Gear Grinding 9: I Need a Wine!

[Slap Shot]

One of my managers - in a preemptive attempt to avoid me finding out otherwise - let me know today that he's being boinking one of his subordinates the past 6 months, that co-workers found out about it and are going to expose it all to his wife and Human Resources. If he hadn't told me himself I might have done some things.

 

[Jimjamesak]

PETA and their endless crusade to kill the Iditarod. They’ve been pressuring companies to drop sponsorships with threats of protests and boycotts (it came out today that Exxon was the latest to drop their sponsorship). I can understand the tactic and using it against the nazis but a f-ing sled dog race? **** you PETA.

 

[LynahFan]

I have a friend of a relative who has run the race multiple times. The relationship they have with the dogs is...complicated. On one hand, they take care of them as if their lives depend on it (they do!). On the other hand, the breeding side of the business is much more like a livestock operation. Given that PETA doesn’t like the concept of pets, no matter how well cared for, makes it easy to see why they target the Iditarod.

 

[aparch]

Every time PETA gets mentioned, I think of their "pet or food" advertising campaign, and the universal response people give to it:



Right about .... there...

 

[Jimjamesak]

Sadly this isn’t just dumping on some people for wearing fur, they’re killing a central piece of culture for an entire state. Alaska is already dying slowly as is, to lose something that is as iconic as Iditarod would be devastating.

 

[Proud2baLaker]

Every time PETA gets mentioned, I think of their "pet or food" advertising campaign, and the universal response people give to it:



Right about .... there...

You could switch the rabbit and horse and redraw the line. But honestly, you could even draw it between the rabbit and the dog too. While not super common, some countries eat horse and apparently its pretty good.

 

[Handyman]

My GF had horse in I want to say Hungary. She said it was fine.

 

[LynahFan]

I had horse a couple times in Switzerland - pretty common there. Definitely a little tough for someone used to USDA prime, but it was fine. Basically like a chuck steak.

 

[SJHovey]

Back in the early to mid-1970's, my dad's business partner was looking to buy a horse for his ten year old daughter. The man and his daughter were headed to an auction at a large sales barn and my dad was going with him. I was offered the chance to tag along.

There was a guy at the sale who must have purchased 30 of the oldest rundown nag horses you've ever seen. After the sale, the 10 year old girl approached the guy and said, "mister, you sure purchased a lot of horses. What are you going to do with them all?"

He looked down at her, then ran his forefinger across the front of his throat and said, "Gravy train," then walked away. For those of you not old enough to remember, the old Gravy Train dog food commercial was pretty ubiquitous back then.

That girl cried the whole way home. Classic.

 

[Jimjamesak]

I’m losing my wits because of two companies absolutely pizzing me off.

First, had an accident on Sunday while driving my mother’s car (she’s out of state) where a person slid through the intersection and hit the left front tire. No noticeable damage so we go our ways. Start driving and the steering is f-ed. File a claim, get the car looked at and the adjuster says the damage is not consistent with being struck, I must be lying and forwards the case to a special investigator. Takes two days to finally speak with the investigator and I’m subjected to basically an interrogation (and my mother too). Still waiting on that.

Come home and my cable and internet are shut off. Company technician left a notice on the door. Call the number and get told our service was shut off because “there’s noise on the line coming from your apartment. We’ve been trying to contact you.” Contact us on a number we don’t use, not the main number listed on the account. “The technician rang the doorbell.” Yeah, at 2:30 when no one was home. Ok, send out a technician immediately to restore my service. “Well sir it’ll have to wait until tomorrow” No, I’m not going 24 hours without service, send someone out now. I had to go through three different levels of management before I got them to send someone out. Waiting on the tech to get here now.

 

[RaceBoarder]

I’m losing my wits because of two companies absolutely pizzing me off.

First, had an accident on Sunday while driving my mother’s car (she’s out of state) where a person slid through the intersection and hit the left front tire. No noticeable damage so we go our ways. Start driving and the steering is f-ed. File a claim, get the car looked at and the adjuster says the damage is not consistent with being struck, I must be lying and forwards the case to a special investigator. Takes two days to finally speak with the investigator and I’m subjected to basically an interrogation (and my mother too). Still waiting on that.

Come home and my cable and internet are shut off. Company technician left a notice on the door. Call the number and get told our service was shut off because “there’s noise on the line coming from your apartment. We’ve been trying to contact you.” Contact us on a number we don’t use, not the main number listed on the account. “The technician rang the doorbell.” Yeah, at 2:30 when no one was home. Ok, send out a technician immediately to restore my service. “Well sir it’ll have to wait until tomorrow” No, I’m not going 24 hours without service, send someone out now. I had to go through three different levels of management before I got them to send someone out. Waiting on the tech to get here now.

I've learned from experience that if there is any sort of collision in a vehicle that is not your fault, get the cops involved immediately. It puts everything on the record and will cover your ass. Sorry that your insurance is being a bunch of D-bags, but that is about par for the course for that industry...

 

[Jimjamesak]

And on the cable front, I couldn’t get my service turned back on because my landlord refused to come out and open a maintenance hatch. At 6pm. After I spent almost two hours on the phone with three different levels of management to get them to send a technician out.

 

[SJHovey]

I've learned from experience that if there is any sort of collision in a vehicle that is not your fault, get the cops involved immediately. It puts everything on the record and will cover your ***. Sorry that your insurance is being a bunch of D-bags, but that is about par for the course for that industry...

The other thing that I've discovered from personal experience is to just start taking some cellphone pictures. The other drivers license plate, his vehicle, your vehicle, the scene, etc...

 

[BassAle]

I had horse a couple times in Switzerland - pretty common there. Definitely a little tough for someone used to USDA prime, but it was fine. Basically like a chuck steak.

I had a horse cheese burger in Bulgaria. It was pretty tasty.

 

[LynahFan]

Medical issues during COVID grind my gears, so consider this cross-posted to the Medical and COVID threads:

My father likely had a stroke last night (Rochester, NY), and all my mother could do was load him on an ambulance and watch them drive away. They were able to FaceTime around midnight and he was coherent but searching for words. No visitors allowed at the hospital, so they'll see him again when he is discharged. Ugh.

Obligatory hockey reference: my parents are long-time Cornell fans who went to grad school at UMTC and therefore got to see Dryden play in the 1968 NCAA tournament in Duluth.

 

[Handyman]

Sorry to hear that Lynah.

 

[Slap Shot]

Medical issues during COVID grind my gears, so consider this cross-posted to the Medical and COVID threads:

My father likely had a stroke last night (Rochester, NY), and all my mother could do was load him on an ambulance and watch them drive away. They were able to FaceTime around midnight and he was coherent but searching for words. No visitors allowed at the hospital, so they'll see him again when he is discharged. Ugh.

Obligatory hockey reference: my parents are long-time Cornell fans who went to grad school at UMTC and therefore got to see Dryden play in the 1968 NCAA tournament in Duluth.

Sorry to hear about this and best of luck and prayers for a speedy recovery. And surely bringing him a Gophers hooded sweatshirt when you can finally visit him would be a sight for sore eyes.

 

[cF[Authentic]]

H

I had a horse cheese burger in Bulgaria. It was pretty tasty.

Had a horse steak in Iceland and it was fine, but also was pretty tough to eat both in toughness of the meat and in not feeling fully comfortable in eating it, but still wanting to try it.

Lynah, sorry to hear about your father. It's so tough for many family members who have had these types of difficult events.

 

[BassAle]

;n3640972]H
Had a horse steak in Iceland and it was fine, but also was pretty tough to eat both in toughness of the meat and in not feeling fully comfortable in eating it, but still wanting to try it.

yeah, I'm not sure I'd want a horse steak, but it was fine ground

 

[MissThundercat]

Wednesday, I walked out of work to find a flat tire. Got the tire repaired. Saw the same tire flat again today.