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I hear so many complain about the rating system on this site, and I figured I would add my rant because I don't agree!

There are a few things that I don't agree with but over all I like it!

Lets start with profiles, if you have a low rating, maybe it's cause your profile really does not look that good and you can look at some that are highly rated to see what you are doing wrong. If it's a coding problem, there are a million resources on the web, plus the mentorships on this website with tons of people just wiling to help. So inability to code is not a valid excuse in my eyes. But generally it is your profile and you can do whatever, it is a place for YOU to express YOURSELF no matter what others think. Plain simple.



The forum, I generally don't like posting in the forum, and that is my own personal decision. I am sure there are others who feel the same but whatever it still plays its part in the rating system. I usually post random things in the sandbox because I don't have time to really care. But really if you don't like the threads in the forum, and you think they are silly or whatever...Have you ever thought about creating your own thread with a subject you are interested in? The forum is what you make it, so really stop complaining!



I feel that overall, I am a member merely to learn about random things, meet crafty people, and just have a good time. As long as I am above the level of any constraints, and can send as many messages as I want, etc. I am happy. I am not here to win at a popularity contest. And I understand those who want to be sire and have their own coven or whatever reason, it can be hard. But in general really, is all the squabbling about the rating system worth it?

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Selkie
21:08 Jan 31 2011

I agree. I guess though, that there will be times when we dont all agree, but then thats maybe just echoing life off-VR.



I do think this place is great for choice of how it is we use it. Personally, I like the levelling up aspect to VR. I love meeting the folk I would normally never cross paths with in my world, and of course the learning is invaluable, and finally, the artwork, whether its creative journals or images etc on profiles is brilliant. There are many, many talented folk here and I love it.

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Lullaby
21:48 Jan 31 2011

I post randomly in the Forum, whenever I can be bothered hunting for a decent topic. :P Other than that, I *won't* be bothered. Coven forums - Fine. But not the main one.



Also, I like the rating system. The people that complain about it would have it be just 10. Seriously. They're the people that *worry* about ratings - like their life depends on it.

I like my profile, sure, but not everyone will, and other people need to come to terms with the assessments of others. It is, in all ways, just. It's not the system's fault, but what the person behind it chooses.

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Every time I have finally paid off my debts, and think to myself "I can have nice things...". I have to bring my animals to the vet. November was cat one of two hundred dollars and being put down. Christmas. Cat two is January, $300 for minimum care, cause he can't pee. Will I ever have money? hmmm or food for the next month....



Generally feeling shitty today, and avoiding all responsibilities and staying in bed!



PS. my roommate drove me to the vet clinic as soon as it came time to pay the bill, all I said was "Aren't you glad he is not your cat?". I'm a passive aggressive bitch..I know!

Things like this ad bother me, I feel that the idea of sex has become too wide spread and accepted. I'm not a prude I still go out for coffee and talk about my sex life, and in some ways its good that it has become less of taboo but at the same time I don't think it needs to be this blatant.









Blarg...

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Army
00:56 Jan 31 2011

I was just thinking the same thing, actually.

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Lullaby
21:50 Jan 31 2011

Ick. I agree. :x

Damn bad advertising.

-sighs-

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I am slightly annoyed with profiles, and I understand some people are either more artistic in their thinking or even better at coding. But I feel that so many do not even try with their profile, they simply find a bunch of pictures on the internet and paste them to their pages. I can also understand that it is hard to talk about yourself..I usually write random nonsensical things like "I like sandwiches" (which I do). And incorporate some pictures of places that I have been or just simply find interesting, all of which are taken by me. I wouldn't mind so much the copying and pasting if it was done in more of a collage or artistic way rather than just in a straight line down the middle all centered. I can even understand that coding is hard sometimes and can get really freaking confusing! But taking just a few minutes on google will bring up a million websites on how to do it, I do it all the time cause before this I had never used HTML, but I at least tried even if my first few attempts looked kind of off. And I use a rather simple design even now. So if you get a lower rating on your profile and all there is " I'm here cause I like vampires and well yeah don't know what else to say, have questions just ask". And then I'm scrolling down for about two minutes cause you have quiz results saying you like ice cream more than jaw breakers, things that sparkle and half clad animated women, realize its not cause I don't like you. It's just cause I feel that the point of rating is about what is on your profile, and what it looks like over all.



So Deal. Thanks.

My roommate is just getting ridiculous!!!!

Half the time she's eccentric yeah, but bearably. But then just sometimes it goes over the top, and I just want to scream at her to get out of my house!!



Around Christmas my cat passed away, and Nick and I were talking about maybe getting another cat, because Batman was looking lonely. And Batman was my mother's cat and so when she left for another continent and my roommate moved into her room he obviously still spent most of his time in there. So when we talked about getting another cat, I said it was going to be my cat, and I want it to love me. I was mostly joking other than the fact it was going to be my cat. But She took it a little too personally, and has now at every opportunity called batman her cat, saying "oh batman you are my cat, aren't you. Yes you are definitely mine." every time she is around me, and then will pause and look at me to see what kind of reaction she will get.

And on top of that she is the laziest person ever! we tried buying groceries together cause she wanted to eat more healthy as she only eats meat, ice cream and candy. when we tried it it was always nick and I cooking, we would have to specifically tell her when, what and how to make the meal.

Today I went on a cleaning spree because none of us had really done it in about a month, well she gets out of bed and watches me clean saying she HAD to sweep the floor last week and thought that a cleaning needed to be done. Throughout all of this though she didn't do anything, and I asked her to at least shovel the snow off the walk. This is another of those annoying things, I am a very laissez-fair in just letting things happen as they should, I do not feel that I should have to ask my roommate to clean up or shovel the walk but rather that they should just realize it is their responsibility to do it unbidden. Nick and I have shoveled pretty much the entire time despite us agreeing to alternate, so the last time it snowed I didn't say anything nor did I shovel it myself, I felt that she should have just done it, and its not like she didn't have the time cause she spend at least 6 hours a day on her laptop. It was their for a week until after there was too much ice formed that I just did it. So when I specifically asked her to do it, when she said oh well I guess, even though I did it not long ago, cause it hasn't snowed in a while...I really just wanted to storm and get so mad.



I really do not know how to deal with her at all.

COMMENTS

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NocturnalMistress
06:49 Jan 30 2011

Accidentally push her out of a window?



;)



I am kidding...

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chrysanthemia
00:53 Jan 31 2011

She's kidding.



I am not.

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There isn't a day that goes by that I am sooo happy that I didn't actually stay in Massage Therapy!

I know I was so excited to do it a few years ago, but after much thought and taking a few years off of school, I feel like the switch to the Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership program was a much better decision. I love the classes and the instructors, like really my classes are canoeing, back packing, rock climbing, etc. Why wouldn't I love them? Of course not all my classes are crazy fun, and even in one semester I feel like I have grown so much, and experienced so many challenges that pushed all of my boundaries. The very first trip we had to do was back packing, I had never in my life done any type of back packing, and frankly I was scared shitless. I was worried about everything! My imagination went crazy, I wouldn't have enough food, I'd be too cold, I wouldn't be fit enough to carry the back pack, I wouldn't fet everything, and so on. It was only a block course so in a week we had classes until 8 pm, with insane amounts of information and individual and group projects along with packing and planning out what to bring. Now before this first semester I liked the outdoors and had done a lot of hiking, but not much else, so I had pretty much none of the gear, all of my clothes were cotton (I shoud also mention I am a minimalist, I have very few personal belongings and even less clothes). So I went crazy trying to find cheap outdoor clothes like base layers, light waterproof layers and warm layers all non-cotton. But on a student budget...I ended up finding my mothers old rain pants and jacket in the garage and making a few sewing adjustments, and through the will of the gods finding a great pair of base layer clothes for only $40 (when I had gone to MEC all I could find were small shirts for $50 each, minimum). The rest I was able to scrounge up a few old sweaters from my aunt, and well a cotton pair of cargos. I wasn't at all prepared for this trip!! I ran around with my head cut off for days while also dealing with other classes and making time to meet with a million different groups for projects. So finally I get all the things I think I need, buy all my food and get ready to stuff into the backpack in my garage my mother said would be perfect. I go out to the garage dig around and finally find said pack...I pull it out, bring it in and place next to my pile of things...my pile is about 3 times its size....I can fit one meal and my waterproof layer into it and thats it...forget the tent, clothes, sleeping bag and everything else....By this time it was midnight the night before because I had spent the rest of the night cooking food and getting that all ready.

I seriously had no idea what to do, and just started to bawl my eyes out!!

Finally I pulled myself together and emailed my professor, freaking out and having no idea what to say or do... So after that I went to bed because I didn't expect an immediate response, and frankly expecting that I wouldn't be going on this trip at all and would have to wait for the following year to do it again. I was secretly relieved...

In the morning I woke up super early, and checked my email...and there sent around midnight was a reply from my professor. She told me to calm down, it would be all right. She had already talked to the equipment rental guy and even had an extra pack herself just in case. And right after that email was one from the equipment rental guy, saying I could pick up my pack at 9 am. I was so relieved, all the stress went away and I was just fine.

So I grabbed all my stuff, and got a ride to the university from my room mate. I almost tackled Tim the equipment guy out of pure joy and happiness! I was able to fit all of my stuff save a few extra things I didn't really need anyways into the pack...and was it ever heavy!!!

Though I was rather lucky, because the weekend I had chosen had amazing weather for the fall, the afternoon we left it was sweater weather but still sunny. The week before with the other backpacking group had been rain/snowy and cold. So the weather helped the spirits quite a bit. We all piled into the vans and headed out, the city turned into plowed country side, which turned into snowy peaks, we drove for quite a while and watched the mountains get bigger and bigger, I really started to freak out. How was I going to climb those with a heavy pack???

We arrived at the trail head, it was nice and warm in the vans but on the way there the sky had clouded over and a little bit of snow was falling...We all stepped out in our sandals and light sweaters running to get our packs out and bundle up into better clothes.

The first part of the trail was at a 45 degree angle, and well not exactly unfit I'm also not the most fit person, I struggled up what I called the hill from hell. I was wheezing and at the very back of the group within ten minutes, I couldn't even see the the front of the group because they were all five minutes ahead already. With this being the start of the trip my spirits started to fall, it wasn't fun, it was hard, and I just wanted to turn around call my friend and go back home.

The first forty minutes were straight up, as my body started to warm up and get used to the climb, it got easier, I took off pretty much all of the clothes I put on at the van. Finally we reached a beautiful lake and the trail leveled out to nice story book hills. I felt much better about myself because I didn't have any problem with the trail after that.

The rest of the hike to tombstone camp ground was rather nice, though a bit windy. by the time we go there around three, I just wanted to go to bed, but we still had to do school stuff, make dinner, clean up etc. Eventually I got to bed.

My sleep was horrible! Either I was woken up by the howling wind, or freezing to death, I got up early feeling like a grumpy bear. After breakfast I felt better. We then spent all morning doing presentations and stuff. Then packed up and left the way we came to yet another camp ground.

The first hill was hard cause it was fairly big but small compared to the day before. I was proud in that I reached the top without taking a break, had to push myself though. The rest of the hike was harder than the day before but not bad, and rather enjoyable. I was glad when we got to the camp ground and ate supper. That night it was really laid back and we played some games and had a good time. I was feeling alot better the next day as I had a freakin fantastic sleep I even slept until nine, when I don't even sleep until eight at home. The mountains were so beautiful, like inexplicable I was sad to leave, but happy to be able to sleep in my comfy bed. Overall it was an easy trip, and I really enjoyed it, despite everything that stressed me out. I've started to learn more about myself, and over coming social prejudices. You see I'm not super thin nor do I go to a gym regularily, and in highschool I wasn't on any of the sport teams and hated gym class! I didn't think I would be doing the things I am now, and I'm fairly certain many others didn't think I would be either. You don't have to thin and in perfect shape to do this, all you need is a good attitude, and people around you willing to encourage and help you.