Things I find a tad exasperating v.3

[King Postwhore]

What?  You don't like German Eyeballs and driving a car across the Atlantic?   

[TAC]

A couple of things have been bugging me lately.

Is it possible to make a call, go out to eat, or even go to the fucking doctors and not be asked to fill out a survey?? Companies are out of control with their surveys. I know when I was a manager, it's  better to lose sales and have good survey scores than increase sales and have poor survey results. It's fucked.

Also, why is my high school and college still mailing me and asking for money? I paid my tuition. GTFO! It doesn't seem to be keeping today's tuition in check does it?

[wolfking]

A couple of things have been bugging me lately.

Is it possible to make a call, go out to eat, or even go to the fucking doctors and not be asked to fill out a survey?? Companies are out of control with their surveys. I know when I was a manager, it's  better to lose sales and have good survey scores than increase sales and have poor survey results. It's fucked.

Also, why is my high school and college still mailing me and asking for money? I paid my tuition. GTFO! It doesn't seem to be keeping today's tuition in check does it?

I order drinks directly from Coke.  I mean, Coke, one of if not the biggest company in the world.  Every fucking time I speak to someone (for like the last couple of years at least mind you) and place an order at the end of the call, every rep tells me, "thanks for your call and if you could stay on the line there is a quick survey about your experience today."  Fucking no!  I just hang up.  I'm ordering from you you fuckers, isn't that enough.  And I'm sure wasting another 5 minutes of my fucking day doing your shitty survey isn't going to make a cracker of a difference to the amount of money you assholes rake in every day.  I'm giving the companies money to you, so fuck off with your survey.

[TAC]

A couple of things have been bugging me lately.

Is it possible to make a call, go out to eat, or even go to the fucking doctors and not be asked to fill out a survey?? Companies are out of control with their surveys. I know when I was a manager, it's  better to lose sales and have good survey scores than increase sales and have poor survey results. It's fucked.

Also, why is my high school and college still mailing me and asking for money? I paid my tuition. GTFO! It doesn't seem to be keeping today's tuition in check does it?

I order drinks directly from Coke.  I mean, Coke, one of if not the biggest company in the world.  Every fucking time I speak to someone (for like the last couple of years at least mind you) and place an order at the end of the call, every rep tells me, "thanks for your call and if you could stay on the line there is a quick survey about your experience today."  Fucking no!  I just hang up.  I'm ordering from you you fuckers, isn't that enough.  And I'm sure wasting another 5 minutes of my fucking day doing your shitty survey isn't going to make a cracker of a difference to the amount of money you assholes rake in every day.  I'm giving the companies money to you, so fuck off with your survey.

[wolfking]

A couple of things have been bugging me lately.

Is it possible to make a call, go out to eat, or even go to the fucking doctors and not be asked to fill out a survey?? Companies are out of control with their surveys. I know when I was a manager, it's  better to lose sales and have good survey scores than increase sales and have poor survey results. It's fucked.

Also, why is my high school and college still mailing me and asking for money? I paid my tuition. GTFO! It doesn't seem to be keeping today's tuition in check does it?

I order drinks directly from Coke.  I mean, Coke, one of if not the biggest company in the world.  Every fucking time I speak to someone (for like the last couple of years at least mind you) and place an order at the end of the call, every rep tells me, "thanks for your call and if you could stay on the line there is a quick survey about your experience today."  Fucking no!  I just hang up.  I'm ordering from you you fuckers, isn't that enough.  And I'm sure wasting another 5 minutes of my fucking day doing your shitty survey isn't going to make a cracker of a difference to the amount of money you assholes rake in every day.  I'm giving the companies money to you, so fuck off with your survey.

   It's so funny you're post just got that out of me so easily!  I was like 'yes motherfucker' while reading yours and started typing

I just realised I'll have to place an order from these assholes again today.   

[Phoenix87x]

The limbo of waiting for a car to be done from the shop 

Thank god though they had free lyft drop off back at my place to wait. Sitting in the waiting room for hours is a hell in its own right.

[wolfking]

The limbo of waiting for a car to be done from the shop 

Thank god though they had free lyft drop off back at my place to wait. Sitting in the waiting room for hours is a hell in its own right.

Ha, in that right now.

[TAC]

So...

We are in the middle of the application process for services through our state's Department of Developmental Services (DDS) for my 21 y/o. The DDS rep made an appointment with my wife to have a meeting today at 10:00, and for my son to be present. We get there and on the door, it says we have to mask up to go in. OK, this already gets me eyerolling.

We go in and no one has any idea what we are talking about regarding a meeting or who we are seeing.
Finally, a woman overhears the commotion and asks us to sit down. She comes back and states she's a colleague of the woman we're supposed to meet, but that she is not there because it's a Facetime call. WUT?
The lady says, since the pandemic, that's how they do things now. WTF?? Are we still in the pandemic?

I was fucking pissed. We got my son ready for this..cleaned up, nice shirt, even got him a fucking haircut yesterday.

Anyway, while we're sitting there the lady calls my wife, and my wife says we have to go out to the car to do the facetime call. I turn to the woman standing there and I was like, can't we just use one of these rooms for the call?  Um nope, because they're having a job fair and they're needed for interviews. All I saw was a bunch of recruiters picking their ass, not a job candidate in sight, and rooms not being used.

So, on our way to bring my wife to work, she and my son sat in the backseat and did the facetime call.
At one point I hear the lady say, "Oh, I'm sorry for the noise, my husband just went by with the lawn mower."
You gotta be fucking kidding me!!

[cramx3]

Sounds par for the course for a government program

[TAC]

The lady could've very well said it was a call and not a meeting. My wife has been work stressed and could've missed it.

But I rail against the fact that we can't meet in person.

[cramx3]

Regarding the "is the pandemic over?" though, my job seemed to officially announce it is from their perspective today.  We all need to make it known if we are returning to the office by end of week. And judging by the amount of cars on the road since Labor Day, it seems most people are back to the office now.  Also, we no longer have to wear a mask at work.  It seems fairly over from my perspective although I need to show proof of vaccination for the Porcupine Tree show on Friday (as well as Sabaton/Epica next month).

[wolfking]

The lady could've very well said it was a call and not a meeting. My wife has been work stressed and could've missed it.

But I rail against the fact that we can't meet in person.

Doing consultations this way still is a fucking pisstake and simply a cop out for people to stay the fuck at home and piss around IMO.  I have no doubt the consultation would have been more beneficial and helpful for your lad I'd it were in person.  People milk the fucking life out of this pandemic and its disgraceful in my book.

We have simply become an every man for themselves society these days.

[wolfking]

Regarding the "is the pandemic over?" though, my job seemed to officially announce it is from their perspective today.  We all need to make it known if we are returning to the office by end of week. And judging by the amount of cars on the road since Labor Day, it seems most people are back to the office now.  Also, we no longer have to wear a mask at work.  It seems fairly over from my perspective although I need to show proof of vaccination for the Porcupine Tree show on Friday (as well as Sabaton/Epica next month).

Still?  What a joke.  Yeah cause an unvaccinated person is what spreads COVID. 

[cramx3]

Regarding the "is the pandemic over?" though, my job seemed to officially announce it is from their perspective today.  We all need to make it known if we are returning to the office by end of week. And judging by the amount of cars on the road since Labor Day, it seems most people are back to the office now.  Also, we no longer have to wear a mask at work.  It seems fairly over from my perspective although I need to show proof of vaccination for the Porcupine Tree show on Friday (as well as Sabaton/Epica next month).

Still?  What a joke.  Yeah cause an unvaccinated person is what spreads COVID. 

Yeah, I was looking at my livenation tickets and both those listed as a health check which I haven't had to show in a long time so I was a bit surprised.  It's an artists choice thing at this point but maybe because they are from outside the country they want to be cautious.  I don't know.  I

[XJDenton]

Vaccinated people are less likely to spread the disease than unvaccinated persons if they are both infected (due to reduced viral load and generally being less symptomatic). From that perspective, limiting large group events to vaccinated people does tangibly reduce the risk of that group becoming a super spreader event.

[cramx3]

Vaccinated people are less likely to spread the disease than unvaccinated persons if they are both infected (due to reduced viral load and generally being less symptomatic). From that perspective, limiting large group events to vaccinated people does tangibly reduce the risk of that group becoming a super spreader event.

Key word is tangible.  I'm not disagreeing with you, I just think it's not a very large % difference at this point because a large portion of the population is either vaccinated, covid recovered, or both (like almost everyone I know is both at this point). 

None of this means much personally since I'm vaccinated and have the app, takes a second to show proof and I'm in, but it is a bit odd to be doing this after something like 30 other concerts I've been to this year that didn't ask for it.

[XJDenton]

I mean, for touring musicians, I can definitely understand why they might want to be more cautious. Can you imagine making a comeback tour after a 10 year hiatus and then have either the musicians or the tour staff come down with it?

[wolfking]

Vaccinated people are less likely to spread the disease than unvaccinated persons if they are both infected (due to reduced viral load and generally being less symptomatic). From that perspective, limiting large group events to vaccinated people does tangibly reduce the risk of that group becoming a super spreader event.

Please.  Is the difference enough to warrant creating a divide and banishing a group of people entirely like they have leprosy or something?  Give me a break.

Touring musicians and roadies hardly come in contact with the audience anyway.

[XJDenton]

Covid is an airborne disease that sticks around in places with inadequate ventilation. Close contact doesn't matter so much in a crowd situation.

In any case, if individuals are allowed to make personal choices regarding their vaccination status based on their own risk assessments, then venues and musicians are also allowed to make such decisions on their own metrics.

[wolfking]

Yeah, I'm not gonna get into it.

[cramx3]

I mean, for touring musicians, I can definitely understand why they might want to be more cautious. Can you imagine making a comeback tour after a 10 year hiatus and then have either the musicians or the tour staff come down with it?

Well yeah, these bands have been dealing with it for the last year or so now.  It makes me wonder if someone in the band still hasn't caught covid yet and they are trying to protect them.  Like I said, of all the other concerts I went to, those touring musicians didn't seem to care.  Not arguing here, there's certainly a lot on the line for a tour. I don't know about Porcupine Tree, but Sabaton and Epica have been touring a lot lately.

[XJDenton]

Again, might not be the bands, could be the venues. Airlines have been having huge troubles with staff sickness since they started lifting restrictions. Can't imagine big crowd venues aren't worried about losing a whole bunch of staff to a super spreader event either.

[Cool Chris]

So TAC, they scheduled a meeting with your family and did not mention it would be online?

I am all for meetings that can happen virtually, provided both parties agree to that provision.

One thing that has bugged me since this took off, however, is when people insist on having a video call, when a phone call would suffice. We survived just fine handling tons of business over the phone for over a century. Covid shouldn't be used as the reasoning to switch those calls to video. I admit part of that is me; I hate talking on the phone. When I do, I am staring off in to space, doing chores, posting on dtf.org... if we are just talking, there is no reason we need to see each other and have me focused on your face on my screen.

[wolfking]

I hate having Teams meeting for work.  Face to face is so much more beneficial IMO.  The Teams video conferences are here to stay too, especially in my organisation.  But when we have them, I always have no video.  I hate seeing my mug along with everyone else's mug on the call, just unnecessary.

[TAC]

So TAC, they scheduled a meeting with your family and did not mention it would be online?

I actually think my wife may have missed that little detail..

Still, the whole thing fried me.
Masks
Can't even provide a room for us to take the facetime call
Not giving a family the respect and dignity of meeting in person
A fucking lawn mower??

[wolfking]

So TAC, they scheduled a meeting with your family and did not mention it would be online?

I actually think my wife may have missed that little detail..

Still, the whole thing fried me.
Masks
Can't even provide a room for us to take the facetime call
Not giving a family the respect and dignity of meeting in person
A fucking lawn mower??

I would have asked her, "why is your husband mowing the lawn on a weekday while you're working?  You supporting him?" 

[TAC]

The lady could've very well said it was a call and not a meeting. My wife has been work stressed and could've missed it.

But I rail against the fact that we can't meet in person.

Doing consultations this way still is a fucking pisstake and simply a cop out for people to stay the fuck at home and piss around IMO.  I have no doubt the consultation would have been more beneficial and helpful for your lad I'd it were in person.  People milk the fucking life out of this pandemic and its disgraceful in my book.

He really rolls with it. He handled the whole thing with grace, unlike his father. I was so proud of him. He answered all of the questions enthusiastically.

[wolfking]

The lady could've very well said it was a call and not a meeting. My wife has been work stressed and could've missed it.

But I rail against the fact that we can't meet in person.

Doing consultations this way still is a fucking pisstake and simply a cop out for people to stay the fuck at home and piss around IMO.  I have no doubt the consultation would have been more beneficial and helpful for your lad I'd it were in person.  People milk the fucking life out of this pandemic and its disgraceful in my book.

He really rolls with it. He handled the whole thing with grace, unlike his father. I was so proud of him. He answered all of the questions enthusiastically.

So he's learning what not to do from you also?  He is a smart lad. 

[Chino]

I'm going to be a whiny bitch this morning... Trivia team sizes.

I know Trivia is all fun and games, but we still like to play a little seriously. There's awesome prizes for every round at the place we like to play (free apps, shots, drinks, bottles of wine, gift cards, etc). We went last night, and a party of FOURTEEN entered as a single team. They literally swept the night and went 50/50. They took the competitive fun out of the evening for everyone. There should be limits!

[King Postwhore]

Artists who try to control the fan's experience at shows. "No cameras."

They don't think of the free promotion they are getting.  Plus, the joy of having a pictures of a band I'm excited to see. 

[Stadler]

The lady could've very well said it was a call and not a meeting. My wife has been work stressed and could've missed it.

But I rail against the fact that we can't meet in person.

In my opinion, this is huge.  We're going through some shit here* and my stepson, on the spectrum, has had to meet with DCF (Child services) and a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) and there is HUGE HUGE HUGE difference between meeting over Zoom and meeting in person.  Yeah, we're all adults, so I can discuss a contract term or a change order over Zoom, because I've been working for 30+ years and I know how to do it.  My 14-year-old, who already struggles with personal cues and reading a room, he needs all the help he can get, and more importantly, the people meeting with him have to get the full measure of HIM.  I feel for you and your family, TAC; that to me is a level of... not disrespect, but certainly that sends the message that our process and our "rules" are more important than the child in question.



* So we've been battling with his dad again; I've told you all that we moved, a year ago, to a new town with a FAR FAR superior school system over where he was, and dad decided he didn't want to drive to the new town so blocked his kid from going to the new school.  We finally negotiated him going to the new school - he LOVES it! - but he hasn't seen his dad in person in about six months.   Because... dad filed an application to remove his parental rights.  What dad didn't know is, in Connecticut, the kid gets served the papers.  So my stepson saw everything dad wrote (it's a ploy to get out of paying child support) and is deeply hurt.  So now we're gearing up for the court hearing about whether dad should have his parental rights removed.  In the meantime, dad has been texting my stepson "I love you" and "we should meet and talk so you can hear my side of the story". Even the 14-year-old knows that's bullshit, and there aren't "sides" to this; you either love me and want to be my dad, or you don't.  It's bordering on fucking EVIL, man.  The kid is beside himself.  He picks at his fingernails and toenails out of stress.  It's tragic to watch. 

[hefdaddy42]

So we've been battling with his dad again; I've told you all that we moved, a year ago, to a new town with a FAR FAR superior school system over where he was, and dad decided he didn't want to drive to the new town so blocked his kid from going to the new school.  We finally negotiated him going to the new school - he LOVES it! - but he hasn't seen his dad in person in about six months.   Because... dad filed an application to remove his parental rights.  What dad didn't know is, in Connecticut, the kid gets served the papers.  So my stepson saw everything dad wrote (it's a ploy to get out of paying child support) and is deeply hurt.  So now we're gearing up for the court hearing about whether dad should have his parental rights removed.  In the meantime, dad has been texting my stepson "I love you" and "we should meet and talk so you can hear my side of the story". Even the 14-year-old knows that's bullshit, and there aren't "sides" to this; you either love me and want to be my dad, or you don't.  It's bordering on fucking EVIL, man.  The kid is beside himself.  He picks at his fingernails and toenails out of stress.  It's tragic to watch.

What a piece of shit.

When I met my now-wife, she had an 18-month old from a previous marriage.  Long story short, the guy, who was a complete douchebag, gave up his parental rights, mostly (I suspect) to avoid having to continue paying child support (although he was still on the hook for all of the past payments on which he was behind).  The day that we received our copy of the parental rights revocation documents, I filed to adopt her, and the day I was able to give her my last name was one of the happiest of my life.  My wife took great pains to keep me away from that piece of shit for years (not easy, it was a very small town). 

[Adami]

They should make a movie about both of you. Step...up....dads. Get it? Pretty genius.


I'd say Mark Wahlberg play Stadler and Morgan Freeman play Hef.

[TAC]

My stepson was 5 when I met his mother. Which handsome actor plays me?

[Adami]

My stepson was 5 when I met his mother. Which handsome actor plays me?

Did you step up?

Let's go with Channing Tatum.