Random Ramblings

Black Rider wrote:

Fundy, where do you live?

UK, on the South coast.

Xid wrote:

Fundy wrote:

Being stuck at home, not being able to go out does make you go slightly mad.  Anyway, that aside, I decided to do a self-portrait.  What do you think?

Cornelius?

No, although probably looks more like Cornelius than the picture I was copying.  It was actually a line drawing of a young chimp, but after I'd completed it, it looked more like an adult. 

Still, it was good fun.

alldatndensum wrote:

So I have learned that I am a racist this week.

On Wednesday, I had to ask a black lady to drop her students off at the right place while I was directing traffic.  I was polite, and she seemed agreeable.  So, she then called my boss to tell him that I won't let her park wherever she wants (despite the traffic flow pattern being online) because she is black.

My supervisor called me on Thursday to relate this to me and to pretty much tell me the whole mess is y fault for speaking to a parent despite this being what part of the job is!  While she only lodged a complaint, he was taking her side without even bothering to pull the parking lot video to at least try to see body language, length of the conversation, or to see if I intercepted any white people the same way (which I did).

I should have quit right then, but I was too angry!  If anything like this happens again, then I will walk away from directing traffic for the school and simply be an aid.

Sorry to hear that.  I do hate it when people pick sides based on their colour.  I think Morgan Freeman summed it up pretty well, when he said "I don't want a black history month.  Do you want a white history month?  If we stop talking about it, that's the way things will improve."  Using the race card is not a way to make things better.

I hope things get sorted out for you, Chris, and they'll be able to work out you were just doing your job.

Fundy wrote:

Being stuck at home, not being able to go out does make you go slightly mad.  Anyway, that aside, I decided to do a self-portrait.  What do you think?

COOL!!  It looks quite a bit like you, just the nose seems a little off. 

alldatndensum wrote:

So I have learned that I am a racist this week.

On Wednesday, I had to ask a black lady to drop her students off at the right place while I was directing traffic.  I was polite, and she seemed agreeable.  So, she then called my boss to tell him that I won't let her park wherever she wants (despite the traffic flow pattern being online) because she is black.

My supervisor called me on Thursday to relate this to me and to pretty much tell me the whole mess is y fault for speaking to a parent despite this being what part of the job is!  While she only lodged a complaint, he was taking her side without even bothering to pull the parking lot video to at least try to see body language, length of the conversation, or to see if I intercepted any white people the same way (which I did).

I should have quit right then, but I was too angry!  If anything like this happens again, then I will walk away from directing traffic for the school and simply be an aid.

I don't blame you in the slightest.  This kind of nonsense really pisses me off.

Today we have a Club Match. That's an annual Arctic dog club meeting.

For every dog breed there is a competition to see who is the most beautiful dog.


We participate with Matsi in the competition for Finnish spitses.

I am curious what the judge will think of Matsi.

rockerVu2 wrote:

Today we have a Club Match. That's an annual Arctic dog club meeting.

For every dog breed there is a competition to see who is the most beautiful dog.


We participate with Matsi in the competition for Finnish spitses.

I am curious what the judge will think of Matsi.

How could the judge not think that Matsi is a perfect Spitz?  He is simply a beautiful dog.

I installed a dashcam (front and back) in our car over the weekend. It was a bit of a hassle routing the cables but I got it in!

We got a letter from the IRS today saying we had not paid our taxes for 2020.  I found where they cashed the check.  They applied it to next year's taxes as "estimated payment".  So now the fun begins to get them to remove the penalties and actually put the money where it actually goes.

I hate the IRS.

Oh dang that is no fun... I'm sorry dude! Ugh the IRS is frustrating indeed.

alldatndensum wrote:

We got a letter from the IRS today saying we had not paid our taxes for 2020.  I found where they cashed the check.  They applied it to next year's taxes as "estimated payment".  So now the fun begins to get them to remove the penalties and actually put the money where it actually goes.

I hate the IRS.

Oh man that stinks, the IRS is completely inept.  

My sister-in-law owed back taxes (because her husband was an idiot and she let him file joint for the both of them).  After her husband died she used part of his life-insurance to settle up with the IRS (paying them in full for all the back taxes and penalties).  However, for two years they have continued to garnish the tax returns she is supposed to get insisting that she still owes back taxes.  She has had to go so far as to get her state representative involved, but two years after she paid them off they still haven't straightened it out.

And this administration wants to empower the IRS to monitor every transaction $600 or higher. We are truly moving toward totalitarianism.

Black Rider wrote:

And this administration wants to empower the IRS to monitor every transaction $600 or higher. We are truly moving toward totalitarianism.

Well, if Amazon and Facebook are already watching over you, what's another entity? 

Staybrite wrote:

alldatndensum wrote:

We got a letter from the IRS today saying we had not paid our taxes for 2020.  I found where they cashed the check.  They applied it to next year's taxes as "estimated payment".  So now the fun begins to get them to remove the penalties and actually put the money where it actually goes.

I hate the IRS.

Oh man that stinks, the IRS is completely inept.  

My sister-in-law owed back taxes (because her husband was an idiot and she let him file joint for the both of them).  After her husband died she used part of his life-insurance to settle up with the IRS (paying them in full for all the back taxes and penalties).  However, for two years they have continued to garnish the tax returns she is supposed to get insisting that she still owes back taxes.  She has had to go so far as to get her state representative involved, but two years after she paid them off they still haven't straightened it out.

I had a similar experience with US Immigration (also inept). I used to fly through LAX, San Francisco, or Honolulu en route to visit family in Canada, sometimes visiting friends in the US as I passed through, but no more. When foreigners travel through the US, the customs people put a little green card into their passport. The customs people are supposed to remove this card before departure. If the customs person forgets to pull the card, the foreigner is marked down as an overstayer. Soooo, even though I was only in the country for 3 hours in transit, I am an overstayer. Twenty years on, I am STILL an overstayer, despite driving to the city to visit the consulate (after a long conversation, long distance, advising me to make the trip to get it sorted), paperwork, getting letters from employers to say I was back at work, pay slips, visa bills, notarized copies of passport pages showing entry into Canada, into NZ, and finally, a letter to some secret place in Idaho (or was it Iowa) where all the tens of thousands of "overstayers" proclaim their innocence. As an overstayer, you get put in a back room for "secondary processing" upon entry in the US. This means that you queue up with everyone else, talk to the customs agent, and then get escorted into a room to sit with suspected drug dealers and other overstayers. They keep you there under guard while all the other law abiding citizens get processed and then they interview all the suspects and then, if you are lucky, you make your connecting flight. 

Yup. I'm a criminal.

That's a U.S. Government Agency for you.  They make a mistake and the citizen gets flagged, tagged, bagged and gagged.

Xid wrote:

That's a U.S. Government Agency for you.  They make a mistake and the citizen gets flagged, tagged, bagged and gagged.

It will get worse.  Welcome to the Untied Socialist States Of Amerika, Komrad!

Amazon and FB can't freeze your bank accounts is the difference. This government is weaponizing our institutions.

Jen5 wrote:

Staybrite wrote:

alldatndensum wrote:

We got a letter from the IRS today saying we had not paid our taxes for 2020.  I found where they cashed the check.  They applied it to next year's taxes as "estimated payment".  So now the fun begins to get them to remove the penalties and actually put the money where it actually goes.

I hate the IRS.

Oh man that stinks, the IRS is completely inept.  

My sister-in-law owed back taxes (because her husband was an idiot and she let him file joint for the both of them).  After her husband died she used part of his life-insurance to settle up with the IRS (paying them in full for all the back taxes and penalties).  However, for two years they have continued to garnish the tax returns she is supposed to get insisting that she still owes back taxes.  She has had to go so far as to get her state representative involved, but two years after she paid them off they still haven't straightened it out.

I had a similar experience with US Immigration (also inept). I used to fly through LAX, San Francisco, or Honolulu en route to visit family in Canada, sometimes visiting friends in the US as I passed through, but no more. When foreigners travel through the US, the customs people put a little green card into their passport. The customs people are supposed to remove this card before departure. If the customs person forgets to pull the card, the foreigner is marked down as an overstayer. Soooo, even though I was only in the country for 3 hours in transit, I am an overstayer. Twenty years on, I am STILL an overstayer, despite driving to the city to visit the consulate (after a long conversation, long distance, advising me to make the trip to get it sorted), paperwork, getting letters from employers to say I was back at work, pay slips, visa bills, notarized copies of passport pages showing entry into Canada, into NZ, and finally, a letter to some secret place in Idaho (or was it Iowa) where all the tens of thousands of "overstayers" proclaim their innocence. As an overstayer, you get put in a back room for "secondary processing" upon entry in the US. This means that you queue up with everyone else, talk to the customs agent, and then get escorted into a room to sit with suspected drug dealers and other overstayers. They keep you there under guard while all the other law abiding citizens get processed and then they interview all the suspects and then, if you are lucky, you make your connecting flight. 

Yup. I'm a criminal.

Oh gosh, that is absolutely ridiculous!

People, do we really want let some Kiwi into our country to run amok? Especially when they are going to Canada? Which could invade us at any time?

So I was at Walmart Supercenter yesterday and most of their lawn and garden area has already been transformed into Christmas department. I noticed a new addition to the inflatables…

Thank God.  Walmart got something right for a change.   

Ducks

My Patriots Mac Jones #10 jersey should be arriving today! Woohoo! 

Normaniac wrote:

My Patriots Mac Jones #10 jersey should be arriving today! Woohoo! 

Speaking of football jerseys.  My son has a Seahawk's Richard Sherman jersey with his autograph.  My sister-in-law got it (got the autograph herself during spring training).  For some reason she is no longer a fan of the Seahawks so she gave it to my son for Christmas one year.  Only he isn't a Seahawks fan (he's a Patriot's fan, but doesn't even follow football very closely).  So he can't get rid of the jersey for fear of upsetting his Aunt, but he certainly doesn't want to wear it.  So it sits in our house.

I respect his decision. :d