New And Improved Rant Thread, now with 50% more profanity!

[S.Vashti]

Thanks, Janet, I'll pass that onto my mom.

eta: spit. yoikes.

[SharonDee]

Ha! Yoikes. Hey, Scoob!

Ooh, sorry. I'm supposed to use swears. Um. Collywobbles!

[ImGod]

We just weeded out part of our extensive private children's library and ended up with 3 copy paper boxes of misc books. Then we added the complete series of Saddle Club books (like 100 gillon on 2 shelves) that my mom found on a garage sale and picked up for the kids. Girly books for tweeners.

We donated the lot to a local library in a town of 1200 people. They don't have much money for books and are lucky to even have a library at all.

[Janet]

This probably doesn't deserve a rant, but it's either put it here or resurrect the minor annoyances thread. I was moving some stuff in my basement a while back and got cobwebs on the bottom of my pants, so I tossed them in the wash. I just wore them for the first time since I cleaned them and what do I see when I look down halfway through my workday? on the bottom of my pantleg. Grrrrrr. I suppose at least they are clean cobwebs.

Bollocks!

[S.Vashti]

Why the hell do swivel casters offset the wheel of the caster from the center axis of attachment? It's like "buy me, I'm built of fail!"

Criminy.

[ceptimus]

Casters wouldn't caster (point in the direction of travel) if the wheel axle and castor axis intersected. You must mean some offset along the direction of the axis of the wheel - which I agree is unnecessary and stupid.

[Janet]

Today is our big annual storyteller's festival at the library. We used to have it outside in a tent and it was easy to ignore. We can't afford that now, so I have to sit here and listen to storytellers all damn day. I also have to deal with the Children's librarians, who believe the world should revolve around them at the best of time, getting to wallow in the one weekend a year when Admin agrees with them.

For the record, I have no interest in storytelling whatsoever and will probably actively hate it by the end of the day. I can't bitch about this on social media, though, because the children's librarians will read it and go off on one. It's bad enough listening to storytellers without listening to them bitch about why I shouldn't mind.

[specious_reasons]

Fucking microsoft update.

I went to bed last night with 1/2 a directory of processing pictures to go, and windows update forced a reboot on my system. Not only did I lose that work, but now my PC won't boot properly. Assholes.

[Stormlight]

Yeah, I have Windows set up so that it informs me of updates but doesn't start the update process automatically. I hate auto-update.

[ceptimus]

[specious_reasons]

Originally Posted by Stormlight

Yeah, I have Windows set up so that it informs me of updates but doesn't start the update process automatically. I hate auto-update.

Somehow I got my PC back - how I'll never exactly know. I changed the updating to be manually applied and made a restore point.

Best I can figure, Windows thought that restarting for this update was so important that it didn't need to wait for the programs desperately wanting a response before closing.

I didn't lose as much as I could have, since the RAW converter saved all the conversion settings I had already made.

All of the really bad photos have been deleted. Now only about 1000 more pictures to process, then I have to pick the ones worth sharing...

Damn, that's a lot of pictures.

[vremya]

Fuck fuck fuck.

I work for a crazy man and I got an email today from his wife that said it's difficult to keep paying me. But that the work I do is important and that just stopping would be very harmful to the crazy guy.

WHAT?!?

So are you saying you want me to continue working for the crazy guy but not get paid for it? I don't think so. Not in a million years.

I need a new job. Preferably not with a crazy guy who thinks the world revolves around him. The money was the only thing keeping me there, and it looks like that's going to stop very soon.

[Anastasia Beaverhausen]

WTF, v?

Chris Hemsworth is apparently at a bar a couple train stops down from me. But I (1) am injured and move slowly; (2) have been sneezy/drippy nose-y for the past 3 days.

[Demimonde]

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

So we have been working on getting a studio space separate from the house, hopefully as a launching pad towards forming an artists' collective. We have a friend who has an awesome space, two blocks from the house which is about 2,000 square feet that he has been squatting in for three years and NEVER USED. Seriously, he hasn't produced a single work of art in that space and has mostly used it as storage. I like to call him the West Texas Prince because he has crazy money and privilege and doesn't really have much of a grip on what reality is like for other people. He had approached US about going in with him many times over the years, but we declined because we didn't have the resources. I think he mostly wanted us for inspiration so he might, I dunno make some art? We had finally had the resources to put into it and agreed, along with another couple of artists, to share the space. I had reservations because of his personality but we knew that even if WTP never participated or gave up or bailed we could swing the rent and utilities on our own. So after about a month of discussion and laying the ground work for what we were all comfortable with we reached an agreement, got the keys made, and started moving our stuff in.

NOT THREE DAYS LATER he goes to the landlord and cancels his lease, saying he wanted to move into another smaller space that came available, without telling any of us or even mentioning us to the landlord. FUCKING A. He waited another few days to even mention it TO US by which time the landlord had another group approach him for the larger space, which we could have paid for easily on our own. So the space is gone.

When we talked to him, he said the smaller space was available and we should get it, MEANTIME HE IS GETTING IT ON HIS OWN. FUCKING LIAR. The worst part? This guy doesn't even NEED the space. He has his own studio at home, has never and will never get shit done in the space because he is too ADD to change a light bulb, and I KNOW most of this has to do with the fact he is a hoarder and it will be easier to move his storage shit he doesn't need next door rather than get rid of it or I dunno, rent a fucking storage locker. It is a goddamned waste and a real shame.

NOW he has the unmitigated gall to offer Contra to go into it with him, not on the lease mind you, the same arrangement as before. Just Contra. Not our friends who HE HAD MADE A COMMITMENT TO AND GIVEN HIS WORD TO. Which is what I think this is really about. He has anxiety and terminal flakey disease and I think he got all freaked about sharing a space THAT HE NEVER USES and so wanted to boot everyone else out. But he is non confrontational so he did it in this weaselly way. At first we were part of the booting, but I am betting he is realizing what an ass he was and now wants to try and make it up. How he expects C to actually trust his word for longer than five minutes I have no fucking idea, let alone expect C - a man of his word as well as conscience - to give friends and peers the fucking shaft over petty fucking bullshit like this. Dude fucking LIED to us, went behind our backs, politicked and manipulated things to screw us out of even the possibility of getting a space, and now wants our trust and deigns to offer us a corner of his storage closet with no say in what goes on. Fucking unbelievable. Power tripping, fucking patronizing flake.

So now we have to start from scratch to try and find a new space for us and for our friends who are NOT fucking flakes. I know there isn't a space nearly as close to us that is even available. Definitely not walking distance. This place was perfect for the budget and I haven't a clue how to go about finding industrial spaces that won't be a gajillion dollars on our own, and I am not feeling very trusting right now in terms of committing to something more expensive even with a contract.

Our dream and creative aspiration was fucking shot in the head by a flakey privileged jerk- who I counted as a fucking FRIEND- and now the big studio will be full of Lutherans and the small space will be a locked up junk yard and a creative graveyard lorded over by a miserly jackdaw.

Meanwhile, for our aspirations and creative needs, no room at the fucking inn. The world is a shitty, unjust place sometimes. What makes it worse is when someone you considered a friend actively makes it shittier for you, offers you scraps and expects you to be impressed by it.

[Demimonde]

A lesson in mutual benefit:

You know what? The world would be a better place if people could collaborate and work together for mutual interest instead of self interest. But when faced with an individual who cannot or will not play nice, I have no qualms about giving as good as I get. We all decided to go full capitalist on his ass and called the landlord to make a counter offer.

Talked to the landlord. He was planning on raising the rent for the smaller space AND the bigger space. The Prince had promised to improve the property three years ago so that is why the rent was so cheap, but he never fulfilled that obligation. Did not make the landlord happy to say the least. I am now starting to wonder if the Prince even had a choice in moving out and is lying to save face. The deal with the Lutherans is less than certain apparently and the landlord is still showing the larger space to interested parties. Offered to show it to us. So the Prince lied to us about that too. The landlord wants the space used. People using the space makes the property more attractive and also decreases break-ins and broken windows, which have been happening since it has been sitting there full of unattended stuff.

The landlord told us he is going to offer the Prince the small space for double what he was paying for the big one. Prince should love that. For us though, who have a partner in good professional standing with the landlord and positive rental history with him on another property, he offering it to us for a substantial discount. For our purposes, and without the clutter contribution of the Prince's unused junk, the smaller space will be more than sufficient and cheaper to boot.

Here is the sticky wicket Contra just realized. Prince will hit the roof over the higher rent, but then will most likely think on it and approach Contra to share the lease with him. We will turn him down and take the space with the others at the lower price. A vendetta will be born, knowing this guy. He has a persecution complex, which I always attributed to him being paranoid, but now I realize it is more of a projection on how he thinks and behaves placed on others. He has some pull in the local art scene (more on the collector side than the creator side, if you know what I mean) so that isn't good. But he also has a reputation for burning bridges and being impossible to work with so his word on stuff like this isn't taken too terribly seriously.

The real tragedy is that, had he just talked to us about his issues with the lease, kept to his word and been willing to work with us as equals instead of trying to power trip and be a self interested controlling douche, we all could have chipped in for a higher rent (which would prolly have been less than if the landlord had a bidding war going on), all had more space and higher ceilings and worked quite happily together. Instead bad blood is being born and someone will lose. All things considered I am going to do my damnedest to make sure that isn't us. At least the guy showed his colors before we were in too deep and we can be stronger without him.

[Ymir's blood]

It's not likely that Watser? is going to be needing my shed, so that's an option. The current tennants are cats though and it smells strongly of their wastes. (fixer upper)

[Crumb]

I hope everything works out.

[Angakuk]

Originally Posted by Demimonde

and now the big studio will be full of Lutherans

Every dark cloud does have a silver lining.

[Angakuk]

Originally Posted by Demimonde

The deal with the Lutherans is less than certain

[Ymir's blood]

If Demi does get the space, she'll keep finding theses nailed to the door.

[Janet]

Will there be ink stains on the wall where the Lutherans threw ink at the devil?

[Qingdai]

Jeebis Demi, that guy's first name isn't Noah by any chance, is it? Not that there aren't plenty of the type around.

[vremya]

Crazy guy has apparently totally flipped out and gone into hiding. I got two ranting, cryptic, mispelled, and almost unintelligible emails and then nothing.

I feel bad for his wife, who is trying to handle this the best she can, and even though I'm really pissed at him, I don't want him to come to any harm, I just want him in a hospital where he can get some meds.

[LadyShea]

I love you, but godammit I have been your daughter for 42 years and you still don't know that the very worst thing you can ever do to me is make me listen to complaining and guilt trips from people who refuse to do anything at all to fix the situation? Also, after all this time do you not know that coming to me with a problem you want handled with ZERO INFORMATION TO GO ON is going to get you hollered at?? Really Dad?

I am not a mean daughter, I just don't have the time or energy to deal with the family drama or family idiots or try to follow insane information trails that invariably lead right up someone's asshole.

Swear words: Grandma! Grapevine! Ignorant!

[Demimonde]

I have no beef with Lutherans. Actually, if they do take the space it will be really good for the landlord. The studio is across the street from the Montessori school and they want to use it for an after school program, which is also great for the community.

But in its current condition, this is one of the few industrial spaces that is good for artists and not much else. The church will have to make huge improvements to the space to have kids in there. Serious climate control, ADA accessibility, total redo of the bathroom, a million safety issues for little ones, not to mention fixing lead paint and asbestos issues. Great for the landlord, but not so great for local artists that could use it in its current state. It contributes to the no-room-at-the-inn issue and increases comps for the area.

Anyway, since we are thinking the smaller space would be a good fit for us, I have no issues with having them as neighbors so long as the traffic isn't too bad and the noise is kept to a dull roar. Of the artists involved with our group, two are teachers and they want to have a creative workspace that is away from the kid chaos they have to deal with during their professional day. If it is bad, I might nail theses on their door. Still, I am not sure if the church is going to be willing to invest the amount of money it will take to get the space up to code for their purposes so it isn't really worth worrying about now.

Not a Noah, Q, but yeah there is certainly more than enough of the type to go around.