Small Talk: Chili's

[Pixel]

Death chicken!

[possibilities]

The chicken lives!

 

I am having the disconcerting experience of liking 2 commercials currently airing, enough that I actually look forward to seeing them. It has made me realize that the whole fast forwarding through commercials thing is really only because commercials psuck, and they could stop me from doing it by making them less irritating. Anyway, I like the Android bit with the animal friendships, and the other is the Cadillac commercial with they guy whose mom endorsed his desire to sew.

[smrou]

I don't know the Cadillac one, but that Android commercial is fantastic. The first (and I think only) time I saw it I actually rewound to watch it again. Though that was at least 80% in order to hear "Ooh-de-lally" again.

Edited March 26, 2015 by smrou

[Kalliste]

I don't know what ads we're talking about! I don't watch any tv that has ads... sometimes when we go to my boyfriends parents place the tv is on and it's strange to see what things are advertised these days.

[possibilities]

The Cadillac ad is actually part of a series. Here are the two I've seen that feature Jason Wu. They are really trying to re-brand; I don't know if it will work, but it does show that the market is changing, if this is the population they're going after!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBdpiZ9nnhc

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGhaOV0BPmA

 

ETA: for Kalliste

Edited March 26, 2015 by possibilities

[Pixel]

I like the animal friends commercial.  Jake from State Farm continues to crack me up every time I see it, even though it's about 3 years old by now.

 

So, let's see if you guys can settle an argument for me. My friend at work has an ex-girlfriend who works in the same building with us. This ex-girlfriend actively glares at my friend and when she happens to run into us, a Facebook status appears shortly after with something insulting, angry, or stating how strong she is and is glad she's Teflon and nothing bothers her. Really, her Facebooking is totally predictable to the point that we can guess what time she will post something.

 

Here's the argument. My friend says her ex hates her with a passion and would never date her again (my friend is not interested, she's just saying she believes her ex really hates her).  My take on it is that hate isn't the opposite of love, apathy is, and if the ex really never wanted to go out with her again she wouldn't be so obvious about her hate. She wouldn't get so incensed over my friend's presence, and wouldn't be posting FB statuses every time my friend so much as breathed in the same general vicinity.  My stance is I believe if my friend were to tell the ex that she was still in love with her and wanted to date her (she doesn't - again, this is just psych theory), that she would see the hate is just a defense because the woman is still in love with her.  It may also be a significant piece of information to note that this breakup happened 4 years ago, and the ex is obviously still fuming.

 

Just curious what you guys think. This is purely a philosophical question - nobody is looking to get anyone back or to hurt anyone's feelings, or to even interact with the ex.  I'm just curious if you think I'm likely to be correct in my analysis, or if you think my friend is right - that the ex wants nothing to do with her.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Pixel

[smrou]

My read, which is obviously highly suspect without knowing the people involved and exactly what their history is, is that clearly the ex isn't really over your friend--if she were she wouldn't have that emotional reaction--but that doesn't necessarily mean she'd go out with her again if given the opportunity. She obviously still has feelings regarding your friend, but they could be primarily feelings of hurt or anger. Which would not make her inclined to want to get involved with her again.

[Kalliste]

Woah.. 4 years and that is how the ex acts still? Yikes!

 

Firstly, if I were your friend, I would 'unfriend' the ex from Facebook, show them that they have no interest in what the ex is doing.

 

As smrou said, sounds like they're hurt about the break up still, depending on what actually happened as to why they broke up and could potentially want to get back together. My ex lashed out like that for about a year after.. he couldn't believe I'd break up with him and prefer to be with someone else. Like was I crazy?? And also couldn't comprehend that I wouldn't want to change myself so we could work it out.

 

Not knowing more about the situation, it sounds like after 4 years the ex needs to move on with her life and find someone who wants to be with her rather than pining away or getting angry about the person that doesn't.

[Pixel]

Interesting, Smrou. The reason I think she is still in love with my friend is because of the time that's passed.  I can tell you the breakup was not over cheating or lying or anything - my friend was not in love with her and wanted to be honest, so when the ex asked my friend to buy a house with her and move in together she said no. So I'm figuring 4 years would be enough time to move on from that. The anger in this one is disconcerting when we work only a few doors away from her and see her in our cafeteria on a regular basis.

 

Firstly, if I were your friend, I would 'unfriend' the ex from Facebook, show them that they have no interest in what the ex is doing.

 

Oh, they aren't FB friends at all. I see her stuff in my feed because we have mutual friends at work, so if someone I know comments on it I see it, even though she's not MY FB friend either!

 

Anyway, I'm just curious about other perspectives on this. I actually feel a bit sorry for the ex, because she's obviously in some sort of spiritual distress over this.

My ex lashed out like that for about a year after.. he couldn't believe I'd break up with him and prefer to be with someone else. Like was I crazy?? And also couldn't comprehend that I wouldn't want to change myself so we could work it out.

 

Yeah, a year actually seems like a reasonable amount of time to settle into the idea that you're not getting back together and to work through the anger, depending on the situation.  4 years seems excessive, to me.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Pixel

[Kalliste]

Definitely, 4 years means you've wasted 4 years thinking about someone that isn't thinking about you and not having fun experiences.

[possibilities]

I think that if you're the sort of person who acts out like that, your ability to seriously experience adult emotions like really being in love, is suspect anyway. There are people I can't stand, who hurt me or who I just don't like, and I would not enjoy running in to them, but I would not make a public scene or go broadcasting it to the world. To me, it doesn't sound like begin in love, it sounds like being a big baby. I don't really subscribe to the "apathy is the opposite of love and hate is just love in a costume" theory, though. I think it's entirely possible to have a negative emotion without it secretly being something else. I do think that apathy means you're over it, which after this much time it sounds like isn't going to happen unless she gets help to work out why it's still stuck in her craw. And if it's someone she has to see constantly at work, she really should be working on getting over it, so I have to wonder what she's getting out of the little tantrums.

Edited March 26, 2015 by possibilities

[EllieH]

On a totally different note, happy 10 years and 1 day since the premiere of The Office!  Thanks for bringing us all together, show!

[King of Birds]

I was gonna comment on Pixel's friend, but in reading the pronouns, I just don't feel like I know about those kind of relationships. I have a gay friend, and he was really thrown when not only did his BF break up with him, but moved to NYC. Talk about a message, huh?

 

The only thing I'd guess at, is that "the ex" perhaps hasn't talked it out, vented, etc. Ya gotta blow off steam or things can rise to the surface.

 

EllieH, with a Texas Rangers avatar? What fresh hell is this?

[Glory]

Maybe she (ex) never got closure. It sounds like your friend was not nearly as invested in the relationship. But four years is a long time and I can't see how you're friend could do anything to make it better beyond just ignoring and disengaging - which it sounds like she has already done.

Sticky situation.

[Pixel]

KOB, I don't think the situation is any different than it would be if it were hetero.

[King of Birds]

Kalliste: remember how a bit back, we talked about 'where Kalliste should visit in the US' and you said something about Florida, and alligators?

 

And yeah, that happens. But it's stuff like this that gives Florida its own tag.

 

Kristina Trotta, another former DEP employee who worked in Miami, said her supervisor told her not to use the terms “climate change” and “global warming” in a 2014 staff meeting. “We were told that we were not allowed to discuss anything that was not a true fact,” she said.

I know we don't get too political here (thankfully) but I sometimes just can't help it with Florida.

 

eta:  LOL of the day!

Edited March 26, 2015 by King of Birds

[Pixel]

Florida just slays me. I'd like to move back there for the weather and all, but it's so full of dumb I just can't.

[King of Birds]

A good friend of mine got the news yesterday, and she told me and some others today: her biopsies came back malignant, but haven't spread /metastasized.

 

As Michael Scott said, they're ticking time bags! 

 

BTW the killer is that she had the biops taken last Friday, had to wait til Wednesday. I told her my head would explode if I had to wait that long.

[Pixel]

Ugh. Cancer. I can't even. I'm glad they haven't metastasized, and treatments are more effective than ever, but that's still not a thing you want to hear.

[King of Birds]

We need a lighter tone.  It's time for a poll about a special day next week!

[Kalliste]

I'm not sure any of the answers suit me. I'm not really inter April Fools

[King of Birds]

You're over-thinking it.  And, you could always go for the Jawa option.

[possibilities]

Malignancies are never good, but I'm glad at least they haven't spread. Best wishes to your friend, KOB.

 

I don't like April Fools Day, or pranks in general, but I kind of feel like that's a character flaw in me, so I don't like to be too snotty about it. I kind of wanted a poll option that said something like: Spare me, please-- but have fun anyway, with people who can handle it.

 

I can't believe The Office was launched only 10 years ago. So much has happened since then.

 

I'm with everyone who has a horror of What Florida Has Become.

[smrou]

I don't like April Fools Day, or pranks in general, but I kind of feel like that's a character flaw in me, so I don't like to be too snotty about it.

If it's a character flaw then I share it. Though I guess it's not so much pranks in general. I think there are good pranks that are fun and funny for all involved. But so many pranks seem designed to make people feel stupid and I don't like that at all. When someone pulls them on a person they're close to who they know enjoys that sort of thing, fine, but as a general rule I don't really advocate making people feel stupid or laughed at.

[possibilities]

I feel weird about my anti-prank stance in an Office forum where Jim used to make pranks his mainstay. But my reaction is a lot like smrou's.

 

The LOL of the Day that KOB posted was funny. I now want to think of some cheers/taunts that meet the strictest of standards. Smacktalk is a little more acceptable to me than pranks for some reason.

[Pixel]

I hate pranks. I think they are mean spirited and sometimes even cruel.

[Kalliste]

I remember back in school, some student's from another school had listed their teachers cars for sale on april fools. The teachers weren't too impressed, we thought it was funny though :P

 

I don't mind silly things.. in workplaces it generally seems like putting silly things on peoples desks or filling an office with balloons or something. But I don't like when they're mean.

 

Right now I'm procrastinating hanging out the washing. It's too cold! 12.5C/54.5F :P It's cold for here anyway.. we got down to 2/35 overnight.. coldest for the year so far.

[Pixel]

Update: My coworker with the obese 9 year old shared today that the girl is being tested for diabetes. The coworker does not acknowledge any correlation between that and her own culpability in the situation. She just says diabetes runs in her family. Ugh.

Edited March 28, 2015 by Pixel

[King of Birds]

Kalliste, you're not even in "winter" yet! How cold does it get in Canberra? I should try to look up the GPS coordinates and figure out what North American city could be the equivalent. Of course, that would take concentration ( I had an adult beverage along with dinner that I may have spiked a bit...)

 

Yesterday's bad news - counterbalanced with today's good news. My nephew was accepted into his first choice for college. I still remember him as a 6 year old, not a 17 yr old, heading to college. Made me try to remember what my other colleges application/ acceptances were. Do you recall yours?   ~~~~[wayback machine]~~~~

[Kalliste]

We are not, another 2 months before it's winter.

 

A normal day in winter is around a top of 8C/46F - 12C/53F degrees and a low of anywhere from -6C/21F - 2C/35F. Occasionally we'll get days that the top is around 2C, usually combined with a bunch of fog, those are the days we want to die. We don't get snow here though, just frost and fog.

 

That poor kid Pixel :( some people just don't want to think what they're doing could be the problem. I used to work with a guy who blamed problems on his sleep apnea but didn't take into consideration that the underlying cause would have been his obesity. 

 

And KOB, thats cool about the college! I didn't apply for any universities, I didn't definitively know what I wanted to do and didn't want to spend thousands finding out I didn't want to do what I had chosen. I ended up going to tafe, which I think is the equivalent of a community college.. I also didn't finish that because it turns out Communication and Media isn't very interesting.

 

Schools here go: Primary school (ages 5 - 12), High School (ages 12 - 18), College (I think only Canberra has colleges, ages 16 - 18), tafes (higher education, usually starting at cert II up to diploma level) and university (tertiary education, earning degrees and higher learning stuff)

[Too Late Kev]

I don't really remember all the details of acceptances, rejections, etc. I think I applied to 5 colleges; people now seem to apply to a lot more. I know I had 2 acceptances and 1 waiting list. I can't remember other than that. And maybe I only applied to 4 schools, because I'm not coming up with the fifth. It was a long, long, time ago.

[Pixel]

I only applied to three and got into all of them. Northwestern, U of I, and Illinois Wesleyan.

[EllieH]

 

EllieH, with a Texas Rangers avatar? What fresh hell is this?

 

One of my teams!  And I'm going to opening day this year, for the first time!

 

For college, I got into my first choice school and my back-up state school, and I was rejected by the other 2.  For grad school I applied to 4, got into 2, picked the one that offered better financial aid.

[sacrebleu]

ooh Pixel, I'm a little retro-actively jealous. I was waitlisted by Northwestern. Got in to USC, Tulane, Syracuse,  and UMD. 

[Glory]

I didn't have the guts to apply to Northwestern. 

 

I got into a bunch of small liberal arts schools - Elmhurst, Monmouth, Beloit, and Bradley. I wanted to go to Beloit but Elmhurst gave me the most money since I was a legacy. Monmouth courted me pretty hard, though. 

[King of Birds]

Ellie! Opening Day! I'm jealous. Of all the (hundreds of) games I've been to over the years, never got to an Opening Day.

 

I got accepted into three colleges. I visited two, and went to my top choice.

 

ETA - and I also remember this (perhaps its changed over the years due to boneheaded teenagers like me). I took the ACT and SAT and they had that option of sending your scores to certain colleges. Except, the "codes" for the colleges was different for each test. I did not know this, and filled in the SAT correctly. Some Christian college, I want to say in Indiana or Ohio, got my ACT scores. And called my house to talk with me! Remember, this is 1982 and getting a long distance call from someone from the Midwest to our house was a shock. I just recall telling that other person "Oh I goofed on the code, there is NO way I'm interested in YOUR college."  (<---not verbatim, but very close to the reality.) 

 

I really wish I could remember the name of the college. I told this story to everyone I knew in high school.

 

ETA2:

I also didn't finish that because it turns out Communication and Media isn't very interesting.

Huh? It isn't?

Edited March 28, 2015 by King of Birds

[possibilities]

I applied to one small liberal arts place no one has heard of, and got in. My interview was wacky: they had sent me a date and time, and when I showed up, they had somehow forgotten I was coming. It was the last day of the semester and most of the students were packing or gone, and the admissions staff was having a "casual" day so were not dressed professionally. They looked at me like I was insane when I showed up. I couldn't tell if they were embarrassed or just thought I was trying to lie my way into an interview, until I showed them the letter with the date of my appointment on it and they realized I was actually legit.

 

Anyway, they called around campus and found a student to give me a tour. She was clearly stoned. I don't even remember who interviewed me, except that they were clearly not expecting me.

 

You might wonder why I still wanted to go there. I can't really justify it. I just liked the place, despite the chaos.

 

Anyway, I was happy there for two years and then wanted to transfer out and finish my degree somewhere else. I didn't really care where I went at that point, because I really wanted to drop out of school entirely, but since that didn't seem practical, I just went with my adviser's recommendations. He gave me two names of places to consider, both of which were universities in big cities, and I applied to the one with the earliest deadline. Before the deadline for the other place arrived, and thus before I had sent in my application, the first place had accepted me, so that's where I went because it meant I wouldn't have to fill out the second application.

 

I was actually very unhappy there. It was very stuffy and conservative and I couldn't find courses or people who interested me. I was bored and miserable. Also, I really am not a city person and the city air at the new place was terrible for my health. I think it was a huge mistake for me to go there. This is what you get for letting someone else decide for you, and not doing your own research!

 

I did learn something though: the first place was a no name small place with no reputation. But it turned out to be WAAAAY more academically challenging than the university I transferred to, despite the university being a place with a fancy reputation and much more competitive admissions policy. It helped me to realize that the reputation did not necessarily match the reality. I am now much less impressed by certain people and their titles.

[smrou]

I think I remember my college application results: I got accepted to 3 (Carleton, Macalester, Bowdoin), waitlisted at 1 (Amherst), and rejected by 1 (Wesleyan). I'm not entirely certain that last one was a rejection rather than a waitlist, but since I wasn't going either way (it not having been a top preference) it didn't leave that big an impression. It's the same way with grad school. There were really only four schools I was interested in and I remember the responses from them (3 acceptances and 1 waitlist) but I applied to at least twice that many schools and don't remember all the results.

 

I took the ACT and SAT and they had that option of sending your scores to certain colleges.

I remember that whole thing with the codes. Except at the time I took the SATs I didn't know what schools I'd be applying to. I think I kind of chose some pretty randomly. But I don't remember how the whole system worked--was it like they'd send your scores to those schools for free but then when you wanted them sent to other schools later you had to pay? I dunno. 

 

I also remember getting so many mailings from different schools, the vast majority of which I would never have had any interest in, and since I was the third child in fairly quick succession (oldest was 3 years ahead of me in school and middle was 1 year) that meant we'd had those mailings flooding our mailbox pretty constantly for at least four years. I also remember getting a number of mailings from the Army, including some with little gifts (like I think I got a little keychain flashlight in one or something?) and they were the only people who actually called me on the phone and all I could think was, "Um...you guys really don't know who you're talking to because if you did you'd know that you don't want me."

[smrou]

people now seem to apply to a lot more.

I think it's easier to apply to more these days since applications are done online and a lot of schools accept the Common App (though some require a supplement also). Common App was around when I was applying to colleges but it wasn't nearly as widely accepted. 

 

Another difference I've noticed is that it seems to be more common for schools to have non-binding early admissions, so a LOT of my students apply early to schools. None of the schools I applied to had that option. One of my sisters did apply early but it was early decision (so binding) and she got in, so that meant she only ever did one college application. 

[Kalliste]

 

ETA2:

Huh? It isn't?

 

It isn't :P not back in 2002 anyway. Although the diploma was called Communication and MEDIA I didn't consider that I'd have to do classes like Journalism or Writing for the Media. I went in wanting to do Event Management and then changed to a Multimedia stream but it still meant having to get through those classes. I think I only turned up to 2 or 3 for Writing for the Media and eventually I failed my 3rd semester because I went to work more than I went to school and then I deferred my studies and never went back.

[Too Late Kev]

Who has to get back into thinking about colleges because she has two juniors in high school?

 

This girl!

 

Kinda scary.

[frenchtoast]

I applied to 3 or 4 state schools (SUNY--State Univ of NY) and got in to all and went with the one that allowed freshman to have vehicles. Yep. I think my counselor had me apply to a private, but I don't even remember because there was no way I could afford it. It is also one of the better SUNY schools, good distance from home and I liked it. The department of my major was terrible though.

[Pixel]

ooh Pixel, I'm a little retro-actively jealous. I was waitlisted by Northwestern.

 

Well, then, be super jealous, because that's where I've been going for the past 3 years now for my master's.  I am paying way too much to go there because of my past history of getting accepted but not being able to afford it. I could have gone somewhere much cheaper, but I had a bug up my ass about missing out on it the first time around. The application process was super easy as an adult student, and I suspect it's much easier to get into their distance learning program than to get in as an actual freshman.

 

I was able to bamboozle (with my brilliant work performance, of course) administration into paying for 80% of it.  I spent all the money and have two classes left. Anyone got 8K laying around they want to send me? I thought about starting a gofundme, but who'd be dumb enough to give me money to attend a sort of ivy league school? That's hardly a huge "need".  For anyone.  I'm old enough to have learned that it really probably doesn't matter what school name is on my degree, but the 17 year old inside me still wants it to say Northwestern.

Edited March 30, 2015 by Pixel

[Glory]

Ah! First day nerves!

Wish me luck!

[sacrebleu]

Hooray Glory! Let us know how day one went. 

 

While my job search continues, so does my Parisian trip planning. To save money on air fare-- we're taking a flight home which includes a lengthy layover in Copenhagen-- besides Tivoli and the Little Mermaid-- anyone have any "must see" recommendations in Copenhagen?

[EllieH]

 

Wish me luck!

 

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[Kalliste]

Good luck Glory! Hope it's super fun!

[Kalliste]

Looks like going to Perth is off the destination/ to live list:

https://twitter.com/abcnewsPerth/status/582781268795871232

 

ETA: Twitter lies, it's up in the Kimberlies, not Perth... Perth is not northern WA, ABC news!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-31/crocodile-traffic-hazard-warning-for-northern-wa/6362412

[smrou]

I hope your first day of work went well, Glory!

[King of Birds]

I'm gonna set up a kick-starter or maybe just splurge from my own pocket and buy a croc for Kalliste! Look for CROCS FOR KALLISTE to be trending in the near future.

 

And just to be all ... me : Why do we want a good first day for Glory? Frenchtoast started a new job last year at some point. Did she get well wishes? Also, for the love of all that is holy: Did you crack open the whiskey yet Glory?

 

ETA: For any of you who are King of Birds poll-voting completists.  I posted one in another thread, here.

Edited March 31, 2015 by King of Birds