Shoot the Wall (A.K.A. The Rant Thread)

[Pseudonym]

6 hours ago, Arcadia said:

Probably better you get to calm down, actually … hard to think clearly when you're angry. Well, hard  for me, at any rate.

Nope, I'm more likely to put up with things when I'm not fuming. At the same time I keep ranting to myself under my breath, so I'm still not exactly calm either. 

[Van Buren Supernova]

I hate being right at the wrong things. I know people at works would screw up, keep reminding them not to before it's too late, tried to help minimizing but it's not my scope so I still have to leave it to them, reminder, reminder until I feel like a broken record, they ensured me that they got it and..... THEY SCREWED UP!! Exactly the way I predicted it and warned them! I mean, F that! The things is, it affects my work as well and now they are looking at me as if I would be able to help them fixing it. It would end up on me having to do something outside my scope to steer it to the right direction but it's frustrating, confidence should move up the chart together with ability. 

And do you guys often find yourself in situation where you end up having to do something yourself? Delegate, delegate, delegate my a**, after a couple of times, I had spent way more time explaining and checking instead of taking over and do it myself.

Or when I start trusting the result of someone's work, and give them freedom and space to handle it themselves, then one time upon a glance I found out that they did something wrong, that should be very obvious in the first place. It's dreadful to think about the things they might get wrong when you are not checking.

It's....SO!!!

How I want to have money to run a dog shelter in a place where nobody could find me unless  I want them to.

[Pseudonym]

I remember when I had to be in charge of a team in my old job and one girl was so incredibly stupid I don't know how she was still alive. I told her what to do step by step, and these were very simple food prep jobs, and she still screwed it up. 

Go and take over Sherrinford VBS, and I'll come and live in one of the other wings and we can ban idiots from visiting. 

[Pseudonym]

Plumbing boss lady just been on the phone... she was really apologetic, so I didn't need to rant after all. She's knocked the price down a bit, and is sending someone out again this afternoon. They are planning to put one of the old parts back in, so fingers crossed that'll work fine and didn't actually need doing. 

[J.P.]

1 hour ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

I hate being right at the wrong things. 

Not always. It happens a lot, though. Last time I've got reprimanded for being negative (what also happens a lot) and just hours later the big doom I predicted happened. Oh, what a Schadenfreude.

What is really annoying - bosses who are new and make decisions without checking with people who actually know the matter. Outburst of chaos, frantic search for a solution, few days later frantic search how to undo the said solution. 8K+ Euros blown in the wind, not to mention the damage that will show later. And there is no money for pay rises.

[Van Buren Supernova]

2 hours ago, Pseudonym said:

Go and take over Sherrinford VBS, and I'll come and live in one of the other wings and we can ban idiots from visiting. 

Private island, private beach (?) cliff, where we could sing nursery song and dangle idiots. Sign me up!!

12 minutes ago, J.P. said:

What is really annoying - bosses who are new and make decisions without checking with people who actually know the matter.

I'm having one like that now, but luckily we can go directly to bigger boss and auto-pilot without him, because he is hardly around. Useless piece of manure.

15 minutes ago, J.P. said:

Outburst of chaos, frantic search for a solution, few days later frantic search how to undo the said solution. 8K+ Euros blown in the wind, not to mention the damage that will show later. And there is no money for pay rises.

Similar but not the same. It was my first week, my idea was brushed off in a meeting, and fast forward two weeks later they came into conclusion to do what I said two weeks ago, after spending many man hours and effort into research. Two weeks! And of course they 'forgot' I brought it up.

Then my senior (who was supposed to be my mentor) turned down my idea, then recreated it from scratch, exactly how I presented it, and submitted it to the boss, claiming all the credit to himself. I needed the job back then, but after six months, which was my probation period, I was called to the room by the boss, he handed my confirmation and I handed him my resignation letter. It was timed nicely that I got job offer from my current company. 

[J.P.]

I feel like the mythological Kassandra - the prophet no one listen to.

If I got an Euro for every stolen idea I wouldn't have to work anymore.

[Pseudonym]

Boiler is finally sorted! I got to shower. I FINALLY FEEL CLEEEEEAAANNNNN! You can all take the pegs off of your noses now.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Yay!!! 

 

[Pseudonym]

You know you're starting to get old when you get a text that you have to Google to understand. Text from my niece, 'Hi! WYD?'

Me, staring blankly, what the hell? Does it mean weird? Google tells me it's actually 'what you doing'. Since I'm still nominally the cool aunty I'm sure she was a bit disappointed that my answer was 'settling down for a nap.'

 

 

[Van Buren Supernova]

50 minutes ago, Pseudonym said:

You know you're starting to get old when you get a text that you have to Google to understand. Text from my niece, 'Hi! WYD?'

Me, staring blankly, what the hell? Does it mean weird? Google tells me it's actually 'what you doing'. Since I'm still nominally the cool aunty I'm sure she was a bit disappointed that my answer was 'settling down for a nap.'

 I actually still know WYD means, but there are many more that I had stopped bothering about cool aunt image and just settle with senile aunt instead, especially when my brother tries to ask me to bring his kids to my activities since he had given up trying to get them off ipad. That terrifies me so much although I pity my bro, his physical condition prevents him from joining me (he has 'loose' knee) but  I don't have confidence to handle hours of wandering in the jungle or trekking down waterfall with two young teenagers although when they were younger, they enjoyed the stuff I got them to do, but back then their parents joined us too.

[Arcadia]

On ‎9‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 3:15 AM, Van Buren Supernova said:

And do you guys often find yourself in situation where you end up having to do something yourself? Delegate, delegate, delegate my a**, after a couple of times, I had spent way more time explaining and checking instead of taking over and do it myself.

This has an awful lot to do with why I'm self-employed and work alone.

22 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

Similar but not the same. It was my first week, my idea was brushed off in a meeting, and fast forward two weeks later they came into conclusion to do what I said two weeks ago, after spending many man hours and effort into research. Two weeks! And of course they 'forgot' I brought it up.

Then my senior (who was supposed to be my mentor) turned down my idea, then recreated it from scratch, exactly how I presented it, and submitted it to the boss, claiming all the credit to himself. I needed the job back then, but after six months, which was my probation period, I was called to the room by the boss, he handed my confirmation and I handed him my resignation letter. It was timed nicely that I got job offer from my current company. 

Ohhhhhhh, that's perfect!!!!!!!   I wish I'd gotten to do that, I would love to have seen the look on this one boss's face....

17 hours ago, Pseudonym said:

Boiler is finally sorted! I got to shower. I FINALLY FEEL CLEEEEEAAANNNNN! You can all take the pegs off of your noses now.

Yayyyyy!

1 hour ago, Pseudonym said:

You know you're starting to get old when you get a text that you have to Google to understand. Text from my niece, 'Hi! WYD?'

Me, staring blankly, what the hell? Does it mean weird? Google tells me it's actually 'what you doing'. Since I'm still nominally the cool aunty I'm sure she was a bit disappointed that my answer was 'settling down for a nap.'

I relate. It's getting harder every year to keep up the "cool aunt" status. If the dang kids would just stop getting older it sure would help. Kids these days.

[T.o.b.y]

I find myself feeling more and more relaxed about the "ipad generation". My two younger (much younger) cousins spent incredible hours behind their screens when they were kids and teenagers and now they are wonderful, productive, well-adjusted young adults. None of our older relatives' fears about their future have come true. 

[Pseudonym]

I pretty much lived on the computer when I was younger, and I still spend a lot of time on it now, don't feel like it did me any harm. Besides at least being on the iPad uses some brain power, especially if they are playing games, it has to be better than sitting and mindlessly watching TV. 

[Van Buren Supernova]

Well I suppose my brother thinks they are spending way too much time on the screen that I'm pretty sure quite incomparable to our younger days. I was also a gamer and could play until dawn for days or weeks or months, forgo sleep and still obsessed about coming back to computer to play even when I was working with computer. But I didn't skip a chance to enjoy outdoor as well.

From my observation, I think his worry is valid. It's actually not about them turning into 'bad' kids. In fact, they have sparkling study result and don't really show the tendency of following bad crowd, yet. However, practically spending almost every free hours glue to the screen (mostly passive, like watching something), incredibly dependent on internet, uninterested in most physical or outdoor exercises beside what is required by school certainly doesn't seem like a good lifestyle for youngsters. It does have negative connection to eyesight and adaptation ability.

For example, during a family trip where they were about to visit some attractions. His son developed a car sickness (which is not likely at all in the past) because obviously interaction with electronic device on moving vehicle tends to increase the risk of motion sickness. Then he insisted on going back to the hotel on his own, which was not a very safe thing to do in strange town or he'd be grumpy all day long. On other occasions he'd just park his butt somewhere and got busy with the phone with earplug without paying attention to the surrounding, again, strange town.

With us growing up getting used to rely on our instinct to make it home safely through dangerous streets, and spending most of our time getting our knee skinned and playing in the rain, of course is worrisome to him. In two or couple of years they would need to send them to study abroad and their dependency and level of street awareness seem inadequate.

The sad thing about being a parent, is maybe because the kids tend to associate parents with being not fun, at least on this life period. Because it seems like they do enjoy doing different activities when they were holidaying in my place. Maybe since I don't have kids, I have become their holiday destination very often. They enjoyed me bringing them going trekking, water rafting, dolphin watching or simple walking on the beach or to the park, or even feeding stray dogs. They were ready to go out and didn't mind only interacting with their device when we were back home. But that was some years ago.

But we always did those together with my brother. Can't imagine bringing them by myself. I do have connection with them since young but to be honest, I'm not sure I'm confident dealing with teenagers while it's no problem for me dealing with their kiddy curiosity for hours back then (although it drained my energy like black hole). But anyway, that's next year problem if they decide to visit me again. We met somewhere else this year and I didn't have obligations.

[Arcadia]

Maybe the trick is to visit them on home ground and get to know them a little bit more as teens? Then see if you think you'd feel comfortable taking them bungee jumping or whatever next year.

My sister's kids, once they became teens, I never could relate to much at all, because they were so into social status and nice clothes and being cool, etc. (Also where they lived, drug use was very casual. No way am I going to take responsibility for a kid on drugs.) But my brother's kids and I got along great. I had no trouble at all hanging out with them. We'd hike and build sandcastles and stuff. It was great. Much more fun than being with my stuffy old siblings.  

[Van Buren Supernova]

9 hours ago, Arcadia said:

Maybe the trick is to visit them on home ground and get to know them a little bit more as teens? 

I don't think it's going to happen. They stay long flying distance away, it'd be way too costly, and I have trouble as I am now trying to split my off time with my current obligations. Also, the place is not in my list, it is too urban and they don't feed Americans squash at the border.

And.... I am actually a pretty bad human being as I don't feel like making effort trying to get close to anyone other than the one I have established good connection with...

9 hours ago, Arcadia said:

Then see if you think you'd feel comfortable taking them bungee jumping or whatever next year.

I actually hate the concept of bungee jumping, haven't done it and don't think I ever will. The idea of dangling upside down while relying on other people to catch you is nauseating to me. Beside the possible motion sickness, you really need other's help with their hands all over you.

The only way I would consider it is if I have a chance one day to jump in Queenstown NZ or Grand Canyon.

For the teenagers, I believe they would enjoy my secret giant multiple waterfalls where we could swim at the base, it was really cool place but need quite a lot of effort and physical fitness to go there which probably dangerous for my brother since he dislocated his knees couple of time before. There are other places that requires same physical efforts. But again, that is next year problem. I probably would have found couple of other alternatives.

9 hours ago, Arcadia said:

But my brother's kids and I got along great. I had no trouble at all hanging out with them. We'd hike and build sandcastles and stuff. It was great. Much more fun than being with my stuffy old siblings.

How old are they now? But they are growing so fast isn't it, for mine especially because I only meet them once a year.

I was and not sure if still, their favorite aunt. But that is not much of achievement, since my brothers don't have another sister  and aunts from the other side of family are not fun. Bahaha. I still enjoy hanging out with my stuffy old siblings though. No one else I can really blame for the way I have become today and I don't want to put all the burdens to my parents.

 

[Pseudonym]

I don't have any attachment to my niece or nephews, the text the other day was only the second occasion she's texted me, the first being a couple of months ago when she was obviously forced to say thanks for her birthday card by my brother. I'd probably never see them if I wasn't bullied into it at least once a year. But then I always think it's weird that my brother wants them to know me that much, because personally I'd argue even he doesn't really know me very well, though I think he's under the impression he does... he seems to forget I was 8 when he left home to go to uni. 

[Pseudonym]

Oh god she just started texting me again. I don't know what to say to her. Leave me beeee

[Arcadia]

My sister was the same way. As were my parents. I still have mixed feelings about it … but I have to admit, there is a special connection there. I'm aware that not all families have that, and on the whole, I'm glad that I do. Even though it's an effort to keep up, which I am, er, pretty bad at.....

22 minutes ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

How old are they now? But they are growing so fast isn't it, for mine especially because I only meet them once a year.

Eh, they have kids of their own now (who I also bonded with). I kept telling them to stop getting older but would they listen to me? Noooooo…...

I haven't seen my niece and nephews for awhile now … same problem, too far away. I miss them. At the same time, it's so much easier just keeping to myself...  

[Van Buren Supernova]

Baahahaha, back then my brother liked to pass his phone to my niece when she started asking about my dog.  She would tell me about how she wanted to name her dog etc etc. I usually ignored it (I'm scared when I know she was waiting at the other line for my reply) until couple of hours later, and sometimes when I'm sure it'd be my brother holding it, I'd msg him like the way a ventriloquist talking "errrrrrrrrr it's quite terrifying when I msg you and your daughter replied with a dog story.....???

10 hours ago, Arcadia said:

But my brother's kids and I got along great. I had no trouble at all hanging out with them. We'd hike and build sandcastles and stuff.

 

9 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

Eh, they have kids of their own now (who I also bonded with).

Good god! I thought you were talking about kids! Because we don't build sandcastles as adult, but we bury each other. That's what people DO!

Anyway I suppose it's because you have big age gap with your siblings or my suspicion that you are 100 years old is right...

[Pseudonym]

That infuriates me when you message someone snd another person answers back. My friend used to do that, her boyfriend would start answering but not admit it was him, and she wouldn't mention he was there

 

[Artemis]

On 9/5/2018 at 4:11 AM, J.P. said:

Last time I've got reprimanded for being negative (what also happens a lot) and just hours later the big doom I predicted happened.

 

On 9/5/2018 at 6:18 AM, J.P. said:

I feel like the mythological Kassandra - the prophet no one listen to.

If I got an Euro for every stolen idea I wouldn't have to work anymore.

Ugh, ditto.

 

[Artemis]

21 hours ago, Pseudonym said:

I pretty much lived on the computer when I was younger, and I still spend a lot of time on it now, don't feel like it did me any harm. Besides at least being on the iPad uses some brain power, especially if they are playing games, it has to be better than sitting and mindlessly watching TV. 

I donno, I've read studies claiming that watching TV uses more parts of the brain than reading.  I'm not convinced everyone should be so down on TV.  But that's coming from someone who grew up watching a lot of TV, movies and documentaries.  I always felt I learned well from films, and they helped me connect with the world when it was difficult in other ways.

I didn't have much access to computers when I was younger.  My school didn't have any.  We had one at home because my father needed it for work, but it was mostly for his use, and I only had two or three games on there.  When the internet came out I started using computers a teensy bit more, but I didn't start spending a lot of time on them until somewhere around 2005.  I'm always a little bit late to new technology.

My internet use has gone way down in the last few years though.  I find I'm losing interest in a lot of what's out there, not sure why.  It's just starting to feel stale.  And I don't care for social media at all.  The only social media site I use regularly is Tumblr, and I don't interact or talk to anyone on there, so it's not even social.

 

[Pseudonym]

I didn't mean in comparison to reading, more in comparison to games where you're needing to actively puzzle things out.