Don't buy art. Got it.

neb: This piece of insufferable rent-seeking which removes the exhaustion doctrine / first sale doctrine, circa 50,000BC, from artworks so artists or their families get to collect royalties every time the same item is re-sold, apparently in perpetuity [*]. I wonder if Father Neb can collect the same royalty every time a house he built is re-sold, or my friend's mechanic son gets a royalty every time a car he worked on at some point in the past is re-sold? Oh, and anyone want to bet that the cost of collection of this rent will be 300% of the amount taken in? [*] I know that France has their historical droit de suite, but they also have a pile of other stuff of which a lot is equally irrelevant today.

Yeah it's a weird concept. I wonder how it will actually go in practice. My parent's have some paintings they commissioned that unless the artist suddenly becomes famous, that are probably only worth the materials and time it took. To be clear, my parents are not art magnates, just some old slides that they had made into paintings. They are probably of no value even to immediate family. 

Yet if they sell now the artist will get a royalty?

It reminded me when I was trying to explain MP3s to my father, how they could fit so many on a small device and whether it might disrupt the music industry. He said, I don't understand why a musician can do a few weeks work writing a song, then get paid for a lifetime each time it gets played. Which was a good point. 

I'm annoyed by customers today. 

Customer asks for a specifically vague service. I have an idea of what they want, but need to confirm the details to get it right first time. They want it ASAP as they didn't give me the usual (and required) lead-time. 

I email them asking specific questions, which require closed answers. I get answers back. All is black and white.

Of course it's urgent so I work late to make sure the customer is provided said service promptly. 

This morning I receive an email from the customer - it appears that I have got it all wrong and that's not what they asked for...despite the very specific and undisputable email discussion. 

Will spend today going back and forth to undo yesterday's work and restart to provide the service that bears little resemblance to yesterday's request. 

And the customer is off work today, so will be hard to get hold of (their words). 

grrrrr

"Urgent".

Everything's urgent until the customer needs to provide information.

Calling 2 Degrees. On hold for 15 min - I am number 10 in the queue apparently. I needed to hang up after all that waiting because I had to take another call. 

No chatbot, no other communication method. I guess I'll have to try calling again and wait for another 15 min or more! 

I cannot fathom why this button in Word is a dropdown menu where you select one of two options. Why not make it a toggle? Portrait/Landscape? Save me some clicks, Microsoft! 😡

Handsomedan:

Customer asks for a specifically vague service. I have an idea of what they want, but need to confirm the details to get it right first time. They want it ASAP as they didn't give me the usual (and required) lead-time. 

 

I email them asking specific questions, which require closed answers. I get answers back. All is black and white.

 

Of course it's urgent so I work late to make sure the customer is provided said service promptly. 

Behodar:

Everything's urgent until the customer needs to provide information.

Apple iMessage treating +642xxx numbers differently to the 02xxx number stored in my Contacts

Just went to use the hose and found that someone's absconded with the connector that lets you plug the hose into the tap.