What Annoyed you today

[tmc92ic]

I planned a 3 day trip to New York for my girlfriends birthday. I was going to surprise her with a Broadway show on the day of her birthday. Take her out to a nice dinner, go ice skating, walk around time square and see street performers and what not, go shopping. I had purchased a nice hotel reservation right on Times Square. I told her about the trip 5 days prior, she told me to book it.

3 Nights Hotel Suit: $500 (non-refundable)
2 Front Row Broadway Tickets: $400 (non-refundable)
2 Round Trip Bus tickets: $120

Finding out your girlfriends mom wont let her go because it's only us two and a hotel room: Priceless.

[Petit Papillon]

I guess it's not her unusual reaction, so why didn't you ask her as well? I guess your gf is pretty young so it's NORMAL to ask parents first. Now pay for ignoring this.

[tmc92ic]

We are both 19. I figured it was all good since she was literally pushing me for 2-3 days to book the hotel right away. Also it's really not that big of a deal, we have had sex almost everyday this month. It's not about the sex for me or her. I just wanted to do something nice for her that would make her happy, because it makes me happy when she is. I don't think her parents realize that if we really wanted to have sex that badly we would find a way. And sex is the only reason I can see why they wouldn't let her go, unless someone can shed some light on the issue.

[Petit Papillon]

They may not realize it and 19 is NOT MUCH. Especially if she's still living with them. She can't even drink legally alcohol in your country... You have a lesson for the future.
See, if she lived on her own, payed her own bills, her parents would see her more as an adult. For them she's just a kiddo just like you and they don't imagine two kiddos alone on a trip in NY in the same bed. It's like they would let you oficially sleep in her bed. I hope you see my point. Try to understand them too.

I add something apart from it. To know that your kid is having sex is something different than officially allowing your kid to do that... Maybe they should buy you condoms too?

[sadie_genie]

Have a fever and sore throat.

[IndiReloaded]

my coworker sending out pics to everyone of starving and bleeding kids in africa reminding us that they are dying while we are planning out x-mas lunch

That's annoying. Tell him that if he truly cares about this issue, the worst way to promote it is by pissing people off with useless emails.

One way to raise awareness that I like is to put a photo of a sponsored child in your home or office, just like a family photo. When people ask, then tell them about your concern.

[MaidenMinx]

That's annoying. Tell him that if he truly cares about this issue, the worst way to promote it is by pissing people off with useless emails.

One way to raise awareness that I like is to put a photo of a sponsored child in your home or office, just like a family photo. When people ask, then tell them about your concern.

This might get me rather flamed, but I don't care, this is my 2 cents on sponsoring kids in Africa...

Here in Aus. (as I imagine it is in the states) we have a lot of families living below the poverty line. We have kids going to school with no lunch, minimum level school uniform and whenever an excursion rolls around they are suddenly home for the day. When they get to highschool, affording text books means the family lives on rice for a month. In an apparently civilised society, I find this appalling. Before I ever would consider sponsoring overseas (where you can't be sure what percentage of your money actually gets there) I would sponsor an Aussie kid to get through school. I am a big believer in tidying your own backyard before tackling someone elses mess. Here in Aus the Salvation Army and the Smith Family both run programs to sponsor Aussie kids. I'd like to think that Aus. isn't the only country with these programs in place.

[Petit Papillon]

This might get me rather flamed, but I don't care, this is my 2 cents on sponsoring kids in Africa...

Here in Aus. (as I imagine it is in the states) we have a lot of families living below the poverty line. We have kids going to school with no lunch, minimum level school uniform and whenever an excursion rolls around they are suddenly home for the day. When they get to highschool, affording text books means the family lives on rice for a month. In an apparently civilised society, I find this appalling. Before I ever would consider sponsoring overseas (where you can't be sure what percentage of your money actually gets there) I would sponsor an Aussie kid to get through school. I am a big believer in tidying your own backyard before tackling someone elses mess. Here in Aus the Salvation Army and the Smith Family both run programs to sponsor Aussie kids. I'd like to think that Aus. isn't the only country with these programs in place.

I agree pretty much. IT's the same here in Europe. The problem is, the situation of poor families is not known to the society around, because they try to hide it , because they are embarassed to ask for money or food. So many kids not having any breakfast and the only warm meal they have is the lunch at school. I understand we should help Africa too, but should care more about our kids first.

[IndiReloaded]

Interesting. Here's my $0.02. Western society already provides resources to help our citizens. At least in Canada, we pay hefty taxes for social assistance. Much of which is wasted on what I consider non-essentials.

In places like Africa tho, every child helped (esp supporting a female child's education) is a highly visible, tangible improvement to their society. Educated girls are more likely to teach/improve the lot of their own children. They basically become local 'embassadors' for the benefits of going to school and learning a skill or trade. As far as knowing where one's money goes, some orgs are better than others. I prefer the ones w/o a religious affiliation, tho thats a personal bias. Also ones who allow for visits, tho one could argue the cost of travel for this purpose alone is better spent on supporting the local school. In my own case, tho, I expect to actually spend some time teaching at such a school besides just visiting.

[Petit Papillon]

Yeah, but all this doesn't change the fact that there are hungry kids in "western" society as well. So what if we pay high taxes, not every money goes to the society and to every hungry child. You should sometimes go out of your nice house and visit the blocks where "the poor" are living. No, the kids aren't dramatically starving like the kids in Africa, but they are HUNGRY. And it's even worse, because those African kids, they eventually die from starvation. The "western" kids in contrary , have "something" to eat everyday. But it doesn't change the fact that they are hungry. I know what I'm talking about from my own experience. Maybe not 100% extreme, but I know how it is to go to school without a lunch box and to not have lunch waiting at home. My example is not caused completely by the economic situation, but still. I was a kid and there was no one to do something about it and I wouldn't tell it either.
It's still happening today, people are hungry even in such wealthy countries with a good social system like Germany

[MaidenMinx]

Yeah, but all this doesn't change the fact that there are hungry kids in "western" society as well. So what if we pay high taxes, not every money goes to the society and to every hungry child. You should sometimes go out of your nice house and visit the blocks where "the poor" are living. No, the kids aren't dramatically starving like the kids in Africa, but they are HUNGRY. And it's even worse, because those African kids, they eventually die from starvation. The "western" kids in contrary , have "something" to eat everyday. But it doesn't change the fact that they are hungry. I know what I'm talking about from my own experience. Maybe not 100% extreme, but I know how it is to go to school without a lunch box and to not have lunch waiting at home. My example is not caused completely by the economic situation, but still. I was a kid and there was no one to do something about it and I wouldn't tell it either.
It's still happening today, people are hungry even in such wealthy countries with a good social system like Germany

Thank you for putting that so well, PP.

Sure in some cases, kids are going hungry because their parents are arseholes and are using their welfare payments selfishly. In others, it's a simple case of food or a roof over their heads, or food or clothes on their backs. And then you put these kids in school and they then get bullied for not having even the basics. If these kids can be helped with the cost of school, that support can be the difference between these kids thinking that the world is a nasty place and that the world is their oyster.

[Petit Papillon]

Thank you for putting that so well, PP.

Sure in some cases, kids are going hungry because their parents are arseholes and are using their welfare payments selfishly. In others, it's a simple case of food or a roof over their heads, or food or clothes on their backs. And then you put these kids in school and they then get bullied for not having even the basics. If these kids can be helped with the cost of school, that support can be the difference between these kids thinking that the world is a nasty place and that the world is their oyster.

There are also those parents who have simply problems with dealing with a everyday life.
There is also one other case, which I forgot to mention. If we talk about social benefits and so. It's always addressed to families with some particular income per month. Because of bureaucracy, there is a bunch of families, who do not earn enough money to pay the bills food etc, but they earn too much to profit from the social benefits. It's sooo often like that. Plus not every country provides with enough help. In some countries, the money that poor families get is so silly, that it's worthless to do all that paperwork to get money, that isn't even enough for 3 days (and should be enough for a month...) .

And bullying is bad too. But this depends on school very very much. Parents aren't able to protect their children from it as they have contact with other kids at school. And teachers don't control it enough. Last time, 2 weeks ago or something, I was reading about a 3 yo girl beaten up by a 2 yo girl at a preschool. There were pics to that too,it was like woooow. 2 yo did this. Of course, teachers didn't do nothing about that before - there were few incidents before with the same 2 yo.
But the bullying, it also comes from home. Because if we teach children, that bullying is something bad, they will not go to school and hurt others...

[IndiReloaded]

Yeah, but all this doesn't change the fact that there are hungry kids in "western" society as well. So what if we pay high taxes, not every money goes to the society and to every hungry child. You should sometimes go out of your nice house and visit the blocks where "the poor" are living. No, the kids aren't dramatically starving like the kids in Africa, but they are HUNGRY. And it's even worse, because those African kids, they eventually die from starvation. The "western" kids in contrary , have "something" to eat everyday. But it doesn't change the fact that they are hungry. I know what I'm talking about from my own experience. Maybe not 100% extreme, but I know how it is to go to school without a lunch box and to not have lunch waiting at home. My example is not caused completely by the economic situation, but still. I was a kid and there was no one to do something about it and I wouldn't tell it either.
It's still happening today, people are hungry even in such wealthy countries with a good social system like Germany

Okay, so is now a good time to ask you explicitly how you have been helping these kids? I certainly have a nice house, but I have also done quite a lot to help those who are needy. Please don't make this personal, PP. I can almost guarantee a comparison of my 'help resume' to others is significant.

[Lipp]

And it's even worse, because those African kids, they eventually die from starvation. The "western" kids in contrary , have "something" to eat everyday.

Complete fücktard as usual.

[Lipp]

Anyways, I'm annoyed with my brain imploding from an ear infection after swimming and diving a week back, but at least the paracetamol keeps me sane for the moment.