Special Snowflake Stories

[AngelicGamer]

I think that, if Marvel and DC were willing, they could make a killing on Kindle / Nook with a subscription option.  So, you want to read only Iron Man comics?  Well, you can sign up for all the Iron Man comics until you get sick of them or they end the series for maybe a bit more than the print edition.

(I apologize for anyone who doesn't like Iron Man.  I just saw the trailer for the third movie on Sunday with Skyfall and it's been eating my brain.  Nom.)

[ThatGirl]

On the subject of accusations of 'stealing'...When I was working in the main contact centre for a UK mail-order catalogue, I took a call from an account holder who wanted details of our returns policy [which, for background, required goods to be returned unused/unworn with their original packaging within something like 30 days for a full credit to the account - fairly standard over here, nothing out of the ordinary]. The customer wanted to return a pair of jeans she had ordered over a month ago for her teenage daughter, who had paid for them with her birthday money. She explained that the daughter had tried them on by herself and wanted to keep them, but she had noticed that day that the jeans had only been worn once since.

As it turned out, the jeans were actually too small for the daughter but she had been too embarrassed to tell her mother she needed a larger size - the mother now wanted to send them back for the correct size. I did sympathise with the situation, but explained that the company couldn't accept the return because, as confirmed by the customer, all the tags and packaging had been removed and thrown away plus the jeans had been worn at least once (we did have discretion to authorise late returns on unworn packaged goods, but not for worn ones - the returns department would have just sent the goods back to the customer). Up till this point the customer had been polite to the point of saccharine, but once she realised she wasn't getting her own way she threw an absolute blue fit, screaming and swearing at me and accusing me of STEALING her daughter's birthday money from her! (Because it was obviously entirely my fault!)

The kicker? The jeans weren't branded or designer or anything - they were from one of the catalogue's in-house labels and cost all of about £15.00. If it had been my kid I would have just bought her another pair in the right size (and probably taken it out of her pocket money for being so silly as to lie about the jeans fitting in the first place, but maybe that's just me!)

[Shea]

I saw this on Yahoo - they asked people to submit stories about how the recent political election divided their families.  I don't want to link to the story because I don't want to even suggest that this is a red vs blue issue - this was just a very SS daughter. So, to summarize the story:
Daughter (who is the one telling the story) finds out her parents have put up a very large sign on their yard supporting the other candidate.  She makes a big deal of them not telling her during their regular phone conversations and when she finally confronts them, the mother is "ashamed" and tries to justify it because there is another large sign for daughter's candidate across the street.  Daughter then informs mother that as long as the sign is up, she will not visit them (keep in mind that she never saw the sign because she hadn't visited in all that time, so it doesn't strike me that she regularly visits them).  In the end, the sign went down because of Sandy.

So, SS Daughter takes her parents political views a little too personally and tries to deny them the right to show their support of their candidate because she doesn't like it.

Reminds me of NPR's "This American Life" episode last week on the same subject. It was full of people from both sides of the aisle being SS. My favorite (by which I mean, the one that I thought was the craziest) was two guys who'd been good friends for years and often discussed politics, even though they were on opposite ends of the political spectrum. One of the guys was on the program telling the story of how his friend, upon finding out that he was voting for Candidate X, had told him that unless he learned the error of his ways he, the friend, would never speak to him again. From the way the guy told it, he hadn't disparaged the friend's political beliefs, just stated his intention to vote for Candidate X. I sort of assumed that, since we were only getting his side of the story, there must be more to it.

Then the friend got on and told his side of the story, and yep, it was just as the first guy had said. No insulting of friend's politics, just a stated intention to vote for Candidate X instead of Candidate Y. Apparently, this intention was such an insult to the friend that he ended the friendship . I could understand backing off or even ending the friendship if the first guy had gotten insulting, but if that had been the case you'd think that the friend would have brought it up. The world does not revolve around you and your political opinions, dude.

[RebeccainGA]

I can't decide if this is SS or brain hurty, so I'm going to drop it here.

My DP, who as many of you know is recovering from a major health issue (5 months in the hospital last year), wanted a grill when we moved to the new place. Not a standard one, mind you - a super fancy, wood pellet burning grill that costs $$$. It's easy to use, environmentally friendly, etc. and since it's got a thermostat and holds its temp, and has a remote to show the temp and such she can operate it with a minimum of standing around waiting for things. It was the one thing she asked for in the move, and I said yes, and we bought the grill. The movers, in their infinite wisdom, managed to hide the grill cover and the bag of wood pellets we'd bought with it, and so it sat, unused, for two months, as we were busy and hadn't had a chance to go anywhere to get more pellets (they aren't something you can just pick up at the store).

Here's the brain hurty/special snowflakey part - we mention that hadn't gotten pellets yet to my parents, who were coming up for a weekend. Mom finds some local to her, and they bring us a big bag of them. We all plan (including DP) for us to have a grilled dinner the second night they were there - steaks, baked potatoes, corn, etc. and mom and dad buy all the stuff. DP gets really sick the morning of the planned dinner - this happens, with some regularity, since her hospital time. Mom and dad, with DP's permission and blessing, get the grill going and make dinner for all of us. DP eats dinner, is gracious, all is well. Until after they leave - when DP says that even though she loves the grill, she wishes she could replace it with another identical one and give the one we have to mom and dad, because it 'no longer feels like hers' since my parents were the first to use it.

I'm baffled by the whole thing.

[nutraxfornerves]

From Customers Suck. Major language warning--it's laden with F-bombs. The brightest, uniquest, specialest snowflake EVAR!!!

It's a holiday and the banks are closed. SS manages to phone the Corporate Security office of a very large bank with over 600 branches. Security has nothing to do with customers.

1. SS is furious because the security person on duty doesn't immediately recognize his name, since SS is one of the most important customers of the bank.
2. SS demands that Security send someone to the SS's bank branch and open it up so the SS can make a deposit that absolutely must be made that day. Will not take "no" for an answer. "I am a very important customer of this bank! Is this how you treat all your VIPs?"

[weeblewobble]

-A woman at a comic convention who got upset when a guy bought some sort of superhero figurine that her 12-13 year old son wanted.  And screamed that comic books are for CHILDREN not adults, and what was wrong with this man to go around stealing toys from children?  She was eventually kicked out of the convention.

EvilTraska wants to introduce this woman's children to the Marvel "MAX" imprint.  Or even DC's "Vertigo".

I think it was more about shaming the guy into giving up the figurine.

Just saying that anyone who thinks comic books are just for children has never taken a look at the comic book industry.

Yep.

[weeblewobble]

I think that, if Marvel and DC were willing, they could make a killing on Kindle / Nook with a subscription option.  So, you want to read only Iron Man comics?  Well, you can sign up for all the Iron Man comics until you get sick of them or they end the series for maybe a bit more than the print edition.

(I apologize for anyone who doesn't like Iron Man.  I just saw the trailer for the third movie on Sunday with Skyfall and it's been eating my brain.  Nom.)

That would be pretty cool. Also, I want the Richard Castle "writer" vest shown in your avatar, but my husband, the cop, said it would be "irresponsible" and "dangerous." Pssh.

[siamesecat2965]

From Customers Suck. Major language warning--it's laden with F-bombs. The brightest, uniquest, specialest snowflake EVAR!!!

It's a holiday and the banks are closed. SS manages to phone the Corporate Security office of a very large bank with over 600 branches. Security has nothing to do with customers.

1. SS is furious because the security person on duty doesn't immediately recognize his name, since SS is one of the most important customers of the bank.
2. SS demands that Security send someone to the SS's bank branch and open it up so the SS can make a deposit that absolutely must be made that day. Will not take "no" for an answer. "I am a very important customer of this bank! Is this how you treat all your VIPs?"

I saw this!  Wow. truly a special snowflake

[weeblewobble]

I saw this on Yahoo - they asked people to submit stories about how the recent political election divided their families.  I don't want to link to the story because I don't want to even suggest that this is a red vs blue issue - this was just a very SS daughter. So, to summarize the story:
Daughter (who is the one telling the story) finds out her parents have put up a very large sign on their yard supporting the other candidate.  She makes a big deal of them not telling her during their regular phone conversations and when she finally confronts them, the mother is "ashamed" and tries to justify it because there is another large sign for daughter's candidate across the street.  Daughter then informs mother that as long as the sign is up, she will not visit them (keep in mind that she never saw the sign because she hadn't visited in all that time, so it doesn't strike me that she regularly visits them).  In the end, the sign went down because of Sandy.

So, SS Daughter takes her parents political views a little too personally and tries to deny them the right to show their support of their candidate because she doesn't like it.

Reminds me of NPR's "This American Life" episode last week on the same subject. It was full of people from both sides of the aisle being SS. My favorite (by which I mean, the one that I thought was the craziest) was two guys who'd been good friends for years and often discussed politics, even though they were on opposite ends of the political spectrum. One of the guys was on the program telling the story of how his friend, upon finding out that he was voting for Candidate X, had told him that unless he learned the error of his ways he, the friend, would never speak to him again. From the way the guy told it, he hadn't disparaged the friend's political beliefs, just stated his intention to vote for Candidate X. I sort of assumed that, since we were only getting his side of the story, there must be more to it.

Then the friend got on and told his side of the story, and yep, it was just as the first guy had said. No insulting of friend's politics, just a stated intention to vote for Candidate X instead of Candidate Y. Apparently, this intention was such an insult to the friend that he ended the friendship . I could understand backing off or even ending the friendship if the first guy had gotten insulting, but if that had been the case you'd think that the friend would have brought it up. The world does not revolve around you and your political opinions, dude.

I love my dad, but he had some real SS moments when we were growing up. My dad used to harp on my maternal grandmother, who was far more liberal than he or any member of his family, about trying to force her political agenda down his throat every holiday.  As a teen, I didn't understand this at all, because I watched them every holiday and if anything, Dad would demand my grandmother's opinion on various issues, and even then, all she would say is something like, "I don't see it that way," or "I think we're going to have to agree to disagree." 

So one year, when I was 15 or so, Dad was griping how he would have to listen to my grandmother's rantings at Thanksgiving.  My sister, 13, said, "Daddy, I don't understand.  You ask Gramma for her opinions, and even then, all she says is that she disagrees with you.  She doesn't even tell you why she disagrees.  She's pretty nice about it."

Dad huffed and said, "It's enough KNOWING that she disagrees with me.  It's infuriating to know she thinks that way."

"So, you drag her opinion out of her, knowing that it's different than yours - which is supposed to happen in a country where we all have free speech and voting rights and stuff - and then you get mad at her for it?" I asked. "That doesn't make much sense, Daddy."

Dad got mad and left the room.  Mom kissed us both on the head and said we were brilliant girls, but Dad probably wasn't going to talk a lot for the rest of the day.   

She was right, it was a very quiet Thanksgiving.

[wheeitsme]

Mental Mother just told me this yesterday.  She was handing out candy for trick-or-treating this year.  The doorbell rang as per usual and Mental Mother opened the door only to find two adults standing there, not in costume.  As she looked them over, it became apparent to her that there was a baby in a sling across the mother's chest.  Mental Mother asked to see the little one in her costume, except that the 1 month old only had a spot of black on her nose.  Yes, a 1 month old.

And that's why I also have "Baby Mum-Mum"s to hand out.  Individually wrapped, pre-packaged rice husks that babies can actually eat. 

If you are excited about dressing up and dressing up your babe for their first Halloween to show them off, I'm okay with that.  I will probably give you a piece of candy, too.  No costume and just a babe in a sling?  Baby is the only one to get a treat and it's one that baby can actually eat.

[Christabeldreams]

-A woman at a comic convention who got upset when a guy bought some sort of superhero figurine that her 12-13 year old son wanted.  And screamed that comic books are for CHILDREN not adults, and what was wrong with this man to go around stealing toys from children?  She was eventually kicked out of the convention.

EvilTraska wants to introduce this woman's children to the Marvel "MAX" imprint.  Or even DC's "Vertigo".

POD!
Edited, because I was silly enough to forget my SS story. A friend of mine works at Party City and despite the fact that it's stated clearly on the receipt, the signs on the cash registers, and told to you by the cashiers, they are still innundated with people DEMANDING to return their halloween stuff THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN. They suspect it was a ploy to get free decorations/costumes.

[CakeBeret]

Today's Job Search Special Snowflake, courtesy of Not Always Working

http://notalwaysworking.com/some-coworkers-are-to-be-a-void-ed/27253

[Sirius]

My son was five months old when his first Halloween rolled around. I dressed him up in a monkey costume and took him to see grandparents.

I don't think there's anything wrong with participating in a little of the fun of Halloween as your little ones can. But I do agree door to door trick or treating with one too little does go a bit too far.

A neighbor of my parents' brought over her two older kids and her infant, who was dressed up in a bunny costume.  But that's different - she had two older kids who were trick or treating, and my parents were close neighbors.   

[Sirius]

Also - my dad and I are at opposite ends of the political spectrum.  This last election, he started in criticizing my candidate, and I told him that since I knew we would never agree I wasn't going to discuss politics with him.  Strangely enough, he actually dropped the subject and started talking about history.  Maybe he's mellowing in his old age (he's almost 80.)

[Iris]

I can't decide if this is SS or brain hurty, so I'm going to drop it here.

My DP, who as many of you know is recovering from a major health issue (5 months in the hospital last year), wanted a grill when we moved to the new place. Not a standard one, mind you - a super fancy, wood pellet burning grill that costs $$$. It's easy to use, environmentally friendly, etc. and since it's got a thermostat and holds its temp, and has a remote to show the temp and such she can operate it with a minimum of standing around waiting for things. It was the one thing she asked for in the move, and I said yes, and we bought the grill. The movers, in their infinite wisdom, managed to hide the grill cover and the bag of wood pellets we'd bought with it, and so it sat, unused, for two months, as we were busy and hadn't had a chance to go anywhere to get more pellets (they aren't something you can just pick up at the store).

Here's the brain hurty/special snowflakey part - we mention that hadn't gotten pellets yet to my parents, who were coming up for a weekend. Mom finds some local to her, and they bring us a big bag of them. We all plan (including DP) for us to have a grilled dinner the second night they were there - steaks, baked potatoes, corn, etc. and mom and dad buy all the stuff. DP gets really sick the morning of the planned dinner - this happens, with some regularity, since her hospital time. Mom and dad, with DP's permission and blessing, get the grill going and make dinner for all of us. DP eats dinner, is gracious, all is well. Until after they leave - when DP says that even though she loves the grill, she wishes she could replace it with another identical one and give the one we have to mom and dad, because it 'no longer feels like hers' since my parents were the first to use it.

I'm baffled by the whole thing.

I can see feeling this way - when you are sick you tend to attach an undue amount of importance to mundane or everyday things. I can only imagine that that would be magnified 1000x when you are sick for an extended period of time. DP has probably been looking forward tremendously to cooking on 'her' grill for a long time and then her illness got in the way at the last moment. That's got to be disappointing. However, I know that personally I would feel silly for feeling that way and would certainly be gracious while guests were there, but may let my disappointment and 'silly' feelings out to DH once they left because he is my 'safe' person and gets to see allllllll my crazy 

Now, if you said she was actually insisting on buying a new grill...