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[Jimmy the Squid]

Also the colour of dark hair is reflected onto the surrounding skin and other hairs, making your skin appear darker. Hair also lessens the effect of UV rays so you're likely to be paler than you think you are.


Blog:

I had my masters interview on Tuesday. It did not go well. Guess I'm going to start saving money and getting in shape for my next tattoo. Not looking forward to shaving my thighs, pubes, stomach and chest but there you are.

[GarandMarine]

Yes new Ink for GM! I shaved with an electric razor this morning, and I'll be shaving with my actual razor tonight

Didn't just just get that job Linds? Or am I thinking of someone else?

[pwhodges]

I had my masters interview on Tuesday. It did not go well.

Sorry to hear that.  Do you have any remaining applications still in hand?

[nekowafer]

GM: exfoliate before you shave! It will make your skin SO much happier.

[GarandMarine]

Do what now?

[pwhodges]

Last Friday, my users' computers didn't get DHCP.  I couldn't find a reason (though I fiddled with IPv6 and rebooted a few things), but it came back mid-morning.

Last Monday, after installing a new printer, my print server stopped communicating with any printer.  Again, I fiddled with IPv6 and rebooted a few things, and a bit after midnight (yes, I'm that dedicated), it started working again.

This morning, no DHCP - but only after some people had already connected.  Also no connection from the print server.  Didn't resolve on its own, even with - you guessed it...


Turned out to be a faulty 10Gbps fibre module in the connection from the core switch stack in the server room to the switch stack in the hub room that serves my users (and pretty much no one else).  Fell back to the spare 1Gbps link, and everything sprang back to life.  It seems that this is another item to add to the £10k-worth of hardware damaged by the routine testing of a UPS a couple of weeks ago.  The hardware concerned is run by a service department for the building, and is not mine.

The symptoms were very strange, like some machines being able to ping each other in one direction but not the other, and DHCP failing but everything else working.  And intermittent, of course.

But I feel well justified as it turns out that none of my equipment or its management was at fault.

[Lines]

Didn't just just get that job Linds? Or am I thinking of someone else?

I started this job back at the end of January, beginning of February. I loved it until my previous co-teacher was fired for BS reasons, then I was ok to apathetic about it until the beginning of November, and then it started to make me completely miserable. A couple of my coworkers feel the same way and people who are good teachers keep getting dicked over and/or fired for no reason while shitty teachers are being kept around. I've given up. What's really getting to me is that I love all of the children and their parents and I'll be heartbroken to leave them, but I just can't take it anymore. But I can't afford to leave, because of loan repayments, so I'm stuck until I find a new job.

[Barmymoo]

I'm sorry Linds, that sucks. I really hope you can find something awesome quickly!

[Jimmy the Squid]

I had my masters interview on Tuesday. It did not go well.

Sorry to hear that.  Do you have any remaining applications still in hand?

I have about six universities that haven't replied to me yet. I'm trying to stay positive but I'm reasonably sure they've all finished their interviews already. On the other hand, I also thought that when I got the interview I had last week so I could still get something.

[The Seldom Killer]

I've just been offered a job that I went for with the Council.

About 6 weeks ago I left a nice stable job because the commute was too long and eating into my non-work life. I had lined up a new job to go into straight away, albeit through an agency and it looked pretty good. However, after a week I got a call on Sunday evening asking me not to go in on Monday. It's pretty rare that an agency will do that and no reason was offered to them or me as to why the position was ended so swiftly.

After three days I managed to get another job through another agency but that lasted two weeks and ended abruptly as they had hired an apprentice to replace me. That was a queue for a very miserable week of job hunting until the agency called me back and said that they really wanted me to return. Whilst I was very tempted to tell them to jog on for dicking me about, Christmas is coming and I need their money before I need my dignity.

It's a shitty job doing data checking. I'd offer all of my information analysis, process improvement, quality management and other skills but it would be worthless. The tech that they're using in this place is ancient and barely able to cope with what they are doing. The staff have very poor IT literacy skills and they management seem to persist in keeping things just out of going under. For a company with a massive turnover and decent profit margin, it seems mind-boggling that they would allow the backbone of the company to be so weak.

I'll be glad to get the hell out of there. However, over the past six weeks I've been able to think about what I really want to do and working in an office ad infinitum is not it. So while I'm really happy to be taking this Council job, it's not going to be a long term strategy. I'm going to be spending some time in engineering to doing something more rewarding and productive, hopefully involving food.

[Patrick]

Camille's been super distant for over a week and it's been worrying me. I've found a number of possible solutions to the whole situation that let us both continue pursuing the dreams that make us who we are, and I've relayed them to her, and she still just doesn't want to talk about anything. Anything. It worries me when a woman doesn't want to talk (science says they're the more prolific talkers!) and especially when it's the girl who's won my heart.

I should probably save this for the relationship thread or the drunk thread, but at this point it feels like she's given up on us. Given up on me, too. And if that's what turns out to be the case, I can't go on like this. It makes me heartsick just thinking about it. But I can't take much more of this silent treatment.

[Thrillho]

After a certain point, Pat, you shouldn't have to put up with the silent treatment. It's unfair for her to just leave you hanging.

[Barmymoo]

Is it possible that she's feeling overwhelmed with the pressure of having to make decisions about her future, and because she's struggling to cope with that, she is (probably unconsciously) sabotaging the relationship in order to have one thing fewer to try and juggle?

That sort of situation is very hard, but I think all that you can do is resolve to continue to be there, to try and remember that it's almost certainly not about you but about general stress. It's very difficult to not react to the unfairness of being made the brunt of problems which you didn't cause, but I think it is possible to be the girder which stops the relationship buckling under the strain of the other problems.

She knows that you want to be with her, she knows you would like to talk about things, and she has heard your suggestions. Now, all you can do is leave the ball in her court and try to act as if everything is fine and she's just busy.

All this advice is based on the assumption that you want to preserve the relationship; of course it wouldn't be wrong of you to decide that it isn't worth the effort, but I don't get the impression that you do feel that way at the moment.

[Loki]

So, uh, there is a ladybug in my room, which likely got in here during autumn (I'd told about it here). I suppose since I started heating, it decided it's spring.

What do I do with it? Pretty sure it'd die outside at 5° C / 40 F.

[snalin]

Make a little nest for it!

[GarandMarine]

Get a mason jar, some mesh, some twigs and veggies and give it a little place to live till summer?

On another note history time!


Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with the government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleagues delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

Full Documentary on the strike at Pearl Harbor:

[Barmymoo]

Today I spent the morning getting covered in flour, lunchtime getting covered in glitter, and the afternoon getting covered in bike oil. I am now about to go out to spend the evening with an attractive woman! Hmm. Perhaps I should have considered this sequence of events a little better.

However, it has been a productive day thus far: I did the weekly accounts and other than the inevitable £10-20 discrepancy which arises every week in a shop staffed by 24 different people throughout the week, they all squared off neatly and made sense. Then I made a Christmas wreath which I think I'll give to my friend, since she has a more suitable front door to hang it on. I had a very intensive and useful bike maintenance class, and now I know how to make my bike less miserable. Basically I have been Learning Things. Off to the kitchen to try out a new recipe! (The kitchen is about six paces away from "the office" which is also the dining room and is three paces from the bedroom which is also the living room).

[Patrick]

May, between your advice and Gaz's, I'm going to give it about a week to two weeks from today. If she won't see fit to restart a dialogue by then, I'm going to call her and break up with her. A relationship with no meaningful communication isn't a relationship at all.

[Thrillho]

Precisely.

It can be tough, but sometimes you have to retreat so you don't get hurt any more.

[jwhouk]

An update - and the reason why I didn't post much yesterday:

After some discussions with my people from State Farm, it did not appear that my car's damage would be all that bad. Maybe some bump-outs of dents in the fender; a new bumper cover because of a crack that had developed in the old one; replace the side-view mirror; some painting and such to get everything to look good.

So I'm thinking, "Gotta run wife to an appointment, then get some gas while I'm out." Simple, right?

Nope.

I'm driving west on Main Street - our busiest highway - on the east side of town, close to the freeway. I'm toodling along, heading through this busy intersection. This intersection is busy because it has traffic lights, turn lanes, and leads to the city's only McDonalds and a shopping center with a Wal-Mart.

A 19-year-old kid in a Saturn sedan speeds through the intersection, making a left turn to the north on this busy route. (For those of you in RHD countries like the UK, left turns cross traffic.) He apparently didn't see me, because he drove right through and nailed me right in the left front corner of my car.

• Front bumper cover torn off, along with the grill.
• Damage to the hood, and it's slightly bent on the left side.
• Front fender is now partially crunched from impact.
• Left headlight is shattered - but the headlight still works (but not safely enough to drive at night).
• Fender was pushed back on the frame enough that my driver's side door no longer opens.

Add to all this that it was sub-zero weather - which isn't common for us here in early December (it's more for January-February), and I'm already shaken and frustrated because of the deer's damage. There was still a piece of the air scoop, under the bumper, that diverts air into the engine compartment; I had to use an old cargo net from the back to tie it to the mounting for the bumper, to keep it from scraping the road as I drove. The police officer found my license plate back at the intersection - and cited the kid for Failure to Yield.

I'm scared that the car might be totaled, since it has 91k miles and is 10 years old. It is a Buick, though, and it's not difficult to find spare parts for those, especially around here.

EDIT: Didn't complete my thought:
I'm almost afraid of driving it over to the body shop, because I figure I'm gonna get hit again.

[The Seldom Killer]

Failure to Yield?

This is something that really gets me about driving. In just about any other breach of the law there seems to be a push for the more severe classification to apply. Break the law in a car and some kind of inverse rule apply where the person should only suffer the least possible consequences.

A couple of weeks ago I witness a woman getting knocked off her bike. Fortunately it was just bumps and scrapes although because there was a head impact I called up an ambulance. I got a call on Thursday from the police asking for a brief statement as they were dealing with the driver. I was genuinely shocked, usually any accident were a cyclist or a pedestrian gets to walk away without injuries requiring hospital treatment are referred to as an "insurance matter".

I find it really hard to understand why people moving a 1/2 ton+ around aren't held a bit more accountable for their actions.  Although reported road deaths are at their lowest since records began, this almost entirely down to the development of safety features in cars and better road design and very little to do with driver behaviour since drink driving became socially taboo.

[Patrick]

I decided to update my situation with Camel in the correct thread, sorry for the hijack. I would also like to let you all know that I think you're all incredible. And, related: Tonight feels like one of those nights where I should take inventory of all the great people and things in my life, and you all qualify. I seriously don't know what I'd do without this community.

On a less melodramatic note, last night my bandmate Matt invited me to his house so we could drink beers with a mutual friend and hockey fan and figure out how to work his new copy of NHL '14. Seriously, never had a better "fuck everything" night, ever. Crashed there, and all day today involved playing more video game hockey and a very brief band practice that led to the whole band just kickin it and being super lazy and not giving a fuck.

All things considered, I've had a fantastic weekend.

[The Seldom Killer]

Just had to take my cat Lenny to be put to sleep. He'd been unwell for a couple of weeks and surgery to remove a suspected lymphoma hadn't improved matters any.

The world is a bit shittier today.

[BeoPuppy]

Sorry for your loss. Feel better soon.

[Jimmy the Squid]

Didn't get in to university.

[pwhodges]

Bad luck!  What do you plan to do now?  Or is it just carry on as things are (for now)?

[Akima]

I'm sorry to hear that, Jimmy. But, on the bright side, at least you won't have to move to Queensland.

[jwhouk]

Car in shop. Hopefully Flo and her Progressive friends will pay for full repairs (except for the mirror, which will now be pretty much out of my own pocket due to the deductible).

[Welu]

Man, we're all having a big downer in the last while of this thread. Hugs for everybody!

Related: I went into work to ask for a an undefined amount of time off. Deep into a burn out with everything right now and the only thing I could put down for a while was work. Fortunately my boss made it really easy and just told me I'd be treated like anyone other worker in university (which really should have been happening already) so my job is thankfully waiting for me and to come back when I'm ready.

[Grognard]

I spent Saturday driving JROTC cadets to/from Norfolk, VA for a funeral/memorial service.
One of their instructors died of cancer.  Man had serious cojones.  Fought it and stayed active with his friends and family until a week before his death. 
I think his cadets did him proud: with only a single days' notice, managed to get 20+ to the memorial, in uniform, so they could present honors.
All of them at attention, rendreing salutes, during the rifle salute and Taps and presentation of his flag to the widow.

Not a dry eye was found.

I couldn't help all of them, but I took my van load to Virginia Beach (5 miles away) to see the Christmas lights, walk the beach and have some hot chocolate.  Doing what I could to boost their morale.

Sad for all, but I'm so damn proud of these kids.

[lepetitfromage]

So, aside from the fact that I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks, I'm still here!! It's just been one crazy thing after another. And I'm also incredibly overwhelmed with my "unread replies". There are like, 20 topics to catch up on! 

I certainly hope that there are some happier things floating around in those other threads. *Hugs* to all that need them....Jeez, I've missed you all a lot.



Anyway, long story short:

Still no news about the house. Fingers still crossed.

Was swamped at work for the days coming up to Thanksgiving- we donate baskets of food to families in need around the community and the point person for that was out sick most of the week prior, so another coworker and I took it over. It was wonderful to see how grateful everyone was and it felt great to be so involved but MAN was it a lot of work!

Day of Thanksgiving was nice- went out to lunch with Nick's family and then did dinner with mine. A little more traveling than we're used to, but it was so worth it. Minimal stress, quality time and amazing food.

Day after was not so great. We found out that one of Nick's cousins passed away. 29 years old, had a 4 year old daughter. I'd only met him once (a few months ago, at a funeral of all things). From what we know, it was drug related. Unsure of whether it was accidental or on purpose. Either way.....incredibly sad. The funeral home was jam packed and it was really heartbreaking. Reminded me a lot of my friend Katie....also WAY too young. Makes you wonder if things would have turn out differently if people knew how many lives they had impacted in their short time with others.

*sigh*

Anyway..

Aside from all that I've been chugging along, started another job (at a painting party studio!!! YAY) and have been wrapping up my second (third?) job at the local community college. Today will be my last day there for the semester. It's been fun but I'm ready for it to be over. You can only sit still in the same pose for so long. On the other hand, it's been amazing seeing the students paintings come to life. Their work is beautiful. The additional good news about that being over is that I will have a few extra hours a week to eradicate the giant mess in my apartment that comes from being spread too thin. Now...if only I could find my freaking planner. I think it may have been eaten by a pile of laundry.

Christmas is taking over my life now.....lots of grand plans. About 90-95% done with my shopping. Just have to buy for the people whose gifts get shipped, so I can wait until my next paycheck because those generally get sent after the actual holiday. Thank goodness, because my bank account is suffering. Now, I get to wrap like a madwoman and then start the homemade stuff. Only doing a few ornaments this year because I still haven't fully recovered from The Great 8-Month Craft Bender of 2012/2013. However, I will be tackling the kitchen with full force. This year, I'll be taking on chocolate covered pretzels, gummy candy, fudge, mints, beeswax lip balm and by request, more of what my friends lovingly referred to last year as Christmas Crack. And of course, a few batches of cookies.

Until then, I'll be busting my butt to get our "Angel Tree" at work situated. We do it every year and this year we're pretty overwhelmed with requests. We've got about 80 kids to buy for this year and in general, we only get enough from our donations to cover about 30 of them. (PS......if anyone is feeling the holiday spirit and wants to help out, we'll gladly accept toy/hat/scarf/whatever-you're-willing-to-give donations!! PM me for my office address!)


I think that's about it. Maybe?

[Grognard]

JUST found out that the wife bought $800+ of Christmas on Paypal.
... she didn't warn me about...
Add that to the standard bills applied to my checkbook...

FCUK. I'm in the Negative Red until payday.     

yah.
probably gonna argue tonite.
!!!!! fcuk !!!!!!

[Loki]

I stayed at home today because I need some time off to think about stuff(tm).

I am missing a lecture right now, but I can easily compensate that by reading material.
What is more important that I have a meeting of a university council (with like, prorectors and important people(tm)) in an hour and am not sure I want to go.
We students have two chairs in the meeting, and we have up to six people appointed to take them. I know two of us cannot come. That means it's up to the other four of us two make sure there are two people sitting there representing students of the whole university. It will be about a topic I know next to nothing about and don't have time to educate myself until then.
I guess I will just take a shower now and then decide.

[Patrick]

apparently using the doge meme in a comment thread on Troubador's Facefuck page is such a grave sin that Matt's kicking me out of the band over it. way to kick a guy who's already down over losing his girlfriend, and doing it for a FUCKING BULLSHIT REASON. the guy said he's embarrassed of me every single time he sees something I say, and I told him that's not a real nice thing to say about a friend, and that if that's how he fucking feels about it, he should find somebody who's cool enough to be in a band with him.

[Welu]

Wow, that sucks hard. Seems like such an overreaction that I wonder if he's pissed at something and taking it out on you. Even if that is the case, that's really shitty.

[GarandMarine]

That's fucking hardcore bullshit Pat. Especially because the doge meme is awesome.

[Pilchard123]

I'd say your response should be something like

WOW
                 SUCH PETTY
     SO BAWW

...but that would probably make him more angry.


That aside, I hope things get better soon.

[GarandMarine]

I second Pilchard's suggestion.

[Loki]

Sucks Pat
So I went to the council meeting. It was quite interesting and thankfully there were two other student representatives there.

Then I hung out with friends and had a very nice evening

[ankhtahr]

Then I hung out with friends and had a very nice evening

Hang ... out... Hmm. rings a bell somewhere. I can't quite put my finger on it though. But I definitely heard of such a thing somewhere in the past.

I just returned from university. It's 06:52 am. Yay.

I don't even have any demands in the area of spare time. Sleep time would be enough to make me happier. But yeah, hanging out with friends has become absolutely impossible to me since beginning with university. Damn, I'm looking forward to christmas. I'll go home to Kiel on the 23rd. And on the 26th I'll go to Hamburg for the Congress, I'm so excited for it!

[Akima]

apparently using the doge meme in a comment thread on Troubador's Facefuck page is such a grave sin that Matt's kicking me out of the band over it.

I didn't even know what the doge meme was until I googled it (it turned out to have nothing to do with Venice), so I think that may take the prize for the pissiest reason to get pissy I've heard of. Hope you find a better slot soon, Patrick.

[Masterpiece]

Just had my first real encounter with tram rails on the way to the store. Now I know how big the angle has to be when crossing them on a bicycle. My palms hurt.

I almost crashed into a Mercedes because of that. I'm only here cause I'm lucky.

[Patrick]

Thanks for the support you guys. Sorry my band turned out to be such a letdown, I really wish y'all could've heard the new songs with me on them. They won't be the same without me (just kinda an unavoidable truth) so I don't know how good it'll be after they replace me. And that's gonna be an interesting thing, since 2 bands in town are going to be looking for bassists. Here goes nothin.

[Thrillho]

Fuck Troubador without you. Far as I'm concerned they've made one record and broken up.

[The Seldom Killer]

Just had my first real encounter with tram rails on the way to the store. Now I know how big the angle has to be when crossing them on a bicycle. My palms hurt.

I almost crashed into a Mercedes because of that. I'm only here cause I'm lucky.

Tram tracks are a bit of an art on a bicycle, especially if you run skinny road slicks. It's not so much getting an angle as shimmying your way across them, particularly if you're travelling parallel to them at speed. A little flick of the front wheel as you scoosh it over the first track and fishtail the rear, repeat on the second and roll away like a boss.

Warning: do not try this in really slick conditions or if you aren't convinced you can make it.

I'm mostly grateful I no longer live in Toronto where the tram tracks are really rough and there's lots of junctions.

[ev4n]

I'm grateful I don't live in Toronto any more for about 10000000 reasons.

[lepetitfromage]

Oh, hello impromptu, hour-long, mandatory training! Glad you've stopped by! Not like any of us had anything to do today.

[Barmymoo]

Yargh, spontaneous invitation to the city's lesbian bar by two girls I met a couple of weeks ago. I have no clothes which seem suitable for going to a bar. I made a joke of it but I genuinely don't know what one wears to a bar when one does not own any jeans (my friend's suggestion) and only has one dress which might be suitable, but is in the laundry basket.

[BeoPuppy]

... you don't own jeans? How did that happen?

[Barmymoo]

I don't wear trousers, except as part of my uniform for placements.