The Gaming Den

So, a couple friends are getting married, and decided to do a steampunk theme wedding. The groom is also Scottish. So instead of more typical bridesmaid outfits and tuxes for the groomsmen, they bought the bridesmaids corsets and the groomsmen kilts.

Today I have learned that kilts are somewhat awkward, at least if you're not used to skirt-like garments or higher-than-knee loose shorts.

Kilts aren't that bad. Wore one for prom. That said, having to have it up to your bellybutton? That was weird. I don't wear pants that high.

Yeah, I don't wear pants like that because I'm fat so it's uncomfortable. The kilt is a lot better, but if I wear it that high, it feels like I'm sitting down on my bare arse, even though I'm actually not going regimental. Even wearing it around my hips like I do pants, I need to get used to gathering the material under me when I sit.

Beloved fiancee wants centerpieces that blink in a specific way. I made that work with a timer, then spent several more hours rediscovering that design isn't the hard part, layout is.

Late last night, after several days of debugging and soldering (and burning up at least one timer), I found that even though she had correctly ordered 47uf caps, we received .47uf caps (also, it took me several days to notice). Le sigh.

So, anybody know some good medical malpractice lawyers in Ontario?

Meikle641 wrote:So, anybody know some good medical malpractice lawyers in Ontario?

No, although it sounds like there's a larger story, here.

tl;dr Mom got blown off for over 3 months. In early September we forced the hospital to do some tests. Turns out it was a tumor the size of a baby. Couldn't operate by then. Spent september and october in agony and battling infections (most contracted while she was there). When she finally died on wednesday morning it was a mercy.

While I don't want to discourage any action you might take involving lawyers, there are sacrifices and consequences a person will have to make when you take up a law case.

I've either experienced or been very close to people who have fought medical malpractice cases over the laast couple of years. They do sap you mentally and financially.

if you do have a case then you could probably get a judgment/settlement in your favor but it will bg years down the line and it sometimes doesn't seem as though the pros weigh more than the cons.

Sorry Meikle

Meikle641 wrote:tl;dr Mom got blown off for over 3 months. In early September we forced the hospital to do some tests. Turns out it was a tumor the size of a baby. Couldn't operate by then. Spent september and october in agony and battling infections (most contracted while she was there). When she finally died on wednesday morning it was a mercy.

That's terrible.

As someone who works at a law office that deals with med mal, though not in Ontario, or Canada at all, I recommend finding smallish firm, handing them everything you know, and letting them deal with it after than until it's done. They'll ask a bunch of questions, and you may get deposed, but for the most part, let them handle it and keep it off of your mind as much as possible.

Cynic: I don't have any particular hope it'll go anywhere. Docs are like cops up here. All I really want is for some people to acknowledge some fuckups and to apologize, if nothing else.

What is particularly galling is that her gynecologist didn't know his head from his ass, and even cancelled her chance for treatment at Sunnybrook, one of the better hospitals. He kept attempting to do tests he knew wouldn't work, due to her pelvic deformities. Then, after he calls in a colleague she was like, "Oh, we just need x tool; it'll get us into the cervix no problem, even with the problem." So seemingly the tool was easy to acquire, just a matter of calling for one to be borrowed or delivered. So even at that stage they could've detected it a couple weeks earlier. Just one thing after another, it was.

I'm pretty sure the Law Society of Upper Canada has a reference program - if not, look at the Canadian Bar Association website.

*Sigh* So... Germany and it's free colleges.

I know not one bit of the language*. I'm still tempted to go to Germany for a Master's in Journalism (English language programs are findable). I'm also tempted to learn German** to get a Bachelor's in Library Science.

Of course, that entails leaving my friends behind, and going even further away from a woman I want to get closer to, geographically speaking.***

Oh, and finding a way to support myself in Germany while I learn the language.

*The very first phrase from Duolingo and a handful of Rammstein lyrics not withstanding.

**I do anyway, I guess

***Met online, messaged a month after she'd moved to LA from my city, is currently with a guy, and we have a relationship that is too complicated for Facebook's "It's Complicated" status. She's visiting for a few days in November, but... yeah.

Edit: Oh yeah, and I'm 27. I really don't want to be in college when I'm 30, but if I want more than a couple AAs, it's looking like I'll have to be.

Supporting yourself while abroad is the tricky part. I was looking into going to Europe for college myself, but college is hard when you're not actually that bright. Plus, I don't want to be that far away from home when in my case one bad enough depressive episode can put me out on the street.

Prak_Anima wrote:*Sigh* So... Germany and it's free colleges.

I know not one bit of the language*. I'm still tempted to go to Germany for a Master's in Journalism (English language programs are findable). I'm also tempted to learn German** to get a Bachelor's in Library Science.

Of course, that entails leaving my friends behind, and going even further away from a woman I want to get closer to, geographically speaking.***

Oh, and finding a way to support myself in Germany while I learn the language.

*The very first phrase from Duolingo and a handful of Rammstein lyrics not withstanding.

**I do anyway, I guess

***Met online, messaged a month after she'd moved to LA from my city, is currently with a guy, and we have a relationship that is too complicated for Facebook's "It's Complicated" status. She's visiting for a few days in November, but... yeah.

Edit: Oh yeah, and I'm 27. I really don't want to be in college when I'm 30, but if I want more than a couple AAs, it's looking like I'll have to be.

I have no idea what the laws on coming to Germany to study are, unfortunately. Not knowing the language will be manageable in bigger cities, everybody speaks english there, anyway. A friend of mine did a Bachelor equivalent in Library Science, she's in her mid-twenties now, so the age isn't an issue.
I don't know if full-time Bachelor of Library Science programs exist, what she did was a "duale Ausbildung", where you work several weeks and then study several weeks. This is also a solution for the money problem - the pay isn't great, but enough to live (I don't have data for most federal states. If you hit the jackpot and get a place in Bavaria, which has the best paid jobs in Germany, the starting pay is 1.100 € per month (source at the bottom of the page), but costs of living are higher than in the rest of Germany, too). I think the friend mentioned above made something like 700€/month in Eastern Germany. If you forego a car, that's doable. I think her flat was 300€/month, but she shared it with her boyfriend, smaller ones are available.

If you decide against a "duale Ausbildung", in most cities you can get student jobs with mediocre pay - the minimum wage is 8,50 €/hour, but there are many exceptions, and some companies use fictitious self-employment to get around minimum wage. The best option would be to get a job as research assistent, this is open to students. Pay isn't much better than minimum wage, but you get relevant experience in your field. You might want to consider looking at fraternities for cheap living - if you are good at convincing people (they do most of their prospecting via cheap flats, so they want to rent them out to potential recruits).

I live in Munchen, and can comment on the costs of living.

Appartments in Munchen are fucking expensive. Mine is 700€/month + about 300€/month for food. However, I had some strict criteria for it being close to the university, and normally you can find it cheaper (about 400-500€), especially if you are willing to spend an hour or to on getting to the university.

When looking for an appartment, make sure you see the "warm" price - with all taxes and water and electricity costs.

To get a visa you'll need an insurance for the duration of your studies, a proof of enrollment, and savings on a blocked account in a german bank. I don't remember the number exactly, but I think it's 8k per year of studies.

Fuckballs. Yesterday, we went to the Pacific Science Center - which was awesome. But for whatever stupid reason, when I connected to wifi to send a text to my mom, my iPod started downloading the update for the latest version of iOS automatically. I didn't notice for a while but when I went to take pictures, I noticed that it was playing some U2 song (On mute. WTF?) and my battery was almost dead. Auto-updates are disabled.

That was annoying. And then today, my computer died. I don't even. I'm so frustrated.

Went to the best marriage ever on Saturday (mine).

I'll assume congratulations are in order?
If not, better luck next time.

fectin wrote:Went to the best marriage ever on Saturday (mine).

my congratulations/condolences, take your pick ^^

Yay!!

Thanks!

Congrats, fectin.

Maj wrote:And then today, my computer died. I don't even. I'm so frustrated.

Computers have majorly improved. I bought a refurbished machine from the local computer repair place, but didn't want to deal with having to move everything over and blah, blah. So I just took out my old hard drives and put them in the new box, and told Windows to boot.

Did it scream at me and tell me that I needed to reinstall? No. Did it even need the installation disk to get drivers? No. Did it need to connect to the internet to go all Windows Update on me? No. It took a few minutes to install drivers for the hardware, and then a quick reboot. Done. It took me less time to drop off my son at school and pick up the computer at the store.

I have never had such an easy time fixing a computer. Huzzah.