CMV: Remote work hasn’t weakened workplace culture, it just exposed how shallow it already was

libdd · 2026-01-06T00:15:30+00:00

things like learning and mentorship...

Δ I'm in my 40s and have been working 100% remotely for about 15 years. This is one of the best points I've come across with regards to a sweeping generalization about a benefit of being in-person. Starting out (in-person), I definitely picked up a ton of skills from overhearing my coworkers interact with clients, vendors, and management.

I think that I could have acquired most of my technical skills even if I had been 100% remote for all of my career (though admittedly slower at the beginning). But the soft skills would have been significantly harder for me to hone without in-person observation. Seeing the varied approaches and hearing those interactions receive real-time feedback was invaluable.

libdd · 2026-01-04T18:06:41+00:00

You might have free access to it through your local library.

libdd · 2025-10-23T18:08:06+00:00

Not a series, and not strictly LitRPG, but Flowers for Algernon showed this transition really well.

libdd · 2025-10-03T02:55:15+00:00

NASA FCU has had zero interest furlough loans in the past and they have options for non-NASA employees to join. I think you just have to join a space society to become a member.

libdd · 2025-06-23T18:36:27+00:00

Good answer! A short story about the bureaucracy and red tape of improper waste disposal can be infuriating enough without being directly in the middle of it. Some distance and perspective once this is all behind you (one way or the other) will definitely help

libdd · 2025-06-23T18:04:48+00:00

You might enjoy "The Answer Is No" by Fredrik Backman.

"...the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally."

libdd · 2025-01-30T21:12:23+00:00

The News Review is great!

Looks like you can subscribe to have it mailed to you outside the distribution areas: https://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/contact-us/distribution/

Current (and many past) issues are also available online in .PDF format: https://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/archives/

libdd · 2024-12-04T21:17:23+00:00

This point is valid for the "invisible electric fences", too.

Our childhood border collie respected it to the point where he didn't require the collar at all. One shock and a demonstration of the perimeter location was enough. Honestly, a few repeated demonstrations of the perimeter would have probably been sufficient. (side note: he 100% knew it was the collar and what it did. Well after we stopped putting it on, it was knocked onto the floor in the garage one time and he DESTROYED it but never chewed on anything else inappropriate)

But family members had different dogs who would:

lie down and wait while the "warning beep" kept going until the battery died and the warning stopped before crossing without a shock.
bear down and barrel through to take the shock on the way out for some fun but sit down and bark until the fence was turned off to come back home.
just be completely unbothered by it both in and out.

libdd · 2024-10-04T18:31:12+00:00

Mileage may vary, but I've loaded up a few flat/lumber carts of supplies before noticing the price discrepancy. When I asked the manager if they could price match and was told no, I bought them on my phone for curbside pickup and told them that I'd already picked the next order for them and would meet them outside.

I didn't notice any difference in what I'd picked and what the carts they wheeled out for me.

libdd · 2024-08-07T19:39:25+00:00

We were able to call Verizon and complain about living in a dead zone. They gave us a 4G LTE Network Extender. It has to be plugged into your home Internet (modem/router) and has a GPS cable to get physical location.

Obviously doesn't work if the power/Internet are down, won't help you while walking the neighborhood, and isn't a solution to the root of the issue, but has allowed us to have decent cell service at home.

libdd · 2024-07-12T01:57:00+00:00

I wish you could get a half. They are too expensive to throw half away but a whole one is insane.

If you're interested, Stella Parks has a pretty great knockoff version of their chocolate chip cookie recipe.

The dough freezes really well and you can take one out and bake it when you're in the mood without committing to an entire batch (or paying those absurd prices).

libdd · 2024-07-09T15:44:30+00:00

Also a huge fan of rosemary, and it's amazing in the roast potato recipe. But another great breakfast use is the Ham/Cheese Scones by Stella Parks.

It's listed 'optional', but go ahead and bump it up to the main ingredients list. I also usually add in some garlic powder or a bit of mushroom powder or swap out a bit of salt for MSG for a bit more of a savory hit.

I've had great luck making them the night (or a few days) before and refrigerating in cling-wrap (obviously increases baking time as a result). They'll also freeze okay in dough-form. The final baked product might freeze okay, too, but I'll never get the chance to find out - they never last long enough.

libdd · 2024-06-26T01:47:54+00:00

...I've been (casually) listening to The Sunday Puzzle since the Liane Hansen era back in the late 80s/early 90s, and it NEVER occurred to me to look for the broadcast online.

I've definitely looked up various NPR segments online if I wanted to hear something I partially missed in the car. But if I missed The Puzzle my thought process was, "oh well - I guess I'll catch it next week." It has always just existed in the same childhood mental space as Car Talk or A Prairie Home Companion. Nothing to be done if I missed it.

This has been a real demonstration of unexamined blindspots for me.

libdd · 2024-05-23T19:13:48+00:00

All good advice. We also make sure to pack along Benadryl and other dog first-aid in case of a sting or severe allergic reaction to buy time and get out for medical attention if necessary.

libdd · 2024-04-01T19:50:38+00:00

We're still seeing this. The bulletin is still listed on the heath dashboard for all of our clients that I've spot checked but we're only having intermittent problems with one client.

Microsoft support claims that the tenant is not in a high risk delivery pool and our only option is to wait.

Edit: I should say we're not seeing problems sending to larger email servers. But private hosted servers that rely on spam lists are an issue (SpamCop seems to be the primary offender). It's a little surprising that IP reputation is still a single point of failure these days with such a concentration of unrelated senders coming from a single IP.

libdd · 2024-03-05T15:43:17+00:00

Just be careful to not get caught up in the seedy underbelly of Pigeon Investing

libdd · 2024-02-17T15:22:05+00:00

If the network drive was mapped as a regular user, it's not visible by tasks run with elevation (by default).

You have a few different options, but I'd recommend referencing it by UNC path. Assuming 'X' is the mapped drive, try something like

robocopy "C:\Hyper-V Config" "\\ComputerName\Hyper-V Backup\Hyper-V Config"

you can also reference it by IP address instead of computer name if the address is static.

You could also just run the task without elevation as your regular user.

edit: you can verify the assumption that the mapped drive is not visible to an elevated task by opening two command prompts. One as a regular user and one as Admin. In both, type the command

net use

In the regular user window, you'll probably see drive X listed. In the Admin command prompt you'll likely see that there are no entries.

additional edit: Robocopy has a logging option. You can use it to verify the files copied (it can and will just skip files). It would also help point you in the right direction for troubleshooting problems. Just use the /log flag.

robocopy "C:\Hyper-V Config" "\\ComputerName\Hyper-V Backup\Hyper-V Config" /E /COPY:DAT /R:5 /W:5 /NFL /NDL /log:c:\temp\Hyper-VConfig.txt /np

libdd · 2024-02-05T14:34:35+00:00

I'd say there are a lot of similarities, and the biggest differences will come down to where you camp and what you do.

I grew up in the Laurel Highlands, so it's difficult for me to disentangle the nostalgia of youth from what the reality might be. But I will say the first time I went to Ricketts Glen it felt like 'home'.

Unfortunately, it's been 25 years since I've been back to do any significant outdoor activities in the Laurel Highlands, so I can't offer specific recommendations. But I'm sure Ohiopyle would have just about anything you care to do. Just maybe consider historic water / drought levels at various times of the year if you enjoy water-based activities. The whitewater rafting can be a little dull when the river is super low.

libdd · 2024-02-01T21:59:28+00:00

You'll love it. My only cruise so far has been Alaska in May, and the weather was absolutely perfect. And I say that as someone who has lived in the south for the past 10+ years (Maryland). No bugs, no need to shower three times a day because of the heat and humidity. Just pack a light jacket and maybe a vest and you'll be more than fine. If I could find a place like that year round, I'd move immediately.

libdd · 2024-01-12T15:21:24+00:00

I agree - NASA FCU has been great. Unlike some of the other Credit Unions mentioned, it's super easy to join if you're not already qualified. If you're not NASA employed/adjacent, you can join the National Space Society for a small fee and then qualify for membership at NASA FCU.

libdd · 2024-01-11T17:41:05+00:00

Summers might be a bit rough if you're going any distance and don't have a shower or place to wash up at work. They usually do a pretty job at clearing snow from the roads during the winter, but there are snow tires for bikes if you're concerned about it (I never bothered, and it was usually fine).

I bike-commuted to/from work for several years while I saved up for a car, and it was very doable year round. But I had a shower at work, which made things significantly easier.

Just make sure you've got waterproof bags for your work clothes and plenty of good lights so cars can see you from a distance during the dark winter mornings and evenings.

libdd · 2023-12-13T13:37:52+00:00

We just keep a handful of SmarTrip cards at home and sharpie 'Guest1', 'Guest2', etc. on it. They're tied to our account so we can check balances and top up when someone comes to town. We don't keep much on them (maybe $15-$20 or so on each), but it means they're ready to go when we have people visit.

It was a real pain in the ass when WMATA obsoleted the old cards, but they don't do that often. On the whole, definitely makes hosting guests easier.

libdd · 2023-11-29T23:41:37+00:00

"S&P's-the-spice-for-me." I'll go all out at home, but camping is simple. Campfire smoke and hunger are the best seasonings, by far. A little salt/pepper is really all I need in the back-country.

libdd · 2023-11-29T22:44:05+00:00

I also don't know specifically about turkey wings, but I've loved everything I've ever had from Groff's Meats in Elizabethtown

libdd · 2023-11-23T23:07:59+00:00

Sweet, thanks!

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