Tuesday, October 9, 2012
14 States Held Hostage: Day 3
day to day in your old USWest territory, we are in the office doing our usual tasks. I'm turning up new DSLAMs, if you don't have fast internet, check your options online at www.centurylink.com. special limited time deals if you order while we're still here :-D
Sunday, October 7, 2012
not quite on strike, day to day at CenturyLink
basically in the 14 state Northwestern Bell / USWest / Qwest region that Century Link bought a year ago, CWA and IBEW workers are out of contract, and working day to day. CTL is trying to screw the workforce down to the level of a bad cable company using the Hewitt Associates playbook. no need to retype a lot, I'm going to copy my get'Facedbook stuff because, hey, I got it right the first time.
>> no contract. CenturyLink union workers of the CWA and IBEW are working day to day pending a change in the Bain-ish attitude of the company negotiators. the company's stated intent is to screw down wages to those of the cable companies, directly and by jabbing more healthcare costs. that's a disease going around, the only cure for which is a careful eye by consumers, and a straight Democratic vote in November. if you like Syria, you'll love the USA that the million/billionnaires want for you.
>> The Seven Principles are taking a beating from the company side. Everybody I talk to on both union and not sides in the 14 state region wants to do the best job possible for the customers. We know it's a tough nickel out there and want to win on reliability and service. Had a senior guy couple weeks ago say in a round table that contractors are killing them and they want good stable company employees. The top level apparently doesn't buy that. Time for actions = words.
>> A great deal of blame should go to Hewitt Associates. The celebrated union-buster was brought in by Qwest to run benefits (!) and kept by CTL. Fox in the henhouse. And they can't be there unless they were let in for a reason.
>> CTL is still shaky with Hewitt disease. Day to day. They're crazy to push everybody not face to face with customers below $8 an hour. Here are some numbers... salary packages are 60% of costs. The 13,000 "classic Qwest " workers, out of 50,000 total CTL staff, get under 40% of that 60%. That looks pretty close to parity to me head to head.
>> not only do they want to two-tier many of the workforces (to create internal tension between workers) but they've just proposed to hack the old-timers another $300 a week to boot. I don't think this day-to-day thing is going to last that long.
nothing has changed in two days on either side of the contract expiration. so, business as usual Monday. no guarantee for any other day.
>> no contract. CenturyLink union workers of the CWA and IBEW are working day to day pending a change in the Bain-ish attitude of the company negotiators. the company's stated intent is to screw down wages to those of the cable companies, directly and by jabbing more healthcare costs. that's a disease going around, the only cure for which is a careful eye by consumers, and a straight Democratic vote in November. if you like Syria, you'll love the USA that the million/billionnaires want for you.
>> The Seven Principles are taking a beating from the company side. Everybody I talk to on both union and not sides in the 14 state region wants to do the best job possible for the customers. We know it's a tough nickel out there and want to win on reliability and service. Had a senior guy couple weeks ago say in a round table that contractors are killing them and they want good stable company employees. The top level apparently doesn't buy that. Time for actions = words.
>> A great deal of blame should go to Hewitt Associates. The celebrated union-buster was brought in by Qwest to run benefits (!) and kept by CTL. Fox in the henhouse. And they can't be there unless they were let in for a reason.
>> CTL is still shaky with Hewitt disease. Day to day. They're crazy to push everybody not face to face with customers below $8 an hour. Here are some numbers... salary packages are 60% of costs. The 13,000 "classic Qwest " workers, out of 50,000 total CTL staff, get under 40% of that 60%. That looks pretty close to parity to me head to head.
>> not only do they want to two-tier many of the workforces (to create internal tension between workers) but they've just proposed to hack the old-timers another $300 a week to boot. I don't think this day-to-day thing is going to last that long.
nothing has changed in two days on either side of the contract expiration. so, business as usual Monday. no guarantee for any other day.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
cars suck. repairs suck. until it's done, then I am a genius and you should all throw money
the dashboard is back together (well, radio is still out) and clean as a whistle. hope replacing that $25 blend door motor fixes the heat issues. for those who like their Great American Novels finished, not just published... had everything off to the dash, it should have kicked loose. guessed right on the wide-stud shoulder issue. a few days of penetrating oil, jam a WonderBar up under the dash frame and some taps with a 2-1/2 pound cross-pein hammer, and pop! -- it's off. still couldn't find the control even after cutting a hand hole in the dash which is under a trim cover, so I finally got a good excuse to get a fiber-optic inspection camera. what was $250 for Ridgid at the Depot three years ago is $80 with a newspaper coupon at Harbor Freight. works well... really, they are cellphone parts in a different housing, so it's not serious engineering.
I also decided to replace a lock solenoid for the driver's door while I'm gutting things. problem I found after I took the door panel off is that I put the windows down for access... and the glass keeps me from getting to the solenoid. so tonight instead of falling asleep to The Denver Zingers Hour! starring Jim Lehrer, with special guests Willard and Barack, I will reconnect the battery and run up the window.
if it all goes well, we will escape to Cold Stone to celebrate.
if it bites... like for instance, if a cable got pinched and the car burns up... we push it into the street and call 911. I don't expect that. but being an old systems manager, I anticipate the possibility. the garage door will be up, the tranny in neutral, and the wheel chocks moved to one only on the easily-kicked side.
the radio, converted to a Kenwood that does iPhone, is a beast to get in, with all the converter connectors and such. it goes in this weekend, probably.
I also decided to replace a lock solenoid for the driver's door while I'm gutting things. problem I found after I took the door panel off is that I put the windows down for access... and the glass keeps me from getting to the solenoid. so tonight instead of falling asleep to The Denver Zingers Hour! starring Jim Lehrer, with special guests Willard and Barack, I will reconnect the battery and run up the window.
if it all goes well, we will escape to Cold Stone to celebrate.
if it bites... like for instance, if a cable got pinched and the car burns up... we push it into the street and call 911. I don't expect that. but being an old systems manager, I anticipate the possibility. the garage door will be up, the tranny in neutral, and the wheel chocks moved to one only on the easily-kicked side.
the radio, converted to a Kenwood that does iPhone, is a beast to get in, with all the converter connectors and such. it goes in this weekend, probably.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Harpooning the Whale
Aye, mateys, 'tis a difficult thing to get to the White Whale. 'Tis even tougher to bring 'im in.
The Great American Story is trying to get to failed parts on cars. If you can reach 'em, you can replace 'em.
at this point, I have everything taken apart on the dashboard of The Great White Whale to take it out, except the wiring harnesses to the engine compartment. there is enough slack there to pull the dash out half a foot and replace the darned heat control motor that is failed out.
but Captain, she will not rrrelease.
it would appear that a stud through the chassis has a shoulder next to the A pillar too wide to come out of the dash slot, and initial assembly cranked it over there so tight it's practically swaged onto the stud. seeking help from the Edmunds forums.
meanwhile, down to one car.
The Great American Story is trying to get to failed parts on cars. If you can reach 'em, you can replace 'em.
at this point, I have everything taken apart on the dashboard of The Great White Whale to take it out, except the wiring harnesses to the engine compartment. there is enough slack there to pull the dash out half a foot and replace the darned heat control motor that is failed out.
but Captain, she will not rrrelease.
it would appear that a stud through the chassis has a shoulder next to the A pillar too wide to come out of the dash slot, and initial assembly cranked it over there so tight it's practically swaged onto the stud. seeking help from the Edmunds forums.
meanwhile, down to one car.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
It's been a quiet couple of weeks at Lake Woebegon...
.. but that's another writer, and no good reason to draw adverse reactions.
what's up has been chasing issues with The Great White Whale. fine upper-body exercise. tore out the steering flibberbegibbets from the Pitman arm to the steering knuckles and replaced it all with greaseable components. the idler arm that anchors the other end of the cross-car steering bar was all rust and the right lower ball joint, on which up to 70 percent of all the car's force rests during some turns, had no grease... was packed full of fine black dust, though.
these parts were originals to the car with the Ford stamp. after 208,000 miles, you can expect some wear ;)
car was nearly uncontrollable, had to be done. got it down the road for alignment, all that's left is a little steering wheel wobble that is endemic to the Crown Vic / Grand Marquis, a signature feature.
next up: no heat in the winter but plenty of cold... no cooling in the summer but 140 degree air coming out the dash cowls. the culprit, since it appears the EVAC computer should be working, is a $27 part (OEM is $85) that sits on the top of the plenum under the dash to control a damper door selecting between heater air and a/c air supplies. unreachable, of course.
it is alleged by hacks that you can rip the airbag, take out ductwork, and sorta maybe get to the blend door actuator through that pathway. well, the duct screws face the damn wrong freakin way, and you can't get the ol' Yankee ratchet right angle screwdriver to them. or any of my other wacko right-angle tools.
so, the dashboard is coming out. 38-odd steps per Chilton. big-ass 15mm socket bolts and nuts among other fasteners. got seven Ziplocs of screws from this place and that on top of the car, and the left side isn't moving.
appears I have to drop the steering column. four bolts to remove with that thing over your head, and three wiring connectors. DO NOT TURN THE WHEEL it implores.
so that goes down on the weekend when Cheryl can help.
ETA to replace the controller that's failed out (and generally does) once the dash is out of the freaking way... 3 minutes.
bastards. why don't they have a repairability engineer at any of these car companies?
what's up has been chasing issues with The Great White Whale. fine upper-body exercise. tore out the steering flibberbegibbets from the Pitman arm to the steering knuckles and replaced it all with greaseable components. the idler arm that anchors the other end of the cross-car steering bar was all rust and the right lower ball joint, on which up to 70 percent of all the car's force rests during some turns, had no grease... was packed full of fine black dust, though.
these parts were originals to the car with the Ford stamp. after 208,000 miles, you can expect some wear ;)
car was nearly uncontrollable, had to be done. got it down the road for alignment, all that's left is a little steering wheel wobble that is endemic to the Crown Vic / Grand Marquis, a signature feature.
next up: no heat in the winter but plenty of cold... no cooling in the summer but 140 degree air coming out the dash cowls. the culprit, since it appears the EVAC computer should be working, is a $27 part (OEM is $85) that sits on the top of the plenum under the dash to control a damper door selecting between heater air and a/c air supplies. unreachable, of course.
it is alleged by hacks that you can rip the airbag, take out ductwork, and sorta maybe get to the blend door actuator through that pathway. well, the duct screws face the damn wrong freakin way, and you can't get the ol' Yankee ratchet right angle screwdriver to them. or any of my other wacko right-angle tools.
so, the dashboard is coming out. 38-odd steps per Chilton. big-ass 15mm socket bolts and nuts among other fasteners. got seven Ziplocs of screws from this place and that on top of the car, and the left side isn't moving.
appears I have to drop the steering column. four bolts to remove with that thing over your head, and three wiring connectors. DO NOT TURN THE WHEEL it implores.
so that goes down on the weekend when Cheryl can help.
ETA to replace the controller that's failed out (and generally does) once the dash is out of the freaking way... 3 minutes.
bastards. why don't they have a repairability engineer at any of these car companies?
Sunday, August 26, 2012
"Hi, I'm Clippy. I see you want to start your car. Can I help?"
so we got done installing lawn signs for a candidate, and we've had our "atta boy" lunch, and go out to the car.
starts fine. won't go into gear. at all. the cosmic welder has zapped the shifter.
you must understand that GM and Ford have adhered for decades to the idea that you must not go into gear unless your foot is on the brake, and thus have shift interlock systems. if you high brake lights go out, you are sitting there until you replace them.
or a wiring harness diode has quit. that's a no-fun job getting to them.
or a computer is constipated and won't let the bits pass and unlock the shifter.
or the feedback switch on the shift controller is not working.
or this or that or the other thing. fah. just shoot me.
if the dash was electronic, I would expect to see everybody's favorite impediment, Clippy.
after the well-meaning came by to look and mutter and walk away, and I cleaned some connector contacts and gave a little sorta-love tap to the shift control shaft, and nothing worked... I cried uncle. opened the manual. looked up "brake interlock." page 86 if you have a jelly-bean Taurus.
most automakers have a cheat mode for most of the things that will keep you from driving to the dealership and dumping more money than your mortgage for basically nothing done. in this case, it's a Village People routine that involves stomping the emergency brake down, shutting off the car, turning the key to off-unlocked position, shifting to neutral, and then starting and getting out of the way on your own power. got the rhythmn down in 5 tries.
it hasn't failed again.
son #2 says if the manual trick doesn't work, best to disconnect the car battery for the usual deprogramming time (mostly 20 to 30 minutes) and trying again when the computer has fully drained its states and is back to a cold ROM restart.
for everybody who is NOT a safety nazi, first thing you need to do is check to see if the high brake lights work when you hit the pedal. if not, start with bulbs. you may be able to swipe a bulb from under the hood, or the trunk light, or one of the courtesy lights inside, to get you by until you can get the right bulbs.
starts fine. won't go into gear. at all. the cosmic welder has zapped the shifter.
you must understand that GM and Ford have adhered for decades to the idea that you must not go into gear unless your foot is on the brake, and thus have shift interlock systems. if you high brake lights go out, you are sitting there until you replace them.
or a wiring harness diode has quit. that's a no-fun job getting to them.
or a computer is constipated and won't let the bits pass and unlock the shifter.
or the feedback switch on the shift controller is not working.
or this or that or the other thing. fah. just shoot me.
if the dash was electronic, I would expect to see everybody's favorite impediment, Clippy.
after the well-meaning came by to look and mutter and walk away, and I cleaned some connector contacts and gave a little sorta-love tap to the shift control shaft, and nothing worked... I cried uncle. opened the manual. looked up "brake interlock." page 86 if you have a jelly-bean Taurus.
most automakers have a cheat mode for most of the things that will keep you from driving to the dealership and dumping more money than your mortgage for basically nothing done. in this case, it's a Village People routine that involves stomping the emergency brake down, shutting off the car, turning the key to off-unlocked position, shifting to neutral, and then starting and getting out of the way on your own power. got the rhythmn down in 5 tries.
it hasn't failed again.
son #2 says if the manual trick doesn't work, best to disconnect the car battery for the usual deprogramming time (mostly 20 to 30 minutes) and trying again when the computer has fully drained its states and is back to a cold ROM restart.
for everybody who is NOT a safety nazi, first thing you need to do is check to see if the high brake lights work when you hit the pedal. if not, start with bulbs. you may be able to swipe a bulb from under the hood, or the trunk light, or one of the courtesy lights inside, to get you by until you can get the right bulbs.
Heckuva job, Brownie...
collecting the sound bites as the GOP is bunching up the balloon bags in Tampa.
Tuesday: confident the Lord will keep bad weather away from the convention.
Thursday: we're staying put no matter what.
Friday: stockpiling lots of umbrellas. red umbrellas to ward off a hurricane. oh, and tents. you can't learn this level of stupid, you have to be born with it.
Saturday: well, maybe we won't meet Monday.
later Saturday: we'll convene to say "hi" and immediately adjourn on Monday. this of course is no different than holding a full meeting with all the delegates in the convention hall as a hurricane bears down, except then the thousands will be kicked onto the streets right away to scatter among the 20 miles of hotels in a gale or worse.
Sunday: John McCain saying woe is us if a storm goes on for 4 days, and prevents us from getting out our message.
well, uh, you know, I think we already got it. the GOP also denies hurricanes when they're in them. yeah, that's just what we need for four years in charge, here, seeing we already have a Congress that absolutely, positively won't do any work.
yeah, we got the message loud and clear, Senator.
Tuesday: confident the Lord will keep bad weather away from the convention.
Thursday: we're staying put no matter what.
Friday: stockpiling lots of umbrellas. red umbrellas to ward off a hurricane. oh, and tents. you can't learn this level of stupid, you have to be born with it.
Saturday: well, maybe we won't meet Monday.
later Saturday: we'll convene to say "hi" and immediately adjourn on Monday. this of course is no different than holding a full meeting with all the delegates in the convention hall as a hurricane bears down, except then the thousands will be kicked onto the streets right away to scatter among the 20 miles of hotels in a gale or worse.
Sunday: John McCain saying woe is us if a storm goes on for 4 days, and prevents us from getting out our message.
well, uh, you know, I think we already got it. the GOP also denies hurricanes when they're in them. yeah, that's just what we need for four years in charge, here, seeing we already have a Congress that absolutely, positively won't do any work.
yeah, we got the message loud and clear, Senator.
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