Festivus '08: It's that time again.

[Montague]

Had to work hard to get some vitriol going because of all the things I'm thankful for, but here's what I got:

1. I hate almost everyone on the WoW forums and wish them a painful death. Yet I can't stop going there - sort of a microcosm of WoW in general...

2. I hate the anti-abortion protester, gun nut, bible-thumpers that live up here in Fairbanks and drive 20 mph under the speed limit when the roads are clear.

3. I hate that our landlord that lives above us has decided to go on vacation for the last month and leave his slack-jawed brain dead nephew to house-sit who likes to keep their 3 dogs running around late at night and forgetting to refill the fuel oil tank.

[Moaner]

I fucking hate people.  I hate having to go to work and pretend like I give a shit about my patients and co-workers.  A vast majority of them could die and I wouldn't shed a tear.  Fuck them and their stupid little lives. 

I also hate the snow.  Winter sucks.

[Surlyboi]

I hate the guy that sat next to me on my flight in to NYC last night.

(I do love that I elbowed him in the face "accidentally" while stretching, so not a total hatefest.)

I hate that there are still ridiculously stupid and hateful people in this country and that they vote.

(I love however, that in places all over California last week, I saw pockets of resistance to Prop 8. From Joshua Tree to Palm Springs, to Los Angeles.)

I hate that I got out of finance when I should have stayed and maybe done what I could to minimize the shitstorm that came down this fall.

(Not that I could have done much, but my voice would have been one among a core of competent people that could have made at least some small difference.)

I hate that I found probably the best thing that ever happened to me too late for us to safely have kids and maybe stem the growing tide of stupid.

Honestly though, that's a pissweak hate list, but I'm of good cheer in this season of miracles, so fuck it. Happy holidays, bitches.

[Sky]

Ah, a few people have reminded me of another one. I hate people who bitch about snow. Move to arizona, bitches.

Or buy a snowblower, a 4x4, and learn to enjoy this beautiful season.

[Signe]

You're right.  Move to Arizona and try to get that job that's available there.  Although I have enjoyed visiting Arizona in the past, if I had to live there I would be in constant complain mode.  It would be a horrible place to live, in my opinion.  Hot and, well, hot.  Even worse than all the places that get constantly dumped with crappy snow.  I don't want a snowblower, or a cruddy 4X4 (hate those things!) and snow is only beautiful momentarily unless you live out in the country and people leave it alone and don't muck around with it.  As long as I can afford to have someone else plow and shovel and my groceries and stuff can be delivered, I wouldn't mind living in a winter wonderland postcard.  If not, snow sucks.

[stray]

I have one more grievance: Paranoid/suspicious people. Who don't let others be nice to them. Nice guy that I am, I won't say that I hate them, but Jesus... Stop acting so damn afflicted and screwed over and pessimistic, like so much bad shit has been done to you.

Or in other words, people who watch too much fucking Dateline.

[Sky]

Been dating again, Stray? 

[stray]

Yes, and I'm Ted Bundy.

[Merusk]

Ted?!  How you been?  So do the girls still find you handsome with the worms and beetles crawling about you?

[Venkman]

People that disappointed me this year:

- The nearly 48% of the voters that voted for the crotchety old guy and the Van Halen video extra. Thank goodness the bad dream is (almost) over.
- The mainstream media, every last one of them. You talk about jobs that a robot could do, these people should be put on a production line to actually increase from zero their contribution to our society. Even the talking heads are just reading RSS feeds, probably prepared for them in India.
- Elliot Spitzer.

But even this was a stretch for me. I had a pretty damned good year and really don't have any personal complaints. Except for my weight. But that was a tradeoff for the other things... I keep telling myself anyway ;-)

[Yegolev]

Fuck you IBM for having the shittiest support system I have ever seen.  You make shit products and employ retarded people (except for anyone here who posts here).

I would put this into the Goodwill thread because this is why I have a job.  My previous two jobs as well, in fact.  IBM's incompetence is the fuel for my career.

EDIT for grief.

I think one of my cats has epilepsy.  That's pretty shitty since I can't do anything about it.

I guess I can also complain about the dog we have that continues to piss on the rug.  Rather than fight Wifenstein over it, I have given up any shred of concern for odors in the foyer.  I've been told several times that it's not my dog, and I have long since defined that it is not my rug, so I think it's probably time for it to not be my job to mop up dog piss.  Besides, I have an epileptic cat (that does not piss on the rug) to care for.

I despise the Xbox 360 and by extension J Allard and his team of pennypinching half-wits.

I am pre-emptively hating The Sims 3.  It is sure to bring unwelcome household change.

I dislike the fact that diesel costs a dollar more per gallon than gasoline.  I mean, what the fuck?

I dislike how the pool and landscaping costs are still preventing me from buying and installing a tankless water heater.

I dislike Douglas fir needles.

I dislike non-flammable Starter Logs.  How do you fuck up a chunk of wax with sawdust in it?

[Signe]

I'm sorry about your kitty.  That really sucks.    My poor Magenta's recent little problem really had me stressed enough and I hope it's over and done with now and nothing else goes wrong.  I would be a mess if my kitty had a problem like yours does. 

When I was growing up, my family would mostly have Blue Spruce, which is my favourite.  It's gorgeous and smells wonderful.  We always had HUGE (well, huge to me but I was little) but live trees so there wasn't a needle issue.  On January 6th we would take them down and put goodies on them for the birds. 

I dislike the fact that diesel costs a dollar more per gallon than gasoline. I mean, what the fuck?

  Oh dear.  I think UK petrol priced are about 86 or 87 p/litre and diesel is about 10 p more.  That's recent, too.  It used to be about 1 or 2 p more until just a few months or so ago.  I don't understand why diesel is so much more expensive since I've always understood that it was easier to refine. 

I don't understand the concept of a "non-flammable Starter Log".  Is that a real thing?  It makes no sense!  How do you start a fire with something non flammable?!?

[Sky]

I love spruces. I got a ridiculously nice one for $22, it was older but trimmed down very well. I can't believe it was so cheap. Anyway, this year in the new house, I have the tree set in front of the back doors to the patio, so I plan on just moving it out there this weekend. So it'll sit about four feet from where it is now, still nicely visible in the living room.

My mother also puts stuff in the tree for birds, the cats love it. I'll probably do that, too.

[Sky]

How do you fuck up a chunk of wax with sawdust in it?

Lots of lube? 

[SnakeCharmer]

I dislike how the pool and landscaping costs are still preventing me from buying and installing a tankless water heater.

Gas or electric?

Also, get more than one.

[Yegolev]

I dislike how the pool and landscaping costs are still preventing me from buying and installing a tankless water heater.

Gas or electric?

Also, get more than one.

Electric.  I know.  I could probably run one off of the LP tank but I haven't decided if I want to run the line.  I'm looking at less than 3GPM at any one time so electric probably would work fine.

I'm shooting for one just so I can make some progress.  You should know that I currently have two heaters and my master bath is on it's own loop (which gives me the 3GPM number), so getting one and putting it directly beneath my shower would solve everyone's problems.  Maybe just mine.  Replacing the other tank is certainly a great idea but will be postponed due to cost.

Did I complain about my DirecTV unit dying yet?  I simply cannot watch TV anymore because I'm stuck in a TiVoless, SD hell.  Without our support -- because we couldn't tell which team was which -- the Falcons lost to the Cardinals.  Not that I watched a lot of TV in the first place.  To that end, I'd like to say that I disagree with my wife's assertion that we can fix this on the cheap when the obvious solution is to buy a new DirecTV HD DVR post-haste so I don't miss out on anything like a new Venture Bros. or some BSG shit.  The fact that she was right about the water heater* doesn't magically make her right about the DVR.  Also, we are penniless because of her projects.

*Replacing the heating elements worked awesomely and cost $20.

I also hate EVE Online promotions that cause me to lose good sense.