Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

henryn

In the oil business, at least for the majors, standard practice is 2 weeks severance for each year of service, with a maximum of one year's severance pay.

28firefighter

Depending on your company, their size, and the size of the reduction, the layoff may be subject to WARN which means they have to give you 60 days notice minimum - other than that standard severance seems to be 4-6 weeks plus a week for each year of service over 1-2 years.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

@jmonroe1 said:

@abacomike said:

@driver100 said:

Are you doing those oil changes and filters early or do they have to be done at 6 months? I know it is wise to do oil changes regularly, but today's engines and with synthetic motor oils should be

good to go for one year or 7500 to 10000 miles.

The C250 goes about 6000 miles a year, and gets an oil change once a year. You can do an oil change as often as you like Mike, but it might not be necessary to do it twice a year with such low mileage.

btw, the C250 will soon be 10 years old late this year and it has 40k miles on it, the dealer said it was just like a new car....which I was surprised to hear from the service manager at the dealer.

I am still under the 3-year complimentary maintenance program. When the car is due for oil changes, I get an alert on my screen in the car - the intervals are set by the service tech based on my driving. Every 3000 miles is about what I end up with.

They use a synthetic blended oil which is why I end up doing it more frequently. When I am off the complimentary maintenance program, I will use full synthetic oil like Mobil One.

————————————————

I can’t understand why a dealer would play around with a “synthetic blend” on their flagship car. The dealer I take my Genny to uses only full synthetic. Regardless of who’s paying.

Your dealer is a true wannabe outfit.

jmonroe

No argument here, jmonroe.

To be fair....one Genesis dealer said there isn't that much different before regular oil and synthetic, they both do the same, but synthetic lasts longer. Regular is fine, just has to be changed earlier.
Not sure if that is true, but that is what a dealer posted on their website.
————————————————-
All oils lubricate and better oils lubricate better. But synthetic oil lubricates even better than the best dino oil. On top of that what is even more important is that synthetic oil holds dirt in suspension better than any dino oil. This means that the dirt doesn’t fall out of the oil and get trapped in places that will eventually clog or slow the flow of lubrication to vital parts of the engine. By keeping dirt and other contaminants suspended in the oil, when the oil flows to the oil filter it is trapped there until an oil and filter change is performed.

All oils do this but synthetics do it best. This is why oil change intervals can be extended when using synthetic oil. However, there is a limit and different car manufacturers choose what they feel is best for their engines.

An oil analysis is probably the best way to determine when oil should be changed but only an extremely small percentage of car owners do this.

jmonroe

stickguy

or you could work for my company. after I think 2 years, you get 4 weeks. and that is the max. after 10 years, you get 4 weeks.

tjc78

@28firefighter said:
Depending on your company, their size, and the size of the reduction, the layoff may be subject to WARN which means they have to give you 60 days notice minimum - other than that standard severance seems to be 4-6 weeks plus a week for each year of service over 1-2 years.

Forgot all about that. Without that regulation when my company went out I wouldn’t have gotten anything.

tjc78

@driver100 said:
The world has really changed. Most of the people I know, who are 60+ worked for the same company or taught or worked for government etc for most of their working life.....and they have a pension that gives them a pretty good lifestyle.

But, these days most companies don't last for 30 or 40 years, and if they do they go through a lot of buyouts and changes.....so not too many people stay with one company any more. It makes it hard to retire with a pension.

These days you have to be flexible and creative, and roll with whatever the situation.
Good luck and stay positive, chances are good you can find something even better, especially in the tech field. Glad you are still here though.

Part of the reason people job hop is to make more money. Internal promotions rarely yield more than 10% bumps in pay, so if you want larger gains have to look for new opportunities with higher initial salaries

kyfdx

Michaell said:

tjc78 said:

During our recent layoff 4 years and below got four weeks. Anyone over 4 years got a week for each year of employment. I personally thought this was a little light, but I’ve heard other companies do similar things.

Thanks - I've got about 6.5 years with this company. Was hoping for 2 weeks for each year of service, but that may be optimistic.

I'll be shocked if it isn't at least 3-6 months.

ab348

Where I worked in my last job we had to do a lot of personnel changes as it had been a govt organization and so had a lot of under-performing employees who were resistant to changing roles and attitudes, and thus needed to leave. We were pretty generous when it came to severance - typically one month of salary/benefits continuation for each year of service up to a max of about 18. In almost every case after a period of time had passed following the initial shock, they were happier in whatever new role they found than they were with us.

laurasdada

henryn said:

In the oil business, at least for the majors, standard practice is 2 weeks severance for each year of service, with a maximum of one year's severance pay.

At least as of my recent knowledge, same for my company. And, I think, there's a minimum of four weeks, for those with 1+ years tenure.
I turn 25 at my company end of Q1, looking back, agreed, likely forewent a more lucrative salary by being "loyal." But, good company, decent benefits. I'm just a creature of habit.

oldfarmer50

henryn said:

In the oil business, at least for the majors, standard practice is 2 weeks severance for each year of service, with a maximum of one year's severance pay.

When I got the boot from the health care company, all I got was left over vacation pay. No severance, no outsource assistance, no pension, just “here’s your hat what’s your hurry?”

Compare that to my current bottom level job where when I leave I’ll have a 5 figure retirement account and where I just got a free jacket for my 5th anniversary.

driver100

mcdawgg said:

@driver100 said:

I didn't mean Mike should avoid oil changes when they are recommended, but I thought that if a Genesis is built to be as good as an equivalent MB, then I thought the engines would be built to the same specs...or close.

The Genesis recommended oil change is;

When it's time for your next Genesis oil change, don't hesitate to schedule your visit with our service center. Here's how you can tell when it's time for your next Genesis oil change. In general, you should get an oil every 7,000 to 9,000 miles or six months, whichever happens to come first.(7000 to 9000 must be for synthetic)

The MB S550 recommended oil change is:

An oil change is one of the most necessary and necessary services for your car. Synthetic oil frequently should be changed every 7,500 - 10,000 miles. Mercedes-Benz recommends getting your 2021 Mercedes-Benz S 550 oil & filter changed every 3,000-5,000 miles for conventional oil.

It seems that Genesis doesn't really recommend synthetic oil unless you drive your car unusually hard or under extreme conditions.

Why are these so different?

Acura: 7,500-10,000 miles

Audi: 10,000 miles

BMW: 12,000-15,000 miles

Buick: 7,500 miles

Cadillac: 7,500 miles

Chevrolet: 7,500 miles

Chrysler: 8,000 miles

Dodge: 7,500 miles

Ford: 7,500 miles

GMC: 7,500 miles

Honda: 7,500 miles

Hyundai: 7,500 miles

Jaguar: 15,000 miles

Jeep: 5,000-7,500 miles

Kia: 7,500 miles

Land Rover: 7,500-10,000 miles

Lexus: 10,000 miles

Mazda: 15,000 miles

Mercedes-Benz: 10,000 miles

Nissan: 5,000-7,000 miles

Porsche: 20,000 miles

RAM: 8,000 miles

Subaru: 5,000-7,000 miles

Tesla: You don’t! It’s electric!

Toyota: 15,000 miles

Volkswagen: 10,000 miles

Volvo: 10,000 miles

And if the oil should be changed at say 7500 miles and you only do 5000 miles a year, why would you have to do it at 6 months?

Nope. Toyota is 1 year, 10k miles, OR 6 months, 5k miles under special operating conditions.

I wonder how they got it wrong. I checked and got:
How often does a 2022 Toyota Camry need an Oil Change?
An oil change is one of the most basic and essential services for your vehicle. Toyota advises getting your 2022 Toyota Camry oil & filter changed each 3,000-5,000 miles for conventional oil. Synthetic oil ordinarily should be changed each 7,500 - 10,000 miles.

But, what I'd like to know is;
If a car can go further before an oil change, like a BMW, Mazda or Porsche, does that mean the engine is built to more exact standards? and,
Some cars have oil changes at 10000 miles, but based on time one could be 1 year, 10 months, or 6 months....what is that all about?

jmonroe1

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

In the oil business, at least for the majors, standard practice is 2 weeks severance for each year of service, with a maximum of one year's severance pay.

When I got the boot from the health care company, all I got was left over vacation pay. No severance, no outsource assistance, no pension, just “here’s your hat what’s your hurry?”

Compare that to my current bottom level job where when I leave I’ll have a 6 figure retirement account and where I just got a free jacket for my 5th anniversary.

————————————————-
That sounds like when you retire your hooptie days are over, right? Think that over…the shock might kill you.

Maybe it’s best that you never retire. Just let someone find you slumped over the steering wheel of rental car one day.

jmonroe

stickguy

It usually means the manufacturer is paying for it and wants to minimize outlay.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

mcdawgg said:

@driver100 said:

I didn't mean Mike should avoid oil changes when they are recommended, but I thought that if a Genesis is built to be as good as an equivalent MB, then I thought the engines would be built to the same specs...or close.

The Genesis recommended oil change is;

When it's time for your next Genesis oil change, don't hesitate to schedule your visit with our service center. Here's how you can tell when it's time for your next Genesis oil change. In general, you should get an oil every 7,000 to 9,000 miles or six months, whichever happens to come first.(7000 to 9000 must be for synthetic)

The MB S550 recommended oil change is:

An oil change is one of the most necessary and necessary services for your car. Synthetic oil frequently should be changed every 7,500 - 10,000 miles. Mercedes-Benz recommends getting your 2021 Mercedes-Benz S 550 oil & filter changed every 3,000-5,000 miles for conventional oil.

It seems that Genesis doesn't really recommend synthetic oil unless you drive your car unusually hard or under extreme conditions.

Why are these so different?

Acura: 7,500-10,000 miles

Audi: 10,000 miles

BMW: 12,000-15,000 miles

Buick: 7,500 miles

Cadillac: 7,500 miles

Chevrolet: 7,500 miles

Chrysler: 8,000 miles

Dodge: 7,500 miles

Ford: 7,500 miles

GMC: 7,500 miles

Honda: 7,500 miles

Hyundai: 7,500 miles

Jaguar: 15,000 miles

Jeep: 5,000-7,500 miles

Kia: 7,500 miles

Land Rover: 7,500-10,000 miles

Lexus: 10,000 miles

Mazda: 15,000 miles

Mercedes-Benz: 10,000 miles

Nissan: 5,000-7,000 miles

Porsche: 20,000 miles

RAM: 8,000 miles

Subaru: 5,000-7,000 miles

Tesla: You don’t! It’s electric!

Toyota: 15,000 miles

Volkswagen: 10,000 miles

Volvo: 10,000 miles

And if the oil should be changed at say 7500 miles and you only do 5000 miles a year, why would you have to do it at 6 months?

Nope. Toyota is 1 year, 10k miles, OR 6 months, 5k miles under special operating conditions.

I wonder how they got it wrong. I checked and got:
How often does a 2022 Toyota Camry need an Oil Change?
An oil change is one of the most basic and essential services for your vehicle. Toyota advises getting your 2022 Toyota Camry oil & filter changed each 3,000-5,000 miles for conventional oil. Synthetic oil ordinarily should be changed each 7,500 - 10,000 miles.

But, what I'd like to know is;
If a car can go further before an oil change, like a BMW, Mazda or Porsche, does that mean the engine is built to more exact standards? and,
Some cars have oil changes at 10000 miles, but based on time one could be 1 year, 10 months, or 6 months....what is that all about?
————————————————
I guess you didn’t read/understand my post. Therefore, you should secretly start doing your own oil changes. That way you won’t have to reveal your oil change interval or explain why you did it the way you did.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

In the oil business, at least for the majors, standard practice is 2 weeks severance for each year of service, with a maximum of one year's severance pay.

When I got the boot from the health care company, all I got was left over vacation pay. No severance, no outsource assistance, no pension, just “here’s your hat what’s your hurry?”

Compare that to my current bottom level job where when I leave I’ll have a 6 figure retirement account and where I just got a free jacket for my 5th anniversary.

————————————————-
That sounds like when you retire your hooptie days are over, right? Think that over…the shock might kill you.

Maybe it’s best that you never retire. Just let someone find you slumped over the steering wheel of rental car one day.

jmonroe

Well, I got ahead of myself. That retirement account is only 5 figures. The big fingers betray me again.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

mcdawgg said:

@driver100 said:

I didn't mean Mike should avoid oil changes when they are recommended, but I thought that if a Genesis is built to be as good as an equivalent MB, then I thought the engines would be built to the same specs...or close.

The Genesis recommended oil change is;

When it's time for your next Genesis oil change, don't hesitate to schedule your visit with our service center. Here's how you can tell when it's time for your next Genesis oil change. In general, you should get an oil every 7,000 to 9,000 miles or six months, whichever happens to come first.(7000 to 9000 must be for synthetic)

The MB S550 recommended oil change is:

An oil change is one of the most necessary and necessary services for your car. Synthetic oil frequently should be changed every 7,500 - 10,000 miles. Mercedes-Benz recommends getting your 2021 Mercedes-Benz S 550 oil & filter changed every 3,000-5,000 miles for conventional oil.

It seems that Genesis doesn't really recommend synthetic oil unless you drive your car unusually hard or under extreme conditions.

Why are these so different?

Acura: 7,500-10,000 miles

Audi: 10,000 miles

BMW: 12,000-15,000 miles

Buick: 7,500 miles

Cadillac: 7,500 miles

Chevrolet: 7,500 miles

Chrysler: 8,000 miles

Dodge: 7,500 miles

Ford: 7,500 miles

GMC: 7,500 miles

Honda: 7,500 miles

Hyundai: 7,500 miles

Jaguar: 15,000 miles

Jeep: 5,000-7,500 miles

Kia: 7,500 miles

Land Rover: 7,500-10,000 miles

Lexus: 10,000 miles

Mazda: 15,000 miles

Mercedes-Benz: 10,000 miles

Nissan: 5,000-7,000 miles

Porsche: 20,000 miles

RAM: 8,000 miles

Subaru: 5,000-7,000 miles

Tesla: You don’t! It’s electric!

Toyota: 15,000 miles

Volkswagen: 10,000 miles

Volvo: 10,000 miles

And if the oil should be changed at say 7500 miles and you only do 5000 miles a year, why would you have to do it at 6 months?

Nope. Toyota is 1 year, 10k miles, OR 6 months, 5k miles under special operating conditions.

I wonder how they got it wrong. I checked and got:
How often does a 2022 Toyota Camry need an Oil Change?
An oil change is one of the most basic and essential services for your vehicle. Toyota advises getting your 2022 Toyota Camry oil & filter changed each 3,000-5,000 miles for conventional oil. Synthetic oil ordinarily should be changed each 7,500 - 10,000 miles.

But, what I'd like to know is;
If a car can go further before an oil change, like a BMW, Mazda or Porsche, does that mean the engine is built to more exact standards? and,
Some cars have oil changes at 10000 miles, but based on time one could be 1 year, 10 months, or 6 months....what is that all about?

I think they carefully calculate how much abuse the engine can take and not blow up before the warranty expires.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

mcdawgg said:

@driver100 said:

I didn't mean Mike should avoid oil changes when they are recommended, but I thought that if a Genesis is built to be as good as an equivalent MB, then I thought the engines would be built to the same specs...or close.

The Genesis recommended oil change is;

When it's time for your next Genesis oil change, don't hesitate to schedule your visit with our service center. Here's how you can tell when it's time for your next Genesis oil change. In general, you should get an oil every 7,000 to 9,000 miles or six months, whichever happens to come first.(7000 to 9000 must be for synthetic)

The MB S550 recommended oil change is:

An oil change is one of the most necessary and necessary services for your car. Synthetic oil frequently should be changed every 7,500 - 10,000 miles. Mercedes-Benz recommends getting your 2021 Mercedes-Benz S 550 oil & filter changed every 3,000-5,000 miles for conventional oil.

It seems that Genesis doesn't really recommend synthetic oil unless you drive your car unusually hard or under extreme conditions.

Why are these so different?

Acura: 7,500-10,000 miles

Audi: 10,000 miles

BMW: 12,000-15,000 miles

Buick: 7,500 miles

Cadillac: 7,500 miles

Chevrolet: 7,500 miles

Chrysler: 8,000 miles

Dodge: 7,500 miles

Ford: 7,500 miles

GMC: 7,500 miles

Honda: 7,500 miles

Hyundai: 7,500 miles

Jaguar: 15,000 miles

Jeep: 5,000-7,500 miles

Kia: 7,500 miles

Land Rover: 7,500-10,000 miles

Lexus: 10,000 miles

Mazda: 15,000 miles

Mercedes-Benz: 10,000 miles

Nissan: 5,000-7,000 miles

Porsche: 20,000 miles

RAM: 8,000 miles

Subaru: 5,000-7,000 miles

Tesla: You don’t! It’s electric!

Toyota: 15,000 miles

Volkswagen: 10,000 miles

Volvo: 10,000 miles

And if the oil should be changed at say 7500 miles and you only do 5000 miles a year, why would you have to do it at 6 months?

Nope. Toyota is 1 year, 10k miles, OR 6 months, 5k miles under special operating conditions.

I wonder how they got it wrong. I checked and got:
How often does a 2022 Toyota Camry need an Oil Change?
An oil change is one of the most basic and essential services for your vehicle. Toyota advises getting your 2022 Toyota Camry oil & filter changed each 3,000-5,000 miles for conventional oil. Synthetic oil ordinarily should be changed each 7,500 - 10,000 miles.

But, what I'd like to know is;
If a car can go further before an oil change, like a BMW, Mazda or Porsche, does that mean the engine is built to more exact standards? and,
Some cars have oil changes at 10000 miles, but based on time one could be 1 year, 10 months, or 6 months....what is that all about?

————————————————
I guess you didn’t read/understand my post. Therefore, you should secretly start doing your own oil changes. That way you won’t have to reveal your oil change interval or explain why you did it the way you did.

jmonroe

I did read your post but I didn't see an answer as to why cars that can go the same miles between oil changes have a different schedule based on times. Two different cars that go 10000 miles, but one should be changed in 12 months and the other in 6 months.

stickguy

risk tolerance. it is not an exact science, with a lot of variables. and a best case/worst case spectrum

so say the engineers agree that 10K miles is the max, making that part easy. but time will depend on driving habits, etc. with 6 months being considered the ultra safe option (keeping even the worst users safe) and 1 year being the "if things go well" option.

it is up to the manufacturer to decide if they want to recommend for the people that are taking care of the car/good driving habits, or the ones hardest on the car. Going short covers their rears better, but also makes it more expensive to do routine maintenance.

makers do somewhat try to straddle the line with normal and severe duty recommendations, but IMO most everybody just picks the normal schedule since it is easier and cheaper.

the technology factor probably has more to do with the oil specified than how the engine is made these days.

henryn

driver100 said:

I did read your post but I didn't see an answer as to why cars that can go the same miles between oil changes have a different schedule based on times. Two different cars that go 10000 miles, but one should be changed in 12 months and the other in 6 months.

The recommendations are based on a number of factors. Not all of which are mechanical or engineering related. There are accountants and public relations people involved as well.

Michaell

More information about my separation package came today:

12 weeks severance
2 months of COBRA premiums paid
3 months of outplacement services paid

I dropped off my laptop at the FedEx store to be returned to HQ
I've transferred my "work" cellphone to me, so I can continue to use it

The separation agreement is 7 pages long and reads like a lease contract; I'm expected to sign and return it soon. I am scheduled to participate in another webinar on Friday; I did submit a couple of questions about the timing of everything. Technically, my "Final Date of Employment" is 1/24, but the COBRA stuff doesn't start until "the month following the Final Date of Employment" - what happens between 1/24 and 1/31?

explorerx4

@michaell,
I believe your healthcare is covered through the end of the month.
My last day was the 15th and that's what HR told me.
Company paid for 3 months of healthcare but after that I was able to pay my COBRA premium from my HSA.
Hopefully you won't run into that.
HR also told me immediately apply for Unemployment, so I was able to collect right away while also getting my severance.
Not sure if that is state by state.

stickguy

Coverage can end on termination day. Best option is don’t get sick in that case. But likely you are covered until month end. Cobra payments are a nice perk.

snakeweasel

jmonroe1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

In the oil business, at least for the majors, standard practice is 2 weeks severance for each year of service, with a maximum of one year's severance pay.

When I got the boot from the health care company, all I got was left over vacation pay. No severance, no outsource assistance, no pension, just “here’s your hat what’s your hurry?”

Compare that to my current bottom level job where when I leave I’ll have a 6 figure retirement account and where I just got a free jacket for my 5th anniversary.

————————————————-
That sounds like when you retire your hooptie days are over, right? Think that over…the shock might kill you.

Maybe it’s best that you never retire. Just let someone find you slumped over the steering wheel of rental car one day.

jmonroe

Sounds like my retirement plan, die at my desk then haunt the place.

snakeweasel

stickguy said:

Coverage can end on termination day. Best option is don’t get sick in that case. But likely you are covered until month end. Cobra payments are a nice perk.

Where I am at coverage end date is dependent on where in the month your employment ends. If you leave in the first half of the month it terms at the end of the month, if you leave in the second half of the month it goes to the end of the next month.

venture

henryn said:

driver100 said:

I did read your post but I didn't see an answer as to why cars that can go the same miles between oil changes have a different schedule based on times. Two different cars that go 10000 miles, but one should be changed in 12 months and the other in 6 months.

The recommendations are based on a number of factors. Not all of which are mechanical or engineering related. There are accountants and public relations people involved as well.

Our washer is not spinning dry again. I wrote down what you did to yours but, of course I can't find it now. Do you remember what it was?

oldfarmer50

snakeweasel said:

jmonroe1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

In the oil business, at least for the majors, standard practice is 2 weeks severance for each year of service, with a maximum of one year's severance pay.

When I got the boot from the health care company, all I got was left over vacation pay. No severance, no outsource assistance, no pension, just “here’s your hat what’s your hurry?”

Compare that to my current bottom level job where when I leave I’ll have a 6 figure retirement account and where I just got a free jacket for my 5th anniversary.

————————————————-
That sounds like when you retire your hooptie days are over, right? Think that over…the shock might kill you.

Maybe it’s best that you never retire. Just let someone find you slumped over the steering wheel of rental car one day.

jmonroe

Sounds like my retirement plan, die at my desk then haunt the place.

Don’t laugh, one guy at work almost did that. He responded to the text for his start time, hung up and died.

stickguy

downside to working from home. If you die at your desk, your spouse has to deal with it. At least if you do it in an office, it causes all kind of drama.

henryn

venture said:

Our washer is not spinning dry again. I wrote down what you did to yours but, of course I can't find it now. Do you remember what it was?

For mine, it was the drain pump. A new one cost about $50, and took less than an hour to install, all in, including disconnecting hoses, laying washing machine on it's face, R-and-R the pump itself, and putting things back together. I found a good video on Youtube, told me everything I needed to know before I started the job.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2_V4YAeWBk

venture

henryn said:

venture said:

Our washer is not spinning dry again. I wrote down what you did to yours but, of course I can't find it now. Do you remember what it was?

For mine, it was the drain pump. A new one cost about $50, and took less than an hour to install, all in, including disconnecting hoses, laying washing machine on it's face, R-and-R the pump itself, and putting things back together. I found a good video on Youtube, told me everything I needed to know before I started the job.


-----------------------------
Thanks. I have to fix it. It seemed fine for a while, but last time we washed a large blanket it was so wet I had to pull it out a foot at a time to wring it out. Then it took a long time to dry.

It's not very old. I really don't want to replace it.

tjc78

@Michaell said:
More information about my separation package came today:

12 weeks severance
2 months of COBRA premiums paid
3 months of outplacement services paid

I dropped off my laptop at the FedEx store to be returned to HQ
I've transferred my "work" cellphone to me, so I can continue to use it

The separation agreement is 7 pages long and reads like a lease contract; I'm expected to sign and return it soon. I am scheduled to participate in another webinar on Friday; I did submit a couple of questions about the timing of everything. Technically, my "Final Date of Employment" is 1/24, but the COBRA stuff doesn't start until "the month following the Final Date of Employment" - what happens between 1/24 and 1/31?

Separation agreement is pretty standard, unfortunately they need to cover their rear end. I am pretty sure that the health coverage runs month to month so your premiums are paid until month end. The extra two months they are giving you is a nice gesture.

Hopefully the network you have pans out and you are interviewing in no time and are placed before the 12 weeks runs out. Fingers crossed.

driver100

When I got canned from my last job after 10 months, they gave me notice on about December the 5th, but my insurance coverage was covered until the end of the month.
Fortunately my daughter had about $2500 worth of orthodontal work which was done around the middle of December.
I took the receipt and bills into the office personally....they didn't seem to happy about it.

Another good thing was I wanted revenge so badly, I went into competition with that company, and I was way more successful than they were, and I took a lot of their business away which really made them mad. I learned how to do what they did only I knew what they were also doing wrong...ha ha

Michaell

There seem to be a fair number of job openings in my field of expertise; I'm just hoping that one of them finds my experience useful to their company. I'm trying to apply to one open position per day.

So, one automotive related story to relate about all of this. The company I worked for was a sponsor (and partner) with the MB Formula 1 team; the company we merged with was a sponsor of Red Bull. For months there was a friendly rivalry between them to decide which team the new merged company would sponsor.

Turns out, the answer is neither. Though, given how thoroughly the software from my old company was used by the team on race weekends, I wonder how that will play out.

imidazol97

I'm rooting for Michael to end up in a good fit new job quickly.

I'm glad I was in the old style employment where people
stayed in a job a long time and changes were relatively few. I always
found a change to be nerve-wracking for me. I was able to time
when I did make changes to fit what I needed--a nicer location,
tired of the past location/people, marriage...

imidazol97

Our son was caught up in the Department of Transportation's failings of the
FAA flight information computers yesterday. He was flying to DC and was to leave
at 0730 and finally left at 1330. Then upon arrival it took 30 minutes for luggage to
appear at Reagan. Rental car folks doubled rate for the 2.5 days car rental over the
3 days his company travel office and he had booked. That'll be another complaint
and argument to get them to adjust the doubled rate. He had informed them
of the late plane. The counterlady was argumentative. He's run into this
before.

I'm not an expert on how the computers were set up, but I thought computer
servers/farms were error trapping with their setups, yet the excuse today
is that there was a corrupted file.

kyfdx

Flying out Tuesday with a connection in Charlotte. This gave me palpitations.

jipster

@driver100 said:
I wonder how they got it wrong. I checked and got:
How often does a 2022 Toyota Camry need an Oil Change?
An oil change is one of the most basic and essential services for your vehicle. Toyota advises getting your 2022 Toyota Camry oil & filter changed each 3,000-5,000 miles for conventional oil. Synthetic oil ordinarily should be changed each 7,500 - 10,000 miles.

But, what I'd like to know is;
If a car can go further before an oil change, like a BMW, Mazda or Porsche, does that mean the engine is built to more exact standards? and,
Some cars have oil changes at 10000 miles, but based on time one could be 1 year, 10 months, or 6 months....what is that all about?

Had an oil change at my Honda World dealership yesterday. My car has 36,000 miles on it. Typically I'm getting oil changes every 6 months, which is usually around 7,000 miles between oil changes. The maintenance minder has my oil life around 30 or 40% when changed. BUT, yesterdays oil change was at 7 months and the mileage interval since last oil change was only 4,400 miles. Thinking was to change once every 6 months. In looking at my owners manual last night, it says to follow maintenance minder OR change oil once a year if maintenance minder has not yet indicated one was needed. That help? LOL

Can't say I'm thrilled with my service advisor. She tries to flirt and butter the ole Jipster up with small talk to get me to buy the service extras. Didn't need a tire rotation, balance or fuel system induction service... pass. Did wash my car for free.
But started raining on the drive home.

qbrozen

oh, the tire kickers. Had a guy come yesterday for the Pajero. He had done his research, asked questions, first inquired about it like 2 weeks ago. Seemed like a serious buyer. Loved the vehicle. Just fawning over it. One last step he wanted to take was to ask his mechanic about it. I suppose along the lines of "can you work on it? and can you get parts?" I'm not sure how that convo went, but he messaged me this morn that he is going to pass on it because he worries about its care and feeding. Weird to come to that conclusion that you could have come to during your research and weeks of consideration and before making the 45-min drive. Oh well.

A few days ago, I did the trick of reading the OBD1 codes through its flashing series of lights. I got 8 of them associated with the TCS light. However, I have been unsuccessful in finding a listing of what they mean. Best I can tell, 4 of them represent the 4 ABS sensors in the wheels. The other 4, however, are still a mystery. Of course, could be I replaced the sensors and all is fixed. We'll see. Wish my lift was here already. Anyway, I figure if I make that light go away, it will be time to auction her off. I just hate the whole no reserve thing.

henryn

imidazol97 said:

Our son was caught up in the Department of Transportation's failings of the
FAA flight information computers yesterday. He was flying to DC and was to leave
at 0730 and finally left at 1330. Then upon arrival it took 30 minutes for luggage to
appear at Reagan. Rental car folks doubled rate for the 2.5 days car rental over the
3 days his company travel office and he had booked. That'll be another complaint
and argument to get them to adjust the doubled rate. He had informed them
of the late plane. The counterlady was argumentative. He's run into this
before.

I'm not an expert on how the computers were set up, but I thought computer
servers/farms were error trapping with their setups, yet the excuse today
is that there was a corrupted file.

Being in the field myself, I have been very curious about this. So far, I have found almost no solid information. One report mentioned a "corrupt database file". Another mentioned "normally reliable but obsolete mainframe computers".

I have to say that doesn't really compute (pun intended). If it's a mainframe computer system, odds are very high that it's an IBM mainframe. And if it's a database running on an IBM mainframe, the odds are very high that it's DB2. I have done a fair bit of work on IBM mainframes and DB2, and I've never seen such a system that wasn't backed up religiously.

All of which makes me wonder if this wasn't actually a hardware failure. If it were a simple corrupted database file, they should have been able to restore from a backup and be back in business in less than an hour. This being the government, we may never find out exactly what went wrong and why they weren't able to fix it in a timely manner.

For truly critical operations, such as pipeline operations where you cannot afford downtime, we used to keep a backup system running with the ability to switch over almost instantaneously.

Michaell

henryn said:

imidazol97 said:

Our son was caught up in the Department of Transportation's failings of the
FAA flight information computers yesterday. He was flying to DC and was to leave
at 0730 and finally left at 1330. Then upon arrival it took 30 minutes for luggage to
appear at Reagan. Rental car folks doubled rate for the 2.5 days car rental over the
3 days his company travel office and he had booked. That'll be another complaint
and argument to get them to adjust the doubled rate. He had informed them
of the late plane. The counterlady was argumentative. He's run into this
before.

I'm not an expert on how the computers were set up, but I thought computer
servers/farms were error trapping with their setups, yet the excuse today
is that there was a corrupted file.

Being in the field myself, I have been very curious about this. So far, I have found almost no solid information. One report mentioned a "corrupt database file". Another mentioned "normally reliable but obsolete mainframe computers".

I have to say that doesn't really compute (pun intended). If it's a mainframe computer system, odds are very high that it's an IBM mainframe. And if it's a database running on an IBM mainframe, the odds are very high that it's DB2. I have done a fair bit of work on IBM mainframes and DB2, and I've never seen such a system that wasn't backed up religiously.

All of which makes me wonder if this wasn't actually a hardware failure. If it were a simple corrupted database file, they should have been able to restore from a backup and be back in business in less than an hour. This being the government, we may never find out exactly what went wrong and why they weren't able to fix it in a timely manner.

For truly critical operations, such as pipeline operations where you cannot afford downtime, we used to keep a backup system running with the ability to switch over almost instantaneously.

I worked for IBM for years, and I 100% agree with everything you said.

There is more to the story...

explorerx4

Maybe it took a while figure out the problem was a corrupted file.
The file could have been corrupted on the backups, too.

ab348

I merely assumed it had something to do with Microsoft.

tjc78

I also tend to agree this was hardware related and there was a lack of redundancy somewhere in the chain.

henryn

explorerx4 said:

Maybe it took a while figure out the problem was a corrupted file.
The file could have been corrupted on the backups, too.

Big time relational database systems, such as DB2 or Oracle, are pretty much self-correcting. Any fatal errors would never have made it into the backup.

explorerx4

It could be the corrupted data was seldom accessed. It's all speculation.

andres3

It turns out a part out wasn't necessary on the S4

Just replaced the front pads and rotors for the braking system, and she's good to go. Fresh motor oil, and a notation that my front control arm bushings might need attention at the next service.

Nearing 57K miles soon.

oldfarmer50

henryn said:

imidazol97 said:

Our son was caught up in the Department of Transportation's failings of the
FAA flight information computers yesterday. He was flying to DC and was to leave
at 0730 and finally left at 1330. Then upon arrival it took 30 minutes for luggage to
appear at Reagan. Rental car folks doubled rate for the 2.5 days car rental over the
3 days his company travel office and he had booked. That'll be another complaint
and argument to get them to adjust the doubled rate. He had informed them
of the late plane. The counterlady was argumentative. He's run into this
before.

I'm not an expert on how the computers were set up, but I thought computer
servers/farms were error trapping with their setups, yet the excuse today
is that there was a corrupted file.

Being in the field myself, I have been very curious about this. So far, I have found almost no solid information. One report mentioned a "corrupt database file". Another mentioned "normally reliable but obsolete mainframe computers".

I have to say that doesn't really compute (pun intended). If it's a mainframe computer system, odds are very high that it's an IBM mainframe. And if it's a database running on an IBM mainframe, the odds are very high that it's DB2. I have done a fair bit of work on IBM mainframes and DB2, and I've never seen such a system that wasn't backed up religiously.

All of which makes me wonder if this wasn't actually a hardware failure. If it were a simple corrupted database file, they should have been able to restore from a backup and be back in business in less than an hour. This being the government, we may never find out exactly what went wrong and why they weren't able to fix it in a timely manner.

For truly critical operations, such as pipeline operations where you cannot afford downtime, we used to keep a backup system running with the ability to switch over almost instantaneously.

From what I heard on the news the backup files were corrupted too. This makes me think that their claim that this was not a hack is as bogus as their campaign promises.

oldfarmer50

Here’s something rotten.

My younger son who is disabled receives food stamps as part of his social security disability. The other day he received an email from what he thought was the government welfare agency which prompted him to enter his information. Long story short, it was a phishing scam and they emptied his account. $1000 was spent on his card in some Sam’s Club in Illinois.

He lives with me so he won’t starve but it just infuriates me knowing that crooks are now targeting the poor and disabled.

jwm40517

Hey henryn. My wife arrived in Houston yesterday only about an hour late. Took off from Lexington on time and a one hour delay in Atlanta . At this time of year we were worried about snow but never thought about a giant FAA problem.
This is her 3rd trip back to M D Anderson for scans each quarter. Everything was good today. She spent 6 weeks there in March and April and was so wiped out from chemo she never left the property.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Here’s something rotten.

My younger son who is disabled receives food stamps as part of his social security disability. The other day he received an email from what he thought was the government welfare agency which prompted him to enter his information. Long story short, it was a phishing scam and they emptied his account. $1000 was spent on his card in some Sam’s Club in Illinois.

He lives with me so he won’t starve but it just infuriates me knowing that crooks are now targeting the poor and disabled.

How low can some creatures go? I won't call them human, they aren't even close to being humans. You would think there could be better safeguards in place too. Disgusting!

snakeweasel

explorerx4 said:

It could be the corrupted data was seldom accessed. It's all speculation.

This is what really happened.

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxEA__jokN-8NyUfAnOcZyPHynUhf_Vm-w