Choo choo! All aboard the Complain Train!

[Gordon_4]

My company wants to go to a 'desk-renting' system, where you book a desk for x days/hours and you have to leave afterwards. Not immediately terrible until they also announced they expect us to be in the office a minimum of 3 days per week. Me and a few others said "fine, then we want permanent workstations all week". The response? They don't want to do it because they intend to reduce our floorspace to save money. So we said "fine, dibs Monday to Wednesday every week forever". Immediate clapback because apparently they can't permanently assign desks to people like that because there's an expectation of keeping certain divisions grouped together so each assigned "group area" will grow or shrink week to week depending on how the employee group at large wants to schedule themselves. Essentially saying I might just not be able to book a desk on any given Tuesday and instead have to work 6 hours on Thursday in the office, then 2 more Friday to make up the difference, scheduling a new desk/timeslot 3 days in advance every day.

This kind of scheduling bullshit rivals what I deal with on real projects that actually make profit. I am probably going to take a government job if they go through with this.

Someone really had to sit down and think about making something as untenable and stupid as this. Like this is not an off the cuff bad idea like a triple Big Mac after a rum binge. This was a terrible idea someone plotted out end to end.

 

[laggyteabag]

Im not close to my sister.

There was an incident that happened when I was a child, which caused a humungous rift between my parents, and my sister, which resulted in her going completely no-contact, which is how things have been for almost 15 years.

This is something that has bothered me for a while, because I often forget that I even have a sister. So, somewhat recently, I decided to try and reach out to her.

I spoke to my mum about this, and she said to me that whilst she will always love her as her daughter, she doesn't particularly like her as a person, and she didn't think that
me reaching out would be a good idea.

Well, she was right.

She didn't say anything to me, or do anything to me to put me off - but I just find her beliefs to be... disagreeable.

Within the last year, she has suddenly become a very vocal Facebook conspiracy theorist.

She is a COVID denier. An anti-vaxxer. Racist. Islamophobe. Transphobe. QANON "Trump is still president" weirdo.

The shit she posts. The articles she shares. It wouldn't surprise me at this point, if she was a flat-earther.

Whilst I have muted her on Facebook, I must admit that it is sometimes quite entertaining to check up on her page to check out the latest and greatest - even if it does very quickly turn into me groaning at the sheer audacity at some of the "truths" that she comes up with.

Its embarrassing.

I just feel sorry for her kid, who is no doubt being fed all of this bollocks on a daily basis.

I hope she turns out okay.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Summer is overrated. It’s a ghastly mix of hot, sweat, stink, dirt, bugs, ants, flies, pollen, weeds, high energy costs, etc. Mornings are usually decent and even pleasant, but at least in MI there’s only about two good weeks where the day doesn’t culminate in a sweltering cesspit having me retreating to AC or wishing I could whenever I’m outside. I’ll take shoveling snow any day over cutting grass (except maybe that rare cool cloudy day like right before a storm), because even if it didn’t take longer it isn’t just cutting grass. It’s taking the gutter chutes off and on, cleaning the mower, sweeping the driveway and sidewalks because the bagging attachment sucks ass if there’s any moisture in the grass, spraying everything for weeds, spraying everything again for insects, taking a shower because usually I get hot and sweaty.

Traffic. Traffic always sucks.

Shitting in public restrooms. I avoid it whenever possible because I shit you not, even though I hover-squat several inches above there have still been several occasions where the deuce will kerplunk and send a splash back directly up the butthole. A courtesy flush and sanitizer spray of the water beforehand is little consolation for that bs.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Summer is overrated. It’s a ghastly mix of hot, sweat, stink, dirt, bugs, ants, flies, pollen, weeds, high energy costs, etc. Mornings are usually decent and even pleasant, but at least in MI there’s only about two good weeks where the day doesn’t culminate in a sweltering cesspit having me retreating to AC or wishing I could whenever I’m outside. I’ll take shoveling snow any day over cutting grass (except maybe that rare cool cloudy day like right before a storm), because even if it didn’t take longer it isn’t just cutting grass. It’s taking the gutter chutes off and on, cleaning the mower, sweeping the driveway and sidewalks because the bagging attachment sucks ass if there’s any moisture in the grass, spraying everything for weeds, spraying everything again for insects, taking a shower because usually I get hot and sweaty.

Says someone in one the northern-most states... I'm an Ohio native, but I live in TEXAS; I used to feel the same way as you when I was back in Ohio, but down here? It's a whole other level. Ever stared directly into the eyes of the devil for about 4-5 months a year? It's not uncommon to wake up at 7am and the temperature be 90-degrees (meaning your afternoon high is likely going to be well into the triple-digits.) Coupled with the suffocating humidity, each breath you take feels like your lungs are being boiled. I know suffering is relative; just know that I'd trade a Michigan Summer for a Texas Hell Gauntlet any day. Fortunately, we DO have a pool, but you can't stay in it forever, and the second you step out onto the 200-degree concrete, you're minded that your respite was very temporary...

Shitting in public restrooms. I avoid it whenever possible because I shit you not, even though I hover-squat several inches above there have still been several occasions where the deuce will kerplunk and send a splash back directly up the butthole. A courtesy flush and sanitizer spray of the water beforehand is little consolation for that bs.

Public bathrooms are so disgusting, I don't even view shitting in public as an option; I just try to avoid putting myself in such a situation where I'd have to, i.e.: I don't head out to a steak house, then plan on spending the rest of the day at an amusement park. On the few occasions my best laid plans failed me... you'd be amazed the will with which this guy can clench until he gets home; I know what it's like to be in labor for several hours.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Says someone in one the northern-most states... I'm an Ohio native, but I live in TEXAS; I used to feel the same way as you when I was back in Ohio, but down here? It's a whole other level. Ever stared directly into the eyes of the devil for about 4-5 months a year? It's not uncommon to wake up at 7am and the temperature be 90-degrees (meaning your afternoon high is likely going to be well into the triple-digits.) Coupled with the suffocating humidity, each breath you take feels like your lungs are being boiled. I know suffering is relative; just know that I'd trade a Michigan Summer for a Texas Hell Gauntlet any day. Fortunately, we DO have a pool, but you can't stay in it forever, and the second you step out onto the 200-degree concrete, you're minded that your respite was very temporary...



Public bathrooms are so disgusting, I don't even view shitting in public as an option; I just try to avoid putting myself in such a situation where I'd have to, i.e.: I don't head out to a steak house, then plan on spending the rest of the day at an amusement park. On the few occasions my best laid plans failed me... you'd be amazed the will with which this guy can clench until he gets home; I know what it's like to be in labor for several hours.

I guess I mostly meant being at work all day, sometimes it’s just a given I’ll have to drop one there. Plus on those days where a monster is knocking, my work’s toilets have a Hoover Dam GPF rating whereas at home I’d probably end up needing a plunger.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I guess I mostly meant being at work all day, sometimes it’s just a given I’ll have to drop one there. Plus on those days where a monster is knocking, my work’s toilets have a Hoover Dam GPF rating whereas at home I’d probably end up needing a plunger.

See, I was lucky there. Pre-pandemic (been working from home for over a year now,) my office was only 4 miles from my house. When necessary, I'd take my lunch hour and go home for my business. Even still, our restrooms were maintained fairly well; janitorial staff would patrol the building hitting each one about once every two hours. I was talking more about places like gas stations and fast food restaurants where apparently, goers think the toilet's center is just a suggestion.

My biggest lived nightmare: in 2014, I did the Susan G. Komen 60-Mile Walk For The Cure; it took 3 days at 20 miles a day. We had a massive campsite we'd return to each night where we rested, nursed our aching feet and were fed. The nightmare? The only available restrooms were a string of Port-A-Potties. I hadn't even thought about bathroom breaks when I signed up, like, I can clench like no other, but 3 days??? I had to succumb to nature and went straight to the showers to wash of the shame and disease.

 

[Dalisclock]

Says someone in one the northern-most states... I'm an Ohio native, but I live in TEXAS; I used to feel the same way as you when I was back in Ohio, but down here? It's a whole other level. Ever stared directly into the eyes of the devil for about 4-5 months a year? It's not uncommon to wake up at 7am and the temperature be 90-degrees (meaning your afternoon high is likely going to be well into the triple-digits.) Coupled with the suffocating humidity, each breath you take feels like your lungs are being boiled. I know suffering is relative; just know that I'd trade a Michigan Summer for a Texas Hell Gauntlet any day. Fortunately, we DO have a pool, but you can't stay in it forever, and the second you step out onto the 200-degree concrete, you're minded that your respite was very temporary...

Not to make light of your situation regarding the summers, but I'm reminded of this.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Not to make light of your situation regarding the summers, but I'm reminded of this.

No worries; it’s not “my plight,” per se (like I said, I'm a non-native who has no qualms criticizing a state whose biggest failure up until last February's mass power outages was it's failure to roast it's Stockholm'd citizens alive over the past 200 years.) So yeah, this is not inaccurate...

 

[Xprimentyl]

I love my girlfriend, but sometimes, I’m forced to question the way her mind works.

Watching Family Feud yesterday night, a game show known for its contestants giving ridiculous, on-the-spot answers to often absurd census questions, the purpose being to entertain and laugh at the way people think. Last night, the question was “If animals could speak, name an animal that would speak slowly.” When she saw “turtle” was a response from the 100 people polled, she was completely lost, saying “but turtles don’t make a sound!” I tried explaining that the question refers to a hypothetical, fantastical world wherein animals could speak human languages, which ones, based on human observation of their objective behaviors, would most humans guess might speak slowly.

She wasn’t having it: “but turtles don’t make a noise!”

*Head in hands*

“Babe, I know turtles don’t make much audible noise; EVERYONE knows this. The question, on a game show intended for laughs and entertainment, was simply IF they were capable of audible speech, which ones would you expect to speak slowly?”

Next question: “Name a part of a man’s body that would cause him to tear up or cry if hair was ripped from it.” She guessed “chest,” a perfectly logical answer. The first guy answered “penis.” Big laughs from the audience, even Steve Harvey had to take a moment. Her? “What?? What man waxes his penis???”

*Head in hands*

“Babe, the mere mention of “a man’s body” automatically leads the mind to what differentiates the male and female genders; given only a few seconds to respond, many people will knee-jerk and respond with the most obvious body part, and it’s funny.”

… 5 minutes later of her rationalization, I decided we can’t watch Family Feud together anymore. I switched the TV to a tennis match. I never thought it possible to suck the entire life out of a game show like Family Feud with such ham-fisted logic in my life. A part of my sense of humor died last night.

 

[Casual Shinji]

My mom is suffering from a lot of shit, both physically and mentally, both influencing one another even more negatively. I try to be there for her as much as I can, but there seems to be very little I can do for her. Her physical ailments are due to old age and her mental issues are too deeply ingrained at this point to really get a grasp on. It sucks and the best I can do is hope she occasionally has a good day.

 

[Xprimentyl]

My mom is suffering from a lot of shit, both physically and mentally, both influencing one another even more negatively. I try to be there for her as much as I can, but there seems to be very little I can do for her. Her physical ailments are due to old age and her mental issues are too deeply ingrained at this point to really get a grasp on. It sucks and the best I can do is hope she occasionally has a good day.

I have a friend going through something similar; I'm sorry to hear this, and I hope the "good days" manage to outweigh the bad.

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

With having a couple of family fall down the conspiracy rabbit hole quite intensely of late, it can be tricky to know how far down and gone they are without initiating communication that consistently leads to very awful hostile conversations, so it has been made aware through recently acquired information that at least one of them has already got into the "take bleach to feel better" level of conspiracy, or Chlorine Dioxide (suppliments?) to be precise. Which perhaps if it were just them, it would be easier to brush off as the harm is contained to just the one stupid person, but they've also given it to their very young daughter too, which I'm now wondering what to do about, as am sure that falls under child abuse, surely? But am not sure if they're still doing it either. Am afraid of getting involved in conversation with them as I don't function too good under hostility and they can get pretty hostile pretty quick.

 

[Xprimentyl]

My girlfriend’s friend is being scammed and cannot be convinced otherwise. She believes she’s in an online relationship with a prince of Dubai named Hamdan who’s supposedly coming to visit her on his “privet jet.” This woman is very sweet, but she’s on the high-end of middle age, slightly overweight and has TONS of medical issues stemming from an attack she suffered in Mexico back in 2012; not saying she can’t find love, but a wealthy Arabian prince, it won’t be.

She told my girlfriend everything in confidence which she of course turned right around and told me. I Googled “Prince Hamdan” and “scam,” and sure as shit, got results; here’s one of them. I forwarded her the link which she forwarded to her friend who replied that she’d seen stuff like this, but was assured by “the prince” that they were false and, in fact, he’d notified the FBI to clear his good name… For fuck’s sake.

I told her to tell her friend, at the very least, to NOT to disclose any personal info or money to this “prince” if she refuses to believe he’s not legit, but it’s like sitting back and watching a toddle approach a hot stove. And in the same breath, she admitted to getting scammed out of $62k recently!!! You dumb bitc… ok, those are too harsh a choice of words, *ahem*, “wake the FUCK UP! You’ve got grandkids and can barely walk, yet you think you’ve somehow wooed a prince of a wealthy Arabian nation via Zoom calls??” I know these types of scams are nothing new, but I’ve never witnessed someone walking into one so elaborate and so deliberately before.

EDIT: Oh, yeah, "Hamdan" is going to recoup her $62K in losses from the previous scammer... (Jesus fucking Christ.)

 

[Dalisclock]

My girlfriend’s friend is being scammed and cannot be convinced otherwise. She believes she’s in an online relationship with a prince of Dubai named Hamdan who’s supposedly coming to visit her on his “privet jet.” This woman is very sweet, but she’s on the high-end of middle age, slightly overweight and has TONS of medical issues stemming from an attack she suffered in Mexico back in 2012; not saying she can’t find love, but a wealthy Arabian prince, it won’t be.

She told my girlfriend everything in confidence which she of course turned right around and told me. I Googled “Prince Hamdan” and “scam,” and sure as shit, got results; here’s one of them. I forwarded her the link which she forwarded to her friend who replied that she’d seen stuff like this, but was assured by “the prince” that they were false and, in fact, he’d notified the FBI to clear his good name… For fuck’s sake.

I told her to tell her friend, at the very least, to NOT to disclose any personal info or money to this “prince” if she refuses to believe he’s not legit, but it’s like sitting back and watching a toddle approach a hot stove. And in the same breath, she admitted to getting scammed out of $62k recently!!! You dumb bitc… ok, those are too harsh a choice of words, *ahem*, “wake the FUCK UP! You’ve got grandkids and can barely walk, yet you think you’ve somehow wooed a prince of a wealthy Arabian nation via Zoom calls??” I know these types of scams are nothing new, but I’ve never witnessed someone walking into one so elaborate and so deliberately before.

EDIT: Oh, yeah, "Hamdan" is going to recoup her $62K in losses from the previous scammer... (Jesus fucking Christ.)

Not trying to one up you or anything but this reminded me of a story my dad told her of one of his friends who fell from something similar, but this guy was a "Navy Seal" who had "lost his discharge papers" and needed a bunch of money to get them back and then he was totally gonna come and move in with her. He told her it was a scam but no, she didn't listen and got scammed.
So yeah, apparently some people will fall for the most transparent scams because....reasons?

Also, I'm required by law to reference this because.....laws.

 

[happyninja42]

My girlfriend’s friend is being scammed and cannot be convinced otherwise. She believes she’s in an online relationship with a prince of Dubai named Hamdan who’s supposedly coming to visit her on his “privet jet.” This woman is very sweet, but she’s on the high-end of middle age, slightly overweight and has TONS of medical issues stemming from an attack she suffered in Mexico back in 2012; not saying she can’t find love, but a wealthy Arabian prince, it won’t be.

She told my girlfriend everything in confidence which she of course turned right around and told me. I Googled “Prince Hamdan” and “scam,” and sure as shit, got results; here’s one of them. I forwarded her the link which she forwarded to her friend who replied that she’d seen stuff like this, but was assured by “the prince” that they were false and, in fact, he’d notified the FBI to clear his good name… For fuck’s sake.

I told her to tell her friend, at the very least, to NOT to disclose any personal info or money to this “prince” if she refuses to believe he’s not legit, but it’s like sitting back and watching a toddle approach a hot stove. And in the same breath, she admitted to getting scammed out of $62k recently!!! You dumb bitc… ok, those are too harsh a choice of words, *ahem*, “wake the FUCK UP! You’ve got grandkids and can barely walk, yet you think you’ve somehow wooed a prince of a wealthy Arabian nation via Zoom calls??” I know these types of scams are nothing new, but I’ve never witnessed someone walking into one so elaborate and so deliberately before.

EDIT: Oh, yeah, "Hamdan" is going to recoup her $62K in losses from the previous scammer... (Jesus fucking Christ.)

she should totally watch this. At it sounds like it accurately reflects her romantic state. Also you should watch it, because it's just funny as all hell.

 

[happyninja42]

Not trying to one up you or anything but this reminded me of a story my dad told her of one of his friends who fell from something similar, but this guy was a "Navy Seal" who had "lost his discharge papers" and needed a bunch of money to get them back and then he was totally gonna come and move in with her. He told her it was a scam but no, she didn't listen and got scammed.
So yeah, apparently some people will fall for the most transparent scams because....reasons?

Also, I'm required by law to reference this because.....laws.

That one hurts me, because I know just how fucking easy it is to FREELY request discharge papers for yourself as a veteran. That is probably the lowest effort task I have done....shit, probably several THOUSAND times by now over the years at my job?

Now, to be fair to her, most people know NOTHING about how adminstrative, paperwork side of VA works. Even close family members of veterans. I've lost count of next of kin calling, suddenly having to deal with the paperwork stuff because a veteran recently died, and they have no clue what anything is or means. Because daddy didn't ever talk about his military service, and they never dared to ask him.

*Disclaimer* If any of you are veterans, or have a veteran loved one, I can't stress this enough. Get them to make sure they AT LEAST know where their fucking DD 214 (discharge papers) are, and that SOMEONE ELSE knows too, and can get their hands on it as a backup if the veteran is dead/incapacitated. That one simple step will save them a MOUNTAIN of stress and headache, during a time that's already incredibly stressful.

 

[Dalisclock]

That one hurts me, because I know just how fucking easy it is to FREELY request discharge papers for yourself as a veteran. That is probably the lowest effort task I have done....shit, probably several THOUSAND times by now over the years at my job?

Now, to be fair to her, most people know NOTHING about how adminstrative, paperwork side of VA works. Even close family members of veterans. I've lost count of next of kin calling, suddenly having to deal with the paperwork stuff because a veteran recently died, and they have no clue what anything is or means. Because daddy didn't ever talk about his military service, and they never dared to ask him.

*Disclaimer* If any of you are veterans, or have a veteran loved one, I can't stress this enough. Get them to make sure they AT LEAST know where their fucking DD 214 (discharge papers) are, and that SOMEONE ELSE knows too, and can get their hands on it as a backup if the veteran is dead/incapacitated. That one simple step will save them a MOUNTAIN of stress and headache, during a time that's already incredibly stressful.

As a vet, I totally hear you. And believe me, I keep mine in a safe place with my birth cert, SSN card and other important documents.

 

[Chimpzy]

So a quarter of my laptop screen decided to crap out on me just now. I'd replace it, but I can't be arsed. I've been putting up with stuff breaking on this thing for the past year now. The camera and microphone, a speaker, two usb ports, the power adapter and now 1/4 of the screen, or at least the backlighting. Wasn't even a nice screen to begin with. Fuck it, it's long overdue at trip into the trash.

Ugh, now comes the fun part of finding an affordable replacement that doesn't suck.

 

[Xprimentyl]

When I first heard "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd last year, I actually liked it, which is rare for me to say about Pop music. It was a shameless callback to '80s music that was pretty refreshing and unexpected in the modern era. Since, I've heard it every 14 minutes for the past year, and I can't stand it. Jesus Christ, music industry, get your head out of your ass; "popular" doesn't have to mean "all the fucking time every-fucking-where." I'm convinced pop culture is just about driving an ideal home until the people need a vacation away from "home." It's lazy. It's doing the bare minimum, and the fact that so many so willingly eat it up, are so devoid of any attempt at intellectual analysis of what they're being offered to consume, is depressing. A person can be smart, but people are unfailingly stupid.

 

[laggyteabag]

I recently travelled to Bath (the UK city). The city was gorgeous, but I wasn't particularly fond of anyone who I interacted with.

As soon as we tried to park (our hotel car park was shared with the local supermarket) we got heckled by some lady for attempting to "cut in line" by trying to get into the car park from the hotel, rather than from the main road.

That pretty much set the tone for the whole trip.