The $%*! frustration thread

[Kodokami]

I just read your comment in the other thread pooh-poohing the thought. I have to say, this is absolutely hilarious! Especially after I watched the weather reports for this storm last night. Cheers for eating some snow crow! Make yourself a good bowl of snow ice cream.

We got quite the snow storm (for this area, at least). I'd hate to be those who need to drive today.

Also, snow ice cream sounds good. But is it really healthy to be eating snow off the ground?

I'm tired of living in a city where I can't just walk around a goddamn neighborhood. I go from air-or-heat conditioned bubble to bubble; even when I just want to be outside, to go anywhere interesting or walkable, I have to drive there first. I feel my senses being dulled by the lack of nature, the surplus of screentime I do love my city and think it is underrated, but I wish it weren't full of consumerist strip mall anti-nature whoredom. I want to move to the goddamn West Coast right now but I have (wonder of wonders) a relevant job and wonderful friends and I don't want to be ungrateful for what I've got. Sigh.

I understand that feeling. J has a good point though. Imagine what you're missing out on.

[Lord J Esq]

I'd hate to be those who need to drive today.

This is the first time that bad weather has put off major travel plans for me. I was scheduled to go to Texas tomorrow; now I'll have to put it off at least a day. Any idea on whether they'll have the roads in better shape by Thursday?

[Kodokami]

I would say yes. Most years when we have snow, the roads are clear by the next day. So by Thursday they should be clear.

[Syna]

If I may, this is the only life you have. Once you start trying to settle into your present circumstances rather than create new ones--and I mean this on the indefinite time scale--you have fundamentally shifted your outlook on life. Is what you have now really good enough for that?

It's a fair point, though "really good enough" doesn't play into it for me, though you may not have guessed it from my frustration. Aside from my physical location, everything else in my life is as fulfilling and supportive of my goals as I could hope for. I suppose that I know so many people with issues getting a job, much less one they like, and with finding a lively social life, that feel protective. I've worked hard to get to this point: deep, longstanding relationships, career-relevant job that benefits me creatively, strong ties to family. I have a very good life, so it's more a matter of wanting to experience more.

But am I satisfied with settling - as you suggest, the mindset of settling? No. And I guess that's the determining factor.

Also, you're in Seattle? How do you like it? I have family and quite a few friends there.

[Lord J Esq]

Seattle is awesome. A golden city, where the streets are paved with fair trade coffee, and the sun is always on a coffee break.

I'm not actually there, now. I'm touring the country. Next stop: Texas!

[Syna]

That's awesome!! How long have you been on the road?

And ronically enough... that's where I am! Houston, that is. There is actually plenty to see in Texas, it's just hard to see that everyday because of this city's sprawl. I hope you enjoy yourself.

[Lord J Esq]

Thank you. I've been backpacking since August. Tonight I am leaving South Carolina.

[Lennis]

That's academic arrogance for you. It's quite easy for them to let the students handle the pressure than them giving a damn.

Also, it turns out more than half of the students in their class don't even know what they're doing the project about. Kids aged 11 to 17 come to me every week and tell me, "please, sir, give me info and pictures about Leonardo da Vinci". Surprised that even kids above 15 don't know about such a great innovator, I ask, "I thought this was taught to you in school? It's in your text book, isn't it?"

What they tell me?

"I really don't know who he is. It's there in the text books, but the teacher only reads it, and all we know is that he did paintings. We're supposed to be presenting more info on this guy ourselves." <----- This isn't just from one school, by the way. Similar statements were said by a bunch of other kids from various schools and about various topics. Sometimes I really wonder what they're teaching these days anyway, and whether the so called "academic education" today is even worth it.

This story only confirms a deeply disturbing trend in education.  It used to be that the burden of teaching was on teachers.  Now that burden is solidly on students.  Somehow, it has come to be accepted that the effort of the individual student is the only thing that matters, and that actively teaching them anything is irrelevant.  If a teacher gives an assignment, then the students are expected to complete that assignment on their own regardless of their knowledge of the subject.  The students are expected to teach themselves whatever they need to complete the assignment as a part of their assignment.  (If the students fail, then their effort was clearly lacking and they deserved to fail.)  I wonder if the Internet may be indirectly responsible for this?  In an age where most students in the developed world have access to a computer, they have access to all of the raw data they would ever need – courtesy of the all-powerful search engine.  In a way, it's almost analogous to parents placing their kids in front of the TV instead of actually parenting.  We now have teachers placing students in front of a computer instead of actually teaching.  Under this dynamic, the only purpose of the teacher is to give tests and to judge the students ability to self-learn.  The result is 15-year-olds who don't know who Leonardo da Vinci is.  It's pretty sad.

[Truthordeal]

Thank you. I've been backpacking since August. Tonight I am leaving South Carolina.

Fare thee well, noble nomad.

[Thought]

And ronically enough... that's where I am! Houston, that is.

There is excellent pie to be had in Houston, if I recall correctly, but alas I cannot recall the name of the place...

[Syna]

House of Pies is awesome! (Well, it is, even if that's not the place you're thinking of.)

[tushantin]

They shut down the cafes again. Many of my friends are out of jobs, trying to seek out new ones that could pay just as much, and my boss might go bankrupt. The reason for the ban? They fear terrorists might use these networks to send messages to suspicious folks. Oh, dear government, don't you realize you get free wifi access when you buy coffee from any hotel/coffee houses who don't ask for identity proof? There are other ways to get connected to the net, cheap or not, and the ban is mainly because the cops are too lazy to monitor customers and their legit IDs, but hey, the government is actually doing something!

The results? Many small scale company workers (read: employees) who depend on the cafes to get their job done, get prints and scans, have now happily gone in losses. Sacrifice for thy nation! Many school kids, which are burdened by assignments and forced to find their info on their own, especially those who can't afford net or printers at home, are actually failing/being suspended (I saw a couple of them crying because of it). Patriotism!

 

I still wonder why I care. All I need now is to just finish this portfolio/novel and I'm in business, so no problems for me. And I still wonder why I care.

[Sajainta]

I still have not found a job.  I've applied to pretty much every place I can think of in this area, but no fruition.  Absolutely nothing.  Not that I am surprised by that, but my student loan bill due in 22 days is for $70, which I don't have.  Not even close.  I only have $29.  There is no way I am going to be able to find a job, get a paycheck, and be able to have enough money by the 28th.  I am so scared that I am going to go into debt, that I will have to leave the apartment because I cannot help with electricity or food, and there is only so much D can help me with, since he is the only one paying rent and he is the only one who can afford to buy food.  And then there are the medications I have to take every day both for my mental health and my physical health, which cost so much since I do not have good insurance.  And the hospital bills that I still have not been able to pay off.

I am really, really frightened.  I cannot afford my meds, and if I do not take them I will become very ill and will end up in the hospital.  And I cannot, cannot afford to go to the hospital again.

Is it a horrible thing to say that I am glad it is my birthday soon so that maybe people will send me money instead of gifts?  I'd rather it be for my birthday than asking for any kind of handout.  At least that is a better excuse to give someone money...right?

I feel so shitty for saying that.

[FaustWolf]

Birthdays are what keep some of us alive in this economy. It's really come down to that.

Something online, that pays, with lots of turnover (and thus hopefully openings), is Tutor.com, if you'd be up for something like that Sajainta. Former tutors seem to have had their fair share of complaints about the outfit, and I'm not sure what funky system requirements it might have (there's some "virtual blackboard" thing that sounds kinda psychadelic to me). I'm keeping an eye on it myself as a stopgap measure in case I can't find anything in my field once I graduate. Best suggestion I can come up with at the moment at any rate; I'm all ears if anyone has more tips.

[tushantin]

Hey, Saj!

Unfortunately, I don't really know how we could help you out. Just don't feel bad about your birthday. It's a necessity, and one couldn't think ill of you for thinking that way. Hell, being a friend isn't about giving gifts at birthdays. Being a friend is actually about making your best friend happy at birthdays, giving them the best birthday they've ever had!

I don't think this could solve your problems, but I just hope this helps out a little if not at all.
http://www.redbubble.com/  <---- These guys actively seek simple artists with ideas to make T-Shirts and merchandise. You don't have to be skilled, just stylish and creative. 

I just hope that this year you have a great Birthday. Nobody deserves to be saddened at their birthday.