Rant VIII: The Reckoning
- Thread starter Anonymous
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Man my mom was all telling my kids that Halloween was a devil holiday... So I told my kids and mom that technically Christmas was a devil holiday to since it was originally for the winter solstice
There are not enough facepalm gif's in the world. There's just all sorts of wtf going on.
On a lighter note related to that Halloween comment, I actually heard a Roman Catholic priest (who is generally uber conservative and anti-society as fuck) tell a parent who was saying that Halloween is evil, encourages demon-worship etc. (and that they never allowtheir kids to participate) that anyone who denies their kid(s) a chance to have fun and get free candy is a twit.
As for the Christmas stuff, they're clearly an idiot who recieved a chain e-mail (I have distant relatives who occassionally pull similar stuff), and if possible, should be removed from the human gene pool. Sooner rather than later. Ug. Such stupdity.
On a lighter note related to that Halloween comment, I actually heard a Roman Catholic priest (who is generally uber conservative and anti-society as fuck) tell a parent who was saying that Halloween is evil, encourages demon-worship etc. (and that they never allowtheir kids to participate) that anyone who denies their kid(s) a chance to have fun and get free candy is a twit.
As for the Christmas stuff, they're clearly an idiot who recieved a chain e-mail (I have distant relatives who occassionally pull similar stuff), and if possible, should be removed from the human gene pool. Sooner rather than later. Ug. Such stupdity.
We unexpectedly had to pay 600 dollars for car repairs.
Not having this money readily available we had to use up our Christmas savings fund. I have been so sad ever since because I spent six months getting that money together so the kids and us could have a nice, relaxing christmas where we DIDN'T worry about money.
So much for that.
I am actually this close to asking you guys for some help but...it seems wrong.
Not having this money readily available we had to use up our Christmas savings fund. I have been so sad ever since because I spent six months getting that money together so the kids and us could have a nice, relaxing christmas where we DIDN'T worry about money.
So much for that.
I am actually this close to asking you guys for some help but...it seems wrong.
Damn straight it is!*waits for everyone else to wake up and the hat to be passed my way*
You know it's gonna happen, it's what we do.
Dave
Staff member
What's your PayPal? I got $50 just for you. PM it to me.We unexpectedly had to pay 600 dollars for car repairs.
Not having this money readily available we had to use up our Christmas savings fund. I have been so sad ever since because I spent six months getting that money together so the kids and us could have a nice, relaxing christmas where we DIDN'T worry about money.
So much for that.
I am actually this close to asking you guys for some help but...it seems wrong.
I am stupidly embarrassed...but I think I'll need to ask. Even if I could get a week or two of groceries and gas it would put me aheadand allow for breathing room, you know?
So, um, jeez...if anyone can spare anything pm me and I'll give you my paypal addy.
OR! Or you could commission something from me! A painting or a little drawing and that would make me feel a little better.
Even if I could get a week or two of groceries and gas it would put me aheadand allow for breathing room, you know?So, um, jeez...if anyone can spare anything pm me and I'll give you my paypal addy.
OR! Or you could commission something from me! A painting or a little drawing and that would make me feel a little better.
Who has two thumbs and gets to work on his birthday?
as long as you can wait till next thursday when I get paid I can toss something your wayI am stupidly embarrassed...but I think I'll need to ask.
So, um, jeez...if anyone can spare anything pm me and I'll give you my paypal addy.
OR! Or you could commission something from me! A painting or a little drawing and that would make me feel a little better.
Hah! I have two thumbs, but I'm going to get to work on my son's birthday.Who has two thumbs and gets to work on his birthday?
Hrm.
--Patrick
Okay, I know there's few on here who are of this particular bent, but still:
What kind of city do I live in, where they'd rather keep a small roadhouse-style bar and grill on the tax rolls instead of a church building? Especially when they are selling off an older city-owned building on the opposite side of town to be turned into a brew pub?
It's not like the city doesn't have enough bars - this is Northern Wisconsin, after all.
But what are they afraid of? That we're going to be soooo noticeable because we're on the far south side of the city - on what used to be the main north-south route into the city?
More people think Merrill is where they built that new Super Wal-Mart than about that "one roadhouse bar at the end of town - you know, the one where the main building burned down and now they relocated to the banquet hall building."
I have seriously given up on understanding the mentality of people in this state. It's like this isn't even Wisconsin anymore.
What kind of city do I live in, where they'd rather keep a small roadhouse-style bar and grill on the tax rolls instead of a church building? Especially when they are selling off an older city-owned building on the opposite side of town to be turned into a brew pub?
It's not like the city doesn't have enough bars - this is Northern Wisconsin, after all.
But what are they afraid of? That we're going to be soooo noticeable because we're on the far south side of the city - on what used to be the main north-south route into the city?
More people think Merrill is where they built that new Super Wal-Mart than about that "one roadhouse bar at the end of town - you know, the one where the main building burned down and now they relocated to the banquet hall building."
I have seriously given up on understanding the mentality of people in this state. It's like this isn't even Wisconsin anymore.
November? Oh Canada, you have some catching up to do. The mall here has been set up for Christmas since the first week of October.
So tired of this trash.
So I'm in Louisville right now to finish a board exam. I passed four of five categories in May, and needed to retest in the fifth. I studied my ass off for the last three months, covering all of the topics they listed in their category description. Comes time for the test...
Well, apparently, "This list of topics should be considered a sampling of things to be covered, and is not exhaustive" means "Haha, joke's on you, we aren't going to ask you ANYTHING on this list!"
$1120 test fee plus travel expenses down the drain, plus I get to do it again next year.
Well, apparently, "This list of topics should be considered a sampling of things to be covered, and is not exhaustive" means "Haha, joke's on you, we aren't going to ask you ANYTHING on this list!"
$1120 test fee plus travel expenses down the drain, plus I get to do it again next year.
That's messed up.
This will be fairly long.
So I found out a couple days ago, that I lost my court case in Shanghai. This is ranty enough, but not the main reason for the rant.
For background, let me tell you what the case was about. back in May, I decided to resign from my teaching position in Wuxi so I could attend school in Fall because I wanted to pursue an education in medicine. I looked carefully over my contract for the terms of resignation and found that they wanted 60 working days notice to resign, and to make sure it didn't interfere with classes. Fair enough. So I told my boss near the end of May that I was leaving 60 working days later (which would be in August). I got a letter of acceptance of resignation from the Head office in Shanghai but instead of agreeing to the stipulated 60 days, they were kicking me out at the end of June. My bosses boss (the head principal) also decided he wasn't going to pay me for July and not allow me to work the summer school. So I was basically looking at losing $8,000. I fought it, told them that if that was the case, then I don't accept the resignation at the end of June (this was in writing and verbal). This went back on and off for 2 months--well into July-- until I said screw it, I'm getting a lawyer. It went to court in September and weeks later I found out I lost. Why? Because the court decided I accepted the resignation. Well gee, if that was true, why did I take it to court, dumbass? Also, why doesn't the school have to follow their own contract? Ironically, it wasn't a Chinese person that screwed me, it was a British principal.
Surely that's the end of the rant though, yes? Well, no. I might be out that money, but at least June was going to bringing home at least $8,000-10,000 of her own for our wedding.
Nope. She based this off what her father received when her mom died, and what her grandfather received when her grandmother died. We'll be lucky to get $4,000. So here I was, looking at a comfortable $15,000-$20,000 to start us off, and we're down to 4k. Oh, and over half of that will go to pay for her green card applications. This whole year I was working my ass off to prep for coming home. I stayed an extra year in China so we could have some more money before I started school, but it's all gone. Lord knows I wanted to start schooling earlier because med school takes long enough as it is. Best part is, since pre-med classes are all undergrad and I already have a bachelor's degree, I pretty much get jack squat for loans. I get $12,000/year for a campus with a cost of attendance of over $20,000.
You sort of accept that if/when you hit med school you're going to take loans unless you're independently wealthy. I at least thought, however, the student loans I got for the undergrad classes would at least cover the cost for undergrad. Now I'm looking at high-interest loans to cover Jun and I for the next year and a half.
Everything I planned on turned out to be wrong. I didn't expected to get royally fucked by my job. I didn't expect her to be bringing less than half of what she thought she would. I didn't expect I wouldn't be able to get normal student loans like everyone else. I almost feel like I made a mistake coming home. At least in China I was living in large, spacious apartments that I could *easily* afford and still have money for nice vacations and going out to eat all time. Now here I am about to get married, broke, and expenses up the ass.
/rant
So I found out a couple days ago, that I lost my court case in Shanghai. This is ranty enough, but not the main reason for the rant.
For background, let me tell you what the case was about. back in May, I decided to resign from my teaching position in Wuxi so I could attend school in Fall because I wanted to pursue an education in medicine. I looked carefully over my contract for the terms of resignation and found that they wanted 60 working days notice to resign, and to make sure it didn't interfere with classes. Fair enough. So I told my boss near the end of May that I was leaving 60 working days later (which would be in August). I got a letter of acceptance of resignation from the Head office in Shanghai but instead of agreeing to the stipulated 60 days, they were kicking me out at the end of June. My bosses boss (the head principal) also decided he wasn't going to pay me for July and not allow me to work the summer school. So I was basically looking at losing $8,000. I fought it, told them that if that was the case, then I don't accept the resignation at the end of June (this was in writing and verbal). This went back on and off for 2 months--well into July-- until I said screw it, I'm getting a lawyer. It went to court in September and weeks later I found out I lost. Why? Because the court decided I accepted the resignation. Well gee, if that was true, why did I take it to court, dumbass? Also, why doesn't the school have to follow their own contract? Ironically, it wasn't a Chinese person that screwed me, it was a British principal.
Surely that's the end of the rant though, yes? Well, no. I might be out that money, but at least June was going to bringing home at least $8,000-10,000 of her own for our wedding.
Nope. She based this off what her father received when her mom died, and what her grandfather received when her grandmother died. We'll be lucky to get $4,000. So here I was, looking at a comfortable $15,000-$20,000 to start us off, and we're down to 4k. Oh, and over half of that will go to pay for her green card applications. This whole year I was working my ass off to prep for coming home. I stayed an extra year in China so we could have some more money before I started school, but it's all gone. Lord knows I wanted to start schooling earlier because med school takes long enough as it is. Best part is, since pre-med classes are all undergrad and I already have a bachelor's degree, I pretty much get jack squat for loans. I get $12,000/year for a campus with a cost of attendance of over $20,000.
You sort of accept that if/when you hit med school you're going to take loans unless you're independently wealthy. I at least thought, however, the student loans I got for the undergrad classes would at least cover the cost for undergrad. Now I'm looking at high-interest loans to cover Jun and I for the next year and a half.
Everything I planned on turned out to be wrong. I didn't expected to get royally fucked by my job. I didn't expect her to be bringing less than half of what she thought she would. I didn't expect I wouldn't be able to get normal student loans like everyone else. I almost feel like I made a mistake coming home. At least in China I was living in large, spacious apartments that I could *easily* afford and still have money for nice vacations and going out to eat all time. Now here I am about to get married, broke, and expenses up the ass.
/rant
What a fucking mess. I'm sorry, Terrik, that's the last thing you'd want to be dealing with after busting your ass specifically to avoid it.
That's really what it comes down to. I wouldn't be whining about it if I hadn't stayed another year to avoid it.
Before I decided to stay another year, I had thought to myself, "What is the worst possible outcome"? And it's basically what it is now. I can't really work because the classes are extremely demanding, Jun will have to wait 2-3 months minimum just to get the permit to legally work, and after that hope that her English gets good enough to work in an all-English environment. Of course we only have 1 car together, so that's going to be fun to work out, if we can at all.
My brother, in a moment of non-compassion says to me, "Well you can tell yourself staying longer would have helped, but I'm sure something else would have come up". Sure bro. I feel much better now.
Dave
Staff member
3:30 this am. Hear a noise in the living room. Wife asleep beside me. Daughter not home yet. I go investigate.
It was my dog. He was not happy with life and really needed to go outside. So I let him out...and then had to go clean up the piles of doggy diarrhea. In one pile? NO! In tracks around the room. On white carpet.
I fucking love dogs.
It was my dog. He was not happy with life and really needed to go outside. So I let him out...and then had to go clean up the piles of doggy diarrhea. In one pile? NO! In tracks around the room. On white carpet.
I fucking love dogs.
Lady, look, you're the team mom. Not me or anyone else. You're supposed to set up the snack schedule. You're supposed to arrange the team party at the end of the season. This is the job you volunteered to do.
QUIT SENDING OUT 10 EMAILS AT A TIME ABOUT THE PARTY! I Am Not Volunteering For This!!
QUIT SENDING OUT 10 EMAILS AT A TIME ABOUT THE PARTY! I Am Not Volunteering For This!!
But this way she can blame everyone else for not raising a hand to help her. She fails, but gets to save face because she was abandoned in her hour of greatest need.
I'm not blaming you or trying to guilt you, but just giving my analysis of the situation.
I totally get it. No worries.
So one of our translation clients contacts us, saying they've got feedback regarding a translation we did for them. Fine, that happens, let us know what we could've done better and we'll do our best to improve.
They send us a PDF file with the instructions "please implement the changes within". Okay, sounds good.
We open up the file. It's a scanned version of a printed-out Word document, with the client's corrections shown using Word's "track changes" feature.
So, to review, the client:
1. Took our translated Word document and made corrections to it.
2. Printed it out.
3. Scanned the printed-out document into a PDF file.
4. Emailed us the PDF file and told us to make the changes shown in it.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???
You've already made the corrections to the file. You've already made the changes you want to see. They're in the file already. I'm staring at it right now. And you want us to make the changes again? This file is 180 fucking pages long. It's filled to the brim with minor changes, like changing "conditions" to "parameters" and "statistics" to "data". Except not all of them are changed, so I can't just use a find-and-replace. I have to go through 180 pages of tracked changes and replicate them in the file on our end, because apparently some people at the client's end are morons and have no idea what "duplication of effort" means.
Fuck, dumb people made me angry.
They send us a PDF file with the instructions "please implement the changes within". Okay, sounds good.
We open up the file. It's a scanned version of a printed-out Word document, with the client's corrections shown using Word's "track changes" feature.
So, to review, the client:
1. Took our translated Word document and made corrections to it.
2. Printed it out.
3. Scanned the printed-out document into a PDF file.
4. Emailed us the PDF file and told us to make the changes shown in it.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???
You've already made the corrections to the file. You've already made the changes you want to see. They're in the file already. I'm staring at it right now. And you want us to make the changes again? This file is 180 fucking pages long. It's filled to the brim with minor changes, like changing "conditions" to "parameters" and "statistics" to "data". Except not all of them are changed, so I can't just use a find-and-replace. I have to go through 180 pages of tracked changes and replicate them in the file on our end, because apparently some people at the client's end are morons and have no idea what "duplication of effort" means.
Fuck, dumb people made me angry.
Just feels like we can't win here - so damned close to being able to stop living paycheck to paycheck, had money budgeted out for the next month and a half and where my wife works decides to suddenly lay off all of their temps (she was trying to get in permanently, but they need to get over 400 hours in for that to happen) as they are going into "holiday shutdown/cleaning" mode without informing my wife at all until she gets a phone call from the temp agency... She's one of the hardest workers there (they even said so), giving her overtime work to try to get her to that permanent placement position quicker...
Now instead of getting a full five day paycheck which would have covered everything we had to write a check for for the water bill for the year, after just having to drop over $500 for new tires for my wife's car last month before the snow started to fly, we're now sitting at negative money in the bank, 2 days worth of pay for her (temp agency got her another position until the other place starts back up again) next week, and we're trying to find money for gas and stuff to travel over 4 hours down to my sister's for Thanksgiving, bring along plates, cups, plastic ware, plus cover gas for the next few weeks as my paycheck is getting garnished after getting laid off over 4 years ago and having to take a job that was 1/2 of what I was making for almost a year. Rent is currently covered for next month (coming out of my paycheck on next week Friday), but am behind by a month and a half with her car payment, and after just getting almost caught up, we're looking at getting behind yet again. We were going to be okay as someone who owed us money came by a week ago and said that they were going to repay us some money that they owed us that would have covered everything, but then has decided to skip out on us again (this is the second time that they've done that).
Add on top of this my 6 year old son having ADHD, mild autism, now they're thinking he might have dyslexia (my wife has it but was never diagnosed), my wife's own medical issues (diabetic neuropathy in her feet among other things), my own medical issues (depression and sarcoidosis), it's just seeming like I'm in this never-ending cycle of struggling. Then I get a phone call earlier this week that my dad might have cancer.
We started to the process to file for bankruptcy, got half of the money for a lawyer, but haven't had any money to pay for the the necessary class to even be able to file.
It's just frustrating to have been in this cycle for so long - I make enough money that this shouldn't be an issue, but it just seems that I can't get far enough ahead to get out from from the stuff that happened and be able to look forward - I mean, next year I'll be 35 and it seems like I've pretty much struggled through every year of my life since college and it just doesn't want to seem to end any time soon - every chance I get to being close, something else comes up and smacks me right back down.
Okay - rant over for now... I feel a little bit better letting it out.
Now instead of getting a full five day paycheck which would have covered everything we had to write a check for for the water bill for the year, after just having to drop over $500 for new tires for my wife's car last month before the snow started to fly, we're now sitting at negative money in the bank, 2 days worth of pay for her (temp agency got her another position until the other place starts back up again) next week, and we're trying to find money for gas and stuff to travel over 4 hours down to my sister's for Thanksgiving, bring along plates, cups, plastic ware, plus cover gas for the next few weeks as my paycheck is getting garnished after getting laid off over 4 years ago and having to take a job that was 1/2 of what I was making for almost a year. Rent is currently covered for next month (coming out of my paycheck on next week Friday), but am behind by a month and a half with her car payment, and after just getting almost caught up, we're looking at getting behind yet again. We were going to be okay as someone who owed us money came by a week ago and said that they were going to repay us some money that they owed us that would have covered everything, but then has decided to skip out on us again (this is the second time that they've done that).
Add on top of this my 6 year old son having ADHD, mild autism, now they're thinking he might have dyslexia (my wife has it but was never diagnosed), my wife's own medical issues (diabetic neuropathy in her feet among other things), my own medical issues (depression and sarcoidosis), it's just seeming like I'm in this never-ending cycle of struggling. Then I get a phone call earlier this week that my dad might have cancer.
We started to the process to file for bankruptcy, got half of the money for a lawyer, but haven't had any money to pay for the the necessary class to even be able to file.
It's just frustrating to have been in this cycle for so long - I make enough money that this shouldn't be an issue, but it just seems that I can't get far enough ahead to get out from from the stuff that happened and be able to look forward - I mean, next year I'll be 35 and it seems like I've pretty much struggled through every year of my life since college and it just doesn't want to seem to end any time soon - every chance I get to being close, something else comes up and smacks me right back down.
Okay - rant over for now... I feel a little bit better letting it out.
I have learned something important today, dont piss off hobos, and especially not the Canadian variety.