On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 19:39:47 +0000, Clarence_A wrote:> > "Keith Williams" wrote >> see@sig.com says... >> > "Tim Wescott" wrote >> > > Clarence_A wrote: >> > >> > > > Company will not pay for anything in the SF area, they say > it is >> > > > too expensive. >> > > They're afraid you'll come back with pink hair? >> > >> > Someone presented a $1,200 expense report for a one night > stay: >> > claimed it was because the hotels were so expensive. Wouldn't >> > have anything to do with a pair of hookers? Nah.... >> >> Perhaps they should just not reimburse expenses for "room > service". > > I suspect it was abuse by sales people that got this policy in > place. Diners for four at $900, and renting a Ferrari for a week!Your PHBs totally lost control then. We have a meal and hotel "allowance" that was foisted on us because of idiots like this. Last I checked a couple hundred a night wasn't unreasonable for a hotel room in SF (maybe $150 because of our leverage) and $60ish in food per day. It is one of the more expensive places, but there it makes no sense to arbitrarily make a city off-limits because of a few fools.> But no one will say! Funny too, they spring for a three day > weekend in SD at a nice beach side place for the entire staff with > family, as a Christmas party! But travel is tight!Hey, The PHBs sprung for a day off at Thanksgiving. I didn't see it as that big a deal since we're all salaried. The same work had to get done. We'll see what our bonus looks like this year. Last year I made $10K less than five years ago. I'm thinking about moving on... I've done my time. -- Keith
[Shameless Plug] -- Embedded Systems Conference
Started by ●January 9, 2005
Reply by ●January 10, 20052005-01-10
Reply by ●January 11, 20052005-01-11
In article <10u615vr8iag106@corp.supernews.com>, tim@wescottnospamdesign.com says...> Jim Stewart wrote: > > > Spehro Pefhany wrote: > > > >> On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 12:47:03 -0800, the renowned Jim Stewart > >> <jstewart@jkmicro.com> wrote: > >> > >> > >>> Clarence_A wrote: > >>> > >>> > >>>> "Spehro Pefhany" wrote > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>> "Clarence_A" wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>>> "Tim Wescott" wrote > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>>> I'll be delivering two presentations -- PID Without a PhD, > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> and > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>> Basic > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>>> Control Theory for Software Engineers. More details at > >>>>>>> http://www.esconline.com/sf/index.htm. > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> This being the ESC, they've put the advanced class before the > >>>>>>> prerequisite -- oh well. > >>>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Why do they always have the ESC in San Francisco? > >>>>>> I can't go there, and wouldn't if I could. > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> Restraining order? > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> Company will not pay for anything in the SF area, they say it is > >>>> too expensive. They will pay in Anaheim or LV! I've even been > >>>> allowed to book in Phoenix and Denver (Gun Barrel, CO). Just NOT > >>>> SF! > >>> > >>> > >>> If you think it's expensive to go to SF to see > >>> a conference, just try exhibiting at one... > >> > >> > >> > >> Are they closed union shop like the Eastern ones? I hate having to pay > >> those guy to do trivial stuff. Dreyage, my a**. 8-( And an > >> electrician every time, even if the stuff just plugged in. > > > > > > Exactly. > > > > We've done both SF and San Jose and San Jose was the worst. > > > > Even though the contents of our booth fit in the back of > > our Subaru wagon, we still had to go to the "marshaling > > yard" across town, wait in line, have the vehicle weighted, > > get a pickup time tag, go back to the convention center and > > wait to be unloaded, drive the unloaded car back to the > > "marshaling yard", get it weighed unloaded and get a weight > > ticket, which BTW was at least 200 lbs higher than the > > actual weight of the booth. To add injury to insult, as > > I was driving off the scale, a piece of metal slashed > > and destroyed one of my tires. > > > > Leaving, we just waited for the security guards to kick > > back and then sneaked everything out the front door. > > > > By the time we did ESC at SF, we had gotten pretty good > > at sneaking the stuff in past the teamsters. The trick > > is to have one person in the vehicle, circling the venue. > > Another person meets the vehicle, gets an armload of stuff > > and carries it inside. Repeat until done. > > > > > (Sound of teeth grinding).Oh, that's what that was. I thought it was the sound of knee caps breaking.> I can understand the need for unions in some industries, where employers > can make things impossible for the working man. > > But they sure are a good example of how power corrupts.and as such are obsolete. -- Keith
Reply by ●January 11, 20052005-01-11
On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 03:17:46 GMT, "Clarence_A" <no@No.com> wrote:> >"Tim Wescott" <tim@wescottnospamdesign.com> wrote in message >news:10u30t54ccv3u71@corp.supernews.com... >> I'll be delivering two presentations -- PID Without a PhD, and >Basic >> Control Theory for Software Engineers. More details at >> http://www.esconline.com/sf/index.htm. >> >> This being the ESC, they've put the advanced class before the >> prerequisite -- oh well. >> > >Why do they always have the ESC in San Francisco? >I can't go there, and wouldn't if I could.Why not? It's really a nice place.>The Anaheim Convention center site would be a better choice! >Or even Los Vegas!Flat, boring, and sleazy both. But Disneyland is great if the lines aren't too long, which they usually are. Los Vegas is The Sickest Place on Earth. John
Reply by ●January 11, 20052005-01-11
Keith Williams wrote: IEEE doesn't do Javits in new York, any more. They use Meadowlands in NJ instead. Too many vendors made their intentions never to return to Javits known. Jerry -- Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get. �����������������������������������������������������������������������
Reply by ●January 11, 20052005-01-11
On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 06:58:26 -0800, John Larkin wrote:> On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 03:17:46 GMT, "Clarence_A" <no@No.com> wrote: >>"Tim Wescott" <tim@wescottnospamdesign.com> wrote in message >>> I'll be delivering two presentations -- PID Without a PhD, and >>Basic >>> Control Theory for Software Engineers. More details at >>> http://www.esconline.com/sf/index.htm. >>> >>> This being the ESC, they've put the advanced class before the >>> prerequisite -- oh well. >> >>Why do they always have the ESC in San Francisco? >>I can't go there, and wouldn't if I could. > > Why not? It's really a nice place. > >>The Anaheim Convention center site would be a better choice! >>Or even Los Vegas! > > Flat, boring, and sleazy both. But Disneyland is great if the lines > aren't too long, which they usually are. Los Vegas is The Sickest > Place on Earth. >Laughlin is awfully nice in comparison, but I don't know if they have convention halls there. Cheers! Rich
Reply by ●January 11, 20052005-01-11
"Rich Grise" <richgrise@example.net> wrote in message news:pan.2005.01.11.23.37.30.996603@example.net...> On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 06:58:26 -0800, John Larkin wrote: > > On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 03:17:46 GMT, "Clarence_A" <no@No.com>wrote:> >>"Tim Wescott" <tim@wescottnospamdesign.com> wrote in message > >>> I'll be delivering two presentations -- PID Without a PhD,and> >>Basic > >>> Control Theory for Software Engineers. More details at > >>> http://www.esconline.com/sf/index.htm. > >>> > >>> This being the ESC, they've put the advanced class beforethe> >>> prerequisite -- oh well. > >> > >>Why do they always have the ESC in San Francisco? > >>I can't go there, and wouldn't if I could. > > > > Why not? It's really a nice place.Too much hassle! Too many people, not all are even civil!> >>The Anaheim Convention center site would be a better choice! > >>Or even Los Vegas! > > > > Flat, boring, and sleazy both. But Disneyland is great if thelines> > aren't too long, which they usually are. Los Vegas is TheSickest> > Place on Earth.Matter of opinion. But I wasn't concerned with the stranding attractions. Disneyland is always good, and if the lines are long, "Fast pass" is an alternative.> Laughlin is awfully nice in comparison, but I don't know if theyhave> convention halls there.Only hotels and casinos, I think. Haven't had a reason to go there!
Reply by ●January 11, 20052005-01-11
On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 20:29:48 -0500, Spehro Pefhany <speffSNIP@interlogDOTyou.knowwhat> wrote:>On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 23:59:15 GMT, the renowned CBFalconer ><cbfalconer@yahoo.com> wrote: > >>Spehro Pefhany wrote: >>> <jstewart@jkmicro.com> wrote: >>> >>... snip ... >>>> >>>> If you think it's expensive to go to SF to see >>>> a conference, just try exhibiting at one... >>> >>> Are they closed union shop like the Eastern ones? I hate having to >>> pay those guy to do trivial stuff. Dreyage, my a**. 8-( And an >>> electrician every time, even if the stuff just plugged in. >> >>Isn't it amazing the accidental nightime damage that can occur as a >>result of supplying your own ashtrays (back when smoking was good) >>or anything else. > >Jacob Javits Center? I've never done that venue, but I've heard >stories. > > >Best regards, >Spehro PefhanyI did a trade show booth in downtown San Francisco once; never again. There were union goons everywhere, stopping people from carrying anything and posting violation notices on booths if people were plugging in or even using their own lights. On my way out, a huge guy stood in my way and blocked me from leaving with some stuff on a dolly. False imprisonment, seems to me. Another guy off to the side said "are you a guest in the hotel?" I thought for a second and said "Yes" which meant they had to let me take the stuff up to my "room" (ie, a taxicab). The big guy was pissed. Just after that we did a show in Albuquerque. We shipped the gear to my rep, and he drove it in his pickup truck onto the floor of the exhibit hall, right up to the booth. That was great. Lately, I'm thinking trade shows aren't worth the hassle, at least as a presenter. Even print ads are dicey. Google gets us most of our business (we think.) John
Reply by ●January 11, 20052005-01-11
On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 11:41:35 -0500, Jerry Avins wrote:> Keith Williams wrote: > > IEEE doesn't do Javits in new York, any more. They use Meadowlands in NJ > instead. Too many vendors made their intentions never to return to > Javits known.Good idea. I wouldn't travel to NYC, even when I lived 75mi from Javits. Of course my empoyer wouldn't pay for me to go cross town these days. Which is OK too. Travel is a PITA. Though I do have to say that the *one* time I wished my wife were with me was on a junket to a M$ WinHEC in Moscone. I stayed in the Crown Plaza uptown SF. I looed out of my room down onto the head-end of the cable cars. That week alone would have bought me a lifetime of get-out-of-jail-free cards. ;-) ...andd I would have only paid a pittance for her! BTW, WinHECs are crap. 6000+ windows geeks clammoring to get a peak at BillG was just a bit too much for this stomach. At least Intel put on programs with some meat. -- Keith
Reply by ●January 12, 20052005-01-12
On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 13:46:26 -0600, Richard Owlett <rowlett@atlascomm.net> wrote:>Clarence_A wrote: >> "Tim Wescott" <tim@wescottnospamdesign.com> wrote in message >> news:10u30t54ccv3u71@corp.supernews.com... >> >>>I'll be delivering two presentations -- PID Without a PhD, and >> >> Basic >> >>>Control Theory for Software Engineers. More details at >>>http://www.esconline.com/sf/index.htm. >>> >>>This being the ESC, they've put the advanced class before the >>>prerequisite -- oh well. >>> >> >> >> Why do they always have the ESC in San Francisco? >> I can't go there, and wouldn't if I could. >> The Anaheim Convention center site would be a better choice! >> Or even Los Vegas! >> > >Branson, MO a better choice. >More central location. >Better scenery. >Less traffic. >I'd only have to drive 1/2 hour ;) >Why not Aspen? John
Reply by ●January 12, 20052005-01-12
On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 01:13:34 +0000, Clarence_A wrote:> "Rich Grise" <richgrise@example.net> wrote in message>> Laughlin is awfully nice in comparison, but I don't know if they > have >> convention halls there. > > Only hotels and casinos, I think. Haven't had a reason to go > there!I was at a convention, of sorts, in Laughlin - now that I've recovered from my most recent brain fart, the convention I went to in Laughlin was more like a fair. It was an RV thing, with big pavilions and a lot of outdoor stuff, since, after all, it was a huge RV show. But funner than a rat, and all of the people were wonderful. Casino-wise, I was awe-struck this last time thru. I was coming from Minnesota, and my last stop in MN had been one of the Indian casinos at Mystic Lake. I had finally finished packing up all the crap I had to get out of the apartment by 6 am at about 5 am, and hit the road. I stopped at the casino for breakfast and sleep. But stopped - I had several hundred bucks cash in my pocket, and was able to afford to spend a couple hundred on "gambling". When I was up $400.00, I bid the dealers good-night, and went up to sleep. When I got up, I went down, spent about ten bucks at the "blackjack" tables, noted that the streak had gone cold, and left. Now, the thing that struck me about arriving at Laughlin and playing Blackjack there is, in Mystic Lake they deal "blackjack" from a shoe, and "double-deck" night is an event - it's typically four-, six-, or eight-deck. The suckers never touch their cards, and they're all dealt face-up, except the dealer's hole card. In Laughlin, they play real cards. One deck, the dealer shuffles them with his bare hands, presents the deck to the player, who cuts the cards, the dealer buries the top card, and he deals the cards, face down to the players, and he has to turn one up. You get to pick up your cards and look at them. I like that. Ergo, I like Laughlin. ;-) I've stopped at a couple of California "casinos". Poker? Pfaugh! Cheers! Rich
