The Complaint Thread

[Justice]

Does anyone else here have night hallucinations? Apparently it is hereditary for me because my mother and my oldest sister both get them regularly. I've had them for years, but only when I sleep in my bed. If I sleep on the couch I sleep like a baby.

Last night I kept seeing raccoons and bats in my room, most likely because I've been seeing a lot of stuff online about rabies lately. My brain convinces me they are real and I freak out and jump up to turn the light on and begin searching the room for them before it sinks in that it was a night hallucination. It always happens just as I'm drifting off to sleep. It kept me up so long last night that I ended up oversleeping by two hours. Thankfully work hours for me are flexible, I just have to stay two hours later than I normally would.

My mom sees people most of the time and thankfully I don't usually because that is extremely scary. My sister and I both see animals and insects most of the time. Snakes, spiders, mice for me usually.

It's really kind of fucked up. Thankfully it only happens a few times a month for me, but last night was particularly bad.

 

[joshsquash729]

Does anyone else here have night hallucinations? Apparently it is hereditary for me because my mother and my oldest sister both get them regularly. I've had them for years, but only when I sleep in my bed. If I sleep on the couch I sleep like a baby.

Last night I kept seeing raccoons and bats in my room, most likely because I've been seeing a lot of stuff online about rabies lately. My brain convinces me they are real and I freak out and jump up to turn the light on and begin searching the room for them before it sinks in that it was a night hallucination. It always happens just as I'm drifting off to sleep. It kept me up so long last night that I ended up oversleeping by two hours. Thankfully work hours for me are flexible, I just have to stay two hours later than I normally would.

My mom sees people most of the time and thankfully I don't usually because that is extremely scary. My sister and I both see animals and insects most of the time. Snakes, spiders, mice for me usually.

It's really kind of fucked up. Thankfully it only happens a few times a month for me, but last night was particularly bad.

I'm sorry to hear that, Justice. I don't have that exactly, but I do have PTSD, and part of it does involve pretty common nightmares and night-time anxiety, which every now and then manifests itself as a "corner of my eye" kind of thing. Back at the height of it, it was pretty common for me to have vivid nightmares that I thought were real, mostly having to do with whatever current place I was in; my mom still deals with it every so often. But even that was exhausting, I can't imagine how mentally taxing something like what you're dealing with is, so you have my sympathies.

Our brains are fascinating, fickle things sometimes. Is there any sort of medication or anything you could take for it?

 

[Justice]

I'm sorry to hear that, Justice. I don't have that exactly, but I do have PTSD, and part of it does involve pretty common nightmares and night-time anxiety, which every now and then manifests itself as a "corner of my eye" kind of thing. Back at the height of it, it was pretty common for me to have vivid nightmares that I thought were real, mostly having to do with whatever current place I was in; my mom still deals with it every so often. But even that was exhausting, I can't imagine how mentally taxing something like what you're dealing with is, so you have my sympathies.

Our brains are fascinating, fickle things sometimes. Is there any sort of medication or anything you could take for it?

I'm going to check with my doctor. I've been wanting to get a sleep study done anyway. My attending nurses during my colonoscopy said I was doing some weird things while I was under anesthesia, regarding body movements and things that they don't usually see.

 

[joshsquash729]

Mentioned it over in the Jurassic thread, but figured I'd come here just to spew my first world problems about street-dated items.

I believe it was the wise scholar Jerry Seinfeld who said "What's the deal with street-dating action figures?!" On some things I can understand, if it's trying to be kept secret or whatever, but this was for a Hammond Collection figure of a dino from a movie that came out 24 years ago. And even if they were trying to tie it into the new movie, they've had a little bit of product for that on shelves for at least a week or so in most places.

But what always gets me is how defensive employees get when they see the item is street-dated. It's only happened to me a handful of times in general, but every single time, the employee acts like I performed some elaborate heist to infiltrate the Target stockrooms and steal the item (only to attempt to pay for it immediately after). On one hand, it's kind of flattering that they'd think I'm some mastermind criminal, but it's so silly. Every so often I'll hear about the lackadaisical employee that will just override it, but the only times I ever get said employee is when it's just something silly like a price match or ID check. And this employee absolutely would not even consider holding the item for me to pick up Sunday (you know, because of the aforementioned criminal activity).

I'm sorta of the belief that, if the item gets put out early, then they should just honor it. It's not like there wasn't huge, bold, colorful letters telling them not to open the box until a certain date; if they missed it, then they should just honor the mistake, especially if it's just a few days difference. It's not like I was asking for a discount or anything; I'd happily have paid full price. Heck, I even scanned it at the price checker beforehand, and it was in the system and everything. I'm usually pretty forgiving, though- I know these employees are just doing what they're told, and I'm not gonna get anyone in trouble or become a hated customer over a plastic toy (even if said plastic toy is, in my opinion, really freaking cool). I used to work retail, and it's a thankless job, and after dealing with untold numbers of difficult customers, I swore I'd never become one myself.

Don't get me wrong- the whole thing was my fault. I knew everyone else was getting street-dated, but we all wanna feel like we're the special one, right? The definition of insanity is knowing you're going to get street-dated on an action figure, and attempting to buy it anyway (or something like that). I've been having one of "those" days, and being able to have it would've really helped rescue this day, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

 

[puckace]

No Josh you are absolutely right. The whole thing is ludicrous. The only a reason a store exists is to sell things to make a profit. If it's on the sales floor, they should sell it and we should be able to buy it. The customer, even if they are an adult who likes toys, shouldn't be treated like they're a criminal or like they've done something shady.
This has happened to me a few times and it absolutely blows. I know that I will never see that particular toy again once they take it away.
But it's all good. I just order it online or find it somewhere else and that store has lost a sale and hurt it's bottom line.

 

[Damien]

I genuinely, honestly, truly and completely, do not fucking care if there's a baby in your car. And no one has ever given me an adequate reason why you need to plaster that fact onto the back of said car for me to read in traffic. What is the actual purpose of this? Are you proud of it? I don't actually care, though. No one fucking cares that you had a baby. Are you cautioning me to drive safer because of your baby? Because that's absolutely idiotic for a whole host of reasons. Like, if I drive in a way that could endanger your baby, I'm probably not the kind of person that gives a fuck about your baby anyway. And if I drive normally.. am I supposed to be -extra- careful because you have a baby? Why? YOU drive safer, then. Or get the baby out of the fucking car.
And if I -was- just a generally shitty driver, why should I stop being a shitty driver for a few minutes just because your baby is around. Why is your baby more important than anyone else?

Just.. generally.. fuck off. I don't care. I don't care about your baby. I don't care how many members there are in your stick figure family. I don't care that you brake for goats, or whatever. I don't fucking care. Stop writing stupid bullshit on your fucking car and maybe spend that money fixing it, because your tire looks like it's about to fall off. Which, for your information, may kill your stupid baby.

 

[TheSameIdiot]

I genuinely, honestly, truly and completely, do not fucking care if there's a baby in your car. And no one has ever given me an adequate reason why you need to plaster that fact onto the back of said car for me to read in traffic. What is the actual purpose of this? Are you proud of it? I don't actually care, though. No one fucking cares that you had a baby. Are you cautioning me to drive safer because of your baby? Because that's absolutely idiotic for a whole host of reasons. Like, if I drive in a way that could endanger your baby, I'm probably not the kind of person that gives a fuck about your baby anyway. And if I drive normally.. am I supposed to be -extra- careful because you have a baby? Why? YOU drive safer, then. Or get the baby out of the fucking car.
And if I -was- just a generally shitty driver, why should I stop being a shitty driver for a few minutes just because your baby is around. Why is your baby more important than anyone else?

Just.. generally.. fuck off. I don't care. I don't care about your baby. I don't care how many members there are in your stick figure family. I don't care that you brake for goats, or whatever. I don't fucking care. Stop writing stupid bullshit on your fucking car and maybe spend that money fixing it, because your tire looks like it's about to fall off. Which, for your information, may kill your stupid baby.

The idea is that in the case of an accident, paramedics will know to look for a baby. However, paramedics have gone on record saying they aren't trained to look for the stickers and they do their jobs the same way regardless.

 

[Damien]

The idea is that in the case of an accident, paramedics will know to look for a baby. However, paramedics have gone on record saying they aren't trained to look for the stickers and they do their jobs the same way regardless.

I'd forgotten about that reasoning - I've heard that one before too.
Definitely the stupidest potential reason. Like, even if paramedics were trained to look for that and base decisions on it... like.. you gonna take it off whenever your baby isn't in your car? Or are you just gonna have the paramedics tearing through car wreckage on the highway to look for a baby that isn't there?
Ridiculousness.

 

[KvHulk]

I came across an article that explained the life cycle of the fig wasp. I wish I never saw it. I don't think I'll ever eat a fig newton again.

"The female wasp crawls inside through a hole so narrow that she loses her wings in the process and becomes trapped. If the fig is a male, she lays her eggs inside. These hatch into larvae that burrow out, turn into wasps and fly off, carrying fig pollen with them. If the wasp climbs into a female fig, she pollinates it, but cannot lay her eggs and just dies alone. Figs produce an enzyme that digests this wasp completely."

I've also read that 96-99% of figs used in products are self-pollinating and dont use wasp pollination. I'm gonna need some time to forget what I've learned before I think about eating another fig newton.

 

[Justice]

Well I'm happy that my weird texture issues have always prevented me from eating fig newtons. I bite into one of those little seeds and it is over for me. Same reason I can't eat strawberries or anything made from them that doesn't have them removed. I'm just completely cringing and shuddering now just thinking about it.

 

[akajomiha]

Well I'm happy that my weird texture issues have always prevented me from eating fig newtons. I bite into one of those little seeds and it is over for me. Same reason I can't eat strawberries or anything made from them that doesn't have them removed. I'm just completely cringing and shuddering now just thinking about it.

I'm totally the same, Justice. My family thinks I'm nuts for not liking strawberries or other fruits with little seeds. I cannot do it. I just can't.

 

[joshsquash729]

I genuinely, honestly, truly and completely, do not fucking care if there's a baby in your car. And no one has ever given me an adequate reason why you need to plaster that fact onto the back of said car for me to read in traffic. What is the actual purpose of this? Are you proud of it? I don't actually care, though. No one fucking cares that you had a baby. Are you cautioning me to drive safer because of your baby? Because that's absolutely idiotic for a whole host of reasons. Like, if I drive in a way that could endanger your baby, I'm probably not the kind of person that gives a fuck about your baby anyway. And if I drive normally.. am I supposed to be -extra- careful because you have a baby? Why? YOU drive safer, then. Or get the baby out of the fucking car.
And if I -was- just a generally shitty driver, why should I stop being a shitty driver for a few minutes just because your baby is around. Why is your baby more important than anyone else?

Just.. generally.. fuck off. I don't care. I don't care about your baby. I don't care how many members there are in your stick figure family. I don't care that you brake for goats, or whatever. I don't fucking care. Stop writing stupid bullshit on your fucking car and maybe spend that money fixing it, because your tire looks like it's about to fall off. Which, for your information, may kill your stupid baby.

The main reasoning from where I'm from in the Midwest seems to be so that people will drive safer around them. Which is hella ironic, because, just like the after-Church crowd at restaurants on Sundays, the people with the "Baby on Board" stickers are some of the worst, most combative drivers I've come across.

I came across an article that explained the life cycle of the fig wasp. I wish I never saw it. I don't think I'll ever eat a fig newton again.

"The female wasp crawls inside through a hole so narrow that she loses her wings in the process and becomes trapped. If the fig is a male, she lays her eggs inside. These hatch into larvae that burrow out, turn into wasps and fly off, carrying fig pollen with them. If the wasp climbs into a female fig, she pollinates it, but cannot lay her eggs and just dies alone. Figs produce an enzyme that digests this wasp completely."

I've also read that 96-99% of figs used in products are self-pollinating and dont use wasp pollination. I'm gonna need some time to forget what I've learned before I think about eating another fig newton.

Yeah, I was pretty horrified when I found that out a while back too. Don't even get me started on the gross things most chocolate bars supposedly contain. Yeah, yeah- "extra protein" and all that. I know we supposedly swallow X amount of bugs in our sleep each year too. Having worked in various parts of the food industry, I know nothing is as clean or fresh as it claims, but still, I don't like having such info on my mind when I'm eating the thing.

 

[Justice]

I'm totally the same, Justice. My family thinks I'm nuts for not liking strawberries or other fruits with little seeds. I cannot do it. I just can't.

The worst is not knowing whether you can order strawberry ice cream or not. I love the taste but it can't have actual real strawberries. Nothing is worse than when you are told there are none and you expect smooth creaminess and get gritty seeds. I will start gagging and almost vomit. It's that bad.

 

[joshsquash729]

The worst is not knowing whether you can order strawberry ice cream or not. I love the taste but it can't have actual real strawberries. Nothing is worse than when you are told there are none and you expect smooth creaminess and get gritty seeds. I will start gagging and almost vomit. It's that bad.

I'm that way with gummies. Don't know why. My theory is because someone told me when I was younger and eating gummy worms that that's what real worms felt/tasted like. Either that, or because it reminds me of the super gross fat/gristle on steaks that I had to eat when I was young. But ever since, I can't do gummy anything- worms, bears, rings, etc. Same with Jell-O. Though oddly enough, Jelly things are fine- jellybeans, jelly rings, etc. But that'll happen sometimes where the thing will say it's jelly, but it's actually more gummy consistency, and my whole day is ruined.

 

[Justice]

I'm that way with gummies. Don't know why. My theory is because someone told me when I was younger and eating gummy worms that that's what real worms felt/tasted like. Either that, or because it reminds me of the super gross fat/gristle on steaks that I had to eat when I was young. But ever since, I can't do gummy anything- worms, bears, rings, etc. Same with Jell-O. Though oddly enough, Jelly things are fine- jellybeans, jelly rings, etc. But that'll happen sometimes where the thing will say it's jelly, but it's actually more gummy consistency, and my whole day is ruined.

We humans are a weird and wonderful bunch aren't we.