May 30, 2013

Need some DU empathy................

I just came back from a Condominium Board meeting, I am one of 7 members all but 1 are female. The 84 year old male is president. Tonight, he interrupted 2 members 3 times each, not allowing them to ask a question or continue a question. He interrupted me twice, on the 3rd attempt, I raised my voice as loudly as possible, and told him he could not tell me to shut up (his exact words).

My question was simple "what time on Friday is he meeting with the building manager & employees?" According to him, it's none of my business. I told him he could not continue interrupting me or any other members. His answer was that it was his meeting and he could do whatever he wanted to.

Worst of all, he knows I'm a member of the Marine Corps League, and he denigrates the Marines every chance he has. I'm not walking off this board, because if I do, I don't see anyone else being able to stand up to him.

I'm done venting. There's more, but that's the gist of it.

May 22, 2013

From the 21st century & returning to the 19th......

Found this article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this morning. UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) a hospital and insurance conglomerate is laying off 128 transcriptionists.

The most interesting part of the lay off, is that those laid off will be hired by a new firm, who will no longer pay them an hourly wage, but pay them by the line they transcribe. Piece work is what this is. It's how workers were paid in the sweat shops of the late 18th and early 19th century.

So corporations are getting what they want i.e. slave labor.

UPMC laying off 128 transcriptionists

May 21, 2013 3:32 pm

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By Steve Twedt / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


UPMC is laying off the 128 transcriptionists in its transcription services department, but spokeswoman Gloria Kreps says all will be offered jobs with Nuance, a Burlington, Mass., company that specializes in voice-recognition software.

"UPMC has worked with Nuance over the past several years in adopting new technology, including Nuance's Dragon voice recognition software," said Ms. Kreps. "This software is improving our efficiency and reducing our need for transcriptionists."

Ann Joyal, spokeswoman for Nuance, said the company will offer transcription services to UPMC and confirmed that all of the UPMC transcriptionists have been offered positions.

"Typically they work from home and working for Nuance would not change their location," she said.

Those jobs will pay differently than the transcriptionists' current jobs: by the line rather than per hour, "so the more they transcribe, the more they get paid," Ms. Joyal said. "We offer full benefits, no waiting period and existing tenure and, because our transcription workforce is virtual and big, no one has to move."

Steve Twedt: stwedt@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1963.
First Published May 21, 2013 11:29 am


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/business/news/upmc-laying-off-100-transcriptionists-688503/#ixzz2Tziwp0kK

May 18, 2013

Jury duty......

I was asked to be a juror on this post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11148579

I had to cancel because I got to step 2 & I couldn't go any further. There were no "submit" links" etc. available.

What's up?

May 16, 2013

The excitement of becoming a grandfather...............

transcends all.

http://www.upworthy.com/son-gives-his-gay-dads-the-best-news-ever-this-is-their-mildly-nsfw-reaction-2?c=upw10

May 13, 2013

It's been a long week-end, don't ask me anything.

It started Friday, I was getting ready to leave town to attend my nephew's College graduation. My 83 year old mother who lives with me (she was not going out of town with me) informed me that the furnace wouldn't shut off. I shut the thermostat off, but the furnace sounded like it wanted to shut off, but it recycled itself to keep running. Being the good daughter, I was not leaving until I figured out what was happening.

I went to the furnace room (located on my porch) and found it filled with water, water coming down the walls, and water on the furnace and A/C unit. Living in a condo, I called maintenance who immediately responded. They investigated and found that the people living 2 floors above me, had their A/C service and the Tech flushed out the system, which came down the stack of furnace rooms.

I left for the graduation (wherein I drank a hell of a lot at the party, held in the bar where my nephew had employment as a bouncer). I returned home last night and dealt with the furnance. I had a Tech out today who red-tagged my furnace and A/C. I called my home owners insurance, because I figured they could deal with the couple that caused this problem. All my insurance company wants is a copy of an estimate for a new furnace and A/C unit and they will go after the owners two floors above.

I am tired now, and am going to take a nap before dinner. it's cold, so I'm wearing a heavy sweater as is my mom, I had to break out a second comforter last night

May 5, 2013

Funny story I heard today at a memorial service..........

The brother of my 83 year old mother's best friend of 77 years, died about a month ago. He died in Arizona, was cremated and his ashes returned to Pennsylvania for burial.

At the chapel were not only his ashes, but also those of his wife who preceded him in death. Attendees were asked to share stories about either the husband or the wife, who were parents of 6 boys.

A cousin related the following. The wife would have the boys clean themselves up for dinner and to change their dirty clothes after playing all day. After dinner they would go out again and come home in dirty clothes and again have to wash up and toss their dirty clothes in the hamper.

One day the cousin walked into the house at dinner time and found all 6 boys sitting around the dinner table completely naked. She asked her cousin what was going on the reply she got was "I'm tired of washing their clothes."

There was no one in the chapel not laughing.