It's Personal...

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri May 02, 2014 4:51 am

Ah, damn. I'll check out that site, thanks.

So, the week has been... ugh.

The school paper advisor wrote up a new AA for transfer because the normal journalism AA is currently literally unobtainable, because two classes are never actually offered. I had all the required courses for the new AA, and i had already completed my GE courses for my culinary AA. I had gone into this semester figuring I was just marking time waiting for the new AA to be on offer, then was told it was approved, and then already being honored.

The counselors only open their appointment books on Fridays, and only by phone. So I spent all week sitting in the waiting area trting to drop into a vacancy so I could petition for Summer graduation, and then petition to receive my diploma early, since I'm already doing my culinary graduation this semester. After three days and I don't know how many hours, I got up early today at 6, after working on an article till 2am, so i could throw on clothes and be waiting outside when they open the counselors doors.

Another two and achalf hours later, and I was finally in.

... only to be told that the GE for a transfer AA is different from the GE for a standard AA, and I don't get my '06 catalogue rights because the degree didn't exist back then. Which means I have to take another six classes.

I am basically omega priority since I've been in the system for seven years and more than 120 units. I don't get to register for classes for fall until the 19th. For reference, this semester ends the 20th, and people have been registering for at least two weeks already. In all likelihood, most classes will be full by then.

So, basically it feels like I've been smacked down just when I thought I was finally finished. I feel trapped, because I'm 27, broke, with no job, living with my parents and still in fucking college. If I'd chosen medical school, I'd be nearly done by now, and practically guaranteed a job.

I just fucking hate this shit.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Fri May 02, 2014 9:21 am

I feel ya Prak. I had over 200 credits when I finally got my undergraduate degree (which, admittedly, was the result of changing schools twice, majors once, two brushes with ROTC, and picking up two minors, among other things.)

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Fri May 02, 2014 3:19 pm

I'm sorry, Prak. That is frustrating. I finished taking classes ten years ago, but still owed the school for a couple of them. I couldn't get my degree until I paid them off. I just received my diploma in the mail this week. A decade didn't really change the pride I felt when I got it.

erik · Post by **erik** » Sat May 03, 2014 2:56 pm

Ugh. Just tried doing Free Comic Book day with both boys (ages~ 5 and 3.5). The younger just flipped out and was inconsolably screaming/crying. I would have just left but we had already grabbed a couple comics and you can't just walk out with them you need to wait for the checkout line. I foolishly thought I could calm him as I typically am able. Not even the iPhone would calm the savage beast.

In retrospect I should have just put them back on the table and made a run for it because it was horrible.

To top it off as we neared the end my older boy informed me that he really, really needed to poop. We made it back home in time thankfully.

The younger guy used to be my great shopper/helper, like up through April. He'd insist on holding my hand and staying by me whenever I went shopping, but this is the second time in the past couple weeks where he was completely awful, so no more shopping with him I guess.

[edit]
Aaaand most of the comics didn't survive more than an hour in the house before a cat knocked over a vase on the kitchen table soaking pretty much just the comics and the floor. It's like she aimed it.

One of those days.]

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Sun May 04, 2014 4:08 pm

Just like I bitched about Apple and their lightning connector a while back... Now I'm bitching about the latest design trends.

I first noticed it when I got my new computer - updated programs changed their associated icons to stupid ones. Instead of Photoshop having a feather or an eye or whatever, it now is a plain blue box with a Ps inside it. Foxit, my alternative to Adobe Acrobat (and it's a good one, too), has an orange outline in the shape of a page, with "PDF" inside. My Office icons are all different colored boxes with single letters in them. And these images are all mostly flat with no shading or dimension, and they're distinguished by fucking letters.

iOS 7.1 brought fantabulous changes to its interface (not!) - taking out the dimensional elements for flat, simple shapes with simple text. It's like someone turned back the clock and said, let's hire peeps from the early days of computer graphic capability and go all retro.

And now I'm seeing it on webpages. People... Taking out design elements and substituting it with text is a BAD idea. Your website looks like no one pays attention to it. It is uninteresting to look at. And sometimes, the simplest way to convey information actually is via a visual, not text.

I don't want to go back to a world where graphics are worse than clip art and I have to read everything to figure out what it is. This should not be a new wave of anything. This should not exist. You should not do this. STOP THE FUCKING INSANITY!

...

OK. Thank you.

---

Edit: Apparently, this new trend is called Flat Design, and my husband wrote about it for one of his web design clients. It even has its own Wikipedia page.

Longes · Post by **Longes** » Sun May 04, 2014 4:49 pm

That's nothing. I had to develop an application in Metro-style. It's that stupid style Windows 8 has. Metro style is suffering.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Sun May 04, 2014 6:02 pm

Metro style is Flat Design.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Fri May 09, 2014 7:52 pm

I got into an argument today with someone on SoH who doesn't realize that the mainstream in "mainstream media" refers to audience size, not political affiliation of the journalists doing the reporting. o.O

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Fri May 09, 2014 8:15 pm

Maj wrote:I got into an argument today with someone on SoH who doesn't realize that the mainstream in "mainstream media" refers to audience size, not political affiliation of the journalists doing the reporting. o.O

To be fair, Fox news has the highest audience size of any network and regularly refers to the mainstream media as everyone but them. So anyone watching fox news for their information would be characteristically poorly informed in the specific way that you are talking about.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Fri May 09, 2014 10:48 pm

I technically understand that, but that perspective sort of requires ignoring the definition of "mainstream." Which is weird.

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Fri May 09, 2014 10:58 pm

Maj wrote:I technically understand that, but that perspective sort of requires ignoring the definition of "mainstream." Which is weird.

Main stream is not actually definitely most watched. Certainly you could imagine if the majority of news stations are distinctly apolitical, then any right leaning news source is not mainstream, and any left leaning would also be.

Main stream could just as easily mean "not average" as "niche."

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Fri May 09, 2014 11:20 pm

Ahh... But that's being reasonable, too (and I pointed it out). The problem is that if you are a Fox-watcher, you don't recognize the existence of non-right or -left news media. The conversation was stupid.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri May 09, 2014 11:32 pm

Maj wrote:Ahh... But that's being reasonable, too (and I pointed it out). The problem is that if you are a Fox-watcher, you don't recognize the existence of non-right or -left news media. The conversation was stupid.

Nor are Fox-watchers reasonable.

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Sun May 11, 2014 4:26 am

I've been cleaning out my bookshelves.

It says something about the amount of books I have that I have filled up a large cardboard box so full I can't lift it and I'm the only person who can appreciate the increase space.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Mon May 12, 2014 2:00 am

I deliberately get small boxes for book packing. I have oodles of them, too.

---

I enjoyed the corned beef and cabbage recipe we used for St. Patrick's Day so much this year that I chose it for my Mother's Day dinner. It is absolutely delicious, but admittedly, a little weird.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Wed May 14, 2014 9:49 am

I started getting public rape threats. I guess it means I finally achieved something important IRL (specifically, won a number of noncompetitive cycling marathons). I'm not especially bothered by the actual threats; what *is* worrying is that no one else on the social network has expressed even the slightest disapproval, and the people who send threats are pseudonymous but with public photos of themselves in their profiles.

(Important note: the marathon cyclist community is highly supportive, friendly and all-around awesome, the twatshitters who send threats have never ridden a marathon and aren't fit to try.)

edit: Huh, now that I posted it after two weeks of threats, (1) one person actually expressed disapproval and (2) I found out who's behind it - a guy who loaned me tires for my first marathon and later got put on ignore for harassment. Oh, and I was also somewhat less than enthusiastic about his fanfiction. It's almost too dumb to be real.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Thu May 15, 2014 9:21 pm

Some hawks have started a nest in the trees next to my backyard. If you set up a chair and some binoculars, you can see the babies occasionally peering out. Somebody more patient than I saw the adults bearing a critter up and feeding them.

Actually, scratch that, I took a break from posting and got look at the adult feeding the chicks. They were really light-colored and fuzzy, it was pretty cute.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Thu May 15, 2014 10:06 pm

After using some higher-quality binoculars, I think I identified the type of hawk.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/PHOT ... hawk_9.jpg
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/coop ... ifehistory

There's 2 chicks, and one is a lot bolder than the other. It's hopping around even without any real feathers.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Sat May 17, 2014 4:05 am

Giovanni has been on the lookout for hawks because that's his soccer team's name. We haven't seen any, though.

---

In other mom news... We were in the grocery store today and I was walking by the veggies while Giovanni was checking out the toys. I saw the leeks and couldn't resist... I snuck up on Giovanni, whacked him on the butt with the green part of the leek, yelled, "Leek Slap!" and then ran away.

Blasted · Post by **Blasted** » Tue May 20, 2014 2:47 am

You're awesome. More mums should be awesome like that.

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Tue May 20, 2014 12:28 pm

What a farfetched story...

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Sat May 24, 2014 6:29 pm

So I play secretary for Ess, who doesn't get many calls from his clients, but he does get a few. Apparently, I have a great phone voice, so the property guy that he works for wants me to do voiceovers for him.

I have no clue what I'm doing, but it sure sounds like fun.

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Sat May 24, 2014 6:36 pm

voiceovers is what the people on documentary on tv are doing.
and youtubers. talking about stuff over video material usually.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Sun May 25, 2014 5:07 am

Oh, I know what a voiceover is. I just have no clue about what sort of equipment I need, etc. I asked a friend who does it, though, and got some help. So I will be recording property advertisements!

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Wed May 28, 2014 4:05 am

So with today, May 27th, I've been on my job for five years.

Pretty good for a first real job.