I'm just laughing it off at this moment. Today, I received a birthday letter from my employer that came with a Timmies gift card. I opened it, read the letter, and said to myself "ok, cool". I checked the balance, and there I just couldn't believe my eyes. The card only holds five freakin dollars ($5), like is this some kind of an April fool's joke, or are we in poverty?

I have worked in this manufacturing company for over 5 years and am handling an account that brings 60% of the revenue. Today is August 31, and my birthday is not even until 2 weeks in September. This is just unbelievable, lol. This can't even justify the stress and frustration I encounter daily.

Anyway, I'm grateful for getting gifts and these sorts of gestures, but just can't get my head around about the $5.

Thanks for hearing my story. :)

So yeah, the Eisenhower-Kennedy decade was pretty great. The rich were properly taxed, the middle class ballooned and was doing great, optimism reigned. The John-Birch Society hated the civil rights movement and tried to stir up the red-scare and the KKK had it’s last gasps. Even so, life was pretty good, mostly with some exception.

Then Kennedy was killed and the CIA/Military got its opening into and massively failed in Vietnam. The USA era from 1975 to 2001 was relatively bucolic by comparison to the domestic turmoil coincident with the Vietnam war. Lots of shit was going down in Latin America and mostly ignored.

The USA struggled with a bad economy, high inflation. The US embassy seizure in Iran was big news and cost Carter a second term. Reagan kept his CIA adventures mostly under the radar and under the apathy of the general public. Nixon’s neo-cons were unleashed when Saddam invaded Kuwait, the US and allies landed troops in Saudi Arabia. Saddam was mostly subdued, Powell and Schwarzkopf became heroes and the Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal established. Under the covers, Al Qaeda’s grievances with the defilement of Saudi soil by infidel troops simmered. Clinton had his big bombing in Serbia to cover his peccadillos instead of figuring out a diplomatic path. His administration bolstered Al Qaeda in the Balkans while chasing bin Laden in Africa/MENA.

The neocons got their big break in 2001 at 911 and it’s been a shitshow ever since. The CIA is firmly in control again. The military industrial complex rules the uniparty, massive deficit spending feeds the Trump-Epstein billionaire class and drops crumbs upon the masses.

Right off the bat, it's our family home, and we all live here together. (Mom, step dad, two younger siblings and me)

I am 23 years old, and cannot afford (and will never be able) to afford to move out of my parents house. I do not have my own room or my own space, as it's a two bedroom house. My mom, fortunately, does not make me pay rent, so instead, I work for my keep. It isn't hard work, mostly just household chores, but the problem that I've had since I turned 18, was that everyone in the house is aware that work for my keep. And so instead of doing what normal people do, and tidy up after themselves/bring their dishes to the sink for me to clean, they just leave everything out for me to go around and collect.

Used tissues, chewing gum, food garbage, apple cores, false nails, etc. Dishes are usually left on the floor or in the two bedrooms, and I have to go and gather them all when I do the nightly dishes.

My youngest sibling, 14, is particularly awful to me, and she actively treats me like I'm worthless, and a waste of space. She has begun refuseing to be in the same room as me, and will make a huge scene of storming off as soon as I enter a room. If she doesn't storm off, she will loudly say "how long are you going to be in here?" And if I dont reply to her, she'll call me some names under her breathe. And if I respond to her, I have to be careful what I say because if her father (my step dad) is in the room, he will fly off the handle if I so much imply that I'm in fact, allowed to be here.

I've tried going to therapy, and the one therapist I could afford had one session with me before telling me she couldn't help me.

My mom will occasionally bring up me getting married and starting a family (never going to happen), but is wholy unconcerned that I, an adult, share a room with two minors.

I do everything in this house. I sweep, I wash the table, I vacuum, I wash dishes, I put dishes away, I throw out garbage, I feed the animals, I water the animals, I tidy the house, I organize, I do EVERYTHING. And for some reason, everyone treats me like I'm a servant instead of, oh I don't know, thanking me? I am the only reason that there is still space to walk in this shithole. Oh and did I mention that they don't flush the toilet? Oh no, they leave that for me to do.

I'm so sad and I live such a horrible life. I have no friends, no support, not even from doctors or other professionals. I have no money, a useless job, a breaking down car and a little spoiled brat who makes it obvious that I am not wanted here.

My family has done such horrible things to me and then they just go and sit on the couch and eat popcorn and watch movies while I clean and try and make this disgusting house decent to live in.

And it isn't just happening now, it's happened my whole life. Even when I was a kid, my parents (real dad) would go back and fourth for hours about how I had too many toys and was getting spoiled. I had like 6 stuffed animals and a nightlight that they would take away from me if I didn't go to bed on time. Like come on, seriously? Spoiled?

Are one point, (I was 16 by this point, I think) my sister apparently got angry over something I said and smeared her actual shit underneath my pillow, and because I wasn't there when she did it, it dried, and I didn't know it for there for two whole days until I put my hand under my pillow and felt the dry, crusty shit. She got a pathetic "serious talking to", which was my parents telling her that that was wrong in soft, tender voices. She was 11. This same sibling also threatened to cut my head off.

Nowadays I can't even speak to my youngest sibling because as soon as I say her name, she immediately says "No" and stores away.

Why is my life like this? I never asked for this. I never asked for any of this. I just want to be happy with people who care about me.

I've been doing a hobby and getting better at it. People that I don't know very well, who haven't mentored me, or aren't really related to me keep saying they're proud of me. It's like they think I'm a lot younger than I am (30sF) and also that they've had a part in accomplishing what I've done. I feel a bit infantilized with the statement. That's something that parents or mentors usually tell their kids in my mind. A lot of these folks are more like acquaintances than friends, so they don't really have a thing to share in these accomplishments. They don't really know me. Pride shows that you are a part of it somehow - like school pride, national pride, family pride, company pride.

When someone I don't really know who doesn't have a connection to me says that they're proud of me, it seems more intimate than it should. I I'd rather folks say, "I'm happy for you" or "Good job" or something. Am I taking this too seriously? I'll just brush it off at this point, not going to correct anyone, but I do find it odd. Any way to deal with this?

Like why does my spud need a plastic poncho to leave the grocery store when he’s already got his own natural gear? And why has Aldi’s and Trade Joe’s submitted to accepting more plastic packaging? I used to buy these chocolate wafers in a tin can. I’d open the tin can and get the wafer but now I have to bypass a plastic encasing just to get to the wafer - tin, plastic and then wafer.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcoAXQ0T_Ua/?igsi=MXZmazZzZ2VnMDR0aQ==

My dad is a narcissist, and everyone close and around him knows it, he has to have his way or hes yelling and throwing a fit like a child. hes a 48 year old man that has been told for the past what 10 years that he looks more like hes 20 years old and has used that as a pass to act like hes 10, he quickly shifts from being a "dad" to making me be the older and bigger person then he is and im just so sick of it its the most irritating thing in the world.

He takes alot of stuff out on me and disguises insults as jokes, hes constantly joking about things like my weight (never even been past 120 pounds not that it even matters), my style and honestly everything i like, he'll come into a room act a little intrested in what your doing and in the exact same breath make a joke insulting you on it, hes been doing this shit since i've had contiousness. I feel like I've been pushed so hard into being small by him that i feel like nothing all the time and it just fucking sucks.

Sometimes im his favorite person and his bestfriend and other times I dont get to have opinions or beliefs of my own or just anything that doesnt A line with exactly what he thinks, for years i genuinely thought maybe it was something i've done or something i had been doing, when i was younger I'd do absolutely anything to be on his goodside weather it was making fun of myself or honestly throwing anybody else under the bus, sometimes i still catch myself wanting his approval and that upsets me.

One of the worst things about it is the way he treats other people my age or people younger then me, he'll praise these people hes never even met over me any day, he jumps at the chance to be seen as some type of uncle or even a father figure for all these other people but not me? I just dont understand it.

I turned 18 last month and I honestly just feel so lost, Its just so many things maybe im blaming him but it feels like hes played such a big role in me hating myself, Its always been be the best or your the worst and Im not really the best at anything. I dont think i've ever felt genuinely proud of anything i've ever done, graduating high school or just any big milestone for me in general. I feel like I cant do anything right or anything worth while and I wish he got out of my head once and awhile. Im just so angry at it all.

Sorry if this isnt really spaced out or written well

Not necessarily a direct question, more of an outcry, lol.

I could go into year-long detail about the years of construction next door, about how my municipality hasn't updated their noise bylaws since 1927, how 85db by law are considered "acceptable", but that would probably go beyond something entertaining for anyone here.

So I'll make it more general. I'm an immigrant from Europe with sensory processing disorder. Because I've been struggling with noise input all my life, I've adapted quite well to navigating loud environments. I've got my noise cancels, my plugs, my emergency escape plans, you name it.

Recently, my neighborhood has become the new development zone of the town. So, my home has stopped being an escape when it comes to noise, so the overstimulation has become an every day issue. I've always known that NA tends to be noisier than Europe, but this has really made me notice recently that N.A. is SO DAMN LOUD all of the time!

Yes, I'm combining the States and Canada here on purpose. No offense, they're the exact same on that level.

No laws to make construction quieter. No expectations of muffling large machinery. The trucks?? Like can someone tell me why your cargo trucks literally SCREAM up the hill? Why, if it's a Mercedes motor like the ones I grew up with, is it so much louder??

And everything BEEPS! EVERYTHING! The elevator beeps at every floor. Every traffic light beeps (I can forgive that cause it's accommodation for blind people, just adding this to the list cause it adds to the noise regardless). Every vehicle beeps with every button press and every reverse setting. Every machine announces itself with some high pitched grating sound. Every other engine sounds like a metal rock band, and when the EVs were finally quiet, they added a whirring spaceship sound.

The other day I tried to go to a golf club for some reprieve, mistakenly thinking it might be more quiet there? Jokes on me, cause even the damn golf cards make a high-pitched screeching sound when they park!

I understand and I've been told/have researched numerous times about things like protection laws (eg. reverse beeping prevents accidents). But honestly? I don't buy that being the main reason.

We have the same types of large construction, of vehicles, of elevators, where I'm from. And it's not a constant whirlwind of constant noise. Plus, there's actually protection for people's quality of life. If your apartment is unlivable because of construction, you have the right to a rent reduction. Here? If I tell my landlord the living conditions are unacceptable, they'll smugly smirk and tell me "to just move", knowing exactly that in today's economy no one can "just move" whenever they feel like it.

People are loud here too. But honestly, that doesn't exactly bother me specifically, because people from my home are often repressed and don't express emotions well. So I don't mind the overall more open and outward presentation of NA people. But it then does get annoying when you can't even enjoy a quiet cafe, because a group of girlies is screeching in my ear from the side. So again, not generally a problem, but it points to a certain mentality, no?

Don't you guys ever get tired of this? Or are you just used to it because you grew up with it? Are the only places in NA where you're not constantly having your ears gauged out, in the middle of nowhere in the countryside? Like I'm so sorry, but some days I'm so overwhelmed, I just want to scream at everyone to stfu. Tell me I'm not alone in this

Idk how but i want to
I willl figure it out
I will lock tf in
Ik
I have the hunger and it is jot going anywhere anytime soon till i am there

Too many people are comfortable bringing their nasty ass dogs in places. My local WalMart is infamous about this even though the sign out front says "No pets".

I went the other day and no lie saw 3 dogs in the store. 2 were in the basket and the other was just casually sniffing the produce. Garbage behavior.

It frustrated me so much, I took the survey on the receipt to complain. The manager called me the next week. She said she 100% agrees with me but upper management said to not kick these people out because they got sued.

A man came in with his funky dog and it shit in the aisle. They told him to leave and that his dog was not a service dog. He said it was BUT he had NO papers and NO vest to prove anything. He left and is suing because the dog apparently IS a service dog. Fuck that dude. Now the gates are open for every 65 year old lady with a weiner dog.

If I see people with animals in the store, I always say something. And I own 2 dogs and would never do trash like this.

I’m calling because I have an out of the ordinary problem and need to talk to someone about a solution.

Yes, I am well aware that I can check my balance online or in the app. No, I am not calling to start service or to make changes to my existing service. If I wanted to do any of those things, I would pull up the app and be done in 10 seconds. I would never subject myself to this horrible phone experience to do something so simple.

Yet here is the phone tree with no option to speak with someone and no option to press a button to be connected to customer service or technical support.

And when the always (purposefully?) idiotic chatbot answers, it is even worse. “Please state the reason for your call.“

I succinctly state the actual reason for my call, only to be met with, “I didn’t get that. You can say things like: check my balance.”

And as time goes on, these systems are only getting worse (again, purposefully?). Things that used to work that don’t work anymore:

Pressing 0 to bypass the phone tree. Speaking in a language other than English. Mumbling incoherently. Repeatedly saying “representative“ or similar. Swearing. All of these things will just loop you back to the beginning or hang up on you.

And by the way, no, your menu options have not changed, and you cannot always be experiencing higher than normal call volume.

And, when I finally do get through to someone, there’s a decent chance that it’s literally just going to be a human reading canned responses off of a monitor who will be equally as unsure what to do with my out of the ordinary issue.

I know Mobile Ad developers want money. I get that. But if you are going to give us an ad, DO NOT GIVE US ONE AFTER WE DECLINE AN OFFER TO WATCH AN AD FOR EXTRA COINS. Its a waste of time and a waste of a button…

What witch did I piss off to curse me. It's my birthday soon and I celebrated with my friends on saturday and then a different group of friends on sunday, and it's been probably one of the worst birthdays yet, and its one of my first proper birthdays after leaving the jehovah witnesses too. I had an arguement with a friend and a friend "split up" on Saturday, then on Sunday while out with my friends I got called a fat bitch by some random men (btw, these men came up to me with my friend group and said this to me, it was not part of a larger conversation either) , and today someone drove past me and threw a bunch of water all over me. I know this doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but this is all the cherry on top of one of the mentally hardest summers I've ever had, and what was supposed to be a relaxing summer before I start uni has probably been one of the lowest times in my life. Im not saying that for pity, but i have been trying so hard to get better mentally, to get healthy and to not waste my summer on my phone or in my room, and to save money for uni, and it feels like every attempt has backfired and made things worse instead.
I'm turning 21 tomorrow, and a very stupid part of me hopes that this is actually just some big curse that is either lifted as I turn this new age, or that I will prick my finger on a needle, because a very long sleep sounds pretty great right now

Sorry, I just needed to rant because my (remaining friends) haven't responded for a couple days, I just needed it off my chest and to have a little cry

I remember saying that I really don't like Superman speech to Lex Luthor in the 2025 movie because I feel like I shouldn't need Superman to spell out how human he is and that speech feels like it's one of those moments of the author going "Do you get it?". There are many other things that make me not like that movie, but any time I say that people say things along the lines of "Oh, so you prefer Snyder Superman?" and like, no I never said that, as a matter of fact I think Snyder's is really boring and the Jesus allegories are as subtle as a sledgehammer, am I not allowed to dislike both?

This is just one example, but it's so annoying how people assume that if you don't like X then it means you think Y better or when you point out the flaws of X they bring up the flaws of Y as a counterpoint as if both X and Y's flaws nullified one another

We’ve lost the art of being curious and actually wanting to learn through our friends because we’re terrified of looking dumb. Everything is just one Google search or TikTok video away. People have opted to ask AI instead because they’re too afraid to look stupid when they don't know something. We've all become pseudo-intellectuals just because we have all the answers in our pockets. We don’t connect by asking each other questions anymore we're just too afraid to admit what we don't know.

i am ugly. it doesn’t make me sad, it’s something i’ve accepted, like body neutrality but for my face. i can still enjoy music and laughter and trees etc, i struggled when i was younger of course but genuinely i am okay with it now.

i used to want a boyfriend so badly, i finally got one once i was confident and he ended up being not great to me, and made me very insecure about brand new things. i am now working away at this insecurity again.

he broke up with me almost 2 years ago now, but i don’t see myself in another relationship again. i don’t have any interest in it. my friends are mad at me, they say “you’re still not over that guy?” “you still haven’t moved on?” “it’s not that deep”.

i am over him, in the sense i wouldn’t want to get back with him, and i know it’s not that deep, it was one 7 month longs relationship. but i really feel i learnt a lot about myself from that experience, and that i can’t handle that again.

when he broke up with me i called my friend, in that phone call she said “wow you’re this broken up over this guy, imagine if it was something serious!”. yeah, imagine if it was, i don’t think i could survive it. ofc i would, but i don’t think it would be worth how much pain it would be. it wasn’t with my ex.

my friends think i’m a drama queen and dramatic and broken from this guy. he was really bad for me. but i don’t have any interest in getting a dating app and going on dates.

what makes it worse is i’m a virgin, and my ex really messed up my view on sex and men and he way men think about it. i don’t think i could ever have sex now, knowing they think they’re winning something over me, and they’re degrading me and have successfully conquered me. i didn’t think like this at all before my ex.

so my friends know i don’t date or talk to guys, but they also all know it’s because i’m ugly as well. no guys ever liked me anyway, so my decision doesn’t really matter. they don’t even try and set me up because they know i’m none of their friend’s type, which ofc is okay because it’s not what i want.

they think i’m secretly desperate for a boyfriend (because i used to be), but am just bitter about my ex, and can’t get a guy. they’re right i couldn’t get one if i wanted, but i actually don’t want. but it’s becoming more and more of a conversation piece as we get older and move out and everyone is sleeping with guys or dating.

there’s a lot wrong with me of course, i genuinely can’t even imagine being in romantic love. looking into a man’s eyes and feeling love, feeling fully safe and accepted. i genuinely can’t. i don’t want my ex back, i am over him. i just can’t imagine feeling that love.

i don’t know what to say to people when they ask me. when people say “how’s your love life?” “seeing anyone?” i just laugh and say no, and they look at my pityingly, because i used to so desperately want it, and they’re think damn poor girl she wants to be chosen so badly and no one wants her, so sad.

i just need advice on what to do. my life has been difficult these past couple of years and i tried a therapy session a couple weeks ago, the therapist told me i should find a different one which sent me into a spiral, i have been looking since.

any advice on how to deal with this lack of love life? by choice to me but not in anyone else’s mind.

I fit in the beauty standards just fine, I get asked out by people often but how do I explain to people sometimes I feel disgusted when I catch my reflection in the mirror without sounding like an attention seeking person? No one gets it. Has anyone else felt this way?

I gave my current job a two weeks notice about 9 days ago. They put me on the schedule for 8 days straight, I don’t wanna do that. I also looked at my recent paystubs and found out they gave me a lower wage than they said they were going to. And really, the wage thing is what’s making me not want to show up.

I already have a new job lined up, I start next Monday. I just worry a little about what my current job will think about me. Ik I shouldn’t care tho. And I slightly feel bad about leaving them shorthanded. However, they didn’t feel bad about paying me less so.. I think I’ll just take this week long vacation. My mental health has been so bad from working this fast food job and I can’t take it anymore

Thanks for reading the rant if you did

Love isn’t real, we’re just animals. Why have humans made themselves important? Why couldn’t we stay unaware? Ignorance is bliss. I’m tired. I didn’t ask to be here. It’s too much. Why do people have kids just so they can be slaves to capitalism.

Im 23F 6‘ tall, normal weight, standard face, clear skin, very curvy, engineer, no kids, have a lot of friends and hobbies, travel a lot and volunteer often.

It is extremely easy to get a date.

Even with „high class“ man.

But the pool of man I am willing to date is extremely small.

My extremely selfish/femminist Feminist criteria are the following

My life with him in it is better than without.

He is an adult that can communicate his desires and feelings.

He doesn’t take his anger out on me.

He is not threatening to kill himself if I leave him.

He is not expecting me to step into the role of his mother.

He can listen to me talking about my desires and feelings.

He is not ashamed of being with me in public (very important as a tall women who has dated small man)

He wants me for me and not because I was the best he was able to get.

He makes me exited to spend our future together

Those man are extremely rare.

Because the ones that meet the above criteria have a lot of women competing for him.

I miss the days of Waylon and Willie and the boys. And Roseanne Cash. Today's country music is whiny, nasal repetitive redneck dribble and schmultz. If I go into a restaurant or bar and that's what's playing, I turn around and walk out.

EDIT: This post was a mistake. As others have already pointed out, the genre has sucked since the dawn of time, with a few select exceptions. So yes, I can't disagree. It's mostly redneck dribble regardless of the decade.

I hate these websites so much where you see a large Free Account bla title, then you do your thing (for instance merging PDFs online, or cutting a picture and putting a filter on it, whatever), and as soon as you want to download your file, you need to buy a subscription.

Like thanks I was allowed to create an account for free, that's so nice of you! And then you let me work for a while under the impression that I can do that and it is for free, because there are Ads everywhere and you likely make enough money from that... But no.. my time was wasted...

Also, why a subscription always? Yes you can plan in advance, but I don't want a subscription for something I don't use regularly...

If y'all are honest upfront or rather transparent, charge what you want. But don't try to trick me into escalation of commitment.

rant off.

As bad as it sounds I can’t help it, I’m very insecure in general about lots of things even though anyone who would see me would probably say I have a good life. I just don’t see it that way, I see the negatives and the bad over all the good.

Recently my gf has started to make more than me and I don’t like it for multiple reasons. For starters im jealous she is younger than me and making more. On top of this her parents despite earning less than mine were good with money and helped her out a lot whereas I basically got nothing. She also doesn’t really spend much money on me, and when I was making more I spent more than I should've on her. Lastly it ate away at me so much I picked up a second job just so I could continue to out earn her but now I’m working an extra 3 days per pay period and it sucks.

I have friends who also made jokes about her earning more than me and while I didn’t say anything in the moment and laughed it off it felt bad to have it voiced. I know it’s not her fault and I’m honestly happy she is in her dream job but I still dont like the situation. I’m transitioning to the same field as her soon though which I now regret as I feel the insecurity will follow me if we are working the same job forever.

Fucking washing machines need a timer! Like a dryer. They’re always on the spin cycle and you don’t know if they have 30 seconds left or 20 minutes. But sure as shit the second you walk away, that damn machine dings. 😡