      • UnCivilServant

        This is why I stick with the old, established lingo. Ain’t got time to keep up with the fads.

      • Fatty Bolger

        Darn tootin, daddy-o. 23 skidoo!

      • Fourscore

        Cool, man, cool

      • The Bearded Hobbit

        Very groovy

      • DEG

        #metoo

      • Draw Me Like One of Your Tulpae, Jack

        Like TMITE and CWAA?

      • UnCivilServant

        I just glaze over those.

      • Gender Traitor

        Fair enough. Luckily, I DO speak fairly fluent Glib. The rest of the online universe… not so much. šŸ™‚

      • UnCivilServant

        I have discovered that a lot of the internet… isn’t even speaking English.

      • Gender Traitor

        Well, that’s just rude of them.

      • juris imprudent

        DoD, where entire conversations can be had with scarcely a word amongst the acronyms.

      • Nephilium

        Welcome to the wonderful world of IT.

      • R C Dean

        Another CLABSI* in the ICU**? And a CAUTI*** in L&D****? These HAIs***** are stepping on my MIP******!

        *Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection
        **Intensive Care Unit
        ***Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection
        ****Labor and Delivery
        *****Hospital Acquired Infections
        ******Management Incentive Program

        Like that?

      • Not Adahn

        I once made a .ppt slide with nine consecutive TLAs. I was so impressed with myself.

      • MikeS

        While we’re talking about it, what the hell does TMITE mean?

      • R C Dean

        The Mike Media Is The Enemy

      • Fatty Bolger

        The media is the enemy

      • Not Adahn

        Trans monkeys interest toxic executives.

    • mindyourbusiness

      Not sure who said it (Marcus, maybe?) but he said that there have to be people out there whose destiny is to fulfill every role that a human being can. This means that a certain portion of folks you meet every day will fall into given categories.
      Sometimes it helps to think of those who annoy you as living up to their destiny as flaming assholes. If nothing else, it’ll help you laugh at them.

  18. The Late P Brooks

    Theory without practice is useless, and practice will often show the mistakes in theory.

    /em>

    That’s why you never compare your model’s predicted outcome with reality.

    • juris imprudent

      Or your post against the intended html.

  19. Rebel Scum

    ā€œApply yourself to thinking through difficultiesā€”hard times can be softened, tight squeezes widened, and heavy loads made lighter for those who can apply the right pressure.ā€

    Giggity.

  20. rhywun

    One of you lot mentioned today’s featured artist a couple years back and I checked them out. I really like them.

  21. DEG

    I listened to the linked songs. They’re pretty good.

    • juris imprudent

      Hey, in the dead-thread, about lend-lease, there is a very over-looked aspect; bleeding England. FDR did not like the British Empire and rather gleefully took full advantage of their desperate situation while we sat on our asses quite far away from danger. FDR wasn’t a fraction of the statesman Churchill was, and he made Churchill beg and then relegated him to second chair in dealing with Stalin, all to the world’s detriment. What a fucking shitbag he was, and not for any of the reasons most people think.

      • DEG

        I thought he just liked Stalin better than Churchill. I didn’t know about FDR not liking the British Empire.

      • juris imprudent

        You don’t send an Irish rum-runner to be ambassador to the court of St. James out of respect.

      • DEG

        And didn’t that rum-runner also tell FDR that FDR was on the wrong side (i.e., FDR should have been backing Hitler?)

      • Fatty Bolger

        Yep. And that only scratches the surface of how completely shitty he was. The lionization of the closest thing we’ve had to a dictator and “President for Life” is one of my biggest pet peeves.

      • MikeS

        He ended the Great Depression!!

        /derp

      • juris imprudent

        The patent fraud of never honestly portraying him in a wheelchair. And we bitch about our media now?

      • Chipwooder

        In addition to the the reasons most people think, I’d say. The New Deal was very much a shitbag move.

  22. robc

    For UCS, from previous thread. Four matches to balance white and black.

    7th round finished, 6 nations tied for 2nd, US is technically in 5th by tiebreakers, but 4 rounds to go.

    In order: Armenia, Uzbekistan, India 2, India 1, USA, Germany, Kazakhstan.

    • UnCivilServant

      So, Pie’s fretting over Scilians is unfounded?

  23. Draw Me Like One of Your Tulpae, Jack

    Yeah. I’m still irritated & irritable. TTYL.

  24. Rebel Scum

    I’m just glad he’s vaccinated.

    President Joe Biden tested positive again on Friday, as his rebound case of covid drags on and he faces seventh day in isolation.

    Biden, 79, ‘continues to feel well, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, his personal physician, said.

    ‘His cough has almost completely resolved,’ O’Connor noted in an update of the president’s condition.

    • db

      Good thing he didn’t COVID early on–they would have applied leeches trepanatedintubated him.

  25. rhywun

    I have two hours to kill before my next meeting so what better time to start documenting the details of every single server my work touches. Pointless lists are a wonderful use of my time and what is more fun than logging into dozens of machines to collect information that is almost certainly documented elsewhere by the infrastructure types who set this stuff up.

    • UnCivilServant

      information that is almost certainly documented elsewhere by the infrastructure types

      Bad assumption.

      Do not ever assume infrastructure types keep track of what software runs on our servers. None of my datacenter hosting contracts know what’s on any of our boxes. I know from memory, but we don’t have anything resembling order in our documentation. So keeping your own records is going to produce a better account of what’s where.

      • rhywun

        Not even just software. They want OS, CPU, RAM, etc. etc. I can understand Infrastructure not documenting the required software – some of which we installed ourselves.

        But I shouldn’t have to track down hardware info. šŸ˜ 

      • R.J.

        Good Lord yes. NEVER assume somebody else has documentation. 9 out of ten times ā€œsomebody else ā€œ has no documentation.

        And the tenth time? Some guy will produce an old cocktail napkin with a crayon drawing of a computer that is captioned ā€œā€˜Puter Specs.ā€

      • rhywun

        Yeah, I’m as guilty of that as anybody. Because like any sane person, I would rather gouge my eyeballs out than spend time creating documents that nobody will ever read.

      • R C Dean

        Meh. Its a living.

      • Ted S.

        Rhywun doesn’t get to charge 50 billable hours for a one-page business letter.

      • juris imprudent

        So YOU’RE who ended up with that?

      • Dr Mossy Lawn

        I have a sketch of the wiring for my Parents garage that my father figured out about 35 years ago. He didn’t wire it… but he had to figure out what the previous owner did.

        I know right where it is because if I’m ever called on to do anything to that circuit I don’t want to debug it again.

        There was one outlet that wasn’t closed up after the house renovation for 10 years. My father and I forgot exactly how we ran all of the wiring to that box. It was a combination of 4way and 3 way switches and outlets.

        I had an odd circuit when I bought my current house. When the electrician and I were doing the kitchen changes we finally figured out WTF the previous owner had done, and then I realized why the front door bell didn’t work quite right.

        Oh and that work documentation… Yes, I remember that.. well that might be how the system was implemented on Day #1 9 months ago.. but that isn’t how it works now… go log onto the box and pull the current data.

      • db

        I did a wiring diagram for a particularly tricky lighting installation and printed it out, folded it up, and tucked it into the junction box.

        Alternatively, I have considered uploading a diagram to a cloud storage and creating a QR code sticker to the URL for others’ future reference.

      • db

        In the last few years I’ve found that some field instruments (pressure, temperature, flow, etc. transmitters) have laser engraved QR codes that link to the manufacturer’s documentation. That is super helpful.

      • Nephilium

        I just had a meeting to explain to someone that we support their reporting system. We do not manage it. So we don’t keep track of who adds, changes, or deletes any of the items on the reporting system. They now need to either find someone who knows what they did to set up some scheduled reports, or will need to spend money for us to design a new report for them.

  26. Scruffy Nerfherder

    I need some of that stoicism today. Two trucks down and waiting on parts, heat pump compressor just blew in the HVAC because of power fluctuations, missing equipment, teenagers at home being teenagers, and a wife who thinks I’ve got free time.

  27. Rebel Scum

    It’s a sports bra that costs ten times as much.

    The US Army is developing a tactical bra for its female soldiers.

    The bra, known as the Army Tactical Brassiere, is still in development at the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Solider Center, also known as DEVCOM, in Natick, Massachusetts. If approved by the Army Uniform Board, it will be the first official uniform bra the Army has offered its female soldiers in its history.

    Soldier Center’s Design, Pattern and Prototype Team will present final concepts and designs for the bra to the Army Uniform Board in the fall of 2022, David Accetta, US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center spokesperson told CNN.

    If the Army Uniform Board approves the prototype and makes it a Program of Record, it will be added to the US Army uniform.

      • slumbrew

        Glib Fit šŸ‘

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Ursula Andress?

        *teenage Scruffy gets excited*

    • Rat on a train

      Because the bra is considered a tactical piece not just a sportswear item, thorough tests were conducted in developing the current prototype, including flame testing

      They need to perform ice testing as well to support cold weather deployments.

    • rhywun

      My first band opened up for The Tactical Bras back in the day.

    • The Other Kevin

      +1 $500 hammer
      +1 $1000 toilet seat

      • db

        That was my immediate thought…

    • juris imprudent

      approves the prototype and makes it a Program of Record

      Seven years later…

  28. grrizzly

    Man Who Threatened to Kill Fauci Is Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison
    Thomas Patrick Connally Jr., 56, pleaded guilty in May to making threats against a federal official and also admitted to sending threatening messages to other health officials, federal prosecutors said.

    A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a West Virginia man to more than three years in prison for sending threatening emails to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, including one in which he said the immunologist and his family would be beaten to death and set on fire, prosecutors said.

    Mr. Connally admitted in a plea agreement that he had sent the messages to Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, between Dec. 28, 2020, and July 25, 2021, using an anonymous and encrypted email account, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

    According to court documents, in one email, dated July 21, 2021, Mr. Connally wrote to Dr. Fauci: ā€œI will slaughter your entire family. You will pay with your childrenā€™s blood for your crimes.ā€

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Let me know when they apply that standard evenly.

      • rhywun

        LOL good one

    • Timeloose

      “Mr. Connally admitted in a plea agreement that he had sent the messages to Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, between Dec. 28, 2020, and July 25, 2021, using an anonymous and encrypted email account, federal prosecutors said in a statement.”

      Looks like that email was not neither anonymous or encrypted enough.

      • Timeloose

        Correction: Looks like that email was neither anonymous nor encrypted enough.

      • db

        How was it encrypted at all? I can’t imagine Fauci has a PGP public key…

        Oh, I see, they say the *account* was “encrypted.” That’s when you read the fine print on your provider’s TOS and see where it says something about “…valid request from law enforcement…”

        Don’t expect much in the way of smarts from someone who threatens a Federal officer.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        I always notify my victims before murdering them.

        It’s the only morally acceptable way to do it.

      • db

        Violence ain’t the answer

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        It absolutely is the answer to some problems. The question is which ones.

      • EvilSheldon

        I know. I got it wrong on purpose.

        (One of my favorite speaking t-shirts.)

      • UnCivilServant

        I expect it was probably just a ProtonMail account.

      • juris imprudent

        They tricked him with the old blind-cc and reply-all I bet.

    • Rebel Scum

      Fauci keeps threatening me with the clot shot. When are you going to do something about that?

  29. MikeS

    I’m about to test my stoicism. HVAC guys just installed a mini split in my shop and now MikeS Electrical is up. Straightforward job, but there are some immovable obstacles I need to work around and I foresee inventing some new cuss words before I get that sweet, sweet cold air blowing on me.

    • db

      What unit did you go with? I’m thinking of installing one in my shop. Did you give any consideration to doing the plumbing installation yourself, or decide to leave that to the pros on general principle?

      • MikeS

        I went with TempStar. And honestly, that choice was more to do with it’s what the local HVAC guys carry than anything else. It’s seems like a good unit. 10 year warranty. They are owned by Carrier, so I felt good about it.

        I did consider the DIY route. But the more I thought about it, and with some prodding from the Glibertriat, I decided to leave it to the pros. From looking at the DIY units, it is certainly a reasonably easy job for a handy person. I just decided my time was better spent on other things. Also, the warranty on this unit is double what I saw on the DIY units.

      • MikeS

        To my point; it took them about 1:45 start to finish. That included pressure testing it for (I think he said) 20 minutes. I’d probably get everything unpacked have the instructions read-through in that amount of time.

      • Semi-Spartan Dad

        If it’s <2 hours, I'm guessing labor was a reasonable percentage of the total cost compared to the unit itself. Good call on outsourcing that one.

        Paying an electrician $100/hr to install $3 outlets is crazy. I was quite happy to pay someone else to install the new 200amp box though.

  30. Rebel Scum

    I’ve seen this movie.

    Up to 100,000 North Korean soldiers could be sent to bolster Vladimir Putinā€™s forces fighting Ukraine, according to Russian reports.

    A leading defence expert in Moscow, reserve colonel Igor Korotchenko, told state TV: ā€œWe shouldnā€™t be shy in accepting the hand extended to us by Kim Jong-un.ā€

    North Korea has made it clear through ā€œdiplomatic channelsā€ that as well as providing builders to repair war damage, it is ready to supply a vast fighting force, reported Regnum news agency.

    They would be deployed to the forces of the separatist pro-Putin Donetsk Peopleā€™s Republic [DPR] and Luhansk Peopleā€™s Republic [LPR], both of which Kim has recently recognised as independent countries.

    Then who would be left to defend DPRK? Korean Reunification.

    • rhywun

      Sigh… let’s get WWIII over with, I guess.

  31. hayeksplosives

    ā€œApply yourself to thinking through difficultiesā€”hard times can be softened, tight squeezes widened, and heavy loads made lighter for those who can apply the right pressure.ā€ ā€”SENECA,ON TRANQUILITY OF MIND,10.4b

    Iā€™m a big believer in this one. Once I understood that this was simply a matter of Will and decision, a new, happier world was opened for me.

    On an episode of 30 Rock, Jack Donaghey refers to overcoming a situation through will as ā€œIā€™m crushing it with my mind vice.ā€

    Yup. Thatā€™s a permanent part of my mental lexicon now.

    • mindyourbusiness

      Amazing, isn’t it, how stepping back from a problem and doing something else for a while – or just taking a nap – can bring up solutions?

    • Chipwooder

      I’ve said this many times – I’m glad that my grandfather died when he did, in January 2020. Had he lived into April, he too would have died alone, and New York would not have allowed us to give him a proper funeral.

  32. juris imprudent

    My stoicism is being tested by our contractor, who is still behind in the work that was supposed to be done by 4th of July.

  33. Brochettaward

    WAKE UP GLIBERTARIAT

    THE FIRST cOMETH

    IT cOMETH FOR YOU ALL

  34. Fourscore

    Thanks for everyone’s help, the leaking toilet may be repaired.

    Final solution was a new washer that goes though the toilet and thread compound over Teflon tape. The slip joint did a better job than hand tighten. I have a drip pan underneath. I did clean off around the washer, maybe a little dirty, didn’t hurt

    Now I’ll have the drink but it’ll be straight up black coffee.