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Thread: Mini-rants for a new era

  1. #501
    my god, he's full of stars... OneCentStamp's avatar
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    Quote Originally posted by Guinastasia
    And if that isn't bad enough, I got sick to my stomach and puked my toenails out last night. GAH!!!
    Quit eating your toenails. Problem solved.












    :wink:
    "You laugh at me because I'm different; I laugh at you because I'm on nitrous."

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  2. #502
    Quixotic Elixir Guinastasia's avatar
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    Quote Originally posted by OneCentStamp
    Quote Originally posted by Guinastasia
    And if that isn't bad enough, I got sick to my stomach and puked my toenails out last night. GAH!!!
    Quit eating your toenails. Problem solved.


    I've been told they're high in calcium, though. Can't start worrying to early about bone health!








    :wink:
    "At Pottery Barn, if you knock over a lamp, you have to glue it back together, even if when you're done it looks terrible and it doesn't work. Oh, and you have to stay in the store forever. Oh, and it's an exploding lamp. "
    -Stephen Colbert

  3. #503
    Stegodon Walker in Eternity's avatar
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    Quote Originally posted by Eleanor of Aquitaine
    I get motion sickness, too. I can read on trains and planes, but not in cars, so I suspect that it would bother me in a bus, also.
    Yes, I'm the same, trains and planes no problem (as long as I get a forward facing seat (on trains)). I can navigate ok on a good day, but not read in a car. I also need to face forwards.
    Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth - Marcus Aurelius

  4. #504
    Curmudgeon OtakuLoki's avatar
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    Default Thank You, NYS

    My parents have the original garage door opener that came with their house. The drive unit has, so far, outlived three door springs, and one garage door. So far as we can tell, it's working fine, and seems to be made of the same stuff that's driving Pioneer 10 and 11.

    But we've been advised to expect it to fail soon. In fact, when we mention the age of the unit (21 years, now) we usually get wide-eyed stares of amazement. But, given that we're all cheap, at least where we can be, we refuse to buy and have installed a replacement unit until such time as the silly thing finally shits the bed.

    Alas, the control wands for the door opener don't seem to be made from the same unobtainium.

    My mother has been using one for a traveling door opener when she goes out with friends and lets them drive. It's been convenient and useful. And, last night, it stopped working. Now, my attitude towards electronics comes down to two simple statements: It works on PFM, and I am not qualified to do fine-tuning troubleshooting or repairs.

    So, when I took apart the signaller, I saw no signs of magic smoke escape routes, and no obvious breaks in the soldering. ergo - it's dead beyond my ability to resurrect.

    So, simple-minded me, I called up a local door specialist to see if they offered replacement wands, and how much they would cost. Now, I have to admit, that there was a fairly low value that I would not have been willing to exceed for the replacement unit. Similarly I would not have been surprised to hear that the company that makes the model we have has either gone out of business or no longer supports that sort of signaling device.

    I was exceedingly frustrated to hear that because the garage door opener lacks any photo sensors, no one within the state can even talk to me about doing anything that might resemble servicing the silly thing. Now, after 21 years of incident-free operations I think it would be reasonable to say that we all have a good idea of what safe operating procedures for the garage door might be. Alas, the state of NY does not agree with me.

    So, the same rat-faced fuckers in Albany who rarely get budgets done on time, who can't share like grown ups, and who just spent six weeks doing Little Rascals impersonations on the taxpayer dime, still think this is so vital a safety issue that it must be addressed.

    I'd rather get budgets done on time, to be honest.

    Rat-fuckers.

  5. #505
    Oliphaunt featherlou's avatar
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    But it might squish a child! Yeah, I feel your pain - it is probably like the pain we had from finding out that our house had moved two centimeters in six years and was now not in compliance with the City of Calgary's rules on property lines (I'm still working with the surveyors to get their measuring mistake fixed up).

  6. #506
    Queen of the Metrolink
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    "But the scraped bolts are not aesthetically pleasing!"

    NEITHER IS MY CAR THAT YOU WRECKED
    I'm pro-choice and I shoot back.

  7. #507
    Elephant
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    I was supposed to be at a technology conference and poker tournament today. Instead, the power at the office went out and I had to come to work.

    grumble grumble

  8. #508
    No Ordinary Rabbit Count Blucher's avatar
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    Quote Originally posted by Guinastasia
    I'm having oral surgery on Wednesday. Wednesday is my birthday. Fuck.
    1) I hope your surgery went well. I'd hate to think that you are spitting puss like Coulter / Hannity.

    2)Happy Birthday!

  9. #509
    Quixotic Elixir Guinastasia's avatar
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    Heh, it did, and I recovered rather quickly. (And thanks!)


    Yesterday when I picked up Luci, because I had to open the basement door, and I needed to hold onto her while I threw something away, the little rat BIT MY NOSE!!!

    She and Annie have also been tearing the wallpaper in the hallway.
    "At Pottery Barn, if you knock over a lamp, you have to glue it back together, even if when you're done it looks terrible and it doesn't work. Oh, and you have to stay in the store forever. Oh, and it's an exploding lamp. "
    -Stephen Colbert

  10. #510
    Elephant CRSP's avatar
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    Argh! Writing grant proposals = complete waste of time.

    If I want to get a job in academia after I finish my PhD (hopefully by next September), I need to apply for Fellowships and grants now. This means I virtually have to stop all research work to write proposals full time, which is bad enough in itself.

    However, even worse is how painful the process is. I'm currently applying for a Fellowship that's only open to theoretical physicists, mathematicians and theoretical computer scientists, in short, research areas with perhaps the least commercial relevance. Yet, almost every single question in the grant document is related to making the UK economy more competitive, or demonstrating some collaborative link with a commercial entity. My whole day is spent trying to bullshit, and convince a reviewer that's going to spend at most 15 minutes reading through the billion documents that I have to submit, that my research is the revolution industry has been waiting for. It's impossible to do pure research any more in this country!

    Even worse, the chances of me getting this thing are tiny: there's five offered in TCS each year, and they're open to anybody in the world. All this pissing about for nothing!
    Les sanglots longs des violons de l'automne blessent mon coeur
    D'une langueur Monotone

  11. #511
    Oliphaunt featherlou's avatar
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    That sounds like a "how to" manual to keep researchers doing administrative work instead of research. I like administrative work; I have no interest in theoretical anything you mentioned. You doing administrative work makes no sense.

  12. #512
    Stegodon Walker in Eternity's avatar
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    Quote Originally posted by CRSP
    However, even worse is how painful the process is. I'm currently applying for a Fellowship that's only open to theoretical physicists, mathematicians and theoretical computer scientists, in short, research areas with perhaps the least commercial relevance. Yet, almost every single question in the grant document is related to making the UK economy more competitive, or demonstrating some collaborative link with a commercial entity. My whole day is spent trying to bullshit, and convince a reviewer that's going to spend at most 15 minutes reading through the billion documents that I have to submit, that my research is the revolution industry has been waiting for. It's impossible to do pure research any more in this country!

    Even worse, the chances of me getting this thing are tiny: there's five offered in TCS each year, and they're open to anybody in the world. All this pissing about for nothing!
    Sadly, most of the research councils nowadays want to have a commercial benefit from research, even theoretical research. This is what coems of leting the bean counters run the show.

    I know of a number of people who are struggling with this issue, such as theoretical astrophysicists, it's not so bad for me as I am an experimentalist in an area with potential commerical benefits, but you have my sympathy. I have longer to go until I complete (about 20 months), but am not looking forward to having to justify my research to obtain grants to continue to work in academia.

    Hope it works out for you.
    Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth - Marcus Aurelius

  13. #513
    Stegodon
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    Why not try taking the long view? As I understand it, our understanding/discovery of the electron predated "electronics" by at least one generation. That should give you licence to make some bold predictions:

    "In 2073, as a direct result of my research, Britain will develop matter transporters. By 2105, my work on xxxx will lead to the development of edible biological computers. Four years later, the world's first chocolate smartphone will hit the streets. In 2238, my reputation as the grandfather of xxxx will be cemented when computers based on my groundbreaking theories finally solve the brain."
    amrussell on SDMB

  14. #514
    Oliphaunt featherlou's avatar
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    "My research will fix everything for all time. Cough up my money, you bastards."

    I like the way you think, Stanislaus!

  15. #515
    Queen of the Metrolink
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    Welcome to California, slow traffic keep right, whether you are on the freeway or in the subway escalator.

    Somehow I think I have ranted about this before but maybe the people foreign to California will benefit from my public service announcement.
    I'm pro-choice and I shoot back.

  16. #516
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    Hi, you may know me from such message boards as the SDMB and…well, that’s probably it. I haven’t posted here before and doubt I’ll make a habit of it, but I wanted to talk to you guys and I don’t want any of my family members to run across my post on the other board.

    Someone I knew ten years ago tracked me down and called me at home the other night “just to say hi”. I wasn’t at all thrilled, but responded politely in monosyllables. Yesterday he called me again at work. This time, he described in detail how he found me, told me all our addresses and phone numbers, and how long I’d been working at my current job. I told him that I am a busy and happily married person with no intention of keeping up any further contact with him, and he thanked me for my honesty and said he understood that. I truly do not believe this person means me any harm.

    However, for the last couple of days I have been in a state ranging from low-grade nausea to near panic attack. I can’t concentrate. I’m afraid to be alone. Yesterday afternoon before I left work, I ran around looking out windows to make sure he wasn’t out there, and trying to find the shortest way to my car.

    I don’t really want to talk about this much (especially to anyone IRL who might overreact). I guess I’m really here because you are my friends and I wanted someone to say everything’s okay and hold my hand. Anyone willing?

  17. #517
    Commoner Borborygmi's avatar
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    Dung Beetle, sure I know you from the SDMB... I'm a fan. I'm not good at posting about IRL issues like this, but I don't want to leave you hanging here, and if nothing else this post will bump you to the front page. I think everything will be alright. Understandable that the incident pinged your creepymeter, though; the cold call to your home was one thing, but the follow-up call to work was all kinds of wrong. If that's the end of it, though, I would chalk it up to an utter lack of social skills.

  18. #518
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    Default Re: Mini-rants for a new era

    Thank you, thank you, Borborygmi. I feel a little less alone for having read that.

    “Utter lack of social skills” describes this person well; in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he made yet another attempt, with a “Well, I just wanted to see you” sort of excuse. As I said, I don’t believe he means me harm, but I’m having horrible emotional and physical reactions here!

    I don’t usually post on weekends, so if anyone happens to read this in the next day or two, don’t think something awful’s happened if I don’t respond.

  19. #519
    A Football of Fate Jeff's avatar
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    Default

    I have the faintest inkling that I'm coming down with a cold.

    This really pisses me off because this happens every year around late Sept/early Oct when I'm just getting back into my workout routine after a summer spent lazing around.

    But it may not be happening. I may not actually be coming down with something. I could just be crazy, and I get to spend about the next 12 - 24 hours in suspense and contemplating various OTC cold-fighters that probably don't do a damned thing to help fight off a cold.

  20. #520
    my god, he's full of stars... OneCentStamp's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Dung Beetle View post
    I don’t usually post on weekends, so if anyone happens to read this in the next day or two, don’t think something awful’s happened if I don’t respond.
    Is everything OK?

  21. #521
    A Football of Fate Jeff's avatar
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    Default

    Come back to the light, Dung Beetle!

  22. #522
    Banned
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    Default

    People who use the term "mode" for "mod/moderator" are fucking morons.

  23. #523
    my god, he's full of stars... OneCentStamp's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by The J Word View post
    People who use the term "mode" for "mod/moderator" are fucking morons.
    no u

  24. #524
    Stegodon SilverTygerGirl's avatar
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    Default

    Why do people think that a single picture with a MP3 counts as a video?! I know, I'm ranting about Youtube users, there's a pit with no bottom. I *know*. But when I'm looking for a video, I want MOVEMENT. Gimme a slideshow at very least. Or the lyrics! The lyrics would be great! Just throw them up on the screen in time with the music. That *works*! Not just one single unmoving fucking picture!

    Grrr.
    When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When all you have is a bowel disruptor, everything's a poop joke.
    www.CuriouslyLydean.net - comics, cocktails, writing, and other odd things.

  25. #525
    Curmudgeon OtakuLoki's avatar
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    Default Traffic Signs Exist For A Reason!

    Look, you encephalitic jellyfish, the "No Left Turn" on East Ave going west across Clinton has been there for over two years, now. The "New Sign" signs (Yes, the city had to put those up to get the attention of many of the drivers in this burg. Including more than a few cops!) have been down for over a year. You've got no excuse for trying to turn left under that sign, and you make things more of a mess for all of us when you do - not to mention increasing the likelihood of an accident happening.

    Follow the instructions on the flibbertigibbetting signs. Or I will set up a gibbet and let you provide some additional emphasis for the signs. :Shake:

  26. #526
    Queen of the Metrolink
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    Default

    A hearty, "Bite my glorious golden ass!" to private healthcare. Goddamn I miss my nice shiny state package I had in undergrad. Also, there is only ONE doctor in my area taking patients. ONE. I thought this whole private healthcare horseshit was supposed to give me choice? Well, I got to chose by default I suppose. Chose by default the guy who went to med school out of country. :smirk:

    I suppose I should be thankful that they're humoring my hope to get sterilized and that I didn't get too boned at the pharmacy (the pharmacy that was lined with "impulse buys" all along the queue.)

    Also, thank you, Captain Obvious, NP. No, I had no idea until you diagnosed me with "hirsutism" that I was fucking hairy. It has only been the main source of angst in my life since I was a teenager and I fucking said I have motherfucking PCOS and give me the goddamn pills with the anti-androgen in it because I AM SICK OF BEING A SASQWATCH. Also, guess how long I have to wait to get an appointment with my GP to manage said issue? One month. Shit and fuck.
    Last edited by Lady Xoc; 09 Oct 2009 at 10:18 PM.
    I'm pro-choice and I shoot back.

  27. #527
    The Queen Zuul's avatar
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    I have had five hours of sleep. Five. That's it. I spent three hours laying in bed, not sleeping. If I'd been sleeping, I could have had eight hours of sleep. But did I? No. I did not.

    There's absolutely no reason why I shouldn't have slept for the full eight hours. My bed was comfy and warm. The house was quiet.

    But, alas. It was not meant to be.

  28. #528
    Prehistoric Bitchslapper Sarahfeena's avatar
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    Arrrrrrgggggggh! My after-school baby sitter has called off AGAIN. I don't know if it was this thread I ranted in, or another one, but she is ALWAYS having a crisis that prevents her from working. They all sound bad, but I'm getting to the point where I just don't believe her anymore. Here is the litany of situations:

    1) The first time she was ever supposed to babysit, we were going to my office holiday party (this was last December). She fell on the ice and dislocated her shoulder.

    2) She baby sat a couple other times and all was well. She told me she would LOVE to be our after-school nanny. So, I scheduled her for a few nights to sit so she & my daughter could get to know each other better. She called off one of those nights because her mother had collapsed, wasn't breathing, and was taken to the hospital (her mom was ok, out of the hospital in a few days). I was very concerned, of course, told her not to worry about it in the least.

    3) First day of school, a few weeks later, she calls off because she fell on the stairs, injured her hand, and was in the hosptial all night. I'm starting to think this was strange, given that she is in her mid-twenties and she had fallen down and injured herself less than a year ago, but ok.

    4) A few weeks ago she was sick and vomiting for 2 days and couldn't work, then worked one day and seemed fine, then called off again because she woke up with a severe headache and blurred vision, and went to the emergency room. At this point I'm getting annoyed and starting to think that things are being exaggerated at the very least.

    5) Just got a text message from her that her parents were in a bad car wreck and are in the hospital, so she can't work today.

    Am I crazy, or does all these hospital visits just seem a bit implausible? Either way, I can't keep leaving work at 1:00 to go pick the kid up (I have an hour-long commute), so I think something is going to have to be done.

  29. #529
    Elen síla lumenn' omentielvo What Exit?'s avatar
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    Sarah, even if she has been completely honest, it still means you need to find an alternative. Sad but true. You cannot afford to keep on some one this unfortunate.

  30. #530
    Prehistoric Bitchslapper Sarahfeena's avatar
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    Yeah, I think you're right, What Exit. This really sucks.

  31. #531
    Queen of the Metrolink
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    So there I was, not twenty minutes ago, walking to school and positively delighted: I had finished my memo sooner than expected, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the convenience store near school had a display of Blackjack gum. So I skipped off to school, found that I had arrived at the intersection just in time for the pedestrian signal to go off, and was generally basking in the fruits of fortune. As I cross Wilshire, some nutbag sped through the red light and almost hit my ass. Then he glares at ME like it's my fucking fault. Thanks a lot, asshole!
    I'm pro-choice and I shoot back.

  32. #532
    Bad Tempered Old Tyrant Queen of Hearts's avatar
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    Sorry honey, but you know this is why nobody walks in LA!

    Did they have any Beeman's?

  33. #533
    Queen of the Metrolink
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    Quote Originally posted by Queen of Hearts View post
    Sorry honey, but you know this is why nobody walks in LA!

    Did they have any Beeman's?
    Yes, they had Beeman's. I was woefully torn between Beeman's and Black Jack, and ultimately decided on the Black Jack. They had Clove too!

    And truthfully, I'd rather walk than drive in here every day. Mid-Wilshire driving makes me crazy.
    I'm pro-choice and I shoot back.

  34. #534
    Stegodon SilverTygerGirl's avatar
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    I'm tired of living with other people. I know it's a horrible anti-social thing to say, but I'm freaking tired of living with other people.

    I'm tired of worrying about how they think of me; I'm tired of having to considerate of others; I'm tired of having to make sure I'm decent before I go outside my room; I'm tired of not being able to blare my music loud enough that I could hear it in the kitchen or bathroom.

    I'm tired of outside my room always being cold because somebody insists on leaving the living room windows open all the time.

    I want my own place dammit!

    (...one and half more semesters, one and half more semesters....)
    When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When all you have is a bowel disruptor, everything's a poop joke.
    www.CuriouslyLydean.net - comics, cocktails, writing, and other odd things.

  35. #535
    Prehistoric Bitchslapper Sarahfeena's avatar
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    Dear McDonald's,

    When a customer at your drive-thru window orders toast with butter on the side, it would be ever so nice for you to include a small plastic knife in the bag. I thank you for your attention to this matter.

    Love,
    Sarahfeena.

  36. #536
    Oliphaunt jali's avatar
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    It happened again, so I'll mention it again.

    When I pay my tab, please don't ask me "do you need change".

    This really pisses me off.
    They weren't singing....they were just honking.
    Glee 2009

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