Com2Kid's Journal: No heater means no heater, why? Explained below.

My room is freezing cold. Yes I admit that. Like freezing freakin cold. As in hands and feet go cold style freezing cold. As in if you squinch your eyes just such you almost think you can see your breath style freezing cold.

But no I ain't getting an electric heater. No I do not have a CHOICE in the matter. Why?

To you, being uncomfortable means you cannot do your work which means your family gives you a heater so you can do your work.

To me, being uncomfortable means I have trouble doing my work which means my family looks up and says "so why the holy heck is comfort important to doing your work? You think I had a heated room when I was in school? Hell no, I had that room right there and it was just as cold then as it is now."

And that is if I am lucky. If I complain to my father about it I get a

"I didn't have no heat or shoes on my feet, why in the hell are you complaining about comfort your brain works just as well in the hot or cold, and if it don't you had sure darn better train it to work that way."

If I need a light, no problem, get a light. Light is cheap. After the first few, I had better start getting my own lights if they are so "unimportant" to me that I keep breaking them.

American's are trained NOT TO GIVE A FLYING CARE about comfort when working.

This may seem odd to you at the moment, but think of this.

You have seen me study without a table. Without any sort of a hard working surface at all for that matter. You have seen me study at times when you where too cold to hardly even move, you have also seen me fall asleep in jeans and a sweat shirt and a teeshirt on a hard bare surface without any sort of cushions or blankets. Hell you've seen me typing holding the keyboard in one hand and typing with the other.

What does all of that mean?

it means that because of my upbringing I have been trained to work in almost any circumstances. My room being cold is just one more example of that.

American's as a whole are well off because when it comes to choosing between comfort and saving that extra penny, we choose to save the penny. If that means our seats are a little bit harder, or our working enviroments a bit more uncomfortable, then so be it. Money is saved, and work is done.

Nobody gives a shit about comfort, and that is why you commenting on me not having a heater in my room kind of surprised everyone. Yah, so, err, I am uncomfortable, what you do not realize is that my getting work done in those enviroments is something for me to be proud of, not something for me to complain about.

Typing up reports when my fingers are numb is bragging points, and if I can manage to do artwork under those conditions than all the merrier. I win freakin poins for not just working but only exploring artistic creativity under uncomfortable conditions.

Not being able to get my work done just because I am uncomfortable is considered a sign of weakness, not something that is to be allowed. Yah so it is not nice, but how many times have you asked me

"Aren't you cold?"

and I have responded;

"*pops head up and looks around* well I guess I am *shrugs* *goes back to work*"

To me, such things as comfort are more and more becoming abstract ideas rather than any sort of reality. What does it matter what my working conditions are, what does it matter how my MIND feels, just so long as my BODY is able to get the work done?

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

My old man

[gmhowell]

My father had neither electricity nor indoor plumbing until he was about 5 or 10 years old. He graduated salutatorian from his High School. He missed one day of school prior to high school graduation.

My favorite isn't the complaint about heat, it's the complaints about schools lacking AC. Can you say 'gimmeabreak'? I knew you could.

Why the fuck am I still awake?

Re:My old man

[Com2Kid]

• My favorite isn't the complaint about heat, it's the complaints about schools lacking AC. Can you say 'gimmeabreak'? I knew you could.

My bitch is that the damn college HAD THE FREAKIN COOLER ON IN THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER

Either that or the heater turned down so fucking low that it was blowing out air colder then ambient.

Oh wait, that is called COOLING THE PLACE DOWN.

When it is like fourty freakin five degrees outside, WHY OH WHY must they insist on making it even cooler? Rooms without heaters in them that just where being heated by body temperature where warmer places to be in. . . .

• 
  Why the fuck am I still awake?

*shrugs* beats me, but you aren't on AIM. :P

Americans choose comfort over cost

[Tet]

American's as a whole are well off because when it comes to choosing between comfort and saving that extra penny, we choose to save the penny. If that means our seats are a little bit harder, or our working enviroments a bit more uncomfortable, then so be it.

I couldn't disagree with you more here. That sentiment applies to virtually every country on earth *apart* from the USA. Yes, the term "fat lazy Americans" may be a stereotype in the rest of the world, but it exists because there's a certain amount of truth in it. Look at American cars. How many have manual gearboxes? Virtually none. Everyone pays extra to get an automatic gearbox, something you rarely find on cars in the rest of the world. Suspension is softer than in cars in the rest of the world, purely because the American public puts such a premium on comfort and convenience, and is prepared to pay over the odds to get it.

Re:Americans choose comfort over cost

[Com2Kid]

• Yes, the term "fat lazy Americans" may be a stereotype in the rest of the world, but it exists because there's a certain amount of truth in it.

Meanwhile europe continues to legislate work hours per week for employees. Lovely. If they all worked more than part time maybe they'd be doing better economicaly?

• Look at American cars. How many have manual gearboxes? Virtually none. Everyone pays extra to get an automatic gearbox, something you rarely find on cars in the rest of the world.

I would hardly say that, maaaany Americans appreciate the control that a manual gearbox gives them.

But there is also the fact that, quite frankly, after working their assess of for possibly days in a row, many american's just don't give a flying fuck anymore. I have known more than a few people who have had 2 hour long daily commutes to construction sites. You think at 4am in the morning (or earlier!) that their primary concern was how f*cking appropriate their gear box seemed to europeans? Fat chance, convienence when it becomes a base neccesity for the job, yah.

This is even more true on the way back home. Because many construction companies give bonuses for early work done, employees are motivated to work their butts off to get just that little extra work done. This quickly results in tired legs. :)

• Suspension is softer than in cars in the rest of the world, purely because the American public puts such a premium on comfort and convenience, and is prepared to pay over the odds to get it.

Dude, you seen our f*cking roads? Pot holes deep enough to bottom out on.

Re:Americans choose comfort over cost

[Tet]

If they all worked more than part time maybe they'd be doing better economicaly?

I guess it depends on what you call part time. 8 hours is a standard working day in most of Europe, but many (particularly here in the UK) work significantly longer hours than that. My contract, for example, explicitly acknowledges that I'm expected to waive my rights to a maximum working week (of 48 hours/week) if the job requires it. At the moment, I'm probably not working much more that 50 hours/week, but it wasn't so many months ago that I was doing 70 hours (plus the two hour commute each day). And apart from anything else, last time I looked it was the American economy that was struggling...

Re:Americans choose comfort over cost

[Com2Kid]

• And apart from anything else, last time I looked it was the American economy that was struggling...

It is doing on par with Europe, except that when the bubble burst it effected Europe first, unemployment stayed relativly low until the Enrone thing set things spiraling out of control.

And even given the cruddy market conditions that exist, many US companies are just reporting less than expected gains.

Oh wow, the horror, they are't making as much MORE money as last year as they would like!

'Dude! You're turning into a popsicle!'

[MonTemplar]

Seriously, extreme cold and studying do not mix. Trust me on this one. During my last year at Millfield (well-known boarding school over here in the UK), the dorm I was in, at the top of the house, acquired a severe deficiency in the insulation department. In November, in the middle of Somerset. Both I and the guy I shared the room with ended up in Sick Bay recovering while the workmen fixed the hole. An experience I never want to repeat again.

if no heater, no studying for me!

[ChinaRosesZ]

You don't need a heater anymore because I can guarantee you that I'm not coming over there to study for sure. No need to fight against anybody and no need to come up here and tell people that I'm wrong. It's ok to write about me and in fact I really like you writing about me, but make sure you don't write the opposite side of the story. Write what really happened, and how you feel about the situation, not what you wanted it to happen. For instance, "I did not question your MOTHER!" I asked YOU! REMEMBER! WRITE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED! NOT WHAT YOU WANTED IT TO HAPPEN! Don't piss me off!