RANT IV - A New Angst

[David]

So for those of you who don't know, I'm in an advanced animation class who's goal is to create a complete animated short by the end of the semester. This class occurs only one semester every 2 to 3 years, and for good reason: the prerequisite to get in is to finish all classes in either the 3DS Max or Softimage XSI branches, plus a photoshop class. It's intended for those of us who have received a Digital Animator certificate and are seriously considering this as a career. It is NOT meant for first-semester animation students.

So this guy was strolling around the classroom looking for something he could do. He was watching me work over my shoulder, I ask him why he doesn't mess around with the models and see if he can animate something funny to go into the blooper reel.
him: "I can't animate."

Okay, understandable, animation isn't everybody's strong point.

me: "Than pick a model that needs a texture and put a texture on it."
him: "I can't texture."

Seriously? Okay...

me: "Some of the models looks like crap, why don't you see if you can pick one and make it better?"
him: "I can't model."

...what?

me: "Than open photoshop and help us draw something to put into the credits."
him: "I dunno how to use photoshop."

Dude... that was the one prerequisite EVERYBODY had to have regardless of which 3D program they learned...

me: "How the hell did you even get INTO this class??"
him: "Steve signed me an add slip."

So apparently Steve (3DS MAX teacher), who told me this was the highest level animation class at the college, decided to hand out add slips to his first semester students like candy. It seems even the students who didn't even pay attention in the very first class, which covered basic box modeling quite thoroughly. There are at least 3 or 4 other people in the class like this guy, who doesn't really have any idea what they're doing.

That's just not fair to the rest of us pulling these guys' weight. :explode:

 

[strawman]

He's just acclimating you to the conditions you'll find in the industry once you leave school.

:tongue:

-Adam

 

[CynicismKills]

Why is it when everything seems like it can't possibly get any better that it all comes crashing back down?

 

[David]

He's just acclimating you to the conditions you'll find in the industry once you leave school.

:tongue:

-Adam

I would hope in real-life conditions these guys would be quickly fired. There's absolutely no excuse to be in that class and not be able to even bother trying to model something. If you sign up to be in a group project like this saying at the very least you know how to work the software, you damn well better know how to work the software.

 

[David]

And dammit, I just lost my stylus.

 

[Cheesy1]

How in the world does something that seemed so right go so wrong so quickly? :tear:

 

[Rob King]

You just gotta love being an afterthought!

During my first year of University, I made friends with a girl from my church, and her boyfriend who came from away. For about six months, we hung out every other night. On average, I'd say 4 nights a week were spent with this guy, slightly less with the girl. I counted him as my very best friend, and he helped bring me through a very dark time. (My parents had just separated, I was new to the city, and university, and I was going through some serious depression)

Anyhow, eventually his girlfriend moved away for six months so she could participate in some overseas learning experience. He, not having any other real tie to the city, decided to move back to Ontario for the time being. We said our goodbyes, were sad, and that was that. Circumstances have changed here and there, and it's happened that neither have them have moved back for any extended period.

Neither of us are very good at keeping in contact, but we tried. I've seen him a few times in the two years since then, but it's just not the same, of course. And that's fine. He's still a very important person to me and everything, but we're not living in a situation where we can maintain the same relationship we had.

So. They got engaged a year ago. They're getting married in a month, and they're flying here for the wedding. Some of my friends are bridesmaids, so I've gotten to hear about preparations from time to time, and the general excitement surrounding getting married. I heard when the invitations were in the mail and ... never got one.

I know several people who have gotten invites, and some of them baffle me. People I couldn't imagine having any sort of close relationship with the bride or groom, and yet, are invited.

Since they're going to be in town a few weeks before the wedding, I've emailed them both, and have been catching up. I haven't brought up not being invited, but I have to admit it hurt my feelings that I wasn't.

Now today, from a reply she sent:

Ok, so our guest list was pretty full with family and such but now a bunch of them can't make it because of the distance. Anyway, so we have some extra space and we wanted to know if you can come to the wedding?

I feel like I've been kicked in the gut. So glad to know I'm a backup.

 

[strawman]

I haven't brought up not being invited, but I have to admit it hurt my feelings that I wasn't.

Now today, from a reply she sent:

Ok, so our guest list was pretty full with family and such but now a bunch of them can't make it because of the distance. Anyway, so we have some extra space and we wanted to know if you can come to the wedding?

I feel like I've been kicked in the gut. So glad to know I'm a backup.

:blue:

Ugh. Well, at least you know how they feel about you, which is worth something.

Man. The nerve of some people.

-Adam

 

[Bubble181]

Well, this place has been pretty calm lately, apparently. But, don't fear, your local manbaww is back from a week in France!
So, anyway, spent a week in the south of France with some friends...Some things I just don't get. I don't really like the heat (it was 45°C there, which reduces me to a complete wreck...113 Fahrenheit, for the crazy folk out there). I just gave in to going to the south of France (again) because all of my friends wanted to go. Now, it turns out, the two main people in the group really can't handle the heat either. And two others don't like it much. And another two didn't really mind, but would've preferred going someplace else where they hadn't been yet. So...In a group of 9, why are we going here? :eyeroll:
Secondly, some of them really turned out to be differen than I thought. My friend who's always the one to drag me out of my house after work, when I just want to relax, turned out to not wwant to do anything at all during the vacation. He wouldn't even go along on a hike! What's the point of going halfway across the continent if you're going to spend all your time indoors, reading, sleeping, or playing computer games? I can do all those more comfortably closer to home! Gah!
Next up, foir heaven's sake, would culture kill you? In all of the group, there was only one guy besides me interested in going to see a museum, cathedral, or castle? It's the bloody south of France, it's full of historically interesting stuff. I'm not my mother, I don't want to spend my vacation seeing every ruin in a 50 mile radius, but would it have killed some of the others to go along? Blegh.
In the end, most of the time was spent doing nothing - we managed to get out of the house maybe three or four times in a week. I was bored! Come on, it's vacation, DO SOMETHING. :explode:

Next rant in a different tone:
I'm sure that even those of you who read this sort off things are, by now, sick of reading about my ex, but I can't help thinking about her lately. I's been just a year now since we broke up, tomorrow would've been our 4 year anniversary, and we spent our two year anniversary in the south of France, where I just got back from, so all in all, I guess it's not abnormal that I think about her these days, but it's bloody annoying. I know she's bad news, I know she has more bad than good sides to her, and yet I practically find myself falling in love all over again, not wirth *her* (haven't seen her in almost two months) but with an idealized version of her in my mind. I know she's nothing like that in real life, and I still find myself going that way. It's BLOODY STUPID.
On an only slightly related note, she's now been unreachable for almost two months by any of h er friends at college - I'm the only one with her home phone, so I called her once, got her mother, who assured me everything was fine. I heard her for about 10 seconds and she promised to recharge her cellphone and get on line and actually take up contact again, but she still hasn't. I don't know if I should be seriously concerned (she was semi-suicidal and cutting herself and whatever last time I saw her, after all), relieved that I'm not seeing her anymore (like that's working for the whole "forget her" bit...heh), or what. Seeking her out seems like a relatively smart thing to do, but it also reeks of self-destructiveness. Just ignoring the fact that she's apparently shielded herself almost completely from her previous friends and all that seems wrong, but calling her up seems somewhat wrong too - and is almost certainly a bad idea for me.
I dunno.

Third rant; more related to the first than the second but oh well: I know I'm difficult to live with sometimes. I'm not the most positive and radiant of people at the best of times. And I do tend to make fun of myself and drag myself down. All bad things, yes, yes. Still, spending a whole week with people whio aren't close family had been a very long time for me, and , frankly, hearing repeated over and over how you'd basically be the one they'd miss least, brings least to the table, doesn't belong in the group, is the outcast, and so on and so forth, really gets old and starts wearing you down after a while. Honestly, I know half of it's true, but...Geh.

 

[Espy]

I haven't brought up not being invited, but I have to admit it hurt my feelings that I wasn't.

Now today, from a reply she sent:

Ok, so our guest list was pretty full with family and such but now a bunch of them can't make it because of the distance. Anyway, so we have some extra space and we wanted to know if you can come to the wedding?

I feel like I've been kicked in the gut. So glad to know I'm a backup.

:blue:

Ugh. Well, at least you know how they feel about you, which is worth something.

Man. The nerve of some people.

-Adam

AGREED. I would politely say no thanks, you already have plans.

 

[Mr_Chaz]

I haven't brought up not being invited, but I have to admit it hurt my feelings that I wasn't.

Now today, from a reply she sent:

Ok, so our guest list was pretty full with family and such but now a bunch of them can't make it because of the distance. Anyway, so we have some extra space and we wanted to know if you can come to the wedding?

I feel like I've been kicked in the gut. So glad to know I'm a backup.

:blue:

Ugh. Well, at least you know how they feel about you, which is worth something.

Man. The nerve of some people.

-Adam

AGREED. I would politely say no thanks, you already have plans.

Tell them that you're washing your suicide note that day, should get their notice.

On an only slightly related note, she's now been unreachable for almost two months by any of h er friends at college - I'm the only one with her home phone, so I called her once, got her mother, who assured me everything was fine. I heard her for about 10 seconds and she promised to recharge her cellphone and get on line and actually take up contact again, but she still hasn't. I don't know if I should be seriously concerned (she was semi-suicidal and cutting herself and whatever last time I saw her, after all), relieved that I'm not seeing her anymore (like that's working for the whole "forget her" bit...heh), or what. Seeking her out seems like a relatively smart thing to do, but it also reeks of self-destructiveness. Just ignoring the fact that she's apparently shielded herself almost completely from her previous friends and all that seems wrong, but calling her up seems somewhat wrong too - and is almost certainly a bad idea for me.
I dunno.

Could you pass her home number onto one of her concerned friends? That way you can make sure that she's reminded there are people who care, without having to get involved yourself. Maybe ask that friend not to say they got the number from you.

 

[Wasabi Poptart]

Neither of us are very good at keeping in contact, but we tried. I've seen him a few times in the two years since then, but it's just not the same, of course. And that's fine.

I know several people who have gotten invites, and some of them baffle me. People I couldn't imagine having any sort of close relationship with the bride or groom, and yet, are invited.

1. If you haven't really kept in touch until recently and your relationship with them is not the same as it once was, then maybe that's why you weren't on the first round list. I wouldn't invite people to my wedding that I haven't heard much from in the last 2 years. Given the cost of a reception, I would only want friends I actively am in contact with and relatives to be there.

2. Are you sure these other people who were invited don't have a close relationship with the couple or at least stays in contact with them more often? Just because you can't imagine it doesn't mean they aren't more social with this couple or haven't otherwise continued their friendship with them.

I don't think they way she approached you about being invited to the wedding now that people have sent their regrets was the right thing to do. Honestly, it was completely lacking tact to tell you that there are now openings in the guest list as if you're second rate. However, if you value their friendship and plan to try to see them more often socially (or at least make more of an effort to keep in touch), then you may want to consider the invitation. If not, then chalk it up to old friends who have grown apart, politely decline the invite, and move on.

 

[Rob King]

1. If you haven't really kept in touch until recently and your relationship with them is not the same as it once was, then maybe that's why you weren't on the first round list. I wouldn't invite people to my wedding that I haven't heard much from in the last 2 years. Given the cost of a reception, I would only want friends I actively am in contact with and relatives to be there.

2. Are you sure these other people who were invited don't have a close relationship with the couple or at least stays in contact with them more often? Just because you can't imagine it doesn't mean they aren't more social with this couple or haven't otherwise continued their friendship with them.

I don't think they way she approached you about being invited to the wedding now that people have sent their regrets was the right thing to do. Honestly, it was completely lacking tact to tell you that there are now openings in the guest list as if you're second rate. However, if you value their friendship and plan to try to see them more often socially (or at least make more of an effort to keep in touch), then you may want to consider the invitation. If not, then chalk it up to old friends who have grown apart, politely decline the invite, and move on.

Perhaps you're right. Maybe everyone who got an invite have legitimate reasons to get them. And I could have been overlooked because of how we've drifted. Heck, I've verbally acknowledged the fact that the nature of my relationship to the groom has changed in the last few years. Maybe that pissed someone off. It could have been some of the drama that's gone on in the last two years while the bride and groom have been away: I dated one of the bridesmaids, we had a nasty breakup. Then when I showed interest in another one of the bridesmaids, she lead me on, and later got mad at me for being interested at all. So there might be some influence from the bridal party as well.

There might be a handful of reasons that I didn't get invited to the wedding. But none of them strike me as good reasons from where I'm sitting. I might feel differently if someone gave me a comprehensive history of why I wasn't invited, but I doubt it.

Because at the end of the day, looking at the portion of the guest list that I know of, and making judgments based on what I know of the relationship between bride/groom and guests - even trying to account for the possibility of some secret relationship that is completely hidden to me - I am utterly baffled and insulted.

 

There are tons of reasons why people do and don't get invited to weddings, and in my own experience organizing ours, many of those reasons are not personal. There are lots of people you are de facto required to invite, and with space considerations some people you would really like to have there just don't make it onto the first invite group.

Heck, I've verbally acknowledged the fact that the nature of my relationship to the groom has changed in the last few years. Maybe that pissed someone off. It could have been some of the drama that's gone on in the last two years while the bride and groom have been away: I dated one of the bridesmaids, we had a nasty breakup. Then when I showed interest in another one of the bridesmaids, she lead me on, and later got mad at me for being interested at all. So there might be some influence from the bridal party as well.

Ah. You didn't mention this part earlier. So not entirely a mystery, then.

 

[Rob King]

Ah. You didn't mention this part earlier. So not entirely a mystery, then.

Maybe.

The drama is all so old at this point, though, that the only reason it would be an issue at this point is because one bridesmaid is an utter child, and I guess - in the spirit of pretending like they're all still best buds - the bride and other bridesmaid had to cave to her juvenile ways?

If this ever comes out to be the reason ... I'll be even more disappointed than if it was an oversight. I would have expected two people who are getting married to at least act like adults.

Whatever. It feels like I'm losing ground here, and eventually it'll be clear that I'm whining about nothing. It's just a horrible feeling when you realize that two people who you feel are important to you, don't think you're so important.

 

[Cajungal]

Stupid campus jaywalkers. It was a game of chicken. There was a crosswalk 5 feet away, and my light was green. On the main campus road, there are signs that way "Yield to Vehicles". There's literally a crosswalk at every block. Do you really have to leap out in front of me, making dirty eyes at me too, pretty much daring me to run over your ass? I know I should be kind... I have the upper hand in the vehicle, but people like that are the reason for gridlock traffic on campus.

 

Ah. You didn't mention this part earlier. So not entirely a mystery, then.

Maybe.

The drama is all so old at this point, though, that the only reason it would be an issue at this point is because one bridesmaid is an utter child, and I guess - in the spirit of pretending like they're all still best buds - the bride and other bridesmaid had to cave to her juvenile ways?

If this ever comes out to be the reason ... I'll be even more disappointed than if it was an oversight. I would have expected two people who are getting married to at least act like adults.

Whatever. It feels like I'm losing ground here, and eventually it'll be clear that I'm whining about nothing. It's just a horrible feeling when you realize that two people who you feel are important to you, don't think you're so important.

My wife and I forgot to invite the parents of my best friend, who was the best man. I basically spent every waking moment at their house and I didn't invite them! I still feel like crap to this day.

 

[Gusto]

Stupid campus jaywalkers. It was a game of chicken. There was a crosswalk 5 feet away, and my light was green. On the main campus road, there are signs that way "Yield to Vehicles". There's literally a crosswalk at every block. Do you really have to leap out in front of me, making dirty eyes at me too, pretty much daring me to run over your ass? I know I should be kind... I have the upper hand in the vehicle, but people like that are the reason for gridlock traffic on campus.

Run they ass down.

 

[Cajungal]

Sounds like that bridesmaid could have something to do with it.

Maybe they were genuinely glad that someone rsvp'd 'no' and they had a spot for you after all. The cutoff has to be somewhere for a wedding, and if y'all had lost touch, they might have figured you would understand. When my sister got engaged, she sent a few people announcements who were not invited. She talked to them, apologized, and just explained that she would have loved to invite everybody, but the money wasn't there. Sometimes a call like that is nice; that way you know you were at least thought of.

-- Mon Jul 20, 2009 6:30 pm --

I had a dream that I ran over someone on campus last year... that turned me into a less aggressive driver for a while.

 

[Espy]

I cannot tell you the number of people I almost run over every day on the UofM campus.

Here's a hint: It's not a low number.

 

[Allen who is Quiet]

somewhere between eight and eighty?

 

Too hot in the house to exist. Cloistered in bedroom with a/c. Body temp is yo-yoing like it does when I'm in a flare. Sweatshirt is on off on off on off on off. I need a day off from my illness please.

 

[HCGLNS]

Rant: My child is a ninja! My three year old daughter, managed to get up out of bed, open the office door, walk up to my chair and stick her head under my arm, without me noticing and go "Daddy water please." Took another decade off my life!

 

[Krisken]

Rant: My child is a ninja! My three year old daughter, managed to get up out of bed, open the office door, walk up to my chair and stick her head under my arm, without me noticing and go "Daddy water please." Took another decade off my life!

Rant? Dammit, your daughter is a NINJA. That's EPIC FUCKING WIN!!

 

[Cajungal]

^_^ That's super cute.

And Zen- *hugs*

 

[EpicEpileptic]

So I was at $1 Burger Night at one of the Ale Houses near where I live and it's really one of the only nights I can cut loose with the alcohol consumption cause I'm not the DD (This is something we do on a weekly basis). So I'm slightly inebriated and I'm with three friends and I call shotgun, and my friend who's driving says his "Shotgun Rule" is who ever is buckled in the front seat when he's driving off gets the front seat. So me and my other friend, slightly drunk, wrestle for the front seat and I win. The guy decides to punch me in the groin, claiming he was aiming for my stomach. This whole little ball punch fiasco has pretty much confirmed my belief that he doesn't really respect me at all. I've know the guy since I was in second grade, (we're 23 years now) and he's always been kind of a dick and would always just sort of brush me off, bu the whole punch to the groin was new and low, even for him.

I don't think I have ever sobered up so fast in my life.



Side Note:
HCGLNS, You're daughter is a freakin' ninja! That's awesome and adorable! She can be your security system now!

 

[Cajungal]

So did you get him back?

 

[EpicEpileptic]

So did you get him back?

I was in too much pain to retaliate immediately, I can't remember the last time I was hit square in the balls with a direct hit. I might give him a swift kick in the nuts next time we meet though.

 

[HCGLNS]

Gaaah! She just did it again! :aaahhh:

 

[Cheesy1]

LOL! That is awesome!

 

[Krisken]

Gaaah! She just did it again! :aaahhh:

Sooo.... how long until she's for hire? I hear there is a market for those skills.

 

[Mr_Chaz]

Ah. You didn't mention this part earlier. So not entirely a mystery, then.

Maybe.

The drama is all so old at this point, though, that the only reason it would be an issue at this point is because one bridesmaid is an utter child, and I guess - in the spirit of pretending like they're all still best buds - the bride and other bridesmaid had to cave to her juvenile ways?

If this ever comes out to be the reason ... I'll be even more disappointed than if it was an oversight. I would have expected two people who are getting married to at least act like adults.

Whatever. It feels like I'm losing ground here, and eventually it'll be clear that I'm whining about nothing. It's just a horrible feeling when you realize that two people who you feel are important to you, don't think you're so important.

My wife and I forgot to invite the parents of my best friend, who was the best man. I basically spent every waking moment at their house and I didn't invite them! I still feel like crap to this day.

One of my old housemates (lived with him until 2 years ago) got married this week. He hadn't even told me the date. That kinda stings. Not a lot, we weren't hugely close, but a bit.

 

[Jake]

Rant: My child is a ninja! My three year old daughter, managed to get up out of bed, open the office door, walk up to my chair and stick her head under my arm, without me noticing and go "Daddy water please." Took another decade off my life!

My 2-year-old daughter also has some mean ninja skills. She mostly uses them for pickpocketing (where did my phone go? again?) and general daredevil-ing. Last night I was sitting in a chair and she climbed up my back, stood up on my shoulders, and jumped onto the couch. As my friend says, she's an MRI waiting to happen.

 

[Espy]

So my band is trying to release an EP. We are a industrial rock band with an emphasis on the rock. The single we are hoping to release is a pretty dark cover of "I'm a Believer", we just have to finish up getting the rights to release it (which we will get, it's just a hassle to deal with Sony who own Neil Young's rights). So I've been trying to mix everything myself but it's a HUGE task and I'm taking forever. So I contact this guy who I found who has a great resume and his mixed work sounds awesome. He asked for a sample of one of the more industrial (read: complex) files. So I sent him one of the other songs off the EP and he liked it. Said he'd love to mix it for about 100 bucks a song (which, in my limited experience isn't terrible).
So why am I ranting about it?
He said it reminded him of the new Christ Cornell stuff, but minus the Timbaland.

 

[Bubble181]

If you want to truely develop this talent you've found in your daughter, you need to send her to a decent master for training. I think Shego would be happy to take her in for a while :-P