mold forms on cords, knobs, and tool handles

[willshak]

Brian Berg wrote the following on 2/28/2013 1:24 AM (ET):

On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:01:42 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

You can have mutant oil eating bacteria today:
I hadn't realized they were that advanced!

Who?


--
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeros after @

 

[micky]

On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:14:07 -0800, Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>
wrote:

On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:41:23 -0800, Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com
wrote:

Also, an important clue is that I can have a drawer full of plastic
handle hex spintite wrenches, and only some of them will have a "mold"
problem. This implies that the culprit is resident mostly in the
plastic and not the environment.

Maybe a photo will help:
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/drivel/plastic-rot.jpg
This is a drawer from my steel Craftsman toolbox that I don't use very
often. The white stuff is the alleged "mold". Note that it's on two
of the handles, but not the others.

Yes, the yellow one has the most. I t hink my yellow ones are most
likely to have this and when they do, they have the most. The one
screwdriver that reminded me of this has a yellow plastic handle.
(The other two things t hat reminded me a couple days ago where jumper
wires with banana plugs, blue and green, but that's soft vinyl and not
hard plastic. ......))

The larger tools are made by
Vaco. The blue and the yellow handles are covered with the stuff.
However, the other handles, from the same manufacturer, are pitted,
but untouched. That's because they previously were cleaned and coated
with a very thin layer of Krylon clear acrylic. I'm not sure why the
blue and yellow handles are affected.

Maybe because one is yellow? I just based a whole paragraph on that!

probably just forgot to coat
them (about 18 months ago). There is no rust anywhere inside the
toolbox on any of the other tools, so it's not moisture accumulation
or consensation.

 

[micky]

On 27 Feb 2013 20:49:53 GMT, Brian Berg <bberg@yahoo.com> wrote:

On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:14:07 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

Maybe a photo will help:
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/drivel/plastic-rot.jpg

That's EXACTLY what this screwdriver USED to look like!
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/12297573/img/12297573.jpg

So, whatever it is, it's common.

Yes, I'm glad to learn about that. I thought I was so alone (boohoo).

Again, I don't know if it is a mold or a chemical.
It does NOT happen to all tools of the same type.

It just happens to select tools which were stored in a
different environment (I think my affected screwdrivers
were used when I worked at a hospital on oxygen respirators).

In my case, I'll have 20 tools in a drawer, or 15 little tools in an
inbox, and only a few get "moldy". I have to take some time later
today to see how many are yellow.

In addition, the box of knobs is two boxes actually, in the same
drawer of an old dresser. Theyr'e almost all brown or black, and
I'll have to check if the moldy ones are all on top, or the bottom or
something, but I don't recall that being the case. And only some get
moldy.

The tooks and knobs have all spent 100% of their time in the previous
year or years in the same room in my basement.

IOW, the environments are the same

 

[micky]

On 27 Feb 2013 20:56:29 GMT, Brian Berg <bberg@yahoo.com> wrote:

On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:40:54 -0800, hrhofann@sbcglobal.net wrote:

Your explanation makes more semse than "mold". The OP did not say
what type of handles or tools were/were not affected, or if the tools
were in a dark airless corner or out in plain sight, etc, so we really
need more information.

Wow. The real Jeff Liebermann (two n's and i-before-e) on alt.home.repair.

That's only because I crossposted to alt.home.repair and
sci.electronics.repair. If you want more of him, you have to go
to the second ng.

I've long wished there was an easy way to tell which ng someone is
posting from. I once put in my .sig, "probably posting from nnnnn",
"probably" because I also read the other group directly sometimes, but
it disappeared with a liater installation of Agent.

I'm impressed. You're the expert in the SC mountains for wireless radio.

Wow, I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't crossposted.

Glad to have you here.

I am VERY FAMILIAR with this persistent "white stuff".
I have no idea WHAT it is - but I have it too.

It's either a chemical coating or it's a mold-like growth.
It does seem to be hugely persistent, in that if you don't scrape it
away, it will last (seemingly unchanged) forever.

Interestingly, I don't have to scrape mine off. I can brush it off
with my finger, or a paper towel iirc. Of course that doesn't apply
when it's in a crevice or crack.

I remember segregating my white-coated tools a while ago, but I no
longer do that once I manually scraped them (mostly) clean.

I seem to remember that the white stuff "infected" other tools, but,
it's no longer doing that (after twenty years). But, that white stuff
you see in this photo is easily twenty years old!
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/12297573/img/12297573.jpg

It had coated that screwdriver handle with a white persistent but
powdery on the outside surface coating just like the picture the OP
posted over here:
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/drivel/plastic-rot.jpg

I considered throwing the screwdrivers away, but, my sense of
tool preservation had me soak that screwdriver maybe 15 years ago
in all sorts of horrid solvents (acetone, bleach, acid, etc.) in
my attempts to clean it off.

If anyone actually KNOWS what this white stuff is, I'd be curious!

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

willshak wrote:

Brian Berg wrote the following on 2/28/2013 1:24 AM (ET):
On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:01:42 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

You can have mutant oil eating bacteria today:
I hadn't realized they were that advanced!

Who?

"Mutant oil eating bacteria" was one of those flash in the pan '80s
rock bands.

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On 28 Feb 2013 06:24:01 GMT, Brian Berg <bberg@yahoo.com> wrote:

On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:01:42 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

You can have mutant oil eating bacteria today:

I hadn't realized they were that advanced!

Yep. So far, 27 different varieties of bacteria and fungus have added
diesel fuel to their menu:
<http://www.oillab.co.nz/diesel_bug_explained>
<https://www.google.com/search?q=diesel+bacteria&tbm=isch>
When I drove a diesel pickup truck, I would occasionally add a biocide
to the tank. Over time, the bugs are developing immunities to the
common bug killers. Left to expand uncontrollably, this could be the
end of civilization as we know it.

Meanwhile, researchers are working on a way to break down all the
plastic bottles, containers, packaging, and junk that our civilization
is so good at producing. At the present rate, we'll be swimming in
plastic garbage unless something is done to accelerate decomposition.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch>
One of the methods proposed is to breed and release plastic eating
bacteria in the landfills.
<http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/blogs/boy-discovers-microbe-that-eats-plastic>
<http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110328/full/news.2011.191.html>
etc. Eventually some bug will be found that eats plastic. It will
leak out of the landfills, infest out homes, destroy everything made
from plastic, and rewind civilization before the discovery of
petroleum (steam punk?), which might not be such a bad thing.


--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Brian Berg]

On Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:26:49 -0500, micky wrote:

Maybe because one is yellow?

Mine are on craftsman tools, which are not yellow.

 

[Ralph Mowery]

"Brian Berg" <bberg@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:512faae4$0$18126$afc38c87@read01.usenet4all.se...

On Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:26:49 -0500, micky wrote:

Maybe because one is yellow?

Mine are on craftsman tools, which are not yellow.

I have an Xcelite nutdriver that is red and a Craftsman screwdriver that is

clear with red stripes on it. Both of them have a white dust like material
on them. This is the same stuff that has been called 'mold'. It is not
mold, the plastic going bad.

 

[micky]

On 28 Feb 2013 02:39:32 GMT, Sjouke Burry <s@b> wrote:

micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> wrote in
news:2icri8llum4a5m0qp0g2rkt9k5lj5m6p1j@4ax.com:

My shop is in my basement, which has always seemed to be a very dry
floor. However, about 4% of my cords, my spare radio and tv knobs,
and the handles of my tools get a think layer of some sort of mold on
them. It's like a grey dust. (Or some other light color, I forget.)

I wasg them in the dishwasher and they come out clean, but once in the
basement again, after a few months, U notice that the same ones have
mold. And the rest never get mold.

I suppose I could just ignore this, since it doesn't spread, but I
wonder if any of you have ideas. No other part of my house is neat
or clean, but the shop is the most important place, and I'd like it to
be clean.

Thanks.


Dont touch the utils with greasy fingers.
That feeds the mould.

And it left holes in m fingers too. LOL.

 

[micky]

On 28 Feb 2013 03:00:47 GMT, Brian Berg <bberg@yahoo.com> wrote:

On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:18:08 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

I assure you that it's plastic, not spores.

Well, you're famous for having the right answer in the electrical
realm, so, I would have to give you the benefit of the doubt in
the mechanical.

It doesn't grow. Therefore, it's not mold.

True. It just sort of sits there. Minding its own business.

Grumble. That's my picture and I'm NOT the OP.

Ooops. Sorry about that. Your picture, as always, was perfectly apropos!
Too bad the OP didn't have the skills you have for Internet nntp work.

Huh? Because I chose not to post a picture, I don't have the news
skills Jeff has? That's no wayi to draw conclusions.

You should learn to praise someone without having to run down someone
else.

Come to think of it, VERY FEW people have your skills. You've helped
me quite a few times (under various nyms) on the wireless side, what
with that lousy set of WISPS in the SC mountains (yea, Brett, you know
him as I do. He's nice enough - but he's too busy and harried to give
you the technical time of day, and Dave, well, I'm glad I dropped
them).

The only things that actually directly attacked the white stuff were
mild plastic solvents. However, anything that dissolved the white
stuff, also attacked the plastic handle, so that's not a good fix.

I seem to remember I soaked mine in a variety of nasty solvents,
none of which worked - and then - about 10 years ago (or so, as I
don't really remember), I just scraped them clean. Have been that
way ever since.

Send it to a pathology lab and see what they say.
I wish I had the following 'scopes ...
a) microscope
b) oscilloscope
c) telescope

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:29:42 -0800, Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>
wrote:

On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 02:21:50 -0500, micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com
wrote:

However, about 4% of my cords, my spare radio and tv knobs,
and the handles of my tools get a think layer of some sort of mold on
them. It's like a grey dust. (Or some other light color, I forget.)

It's not mold. It appears to be mold, but if you look carefully, it
doesn't "grow" in a radial pattern, as you would expect real mold to
grow. I've put the dust under a microscope to be sure. It's plastic
dust. Hit is with some heat, and watch it melt. I get this plastic
"mold" on most of my cheap plastic handle tools. The plastic breaks
down along the surface and sorta crumbles. It's probably caused by
exposure to something in the air, which condenses onto the surface
when wet. Washing the stuff off with any kind of kitchen cleaner
works, for a while.
(...)

The white rot is plastic, not mold. So it is written, so it must be.

I scraped some of the white stuff from the plastic handle and put it
under a x100 microscope.
<http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/white-plastic-rot/>
Not the best photos but I'll try again after yet another Friday night
customer crisis. The photos show absolutely no structure, self
simularity, or colonies characteristic of mold.
<https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=mold>
I also heated some of the white stuff on a microscope slide. It
melted like plastic (burning my fingers in the process). The white
stuff also disolved nicely in acetone.

Drivel: Besides the Mercedes fuel pump, todays repairs were a
Bernzomatic trigger start propane torch (cold flow PTFE igniter wire),
an iPhone 4 with a non-functional standby push button (I gave up), yet
another HP LaserJet 4250 printer with sticky relays (replace felt
pad), and helped mount the landlords bicycle rack on his SUV.
Sometimes, I wonder what business I'm in.


--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[micky]

On Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:47:40 -0800, Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>
wrote:

The white rot is plastic, not mold. So it is written, so it must be.

I scraped some of the white stuff from the plastic handle and put it
under a x100 microscope.
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/white-plastic-rot/
Not the best photos but I'll try again after yet another Friday night
customer crisis. The photos show absolutely no structure, self
simularity, or colonies characteristic of mold.
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=mold

The nutdriver is yellow!!

I also heated some of the white stuff on a microscope slide. It
melted like plastic (burning my fingers in the process). The white
stuff also disolved nicely in acetone.

And so I gather will the nut driver handle.

Drivel: Besides the Mercedes fuel pump, todays repairs were a
Bernzomatic trigger start propane torch (cold flow PTFE igniter wire),
an iPhone 4 with a non-functional standby push button (I gave up), yet
another HP LaserJet 4250 printer with sticky relays (replace felt
pad), and helped mount the landlords bicycle rack on his SUV.
Sometimes, I wonder what business I'm in.

Yes, you certainly deal with a wide range of stuff. What business ARE
you in?

-
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

For a while my home phone was broken and my cell phone was lost (in
the house) and I was using Skype to call out.

I didn't sign up for a Skype phone number yet, however. If someone
calls when I'm not there, can the caller leave a message, or at least
his phone number??

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Fri, 01 Mar 2013 23:52:35 -0500, micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com>
wrote:

The nutdriver is yellow!!

Is this a problem? In my drawer of rarely used nut drivers, blue is
also affected.
<http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/drivel/plastic-rot.jpg>

Yes, you certainly deal with a wide range of stuff. What business ARE
you in?

That's a tough question to answer. Basically, I separate my customers
from their money by providing a wide variety of services. It usually
involves some form of electronics, but also includes oddities such as
sewing machine repair.
<http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/crud/Kenmore-sewing-machine.jpg>
It is not unusual for me to repair appliances after fixing their
computers. As one business wanes (I was once in the calculator repair
biz), I expand into adjacent businesses. I find it helpful, but not
necessary, to know what I'm doing.

For a while my home phone was broken and my cell phone was lost (in
the house) and I was using Skype to call out.

Many cellular vendors allow you to activate a new phone, on an
existing number, via their web page, or via the phone. For example,
with Verizon, you dial *228. Buy a spare qualifying Verizon phone on
eBay for a few dollars and throw the spare where you can find it (i.e.
your vehicle). When you lose your phone, just activate the spare
until you find it. Also, make sure that the spare phone you purchase
is "clean".
<http://checkesnfree.com>

I didn't sign up for a Skype phone number yet, however. If someone
calls when I'm not there, can the caller leave a message, or at least
his phone number??

No. Incoming calls from the PSTN cannot be received without a Skype
account that includes an incoming phone number. Without a phone
number, there's no way for anyone to dial your computer from a POTS
phone. What I've done is purchase a minimal account for a few
dollars, and use it only for emergencies. I've had about $15 on my
account for several years, with no monthly charges.

Similarly, Skype also charges for voicemail storage. However, if the
incoming caller uses Skype to originate the call, the PSTN is not
involved and your Skype client will show that you've received a call
from some person. The catch is that if you allow anyone to call your
Skype account, you open the flood gates to getting spammed and
solicited at your account. I have mine set to only allow calls from
people in my Skype address book.


--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

Jeff Liebermann wrote:

Sometimes, I wonder what business I'm in.

That's pretty obvious to those that follow you here.

About three years ago you retired, but like a character in an M. Knight
Shamalan movie, you refuse to notice.



Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, N3OWJ/4X1GM/KBUH7245/KBUW5379
It's Spring here in Jerusalem!!!

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Sat, 2 Mar 2013 17:04:03 +0000 (UTC), "Geoffrey S. Mendelson"
<gsm@mendelson.com> wrote:

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
Sometimes, I wonder what business I'm in.

That's pretty obvious to those that follow you here.

Well, the standard answer is that I'm in business to do business. When
about 30% of my gross income is tangled up with taxes and 50% in
overhead, the business end of the repair biz is far more important
than the individual repair jobs.

Many years ago, when I was still pretending to listen to advice, I was
warned against over specialization. 40+ years later, I've noticed
that my classmates, that entered into overly specialized areas, have
either priced themselves out of the market, have had their specialty
simply disappear, or have been outsourced into oblivion. I'm not
suggesting that one should try to learn anything and everything, just
not to become overly dependent on one particular skill. Were I still
an RF engineer, designing various radios, I would either be
simultaneously doing 3 peoples jobs for a tolerable pay, or standing
in the unemployment line awaiting my government entitlement.

About three years ago you retired, but like a character in an M. Knight
Shamalan movie, you refuse to notice.

Not quite. I retired in 1983, but didn't know it. I had just been
laid off from an engineering position and decided that engineering
management and my abrasive personality were mutually exclusive. Since
then, I've experimented with numerous businesses and professions, with
the usual wide variations in success. Unfortunately, I'm getting
sufficient old and tired that such changes and product ideas are not
going to work well in the future.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[The Daring Dufas]

On 3/2/2013 2:54 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

On Sat, 2 Mar 2013 17:04:03 +0000 (UTC), "Geoffrey S. Mendelson"
gsm@mendelson.com> wrote:

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
Sometimes, I wonder what business I'm in.

That's pretty obvious to those that follow you here.

Well, the standard answer is that I'm in business to do business. When
about 30% of my gross income is tangled up with taxes and 50% in
overhead, the business end of the repair biz is far more important
than the individual repair jobs.

Many years ago, when I was still pretending to listen to advice, I was
warned against over specialization. 40+ years later, I've noticed
that my classmates, that entered into overly specialized areas, have
either priced themselves out of the market, have had their specialty
simply disappear, or have been outsourced into oblivion. I'm not
suggesting that one should try to learn anything and everything, just
not to become overly dependent on one particular skill. Were I still
an RF engineer, designing various radios, I would either be
simultaneously doing 3 peoples jobs for a tolerable pay, or standing
in the unemployment line awaiting my government entitlement.

About three years ago you retired, but like a character in an M. Knight
Shamalan movie, you refuse to notice.

Not quite. I retired in 1983, but didn't know it. I had just been
laid off from an engineering position and decided that engineering
management and my abrasive personality were mutually exclusive. Since
then, I've experimented with numerous businesses and professions, with
the usual wide variations in success. Unfortunately, I'm getting
sufficient old and tired that such changes and product ideas are not
going to work well in the future.

There comes a time in a mans life where he becomes so intolerant of
being in the employ of actinic sphincters that the he fears life in
prison for stomping the asshole until he quits twitching. I've had to
hide my crowbars whenever some of them got around me so I decided the
risk was too great and abandoned the corporate world for a life of
independent contracting. ^_^

TDD

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Sat, 02 Mar 2013 19:03:47 -0600, The Daring Dufas
<the-daring-dufas@stinky-finger.net> wrote:

On 3/2/2013 2:54 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
Not quite. I retired in 1983, but didn't know it. I had just been
laid off from an engineering position and decided that engineering
management and my abrasive personality were mutually exclusive. Since
then, I've experimented with numerous businesses and professions, with
the usual wide variations in success. Unfortunately, I'm getting
sufficient old and tired that such changes and product ideas are not
going to work well in the future.

There comes a time in a mans life where he becomes so intolerant of
being in the employ of actinic sphincters that the he fears life in
prison for stomping the asshole until he quits twitching. I've had to
hide my crowbars whenever some of them got around me so I decided the
risk was too great and abandoned the corporate world for a life of
independent contracting. ^_^
TDD

Sorry, but I was somewhat ambiguous. My phrase "that engineering
management and my abrasive personality were mutually exclusive" refers
to me, not corporate management. At the time, I had been functioning
simultaneously as both an engineer and a manager. I soon realized
that I had to choose one or the other. Since my personality tends to
piss off everyone within range, I chose engineer, where prickly
personalities are common. In effect, I refused promotion, which was
at the time considered a capital crime. When the economy took a dive,
and the first round of layoffs occurred, I was one of the first to be
laid off.

I did the independent contractor, consultant, and hired gun thing for
a while, but didn't like all the travel that was required. I also
seemed to find situations and products that were beyond redemption or
salvage. In several cases, I was setup for a failure, and then
dutifully blamed when I failed. I had made a pile of money on stock
options and speculation, so I was able to loaf while I decided what to
do next.

I floundered around between 1983 and mid 1986, continuing to do
consulting but also building up the repair biz. I was about to setup
a local consultants exchange, when my father settled the issue by
having a severe stroke. I found myself running his lingerie
manufacturing business for several years until it could be sold and
commuting back and forth between Santa Cruz and Smog Angeles
approximately twice per month. I don't want to get into details here.
Incidentally, I am still on good terms with all of my former
employers. I had plenty of disagreements with them, but none of them
were ever allowed to become personal. It was quite common to engage
in heated technical arguments with them, followed by a calm lunch
discussion over politics, sports, or other non-work related interests.
After lunch, the arguments would resume.

I find it odd that you would pass judgment on your employers. It's
not nice to bite the hand that feeds you. I have worked for crooks,
liars, politicians, and marginal incompetents. I have been on good
relations with all of them. If you cannot get along with even your
worst enemy for the achievement of a common goal, you're doing
something wrong. Even the worst employer can be trained.


--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

The Daring Dufas wrote:

There comes a time in a mans life where he becomes so intolerant of
being in the employ of actinic sphincters that the he fears life in
prison for stomping the asshole until he quits twitching. I've had to
hide my crowbars whenever some of them got around me so I decided the
risk was too great and abandoned the corporate world for a life of
independent contracting. ^_^

You were only six when you did that. ;-)

 

[The Daring Dufas]

On 3/2/2013 10:17 PM, Michael A. Terrell wrote:

The Daring Dufas wrote:

There comes a time in a mans life where he becomes so intolerant of
being in the employ of actinic sphincters that the he fears life in
prison for stomping the asshole until he quits twitching. I've had to
hide my crowbars whenever some of them got around me so I decided the
risk was too great and abandoned the corporate world for a life of
independent contracting. ^_^


You were only six when you did that. ;-)

That's when I was remanded to the Catholic Parochial Gulag back in the
50's and introduced to Sister Godzilla. Child care was based on sheer
terror back then. That's why I don't like folks who mistreat kids. When
I was six, I decided all adults were full of crap, the mistake I made
was letting the nuns know it.

TDD

 

[William Sommerwerck]

On Sat, 02 Mar 2013 19:03:47 -0600, The Daring Dufas
<the-daring-dufas@stinky-finger.net> wrote:

There comes a time in a mans life where he becomes so intolerant
of being in the employ of actinic sphincters...

Was "actinic" the word you wanted? If you meant "flaming"... It's not really a
synonym.


"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
news:s9g5j8tqss100rtr2bof0eevihsdb2psbi@4ax.com...

Since my personality tends to piss off everyone within range...

That's odd, because your postings are almost always good-humored.

I find it odd that you would pass judgment on your employers. It's
not nice to bite the hand that feeds you. I have worked for crooks,
liars, politicians, and marginal incompetents. I have been on good
relations with all of them. If you cannot get along with even your
worst enemy for the achievement of a common goal, you're doing
something wrong. Even the worst employer can be trained.

Your point is well-taken, but there are certain people one would not like to
work to, simply because we dislike them as human beings. I'm thinking
particularly of a certain person on "Gold Rush".