French politics

[Robert Latest]

They could be a lot more productive if they would stop considering
engineers over 45 geezers, and then lament about an engineer shortage
that in reality doesn't exist.

That is so stupid it's almost scary. A mechanical engineer friend of mine
(in his md-40s) runs a small shop with four employees, and three of those
are older than he is. He says that the people fresh from training are
worthless. All they can do is program a CNC, badly, and when something goes
wrong they call the hotline. They don't have the "gut feeling" for the
material any more, and they're terrible with hand-operated machines. If they
show up for work at 8am at all, that is.

So small companies know where to look for good people. Big companies will
keep looking for young losers and lament that they can't find any.

robert

 

[John Larkin]

Not hungry but some countries have already had to put a crimp into some
"social achievements". Health care, welfare etc. A society can somehow
support 10% unemployment but if it goes much beyond that the system
quickly becomes stretched to the limits.

They could be a lot more productive if they would stop considering
engineers over 45 geezers, and then lament about an engineer shortage
that in reality doesn't exist. My layouter is certainly marching onto 60
by now yet he just finished a stellar job. That was after midnight
yesterday. He cranked 20 hours on Saturday and finished about a week
ahead of schedule. I wouldn't be surprised if this guy would still pull
that off when he's 80. Oh, and the (very active) CEO of one of my
clients had celebrated his 80th many moons ago.

I'm 60 and I'm just starting to get good at electronics. I have an
uncle who owns a successful nail distribution business and he's just
taken up designing medical instruments; he's 75.


John

 

[Joerg]

I'm 60 and I'm just starting to get good at electronics. I have an
uncle who owns a successful nail distribution business and he's just
taken up designing medical instruments; he's 75.

Yeah, for us self-employed folks or those like you who own a business
it's no problem. Plenty work work and there'll be enough until we keel
over. But why don't big corporations get it? Not everyone is cut out for
the entrepreneurial path and many of those just sit at home waiting for
the next check from the government, at least in Europe.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

They could be a lot more productive if they would stop considering
engineers over 45 geezers, and then lament about an engineer shortage that
in reality doesn't exist. My layouter is certainly marching onto 60 by now
yet he just finished a stellar job. That was after midnight yesterday. He
cranked 20 hours on Saturday and finished about a week ahead of schedule.
I wouldn't be surprised if this guy would still pull that off when he's
80. Oh, and the (very active) CEO of one of my clients had celebrated his
80th many moons ago.

The long retired mother of a friend got a temp job to help an office catch
up on their back log of typing and other office work. My friend was
approached by the boss and asked if he could get his mother to slow down as
she had done all of the work asked of her - and all of the work of the much
younger women as well. He declined to try!

 

[Joerg]

The long retired mother of a friend got a temp job to help an office catch
up on their back log of typing and other office work. My friend was
approached by the boss and asked if he could get his mother to slow down as
she had done all of the work asked of her - and all of the work of the much
younger women as well. He declined to try!

Happens in all kinds of jobs. We just took delivery of five cords of
wood. Last year the younger driver made it half way up our driveway
which we thought was already really good with that huge truck. But it
still meant 10 hours of schlepping it up with a wheel barrow. Today el
chefe came, an older guy. Vrooom, went almost all the way up, jumped out
and asked us where we wanted it dumped. "Oh, that's fine, you can't
really get any farther." "Sure I can, look, there's still a few inches
for maneuvering." Backed up a lot more and dumped it at the perfect spot
so we already had 80% of it stacked by lunchtime. I asked him how long
he drives such trucks. "Since I was a boy."

 

[John Larkin]

Yeah, for us self-employed folks or those like you who own a business
it's no problem. Plenty work work and there'll be enough until we keel
over. But why don't big corporations get it? Not everyone is cut out for
the entrepreneurial path and many of those just sit at home waiting for
the next check from the government, at least in Europe.

The Europeans, at least the French, seem to believe in a zero-sum game
of employment. They figure that if they reduce the workweek, more
people will be hired to do the work. And if old people are
force-retired, more jobs will be created for young people. And that if
it's hard to fire people, more people will stay employed.

They're insane, of course.

John

 

[John Larkin]

The long retired mother of a friend got a temp job to help an office catch
up on their back log of typing and other office work. My friend was
approached by the boss and asked if he could get his mother to slow down as
she had done all of the work asked of her - and all of the work of the much
younger women as well. He declined to try!

The best employees are older women.

John

 

[Joerg]

The Europeans, at least the French, seem to believe in a zero-sum game
of employment. They figure that if they reduce the workweek, more
people will be hired to do the work. And if old people are
force-retired, more jobs will be created for young people. ...

They were created. In China.

 

[John Larkin]

They were created. In China.

Ha!

John

 

[Eeyore]

Happens in all kinds of jobs. We just took delivery of five cords of
wood. Last year the younger driver made it half way up our driveway
which we thought was already really good with that huge truck. But it
still meant 10 hours of schlepping it up with a wheel barrow. Today el
chefe came, an older guy. Vrooom, went almost all the way up, jumped out
and asked us where we wanted it dumped. "Oh, that's fine, you can't
really get any farther." "Sure I can, look, there's still a few inches
for maneuvering." Backed up a lot more and dumped it at the perfect spot
so we already had 80% of it stacked by lunchtime. I asked him how long
he drives such trucks. "Since I was a boy."

No doubt Health and Safety would have tut-tutted at the "few inches for
maneuvering." given an opportunity. I expect they'd want yards.

Incidentally, I heard a story of a young kid here who was 'run over' and killed
by a vehicle whose parking brake had failed who simply didn't get out of the way.
It was suggested that today's kids simply don't grow up with risk as a factor in
their lives any more and consequently can't react to dangerous situations.

Graham

 

[Joerg]

Joerg wrote:




No doubt Health and Safety would have tut-tutted at the "few inches for
maneuvering." given an opportunity. I expect they'd want yards.

Incidentally, I heard a story of a young kid here who was 'run over' and killed
by a vehicle whose parking brake had failed who simply didn't get out of the way.
It was suggested that today's kids simply don't grow up with risk as a factor in
their lives any more and consequently can't react to dangerous situations.

That also shows a serious lack in drivers education. I never leave my
car unless the parking brake is engaged and tested (by releasing the
regular brake) plus the gearbox is in reverse. Even in our garage. With
a large truck there will also be at least two chocks.

In America cars with automatic transmission typically also have the
feature that you cannot remove the ignition key until you have put it in
"Park". I think some Saab manuals also have that where the key won't
come out unless in reverse.

 

[Eeyore]

In America cars with automatic transmission typically also have the
feature that you cannot remove the ignition key until you have put it in
"Park". I think some Saab manuals also have that where the key won't
come out unless in reverse.

Indeed so.

My 9000 is the only model they made in recent decades not to have that feature AIUI.

Graham

 

[Joerg]

Joerg wrote:




Indeed so.

My 9000 is the only model they made in recent decades not to have that feature AIUI.

AFAIK that series isn't a full-blooded Viking family. Didn't they design
and produce those in a joint effort with Renault and another manufacturer?

 

[Eeyore]

AFAIK that series isn't a full-blooded Viking family. Didn't they design
and produce those in a joint effort with Renault and another manufacturer?

The basic bodyshell is shared with several Italian models (Fiat, Alfa and Lancia). It was
a Guigiaro design. Mechanically it has nothing in common with those cars.

The later CD and CS models were quite different to look at from the Italian cars though.
Even to this day it's considered one of the best Saabs ever, the other contender being the
'original' 900.

Graham

 

[Joerg]

Joerg wrote:




The basic bodyshell is shared with several Italian models (Fiat, Alfa and Lancia). It was
a Guigiaro design. Mechanically it has nothing in common with those cars.

The later CD and CS models were quite different to look at from the Italian cars though.
Even to this day it's considered one of the best Saabs ever, the other contender being the
'original' 900.

Not really out here in the US. The 900 series is considered "the
engineers car". The workmanship is just so much better. Under the hood
it looks as neat as inside a jet engine cowling. No wires slobbering
about etc.

I just don't know why people buy expensive 900 Turbos when the speed
limit is 65mph in most places.

 

[Jim Thompson]

Not really out here in the US. The 900 series is considered "the
engineers car". The workmanship is just so much better. Under the hood
it looks as neat as inside a jet engine cowling. No wires slobbering
about etc.

I like my Q45

I just don't know why people buy expensive 900 Turbos when the speed
limit is 65mph in most places.

Speed limits are for pansies

...Jim Thompson

 

[Joerg]

I like my Q45

Yep, Japanese manufacturers sure know how to build quality products.
Even my wife's Corolla has a very clean engine compartment.

Speed limits are for pansies

And for those whom the insurance agent told "Now if you get one more of
these ticket we can no longer..." I've met one at a client. She said
ticket number seven made her de-facto uninsurable (she drove a souped-up
Camaro).

 

[Homer J Simpson]

Incidentally, I heard a story of a young kid here who was 'run over' and
killed
by a vehicle whose parking brake had failed who simply didn't get out of
the way.
It was suggested that today's kids simply don't grow up with risk as a
factor in
their lives any more and consequently can't react to dangerous situations.

One of my rules is never walk under a hoisted load. If I see a construction
crane working I will try to avoid driving or walking under it. Most people
are oblivious.

 

[krw]

That also shows a serious lack in drivers education. I never leave my
car unless the parking brake is engaged and tested (by releasing the
regular brake) plus the gearbox is in reverse. Even in our garage. With
a large truck there will also be at least two chocks.

In America cars with automatic transmission typically also have the
feature that you cannot remove the ignition key until you have put it in
"Park". I think some Saab manuals also have that where the key won't
come out unless in reverse.

My AMC Gremlin had an ignition lock on the manual transmission too.
Reverse isn't always the proper gear for parking. On a uphill grade,
first is a better gear. This was one of the things they checked
(wheels into the curb and transmission in the "reverse" direction).
when I got my license.

 

[John Larkin]

One of my rules is never walk under a hoisted load. If I see a construction
crane working I will try to avoid driving or walking under it. Most people
are oblivious.

I worked on one project, in Battery Park City (of 9/11 fame) where,
every afternoon, all the union workers would gather as a group and let
the crane operator make a pass over their heads. They would all then
file to the clock shack where they would register for the pay premium
for working under a crane.


John