OT: Down the Wabit Hole (Boredom Thread)

Wabit

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May 23, 2016
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Did his initial interview, then his first technical, now on to his 2nd technical with these guys. Interesting, smaller company doing an interesting thing. If he makes it he'll put in a good word for you, Wabit.

Unfortunately, as nice as Santa Cruz probably is, you'd probably have to make Eleventy Million per year to afford a house there.

Aye. I was looking at the cost of living there. I think I'd be living out of a camper somewhere. At least the area looks pretty.

It's been so long since I was in the job market that it confuses me. I don't quite understand the current hiring process with all the different interviews.
 

57special

Posting the right way since 2012.
Sep 5, 2012
48,032
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MN
Aye. I was looking at the cost of living there. I think I'd be living out of a camper somewhere. At least the area looks pretty.

It's been so long since I was in the job market that it confuses me. I don't quite understand the current hiring process with all the different interviews.
Me too, but then, I'm a trades guy, and we tend to do thing differently, anyway. They've got my son going through all these interviews for a 10 week summer job.

I would imagine that a lot of the jobs in Cali in the Bay area and LA have a hard time attracting workers because it's so damn expensive to live there.
 
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Wabit

Registered User
May 23, 2016
19,289
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Me too, but then, I'm a trades guy, and we tend to do thing differently, anyway. They've got my son going through all these interviews for a 10 week summer job.

I would imagine that a lot of the jobs in Cali in the Bay area and LA have a hard time attracting workers because it's so damn expensive to live there.

I've looked at a lot of the job listing they have. It's weird to me to see the payscale numbers listed, it's uncommon in aviation to see that. The pay looks really good at face value, but once I figured in the 75%-100% cost of living it brings it back down to not worth moving.

Is this an internship or just a normal summer job?
 

57special

Posting the right way since 2012.
Sep 5, 2012
48,032
19,747
MN
I've looked at a lot of the job listing they have. It's weird to me to see the payscale numbers listed, it's uncommon in aviation to see that. The pay looks really good at face value, but once I figured in the 75%-100% cost of living it brings it back down to not worth moving.

Is this an internship or just a normal summer job?
internship.... do normal summer jobs exist anymore? I've warned him about the COL in CA(uncle is an Engineer in Silicon Valley), and how what appears to be a nice salary here ends up being barely a subsistence wage over there.
 

Wabit

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May 23, 2016
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internship.... do normal summer jobs exist anymore? I've warned him about the COL in CA(uncle is an Engineer in Silicon Valley), and how what appears to be a nice salary here ends up being barely a subsistence wage over there.

Construction summer jobs are always around, but you're not applying for those months out.

Just out of college, no family to support taking a job in CA is fine. Go experience life outside the Midwest. Stay at the job for 3-5 year and get work experiance then move on to somewhere new after that.

Heck if I wasn't married and settled I'd be a vagabond taking contract jobs where ever they were. After the first 6 months the perdiem will have paid off a nice camper
 

Wabit

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May 23, 2016
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Got the wife's mostly new pc built. It's not the latest and greatest but it is a definite upgrade over the one she recently fried. I was think I did well for keeping the price reasonable (just under $750). New water cooler (it's pink), CPU (Ryzen 5 7600X), RAM (2 x 16g ddr5), GPU (RX 5500XT), MoBo (Gigabyte B650), 1TB SSD (add on freebee).

I could have done it a little cheaper by reusing the RAM (ddr4) and getting an AM4 mobo/CPU, but I wanted the newer (more future upgrade possibilities). I also took a chance on a cheap ($120) GPU from a brand I've never heard of (PELADN).

The only extra I had to buy is a new $7 Windows 10 Pro key from a shady? online store.

Her old, now fried, setup was a Ryzen 5 2600 and GTX 770 (it's a downgrade from my twin RX 660s in SLI). I never liked this setup but it was bought the the height of the COVID shortages.

So far everything is working and the temps are nice and cool. She can play her Disney game on much higher resolutions, so she's happy with that.

My wife is a highly educated woman with multiple degrees in computer stuffs. But letting her pick out her own parts she turns into a 3yo in a toy store. It's pretty and/or shiny and is first on the list is how she picks her parts. Her last build cost me a trip to Best Buy for a different PS, because the one she picked wasn't big enough.
Then when she tries to build the pc she turns into a 4yo trying to put together a lego kit. After she went to bed I took it almost completely apart and built it properly so the wires weren't just coming out of random places in the case (seriously she couldn't put either side panel back on the case because wires were sticking out of strange spots).
 

Minnewildsota

He who laughs last thinks slowest
Jun 7, 2010
8,716
3,008
Got the wife's mostly new pc built. It's not the latest and greatest but it is a definite upgrade over the one she recently fried. I was think I did well for keeping the price reasonable (just under $750). New water cooler (it's pink), CPU (Ryzen 5 7600X), RAM (2 x 16g ddr5), GPU (RX 5500XT), MoBo (Gigabyte B650), 1TB SSD (add on freebee).

I could have done it a little cheaper by reusing the RAM (ddr4) and getting an AM4 mobo/CPU, but I wanted the newer (more future upgrade possibilities). I also took a chance on a cheap ($120) GPU from a brand I've never heard of (PELADN).

The only extra I had to buy is a new $7 Windows 10 Pro key from a shady? online store.

Her old, now fried, setup was a Ryzen 5 2600 and GTX 770 (it's a downgrade from my twin RX 660s in SLI). I never liked this setup but it was bought the the height of the COVID shortages.

So far everything is working and the temps are nice and cool. She can play her Disney game on much higher resolutions, so she's happy with that.

My wife is a highly educated woman with multiple degrees in computer stuffs. But letting her pick out her own parts she turns into a 3yo in a toy store. It's pretty and/or shiny and is first on the list is how she picks her parts. Her last build cost me a trip to Best Buy for a different PS, because the one she picked wasn't big enough.
Then when she tries to build the pc she turns into a 4yo trying to put together a lego kit. After she went to bed I took it almost completely apart and built it properly so the wires weren't just coming out of random places in the case (seriously she couldn't put either side panel back on the case because wires were sticking out of strange spots).
Why did the PC fry? PSU blow? MoBo fried?

If you want to spend the money to replace those parts, you can build a pretty dandy PC hat you could use for numerous things.
 

Wabit

Registered User
May 23, 2016
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Why did the PC fry? PSU blow? MoBo fried?

If you want to spend the money to replace those parts, you can build a pretty dandy PC hat you could use for numerous things.

I don't know for sure if the mobo of PSU fried. My guess is it was the CPU because it ran really hot, but I'd rather just replace them both at the same time rather than guess and be wrong (and possibly blow out the replacement too. No bent pins, visible hot spots, or ozone smell that would be the telltale signs of one or the other. So when in doubt replace them both.

New water cooler, CPU, and MoBo were the must haves because I wouldn't trust any of them to reuse. The RAM (ddr4), PS, GPU, and case are all fine to be reused. The ddr5 RAM is the same price as the ddr4 now so decided to upgraded her now to the AM5 instead of being stuck on the last gen. The new GPU was just a nice gift over the one that was released in 2013. Intel was an immediate nogo because they are coming out with their new/different chipset in the near future.

I'm still on the rig I build in 2013 (I've only changed fans and the watercooler). She's now on her 3rd pc (and 3 or 4 laptops) since then. I could have spent a few hundred more and given her the build I've been looking to make, but my petty ass would just get angry/sad every time I saw it.
 

TaLoN

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May 30, 2010
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6bxbvs.jpg
 
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Wabit

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May 23, 2016
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@BagHead

Well according to my head cannon this was your adventure on how you got kicked out of school. I moved the reply to hear to not take that topic off the rails even further.

-College age you was sad and depressed after spending months in the bleak, desolate landscape that is UM. You and your buddies decide to escape to Vegas for some fun and bright lights.
-Plane ride out there has an Adam Sandler movie for the in flight movie. So things are looking up already.
-Get to the Vegas airport and play the first slot you see and hit a nice $4k payout.
-Get to Fremont St. and check into the 4 Queens. You're college kids so cheap hotel is good, and really anything is better than MN.
-Walk around the Freemont Street casinos loading up on free booze until you're good and toasted. - -Drunken wandering around Freemont taking in the weirdness that comes out after dark, your group somehow ends up with a tagalong woman dressed in full leather (catwoman wannabe).
-That's when you see it. "Get Married by Elvis" poster and in your drunken state that sounds like the best idea ever. Catwoman says she knows the place and leads you there.
-Get to the chapel. It's decorated in the Vegas Elvis motif. The clerk there asks is you want to go to the courthouse first to make it a legal wedding. You remembered that you had recently been to court for a speeding ticket and it didn't get reduced so you paid the full ticket price plus the court fees. So screw going back to one of those places. Then she asks who is the lucky couple?
-You're in a group with a bunch of guys and Catwoman. So because you're rolling in the dough from your airport win. You said that is was you and right before you say Catwoman, in a moment of drunken clarity you think to yourself "I can't marry a cat." Then you remembered the Adam Sandler movie on the flight out and thought "well if it was okay for Chuck and Larry then that is good enough for me." So you panic say you and your "hold my beer" buddy. He looks at you weird so you say "Chuck and Larry". He goes "Oh right, it's like it was a sign" and agrees.
-Fat Vegas Elvis dressing in the white jumpsuit iis standing at the alter waiting. So two you walk up and do the introductions and how the ceremony goes. Your buddy is all in at this point, and decides he wants to do the whole bride thing: "here comes the bride" walk down the isle, carrying flowers, and wearing a tiara (Catwoman lets his use her ears for that). "Suspicious Minds" is what you pick as you wedding song that Elvis sings to you after the "I do's"
-You go though the ceremony (by all accounts it was lovely) and when it comes to the you can kiss the bride it get awkward. Your buddy leans in for a smooch and you stick out your hand for a handshake. Everyone laughs, you turn red, and then laugh. Off to celebrate with more drinks after the wedding.
-While celebrating your introverted buddy says he would rather have young Elvis over Vegas Elvis do the ceremony if it was him. Challenge accepted because he's the guy who never says much of anything. Off to find a Young Elvis wedding chapel. -On the way you're going going though the steps of the wedding with your buddy so he's not caught flat footed by questions.
-Get to the chapel and your buddy and Catwoman go and talks to the clerk. You're standing and joking with the rest of the group excited to watch this happen not paying attention to anything else. Your buddy finishes up the paperwork and grabs you and says okay lets go to the alter. Deer in headlights looks from you and you say "What?!?" Your buddy says it's time and looks at you anxiously. Then you think hard though your booze addled mind and remember when talking about it on the way over everything you said about the ceremony was "we". Your "first hubby" almost falls over laughing and pushes you towards the chapel door.
-On the way to the alter your shy buddy reminds he wants no isle walk, a handshake (no kiss), and "Love Me Tender" for the wedding song. The ceremony went off without a hitch, but it was an industrial feeling to it according to the onlookers. Your second hubby is happy as can be though so off to celebrate again.
-While celebrating your buddies start calling you boss. Catwoman, who is just along for the show and free drinks at this point, mentions there is a midget Elvis that does weddings. A third buddy pipes up and says this is something I have to see. You're weddinged out at this point, and try to change the subject. But your buddies start egging you on: "Come on boss." "You need the trifecta, boss." "Do it, boss." etc. After a few more shots you are felling really good and like being called boss. so you give in.
-On the way to the chapel you pull a mini bridezilla and decide you won't go though with it unless you get a proper tiara and sashes you see some other bride to be wearing around town. You sit down on the ground and throw a "it's my wedding and I want it my way" fit.
-So your buddies somehow talk one of the "bride to be parties" into going to the chapel with you so you can barrow her stuff for the ceremony. Money may or may not have exchanged hands, you weren't paying much attention during your fit. But it was better than them just mugging the poor girl; which you did hear mentioned. Off to the chapel your buddies, Catwoman, and the hen party all go.
-Your soon to be third hubby takes care of all the clerk details. When it's your turn the clerk gives you a confused look when the bride to be gives you her stuff and looks at the paperwork again. You get to midget Elvis, who looks like a mini fat Elvis, and tell him your walking down the isle and damnit you're getting kissed this time.
-"Here Comes the Bride" plays and you walk mostly straight down the isle and only stumble once. As the midget Elvis is going though the vows you're a little bored after hearing them 2 other times already and look around at your buddies, Catwoman, and the hen party. Your buddies are all smiling. Hubby 1 is standing next to the bride to be and she has tear in her eyes.
-When midget Elvis gets to the "I do's" he looks at you and says "Do you Ross take..." and you didn't hear the rest because it clicked. They weren't calling you "boss" they were calling you "Ross" from "Friends". You're on auto pilot as your comprehending this and just say "I do" when midget Elvis stops talking. You get snapped back into the present when hubby 3 plants a big kiss on your lips and midget Elvis start singing "My Way" as your wedding song.
-You leave the chapel, and start talking to your buddies; well I guess they are mostly all your hubbies now. And find out they were calling you Ross and not boss. Also when giving back the bride to be stuff the tears were from laughter because she was a huge "Friends" fan. The wedding song was in response to the fit you threw before this last wedding. You're offended for a second but then just start laughing at the silliness of it all. Off to celebrate one more time.

-Now for the reason you got kicked out of school. When you got back to UM you went to the legal department to see about a name change. It was just a simple question of what order a hyphenated last name goes. They tell you the maiden name is first traditionally, but it doesn't really matter. When you asked where the 2nd and 3rd marriage last name go in the order. They looked at you weird and said they get dropped/replaced when the previous marriage ends. When you said that you got married 3 times and didn't end any of them they sent you up to the department head because they wanted no part of that trainwreck.
-The department head hears part of your story. Tells you to stop and calls the dean to hear this. The department head and dean hear the whole story, get it sorted out that the marriages weren't "official" by law and tell you there isn't any legal obligations for you. Then proceeds to kick you out of school for getting married 3 times to 3 different guys in the span of a few drunken hours. He called it the dumbass bylaw (not the official name) of the student code of conduct.

ps. Yes, I know I'm weird.
 

BagHead

Registered User
Dec 23, 2010
6,537
3,534
Minneapolis, MN
@BagHead

Well according to my head cannon this was your adventure on how you got kicked out of school. I moved the reply to hear to not take that topic off the rails even further.

-College age you was sad and depressed after spending months in the bleak, desolate landscape that is UM. You and your buddies decide to escape to Vegas for some fun and bright lights.
-Plane ride out there has an Adam Sandler movie for the in flight movie. So things are looking up already.
-Get to the Vegas airport and play the first slot you see and hit a nice $4k payout.
-Get to Fremont St. and check into the 4 Queens. You're college kids so cheap hotel is good, and really anything is better than MN.
-Walk around the Freemont Street casinos loading up on free booze until you're good and toasted. - -Drunken wandering around Freemont taking in the weirdness that comes out after dark, your group somehow ends up with a tagalong woman dressed in full leather (catwoman wannabe).
-That's when you see it. "Get Married by Elvis" poster and in your drunken state that sounds like the best idea ever. Catwoman says she knows the place and leads you there.
-Get to the chapel. It's decorated in the Vegas Elvis motif. The clerk there asks is you want to go to the courthouse first to make it a legal wedding. You remembered that you had recently been to court for a speeding ticket and it didn't get reduced so you paid the full ticket price plus the court fees. So screw going back to one of those places. Then she asks who is the lucky couple?
-You're in a group with a bunch of guys and Catwoman. So because you're rolling in the dough from your airport win. You said that is was you and right before you say Catwoman, in a moment of drunken clarity you think to yourself "I can't marry a cat." Then you remembered the Adam Sandler movie on the flight out and thought "well if it was okay for Chuck and Larry then that is good enough for me." So you panic say you and your "hold my beer" buddy. He looks at you weird so you say "Chuck and Larry". He goes "Oh right, it's like it was a sign" and agrees.
-Fat Vegas Elvis dressing in the white jumpsuit iis standing at the alter waiting. So two you walk up and do the introductions and how the ceremony goes. Your buddy is all in at this point, and decides he wants to do the whole bride thing: "here comes the bride" walk down the isle, carrying flowers, and wearing a tiara (Catwoman lets his use her ears for that). "Suspicious Minds" is what you pick as you wedding song that Elvis sings to you after the "I do's"
-You go though the ceremony (by all accounts it was lovely) and when it comes to the you can kiss the bride it get awkward. Your buddy leans in for a smooch and you stick out your hand for a handshake. Everyone laughs, you turn red, and then laugh. Off to celebrate with more drinks after the wedding.
-While celebrating your introverted buddy says he would rather have young Elvis over Vegas Elvis do the ceremony if it was him. Challenge accepted because he's the guy who never says much of anything. Off to find a Young Elvis wedding chapel. -On the way you're going going though the steps of the wedding with your buddy so he's not caught flat footed by questions.
-Get to the chapel and your buddy and Catwoman go and talks to the clerk. You're standing and joking with the rest of the group excited to watch this happen not paying attention to anything else. Your buddy finishes up the paperwork and grabs you and says okay lets go to the alter. Deer in headlights looks from you and you say "What?!?" Your buddy says it's time and looks at you anxiously. Then you think hard though your booze addled mind and remember when talking about it on the way over everything you said about the ceremony was "we". Your "first hubby" almost falls over laughing and pushes you towards the chapel door.
-On the way to the alter your shy buddy reminds he wants no isle walk, a handshake (no kiss), and "Love Me Tender" for the wedding song. The ceremony went off without a hitch, but it was an industrial feeling to it according to the onlookers. Your second hubby is happy as can be though so off to celebrate again.
-While celebrating your buddies start calling you boss. Catwoman, who is just along for the show and free drinks at this point, mentions there is a midget Elvis that does weddings. A third buddy pipes up and says this is something I have to see. You're weddinged out at this point, and try to change the subject. But your buddies start egging you on: "Come on boss." "You need the trifecta, boss." "Do it, boss." etc. After a few more shots you are felling really good and like being called boss. so you give in.
-On the way to the chapel you pull a mini bridezilla and decide you won't go though with it unless you get a proper tiara and sashes you see some other bride to be wearing around town. You sit down on the ground and throw a "it's my wedding and I want it my way" fit.
-So your buddies somehow talk one of the "bride to be parties" into going to the chapel with you so you can barrow her stuff for the ceremony. Money may or may not have exchanged hands, you weren't paying much attention during your fit. But it was better than them just mugging the poor girl; which you did hear mentioned. Off to the chapel your buddies, Catwoman, and the hen party all go.
-Your soon to be third hubby takes care of all the clerk details. When it's your turn the clerk gives you a confused look when the bride to be gives you her stuff and looks at the paperwork again. You get to midget Elvis, who looks like a mini fat Elvis, and tell him your walking down the isle and damnit you're getting kissed this time.
-"Here Comes the Bride" plays and you walk mostly straight down the isle and only stumble once. As the midget Elvis is going though the vows you're a little bored after hearing them 2 other times already and look around at your buddies, Catwoman, and the hen party. Your buddies are all smiling. Hubby 1 is standing next to the bride to be and she has tear in her eyes.
-When midget Elvis gets to the "I do's" he looks at you and says "Do you Ross take..." and you didn't hear the rest because it clicked. They weren't calling you "boss" they were calling you "Ross" from "Friends". You're on auto pilot as your comprehending this and just say "I do" when midget Elvis stops talking. You get snapped back into the present when hubby 3 plants a big kiss on your lips and midget Elvis start singing "My Way" as your wedding song.
-You leave the chapel, and start talking to your buddies; well I guess they are mostly all your hubbies now. And find out they were calling you Ross and not boss. Also when giving back the bride to be stuff the tears were from laughter because she was a huge "Friends" fan. The wedding song was in response to the fit you threw before this last wedding. You're offended for a second but then just start laughing at the silliness of it all. Off to celebrate one more time.

-Now for the reason you got kicked out of school. When you got back to UM you went to the legal department to see about a name change. It was just a simple question of what order a hyphenated last name goes. They tell you the maiden name is first traditionally, but it doesn't really matter. When you asked where the 2nd and 3rd marriage last name go in the order. They looked at you weird and said they get dropped/replaced when the previous marriage ends. When you said that you got married 3 times and didn't end any of them they sent you up to the department head because they wanted no part of that trainwreck.
-The department head hears part of your story. Tells you to stop and calls the dean to hear this. The department head and dean hear the whole story, get it sorted out that the marriages weren't "official" by law and tell you there isn't any legal obligations for you. Then proceeds to kick you out of school for getting married 3 times to 3 different guys in the span of a few drunken hours. He called it the dumbass bylaw (not the official name) of the student code of conduct.

ps. Yes, I know I'm weird.
This is... you know what, you earned it: This is exactly what happened. I want you to live your life in this cannon.
 
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Wabit

Registered User
May 23, 2016
19,289
4,418
This is... you know what, you earned it: This is exactly what happened. I want you to live your life in this cannon.

This took a long time to type but it was maybe a 2 minute idle thought. I think this is either a really weird DnD campaign that went off the rails, or I'm part of the way done with an adult choose your own adventure book.

Regardless, I will say that everyone on here leads very interesting lives in my head cannon.
 

Wabit

Registered User
May 23, 2016
19,289
4,418
Did his initial interview, then his first technical, now on to his 2nd technical with these guys. Interesting, smaller company doing an interesting thing. If he makes it he'll put in a good word for you, Wabit.

Unfortunately, as nice as Santa Cruz probably is, you'd probably have to make Eleventy Million per year to afford a house there.

So did he get the internship?
 

57special

Posting the right way since 2012.
Sep 5, 2012
48,032
19,747
MN
So did he get the internship?
No, but got a very, very good one at a place in San Antonio. Had a few offers from a Motor Sports concern and Submarine contractor, but ultimately went with a smallish company that has a track record of doing interesting stuff, and treating their interns very well.

They flew him down there to interview, provide housing, fly him there and back, and allow him to take a bit of time off for his Formula events. The other companies don't do any of that. As you can imagine, housing in CA is expensive and a PITA to get, and, depending on the location, transportation isn't good either.

Basically, he's good, and the future looks bright for CompE/EE types at the moment.
 

Wabit

Registered User
May 23, 2016
19,289
4,418
No, but got a very, very good one at a place in San Antonio. Had a few offers from a Motor Sports concern and Submarine contractor, but ultimately went with a smallish company that has a track record of doing interesting stuff, and treating their interns very well.

They flew him down there to interview, provide housing, fly him there and back, and allow him to take a bit of time off for his Formula events. The other companies don't do any of that. As you can imagine, housing in CA is expensive and a PITA to get, and, depending on the location, transportation isn't good either.

Basically, he's good, and the future looks bright for CompE/EE types at the moment.

Good for him. The fly you in for an interview is old school, and I like that.
 
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