Special Snowflake Stories

[Adelaide]

There's a new girl in my martial arts class who hates any sort of contact or anyone putting any energy into drills. She's done a different martial art for YEARS so I really don't understand why she's like this, but she insists that no one should grab her or come at her with any sort of force whatsoever. She told our instructor numerous times (in front of me, but without looking at me) that she can't stand working with me because I put some aggression in it. The instructor just looked at her and said "...right, because obviously rapists and muggers are going to be gentle." He then told her to actually go through the motions of hitting me back with more oomph/seriousness instead of just half-heartedly pantomiming the movements. She said "Well obviously that's not how I'm going to do it on the street!"

[kherbert05]

Update on the Mom who said I was excluding her child by calling our party today an end of term party rather than a Christmas party. (I have kids who do not celebrate Christmas in my class).


She came today with a present for every child. A bag of M&M with some story about how the M told the story of Christ. The boy handed them out - and the kids put them directly in their backpacks because plain M&M's have peanut warnings. Mom asked me if he handed them out. I said Yes. She asked if I saw the verse, I said yes and went to take care of things I needed to do. I'm pretty sure she was spoiling for a fight on this. No need I followed the rules as they stand.


I did give my principal a heads up in case a parent calls to complain thinking I handed them out. But the kids that know their parents wouldn't like it either gave the present to a seatmate or tore the message off. I saw them in the recycling bin.

[Piratelvr1121]

Sounds like a real piece of work, that one.  In the elementary schools I think they're dubbed holiday parties these days.  And thankfully I haven't heard of too many people raising a holy ruckus about a "war on Christmas" or prayer in schools, thankfully. 

There is a religious club that meets at the school but they're not sponsored by the school at all, it's simply the meeting place.

[Shea]

Another library Special Snowflake.

<snip>

Very interesting.  At both the Universities I have attended alumni have the ability use the library with an alumni card or apply for a library day pass.  I thought it was a universal privelege that was extended tby all universities to alumni.  Although if that's true of your institution, I might not have bothered informing him.

http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/using/access/alumni.html

Yes, I think that's true at some universities. Not at this one, though.

And on the same subject, I have photographic evidence of further SSyness among the student body:

(In case you can't read the writing, it says "I pay $26,000 a year, and i get a 2 day loan."

Well aren't you a very special fluffy snowflake, Mr. or Ms. Student. You have the same borrowing rules as everyone else!

I'm not sure how s/he is paying $26,000/year, incidentally. As an international student at this university, I paid about $10,000/year, and international students pay the highest tuition rates.

[Midnight Kitty]

Maybe I'm the SS here.

[BG]I work in a government office in the US.[/BG]

Our (very Catholic) clerk put up Christmas decorations in the reception area.  I don't care about the tree - Christians "borrowed" the evergreen tree symbolism from the pagans in the first place - but I objected to the angels.  Actually, my (P/A) Buddhist coworker who has to look at those angels all day long complained to me and I said I would respectfully raise the issue to the Powers That Be.  Our acting manager (still waiting for that position to be filled permanently) did not want to act unless there was a written policy.  That's fine.  I know he is uncomfortable with conflict.  I asked the division secretary if there was a policy on religious displays.  Turns out, she's Catholic too and loves angels, so she doesn't see a problem.

She said, "It is a personal preference."

I said, "No, it is a government office, not a church.  If she wants to put the angels on her desk where every visitor is not forced to see them, that is her personal preference.  Decorating a government reception area with religious symbols is a violation of federal law."

I sent the manager and the division secretary the link to the ACLU site which explains why this is a violation of federal law.

I haven't said anything to anyone else and I did not mention my objections to our clerk (who put the angel display up).

I thought I was alerting management to a problem, but it seems that I am the problem for raising the issue.  I dropped it already but I'm getting stink eye from the division secretary now.  I anticipate my travel requests will be bounced back repeatedly for insignificant reasons this coming year. 

[Jocelyn]

I mean, I get that he was frustrated that he couldn't get the journals he wanted, but that didn't give him the right to be rude to me because the library hadn't stayed exactly as it was in 2002 

I was a doc student in 2002. The conditions this man is describing had vanished by then. I'd bet it's closer to 20 years since he was in an academic library.

[JoW]

My area got the blizzard Wednesday-Thursday, Dec 19-20.  While I was running the snow blower to get the snow out of my driveway I remembered this story.  I don’t know if it fits best here or in the Brain Hurt thread.

My city has a law that bans use of outdoor power equipment in residential areas early in the morning.  I forget the details, but the intent is to keep people from blasting their neighbors out of bed by mowing their lawns at dawn.  Someone complained that the law was not being enforced in the winter.  You see, her job started later in the day and she had a toddler who was cranky if he didn’t get enough sleep.  She wanted to ban use of snow blowers before about 9am.  If it snowed overnight before a work day she thought we should clear our driveways by hand so she and her child could sleep a little later. 

I heard the story on the early morning local news on a snowy day.  It was read by a guy whose work day starts before 5am.  He said he had run his snow blower to clear his driveway at 3:30am.

[BabylonSister]

Maybe I'm the SS here.

[BG]I work in a government office in the US.[/BG]

Our (very Catholic) clerk put up Christmas decorations in the reception area.  I don't care about the tree - Christians "borrowed" the evergreen tree symbolism from the pagans in the first place - but I objected to the angels.  Actually, my (P/A) Buddhist coworker who has to look at those angels all day long complained to me and I said I would respectfully raise the issue to the Powers That Be.  Our acting manager (still waiting for that position to be filled permanently) did not want to act unless there was a written policy.  That's fine.  I know he is uncomfortable with conflict.  I asked the division secretary if there was a policy on religious displays.  Turns out, she's Catholic too and loves angels, so she doesn't see a problem.

She said, "It is a personal preference."

I said, "No, it is a government office, not a church.  If she wants to put the angels on her desk where every visitor is not forced to see them, that is her personal preference.  Decorating a government reception area with religious symbols is a violation of federal law."

I sent the manager and the division secretary the link to the ACLU site which explains why this is a violation of federal law.

I haven't said anything to anyone else and I did not mention my objections to our clerk (who put the angel display up).

I thought I was alerting management to a problem, but it seems that I am the problem for raising the issue.  I dropped it already but I'm getting stink eye from the division secretary now.  I anticipate my travel requests will be bounced back repeatedly for insignificant reasons this coming year. 

You're certainly not a SS. You want the law to be respected. The clerk and division secretary put their own preferences above the law. That makes them the SS.

[Ereine]

Very slight Special Snowflakes:

I was at a craft museum yesterday. Every Christmas local doll artists have a window display exhibition on some theme (it was very pretty, this year's theme is old-fashioned Christmas). While we were at museum's shop three separate older women came there and were dismayed and annoyed that they were out of postcards of that display because they just had to send them to their friends (as Christmas cards, I presume). I get that they were disappointed but if the museum is out of the cards they can't just print more before Christmas and besides if they had have those particular cards why did they wait until it was too late to send them anyway (the mail won't move anywhere before the 27th).

[weeblewobble]

The DMV witnessed snowflake "Ibrokethelawsoiwilldestroystuff"-icus. Woman comes in to register her vehicle because it is in the tow lot for having a counterfeit tag from another state on it. BUT....she has no title, no paperwork proving ownership of the vehicle, so she is told she can't register it without proof of ownership. What does she do? She goes out into the hallway, pushes the elevator button, looks around to see if anyone is watching, and proceeds to donkey kick the glass on the mail chute. The beautiful antique mail chute is shattered. She was unaware that this was all on camera. The tow lot and our other office has been warned to be on the lookout for her. She will now face criminal charges for destruction of government property. Oh yeah, best part? She did this in front of her small child who was with her.

Oh, charming. Poor kid.

I do not understand people who think, "I will emphasize my point with my Hulk-like rage!" 

[Jocelyn]

I do not understand people who think, "I will emphasize my point with my Hulk-like rage!"

Well, it worked for the Angevin kings of England...

[RingTailedLemur]

http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-73730514/

First letter.

[Kendo_Bunny]

http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-73730514/

First letter.

The story is only accessible with a paid subscription.

[CrochetFanatic]

I can't read it because I'm not a member, but what little of it I could see made me shake my head. 

I'll never go out on the few days before Christmas again...not if I can help it.  People zooming through the parking lot, glaring and gesturing, cutting people off...

I almost got run down twice, and I was paying attention!  But the one that really burned me up was this guy who was crossing through parking lot traffic.  I was in my car and ready to turn, but I waited for him to go.  He just stood there, even though there was no one else close enough to him to prevent his crossing.  So, I thought to myself, "Fine, you're just gonna stand there," and started forward.  He quickly jumped off the curb, started walking, and I stopped.  He then made eye contact, and actually slowed down.  I think he was trying to put me in my place, or something.

[Shoo]

http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-73730514/

First letter.

The story is only accessible with a paid subscription.

I don't have a subscription and I could read it.  You have to exit the first time and then go back in, and then it should be available.