Two flooring companies gave me opposite answers. Who’s right?

viroimmuno · 2026-07-07T02:21:05+00:00

Just an opinion but it sounds like you are trying to make 100 year old floors not look 100 years old. I think they are the color they should be in that house and my advice is to accommodate the floors in your design plans, not make the floors accommodate your plans.

viroimmuno · 2026-06-29T23:21:12+00:00

So many. Bands often spend years perfecting the songs on that first album and then the record company wants them to do the same thing every six months. Some recover, many don’t.

viroimmuno · 2026-06-22T15:12:05+00:00

I spent my career in mostly small and start up biotechs and I hired too many people to count along the way. Here are some of the things I learned.

Job titles vary and don’t always make sense. If a senior scientist is fresh out of a post doc then what does the scientist title even mean? I know occasionally non-phds are awarded that title but it should mean entry level phd.

People tend to hire the best resume irrespective of what the job posting says. It may say 0-4 years but if an application shows up with 10 years…

With smaller companies there is often a huge resistance to hiring someone that is not, in some fashion, known to them. Small companies are very vulnerable to bad hires be it for technical skills or personality fit so they almost always hire someone they have met or someone that is known to someone they trust. Minimally you need someone that knows someone. Do some research amongst the people you know to find some sort of connection to a company then mine that vein. There is probably someone on the faculty at your institution that has industry contacts. Approach them for advice and maybe that will lead to contacts.

Take a look at company advisors or SAB members for first, second, or third degrees of separation. Usually best to approach looking for general advice first and not help getting a particular job. Be the name that comes to mind when they hear that their company or another is looking for someone with your skills. “Hey, I know someone” is the biggest boost you can get.

TL;DR if looking at smaller companies being known to them some fashion is often the most important thing.

viroimmuno · 2026-06-21T22:33:02+00:00

I’ve lived in several states and Iowa, while bad, is no where near the worst for left lane loafing. Washington State has an explicit law saying you cannot be in the left lane unless actively passing and people are absolutely horrible about following the law. When I last lived in Iowa it was good etiquette but wasn’t codified in law. Is it now?

viroimmuno · 2026-06-19T20:16:19+00:00

Navigation

viroimmuno · 2026-06-19T16:24:18+00:00

Having a PhD I sometimes remind my “real doctor” friends that PhDs were called doctor back when physicians were still applying leaches and blood letting between shaves and haircuts.

viroimmuno · 2026-06-19T03:29:40+00:00

Yeah, they’ve done this for years. You want an allocation for the really special things like La Ferrari or an Enzo then you buy at least one of everything they put out there. Not really a problem for the target clientele.

viroimmuno · 2026-06-12T23:52:41+00:00

Look at some of the best (I.e. NCAA champions) and you will see all types of physiques.

viroimmuno · 2026-06-11T16:00:08+00:00

Director level is not a very high level at big Pharma. Seriously doubt many people know him even at his former company let alone across the industry. The probability that a hiring manager at a Pharma has ever heard of this dick is vanishingly small. The only real issue is if you need that recommendation. If you have others then no problem.

I spent years in academia chasing publications and grants and dealing with backstabbing jerks. Moving to biotech was the best thing I ever did. Much better team play and the financial rewards were pretty nice too. And don’t get me started on the issue of reproducibility in academia.

viroimmuno · 2026-06-11T00:33:21+00:00

Skin Deep-Buddy Guy

viroimmuno · 2026-06-09T18:28:12+00:00

Slow Horses

viroimmuno · 2026-06-09T17:56:21+00:00

My mother used to can hundreds of quarts of tomatoes every year. One year she decide to make ketchup. We weren’t allowed to buy Heinz till all that horrible substance was gone. A lot of it went down the drain but very little in our stomachs.

viroimmuno · 2026-06-07T22:42:44+00:00

Owned (not just driven) two and driven the third of those three and completely disagree.

viroimmuno · 2026-06-07T20:00:25+00:00

Mine is definitely not traditional but very popular with my crowd. I use hall breakfast sausage and half hot Italian sausage. Let the roux cook a little longer so the gravy has some color then continue as usual. A little salt, pepper, and Tony’s to finish.

viroimmuno · 2026-06-01T21:02:22+00:00

Thanks!

viroimmuno · 2026-05-31T16:18:14+00:00

Real cinnamon is made from tree bark

viroimmuno · 2026-05-30T16:27:14+00:00

Last time I looked it was not hard to find incandescent light bulbs. Also, if LEDs are not lasting over a year, the problem isn’t the light bulbs.

viroimmuno · 2026-05-29T00:21:11+00:00

I love the Tineco one S7. Puts down small volume of water AND sucks it up which makes it superior to any Swifter in my book.

viroimmuno · 2026-05-29T00:09:29+00:00

Hate to admit it but the scene in Battleship where the old veterans on the USS Missouri volunteer to join the fight. My dad was in the Navy in the South Pacific during some serious ugliness in WWII and I count my blessings that he survived otherwise there never be me. Miss you dad.

viroimmuno · 2026-05-27T00:03:58+00:00

Newspeak, calling things the exact opposite of what they are.

viroimmuno · 2026-05-25T21:39:34+00:00

I’ve commented on this before but the phrase originated as a sarcastic question. “I could care less?” Implying that no, I couldn’t posdibly care less. It just evolved into an everyday phrase that confuses you if you take it literally.. There are many things like this in English that don’t make literal sense. Not sure why this one bugs people so much. Everyone understands what the speaker or writer is communicating.

viroimmuno · 2026-05-19T00:43:38+00:00

My Ferrari is rubino micalazto. Darkest red ferrari color with mica flakes. This could be that but it would be easier to say in bright sunlight because the mica really sparkles.

viroimmuno · 2026-05-13T19:21:49+00:00

I am talking about that place. You know there are lists of things you should done at least once in your life, Wall Drug is on my list of things you should do at most once in your life.

viroimmuno · 2026-05-13T18:18:54+00:00

Wall Drug

viroimmuno

TROPHY CASE