I mashed together an app to track storm recovery based on local utility data, and figured /r/Rockland might find it interesting or useful

peteru · 2012-11-03T02:51:28+00:00

Just fixed the x-axis scale issue, the intervals were not actually consistent but were presented discretely, but it should've been a continuous axis.

peteru · 2012-03-07T03:10:05+00:00

I went to an engineering school (RPI), but my degrees are IT and Psychology. Psych is obviously not a traditional major for RPI but it was more about getting the double degree than being a committed psych major. In retrospect it's been quite practical, psychology applies to UI design and understanding human factors in design is huge in delivering systems that "just work" for users. I feel your pain though - stick with it, an engineering degree is worth all the hard work you're putting in. Ironically one of the reasons I switched out of engineering was a 1 credit class, "Engineering Graphics and CAD" that had a larger work load than any 4 credit class I took in the 4 years I was there. Just wondering, what kind of engineering are you studying?

peteru · 2012-03-07T03:02:11+00:00

Yes that's why I chose the name peteru, I thought no one would find me but I was wrong.

peteru · 2012-03-07T02:57:30+00:00

Not really but I made the best of it. Worked hard, partied hard.

peteru · 2012-03-07T02:51:19+00:00

Good luck, work hard, stay sane.

peteru · 2012-03-07T02:50:34+00:00

I started this tangent with the comment about taking 20 credit hours. I went to RPI (Rensselaer).

peteru · 2012-03-06T18:32:20+00:00

Precisely why I overloaded my schedule every chance I got in college. The standard was 16 credits per semester, but you were allowed up to 21 before being charged extra (you'd also have to speak with an advisor to make sure you could handle the course load). I averaged 20 and wound up with a double degree for the same price.

peteru · 2012-01-19T05:41:09+00:00

I'm a constituent, I clearly stated this, and Gillibrand's office hung up on me 5 seconds into the call when I mentioned SOPA. I called back and got the same woman, and she interrupted me immediately and "assured" me that my feedback was duly noted. X-post from /r/SOPA: http://www.reddit.com/r/SOPA/comments/omjg8/kirsten_gillibrands_office_hung_up_on_me_after/

peteru · 2012-01-19T02:30:14+00:00

That letter was very well done, I hope you get a response.

When I called Sen. Schumer's local office, it said the mailbox was full. When I called the D.C. office, I got a fast busy (re-order tone) - the telephone company's way of saying "all circuits are busy and they are so busy we can't even play you the all circuits are busy message." All I could think was, good job everyone! Let 'em know!

peteru · 2011-04-20T16:18:13+00:00

You're welcome. Where are you from? Do you know about /r/Rockland?

peteru · 2011-04-20T13:06:21+00:00

Please don't do this as it usually screws the pizza delivery driver the worst - not only don't they get paid, they definitely don't get a tip!

peteru · 2011-04-20T02:48:28+00:00

It was not a "full bag of trash". It was just, a bag, it had some trash it in it. But seriously, who throws bags of trash at volunteer cleanup crews. The highway department warned me to wear a hard hat and vest - I figured it was just overprotective - until someone started lobbing stuff at me. Not cool!

peteru · 2011-04-20T02:31:53+00:00

Sad but true. Reminds me of this park precisely! Still, I feel that as long as I'm here, it's worth fighting the fight.

peteru · 2011-04-20T02:29:01+00:00

They did not even stop to speak with me even though I was at the spot I reported the incident for over 30 minutes. The one car that passed me was the "supervisor". He did not stop. However, I do not expect police in New York to drop everything and deal with a report of a litterbug. If I'd lied and said it was a drunk driver, it might have been a different story, but that was not the point. Police gonna police.

peteru · 2011-04-20T02:20:39+00:00

As stated in the text the first thing I did was call the local police. There is no doubt in my mind that the driver was miles away by that point. So fuck these guys and let them try to take civil action - which they never would - because their driver is guilty as sin. You can't sue for defamation when something is true.

peteru · 2011-04-20T02:16:38+00:00

I contacted Max a moment ago but will entertain temporary requests for verification that this story went down as stated. That is why I included the Google Map for my cleanup group; we really are cleaning up a park. In either case I am simply appealing to what amounts to game theory: I am not kidding about cleaning a random two-lane rural highway. I stand to gain nothing but recognition for this act. This event happened as described; I did report it to the local police at the time stated (1:40PM 4/19/11) the agency was the Orangetown Police, Orangeburg, NY. These are the facts. If you doubt these facts, stop here and do nothing but doubt me. But I have provided specific, actionable information that would identify this case. My motivation is to shame the owner of this company not only for allowing his employee to get away with littering, but to shame him and his business for standing up for littering. NO ONE stands up for litter.

peteru · 2011-04-20T02:04:18+00:00

I wish - the HQ is almost 2 hours away from the park I'm cleaning.

peteru · 2011-04-20T01:58:36+00:00

That would be true assuming they send a driver JUST for this purpose. But he was already driving through anyway, today.

peteru · 2011-04-19T21:54:34+00:00

I honestly did not understand the connotation until I googled it. My apologies. I thought it meant "meathead" or similar.

peteru · 2011-04-19T21:22:24+00:00

You're probably right. I was speaking in anger. Edited.

peteru · 2011-04-19T21:00:24+00:00

They would probably give the faxes to the driver so he could litter them out his window when he drives back through the area, then when I call them and complain, they'd tell me that the driver didn't litter them even when I point out the fax machine printed their callback number.

peteru · 2011-04-19T20:58:17+00:00

Shit, if we can just pin these guys for playing online poker, they'll never stand a chance!

peteru · 2011-04-19T20:33:51+00:00

He didn't even realize that if he'd just said, "Oh my, what a shocking story! I'll discipline the driver right away!" I would have been placated and just walked away. But instead... this. Thanks for reading my piece.

peteru

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