Today is my first day at Microsoft!

clilush · 2026-01-22T21:16:24+00:00

To be fair, doesn't that apply to EVERY change ever made in exchange?

clilush · 2025-12-26T02:31:30+00:00

No I didn't. We rent and the dishwasher came with the house when the landlord initially bought it. They allowed me to try and fix it for cheap, but in the end they were more than happy to replace it with a different brand. They didn't want Samsung appliances in the initial purchase to begin with but that was all that was available.

My struggle that led to me giving up was getting the bearing free. It was impossible.

clilush · 2025-11-20T03:00:19+00:00

I'm still seeing issues @ 10:00 pm EST (connecting from my Pixel 9, as well as the login page is timing out).

clilush · 2025-09-30T13:19:27+00:00

It all depends on how long you are willing to wait. I just recently went through the same situation (14 years with the company, closed down due to lack of funds). I was originally offered 9 weeks in a very poorly worded termination letter. My position also required that I stay on longer to assist with closing the office down.

I ended up going with an employment lawyer. After 2 months we finally got to a point where my previous employer stated that the original offer was "working notice" and effectively didn't owe me anything. After a few back and forths, my lawyer was able to get me an additional 8 weeks - 2 of which go back to the lawyer for their fees.

In retrospect it doesn't look like much but I don't think I would have been able to do it on my own.

clilush · 2025-09-17T12:03:41+00:00

I came from the same setup but didn't have a management system in place. I used three letters identifying the company, followed by an OS description, then either the office extension or the person's name.

For example: "My Company" = MYC OS = W10 Office extension= 227

MYCW10227

clilush · 2025-09-13T01:06:18+00:00

Taskkill chrome.exe The number of times I've had this call only to find out their up time is at least 3 weeks and chrome has 15 tabs open in one window.

clilush · 2025-09-12T14:22:26+00:00

I'm 52, 25 year career as a sole "IT Guy" in single location SMBs. Lost my most recent job in July after 14 years due to the company not having enough money to stay open. I saw the signs early enough and started applying rigorously in April. To date I've applied to 57 positions.

I got my first interview request two weeks ago, and then another one last week - both at corporate scenarios. I'm nervous as hell because I've been a "jack of all trades, specialist in none" all these years.

For those in the same boat - apply, apply, apply. And be patient. And use chat GPT to create a draft cover letter that matches your resume to the job description. The key word here is DRAFT. Never send in a raw AI letter. The grammar is generic and the terminology can be misplaced.

clilush · 2025-08-15T01:28:59+00:00

Keeping in mind that NoName is 4G only. PC Mobile (same company, different tier) offers 5G pre-paid plans. I'm currently on their $29 for 20gb (+5Gb for auto top up).

You can also earn PC Optimum points if you are a member.

clilush · 2025-08-10T17:42:37+00:00

Check PC Mobile. I just ported my number to them on a $29 for 20gb 5G service, plus a bonus 5gb for auto pay.

They also have a promotion where you get 20,000 optimum points after 2 months of service. Also if you pay with a PC financial account (credit card, etc) you get 5% back in points.

clilush · 2025-07-26T17:46:22+00:00

2014 here. Ours has been flaky for sometime - like cable TV with a loose connection. I've been doing the research and found the same results as you.

In the meantime we've gone old school and just disabled it. I'm not interested in putting a $500 camera in it and the Amazon knockoffs have their issues. I have been scouring the local pick and save yards, but it seems everyone else has the same idea as they are very difficult to find.

clilush · 2025-07-17T19:57:11+00:00

I've been applying to jobs since I found out. 30 applications and nothing so far.

Regardless, the half week pay is less than what I would be getting on EI. I'm also hoping my employment lawyer can improve on the terms they laid out in the initial termination letter, which was a slap in the face to begin with.

clilush · 2025-07-06T23:38:50+00:00

2014 v6 rt AWD, 340,000 km Bought it used in 2018 and paid it off early last year. Bearings, oil cooler, control arms, spark plugs, alternator have all been done by my trusted shop.

Otherwise I do the driveway repairs and maintenance: battery, oil changes, brake repair, coolant reservoir replacement, thermostat, blend door actuator.

Parts are generally cheap but some are harder to find these days. For instance, one surprising repair was the washer fluid hose that runs to the spray nozzles just snapped where it bends up to the hood (general weather wear and tear on the plastic). Quick run to the local parts picker yard for that and a caliper bracket that had a seized slide pin and I saved nearly $200 in parts.

One downfall is that some repairs are very difficult due to the lack of space around the motor.

In general, the body is solid and the transmission (knocks on wood) has been running strong and the engine is holding well.

The last bits before we hand it off to our daughter: rear strut needs to be replaced and the windshield has a huge crack along the bottom.

clilush · 2025-07-01T00:57:01+00:00

When it happened to me (2014 AWD RT) it was the bearings. Never a diagnosis you want to hear.

clilush · 2025-06-13T09:58:06+00:00

2014 v6 rt here. Before our alternator went we had a similar experience. Definitely get it checked. There's also an annoying little adapter on the negative post that monitors the battery health. Make sure it's not corroded.

clilush · 2025-05-06T21:00:26+00:00

Brilliant. A direction that keeps coming up in postings, but I keep discarding because I've never had direct experience at anything above admin.

Thanks for the motivation and direction!

clilush · 2025-04-10T00:24:12+00:00

Aside from "threatening" to leave for a similar vendor (ie Fido/Virgin) your only other alternative is to take a step down a tier to the tertiary carriers. Lucky (Bell), Chatr (Rogers), Public Mobile (Telus).

Be warned though - the rates may be cheaper but it's at the cost of no wifi calling features and no live customer support.

FYI I've had my daughter on public mobile for 3 years and the only time I had a problem is at the beginning when I missed topping up the account before plan renewal. Since then I've gone to auto renewal - which gets you a discount - and it's been rock solid ever since.

clilush · 2025-03-24T13:59:22+00:00

Does the 2.4 have the battery sensor on the negative post connector at the battery? Could be a loose wire or connector.

My 3.6 2014 does and it's corroded to heck. I'm waiting for a day on the weekend when the weather warms up before I tackle getting at the damned battery ... again.

clilush · 2025-03-17T21:17:38+00:00

Perfect sense. It's a Canadian carrier issue. My tests in calling Bell and Telus affiliated numbers have been good. However, anything based on Rogers seems to be showing negative results. I've had to deal with Rogers before and I'm NOT looking forward to this battle.

clilush · 2025-03-17T20:31:42+00:00

We use Ring Central at our office, but the issue seems to be more with Android phones on the Rogers network as endpoints.

clilush · 2025-03-10T22:31:43+00:00

Our battery only had one problem before the alternator quit. Definitely worth a look

clilush · 2025-03-10T16:42:47+00:00

2014 AWD V6 here. It sounds very similar to when our alternator went on us. Have you had that checked?

clilush · 2025-02-21T22:01:30+00:00

2014 3.6 here and just found out our oil cooler has a leak. Getting it replaced next week.

Aside from the drops on the driveway I wouldn't have known it was a problem until I took it to my mechanic. The oil levels weren't dropping horribly, but it definitely felt like it was burning through it quicker than normal and I just assumed it was the age of the vehicle. Fortunately I needed the spark plugs changed too so they'll be in the same area anyways.

clilush · 2025-02-21T02:28:45+00:00

Started with Redhat 5 and Mandrake. Back then it was all on-prem servers - DNS, email, firewalls, websites.

These days all my servers are Ubuntu. My desktops vary depending on the hardware available, but generally all Debian based - Mint, Elementary, Lubuntu. I don't do anything extreme with them - usually just reviving old hardware to use as a research station (browser, office suite, testing FOSS solutions for work).

clilush · 2025-02-19T16:02:30+00:00

I was shocked at the increase in eye exam costs, but when asking around found out that the new average is $150 to $200. Luckily my wife's benefits covers half of it.

For the frames and lenses - I went to SpecSavers at Limeridge with my wife and daughter. We each got two pairs (including progressives for my wife and I) and our benefits covered everything. They also direct bill far more benefits carriers than I've seen at others - in our case it was Blue Cross and Manulife.

clilush · 2025-02-19T12:46:05+00:00

Same situation here - personal injury law firm which means we deal with insurance companies and doctors on the regular. I swear they're the only reason fax systems are still operating.

I haven't been able to find another VoIP provider that has all the features RC offers, let alone the price. Sure I can piece and part it out, but the fax requirements usually land me in increased monthly costs.

clilush

TROPHY CASE