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

[Artemis]

Maybe, but we've got several TA's (the instructor doesn't field questions except during lecture), with specified 'office hours', and they tell us not to ask questions until we've spent a good chunk of time trying to find the answers ourselves.  I rather doubt they'd be overwhelmed.

I could understand a little more if the subject matter were different, but it's technical work, so they should be able to assist with any sort of technical question within the curriculum at any time, because they already know how to do it.  An algebra teacher, for instance, should feel comfortable addressing any kind of algebra question without going crazy, regardless of what chapter its in.  Or am I wrong? 

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

1 hour ago, Artemis said:

An algebra teacher, for instance, should feel comfortable addressing any kind of algebra question without going crazy, regardless of what chapter its in.  Or am I wrong?

You're not wrong, but there are ramifications.

When I was teaching algebra, I generally preferred that any off-the-current-topic questions be asked after class.  However it sounds like your Q&A sessions are one-on-one anyway, so you wouldn't be using time that other students might need for questions about the chapter everyone else is on.

Still, even though the TA would of course know the whole thing already, they could do a better job by dealing with just one topic at a time.  That way, they could be fully aware of what you'd already studied and what you hadn't, plus the specific approach being taken by the lecturer and textbook, etc., so they could avoid confusing you.

 

[Artemis]

4 minutes ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

When I was teaching algebra, I generally preferred that any off-the-current-topic questions be asked after class.  However it sounds like your Q&A sessions are one-on-one anyway, so you wouldn't be using time that other students might need for questions about the chapter everyone else is on.

Oh yeah, by no means would I ask an off-topic question in the middle of lecture, lol.  That would waste everyone's time.

 

[Pseudonym]

Next week is shaping up to be busier, I've got two tutorials and I'm going to two talks (though that's related to my course but not part of it). I also want to squeeze in a cinema visit at some point. I'll take a day off I think, I've got loads to use up anyway. 

[Fantasy Lover]

Goddammit, I'm so mad! I lost my disability benefit because I'm not "too disabled" enough which means I have to get unemployment benefits or go to a social services ugh...

[Sheerluck]

Rubbish news Fantasy Lover. That seems to be the way things are moving these days. Agencies are reclassifying as much as they can to get people off their books. It's total bollocks.

[Arcadia]

Oh Fantasy, I'm sorry. I second what Sheerluck said. I hope it doesn't take too long to get what you need, it must be a bit scary.

[Pseudonym]

Where are my socks? Why can I never find any f*cking socks?! I keep buying new packs and I still can't find them. 

[Artemis]

 

[Artemis]

 

[Pseudonym]

There is legit something weird going on. I should be drowning in socks the amount I keep buying. Of course there are trainer socks everywhere, but they were hiding too when I used to go to the gym. 

[Van Buren Supernova]

I believe Sherlock has same problem. Do you have roommate named John?

And do you index your socks? No??? Hmmm.. what do you expect then? Does watching Sherlock teach you anything? 😛

[Pseudonym]

All I wanted was two black socks, they didn't even need to be matching. 🤬

I'm seriously starting to suspect gremlins. 

[Van Buren Supernova]

A friend of mine solve missing sock problem by buying all his socks in same color, so anyone can match everyone! But I guess they all have the same function, not specialiized one.

I wear funny socks so it'd be a pain if I lost half but handwash my socks now and would wear couple of pairs to their death so now I don't have problem of missing pair anymore..

My text changes mid way and no option to edit it..

Edited October 15, 2018 by Arcadia
removed text formatting

[Pseudonym]

I do buy all my socks the same colour, but the black is always slightly different or they are slightly longer etc. I'm not that picky though, just black would have sufficed. I didn't have time to sod about so I've got grey ones with cherries on that you can see through the laces of my boots. 

[Pseudonym]

I keep having disturbing dreams, not disturbing enough to be called full out nightmares but definitely unsettling. 

[Artemis]

I have a lot of those.  Do you have an example you want to give?  Like your most recent one?

 

[Pseudonym]

Last night I dreamt I unexpectedly had a baby and the father was a close family member. 

The night before I dreamt there was some sort of poltergeist in my kitchen throwing around heavy furniture. Which sounds funny but wasn't. 

[Arcadia]

4 hours ago, Pseudonym said:

I keep having disturbing dreams, not disturbing enough to be called full out nightmares but definitely unsettling. 

I went through a period in my mid-late twenties where I had those all the time. I used to worry they were some sort of precognitive dreams. So far they haven't been, though. Good thing, since many of them seemed to indicate the end of the world....

[Arcadia]

4 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

A friend of mine solve missing sock problem by buying all his socks in same color, so anyone can match everyone! But I guess they all have the same function, not specialiized one.

I wear funny socks so it'd be a pain if I lost half but handwash my socks now and would wear couple of pairs to their death so now I don't have problem of missing pair anymore..

My text changes mid way and no option to edit it..

There is a way … if you're on a computer, I have no idea if it appears on those other fancy gadgets. But in the menu at the top of the reply box, second from the end, there's a Tx icon … it removes any text formatting. You have to highlight the offending text, then click the icon. Comes in handy from time to time.

Socks! I love socks. I have every kind of sock. Somewhere in this world, all the missing ones are gathered and having a party ….

[Pseudonym]

I'm sure I've had others but I only remember one end of the world dream and it was weirdly comforting in a way. It from space, and the planet just imploded, and that was that. No one knew it was going to happen, and then everyone was gone, and it was a completely underwhelming undramatic thing, like a light switch. That's Earth turned off. 

I've had a few 'major war breaks out' dreams that were worse. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Just as well that I don't tend to remember my dreams, I guess.  I used to have the occasional dream where I was apparently about to die (impending car crash or whatever) -- but then I'd wake up, which presumably explains why those are the ones I remember pretty vividly.  Most times, I wake up more gradually, so that all I might have is a faint wispy impression of having had a dream, and then even that evaporates.

[Pseudonym]

I usually wake up wild-eyed, panicking and thrashing because my alarm is going off and confusing the hell out of me. Which means I don't remember that many of my dreams either. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

2 hours ago, Pseudonym said:

I usually wake up wild-eyed, panicking and thrashing because my alarm is going off and confusing the hell out of me.

... which is why I don't use an alarm.  Well, that plus I'm retired so I've learned to sleep through Alex's alarm.

[Van Buren Supernova]

15 hours ago, Arcadia said:

There is a way … if you're on a computer, I have no idea if it appears on those other fancy gadgets. But in the menu at the top of the reply box, second from the end, there's a Tx icon … it removes any text formatting.

Yah I  remember using that but yesterday it excused itself from my phone. I'm seeing it again now using desktop.

I'm having anger issue at the moment. This is the fourth keyboard I'm changing into and none  is working properly. I also have problem transferring pictures from my phone (I used OTG, cable, drive, email, all to no avail but the last effort by manually extracting my memory card and using the card  reader), yesterday it even had the audacity to delete my photos from ALL folders, while I only tried  to delete it from one folder, resulting me having to retake.

Anyway, while fiddling with those shenanigans, I really felt the stress building up and the urge to punch or destroy something and had to grab my head and curl to avoid doing anything. Oh I certainly physically trying to bang my head and smacking the table, and if my colleagues were not around I would hit something, which is ridiculous and small matters but it's really really annoying.

 

Anyway, DREAM!!! I dream everytime I sleep and remember most of them, but I predicted nothing which is good because that would be horrifying. My recurring dream (that I'm even aware in my dream that I am dreaming and thinking here we go in same situation again) is being in a place where I have to go toilet/shower but all I could find is communal bathroom, with no or low wall and the one that is acceptable in term of cleanliness is the one that is the most exposed. Even when I wait for everyone not to be around, when I'm about to strip, there is always someone coming or I would notice another opening or window. And it's never resolved, I never use those and would continue to search and search and search..