Much warmer than yesterday morning. It was 41F at the window, with frost on house roofs.
My replacement phone arrived late yesterday. It was in a plain white box but still had the protective film on the front and back. It appears to be new as promised in the listing. It was certainly reset to factory…
I did get most of my stuff backed up and installed automagically, but didn’t move the sim card or microSD yet. I’ll do that today when I have time to recover from any issues. The display is gorgeous, huge, and bright even though the phone itself is the same size as my S7. The UI is noticeably snappier- things open and close without a pause.
I need to order a case though, my old one won’t fit. I should have ordered one with the phone, but didn’t think about it. Doh.
I better get started on my day. Nothing different from yesterday, with added nonsense piled on top. And it’s already Thursday. Jeez.
n
I need to order a case though, my old one won’t fit. I should have ordered one with the phone, but didn’t think about it. Doh.
If I can’t get an Otterbox Symmetry case for a given phone, I take a look on Amazon. Spigen isn’t terrible in my experience (just bought one for my new Moto E6), and I have an Incipio on my corporate-free Moto G4 Play.
Symmetry is always the preference. I even bought one for my work iPhone at my own expense.
Which reminds me … with the holidays, our usual chain of command is out until Monday, and the higher ups have been ordering death marches which are unusually bad even by our standards. The young’n’s have been especially abused since I push back if something is really insane — I never say no, but I do ask questions, sometimes rhetorical, and that seems to generate discomfort.
The new year has all the state governments eager for revenue streams and management gets the heat. My group has seen 100% turnover in the 22 months since I was hired.
Apple not the only one scanning your images….
Oh, I know, let’s bring them here!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7862003/WHO-Death-toll-measles-outbreak-Congo-hits-6-000.html
n
‘As part of this commitment, Apple uses image matching technology to help find and report child exploitation. Much like spam filters in email, our systems use electronic signatures to find suspected child exploitation.
I’ve posted before that I’ve seen presentations given by Jesse Kornblum, arguably the inspiration for the “McGee” character on “NCIS” except Kornblum worked for OSI and now works for Google (or did the last time I checked).
Kornblum contributed to the development of the scanning tools and hash database while part of the effort to resolve the military’s (then) out-of-control kiddie porn problem. I doubt the techniques have changed much over the last decade (!) since I saw the presentation — the whole *.jpg file is hashed and compared to the database of known contraband files. Matches get flagged for further manual inspection.
Further privacy invasion is still too computationally expensive even for a company like Apple, and pictures do not lend themselves to automated matching like music.
As a followup to my mention of the counterfeit EOTech holographic weapon sight in the auction last week,
https://www.eotechinc.com/counterfeit-alert-how-to-spot-a-fake
The main two to remember:
–A visible LED light positioned inside the sight cavity
–NV push button that switches the LED to a different color instead of to a night-vision mode
n
Palmetto State Armory still has their two part “kit” rifle available for ~$340, buy the fully assembled upper (no FFL required) and the fully assembled lower (will require 4473 and FFL transfer) and pin them together yourself.
https://palmettostatearmory.com/daily-deals-new.html
They’ve got super low prices on the M&P Shield too.
Also, AR500 armor has several good value deals, including BOGO on armored backpacks.
https://www.ar500armor.com/phoenix-armored-backpack-bogo.html
n
From yesterday: JimM, thanks for Joel’s article on Visual Basic development, a fun read. I used to read his site, but had forgotten about it.
Also from yesterday: CowboySlim and others, I have had several HP calculators, starting with the HP-35. The last one I bought was the HP-12C, the financial calculator. By then, I was no longer a designer, so needed just a simple calculator. I was also hooked on RPN. I liked that one so much I bought another to keep at home; on sale, of course. The HP-12C is still available, but has actually gone UP in price, rare for such products. They now sit in my desk drawer, only occasionally used. Using genuine 357 silver oxide button cells, similar to the ones that came with the calculator, is much better than the newer alkaline equivalents.
I was fascinated by the HP-12C’s interest calculations. Back when they were new, that achievement was written about extensively. I even tried to set up a spreadsheet to do the interest calcs, but it was harder than it might seem, especially the ability to enter data and press the key for the missing data. Never could figure out how to do that. I now have the emulator for Android, so it is always with me, although I rarely use it. The Android version looks so real it is scary. And, the only difference is the ability to export programs, which I haven’t tried. Oh, and it is much faster on Android, with everything happening instantly; some of the iterative interest calcs can take several seconds on the real calculator.
Today, I rarely need a calculator, and then only a simple one. If I were still a practitioner, I would learn more about using a spreadsheet for engineering calculations. I have fooled with that, and believe it is the ultimate, especially because of the ability to format and add notes to preserve ideas.
I have a wonderful little book on business spreadsheet design. Rather than rehash the manual or nowadays the Help, it approaches layout and design, keeping in mind that others might use the sheet. Here is my edition:
https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Excel-Spreadsheet-Design-Effective/dp/0135850193?tag=ttgnet-20
This one is dreadfully out of date, but its principles are timeless; highly recommended. Anyone who wants this, I suggest getting a more up to date version. It looks like there are some. Many modern books overlook the really basic stuff covered in this one.
Some say the spreadsheet was the first killer app. I agree, except for email, which goes much further back. Like any good tool, both will likely always be with us.
That last book recommendation reminded me of another favorite that might be of interest to some on this site, “How to Lie with Charts” by Gerald Everett Jones. Here is his web site:
https://www.howtoliewithcharts.com/
I bought this book many years ago, probably on the bargain table of my favorite book store. It is NOT what most people think. Matter of fact, the author could be accused of misleading advertising, but most forgive him because the book is so good. It is actually a serious treatment on how to design charts to faithfully convey information. Once you have read some of it, most business charts will be notable for their violation of good data presentation principles. Highly recommended, even if you only read charts.
@Geoff Powell, some here know I worked as a broadcast engineer for ABC-TV many years ago. Our union structure allowed me to do everything except lighting and telecine. I was aware, even then, about the problem of film transfer to video, but just reviewed it by searching and glancing through some articles. Wow. I had forgotten the complications. Makes calendars seem simple. Another example of retrofitting.
Now that I mentioned broadcasting, where is Chuck W, anyway? Really miss his posts, and hope he is OK. How about just a quick post so we know you’re OK? If anyone else here is in communication with him, please confirm that he is OK. I really don’t want to look for obits; don’t even know if the name he used here was a pseudonym.
The HP-12C is still available, but has actually gone UP in price, rare for such products.
What looks like a classic 12C has been extensively redesigned over the years. The old “Saturn” series (11C/12C/15C/16C) used a proprietary CPU that HP fabbed itself as part of a vertically integrated manufacturing process spread between Corvallis, OR and Vancouver, WA — Vantucky!
Newer 12C models and the special anniversary 15C HP ran about a decade ago are faster and offer field programmable firmware upgrades, but more importantly, HP has manufacturing flexibility to move the factory wherever they can find lower costs.
The big downsides are the rewritten firmware with new bugs and suspect hardware longevity given the higher clock speeds of the modern CPUs. Other than the HP28C/S series, I’ve never seen an undamaged US-made HP calculator fail to power up given the right set of fresh batteries, no matter how long it sat unused.
I’m beginning to notice a trend. There have been more and more articles about celebs or other .1 %ers finally selling their compound/house/mansion/NYC apartment at a loss or after taking a big chunk off the listing price.
I wonder, was the property over-market? Did the celeb massively overpay initially and then set the price too high? or is something else going on that has decreased the value of this sort of real estate?
I also wonder if they are overextended, or otherwise need the cash.
Seems to me that “as the wealthy and famous go, so goes the ordinary Joe….”
n
Thanks youtube!
I had no idea there was a whole sub-genre of music that sounds like the soundtrack to every 80s movie that wasn’t a romantic comedy….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxQWv-p5BMQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEteJhp-Ezs
n
Did not know about this…
“FACILITIES MAP
Rx Open provides information on the operating status of healthcare facilities in areas impacted by a disaster. When the map is active for an event, users can use the Facilities map to search for individual facility status. The Counties map displays a summary of operating status at the county level.”
Over The Hedge: Peloton
https://www.gocomics.com/overthehedge/2020/01/09
The gift that keeps on giving.
I bought mine ca 1989. I think the one I kept at home still has its original batteries. Both are keepers, but have no idea what I will use them for. If they were worth a LOT, I would probably sell them. I have the original box and everything else for one, not sure about the other. Both look like new. Back in the day, I never thought they would be available for so long; they were tools, not collector’s items.
Just looked at them, and of course turned them ON with no incident. One slight curiosity: the display background on one matches the gold bezel while the other background is slightly more silver colored. Never noticed that. Maybe aging?
My first scientific calculator, an HP-35, was supplied to me by my employer. I used it for a couple of years before it was replaced by a newer HP programmable. It was handed down to another employee. I wish I still had it.
This looks interesting, and if true might have profound implications, but wtf is up with the article??
Is it machine translated? AI written?
https://theunionjournal.com/us-colleges-turning-students-phones-into-surveillance-devices-tracking-locations-of-hundreds-of-thousands/
“The monitoring techniques, they fear, will infantilise college students within the very place the place they’re anticipated to develop into adults, additional coaching them to see surveillance as a traditional a part of dwelling, whether or not they prefer it or not.”
—
“Faculty officers give SpotterEDU the scholars’ full schedules, and the system can electronic mail a professor or adviser robotically if a pupil skips class or walks in additional than two minutes late. The app information a full timeline of the scholars’ presence so advisers can see whether or not they left early or stepped out for a break.”
There are a LOT of unusual constructions, and bizarre word and grammar choices…
n
Check out the link to the original article, it’s like they did some sort of thesaurus replace to avoid copyright scanners…..
https://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/us-colleges-turning-students-phones-into-surveillance-devices-tracking-locations-of-hundreds-of-thou-2154310
Anyone ever see something like this before?
A couple of days ago I mentioned that I am not a dog person but that I would be having a dog for short period of time. I also mentioned that the dog was going in for neutering surgery that day.
Although the dog is fine, he had trouble coming out of the anesthesia and ended up pooping and throwing up in the house. Basically a non-dog person’s 2 biggest fears. At least we had restricted him to non-carpeted section of the house just in case there was a problem. The dog seemed as upset about the situation as I was. I’m not going to hold it against him, I once threw up on a nurse after surgery. Anesthesia is harsh mistress.
Yesterday he was back to his normal self and comically bumping into things with the “cone of shame”. He sat quietly on the floor next to me for a while last night while I scratched his back. I think he and I will be able to get along.
Which reminds me … with the holidays, our usual chain of command is out until Monday, and the higher ups have been ordering death marches which are unusually bad even by our standards. The young’n’s have been especially abused since I push back if something is really insane — I never say no, but I do ask questions, sometimes rhetorical, and that seems to generate discomfort.
The new year has all the state governments eager for revenue streams and management gets the heat. My group has seen 100% turnover in the 22 months since I was hired.
Wow, talk about a management with unrealistic expectations. I thought I was bad.
I’m beginning to notice a trend. There have been more and more articles about celebs or other .1 %ers finally selling their compound/house/mansion/NYC apartment at a loss or after taking a big chunk off the listing price.
I wonder, was the property over-market? Did the celeb massively overpay initially and then set the price too high? or is something else going on that has decreased the value of this sort of real estate?
I also wonder if they are overextended, or otherwise need the cash.
Seems to me that “as the wealthy and famous go, so goes the ordinary Joe….”
They are getting ready for the new Federal Property Tax in the USA. Socalled the Wealth Tax, the new federal property tax will impact every person in the USA with assets over $50,000. Even the clothes in your closets will be taxed. The new Federal property tax will be on assets over one billion dollars to start and then rapidly drop the tax level. It will be implemented by President AOC in 2025.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/michael-rubin-on-wealth-tax-134205227.html
I think I found the cure to Android constantly wanting to update stuff. When you see the notification, don’t swipe it away. Swipe about half way and let go. You’ll see a setting gear. Tap that and turn off checking for updates.
I know there’s another way but I haven’t found it often enough to know where.
Lost in menus? Me?
Did anyone else catch this on Trump Iran speech ? “Revealed: The ‘big, powerful and lethal’ hypersonic weapons that Trump boasted the U.S. is currently building that can travel more than five times the speed of sound”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7867745/Hypersonic-missiles-Trump-boasted-U-S-currently-building.html
Who said the weapons war was over ?
Hmm. talking of weird language, you can obfuscate and still be entirely understandable, given context….
https://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/2020/01/09/ingenuity/
I’m beginning to notice a trend. There have been more and more articles about celebs or other .1 %ers finally selling their compound/house/mansion/NYC apartment at a loss or after taking a big chunk off the listing price.
Taxes are beyond ugly in New York, and congestion pricing, essentially tolling all the roads in the city, is coming soon.
I have an unused microwave that is going away. Goodwill most likely. It’s a GE 1.8 Cu. Ft. Spacemaker Over-the-Range Microwave Oven. Model JVM1840BD.
Why? It was given to me a few years ago. They decided they wanted the stainless steel model instead of tacky looking black. Looks nice to me. Anyway, I rummaged around on my PC and found the manuals. Downloaded in June of 2005.
A boxed nuker hiding in the back of a bedroom closet and covered with clutter. For at least fifteen years. Shame on me.
Ok. So lets finally do this. I can move the cabinet above the stove higher. Venting the exhaust through the wall seems simple… the duct would go between the studs. Electrical is a snap, the existing range hood has power.
And….. well, the mounting plate you fasten to the wall is missing. So is the wheeled ring the turning platter sits on. I found both on-line. Best price was right at $100 total.
Hm. Fifteen year old machine. Even though it seems to function perfectly, it needs $100 in parts. I can buy a brand new entire machine for about $175 to $350. (I didn’t shop much.)
You know what? The $59 from Wal-Mart machine sitting on the counter works just fine. Much easier to replace when it fails, too.
I’ll just buy an exhausting range hood from Home Depot.
Fed shredder?!! Not much obfuscatory prefect thereupon. 😉
@paul, I find over the range ovens inconvenient, and I’m tall. My wife is average height, and hates them. Just not worth the hassle. We have always had countertop nukers, and liked them. If you really want to, some can be had with build-in kits, but then, hassle. Could even do a self build-in, but still more hassle. No, just set ’em on top of something convenient and enjoy.
Just my $0.03 XXXX $0.02. Forgot: there is NO inflation. Mebbe expansion? Hey, wonder if paper money will pop like popcorn? Would it be worth more or less?
Back to my normal behavior. 😛
Aww, that emoticon (?) is nowhere near as good as the Smiley it replaced. Try again:
Rats!! Quoting didn’t help. What’s the secret?
“Elon Musk: You’ll Connect to Starlink With “UFO on a Stick””
https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-starlink-ufo-stick
“Stargazers have already mistaken SpaceX’s Starlink satellites for alien spacecraft. Now, CEO Elon Musk says the devices used to connect to the micro-sats will look like UFOs, too.”
“The Starlink Terminal will look like “a thin, flat, round UFO on a stick,” Musk tweeted on Tuesday, noting that users will just need to plug in the device and point it at the sky to access SpaceX’s satellite internet network.”
On a stick.
“On Monday, SpaceX successfully deployed its third batch of Starlink satellites, bringing the total number now in space up to at least 172. It has plans to complete upwards of 20 more launches in 2020 on the path to its ultimate goal of 42,000 deployed satellites.”
These people have a plan.
Hat tip to:
https://www.codeproject.com/script/Mailouts/View.aspx?mlid=14817
Wow, talk about a management with unrealistic expectations. I thought I was bad.
I go back and forth in my head as to whether leaving CGI for this place under the terms offered at the time was a good idea. OTOH, the management situation I left at CGI didn’t change until I turned in notice and they acted in a manner I can only describe as “temper tantrum” with the next employee who submitted their two weeks’.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Trimble-Zephyr-Geodetic-L1-L2-GPS-Antenna-41249-00/174018567525
http://gmv.cast.uark.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Steph_Trimble_GeoXH_Zephyr_Antenna_cropped.jpg
https://optron.com/trimble/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/zephyr3-geo-1.jpg
UFO on a stick. BTDT
n
@jimB, the template for the site changes the emoticons to the emojiis. It does other things too, like removing whitespace in comments, changing double dash to the emdash, changing ” quote marks to the ones that are directional, changing open paren, T M close paren to the Trademark symbol, etc….
: – P
n
You know what? The $59 from Wal-Mart machine sitting on the counter works just fine. Much easier to replace when it fails, too.
I had our builtin microwave replaced in 2018 for $500. And then it failed a week or two before the one year date (the door latch failed to unlatch). After three months of arguing, Whirlpool brought me a new model microwave and installed it.
I prefer the countertop variety now. Cheaper and easier to replace.
The new used house has a 34 inch Jennair natural gas cooktop. It is 22 years old and well used (beat up). They only make 30 inch and 36 inch Jennair natural gas cooktops now. So the entire island countertop will need to be replaced also.
Wow, talk about a management with unrealistic expectations. I thought I was bad.
I go back and forth in my head as to whether leaving CGI for this place under the terms offered at the time was a good idea. OTOH, the management situation I left at CGI didn’t change until I turned in notice and they acted in a manner I can only describe as “temper tantrum” with the next employee who submitted their two weeks’.
I have really slowed down in the last decade. Having a heart attack at age 49 did not help. I will be 60 in a few months.
The wife and I have been married for 38 years now. I am amazed that she is still with me. Very tolerant woman. A lot like her mother whom I loved as a second mother. I look back at myself at age 21 and think “wow, I was an idiot then”. Except for marrying the wife and finishing my mechanical engineering degree.
I'll put in straight quotes if I want to and I won't let a "template" stop me.
Common synonyms for that procedure are spaying and sterilizing. I recently had that done to my new puppy.
However, complying with the current politically correct terminology regarding sex type issues, I state that my puppy was “degendered”.
“Elon Musk: You’ll Connect to Starlink With “UFO on a Stick””
Looks like RadioLabs’ Captifi product line.
https://www.radiolabs.com/wireless/rv-marine-wifi-antennas/rv-marine-high-power-wifi-antenna/
Lots of PR in the last week from “The Real Life Tony Stark”. The budget deal from a few weeks ago left out the heavily-lobbied attempt to renew Tesla’s tax credit and eliminated all EV tax credits in general.
The Tesla credit was due to end on Jan 1 anyway and was down to $1800, but the Nissan Leaf still had the full subsidy.
Nissan is toast.
At some point, people will start fighting back
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/pa-residents-fume-predatory-turnpike-commission-hikes-tolls-6-12th-straight-year
n
“Common synonyms for that procedure”
–also “fixed” although he probably wasn’t “broken”….
n
“Tesla is now the highest-valued automaker in US history (TSLA)”
https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/tesla-stock-price-rally-most-valuable-us-car-maker-history-2020-1-1028804022
“Tesla’s recent rally pushed its market value to nearly $85 billion at Tuesday’s close, making it the highest-valued US automaker of all time.”
“Ford previously held the record, having been valued at $80.8 billion in 1999.”
Unreal. I should have bought some stock when I read about the Gigafactory in China starting construction. Musk and his people do not screw around.
At some point, people will start fighting back
Modernizing the PA Turnpike’s systems is a highly coveted contract in our niche. The Authority plans to spend big money to eliminate those booths.
Toll revenue is increasingly used for other road projects and not just maintaining the actual toll roads. Those of you in WA State should be aware that $30 car tab fees will come at a cost — assuming the law isn’t tossed out by the courts — we’ve already heard from WSDOT about new work.
All that says to me, for a tiny company that makes a niche product, is WAY OVER VALUED, RUN AWAY!!!11!!1!111!!! eleventy!!1
n
Unreal. I should have bought some stock when I read about the Gigafactory in China starting construction. Musk and his people do not screw around.
Wasn’t Enron once the most valuable US company measured by market cap?
The irony is that my wife’s extended family is heavily invested in Tesla at the urging of one cousin’s husband but still complain about how another cousin’s spouse conned them all into buying Enron stock when she worked for Portland Gas & Electric.
As you run away, cash in some of that overpriced stock you bought a few years ago. No, I didn’t buy any, but I did buy some Microsoft near their beginning, and some Google near their middle. Did OK. It’s no secret: don’t be greedy, take profits.
I always enjoyed Louis Rukeyser’s humor. He was fond of saying, “The way to make money is to buy something, and when it goes up, sell it.” Some straight man usually asked, “What if it doesn’t go up?” His answer, with a wink, “Then, you didn’t buy it!”
Please don’t disparage Uncle Lou. He was a successful bond trader, and had the most watched PBS show for years. How did he do it? Few successful traders reveal their secrets, with the exception of Bill O’Neil, the founder of Investor’s Business Daily. Before that, Bill was a successful stock investor. He wrote many papers and books on his methodology. It does take work, but not as bad as ditch digging.
You didn’t say how well they did. Look, there is risk in everything. There are also ways to reduce that risk. To zero? of course not. Leaving money in a low paying account raises the risk of losing to inflation to about 100%. Not very good. Diversification helps, but ask Bill Gates about diversification.
The only sure way to lose is to not play. You get to define play, and to accept the consequences.
An old wise professor once told us neophytes, “Don’t should on yourself!”
Catchy, but true. Don’t look back. Only plan forward. Don’t be surprised if your plans don’t work. Learn why. Repeat. Only risk what you can afford to lose, but after you have all the bases covered, put aside a little mad money. Another prof of mine said that in some years he made about half of his profits from high risk stuff purchased with that mad money. He taught investing, and, judging from his house and neighborhood, did well. Claimed he only practiced what he preached.
Please don’t disparage Uncle Lou. He was a successful bond trader, and had the most watched PBS show for years.
I won’t disparage Uncle Lou, but, in retrospect, some of the regular panel should have been investigated after the first dot com bust IMHO.
And I swear I remember “Kenny Boy” being a guest of Rukeyser at some point, but I couldn’t find anything searching quickly online.
The San Antonio radio station reported yesterday that the city pulled over 100 scooters out of the portion of the Reverwalk which had been closed and drained for cleaning. I wonder how many were Lime’s fault -er- property.
https://www.axios.com/e-scooter-startup-lime-shuts-in-12-markets-lays-off-around-100-d25d44e4-c0f1-4713-9a89-868f4da40e03.html
You didn’t say how well they did.
The family lost all of their investment in Enron.
Fortunately, the extended family have rackets — I mean that in the full legal sense of the word — which generate lots of cash flow. The market is more of a game to them, no different than the local Native American casinos they frequent, but that doesn’t mean they like to lose.
Enron applied lots of pressure to employees to recruit friends and relatives to buy the stock. IIRC, they didn’t offer any other retirement savings plan beyond discounted stock.
Joe Kraus runs Lime? That scam artist p*ssed away a ton of the Death Star’s money during the brief time the company owned Excite@Home.
https://www.gv.com/team/joe-kraus/
Longtime Bob Cringely fans might recognize the name. Cringely helped hype Excite and propel Kraus’ career along with those of his friends, initially profiling them 25 years ago for the original “Triumph of the Nerds”. Kraus was RA on the dorm floor where the real geniuses lived.
Oh, sorry.
I have lost money, too. At least once, a lot. I mostly did stocks in those days, but the big loss was a real estate venture. Was it painful? Yes. Did I quit real estate forever? No, but I did learn and change my methods. I never missed a meal.*
*This is one of those obscure aphorisms about not putting financial security at risk, no matter how good something looks. Everything can fail. True diversification limits the losses (and gains!) To a narrow slice.
This is one of those obscure aphorisms about not putting financial security at risk, no matter how good something looks. Everything can fail. True diversification limits the losses (and gains!) To a narrow slice.
People want to believe and love a good story. Twenty years ago, it was “The Legend Of Jeff, Family Man, Drives A Honda, Wears The Same Type Of Shirt Every Day”, just as much an obvious crock then as it is now, but investors still look beyond the 85 PE and think it will happen again.
I forgot “Carries a Leatherman In Case He Gets Trapped In An Elevator” — from the press clippings included in my interview materials in Jan 2000, the same 24 hour period when Jimmy Johnson quit coaching, Dan Marino retired, and David Letterman almost died. Crazy weekend I watched unfold on CNN monitors in three airports.
“…still complain about how another cousin’s spouse conned them all into buying Enron stock when she worked for Portland Gas & Electric.”
PG&E – Pacific Gas & Electric, California
PGE – Portland General Electric (no gas), Oregon
I’ve been here more than four years now after spending most of my life in CA and still have to think about it even though we get a separate bill for gas from Northwest Natural Gas.
PGE – Portland General Electric (no gas), Oregon
Portland General Electric. My bad.
The cousin’s wife’s name even shows up in the Enron email corpus. Apparently, she wanted a *lot* of money to go temp to perm, and she had no real marketable skills beyond the ability to open a laptop and edit documents with Office.
Of course, that describes a lot of the newer Austin transplants from the West Coast … including many where I work.
No, they had a traditional 401k plan. The difference was they encouraged people to put as much as they could into company stock. (IIRC, the federal regs topped that at 25% of contributions, but employer matches were unlimited and at Enron were all stock.) What got attention was that due to a restructuring of the 401k, moving adminstrators, the plan was frozen from making changes as it imploded.