It's been crazy recently. The air conditioning broke at work, and it's been 107 degrees most every day, so the boss let us all go with paid leave until the AC got turned back on. I'm actually getting ready to leave this job, because I have been offered a very well-paying job in a different city. I'm going to miss my friends here, and I do feel very bad because my boss has been so kind to me, but I told them all about it and they told me to go for it. I'm still going to come back and visit, because I'm going to miss them a lot. I don't make friends easily, so I'm rather worried about moving and having to get used to living in another city.
Also, G's friend got married recently, and I got dragged along to keep his friend's mother from asking where his girlfriend was (G doesn't have a girlfriend, nor does he want one. He likes living alone, and doesn't want to share his stuff). I will say this: weddings are interminably boring. Well, not every wedding. This one, however, went on for almost two hours since the stupid preacher WOULD NOT SHUT UP. Seriously, he rambled on and on for what seemed like a million years about what god expects in a marriage. It didn't help that the ceremony was outside at night. It was 95 degrees, and the mosquitoes decided that everyone in attendance was a giant buffet. I got covered with mosquito bites. It didn't help that the bride (G's friend was the groom) was a total bridezilla and pitched a fit when someone suggested moving the reception inside because of the bugs. Oh, and the preacher nearly ran G, G's mother, G's friend's mother, another friend of G's, and myself over in his Mercedes. Idiot. I know it was dark, but it's a little hard to miss SIX PEOPLE standing TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. Oh well, whatever. I think he was pissed because G's friend's mother made some rather snarky comments about his interminable sermon in earshot of him. Still, that's no reason to try to end us all.
Anyway, I'm having to inventory all of my crap before I move. Whee.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
STFU, Lawn Mowers!
People, people, people, I know you really want to mow your lawn to make your house look nice. And I know it gets hotter than hell once it's past 9:00 in the morning. But seriously? Some of us have to work, and don't really appreciate being woken up at 5:00 AM by Home and Garden enthusiasts. Look, I know it's important to you to keep your house looking nice. I get that. But you seem to forget that you're right across from an apartment complex full of people without lawns, and that your lawn mower sounds like an airplane with engine problems.
I'm not just overreacting, either. I live on the 6th floor, and all of my neighbors are irritated with your lawn-mowing morons as well. And if people who are several stories taller than your lawn are having problems, then you really need to either look into waiting until the evening, when everyone is awake, or get a new lawn mower. I think everyone in the complex would be willing to chip in to get you a quieter lawn mower... seriously. It's really annoying, and it's messing with my sleep schedule.
I'm not just overreacting, either. I live on the 6th floor, and all of my neighbors are irritated with your lawn-mowing morons as well. And if people who are several stories taller than your lawn are having problems, then you really need to either look into waiting until the evening, when everyone is awake, or get a new lawn mower. I think everyone in the complex would be willing to chip in to get you a quieter lawn mower... seriously. It's really annoying, and it's messing with my sleep schedule.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
New Blog
Do you have computer questions? Feel free to go check out Instant Help Desk. It's my hope that my new site might able to help some people with some simple computer questions.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Otomen
Recently, I was cleaning a computer of unnecessary files, and I found something interesting. Not interesting in the "Oh god, what the hell is that?" way, but in the "Hmmm. I kind of want to see more of that" way. There is a very interesting Japanese drama called "Otomen," about a guy who is pretty badass all around- he does kendo (Japanese swordfighting) and always sticks up for the weaker students. But he has a secret: he likes pretty things, and he likes to sew and thinks stuffed toys are cute. He hides this to portray only his stereotypical badass side... but then he falls in love with a girl who's more badass than he is, and he is able to reveal his true self to her.
I love it, it's a great series. I really thinks it helps show the reality of life- that people aren't always exactly like the persona they project. In real life, I try not to seem so depressed, and I always act like my mother's suicide didn't really affect me all that much. But I can let my real personality show on the Internet.
Argh, this has nothing to do with the television drama, so I'm going to shut up now. If you're interested, you can watch it on dramacrazy.net, the series title is Otomen.
I love it, it's a great series. I really thinks it helps show the reality of life- that people aren't always exactly like the persona they project. In real life, I try not to seem so depressed, and I always act like my mother's suicide didn't really affect me all that much. But I can let my real personality show on the Internet.
Argh, this has nothing to do with the television drama, so I'm going to shut up now. If you're interested, you can watch it on dramacrazy.net, the series title is Otomen.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Yes, I'm still alive...
I'm just recovering from a nasty battle with a very persistent stomach bug. I spent the better part of a week throwing up or doubled over with crippling abdominal pain, and I'm pretty sure I know what caused it... every time I go to a certain restaurant chain, I end up violently ill. It's not that I think the restaurant itself is doing anything wrong, since I've had this problem no matter where I've gone to the restaurant, whether it's in California or Florida, New York or Chicago, or even here at home. I think it's just that they use too much grease or something, and not enough spices. I've found that unless food is at least a few thousand on the Scoville scale I can't digest it easily. It's funny, because most people have the opposite problem. Spicy is where it's at for me, at least if I don't want to get sick.
Of course, the fact that May was kind of the month from Hell probably didn't help much. I know that stress lowers your immune system, so maybe that's the reason I got sick. But enough about my health problems- expect some "interesting" rants soon.
Of course, the fact that May was kind of the month from Hell probably didn't help much. I know that stress lowers your immune system, so maybe that's the reason I got sick. But enough about my health problems- expect some "interesting" rants soon.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Overworked and Underpaid
The past week has been miserable, and the fact that it's been just me and G at work has nothing to do with it. R's wife was in a car crash last Saturday, and while she thankfully wasn't hurt very badly, she did break her wrist and her leg, and as such hasn't been able to take care of their daughter or go to work, so R has been staying home to help his wife with some of the household stuff. Unfortunately, H (R's wife) can't do her job with the postal service, and that could affect their income substantially. Our jobs pay pretty well (enough to support a family of four), but R's daughter has extra medical expenses, and with H's emergency room trip they'll be getting a rather large hospital bill here soon. Losing H's income could prove to be rather bad.
And with the way prices of everything are rising, if you're married and the both of you do not work (unless you have a legit reason like poor health or a young child), then you're really just shooting yourself in the foot. This isn't 1700s England where the aristocracy could just loaf about all day and never do anything. We've gotta work, people! This is the 21st century!
Ah, that's enough ranting about work for now, well, work as in who should work. Basically twenty minutes after R called in on Monday saying that he couldn't come, all hell broke loose. A local private school that utilizes us so that they don't have to pay a full-time tech support staff is starting their state exams next week, and last week they showed up with a U-Haul full of computers with problems. We've been working overtime trying to get them working again before Friday, and while we're down to about 25 left, it's been hell. Because R is not working this week, that means that G and I have had to do everything, and some of the computers have screen issues. While I know a little bit about LCD screens, R is the real expert on them, and G is actually terrified of them (I can't blame him though, poor bastard electrocuted himself the last time he tried to work with one). So this entire week I've been showing up for work at 6:00 AM and clocking out around 9:00 PM. I haven't eaten anything that's not frozen dinners or drive-through takeout in days. Not that I cook, really, but it's nice to have enough time to get a decent meal rather than McDonald's or frozen taquitos once in a while.
I wish I could get some extra money, but I guess not.
And with the way prices of everything are rising, if you're married and the both of you do not work (unless you have a legit reason like poor health or a young child), then you're really just shooting yourself in the foot. This isn't 1700s England where the aristocracy could just loaf about all day and never do anything. We've gotta work, people! This is the 21st century!
Ah, that's enough ranting about work for now, well, work as in who should work. Basically twenty minutes after R called in on Monday saying that he couldn't come, all hell broke loose. A local private school that utilizes us so that they don't have to pay a full-time tech support staff is starting their state exams next week, and last week they showed up with a U-Haul full of computers with problems. We've been working overtime trying to get them working again before Friday, and while we're down to about 25 left, it's been hell. Because R is not working this week, that means that G and I have had to do everything, and some of the computers have screen issues. While I know a little bit about LCD screens, R is the real expert on them, and G is actually terrified of them (I can't blame him though, poor bastard electrocuted himself the last time he tried to work with one). So this entire week I've been showing up for work at 6:00 AM and clocking out around 9:00 PM. I haven't eaten anything that's not frozen dinners or drive-through takeout in days. Not that I cook, really, but it's nice to have enough time to get a decent meal rather than McDonald's or frozen taquitos once in a while.
I wish I could get some extra money, but I guess not.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Customer Files: The Flirt
Occasionally we get women in the shop who honestly have no computer problems whatsoever. They come in to ask a stupid question about something ("Are gigabytes bad for your computer?") while wearing revealing clothing. If I'm the one on duty, they see me and walk out the door. They'll walk past several times, waiting for either G or R to go on duty so that they can flirt with one of them.
It usually doesn't bug me. I mean, I'm not exactly the kind of person a girl would want to look at all day (I'm a rather disheveled female tech support worker), and I certainly can't begrudge someone from wanting to find Mr. Right. What I do wish they would do is wait until we're closed.
Today it did upset me a bit, but not for the reasons that it normally would. A local private school is getting ready to take the state exams and of course, didn't look into their computer problems until now, a few days before the exams start. Which means that they showed up yesterday morning with 340 computers in a U-Haul and wanted us to check them to make sure they'd work. Because of this, all other jobs have to be pushed back, and believe me, there's nothing scarier than an angry house-wife who wants her netbook de-virused NOW, or the frazzled older man who needs to use his BlackBerry for work, and it's not turning on. It's an enormous pain already, and when you add Miss Flirt into the mix, it complicates things a lot more than it needs to be done. Today, all three of us were in the back room trying to switch out dead hard drives on these computers. It looked like an electronics store exploded in there. This woman wearing the tightest jeans I'd ever seen and a very tight top came into the shop and asked to see G. So we sent him out. Apparently she was trying to flirt with him to get her laptop fixed faster and at a discount, even though it was quite obvious that we were up to our asses in broken computers. When G told her it would be Friday at the earliest, she flew off the handle and called him a faggot, just because he wouldn't respond to her hitting on him.
The moral of this story is: People, please. If you have a computer problem we'll be happy to help, but you need to understand that we have other customers than just you. Oh, and flirting with us won't work either. I have no interest in a relationship, R is married, and G is practically wedded to his Xbox so there's no point. It's not gonna work, and I'll laugh at you for trying. Because seeing you foolish humans so flustered and desperate is quite entertaining, to be honest.
It usually doesn't bug me. I mean, I'm not exactly the kind of person a girl would want to look at all day (I'm a rather disheveled female tech support worker), and I certainly can't begrudge someone from wanting to find Mr. Right. What I do wish they would do is wait until we're closed.
Today it did upset me a bit, but not for the reasons that it normally would. A local private school is getting ready to take the state exams and of course, didn't look into their computer problems until now, a few days before the exams start. Which means that they showed up yesterday morning with 340 computers in a U-Haul and wanted us to check them to make sure they'd work. Because of this, all other jobs have to be pushed back, and believe me, there's nothing scarier than an angry house-wife who wants her netbook de-virused NOW, or the frazzled older man who needs to use his BlackBerry for work, and it's not turning on. It's an enormous pain already, and when you add Miss Flirt into the mix, it complicates things a lot more than it needs to be done. Today, all three of us were in the back room trying to switch out dead hard drives on these computers. It looked like an electronics store exploded in there. This woman wearing the tightest jeans I'd ever seen and a very tight top came into the shop and asked to see G. So we sent him out. Apparently she was trying to flirt with him to get her laptop fixed faster and at a discount, even though it was quite obvious that we were up to our asses in broken computers. When G told her it would be Friday at the earliest, she flew off the handle and called him a faggot, just because he wouldn't respond to her hitting on him.
The moral of this story is: People, please. If you have a computer problem we'll be happy to help, but you need to understand that we have other customers than just you. Oh, and flirting with us won't work either. I have no interest in a relationship, R is married, and G is practically wedded to his Xbox so there's no point. It's not gonna work, and I'll laugh at you for trying. Because seeing you foolish humans so flustered and desperate is quite entertaining, to be honest.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
I LOVE YOU, G!!!!!!
My coworker G is the best person ever. Today I walked into work and there was a package on my desk. Which is nothing unusual, we occasionally give each other stupid presents. The last time I got a package like that it was a box of yuri manga, as payback for my "computer virus" stunt. I promptly chucked it at R's head, since he was the one behind it. So I was expecting something stupid, like more manga I didn't want, or panties with HTML code on them again (I'm looking at you, G, and D, even though you don't work here- it was still your idea!)
But today was different. G knows I have been looking for the Johnny the Homicidal Maniac comic books for a while, and HE FREAKING BOUGHT THEM FOR ME. Do you know how epic that is? Seriously dude, if there's anything you want I'll do everything in my power to get it for you, even if that means going to the moon and bringing you back a moon rock or something.
And even sweeter than that is the fact that the whole reason he got me the present was because he knows how difficult May is for me. G, you're amazing, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And if they do, then they'll have to answer to me!
But today was different. G knows I have been looking for the Johnny the Homicidal Maniac comic books for a while, and HE FREAKING BOUGHT THEM FOR ME. Do you know how epic that is? Seriously dude, if there's anything you want I'll do everything in my power to get it for you, even if that means going to the moon and bringing you back a moon rock or something.
And even sweeter than that is the fact that the whole reason he got me the present was because he knows how difficult May is for me. G, you're amazing, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And if they do, then they'll have to answer to me!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Cinco de Mayo
Today, being Cinco de Mayo, meant two things at work. One, it was Comedy Sombrero Time, and two, CHIPOTLE FOR LUNCH!
About ten years ago, my boss went to Cozumel with his wife for their honeymoon, and while he was there, he bought a gigantic sombrero for the heck of it. It's about five feet wide, although it's got a normal sized place for your head. So today, it was Comedy Sombrero Time. We had a rock-paper-scissors tournament to see who had to wear it all day, and not surprisingly I lost. So I had to go about my work wearing a giant hat on my head, and trust me, it's a lot harder than it looks. The damn thing weighs about five pounds, which doesn't seem like much, until you put it on your head. Then it starts to feel like it's 5000 pounds. And I also learned the hard way- the hat does not fit under the desk, especially if you're wearing it.
But I accepted my defeat and wore that sombrero with pride. After all, come Halloween we all have to wear costumes to work, and invariably G ends up looking like a fool since he waits until the last minute to get his costume. So I accept my sombrero fate, knowing that this October we might have a reenactment of Toilet Paper Mummy.
But enough about the hat. Today, the boss got us all Chipotle for lunch, and we didn't have to pay a thing. He's so nice when does things like that... he technically doesn't have to give us anything except our paychecks, but he was kind enough to get us a special lunch today. Mr. Boss, I <3 you in a platonic manner.
About ten years ago, my boss went to Cozumel with his wife for their honeymoon, and while he was there, he bought a gigantic sombrero for the heck of it. It's about five feet wide, although it's got a normal sized place for your head. So today, it was Comedy Sombrero Time. We had a rock-paper-scissors tournament to see who had to wear it all day, and not surprisingly I lost. So I had to go about my work wearing a giant hat on my head, and trust me, it's a lot harder than it looks. The damn thing weighs about five pounds, which doesn't seem like much, until you put it on your head. Then it starts to feel like it's 5000 pounds. And I also learned the hard way- the hat does not fit under the desk, especially if you're wearing it.
But I accepted my defeat and wore that sombrero with pride. After all, come Halloween we all have to wear costumes to work, and invariably G ends up looking like a fool since he waits until the last minute to get his costume. So I accept my sombrero fate, knowing that this October we might have a reenactment of Toilet Paper Mummy.
But enough about the hat. Today, the boss got us all Chipotle for lunch, and we didn't have to pay a thing. He's so nice when does things like that... he technically doesn't have to give us anything except our paychecks, but he was kind enough to get us a special lunch today. Mr. Boss, I <3 you in a platonic manner.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Dear Senelė
It's hard to believe that just eight years ago you were still with me.
Today I felt like you were with me again, beside me as I cleaned up your grave site. I could practically hear you talking to me again, telling me what to do to fix my appearance and how to do my job, even though you didn't know a thing about computers back in 2002, when you passed. I could hear you telling me to look after my dad, make sure he eats right and doesn't work too hard.
Well, even so, there's a lot you've missed in the past year. I turned 24. Believe it or not, Senelė, the sickly little girl you used to look after is officially in adulthood. Yeah, shocker. Even I'm surprised I made it this far. Our clan doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to health, either mental or physical. But I haven't shot myself, and I haven't contracted any deadly diseases, so as far as I'm concerned I'm doing pretty damn well.
Last summer it seemed like every single celebrity passed away. Not that you'd care, you only watched the television for the news and South Park, which you'll be pleased to know is still on.
I'm doing well financially, even though the economy still sucks. My coworkers are doing extremely well, and we're even goofier than we were last year now. Our workload has increased so much, though, that we're looking for a fourth person to add to our loony bin of computers. You'd like it there, we're always looking for a laugh. I'm not sure if you'd be pleased about this, or want to whack me with a broom again, but I still haven't lost my fondness for playing pranks on people. I still mess with my coworkers, and they get me right back.
You'll also be happy to know that I have continued your tradition of playing the lottery once a month, and last year in December won $200. It's not anything major, but I thought it might make you happy to know that the child you raised hasn't departed from her upbringing.
Dad is doing well. He and his friends have missed the midlife crisis stage, and now they're the funniest 40somethings I've ever met in my life. Seriously, at that age most guys are moping around and trying to buy a Ferrari. Dad and company just go to the pub once a week and complain about things.
I could go on, but you've probably got better things to do in the Great Beyond than listen to me ramble on and on. So here's to another year, where hopefully you will watch over me.
Love,
Simona
Today I felt like you were with me again, beside me as I cleaned up your grave site. I could practically hear you talking to me again, telling me what to do to fix my appearance and how to do my job, even though you didn't know a thing about computers back in 2002, when you passed. I could hear you telling me to look after my dad, make sure he eats right and doesn't work too hard.
Well, even so, there's a lot you've missed in the past year. I turned 24. Believe it or not, Senelė, the sickly little girl you used to look after is officially in adulthood. Yeah, shocker. Even I'm surprised I made it this far. Our clan doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to health, either mental or physical. But I haven't shot myself, and I haven't contracted any deadly diseases, so as far as I'm concerned I'm doing pretty damn well.
Last summer it seemed like every single celebrity passed away. Not that you'd care, you only watched the television for the news and South Park, which you'll be pleased to know is still on.
I'm doing well financially, even though the economy still sucks. My coworkers are doing extremely well, and we're even goofier than we were last year now. Our workload has increased so much, though, that we're looking for a fourth person to add to our loony bin of computers. You'd like it there, we're always looking for a laugh. I'm not sure if you'd be pleased about this, or want to whack me with a broom again, but I still haven't lost my fondness for playing pranks on people. I still mess with my coworkers, and they get me right back.
You'll also be happy to know that I have continued your tradition of playing the lottery once a month, and last year in December won $200. It's not anything major, but I thought it might make you happy to know that the child you raised hasn't departed from her upbringing.
Dad is doing well. He and his friends have missed the midlife crisis stage, and now they're the funniest 40somethings I've ever met in my life. Seriously, at that age most guys are moping around and trying to buy a Ferrari. Dad and company just go to the pub once a week and complain about things.
I could go on, but you've probably got better things to do in the Great Beyond than listen to me ramble on and on. So here's to another year, where hopefully you will watch over me.
Love,
Simona
Friday, April 30, 2010
April 30th
Twenty-seven years ago today, two young people were married. At the time, they didn't know that they were making the biggest mistake of their lives. This seemingly harmless action resulted in three years of awkward arrangements, a child, and eventually a suicide.
But at the time, neither of them knew what the future would hold. They were just happy to be together, finally finalizing the love they felt for each other. Once they were married, they went on their honeymoon to Tahiti, not realizing that the fun, traditional trip to a tropical location was the beginning of the end. How could they, when they were so happy to be together?
It wasn't as though they fought, no it was the opposite. They got along so well that they should have seen the warning signs. No one can possibly be that happy together, not without making some sacrifices. While they were on their holiday, they spent money and spent so much time together that it's a miracle that they didn't burn out. They planned out their entire life while they were there- in a year they would have their first child and the woman would quit working, hopefully before too long they would have a second child, they would eventually move out of the depressing inner-city apartment they lived in and would get a nice house somewhere in the suburbs. In a few years, when the children were in middle school, the woman would go back to work and they would save money to put their kids through university.
Unfortunately, real life doesn't work out that way. The woman's grandmother needed someone to care for her, so she moved in with the couple, which put a bit of a strain on their relationship. Two years after they were married, the woman had an extremely difficult pregnancy resulting in a rather unhealthy baby- a little girl. She quit her job to take care of the child and her grandmother- both needed a lot of medical appointments. Slowly, her mental stamina started to wither away, until two years after she bore her sickly daughter, she shot herself.
In case you haven't figured it out now, the young man and woman were my parents. And in case you're particularly dim, the baby was me. Today would have been their 27th wedding anniversary, if my mother was still alive. It's a difficult day for me, especially because in three days is the anniversary of my great-grandmother's death. Usually today passes by unmarked, except for maybe getting some hugs and extra snacks from my coworkers, who know how painful this week is for me. Today, though, my dad called. Which isn't particularly unusual- he calls me a couple of times a month. But today he called me, just wanting to hear that I was doing well. It made me sad, to be quite honest. I wish my dad didn't have to feel this way every year.
Anyway, that's why I haven't been posting much lately. I've just been thinking a lot, about what happened, and how things might be different if my mom hadn't died. On Sunday I am going to visit my great-grandmother's grave and tidy it, which I do every year on the anniversary of her death and her birthday. I tidy my mother's on Mother's Day and the anniversary of her death.
But at the time, neither of them knew what the future would hold. They were just happy to be together, finally finalizing the love they felt for each other. Once they were married, they went on their honeymoon to Tahiti, not realizing that the fun, traditional trip to a tropical location was the beginning of the end. How could they, when they were so happy to be together?
It wasn't as though they fought, no it was the opposite. They got along so well that they should have seen the warning signs. No one can possibly be that happy together, not without making some sacrifices. While they were on their holiday, they spent money and spent so much time together that it's a miracle that they didn't burn out. They planned out their entire life while they were there- in a year they would have their first child and the woman would quit working, hopefully before too long they would have a second child, they would eventually move out of the depressing inner-city apartment they lived in and would get a nice house somewhere in the suburbs. In a few years, when the children were in middle school, the woman would go back to work and they would save money to put their kids through university.
Unfortunately, real life doesn't work out that way. The woman's grandmother needed someone to care for her, so she moved in with the couple, which put a bit of a strain on their relationship. Two years after they were married, the woman had an extremely difficult pregnancy resulting in a rather unhealthy baby- a little girl. She quit her job to take care of the child and her grandmother- both needed a lot of medical appointments. Slowly, her mental stamina started to wither away, until two years after she bore her sickly daughter, she shot herself.
In case you haven't figured it out now, the young man and woman were my parents. And in case you're particularly dim, the baby was me. Today would have been their 27th wedding anniversary, if my mother was still alive. It's a difficult day for me, especially because in three days is the anniversary of my great-grandmother's death. Usually today passes by unmarked, except for maybe getting some hugs and extra snacks from my coworkers, who know how painful this week is for me. Today, though, my dad called. Which isn't particularly unusual- he calls me a couple of times a month. But today he called me, just wanting to hear that I was doing well. It made me sad, to be quite honest. I wish my dad didn't have to feel this way every year.
Anyway, that's why I haven't been posting much lately. I've just been thinking a lot, about what happened, and how things might be different if my mom hadn't died. On Sunday I am going to visit my great-grandmother's grave and tidy it, which I do every year on the anniversary of her death and her birthday. I tidy my mother's on Mother's Day and the anniversary of her death.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Mormons!
Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I got visited by some Mormons. I had just gotten home from work and was getting ready to relax with a nice plate of delicious kebabs and a can of ginger ale and watch a movie when the doorbell rang. I opened the door, and on my doorstep were two young men who looked like they were going to a job interview. But that was stupid, because who goes to a job interview at 7:00 on Saturday night?
Anyway, at first I thought they were looking for the downstairs neighbor, who occasionally has fancy-dress parties, so I told them they wanted to go the next floor down. They looked really confused, and then told me that they were on their mission, and wondered if I had a few minutes to talk to them about religion?
I'm not a rude person, so I said OK. They first asked me if I went to a church on a regular basis. No, I haven't gone to church since I was very young (before my mother died), except for funerals and weddings. They asked me what I did for a living, and I told them. Then they started talking to me about how finding religion could fill the void in my life with something productive.
We ended up talking for about ten more minutes, and then they went on to the next neighbor. It made me think a bit, though. Do I really seem so miserable that people who meet me for the first time think I need to do something? Admittedly I probably did look like I just crawled out of a basement (when I'm relaxing I wear crap clothes), and it had been a hard day at work, so I probably looked like I'd just gotten out of a fight, but really? I know I'm depressed, and rather depressing to be around, but if two guys who I've never seen before in my life think I'd be better off if I took on their religion can see it, then maybe I should try to be less depressed?
Just something else for me to think about, I guess.
Anyway, at first I thought they were looking for the downstairs neighbor, who occasionally has fancy-dress parties, so I told them they wanted to go the next floor down. They looked really confused, and then told me that they were on their mission, and wondered if I had a few minutes to talk to them about religion?
I'm not a rude person, so I said OK. They first asked me if I went to a church on a regular basis. No, I haven't gone to church since I was very young (before my mother died), except for funerals and weddings. They asked me what I did for a living, and I told them. Then they started talking to me about how finding religion could fill the void in my life with something productive.
We ended up talking for about ten more minutes, and then they went on to the next neighbor. It made me think a bit, though. Do I really seem so miserable that people who meet me for the first time think I need to do something? Admittedly I probably did look like I just crawled out of a basement (when I'm relaxing I wear crap clothes), and it had been a hard day at work, so I probably looked like I'd just gotten out of a fight, but really? I know I'm depressed, and rather depressing to be around, but if two guys who I've never seen before in my life think I'd be better off if I took on their religion can see it, then maybe I should try to be less depressed?
Just something else for me to think about, I guess.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The Name Zetsubou
My Internet name is a constant source of mystery to some. What does it mean? What language is it in? Why did you choose it? I'm going to answer those questions in this post.
Zetsubou, or 絶望, is Japanese for “despair.” I am not Japanese. If I was going to use my ancestral languages for my name, I would be “Neviltis” (Lithuanian, father's side), or “ochtayanie” (отчаяние – Russian, mother's side).
I chose the name Zetsubou because within my lifetime, I have had to work extremely hard to overcome a variety of circumstances, and I spent most of my teenage years in despair. My mom was dead, my great-grandmother, the woman who raised me, was dead by the time I was 14 years old, my dad worked all the time, and I didn't have many friends. I was “that creepy girl in the back of the classroom.”
So most of my life, I've been alone. I developed a bit of a warped personality because of it, but I promise that I'm usually a good person. I'm not going to bite you if you talk to me, and if I like you, I'm pretty friendly. I have a well-paying job, and I've grown comfortable in my own skin. But occasionally, that old despair creeps in, and on those days, it's almost impossible to get out of bed. I've been told by doctors that I have dysthymic disorder, but I don't really care what it's called. All I know is that it's difficult for me to function on days that I feel that way. It's gotten better since I got a job, and I have to say that I'm quite grateful to my boss and coworkers for making every day a lot more fun.
I call myself "Despair" not so much because I am in it constantly, but because I do not want to forget my roots, where I came from, and what motivated me to become what I am today. If it hadn't been for those times where I felt lonely and empty, I might never have been motivated to become what I am today.
Zetsubou, or 絶望, is Japanese for “despair.” I am not Japanese. If I was going to use my ancestral languages for my name, I would be “Neviltis” (Lithuanian, father's side), or “ochtayanie” (отчаяние – Russian, mother's side).
I chose the name Zetsubou because within my lifetime, I have had to work extremely hard to overcome a variety of circumstances, and I spent most of my teenage years in despair. My mom was dead, my great-grandmother, the woman who raised me, was dead by the time I was 14 years old, my dad worked all the time, and I didn't have many friends. I was “that creepy girl in the back of the classroom.”
So most of my life, I've been alone. I developed a bit of a warped personality because of it, but I promise that I'm usually a good person. I'm not going to bite you if you talk to me, and if I like you, I'm pretty friendly. I have a well-paying job, and I've grown comfortable in my own skin. But occasionally, that old despair creeps in, and on those days, it's almost impossible to get out of bed. I've been told by doctors that I have dysthymic disorder, but I don't really care what it's called. All I know is that it's difficult for me to function on days that I feel that way. It's gotten better since I got a job, and I have to say that I'm quite grateful to my boss and coworkers for making every day a lot more fun.
I call myself "Despair" not so much because I am in it constantly, but because I do not want to forget my roots, where I came from, and what motivated me to become what I am today. If it hadn't been for those times where I felt lonely and empty, I might never have been motivated to become what I am today.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
How To Traumatize Your (Straight Male) Coworkers
1.Find computer with several gigabytes of yaoi on it.
2.Tell coworker, “hey, I've never seen a virus like this one before- have you?”
3.????
4.PROFIT!
Oh my god, I don't think I've ever laughed that much in my life. I guess I should start from the beginning. Today a college girl came in and asked me to de-virus her computer, but she was very insistent that I be the one to do it. She didn't want G to touch it at all. I thought maybe she had embarrassing images of herself that she had taken for a boyfriend or something, so I agreed and told her to pick it up in an hour and a half. She left, and I got to work.
While I was scanning for viruses, I found her, uh, “special time collection.”For those of you who don't know what yaoi is, it's basically pornographic drawings/animations of gay males. Now I've seen a lot of it in my life (you see a lot of crazy stuff in my line of work), and I've become inured to this type of stuff. Seriously, you just stop caring after a while, and it becomes more of, “Oh, another sick fuck with horse porn on his PC... well, better switch out the network card.” But today, I was in a particularly lulzy mood and can stomach yaoi pretty easily (some of it is quite well drawn), so I decided to torture G.
Z: Hey, G, this is a really weird virus. I've never seen anything like it.
G: Are you sure it's a virus?
Z: Pretty sure. Can you take a look?
*G comes over to see what I was talking about and gets an eyeful*
G: ZETSUBOU, YOU BITCH!
Z: *laughs hysterically*
G: You bitch! You're horrible! How do you sleep at night, knowing you're more corrupted than a bad batch file? (Yes, he seriously said this. He likes to make bad computer references)
Z: *laughs even harder*
At this point, R came back from his lunch break and saw what was going on. It was probably a bit bizarre to be honest- at this point I was practically falling out of the chair from laughing so hard, and G's face had started to look a bit like a tomato from embarrassment. So he decides to check it out too, resulting in more lulz.
R: Zetsubou, what the hell is going on? Are you alright?
Z: Ahahahahahahaha... computer...virus.... WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
R: Computer virus? Since when do you think computer viruses are funny?
Z: hehehe, take a look and see! It's really great!
G: For god's sake R, don't do it!
R: *ignores G and looks at the screen* You're terrible, Zetsubou.
He just shook his head and walked away, resulting in me laughing even harder. Eventually we got the viruses off.
...I'm a terrible person. And I love it!
to G and R- love you guys, and sorry. Oh well, you'll get over it, and I'll send you guys some extra-strength brain bleach (read: vodka) on Saturday.
2.Tell coworker, “hey, I've never seen a virus like this one before- have you?”
3.????
4.PROFIT!
Oh my god, I don't think I've ever laughed that much in my life. I guess I should start from the beginning. Today a college girl came in and asked me to de-virus her computer, but she was very insistent that I be the one to do it. She didn't want G to touch it at all. I thought maybe she had embarrassing images of herself that she had taken for a boyfriend or something, so I agreed and told her to pick it up in an hour and a half. She left, and I got to work.
While I was scanning for viruses, I found her, uh, “special time collection.”For those of you who don't know what yaoi is, it's basically pornographic drawings/animations of gay males. Now I've seen a lot of it in my life (you see a lot of crazy stuff in my line of work), and I've become inured to this type of stuff. Seriously, you just stop caring after a while, and it becomes more of, “Oh, another sick fuck with horse porn on his PC... well, better switch out the network card.” But today, I was in a particularly lulzy mood and can stomach yaoi pretty easily (some of it is quite well drawn), so I decided to torture G.
Z: Hey, G, this is a really weird virus. I've never seen anything like it.
G: Are you sure it's a virus?
Z: Pretty sure. Can you take a look?
*G comes over to see what I was talking about and gets an eyeful*
G: ZETSUBOU, YOU BITCH!
Z: *laughs hysterically*
G: You bitch! You're horrible! How do you sleep at night, knowing you're more corrupted than a bad batch file? (Yes, he seriously said this. He likes to make bad computer references)
Z: *laughs even harder*
At this point, R came back from his lunch break and saw what was going on. It was probably a bit bizarre to be honest- at this point I was practically falling out of the chair from laughing so hard, and G's face had started to look a bit like a tomato from embarrassment. So he decides to check it out too, resulting in more lulz.
R: Zetsubou, what the hell is going on? Are you alright?
Z: Ahahahahahahaha... computer...virus.... WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
R: Computer virus? Since when do you think computer viruses are funny?
Z: hehehe, take a look and see! It's really great!
G: For god's sake R, don't do it!
R: *ignores G and looks at the screen* You're terrible, Zetsubou.
He just shook his head and walked away, resulting in me laughing even harder. Eventually we got the viruses off.
...I'm a terrible person. And I love it!
to G and R- love you guys, and sorry. Oh well, you'll get over it, and I'll send you guys some extra-strength brain bleach (read: vodka) on Saturday.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Techno Remixes!
A lot of people will say things, and then some intrepid Internet user will set it to a techno beat. Yesterday at work, we all had great fun finding these and listening to them. The customers enjoyed them, too, since most of them had heard the quotes that had been technofied.
(300)- This Is Sparta! Techno Mix
(Senator Ted Stevens)- Series of Tubes Net Neutrality Dance Mix
(Spongebob Squarepants)- THIS. IS. PATRICK!
(Glenn Beck)- Get Off My Phone Radio Freak-out (TWILIGHT VAMPIRE REMIX)
(Death Note)- Potato Chip Remix
(Azumanga Daioh)- Sata Andagi remix (FYI- sata andagi are basically donuts)
(Jingle all the Way)- PUT THAT COOKIE DOWN!
(Star Trek)- Shatner of the Mount
(Pirates of the Caribbean)- I've Got A Jar of Dirt Remix
(Lord of the Rings)- They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard
There are a lot more of these, but these are some of my favorites.
And now I think I'm going to go eat a potato chip.
(300)- This Is Sparta! Techno Mix
(Senator Ted Stevens)- Series of Tubes Net Neutrality Dance Mix
(Spongebob Squarepants)- THIS. IS. PATRICK!
(Glenn Beck)- Get Off My Phone Radio Freak-out (TWILIGHT VAMPIRE REMIX)
(Death Note)- Potato Chip Remix
(Azumanga Daioh)- Sata Andagi remix (FYI- sata andagi are basically donuts)
(Jingle all the Way)- PUT THAT COOKIE DOWN!
(Star Trek)- Shatner of the Mount
(Pirates of the Caribbean)- I've Got A Jar of Dirt Remix
(Lord of the Rings)- They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard
There are a lot more of these, but these are some of my favorites.
And now I think I'm going to go eat a potato chip.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Falling off the wagon...
These past two days have been so incredibly stressful, and I'm ashamed to admit it, but I broke down. I haven't had a cigarette in over two years, but I broke down and bought a pack today. I was just driven by my exhaustion and irritation, and I had to pick up some Aleve at the drugstore. I lost it and bought a pack of Camel no. 9.
I'm so disgusted with myself. I thought I'd finally managed to kick the habit. Oh well. I only had two- I'll just toss the rest in the bin.
I'm so disgusted with myself. I thought I'd finally managed to kick the habit. Oh well. I only had two- I'll just toss the rest in the bin.
Blind Rage
There are very few things that piss me off more than people making fun of the disabled. They can't help their situation, and people who don't get that and think that it is acceptable to launch personal attacks on them make me physically ill. Don't do it in my presence, if you're smart.
There is a very sweet teenage girl who comes to the store sometimes. She happens to have Down's syndrome. Everybody around here likes her, since she's just a very pleasant person. Well, today, we heard a bit of a commotion outside, and R and I went to check it out. At first, we thought it was just your typical scuffle between a boyfriend and girlfriend. And then we realized what was going on.
Two disgusting little lowlifes who I hesitate to even call human were picking on this girl. She obviously didn't know what was going on, and these two "boys" (and I use that term loosely- cockroaches would be more appropriate) were following her around, throwing little pebbles at her, calling her names, and just generally being disgraces to the human race. As soon as the two of us realized what was going on, R ran inside to tell G and the boss, and to call the police, while I went outside to break it up before anything escalated.
Let me tell you- these troglodytes weren't pleased that their "fun" had been interrupted, and turned on me. Big mistake. I grew up in a "if they attack you, attack back" society. Before I could do any real damage, though, G came charging out there and started swearing at them, and the boss called the police. The boys ran off, we made sure our customer was OK. The police took her home, and we went back to work.
Those sub-humans probably won't be coming back around this way anytime soon, though.
There is a very sweet teenage girl who comes to the store sometimes. She happens to have Down's syndrome. Everybody around here likes her, since she's just a very pleasant person. Well, today, we heard a bit of a commotion outside, and R and I went to check it out. At first, we thought it was just your typical scuffle between a boyfriend and girlfriend. And then we realized what was going on.
Two disgusting little lowlifes who I hesitate to even call human were picking on this girl. She obviously didn't know what was going on, and these two "boys" (and I use that term loosely- cockroaches would be more appropriate) were following her around, throwing little pebbles at her, calling her names, and just generally being disgraces to the human race. As soon as the two of us realized what was going on, R ran inside to tell G and the boss, and to call the police, while I went outside to break it up before anything escalated.
Let me tell you- these troglodytes weren't pleased that their "fun" had been interrupted, and turned on me. Big mistake. I grew up in a "if they attack you, attack back" society. Before I could do any real damage, though, G came charging out there and started swearing at them, and the boss called the police. The boys ran off, we made sure our customer was OK. The police took her home, and we went back to work.
Those sub-humans probably won't be coming back around this way anytime soon, though.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
IT Night Out
Last night, G, R, and I decided to go check out the new iPad. We went to the local Apple store, stood in line for about two hours, and then we got to hold it. That sounds so stupid when I type it out, but considering how long we waited to just see the darn thing I think that a bit of hyperbole is appropriate. :)
Anyway, we got to play with it for a while, then we had to hand it off to the next person. It was kind of fun, but really, it was basically a giant iPod. Very amusing, and rather fun, but I don't think it can really justify the $500 base price tag. Although R fell in love with it. I fully expect him to come to work tomorrow with one tucked into his computer bag.
After we saw the iPad, we went to Olive Garden for dinner. Personally, I don't like Italian food very much, but I was out-voted. Although I was surprised- this restaurant had food I could actually eat. The tomato-marinara pasta with Parmesan cheese was rather good. Still, I would have preferred to get Japanese or Indian food, or at least something spicier. Oh well. Next time we go out I don't care what it takes- we're getting something spicier.
Eating out with those two is always an adventure. G has a kind of stupid habit of making little houses and stuff out of the sugar packets, and R started a condiment war. If his wife could have seen him, she probably would have filed for divorce right away, since he amused himself by chucking sugar packets at G's sugar packet house to try to knock it down. It was like the middle school lunch table all over again, although I do have to admit that it was funny. At least they managed to keep their sugar-packet fight on a relatively small scale, so they didn't disturb anyone else.
After dinner, we went ice skating. I'm terrible at it, but not as bad as R. He actually crashed into me and we ended up in a tech-support worker pile. It actually hurt pretty badly, considering that I cut myself with the skate blade when I fell. I don't think we'll be repeating that part of our night out again, although we might try something similar again soon, since we all had so much fun.
Anyway, we got to play with it for a while, then we had to hand it off to the next person. It was kind of fun, but really, it was basically a giant iPod. Very amusing, and rather fun, but I don't think it can really justify the $500 base price tag. Although R fell in love with it. I fully expect him to come to work tomorrow with one tucked into his computer bag.
After we saw the iPad, we went to Olive Garden for dinner. Personally, I don't like Italian food very much, but I was out-voted. Although I was surprised- this restaurant had food I could actually eat. The tomato-marinara pasta with Parmesan cheese was rather good. Still, I would have preferred to get Japanese or Indian food, or at least something spicier. Oh well. Next time we go out I don't care what it takes- we're getting something spicier.
Eating out with those two is always an adventure. G has a kind of stupid habit of making little houses and stuff out of the sugar packets, and R started a condiment war. If his wife could have seen him, she probably would have filed for divorce right away, since he amused himself by chucking sugar packets at G's sugar packet house to try to knock it down. It was like the middle school lunch table all over again, although I do have to admit that it was funny. At least they managed to keep their sugar-packet fight on a relatively small scale, so they didn't disturb anyone else.
After dinner, we went ice skating. I'm terrible at it, but not as bad as R. He actually crashed into me and we ended up in a tech-support worker pile. It actually hurt pretty badly, considering that I cut myself with the skate blade when I fell. I don't think we'll be repeating that part of our night out again, although we might try something similar again soon, since we all had so much fun.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Bullied to death
The Story
Another teenager is dead due to suicide, because she was tormented at the hands of her peers. What I want to know is how long this is going to go on before someone does something about it?
I don't give a rat's ass what a person's reasons for harassing someone else are. If they do so, they're scum. I don't care if your religious beliefs/political beliefs/the flying pink monkey that controls your thoughts/or your parents say you're to be intolerant of someone else- you just don't do it. I can't exactly ask if your momma taught you right or not, since mine obviously didn't. But you know what? I learned from a young age that harassing someone just because they are different is unacceptable. My great-grandmother would have hit me upside the head with a broom if she ever heard that I bullied someone.
I personally was never a victim of bullying. Well, technically that's not true, but I got suspended from middle school for a week after I beat the girl who tried up. Most people knew not to mess with me after that, since I'd Hulk out.
How many more people are going to end their own lives before we as a society do something? If we impose strict penalties on people who are vile enough to torment another human being, then it might stop. If we make people afraid that they'll be living with Big Bubba in prison for the rest of their lives, then they will stop. If we make people pay million-dollar fines if they get caught, then they will stop. If someone dies as a result of bullying, give the bully the same penalties you would give any other murderer. That will stop it right quick!
Maybe it's too much to ask. After all, "kids will be kids," the teachers say. Well, I say that we're killing the next generation by allowing this to continue. And if this is how the next generation behaves, then I don't want to live long enough to be in a nursing home under their care.
Another teenager is dead due to suicide, because she was tormented at the hands of her peers. What I want to know is how long this is going to go on before someone does something about it?
I don't give a rat's ass what a person's reasons for harassing someone else are. If they do so, they're scum. I don't care if your religious beliefs/political beliefs/the flying pink monkey that controls your thoughts/or your parents say you're to be intolerant of someone else- you just don't do it. I can't exactly ask if your momma taught you right or not, since mine obviously didn't. But you know what? I learned from a young age that harassing someone just because they are different is unacceptable. My great-grandmother would have hit me upside the head with a broom if she ever heard that I bullied someone.
I personally was never a victim of bullying. Well, technically that's not true, but I got suspended from middle school for a week after I beat the girl who tried up. Most people knew not to mess with me after that, since I'd Hulk out.
How many more people are going to end their own lives before we as a society do something? If we impose strict penalties on people who are vile enough to torment another human being, then it might stop. If we make people afraid that they'll be living with Big Bubba in prison for the rest of their lives, then they will stop. If we make people pay million-dollar fines if they get caught, then they will stop. If someone dies as a result of bullying, give the bully the same penalties you would give any other murderer. That will stop it right quick!
Maybe it's too much to ask. After all, "kids will be kids," the teachers say. Well, I say that we're killing the next generation by allowing this to continue. And if this is how the next generation behaves, then I don't want to live long enough to be in a nursing home under their care.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Our New Helper
R's daughter's elementary school is on break this week, and since Mrs. R works for the postal service, she can't look after her, so R's brought her to work the past few days. She's hilarious, and really very helpful. She likes to see inside of the computers, so we all let her have a look when we're installing new hardware. G even let her install updates on someone's PC, which she found absolutely awesome.
Surprisingly she's very well behaved. She will watch us work for a while, and if she gets bored she'll go watch her Danny Phantom DVDs in the break-room. G was apprehensive about the whole situation at first, because kids can be rather unruly, but this one is very well-behaved, even if she did eat all my salsa. Even that was rather impressive- I eat only the spiciest salsa there is, and none of my coworkers can handle it, but R's daughter ate it like it was made of chocolate. Now I have to go buy more, since someone else will eat it now!
Surprisingly she's very well behaved. She will watch us work for a while, and if she gets bored she'll go watch her Danny Phantom DVDs in the break-room. G was apprehensive about the whole situation at first, because kids can be rather unruly, but this one is very well-behaved, even if she did eat all my salsa. Even that was rather impressive- I eat only the spiciest salsa there is, and none of my coworkers can handle it, but R's daughter ate it like it was made of chocolate. Now I have to go buy more, since someone else will eat it now!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Carpe Noctem: Seize the Night
For some reason, I always function better at night than I do during the day. I am extremely sensitive to sunlight, and I can't see well in the sunlight, and years of hunching over a computer in the dark further conditioned me to be acclimated to the night rather than the day. And days I don't go to work I go to bed around 6:00 AM and wake up around 6:00 PM. It used to drive my dad insane- he used to ask me, "What are you, Zetsubou, an owl?" And then he'd proceed to tell me that normal girls didn't sleep all day and stay up all night working on computers.
Another thing: when I'm awake in the day, I get hungry. When I'm awake at night, I don't. It's a great source of amusement for my coworkers when I come back from break having bought half of the Starbucks. But then when we have employee parties at night, I never eat anything.
For some reason, night lends a strange power to my ability to code. When I'm working on programs, I work at night, and things get done about a million times faster and more accurately than when I work during the day. Actually, I think it creeps some people out- is Zetsubou a vampire? A werewolf? Baba Yaga? (Actually, I used to be told the Baba Yaga story on a regular basis- it was how my great-grandmother kept me in line). But that's a story for another time. Maybe one day I'll do a post on the stories I was told as as child.
Anyway, my point in making this post is- try to seize the night yourself one day. See what you can get done, and how much nicer it is to think in the dark rather than than in the bright, harsh sunlight.
Another thing: when I'm awake in the day, I get hungry. When I'm awake at night, I don't. It's a great source of amusement for my coworkers when I come back from break having bought half of the Starbucks. But then when we have employee parties at night, I never eat anything.
For some reason, night lends a strange power to my ability to code. When I'm working on programs, I work at night, and things get done about a million times faster and more accurately than when I work during the day. Actually, I think it creeps some people out- is Zetsubou a vampire? A werewolf? Baba Yaga? (Actually, I used to be told the Baba Yaga story on a regular basis- it was how my great-grandmother kept me in line). But that's a story for another time. Maybe one day I'll do a post on the stories I was told as as child.
Anyway, my point in making this post is- try to seize the night yourself one day. See what you can get done, and how much nicer it is to think in the dark rather than than in the bright, harsh sunlight.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Joe Biden's Gaffe
Warning: This post has strong language.
By now, everyone's heard of Joe Biden's response to the health care bill, calling it "a big fucking deal." And of course, every uptight moralist in the country is screaming their little heads off. All I have to say is, really? Were you lot raised by nuns? Or your Aunt Gertrude? Maybe it's a result of my upbringing (growing up the way I did, I had (and still have) a pretty foul mouth), but I just don't see the big deal. The F-bomb is just a word. Words only have power when we give it to them. I can go up to you and call you a "dingdong glibbleglooble" and you'll just think I'm mentally ill and off my medication. But if I walk up to you and call you a "fucking asshole douchebag" you're likely to either get upset, start crying, or kick my ass. But what's the real difference? The intent is the same, it's just that the second phrase has more loaded words than the first one, which is word salad. But what if the tables were reversed and "dingdong glibbleglooble" was as offensive as the F-bomb? It wouldn't just be word salad then, and an accident of nature could have made that phrase the equivalent of calling someone a fucking asshole, and calling someone a fucking asshole the equivalent of calling someone "dingdong glibbleglooble." (Ha, I love typing that... I'm too easily amused)
I'm not a Democrat or a Republican. I'm not even really defending Joe Biden. But before people get all angry and go on a moral crusade against bad language, stop and put it in perspective. Did the sun crash into the earth because the Vice President referred to something he felt strongly about as a "big fucking deal?" No. I'm still alive, and if the sun crashed into the earth I have a feeling I'd be pretty toasty.
And for your viewing pleasure, I'm including the video so you can hear it for yourself.
By now, everyone's heard of Joe Biden's response to the health care bill, calling it "a big fucking deal." And of course, every uptight moralist in the country is screaming their little heads off. All I have to say is, really? Were you lot raised by nuns? Or your Aunt Gertrude? Maybe it's a result of my upbringing (growing up the way I did, I had (and still have) a pretty foul mouth), but I just don't see the big deal. The F-bomb is just a word. Words only have power when we give it to them. I can go up to you and call you a "dingdong glibbleglooble" and you'll just think I'm mentally ill and off my medication. But if I walk up to you and call you a "fucking asshole douchebag" you're likely to either get upset, start crying, or kick my ass. But what's the real difference? The intent is the same, it's just that the second phrase has more loaded words than the first one, which is word salad. But what if the tables were reversed and "dingdong glibbleglooble" was as offensive as the F-bomb? It wouldn't just be word salad then, and an accident of nature could have made that phrase the equivalent of calling someone a fucking asshole, and calling someone a fucking asshole the equivalent of calling someone "dingdong glibbleglooble." (Ha, I love typing that... I'm too easily amused)
I'm not a Democrat or a Republican. I'm not even really defending Joe Biden. But before people get all angry and go on a moral crusade against bad language, stop and put it in perspective. Did the sun crash into the earth because the Vice President referred to something he felt strongly about as a "big fucking deal?" No. I'm still alive, and if the sun crashed into the earth I have a feeling I'd be pretty toasty.
And for your viewing pleasure, I'm including the video so you can hear it for yourself.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Angry Customer #2423121
Today was a strange day all around. From 12:30 to 1:15 PM, we close the store down so that we can all get something to eat. Usually we just put the sign on the door that says "Sorry, we're closed! Come back at 1:15!" and that's that. Since someone is always in the shop, we rarely lock the door down.
During that 45-minute period, we like to goof off. Today, G brought in his iPod and set it up on one of the docks. We were having a bit of fun in the back room, dancing around to a silly Japanese song that literally is about an egg omelet. It's all in good fun, just something to pass some time when we're done snarfing our takeout.
Well, today, that wasn't gonna fly. All of a sudden, someone starts dinging the bell quite obnoxiously. R went out to tell the customer that we were closed right now, but if it was emergency we'd be happy to help. The woman just snarled at him that she was going to tell the boss about our lack of professionalism. Well, lady, first off, the boss knows what we do. He doesn't give a flying foot what we do during our lunch breaks. You can feel free to complain to him, but he's not going to do anything. Second, you shouldn't have been in the store in the first place. Maybe you can't read English with your teeny little brain, but the sign clearly said that we were closed. Partially the fault lies with us for not bothering to lock the door, but still, the sign was perfectly clear: tech support is closed. Come back later.
So G and I were just lurking in the back listen to that woman complain. Yes, because having a short break is absolutely horrible. *rolls eyes*
During that 45-minute period, we like to goof off. Today, G brought in his iPod and set it up on one of the docks. We were having a bit of fun in the back room, dancing around to a silly Japanese song that literally is about an egg omelet. It's all in good fun, just something to pass some time when we're done snarfing our takeout.
Well, today, that wasn't gonna fly. All of a sudden, someone starts dinging the bell quite obnoxiously. R went out to tell the customer that we were closed right now, but if it was emergency we'd be happy to help. The woman just snarled at him that she was going to tell the boss about our lack of professionalism. Well, lady, first off, the boss knows what we do. He doesn't give a flying foot what we do during our lunch breaks. You can feel free to complain to him, but he's not going to do anything. Second, you shouldn't have been in the store in the first place. Maybe you can't read English with your teeny little brain, but the sign clearly said that we were closed. Partially the fault lies with us for not bothering to lock the door, but still, the sign was perfectly clear: tech support is closed. Come back later.
So G and I were just lurking in the back listen to that woman complain. Yes, because having a short break is absolutely horrible. *rolls eyes*
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Growing Up Motherless
Many people will go through a time in their life where nothing seems like it's going right for them. This can be triggered through a variety of reasons, but the most common are due to other people.
I was thinking about this today, mainly because I have struggled with this in the past myself. I'm not going to go into details here about my life, but I grew up without a mother, she committed suicide when I was two. I was never more aware of this than when I was in high school. All around me, people would either love their mom and think they were great, or they would think that their mom was this horrible evil ogress who wanted to see them suffer.
Me? I never got to feel that. I had my dad and my great-grandmother, but it wasn't the same. My dad worked all the time, and my great-grandmother was a bitter, angry old woman who didn't speak much English. Don't get me wrong, I love my father and I loved my great-grandmother. She taught me everything I know and understand about the world and the people who inhabit it. If it hadn't been for her lessons, I don't know how I would have survived. Thanks to her, while other girls my age were getting involved in romantic relationships and ruining their lives, or focusing more on finding love than making money, I was working two jobs and going to school. It might have seemed depressing at the time, but now I see that it was the best thing I could have done. I don't have baggage from previous relationships. I didn't end up pregnant at age 17. And I developed my work ethic, which serves me well today. Thanks to my father, I learned how to program and build computers, which has severed me incredibly well.
Because of those two important people in my life, I'm a productive member of the global workforce. But I never had a mom. I remember when I reached the point of physical maturity for the first time. Aunt Flo showed up for a visit, and no one had told me anything about it. I panicked and thought I was dying, so I ran to the school nurse and told her to call my family and ask them to call the funeral home and make arrangements for my death. Of course, the school nurse wanted to know why I was so convinced that my time on the mortal coil was drawing to a close (most twelve-year-olds don't suddenly die randomly with no apparent cause), so I told her I was bleeding. When she realized what was going on, she asked me, "Didn't your mother tell you?" Well, no, I didn't have a mother, and I really wanted to know what the flying foot was going on. So she explained it to me and made me call home to tell whoever was there what had happened.
So I had to call my great-grandmother and try to explain to her what had happened. Of course, an hour or so later, I get called down to the office because there was an extremely excitable elderly lady yelling at the office staff in broken English. Yep. It was my great-grandmother. So that day I got pulled out of school early, taken to a really fancy restaurant at 1:45 in the afternoon, and given THE TALK.
Everyone knows what THE TALK is. Usually, it's that awkward time where the parent of the same gender as you stumbles through the facts of how we get more humans. But no, I didn't have a mom, so I got the whole "Romantic relationships are evil and will ruin your future chances of having any kind of life. Don't make the same mistake I did, Zetsubou! Do not get married! Save yourself while you have the chance! Oh, and only have sex if you want a child." Yeah. So while most people got the whole discussion about when is the right time, and how babies get here, I got a rant about the evils of signing over control of your life to some guy who's main goal in life is to make you miserable.
I'm sorry to say that most of my teenage years, I believed that. I still do, to some degree. But while other girls were thinking about their boyfriends and how to make them happy, I was locked up in the computer lab or my apartment, thinking about ways to get the most money possible. While other girls were looking at fashion magazines, I was looking at stock market trends.
I'm not saying all of this to complain about my upbringing. Overall, I'm very pleased with the way I turned out and wouldn't trade most of the things I learned for all the tea in China. But sometimes, I wonder if I might have been served better if my mother hadn't taken her life.
I was thinking about this today, mainly because I have struggled with this in the past myself. I'm not going to go into details here about my life, but I grew up without a mother, she committed suicide when I was two. I was never more aware of this than when I was in high school. All around me, people would either love their mom and think they were great, or they would think that their mom was this horrible evil ogress who wanted to see them suffer.
Me? I never got to feel that. I had my dad and my great-grandmother, but it wasn't the same. My dad worked all the time, and my great-grandmother was a bitter, angry old woman who didn't speak much English. Don't get me wrong, I love my father and I loved my great-grandmother. She taught me everything I know and understand about the world and the people who inhabit it. If it hadn't been for her lessons, I don't know how I would have survived. Thanks to her, while other girls my age were getting involved in romantic relationships and ruining their lives, or focusing more on finding love than making money, I was working two jobs and going to school. It might have seemed depressing at the time, but now I see that it was the best thing I could have done. I don't have baggage from previous relationships. I didn't end up pregnant at age 17. And I developed my work ethic, which serves me well today. Thanks to my father, I learned how to program and build computers, which has severed me incredibly well.
Because of those two important people in my life, I'm a productive member of the global workforce. But I never had a mom. I remember when I reached the point of physical maturity for the first time. Aunt Flo showed up for a visit, and no one had told me anything about it. I panicked and thought I was dying, so I ran to the school nurse and told her to call my family and ask them to call the funeral home and make arrangements for my death. Of course, the school nurse wanted to know why I was so convinced that my time on the mortal coil was drawing to a close (most twelve-year-olds don't suddenly die randomly with no apparent cause), so I told her I was bleeding. When she realized what was going on, she asked me, "Didn't your mother tell you?" Well, no, I didn't have a mother, and I really wanted to know what the flying foot was going on. So she explained it to me and made me call home to tell whoever was there what had happened.
So I had to call my great-grandmother and try to explain to her what had happened. Of course, an hour or so later, I get called down to the office because there was an extremely excitable elderly lady yelling at the office staff in broken English. Yep. It was my great-grandmother. So that day I got pulled out of school early, taken to a really fancy restaurant at 1:45 in the afternoon, and given THE TALK.
Everyone knows what THE TALK is. Usually, it's that awkward time where the parent of the same gender as you stumbles through the facts of how we get more humans. But no, I didn't have a mom, so I got the whole "Romantic relationships are evil and will ruin your future chances of having any kind of life. Don't make the same mistake I did, Zetsubou! Do not get married! Save yourself while you have the chance! Oh, and only have sex if you want a child." Yeah. So while most people got the whole discussion about when is the right time, and how babies get here, I got a rant about the evils of signing over control of your life to some guy who's main goal in life is to make you miserable.
I'm sorry to say that most of my teenage years, I believed that. I still do, to some degree. But while other girls were thinking about their boyfriends and how to make them happy, I was locked up in the computer lab or my apartment, thinking about ways to get the most money possible. While other girls were looking at fashion magazines, I was looking at stock market trends.
I'm not saying all of this to complain about my upbringing. Overall, I'm very pleased with the way I turned out and wouldn't trade most of the things I learned for all the tea in China. But sometimes, I wonder if I might have been served better if my mother hadn't taken her life.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Mad as Hell
I went to Wal-Mart this afternoon, expecting to go buy some contact solution, pick up a new eyeliner, and get some blank DVDs for data backup at work. I had gotten all of those things and was in the checkout line when I saw something that made me mad as hell. Some skanky woman with enough kids to start her own orphanage smacked her toddler across the face when the little boy tried to reach out to get a candy bar. And if that wasn't enough, she twisted his arm around behind his back quite forcefully.
Child abusers are the lowest of the low to me. I hate them. I think that they're evil bastards who forfeited their human credentials a long time ago. Scum buckets, all of them. So of course as soon as I saw that poor little kid cry out, I looked around to see if anyone else had noticed. Many people in the lines had, and a teenage boy called the police on his cell phone, looking quite disgusted. I can't say I blame him. An older lady confronted the woman, who promptly defended herself, saying that she had the right to train her children in the way that she saw fit.
Oh really? You really think that, you pathetic excuse for a human? Recently, a little girl was murdered by her parents after following the "discipline" advice laid out in a book that makes me shudder to even think of it: To Train Up a Child, by Michael and Debi Pearl. I'm not Christian, so that could have something to do with my interpretation of the book, but I don't think that's it. I just think I have a moral issue with books teaching parents to beat the living shit out of their kids with plumbing materials. Those worthless pieces of crud way overdue for a flushing that killed their daughter in this way were "disciplining her the way they saw fit."
YOU DO NOT HIT A CHILD WITH PLUMBING MATERIALS. If you were to hit me with quarter-inch plumbing supply line, like the book recommends, I could take it. But I'm a fully-grown adult woman. A child, on the other hand, their body is not mature enough to handle something like that, and it's no surprise that the little girl who died died from organ failure. Her system just couldn't handle the attacks.
I think of it this way: you wouldn't like it if someone attacked you with plumbing materials (or maybe you would, but in that case, you got some weird paraphilias there that you might want to go get checked out by a psychologist). So why would you attack someone else with plumbing materials, especially your own child? I wouldn't even do that to a rabid dog.
So, in conclusion? Don't beat your kids. They'll eventually grow up and have resentment towards you festering and might attack you. If they live that long. And if they do die as a result of your "discipline," then I hope you enjoy living with Big Bubba in prison.
Child abusers are the lowest of the low to me. I hate them. I think that they're evil bastards who forfeited their human credentials a long time ago. Scum buckets, all of them. So of course as soon as I saw that poor little kid cry out, I looked around to see if anyone else had noticed. Many people in the lines had, and a teenage boy called the police on his cell phone, looking quite disgusted. I can't say I blame him. An older lady confronted the woman, who promptly defended herself, saying that she had the right to train her children in the way that she saw fit.
Oh really? You really think that, you pathetic excuse for a human? Recently, a little girl was murdered by her parents after following the "discipline" advice laid out in a book that makes me shudder to even think of it: To Train Up a Child, by Michael and Debi Pearl. I'm not Christian, so that could have something to do with my interpretation of the book, but I don't think that's it. I just think I have a moral issue with books teaching parents to beat the living shit out of their kids with plumbing materials. Those worthless pieces of crud way overdue for a flushing that killed their daughter in this way were "disciplining her the way they saw fit."
YOU DO NOT HIT A CHILD WITH PLUMBING MATERIALS. If you were to hit me with quarter-inch plumbing supply line, like the book recommends, I could take it. But I'm a fully-grown adult woman. A child, on the other hand, their body is not mature enough to handle something like that, and it's no surprise that the little girl who died died from organ failure. Her system just couldn't handle the attacks.
I think of it this way: you wouldn't like it if someone attacked you with plumbing materials (or maybe you would, but in that case, you got some weird paraphilias there that you might want to go get checked out by a psychologist). So why would you attack someone else with plumbing materials, especially your own child? I wouldn't even do that to a rabid dog.
So, in conclusion? Don't beat your kids. They'll eventually grow up and have resentment towards you festering and might attack you. If they live that long. And if they do die as a result of your "discipline," then I hope you enjoy living with Big Bubba in prison.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
What do you get when...
you put five friends in a fancy Japanese restaurant and tell them to go eat whatever the heck they want? No, it's not a lame joke or a riddle. It's my birthday party!
I turned XX years old yesterday (ha. Like I'd tell you my age... :P), and some of my friends and I went out for dinner. There is a very high-end sushi buffet not too far from where I work, so some of my friends and I went there for a nice dinner. As it was, it turned into a discussion of all things entertaining.
One little problem: my friend G hates sushi. Really hates sushi. Which meant that he couldn't eat about half of the food on the menu, but he didn't really care. He ate more galbi and miso soup than I think most people in this world eat in a lifetime. My friend K thinks she might be pregnant, so no raw sushi for her either (although unlike G, she loves that stuff). Luckily for her they had vegetarian, fish-free sushi. As for me and the other two? We ate all the sushi we could.
But other than dinner, I got a very nice present from my boss, the last person I would have expected anything from. Yeah, he's a great guy, but I never thought he would actually bother to give an employee a gift. He knows I collect owl stuff, so he gave me an adorable owl plushie. Huey (as I named him) is now sitting on my workstation, watching all over the stuff I have to fix.
My important person didn't forget my birthday either, airmailing me a lovely pair of earrings with polished amethysts in them. I wish he could be here with me, but it's not possible at this time.
So overall, I had a pretty good day. I intend to use some of the money I got from relatives to buy some DVDs, and the rest I'll probably keep in my Money Sock to fund my retirement. Assuming I actually get there before I'm dead. Ha.
I turned XX years old yesterday (ha. Like I'd tell you my age... :P), and some of my friends and I went out for dinner. There is a very high-end sushi buffet not too far from where I work, so some of my friends and I went there for a nice dinner. As it was, it turned into a discussion of all things entertaining.
One little problem: my friend G hates sushi. Really hates sushi. Which meant that he couldn't eat about half of the food on the menu, but he didn't really care. He ate more galbi and miso soup than I think most people in this world eat in a lifetime. My friend K thinks she might be pregnant, so no raw sushi for her either (although unlike G, she loves that stuff). Luckily for her they had vegetarian, fish-free sushi. As for me and the other two? We ate all the sushi we could.
But other than dinner, I got a very nice present from my boss, the last person I would have expected anything from. Yeah, he's a great guy, but I never thought he would actually bother to give an employee a gift. He knows I collect owl stuff, so he gave me an adorable owl plushie. Huey (as I named him) is now sitting on my workstation, watching all over the stuff I have to fix.
My important person didn't forget my birthday either, airmailing me a lovely pair of earrings with polished amethysts in them. I wish he could be here with me, but it's not possible at this time.
So overall, I had a pretty good day. I intend to use some of the money I got from relatives to buy some DVDs, and the rest I'll probably keep in my Money Sock to fund my retirement. Assuming I actually get there before I'm dead. Ha.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
IKEA Song
I love IKEA. I really do. It's probably one of the most entertaining places ever, and they have delicious meatballs. OM NOM NOM.
Anyway, I found this hilarious parody of the song "Fireflies" by Owl City (which I like as well) and thought I'd post it here for a laugh.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Ridiculous...
Every day that goes by I hate the extremist faction of the animal rights movement even more. Now they're threatening the American figure skating Olympian because of something incredibly stupid- the dude wore a bit of fox fur on his costume.
Seriously people? You're going to give a guy death threats because he wants to wear a bit of fuzzy stuff on his suit? Please. Way worse things happen on a daily basis. People are dying in Haiti. People are abusing their children. Other people are dying of exposure because they have nowhere to go. If you can get that butthurt over something stupid like a bit of fur, then put that energy into helping your fellow humans! I'm proud to say that organizations like PETA will never and have never gotten a penny of my hard-earned money. On the other hand, I donate to UNICEF every two months. People need to focus on helping other people before they get all upset about the "poor widdle animals."
Am I cold? Am I heartless? Maybe. But it's hard not to be cynical when people pull this kind of thing. Threatening another person over wearing fur is ridiculous.
And now I'm going to go kick a puppy, since if PETA ever sees this they're going to be all up in my grill. Might as well make sure the label actually fits, yeah? :P
Seriously people? You're going to give a guy death threats because he wants to wear a bit of fuzzy stuff on his suit? Please. Way worse things happen on a daily basis. People are dying in Haiti. People are abusing their children. Other people are dying of exposure because they have nowhere to go. If you can get that butthurt over something stupid like a bit of fur, then put that energy into helping your fellow humans! I'm proud to say that organizations like PETA will never and have never gotten a penny of my hard-earned money. On the other hand, I donate to UNICEF every two months. People need to focus on helping other people before they get all upset about the "poor widdle animals."
Am I cold? Am I heartless? Maybe. But it's hard not to be cynical when people pull this kind of thing. Threatening another person over wearing fur is ridiculous.
And now I'm going to go kick a puppy, since if PETA ever sees this they're going to be all up in my grill. Might as well make sure the label actually fits, yeah? :P
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Computer Closet Playlist
I listen to these songs when I'm at work. Although I have to say- my boss doesn't care if we listen to music (in fact, he encourages it to drown out other noise when we need to concentrate), but not all people appreciate it. I've had customers complain to me about it before, but I don't really care. Besides, if they're close enough to my workspace to hear the songs coming from my computer they really need to step back. Also, not all bosses encourage listening to music at work, so unless you're certain your boss won't care, don't do it.
Ring of Fire- Johnny Cash
Funhouse- Pink
All I Ever Wanted- Basshunter
My Heart Goes Nana- Millennium
Russian Lullaby- Toy-Box
Strut- Adam Lambert
Imma Be- Black Eyed Peas (this one might not be acceptable to listen to in all workplaces. I only play it after the shop is closed but I'm still working.)
Consti2tion- Alien Ant Farm
Holly Dolly Song- DJ Satomi/Pure Dust
Super Honeymoon- Owl City
Obviously I listen to a lot more music than just this, but lately these songs have been my favorites. I'll probably do this again with some other songs later in time.
Ring of Fire- Johnny Cash
Funhouse- Pink
All I Ever Wanted- Basshunter
My Heart Goes Nana- Millennium
Russian Lullaby- Toy-Box
Strut- Adam Lambert
Imma Be- Black Eyed Peas (this one might not be acceptable to listen to in all workplaces. I only play it after the shop is closed but I'm still working.)
Consti2tion- Alien Ant Farm
Holly Dolly Song- DJ Satomi/Pure Dust
Super Honeymoon- Owl City
Obviously I listen to a lot more music than just this, but lately these songs have been my favorites. I'll probably do this again with some other songs later in time.
Snowpocalypse, Round Two and Megavideo
Aaaaaand we're getting even more snow! I don't know whether to be happy or depressed. I'm happy because it means I don't have to do anything, but depressed because, well, I hate snow. It's also a bit of a problem because I'm running out of groceries, but the roads are still so bad that I'm afraid to go out. But with even more snow coming, I think it's time I go before I end up with nothing but crackers for dinner. I've been there- it's not somewhere I really want to be. So while it's not so bad being inside all the time, the snow is starting to piss me off. I just want to be able to go home and rest, you know?
But enough about the snow- one thing that has started to irritate me to no end is the Megavideo time limit. 72 minutes of video before it shuts down? Oh please, I can watch way more than 72 minutes in one sitting. And while it's not particularly difficult to get around, I'd prefer not to unplug the router after my videos buffer, or yank my network adapter out of the USB port. And I'm not about to pay just so I can watch stupid videos without being interrupted. Please. This is the Internet. No one pays for anything, and I don't really appreciate having to wait to watch some freakin' Looney Tunes.
But enough about the snow- one thing that has started to irritate me to no end is the Megavideo time limit. 72 minutes of video before it shuts down? Oh please, I can watch way more than 72 minutes in one sitting. And while it's not particularly difficult to get around, I'd prefer not to unplug the router after my videos buffer, or yank my network adapter out of the USB port. And I'm not about to pay just so I can watch stupid videos without being interrupted. Please. This is the Internet. No one pays for anything, and I don't really appreciate having to wait to watch some freakin' Looney Tunes.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Snowpocalypse Now !
Only a few days after I wrote an entire post complaining about snow, we ended up with three feet of the white fluffy stuff. Not that I'm complaining, at least not yet- it means I don't have to do anything, and there's no work tomorrow. All I have to do is lie around, surf the Internet, watch some television (lately I've really been digging Spongebob Squarepants and Ellen DeGeneres), catch up on some reading, and snack on whatever suits my fancy. One problem with that? I have nothing to snack on since I haven't left the house in three days. I already ate all the Doritos and I'm running out of siopao dumplings.
Even so, it's not so bad. I'm falling back into the routine I used to follow when I was a hikkikomori- keep weird hours, not get dressed until late afternoon, walk about in a fuzzy blanket, do what I want when I want. I used to live that way when I was home for the summers, and those were some of the best times of my life. It might seem depressing to some, but honestly, I loved it. I would live that way now if I didn't have to work.
Outside all the neighbors are working to dig themselves out. Ha. Let them dig like little gophers all they want- it's just going to refreeze tonight. By biding my time I'm saving myself a lot of work in the long run.
Here's hoping I'll survive the rest of the Snowpocalypse!
Even so, it's not so bad. I'm falling back into the routine I used to follow when I was a hikkikomori- keep weird hours, not get dressed until late afternoon, walk about in a fuzzy blanket, do what I want when I want. I used to live that way when I was home for the summers, and those were some of the best times of my life. It might seem depressing to some, but honestly, I loved it. I would live that way now if I didn't have to work.
Outside all the neighbors are working to dig themselves out. Ha. Let them dig like little gophers all they want- it's just going to refreeze tonight. By biding my time I'm saving myself a lot of work in the long run.
Here's hoping I'll survive the rest of the Snowpocalypse!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Zetsubou the Snow Grinch
It might seem like a strange thing to hate, but I hate the snow. Snow means cold, which means Zetsubou gets sick. Which is what happened to me. I had to work today, so that meant I was holed up with my tea just counting down the hours until I could go home, put on my Snuggie and just rest. The worst part? Supposedly we're supposed to get more snow tonight. Bah.
I guess my dislike of snow started when I was a child. Where I grew up, snow wasn't magical. It hit the ground and then became dirty and disgusting. You touched that stuff and you'd be more than likely to start glowing in the dark. I liked it well enough when it got me out of school, but I never had fond memories of frolicking in the snow like a lot of people do.
Now it's just a nuisance. Driving around here in the snow generally means you have a death wish, since people see a snowflake and freak out. "OMGSNOW! EVERYONE PANIC!" And people suck at driving when they panic...
Maybe if I could have seen the snow the way most people do when they're children I wouldn't feel like this as an adult, but somehow I kind of doubt it. At the end of the day, the snow means the cold. And the cold means I get sick.
I guess my dislike of snow started when I was a child. Where I grew up, snow wasn't magical. It hit the ground and then became dirty and disgusting. You touched that stuff and you'd be more than likely to start glowing in the dark. I liked it well enough when it got me out of school, but I never had fond memories of frolicking in the snow like a lot of people do.
Now it's just a nuisance. Driving around here in the snow generally means you have a death wish, since people see a snowflake and freak out. "OMGSNOW! EVERYONE PANIC!" And people suck at driving when they panic...
Maybe if I could have seen the snow the way most people do when they're children I wouldn't feel like this as an adult, but somehow I kind of doubt it. At the end of the day, the snow means the cold. And the cold means I get sick.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Interesting files
One of the fun things about working tech support is getting to see all of the weird things people have downloaded on to their computers. Why am I bringing this up now? I don't even work on Sundays! Well, a friend of mine called me and told me that he'd bought a computer at a Goodwill store, and whoever had it before forgot to wipe the hard-drive. Thankfully, there was nothing really bad on there- just about a million saved articles about Katie Price (a British celebrity) and some essays that looked like they were written for a high school government class.
While that particular hard drive was full of pretty innocuous items, others I've come across were not so harmless. Once, someone came to me in a panic because their laptop was full of viruses and they had to turn in a term paper the next day. I took a look at it, and apparently this person had been downloading everything they came across on the Internet. Their computer was full of online video game free trials, weird little desktop gadgets (I personally despise those things, so I've never understood people who download them), Youtube videos they'd downloaded with a converter, and all sorts of other little innocuous-looking things. The problem is, the sites you can get all of that stuff off of are full of viruses. No wonder this person had a problem...
One of the more bizarre things I've ever seen was the former library circulation desk computer that needed a tune-up. The person brought it in, and in a fit of boredom I decided to go see what they had on the hard drive. Big mistake. Someone had installed a hentai game, which makes me wonder exactly what kind of library this PC was from... I'm not sure I really want to know about that one.
Although I probably have to say that my favorite case was the time I had to explain to a customer that Compaq was not a version of Windows. Normally, I wouldn't mind, or even notice. The thing that made me take notice was that when I explained to this lady that Compaq was a make of computer, and not an operating system, she got extremely angry with me and started threatening to call the manager on me for not doing my job. I finally told her to do so, my manager came over, heard the story, and promptly started laughing like a loon on loony tablets. The woman was so offended that she stormed out threatening to never come back. Three weeks later? She was back with another computer problem.
I'm not sharing these stories to sound like a bad person. Most of the people I end up working with are very nice people, but occasionally I get the random nutter. It happens to the best of us, I think. We've all dealt with that person at the grocery store, electronics store, religious institution, government bureaucracy, shopping district, etc that just... fails.
While that particular hard drive was full of pretty innocuous items, others I've come across were not so harmless. Once, someone came to me in a panic because their laptop was full of viruses and they had to turn in a term paper the next day. I took a look at it, and apparently this person had been downloading everything they came across on the Internet. Their computer was full of online video game free trials, weird little desktop gadgets (I personally despise those things, so I've never understood people who download them), Youtube videos they'd downloaded with a converter, and all sorts of other little innocuous-looking things. The problem is, the sites you can get all of that stuff off of are full of viruses. No wonder this person had a problem...
One of the more bizarre things I've ever seen was the former library circulation desk computer that needed a tune-up. The person brought it in, and in a fit of boredom I decided to go see what they had on the hard drive. Big mistake. Someone had installed a hentai game, which makes me wonder exactly what kind of library this PC was from... I'm not sure I really want to know about that one.
Although I probably have to say that my favorite case was the time I had to explain to a customer that Compaq was not a version of Windows. Normally, I wouldn't mind, or even notice. The thing that made me take notice was that when I explained to this lady that Compaq was a make of computer, and not an operating system, she got extremely angry with me and started threatening to call the manager on me for not doing my job. I finally told her to do so, my manager came over, heard the story, and promptly started laughing like a loon on loony tablets. The woman was so offended that she stormed out threatening to never come back. Three weeks later? She was back with another computer problem.
I'm not sharing these stories to sound like a bad person. Most of the people I end up working with are very nice people, but occasionally I get the random nutter. It happens to the best of us, I think. We've all dealt with that person at the grocery store, electronics store, religious institution, government bureaucracy, shopping district, etc that just... fails.
Friday, January 29, 2010
About me
I fix computers. That's really all you need to know about me.
But other than fixing computers, I like politics and debate. I probably play more video games than I should, and ever since I was quite young I've liked manga. I grew up very differently from a lot of people, and I've been told I'm rather twisted in my thinking. Don't expect me to say what you want to hear all the time. Don't expect me to treat any topic with kid gloves, because I won't. I have about all of the subtlety of an air horn, and I can be just as loud. :)
Well, cheers, and I hope you enjoy reading my blog. It's pretty, innit? Well, I like it, anyway. Flowers are pretty.
But other than fixing computers, I like politics and debate. I probably play more video games than I should, and ever since I was quite young I've liked manga. I grew up very differently from a lot of people, and I've been told I'm rather twisted in my thinking. Don't expect me to say what you want to hear all the time. Don't expect me to treat any topic with kid gloves, because I won't. I have about all of the subtlety of an air horn, and I can be just as loud. :)
Well, cheers, and I hope you enjoy reading my blog. It's pretty, innit? Well, I like it, anyway. Flowers are pretty.
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