The Vent

[Danu 19]

OMG my head is going to explode. I decided to read up on stuff for vehicle importing today as I'm going to need to contact my dealers customer service soon to find out about things like the fact that I am playing a loan to them, seeing if they will continue it once I have moved, seeing if the extended warranty can be transferred to their US division and if not if I can get a pro-rated refund for it ASAP, which will help bring down my payments...and about the paperwork I need to show it is compliant with US regulations. In the process I was looking up California registration and DL stuff...it almost seems like I'm going to be going in circles. I dont know if they accept the Canadian registration and insurance for me to get my DL, and they want a bunch of stuff for registration to the DMV. What a headache to understand. GAH!

I don't mean to make this worse for you, but when looking at emissions standards and requirements for vehicles, make sure that you are looking at Southern California regulations or Northern California. Southern California has much more stringent regulations regarding emissions. If people here move from Northern California to Southern California, they have to have their car get an emissions test when they re-register.

Oh, good to know! Thanks so much!. I shouldnt have any issues because my car is fairly new (its an 08 Nissan Versa that I got in Nov 2007). One of the things i noticed while perusing is that CA doesnt accept cars under 7,500 miles if they are new or something due to some 49 states thing? I think that was under ones from out of state though so I'm assuming I am under the category of vehicle unknown by the DMV, which didnt say anything like that. I'm hoping thats not an issue because I havent driven my car hard, i have 6000 km on it.

[Sprailenes 47]

#######...

So we're sitting here, the other assistant, my boss and I were talking about this kid who was driving drunk with his friend, got into an accident and killed his friend, he, as the drunk driver, got 8 years and they were going on about how its too much time and how he isn't even in a good jail.

W T F?

Good jail?? 8 years not enough!?

They were saying how there's good jails down here for white collar people... is this true?? If so, WHY!?

You get drunk. You don't drive.

I told my boss that I don't drive after a beer even, and she was saying how she drinks and drives all the time. Like its no big deal!

I don't understand.

[DeadPoolX 9]

As for the bachelor party - sounds like the person organizing it is just looking for a good night out at everyone elses expense. The whole stripper club thing is interesting. If my Husband wanted to go to a strip club and get turned on by random naked women - well the thought kind of makes me want to throw up (disclaimer: I am not anti strip club - to each his own).

I don't think my wife would mind if I went to one. On the other hand, she knows I have very little interest (if any) in going.

That's exactly it, Tmix. Glen doesn't "want" to go to the strip club, per se. I mean he sort of has to since it's a bach party and all, but he's only been to 1 in his life and said it was dirty and gross. If he went every weekend I'd have a problem but one time for a bach party, that's OK by me.

I've been to a number of strip clubs in the past and while I wouldn't say most have been "dirty and gross," I have to admit that the women seem off. Some of the strippers look really hot (at least in low-light situations), but you soon realize that many of them are doing drugs and/or getting paid for "favors" on the side.

I've found that there are two types of strip clubs: Full nudity and partial nudity (i.e. topless only). The major difference -- aside from how much skin is shown -- is that fully nude strip clubs don't serve alcohol. That's because the fully nude strip clubs allow in 18+ and the drinking age is 21 and over in the United States. Partially nude strip clubs, however, do serve alcohol and sometimes even food.

To be fair, I've only been to strip clubs in Houston. That city has a ton of them, the majority of which are on Westheimer and Richmond. If you live in Houston, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's hard to miss when a strip club can be virtually next door to a four-star restaurant.

Houston is one of the "strip club and brothel" capitals of the U.S. or so it's been said. I'm so very proud.

Only been to 1 strip club??? is that like the drunk driver that tells the cop he only had 1 beer? lol

LoL, most strip clubs are pretty lame tbh. A lot of guys go in and mistake Strip Club for Brothel.

There is a reason why they have the lights so low in strip clubs........

I think the whole "brothel" idea comes from the fact that many strippers will do "extras" for an additional fee. That assumes there are private rooms, of course. It's still illegal and if the police decide to raid the club (which they do every so often) they'll charge the stripper, the patron and the owner of prostitution.

For the record, I have never done that. I simply didn't trust the women to be clean and the last thing I wanted was to acquire an STD or get arrested.

[DeadPoolX 9]

#######...

So we're sitting here, the other assistant, my boss and I were talking about this kid who was driving drunk with his friend, got into an accident and killed his friend, he, as the drunk driver, got 8 years and they were going on about how its too much time and how he isn't even in a good jail.

W T F?

Good jail?? 8 years not enough!?

They were saying how there's good jails down here for white collar people... is this true?? If so, WHY!?

You get drunk. You don't drive.

I told my boss that I don't drive after a beer even, and she was saying how she drinks and drives all the time. Like its no big deal!

I don't understand.

I won't say that Americans feel drinking and driving is okay. MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) successfully lobbied to change the drinking age from 18 to 21. Unfortunately, many people are careless and/or stupid. They think they can drive while plastered and that simply isn't the case.

I don't believe the penalties for drunk driving in the U.S. are quite as stiff as they are in Canada. It's left up to the individual states and depending on the state, drunk driving may be classified as a DWI or DUI.

As for "good jails," do you mean jail or prison? They're two entirely different things. Regardless, there are relatively low security prisons and jails for white collar criminals. The idea behind that is white collar crime isn't the same level as violent crime. Embezzling funds is a lot different from murdering someone.

Edited March 5, 2009 by DeadPoolX

[Sprailenes 47]

I am not making an American/Canadian comparison just so you know dpx.

This has nothing to do with borders. I don't think that the reason my boss thinks its okay to drink and drive is because she's an American. I have had many Canadian friends who did the same thing and it dissapointed me to no end.

I am saying that someone who kills someone by drinking and driving better be some big mans gf in the prison over in Camden. I found it funny how my boss and coworker were sticking up for him is all. He didn't intentionally kill, but no one is a moron when it comes to drinking and driving... we all know the risks.

Edited March 5, 2009 by Sprailenes

[trailmix 77]

Only been to 1 strip club??? is that like the drunk driver that tells the cop he only had 1 beer? lol

LoL, most strip clubs are pretty lame tbh. A lot of guys go in and mistake Strip Club for Brothel.

There is a reason why they have the lights so low in strip clubs........

On another note.... I think we have a winner for this weeks award for Douchebag Racist Internet Troll Of The Week

Behold: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=182927

Why do people even speak to that....person?

So I just completed my Canadian taxes for 2008 - not a big deal, one call to the CRA answered my questions (although I do have one more question - so I have to call them back now) - but the frustrating thing was my stupid printer. I need a new driver for vista - it says i have an older driver version - which must be uninstalled first. fine. So I go to uninstall it - it says no - you can't, the printer is being used (no it's not) ahhhhhhhh.

Forget it, put it on a key and will take it to staples.

Edited March 5, 2009 by trailmix

[JillA 2]

White collar jails are the ones that people like Martha Stewart are in. For the rich.

Drinking and driving is one of my serious pet peeves, it really upsets me. So many lives are lost of the stupidity and carelessness of others drinking and deciding "it won't happen to me" and then killing someone. Oftentimes the drunk doesn't die or get hurt it's the innocent. I say send them to jail, they deserve to pay for ending someone's life.

[Sprailenes 47]

White collar jails are the ones that people like Martha Stewart are in. For the rich.

Drinking and driving is one of my serious pet peeves, it really upsets me. So many lives are lost of the stupidity and carelessness of others drinking and deciding "it won't happen to me" and then killing someone. Oftentimes the drunk doesn't die or get hurt it's the innocent. I say send them to jail, they deserve to pay for ending someone's life.

Preach it sistah!

So true! So very very true.

[Danu 19]

Only been to 1 strip club??? is that like the drunk driver that tells the cop he only had 1 beer? lol

LoL, most strip clubs are pretty lame tbh. A lot of guys go in and mistake Strip Club for Brothel.

There is a reason why they have the lights so low in strip clubs........

On another note.... I think we have a winner for this weeks award for Douchebag Racist Internet Troll Of The Week

Behold: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=182927

Why do people even speak to that....person?

So I just completed my Canadian taxes for 2008 - not a big deal, one call to the CRA answered my questions (although I do have one more question - so I have to call them back now) - but the frustrating thing was my stupid printer. I need a new driver for vista - it says i have an older driver version - which must be uninstalled first. fine. So I go to uninstall it - it says no - you can't, the printer is being used (no it's not) ahhhhhhhh.

Forget it, put it on a key and will take it to staples.

I find his post about seeing a Hispanic lady with her young child pushing a 2nd kid around funny. Like white people only have 1 kid or they have them huge amounts of time apart? I remember pushing my little sister around when she was born...I would have been about 3. His comment about not being able to pop them out fast enough, maybe they want their kids to actually be around the same age, have the kids withing a few years so they can stay home for part of it and then go back to work when they are in school? So many assumptions made by a racist mind. I want to hit people like that hard across the head, though I don't think it would actually knock any sense into them.

[trailmix 77]

I find his post about seeing a Hispanic lady with her young child pushing a 2nd kid around funny. Like white people only have 1 kid or they have them huge amounts of time apart? I remember pushing my little sister around when she was born...I would have been about 3. His comment about not being able to pop them out fast enough, maybe they want their kids to actually be around the same age, have the kids withing a few years so they can stay home for part of it and then go back to work when they are in school? So many assumptions made by a racist mind. I want to hit people like that hard across the head, though I don't think it would actually knock any sense into them.

It won't - that would require him to have an iota of intelligence - when he has none.

I completely agree about the drinking and driving thing - just don't drive when you drink, it is that simple.

Ok, now I have to start on 2 years of U.S. taxes

Edited March 5, 2009 by trailmix

[JillA 2]

White collar jails are the ones that people like Martha Stewart are in. For the rich.

Drinking and driving is one of my serious pet peeves, it really upsets me. So many lives are lost of the stupidity and carelessness of others drinking and deciding "it won't happen to me" and then killing someone. Oftentimes the drunk doesn't die or get hurt it's the innocent. I say send them to jail, they deserve to pay for ending someone's life.

Preach it sistah!

So true! So very very true.

And you know what? Your boss may have that attitude today. But if someone close to her died in a drunk driving accident, I believe she'd have a change of heart. She just doesn't know how bad it can destroy lives.

[Sprailenes 47]

Well here's the thing, my coworker lost her step daughter to a drunk driver!

And she still thinks that 8 years is too long!

When we were discussing it all she said: "The guy who killed my daughter didn't get any time..."

I mean.. you'd think she would have wanted him to? Or perhaps would advocate for such things?

I guess not. Weird though huh? I though so.

*does x-files whistle*

[JillA 2]

Well here's the thing, my coworker lost her step daughter to a drunk driver!

And she still thinks that 8 years is too long!

When we were discussing it all she said: "The guy who killed my daughter didn't get any time..."

I mean.. you'd think she would have wanted him to? Or perhaps would advocate for such things?

I guess not. Weird though huh? I though so.

*does x-files whistle*

WOW!! That is definitely wierd, I don't get it.

[trailmix 77]

Well here's the thing, my coworker lost her step daughter to a drunk driver!

And she still thinks that 8 years is too long!

When we were discussing it all she said: "The guy who killed my daughter didn't get any time..."

I mean.. you'd think she would have wanted him to? Or perhaps would advocate for such things?

I guess not. Weird though huh? I though so.

*does x-files whistle*

WOW!! That is definitely wierd, I don't get it.

I kind of do in a way - she has obviously either 'forgiven' the person or she has some compassion for them - so it's actually probably a nice thing rather than a negative?

[DeadPoolX 9]

I am not making an American/Canadian comparison just so you know dpx.

This has nothing to do with borders. I don't think that the reason my boss thinks its okay to drink and drive is because she's an American. I have had many Canadian friends who did the same thing and it dissapointed me to no end.

I am saying that someone who kills someone by drinking and driving better be some big mans gf in the prison over in Camden. I found it funny how my boss and coworker were sticking up for him is all. He didn't intentionally kill, but no one is a moron when it comes to drinking and driving... we all know the risks.

I wasn't implying an "America vs Canada" issue. Not really, anyway. I was just stating some differences, but that doesn't mean one is necessarily right. To be honest, I tend to side with Canada on the whole "drinking and driving" debate.

Drinking and driving is one of my serious pet peeves, it really upsets me. So many lives are lost of the stupidity and carelessness of others drinking and deciding "it won't happen to me" and then killing someone. Oftentimes the drunk doesn't die or get hurt it's the innocent. I say send them to jail, they deserve to pay for ending someone's life.

I agree.

I got into a severe car accident years ago due to a woman drinking and driving. I was headed down Memorial Drive (one of the most well-known streets in Houston) and this SUV barreled through the stop sign on an adjacent road (I think it was Knipp) and slammed into my passenger side. My car went spinning and literally flew into a ditch on the other side of the road.

I sued her and the woman's attorney attempted to claim it was MY fault. She said she didn't realize Memorial Drive was coming up. Maybe I'm crazy, but if you're unsure of the roads, why would you speed up and go through a stop sign? That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, now does it?

Anyway... I won the lawsuit (we settled out of court), but the entire process took months.

Edited March 5, 2009 by DeadPoolX