The Venting Thread

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

EPW, you gotta do what you gotta do. I don't engage with at least one cousin who tried to convince me that Mr. T is the paragon of virtue, unlike his Dem counterparts. This was just before Nov 2016. I was dying to ask "Now how many wives has he had?", but bit my tongue and quickly changed the topic. Cousin thinks that divorce = immorality. I learned a long time ago to disengage, and excuse myself if the conversation veers into dangerous territory.

Do not engage! Stay strong! Gasp mid-sentence and come up with any excuse to end the conversation. You're having a sneezing fit. A skunk just got in through the cat or dog door. There's a deer on your property eating your newly planted vegetables.

Thanks L_D.

Yes, I lied. My soul will probably burn in Hell considering the number of times I've had to lie to this person, but it sure beats feeling the way I feel after talking to her (she has lots of Narcissistic traits, etc. and she sees me as the 'fuel.') SO said it's like we had our hit points reduced to 4 from her psychic blast/energy drain. Yes, we are giant D&D nerds. :)

[clean]

We had a job candidate fly in today.  (Yes on Mother's Day!).  Only Thursday did I realize that we would be taking the candidate to dinner on Mother's Day!  I tried to make reservations at a few places. Some were already sold out, others didnt make reservations.  I did make one though.  I had to confirm it twice since then.

THEN, just 90 minutes before the appointed hour, I got a text that the restaurant had cancelled the reservation!  I called and they said that even though I was able to MAKE the reservation online, that they do not take reservations on Mother's Day or other holidays! 

I am very tempted to post a nasty Yelp Review (if my bride can show me how to do it!). 

We ended up at a Dennys!  NOT what we planned to do!

[apl68]

That was some most unfortunate timing.

[marshwiggle]

We had a job candidate fly in today.  (Yes on Mother's Day!).  Only Thursday did I realize that we would be taking the candidate to dinner on Mother's Day! 

Who planned this schedule so that:

• the candidate would have to be entertained on a Sunday;
• the Sunday in question was actually a holiday?

Seems like really poor planning by someone.

[EdnaMode]

The promotion and tenure list was just sent out to the entire school. I'm on the P&T committee. There was one person the committee unanimously rejected for promotion. This person was promoted. How? How the &*^% did that happen? Did ANYONE up the chain of command read the letter we wrote that explained in detail the reasons for not promoting this person? We did not take this decision lightly, which is why we explained it in excruciating detail. This person did NOT deserve to be promoted by any stretch of the imagination, they did not meet basic requirements in two of the three categories for evaluation. How did this happen? Oh, because they threatened to sue if they weren't promoted because they are a [category] and have felt persecuted for the past five years. I have officially lost faith in the process that promoted me. 

[clean]

Who planned this schedule so that:
the candidate would have to be entertained on a Sunday;
the Sunday in question was actually a holiday?

Seems like really poor planning by someone.

First,
Mother's Day is not a holiday.
Second, the Dean's schedule dictates when we can bring people in for an interview. 
third, after the Dean's Schedule, HR takes its own sweet time to approve things before we can even begin to think about arrangements! 

[marshwiggle]

Who planned this schedule so that:
the candidate would have to be entertained on a Sunday;
the Sunday in question was actually a holiday?

Seems like really poor planning by someone.

First,
Mother's Day is not a holiday.

As far as I know, Mardi Gras isn't a *statutory holiday in lots of places, but planning events on that day would be a bad idea. (Depending on the event and location, Valentine's Day, Hallowe'en, St. Patrick's Day, and Remembrance Day ("Veteran's Day" in the U.S.) would also cause issues.  December 24th isn't a holiday, but most people would seriously avoid planning events on it. There are probably local celebrations as well.)


*Just because people don't get the day off work doesn't mean it doesn't seriously affect peoples' habits like socializing, dining, etc.

[dismalist]

...

I have officially lost faith in the process that promoted me.

We can't prevent all good things from happening! :-)

[onehappyunicorn]

It's the last day of classes today and all grades are due by noon tomorrow. It's insane, I know, but the majority of our students transfer to a four-year and they need their transcripts. Plus all 9 month full-time faculty are off contract after tomorrow. Missing grades and attendance reports start going out at 8am tomorrow so everyone is trying to get grades in now.
The issue is our system, which we are all required to enter final grades into, slows down to a just-short-of-being-completely-unusable state every semester at this time. Normally I have my classes completed by mid afternoon but I have a night class this semester and I am trying to give my students as much time as possible to turn in projects.
It took from 4:31pm to 5:12pm to enter three grades...

[mythbuster]

Oh yes unicorn- I know all about the end of semester computer system failure. Here, having Canvas crap out on us during the last week of class is such a regular occurrence that even the STUDENTS make jokes about it!

[clean]

As far as I know, Mardi Gras isn't a *statutory holiday in lots of places, but planning events on that day would be a bad idea. (Depending on the event and location, Valentine's Day, Hallowe'en, St. Patrick's Day, and Remembrance Day ("Veteran's Day" in the U.S.) would also cause issues.  December 24th isn't a holiday, but most people would seriously avoid planning events on it. There are probably local celebrations as well.)


*Just because people don't get the day off work doesn't mean it doesn't seriously affect peoples' habits like socializing, dining, etc.

BUT KNOWING it is a busy restaurant day, and making sure to MAKE a reservation several days in advance, and then to have it cancelled 80 minutes before the arrival time.  Why is the committee to blame for that?  Why is that poor planning on the committee's part? 
Wouldnt the RESTAURANT be the one to KNOW the holidays that are too busy to accept reservations EARLIER than 80 minutes before arrival time? 
AFter all, they required that I confirm by email on Friday AND by Text on Saturday! 
IF they were not going to accept reservations, then WHY did THEY allow them to be made?  And once made, why not honor them? 

The Blame the Committee crap is misplaced! 
I assure you that IF we had the choice to avoid bringing candidates in on Sunday and eating up OUR time to pick them up and entertain them on an Exam Weekend, we would not have picked that !  however, the constraints were imposed by the administration!  The committee had to make the best Within those constraints!!

[marshwiggle]

As far as I know, Mardi Gras isn't a *statutory holiday in lots of places, but planning events on that day would be a bad idea. (Depending on the event and location, Valentine's Day, Hallowe'en, St. Patrick's Day, and Remembrance Day ("Veteran's Day" in the U.S.) would also cause issues.  December 24th isn't a holiday, but most people would seriously avoid planning events on it. There are probably local celebrations as well.)


*Just because people don't get the day off work doesn't mean it doesn't seriously affect peoples' habits like socializing, dining, etc.

BUT KNOWING it is a busy restaurant day, and making sure to MAKE a reservation several days in advance, and then to have it cancelled 80 minutes before the arrival time.  Why is the committee to blame for that?  Why is that poor planning on the committee's part? 
Wouldnt the RESTAURANT be the one to KNOW the holidays that are too busy to accept reservations EARLIER than 80 minutes before arrival time? 
AFter all, they required that I confirm by email on Friday AND by Text on Saturday! 
IF they were not going to accept reservations, then WHY did THEY allow them to be made?  And once made, why not honor them? 

The Blame the Committee crap is misplaced! 
I assure you that IF we had the choice to avoid bringing candidates in on Sunday and eating up OUR time to pick them up and entertain them on an Exam Weekend, we would not have picked that ! however, the constraints were imposed by the administration!  The committee had to make the best Within those constraints!!

That's what I figured. It's not the committee's fault and I sympathize. The administrators who were responsible should have been responsible for the weekend's activities as well.

[clean]

To the restaurant that allowed reservations, only to cancel them 80 minutes before arrival, and anyone that thinks that the restaurant is right, I leave these links

https://www.google.com/search?q=i+fart+in+your+general+direction+gif&client=firefox-b-1-d&sxsrf=ALiCzsYz3duv_PNSf6At_UmtiEl53yueUw:1652152617395&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&vet=1&fir=xwxOJu8PO0xcaM%252Cwyyan0p9I6UxaM%252C_%253B7RNOyoWLSJhvyM%252CWhPVOzlBE8CkqM%252C_%253Bntw5IcQ2QpYgXM%252CWhPVOzlBE8CkqM%252C_%253B4ejuRHvhWnovNM%252C9v9Zh3TAFpbMLM%252C_%253BqAciPLp3k4yiwM%252CWhPVOzlBE8CkqM%252C_%253BKUfusc1_FJ8fFM%252C5A_fTNr0KNzIaM%252C_%253B7lfrsuE8q8ROHM%252CXoWwHYlznFD6uM%252C_%253BNfXOVENAl8suKM%252CsU0f2flsqOv-EM%252C_%253BbMNuqM3MjLdCEM%252Co4f_KU08ZPd0ZM%252C_%253BQ_7_mVlGj1BrcM%252CWhPVOzlBE8CkqM%252C_%253BVMnUh9pbkYvKnM%252CsSzbR5H5hFB-wM%252C_%253BG_mWRNSJWP4AyM%252CWhPVOzlBE8CkqM%252C_%253BAEYPzHmVJ8hQ1M%252CJ0ag0FtmI1v-qM%252C_%253BgSMdMEUaOWbhbM%252CRjG7w4lU59ySeM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kQMZmWsMGDNPMGUPOBELCVwm2q1RA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiNnv-O_NP3AhUvkGoFHT3TAHQQ9QF6BAgEEAE#imgrc=gSMdMEUaOWbhbM&imgdii=D7qqh8g8Cn9mfM

[downer]

Is it now no longer possible to add someone to your WhatsApp contacts via a phone number?  I only see the option of sending a QR code to someone.

[AmLitHist]

Yes, I lied. My soul will probably burn in Hell considering the number of times I've had to lie to this person, but it sure beats feeling the way I feel after talking to her

Look me up when you get there, EPW.  I've done this so many times for so long, I should have a great seat on the bus going there.  And as to the physical labor:  you've just learned the secret to why my yard and garden always look so nice every year.  I am not joking.