I've recently gotten into some new bands lately. And, yes, I have turned into a fangirl. I haven't fangirled since the Jonas Brothers era. And, yes, I liked the Jonas Brothers.
I don't think that I'm going to get into which ones or what their names are simply because I feel like if I do, there will be people who will stop reading this because they let stereotypes get in their way. And the important part of my post isn't about the bands, it's about what comes out of them and how they influence people.
Something that has been bothering me lately in my quest of fangirling is seeing what other people say to each other about the bands, particularly on YouTube. One of the things that is most common in the fandom that I'm in with this particular band is that many people say that the band saved their life. Oftentimes, it seems that this comment will be top comment on the bands YT music/fan videos. I have absolutely no problem with that. But there is ALWAYS someone on there who is replying to that person and telling them things like: they're stupid for saying that, accusing them of being weak because something like a band saved their life, accusing them of making it up because that's what the fandom says but they don't really mean it, the band doesn't give a crap about them so stop saying they saved their lives, etc. And this really upsets me.
I personally have never been suicidal. But there is so many people out there who are/were. The band's lead singer himself has dealt with it actually. But for people to say things like that to someone's claim is just ridiculous. At first, I thought it was a bit odd for someone to say that. But then I literally started seeing the claim everywhere. At least once on every one of their YT videos. All over the fandom's Twitters/Tumblrs, etc. And then I realized that it was actually true.
The way that I see that it is completely true is the fact that suicide often (not always) comes from the feeling of lack of acceptance. Deep-down, every person wants to be accepted. Every person wants to feel like they belong. Every person wants to have friends and people who love them. That's just how we're made. So if listening to a band's music made someone realize that other people feel like them; if listening to a band's music opened a world to them where they felt/got acceptance; if listening to a band's music gave them a place to fit in among the fandom: then who are you to tell them that they're wrong in saying that the band saved their lives? Do you see where I'm coming from? And after experiencing things first-hand with the fandom, I can definitely see why someone would say that. The fandom opens up to anyone no matter who you are and what you're like or where you come from. They don't listen to stereotypes. If you looked at me, you would never think that I love this band as much as I do. But that's the thing: this band isn't about stereotypes. Sure, most of their fans have a certain look to them but that's not important. This band is a haven for anyone who wants to come in. The fandom is filled with some of the nicest people I know because they've all been there themselves in feeling like they don't belong. They don't judge people. They just let you in because you like the same band as they do whether you look like the rest of the fandom or not.
Our world is filled with people who think it's okay to be mean and to say hateful/rude things to people on the internet or in person or to attack what people say or who they are. Why is our world like that? Our world is filled with people who think that their opinion should be the only thing that matters and no one else's does.
Our world is filled with people looking for acceptance. And if they find that in a band's music, then why does it matter to you? If that music saves someone's life, shouldn't you be happy for that person that they were able to make it through? What do you get out of telling that person that they're stupid/wrong/weak? Nothing. All you get is proving that you are a selfish person to a huge fandom that loves their band members as much as they love themselves. Trust me, you don't want to mess with one of the members of the fandom. You don't want to mess with the MCRmy.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Random Facts About Me
I haven't been able to think of anything important enough to blog about. So this is what I got for the month.
Random Facts About Me:
1. I'm 5'5''.
2. I have red hair. Not orange red but auburn red. Yes, it's natural.
3. I am double-jointed in my pointer finger on my left hand only. No other fingers. I'm double-jointed in my hips as well.
4. My favorite color is purple.
5. I went to private school from the age of 12 until I graduated.
6. In high school, I graduated with a 4.17 GPA in an accelerated program. Yes, I'm bragging.
8. I'd never failed a class until I got to college.
9. Yes, that is ironic.
10. I firmly believe that relationships would be much better if everyone would just say how they felt all of the time.
11. I have a YouTube addiction. Maybe sometime I'll write about my favorite people.
12. I think Gerard Way is one of the most amazing people to have ever walked this earth. Maybe I'll write about why I think so soon. Because it's probably not for the same reasons everyone would think when they hear his name.
13. I really wish I could go around and fix people. Meaning, I wish I could go around and tell girls not to ruin themselves with badly done makeup or hair.
14. I tend to reject all things mainstream simply because they're mainstream.
15. One of my life goals is to see Paris before I die.
16. I think French is the most beautiful language there is and would love to learn it even though learning Spanish would be more practical.
17. I don't always do the most practical things. Like ending a list on #17 instead of #15.
And, also for random fun, my tech specs:
Dell Inspiron 1545 Laptop (pink)
Samsung Galaxy SIII (white)
Nook HD (white)
Twitter
YouTube (do not put up videos)
Blog
GoodReads
Instagram
I also have an iPod Touch but I don't know what it is because I hate it and put all music on my phone now. I'm starting to develop the opinion that all Apple products are crap and not worth the hype. This is just my opinion. I don't care if you are an Apple die-hard. Good for you then. This opinion of mine may also have something to do with random fact #14.
TA-TA!
Random Facts About Me:
1. I'm 5'5''.
2. I have red hair. Not orange red but auburn red. Yes, it's natural.
3. I am double-jointed in my pointer finger on my left hand only. No other fingers. I'm double-jointed in my hips as well.
4. My favorite color is purple.
5. I went to private school from the age of 12 until I graduated.
6. In high school, I graduated with a 4.17 GPA in an accelerated program. Yes, I'm bragging.
8. I'd never failed a class until I got to college.
9. Yes, that is ironic.
10. I firmly believe that relationships would be much better if everyone would just say how they felt all of the time.
11. I have a YouTube addiction. Maybe sometime I'll write about my favorite people.
12. I think Gerard Way is one of the most amazing people to have ever walked this earth. Maybe I'll write about why I think so soon. Because it's probably not for the same reasons everyone would think when they hear his name.
13. I really wish I could go around and fix people. Meaning, I wish I could go around and tell girls not to ruin themselves with badly done makeup or hair.
14. I tend to reject all things mainstream simply because they're mainstream.
15. One of my life goals is to see Paris before I die.
16. I think French is the most beautiful language there is and would love to learn it even though learning Spanish would be more practical.
17. I don't always do the most practical things. Like ending a list on #17 instead of #15.
And, also for random fun, my tech specs:
Dell Inspiron 1545 Laptop (pink)
Samsung Galaxy SIII (white)
Nook HD (white)
YouTube (do not put up videos)
Blog
GoodReads
I also have an iPod Touch but I don't know what it is because I hate it and put all music on my phone now. I'm starting to develop the opinion that all Apple products are crap and not worth the hype. This is just my opinion. I don't care if you are an Apple die-hard. Good for you then. This opinion of mine may also have something to do with random fact #14.
TA-TA!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Things Customers Do That I Think Are Funny
I've worked for two years for the same retail store. In all my vast experience with it, these are the things that I think are funny and/or stupid that customers say/do.
1. "Well, then can you order it?"
So often a person will call and want to know if we have this particular item. After searching our store intranet (system), I tell them no that we don't carry it. And ALWAYS comes the next question, "Well, then can you order it?" I don't know if maybe this seems like a legitimate question to you, but even before I worked retail, I would have known that you can't order something that you don't even carry. Which that is always my reply to them and for some reason, people just don't understand that.
2. "I left my coupons at home. Can I use one of yours?"
Our store doesn't have free coupons for everyone to use when they come into our store. If we did, we'd lose money. Always there are people who say they don't have theirs and can they use one of ours. Which we do have some that people who have brought their coupons have used and that we throw away after. But if we pull those out and let someone else use them, I can lose my job. So always this is my reply, "We don't keep coupons here for people to use because we mail them out and we also e-mail them. If you're able to bring them up on your phone though, I can take the code from there." And 9 times out of 10, the person will say, "Oh, well that's okay," or they will ask if they come back with their receipt and coupons can they get the money back. Which we aren't allowed to do and people get mad once I tell them that and once again I'll tell them to bring it up on their phone they'll still say oh that's okay. Really? Well, clearly your money isn't that important to you if you're too lazy to bring it up on your phone. I just think it's funny that they want to get mad but that they aren't willing to do anything they can about it.
3. The "I saw this in your store five years ago and it had a white cover and a guy on the front of the book. Do you know what that is?"
-_- Firstly, most stores do not carry merchandise that they used to carry five years ago, ours included. Secondly, how am I supposed to know what you're talking about? There are hundereds of books in the store. If you can't give a title or author, you're not going to get an answer. And most of the people who do this one are repeat offenders. If you are one of these people, just know that when you walk into the store, all the employees cringe when they see you.
4. Trying to get checked out at the register that I am counting money at.
I really don't get this one. Out of my two years there, only ONCE has a customer realized that they can't get checked out at my register because it is CLOSED. I really, really don't understand how anybody who has a brain would walk up to a register where money is being counted and think that they can get checked out. It just doesn't make any sense.
So there are four things that people frequently do at my job that I think are funny. I decided this would be better to do than a list of things customers do that annoy me. Because I can't even begin to count all of those. This was easier.
1. "Well, then can you order it?"
So often a person will call and want to know if we have this particular item. After searching our store intranet (system), I tell them no that we don't carry it. And ALWAYS comes the next question, "Well, then can you order it?" I don't know if maybe this seems like a legitimate question to you, but even before I worked retail, I would have known that you can't order something that you don't even carry. Which that is always my reply to them and for some reason, people just don't understand that.
2. "I left my coupons at home. Can I use one of yours?"
Our store doesn't have free coupons for everyone to use when they come into our store. If we did, we'd lose money. Always there are people who say they don't have theirs and can they use one of ours. Which we do have some that people who have brought their coupons have used and that we throw away after. But if we pull those out and let someone else use them, I can lose my job. So always this is my reply, "We don't keep coupons here for people to use because we mail them out and we also e-mail them. If you're able to bring them up on your phone though, I can take the code from there." And 9 times out of 10, the person will say, "Oh, well that's okay," or they will ask if they come back with their receipt and coupons can they get the money back. Which we aren't allowed to do and people get mad once I tell them that and once again I'll tell them to bring it up on their phone they'll still say oh that's okay. Really? Well, clearly your money isn't that important to you if you're too lazy to bring it up on your phone. I just think it's funny that they want to get mad but that they aren't willing to do anything they can about it.
3. The "I saw this in your store five years ago and it had a white cover and a guy on the front of the book. Do you know what that is?"
-_- Firstly, most stores do not carry merchandise that they used to carry five years ago, ours included. Secondly, how am I supposed to know what you're talking about? There are hundereds of books in the store. If you can't give a title or author, you're not going to get an answer. And most of the people who do this one are repeat offenders. If you are one of these people, just know that when you walk into the store, all the employees cringe when they see you.
4. Trying to get checked out at the register that I am counting money at.
I really don't get this one. Out of my two years there, only ONCE has a customer realized that they can't get checked out at my register because it is CLOSED. I really, really don't understand how anybody who has a brain would walk up to a register where money is being counted and think that they can get checked out. It just doesn't make any sense.
So there are four things that people frequently do at my job that I think are funny. I decided this would be better to do than a list of things customers do that annoy me. Because I can't even begin to count all of those. This was easier.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Things People Do When They Drive That Annoy Me
I have road rage. Not to the point where I'm going to try to drive someone off the road. But I get really, really, REALLY mad at people when driving. So here's a list of things that you shouldn't do when you drive your car in no particular order other than when I think of them. Because if you do, you're stupid.
1. People who jump lanes at the last second.
I CANNOT STAND PEOPLE WHO DO THIS! Why? That's all I want to know. Why do you do that? If you know you are going to need to turn left, then why are you in the right or middle lane? Why not be driving in the left lane? No, instead people constantly, CONSTANTLY, wait until the very street they need to turn on, then they slide barely through cars and jump into the left turn lane and turn. I do not understand it. Why do that? Just stay in the lane you need to be in. Why push your way through cars, disrupting the flow of traffic? I've seen more accidents caused by these kinds of people than anything else, I think. Because you cause everyone to slam on their breaks, then you turn and people rear-end each other and you get off scott-free. I really don't like you.
2. People who don't know how to get into the turn lane.
Once again, why? There are two types of this form: 1) those who break twenty feet away from the turn lane and then get into it when they finally reach it and 2) those who wait until the last possible second to get into the turn lane. I guess #2 goes hand in hand with #1. Turn lanes are a certain length for a reason. Get into them and then start breaking and you will be just fine. Don't wait until you have just two feet left of the lane and then get into it and turn. AND don't get into the middle lane and ride it for 30 feet until you turn. You stop people from being able to turn into the right parking lot because you're driving down the wrong lane.
3. Excessive breakers.
Those people who start breaking 30 feet BEFORE the suggested break time. I can't take watching the red break lights flash over and over for five minutes before you stop.
4. Tail-riders.
If you ride my tail, I will consistently slow down. I won't break quickly because you're probably stupid anyway and will rear-end me so instead I will promptly lift my foot off the gas pedal and slow down and down and down and will not press it again until you pass me.
5. Getting in front of me and then going slow.
Okay, so you felt like you had to get in front of me but then you're going to go ten miles under the speed limit. I don't get it. Why do that?
6. People going 10 miles under the speed limit.
GO THE STINKING SPEED LIMIT! It's there for a reason. Why not go as fast you're allowed?
7. Those people who make their own lanes on the freeway.
You know when you're stuck in traffic on the freeway? There is ALWAYS those stupid people who think they're better than everyone else and instead of waiting like everyone else has to, they drive down the shoulder then cut someone off to get back into a legal lane. I wish every single one of those peoples' tires gets flattened. Every single tire. Flattened. They don't deserve them.
8. Those people who turn across your lane prematurely and make you slam on the breaks when there is NO ONE behind you.
So someone from the opposite side of the street is turning into a neighborhood and must cross your lanes in order to do that. No big deal. Until they suddenly no longer have a thinking brain and they turn when you're within 10 feet of them and you have to slam on your breaks or hit them. And they always seem to do this when there is NOT A SINGLE PERSON BEHIND YOU. Again: why? When there is nobody behind me why do you feel like you have to turn and make me slow down for you when you could wait another 10 seconds and turn without a problem.
and finally
9. Those people who take your turn at four-way stops.
I hate those people. You are not better than I am. Your time is not better than my time. And just because you're a guy doesn't mean you get to go before me. They know it's not their turn. They know it. And they go anyway and cut people off because they're selfish and stupid. They shouldn't be allowed to drive.
Okay, that is the end of my diatribe about stupid people driving. I know I am not the only one who thinks these things. And ultimately, people do these things because they are selfish and think that their time is more important than anybody else's or that they should be allowed to do what no one else can. That's really the bottom line. Or they're just really stupid. One of those.
1. People who jump lanes at the last second.
I CANNOT STAND PEOPLE WHO DO THIS! Why? That's all I want to know. Why do you do that? If you know you are going to need to turn left, then why are you in the right or middle lane? Why not be driving in the left lane? No, instead people constantly, CONSTANTLY, wait until the very street they need to turn on, then they slide barely through cars and jump into the left turn lane and turn. I do not understand it. Why do that? Just stay in the lane you need to be in. Why push your way through cars, disrupting the flow of traffic? I've seen more accidents caused by these kinds of people than anything else, I think. Because you cause everyone to slam on their breaks, then you turn and people rear-end each other and you get off scott-free. I really don't like you.
2. People who don't know how to get into the turn lane.
Once again, why? There are two types of this form: 1) those who break twenty feet away from the turn lane and then get into it when they finally reach it and 2) those who wait until the last possible second to get into the turn lane. I guess #2 goes hand in hand with #1. Turn lanes are a certain length for a reason. Get into them and then start breaking and you will be just fine. Don't wait until you have just two feet left of the lane and then get into it and turn. AND don't get into the middle lane and ride it for 30 feet until you turn. You stop people from being able to turn into the right parking lot because you're driving down the wrong lane.
3. Excessive breakers.
Those people who start breaking 30 feet BEFORE the suggested break time. I can't take watching the red break lights flash over and over for five minutes before you stop.
4. Tail-riders.
If you ride my tail, I will consistently slow down. I won't break quickly because you're probably stupid anyway and will rear-end me so instead I will promptly lift my foot off the gas pedal and slow down and down and down and will not press it again until you pass me.
5. Getting in front of me and then going slow.
Okay, so you felt like you had to get in front of me but then you're going to go ten miles under the speed limit. I don't get it. Why do that?
6. People going 10 miles under the speed limit.
GO THE STINKING SPEED LIMIT! It's there for a reason. Why not go as fast you're allowed?
7. Those people who make their own lanes on the freeway.
You know when you're stuck in traffic on the freeway? There is ALWAYS those stupid people who think they're better than everyone else and instead of waiting like everyone else has to, they drive down the shoulder then cut someone off to get back into a legal lane. I wish every single one of those peoples' tires gets flattened. Every single tire. Flattened. They don't deserve them.
8. Those people who turn across your lane prematurely and make you slam on the breaks when there is NO ONE behind you.
So someone from the opposite side of the street is turning into a neighborhood and must cross your lanes in order to do that. No big deal. Until they suddenly no longer have a thinking brain and they turn when you're within 10 feet of them and you have to slam on your breaks or hit them. And they always seem to do this when there is NOT A SINGLE PERSON BEHIND YOU. Again: why? When there is nobody behind me why do you feel like you have to turn and make me slow down for you when you could wait another 10 seconds and turn without a problem.
and finally
9. Those people who take your turn at four-way stops.
I hate those people. You are not better than I am. Your time is not better than my time. And just because you're a guy doesn't mean you get to go before me. They know it's not their turn. They know it. And they go anyway and cut people off because they're selfish and stupid. They shouldn't be allowed to drive.
Okay, that is the end of my diatribe about stupid people driving. I know I am not the only one who thinks these things. And ultimately, people do these things because they are selfish and think that their time is more important than anybody else's or that they should be allowed to do what no one else can. That's really the bottom line. Or they're just really stupid. One of those.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Invalid CD Key for Skyrim?
Hey Everyone!
If you're just here to find out what to do about an invalid CD Key, please jump down to where it says in giant purple letters: WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CD KEY IS INVALID. If however you want to read about my experience, read on from here! Oh, and this is for the PC version.
So, recently I finally decided to cave and buy Skyrim. For those of you who don't know what Skyrim is, it's entire title is: "The Elder Scrolls V: Skryim." There are add-on versions of Skyrim now but this is the original. Skryim is part of the Elder Scrolls series but don't get confused. It's just number 5.
Skryim is a role-playing game just like the other Elder Scrolls. You don't have to have the other Elder Scrolls in order to play Skyrim or to understand what's going on. Skyrim is its own independent game.
The premise to Skyrim: "Dragons, long lost to the passages of the Elder Scrolls, have returned to Tamriel and the future of the Empire hangs in the balance. As Dragonborn, the prophesized hero born with the power of The Voice, you are the only one who can stand amongst them."
Skyrim is absolutely HUGE. It will take you forever to finish the game. The plot is extremely long. The graphics are beautiful. There are many, many places to adventure to. Many skills you learn and level up. It's an amazing game.
If you want to preview it, there are a TON of Play-With-Mes on YouTube for it. My personal favorite is Luke Conard's: www.youtube.com/lukesarcade. He has a whole series on Skyrim and his commentary is hilarious, in my opinion.
So after seeing Skyrim played by a few different people, I knew that I wanted it. And EVEN BETTER, Target was having a sale on it in my area this past week. I didn't find out about the sale until Saturday night which was the final day of it. So after rushing home from work (of which I didn't get off until 9:30, and for those of you who don't know, Target closes at 10), I had had to stop at 2 different Targets before I found the last copy that a store had that I was able to purchase. Note:Skyrim is rated M. If you are underage, you will not be able to purchase the game. Target even scans your Drivers License to validate that you are old enough to purchase it. The M rating is for: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, and Use of Alcohol.
I was SO excited to get home and play it. So after loading it in my computer, and started the installation, it pops up with the screen that requires your Cd Key Code. "No big deal," I think because it's printed on a label directly beneath the CD. Except IT WAS A BIG DEAL. Because my CD Key was INVALID. Of course, I tried everything. I typed it without the hyphens. With the hyphens. With the capitals. Without the capitals. With the caps lock on. With the cap locks off. Typing just the first three sections of numbers/letters. Just the last three. None of them worked. So finally I got onto the Steam website and saw that there was a section on Invalid CD Keys. I figured out that mine had to be one of them. I contacted both Steam (the one that runs the PC versions) and Bethesda (the actual publisher) through e-mail and explained my situation. Both of them replied within a day, Steam giving me a customer service number to call for them to handle it because they confirmed I was given an invalid key, and Bethesda requesting a whole slew of information:
Hello XXXXX,
If your code is invalid, please verify first that you are entering it correctly in-game. If you receive a message that the code is invalid, you have misplaced, lost your code, or did not receive one with your purchase, read the following:
Please note that rented copies or used copies are not eligible for a code. The code is only provided for the original purchaser of a new game purchase. If you purchased a new sealed copy of the game for Windows, Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, and it was missing the sheet with the code. please provide the following in order to obtain any appropriate codes.
- A dated proof of purchase (receipt, invoice) showing the purchase of a NEW copy of the game(not a rented or used copy, nor a copy purchased from Ebay).
- Was the game shrink-wrapped like new at the time of purchase?
- A scan of the package and game disc(s) and the code sheet.
- What country was the game purchased in?
- What country are you in?
- What country is your Console account based in?
If you need further assistance, you can also reach us online at http://support.bethsoft.com or our technical support staff at (410)-568-3685. Please include all previous replies when/if responding to this message.
SO, I took pictures of everything I was asked for and extras of everything I could think of. I replied to the e-mail answering all of the questions. After all of this, I got an e-mail saying the EXACT SAME THING from a different employee, like he never even read what I had responded. I also had included the previous conversation with my original employee I spoke to like it was requested at the end of the e-mail.
Therefore, I decided to just call the number Steam gave me. The number was essentially to Bethesda Technical Support. After speaking to an employee there, I was told to send a separate e-mail with just a picture of the receipt and the invalid CD Key and to call back in about a half hour and they would tell me what to do next. I did what he asked and called back in about 20 minutes because they were going to be closing. I spoke to a different employee this time and after giving him my case number, he said he needed to put me on hold to speak to his supervisor but that it looked like everything he needed was there. After he spoke to his supervisor, he told me he'd be sending me an e-mail with a valid key. Which he did within 10 minutes and now I am successfully downloading Skyrim as I'm writing this.
So, my whole point in writing this is to help people like me because it was crazy trying to Google and figure out what was wrong with my CD Key. I've had a ton of Sims games with keys and never had this problem and didn't really know what to do.
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CD KEY IS INVALID:
1. Of course, make sure that you're typing everything correctly. YOU WILL NEED CAPS AND THE HYPHENS PROVIDED. DON'T TAKE THEM OUT. Also, Steam has this thing where if you have the letter O, type a Q instead. It's weird. It's on the Steam website if you search Invalid CD Keys. Also there will be a link directly on the setup if your key is said to be invalid.
2. The fact is that there are retail copies that were shipped with invalid CD codes. Mine had 25 characters and looked like this: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. That's not a valid code from my understanding when talking to Bethesda Technical Support. At least not a valid code for the PC version. You should have 15 characters like this: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. My replacement code given was in that format.
3. If you bought a used copy, YOUR CODE WILL NOT WORK. Because it's already been activated. If you bought it from Ebay, they won't help you either from my understanding. Only brand new copies are able to receive new codes if the others are invalid.
4. The easiest thing you can do is to call Bethesda Technical Support: (410) 568-3685. They're based in Maryland and are open 9-5 EST. When you call, you'll be able to select which game you are calling about and which version of the game (XBOX 360, PS3, or PC). They'll connect you to a person that even speaks ENGLISH right! You'll just have to answer if you've called them before, what your name is, your phone number, your e-mail. Basic stuff. Explain to them that you have an invalid CD key. Most likely, they'll tell you to send a picture or a scan of the receipt and the invalid CD key. SEND YOUR E-MAIL TO: support04@bethsoft.com. The employee I spoke to originally didn't give me a specific e-mail to send my pictures to but I think that's because I said I'd already tried to fix this through e-mail but just decided to call because it was easier. The easiest thing for you to do for them is to type YOUR CASE NUMBER in the subject box along with a small explanation, i.e. Case #XXXXXX Pictures to Replace My Invalid CD Key. The employee should give you your case number before hanging up with you. If not, be sure to ask for it.
5. Call them back in the allotted time. Give them your case number when they ask for it once you tell them you've called before. They'll send you an e-mail to the e-mail you gave for your case with a valid code as long as everything you sent looks okay.
All in all, it's an easy process. Both employees I spoke to on the phone were very nice. I have no complaints. The e-mails however kind of ticked me off because I already sent all the information and just got the same standard e-mail reply back. And they obviously don't need all that information with the multitudes of pictures because the phone employees didn't request it. It's much easier to speak to them on the phone.
Well, I hope this was helpful to some of you! I will now be playing my Skyrim! Ta-ta!
If you're just here to find out what to do about an invalid CD Key, please jump down to where it says in giant purple letters: WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CD KEY IS INVALID. If however you want to read about my experience, read on from here! Oh, and this is for the PC version.
So, recently I finally decided to cave and buy Skyrim. For those of you who don't know what Skyrim is, it's entire title is: "The Elder Scrolls V: Skryim." There are add-on versions of Skyrim now but this is the original. Skryim is part of the Elder Scrolls series but don't get confused. It's just number 5.
Skryim is a role-playing game just like the other Elder Scrolls. You don't have to have the other Elder Scrolls in order to play Skyrim or to understand what's going on. Skyrim is its own independent game.
The premise to Skyrim: "Dragons, long lost to the passages of the Elder Scrolls, have returned to Tamriel and the future of the Empire hangs in the balance. As Dragonborn, the prophesized hero born with the power of The Voice, you are the only one who can stand amongst them."
Skyrim is absolutely HUGE. It will take you forever to finish the game. The plot is extremely long. The graphics are beautiful. There are many, many places to adventure to. Many skills you learn and level up. It's an amazing game.
If you want to preview it, there are a TON of Play-With-Mes on YouTube for it. My personal favorite is Luke Conard's: www.youtube.com/lukesarcade. He has a whole series on Skyrim and his commentary is hilarious, in my opinion.
So after seeing Skyrim played by a few different people, I knew that I wanted it. And EVEN BETTER, Target was having a sale on it in my area this past week. I didn't find out about the sale until Saturday night which was the final day of it. So after rushing home from work (of which I didn't get off until 9:30, and for those of you who don't know, Target closes at 10), I had had to stop at 2 different Targets before I found the last copy that a store had that I was able to purchase. Note:Skyrim is rated M. If you are underage, you will not be able to purchase the game. Target even scans your Drivers License to validate that you are old enough to purchase it. The M rating is for: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, and Use of Alcohol.
I was SO excited to get home and play it. So after loading it in my computer, and started the installation, it pops up with the screen that requires your Cd Key Code. "No big deal," I think because it's printed on a label directly beneath the CD. Except IT WAS A BIG DEAL. Because my CD Key was INVALID. Of course, I tried everything. I typed it without the hyphens. With the hyphens. With the capitals. Without the capitals. With the caps lock on. With the cap locks off. Typing just the first three sections of numbers/letters. Just the last three. None of them worked. So finally I got onto the Steam website and saw that there was a section on Invalid CD Keys. I figured out that mine had to be one of them. I contacted both Steam (the one that runs the PC versions) and Bethesda (the actual publisher) through e-mail and explained my situation. Both of them replied within a day, Steam giving me a customer service number to call for them to handle it because they confirmed I was given an invalid key, and Bethesda requesting a whole slew of information:
Hello XXXXX,
If your code is invalid, please verify first that you are entering it correctly in-game. If you receive a message that the code is invalid, you have misplaced, lost your code, or did not receive one with your purchase, read the following:
Please note that rented copies or used copies are not eligible for a code. The code is only provided for the original purchaser of a new game purchase. If you purchased a new sealed copy of the game for Windows, Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, and it was missing the sheet with the code. please provide the following in order to obtain any appropriate codes.
- A dated proof of purchase (receipt, invoice) showing the purchase of a NEW copy of the game(not a rented or used copy, nor a copy purchased from Ebay).
- Was the game shrink-wrapped like new at the time of purchase?
- A scan of the package and game disc(s) and the code sheet.
- What country was the game purchased in?
- What country are you in?
- What country is your Console account based in?
If you need further assistance, you can also reach us online at http://support.bethsoft.com or our technical support staff at (410)-568-3685. Please include all previous replies when/if responding to this message.
SO, I took pictures of everything I was asked for and extras of everything I could think of. I replied to the e-mail answering all of the questions. After all of this, I got an e-mail saying the EXACT SAME THING from a different employee, like he never even read what I had responded. I also had included the previous conversation with my original employee I spoke to like it was requested at the end of the e-mail.
Therefore, I decided to just call the number Steam gave me. The number was essentially to Bethesda Technical Support. After speaking to an employee there, I was told to send a separate e-mail with just a picture of the receipt and the invalid CD Key and to call back in about a half hour and they would tell me what to do next. I did what he asked and called back in about 20 minutes because they were going to be closing. I spoke to a different employee this time and after giving him my case number, he said he needed to put me on hold to speak to his supervisor but that it looked like everything he needed was there. After he spoke to his supervisor, he told me he'd be sending me an e-mail with a valid key. Which he did within 10 minutes and now I am successfully downloading Skyrim as I'm writing this.
So, my whole point in writing this is to help people like me because it was crazy trying to Google and figure out what was wrong with my CD Key. I've had a ton of Sims games with keys and never had this problem and didn't really know what to do.
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CD KEY IS INVALID:
1. Of course, make sure that you're typing everything correctly. YOU WILL NEED CAPS AND THE HYPHENS PROVIDED. DON'T TAKE THEM OUT. Also, Steam has this thing where if you have the letter O, type a Q instead. It's weird. It's on the Steam website if you search Invalid CD Keys. Also there will be a link directly on the setup if your key is said to be invalid.
2. The fact is that there are retail copies that were shipped with invalid CD codes. Mine had 25 characters and looked like this: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. That's not a valid code from my understanding when talking to Bethesda Technical Support. At least not a valid code for the PC version. You should have 15 characters like this: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. My replacement code given was in that format.
3. If you bought a used copy, YOUR CODE WILL NOT WORK. Because it's already been activated. If you bought it from Ebay, they won't help you either from my understanding. Only brand new copies are able to receive new codes if the others are invalid.
4. The easiest thing you can do is to call Bethesda Technical Support: (410) 568-3685. They're based in Maryland and are open 9-5 EST. When you call, you'll be able to select which game you are calling about and which version of the game (XBOX 360, PS3, or PC). They'll connect you to a person that even speaks ENGLISH right! You'll just have to answer if you've called them before, what your name is, your phone number, your e-mail. Basic stuff. Explain to them that you have an invalid CD key. Most likely, they'll tell you to send a picture or a scan of the receipt and the invalid CD key. SEND YOUR E-MAIL TO: support04@bethsoft.com. The employee I spoke to originally didn't give me a specific e-mail to send my pictures to but I think that's because I said I'd already tried to fix this through e-mail but just decided to call because it was easier. The easiest thing for you to do for them is to type YOUR CASE NUMBER in the subject box along with a small explanation, i.e. Case #XXXXXX Pictures to Replace My Invalid CD Key. The employee should give you your case number before hanging up with you. If not, be sure to ask for it.
5. Call them back in the allotted time. Give them your case number when they ask for it once you tell them you've called before. They'll send you an e-mail to the e-mail you gave for your case with a valid code as long as everything you sent looks okay.
All in all, it's an easy process. Both employees I spoke to on the phone were very nice. I have no complaints. The e-mails however kind of ticked me off because I already sent all the information and just got the same standard e-mail reply back. And they obviously don't need all that information with the multitudes of pictures because the phone employees didn't request it. It's much easier to speak to them on the phone.
Well, I hope this was helpful to some of you! I will now be playing my Skyrim! Ta-ta!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
I Hate Retail Christmas
As we all grow up, Christmas starts to lose the magic it used to hold. Santa Claus goes away. The favorite childhood movies like Santa Claus Is Coming to Town or Frosty the Snowman or The Little Drummer Boy normally get put away. And Christmas becomes another day in the year with a few extra special things to it.
I love Christmas. It's my favorite holiday. But honestly I just don't get into it as much anymore.
By the time high school rolled around, Christmas became a survival point. Survive the finals and then get to Christmas break. Now in college it's the same thing but with one more added bonus: Retail Christmas.
Retail Christmas
noun
1. The portion of Christmas that a selection of individuals must experience every year who have a job
in the retail world for several hours a day.
AKA the worst time of the year that includes annoying customers, needy customers, rude customers, arguing customers, stupid customers, children running around because parents don't care to control their children, children opening product because of the aformentioned parents not controlling their children, screaming and crying children. Can also include crashing systems on registers, multiple levels of identity theft and shoplifting, and finally the wielding of the all important coupons. (Although this last portion happens all the time. Especially the coupons.)
(And, yes, I wrote that definition.)
I realize that Retail Christmas isn't fun for people all around basically. For the customers it's a lot of waiting in line, waiting to get your questions answered, waiting to return items that didn't work out/you changed your mind on. But for the workers it's all of the above mentioned in the definition of Retail Christmas.
People are all about me, me, me and that they want what they want right this moment. Well tough luck. People just drive me nuts during Retail Christmas. They get even more impatient that they have to wait in line (ooh, big shocker. It's Christmas season and I can't believe you have to wait in line! How terrible!). They get more needy (aka lazy) and don't even bother looking around for what they want before asking for a sales associate to go get it for them. They feel like they need to make comments to the cashier about how long they had to wait or whatever other detail they think they need to say something about (guess what? The cashier/sales associate honestly doesn't give a crap. Take it up with corporate.) They hold up lines going to get just one more item because they forgot it even though they just stood in line for over 10 minutes. They hold up the line by digging in their purses/wallets for five minutes looking for their coupons even though they just waited in aforementioned line and therefore irritate everyone behind them because they are lazy/incompetent/just plain stupid and don't think to get their coupons out. And--my absolute favorite--the amazing anger that comes when they forget their coupons and we don't have any to give them. I mean, really? How dare we not have coupons for them! We are such a terrible store and such terrible people because we don't have coupons for them! I have a cut-cut view in life which basically means I have zero empathy. I was just not born with this gift. So when someone forgets their coupons or whatever other reason they have for not having it, I. Don't. Care. I don't feel bad for our store policy of not having coupons there for people to use. You forgot your coupon. You lost your coupon. It. Is. Your. Fault. Simple as that. Don't get mad at me. Get mad at yourself for your own stupidity. And I feel the same way about myself in case you were wondering. If I forget my Ulta coupon or whatever (which I never do because it irritates me so much at my own job when people whine about forgetting their coupons), oh well. That's my fault. I have to pay a little more. Big freaking whoop. Life shouldn't be about trying to chew cashiers out for not giving you a discount.
Don't get me wrong. I am extremely thankful for the job that I have. I'm lucky to even have a job in this economy and in this world. Which is why I suffer through Retail Christmas every year.
My whole point is that I've experienced two Retail Christmases now. And basically Retail Christmas has ruined my Christmas spirit.
Because I am someone who is unable to retain my anger at people doing the same things and cocking the same attitudes for 8 hours every day until Christmas is over. That probably makes me pathetic in a way. I do get over it obviously. But Christmas does not hold the same magic it used to anymore. Retail Christmas has forever ruined it for me. Moral of the story, kids? Avoid Retail Christmas if you can. Just don't do it, k?
I love Christmas. It's my favorite holiday. But honestly I just don't get into it as much anymore.
By the time high school rolled around, Christmas became a survival point. Survive the finals and then get to Christmas break. Now in college it's the same thing but with one more added bonus: Retail Christmas.
Retail Christmas
noun
1. The portion of Christmas that a selection of individuals must experience every year who have a job
in the retail world for several hours a day.
AKA the worst time of the year that includes annoying customers, needy customers, rude customers, arguing customers, stupid customers, children running around because parents don't care to control their children, children opening product because of the aformentioned parents not controlling their children, screaming and crying children. Can also include crashing systems on registers, multiple levels of identity theft and shoplifting, and finally the wielding of the all important coupons. (Although this last portion happens all the time. Especially the coupons.)
(And, yes, I wrote that definition.)
I realize that Retail Christmas isn't fun for people all around basically. For the customers it's a lot of waiting in line, waiting to get your questions answered, waiting to return items that didn't work out/you changed your mind on. But for the workers it's all of the above mentioned in the definition of Retail Christmas.
People are all about me, me, me and that they want what they want right this moment. Well tough luck. People just drive me nuts during Retail Christmas. They get even more impatient that they have to wait in line (ooh, big shocker. It's Christmas season and I can't believe you have to wait in line! How terrible!). They get more needy (aka lazy) and don't even bother looking around for what they want before asking for a sales associate to go get it for them. They feel like they need to make comments to the cashier about how long they had to wait or whatever other detail they think they need to say something about (guess what? The cashier/sales associate honestly doesn't give a crap. Take it up with corporate.) They hold up lines going to get just one more item because they forgot it even though they just stood in line for over 10 minutes. They hold up the line by digging in their purses/wallets for five minutes looking for their coupons even though they just waited in aforementioned line and therefore irritate everyone behind them because they are lazy/incompetent/just plain stupid and don't think to get their coupons out. And--my absolute favorite--the amazing anger that comes when they forget their coupons and we don't have any to give them. I mean, really? How dare we not have coupons for them! We are such a terrible store and such terrible people because we don't have coupons for them! I have a cut-cut view in life which basically means I have zero empathy. I was just not born with this gift. So when someone forgets their coupons or whatever other reason they have for not having it, I. Don't. Care. I don't feel bad for our store policy of not having coupons there for people to use. You forgot your coupon. You lost your coupon. It. Is. Your. Fault. Simple as that. Don't get mad at me. Get mad at yourself for your own stupidity. And I feel the same way about myself in case you were wondering. If I forget my Ulta coupon or whatever (which I never do because it irritates me so much at my own job when people whine about forgetting their coupons), oh well. That's my fault. I have to pay a little more. Big freaking whoop. Life shouldn't be about trying to chew cashiers out for not giving you a discount.
Don't get me wrong. I am extremely thankful for the job that I have. I'm lucky to even have a job in this economy and in this world. Which is why I suffer through Retail Christmas every year.
My whole point is that I've experienced two Retail Christmases now. And basically Retail Christmas has ruined my Christmas spirit.
Because I am someone who is unable to retain my anger at people doing the same things and cocking the same attitudes for 8 hours every day until Christmas is over. That probably makes me pathetic in a way. I do get over it obviously. But Christmas does not hold the same magic it used to anymore. Retail Christmas has forever ruined it for me. Moral of the story, kids? Avoid Retail Christmas if you can. Just don't do it, k?
Saturday, September 22, 2012
My Experience with Proactiv
I think pretty much everyone knows what Proactiv is but for those who do not know it is a skin care line that is designed to combat acne. Proactiv gets a lot of hate. All you need to do is Google it and you'll find a lot of people downing it. However, I feel like a lot of people are uninformed about it so, therefore, I decided to write on it.
And, yes, this is a pro-Proactiv post.
Now, before you go and get all mad because all you wanted to see deep-down was more bashing of Proactiv, hear me out. I have a lot to say, by the way, so you may want to just skip to the titles that interest you. It won't hurt my feelings.
Common Proactiv Misconceptions:
1. That Proactiv will work for everyone.
No, it doesn't work for everyone. No skincare regime will ever work for everyone. I think it really just depends on your skin (among other things like how you use the products). It's worked wonders for me but didn't work at all for my best friend. My acne has changed over my five years of using Proactiv but, even with my skin changes, it still works for me.
2. That Proactiv gives instant results.
Most people see Proactiv as a last resort (myself included) and then they get really upset when it doesn't work instantly. Let's face it, all humans have little patience and when you deal with acne, you don't want to wait for any product to work. You just want it to go away. But you have to give Proactiv time. I personally make myself use products for at least 2-4 months because that's really when you're going to see if something works for you or not. I really strongly suggest you give Proactiv at least 2 months.
3. That the third step (Repairing Lotion) is a moisturizer.
This one really drives me nuts. I mean, really, does nobody ever read anything on bottles anymore? The Repairing Lotion is not a moisturizer. It is AN ACNE TREATMENT. It has Benzoyl Peroxide in it. It's made to help treat the acne. And then people get upset, understandably, when their face dries out because typically they're putting the Repairing Lotion all over their face.
Quick Rundown on My Skin:
Skin type: Dry, semi-sensitive
Acne type: Surface acne (whiteheads, spots) mainly but under-the-skin (does not come to head) as I've gotten older
Makeup: I only wear BareEscentuals/BareMinerals on my face. I have a HUGE fear of liquid anything being on my face. Probably mostly because I've never used it but also because my skin is so sensitive that I can pretty much guarantee liquid would do nothing but clog my pores and break me out.
Eating habits: I eat pretty terribly. Here's a clue: My favorite foods are chicken fingers and peanut-butter sandwiches. We're a big carbs family. We eat out quite a bit. I drink soda. And, no, I'm not obese.
Past acne treatment tries: Way too many to mention. Clean & Clear, Neutrogena, Clearasil (which I'm really allergic to), Nature's Cure (not sure if it's still around but you took pills as well as used a cleanser), CleanStart...to name only a few. You name it, I tried it.
I have been acne free for five years with Proactiv.
My Thoughts on the 3-Step System:
Renewing Cleanser: I personally love it. It has microbeads in it that help exfoliate your skin. My skin loves to be exfoliated so this really helps. The microbeads also help to open my pores and allow the acne medication to get into them. My skin is also pretty sensitive and I've never had the microbeads hurt my skin or anything. My skin feels really smooth with this cleanser and also feels really clean. It does have Benzoyl Peroxide in it to treat acne. Overall, I really like it.
Revitalizing Toner: Another love for me. It doesn't burn my skin, even with active acne breakouts, although I've heard that it does burn other people's skin. It helps balance my skin and also just gives me the extra boost to squeaky clean skin. Also removes any bit of makeup I may have leftover that I missed with the cleanser. Does not have Benzoyl Peroxide in it.
Repairing Lotion: Not my favorite. I don't use it too often. It does dry out my skin so when I do happen to get a breakout, I just place a little bit on the breakout and leave it at that and typically I only put it on the same breakout maybe two times the entire time it's healing to prevent excessive dryness around the area. I really feel like you just have to figure this one out on your own because, as a teenager, I applied it all over my face to prevent acne and typically didn't have any problems with excessive dryness from it.
My Thoughts on Other Products from the Proactiv Line:
Green Tea Moisturizer: I like it. It's light and soaks into my skin really quickly. I normally only use it in the morning before I put on my makeup because it does absorb so quickly. Keeps my skin hydrated. Haven't had any problems with it. Green tea is really good for your skin. However, for the price and the amount I use each morning, I don't really think it's worth it and even after purchasing the larger size, I will be just purchasing a drugstore moisturizer after I'm finished with it. I think for oily skin people this would be a really good basic moisturizer because it is so light.
Oil-Free Moisturizer: So not worth it. For someone with dry skin, it won't work. At least it really didn't for me. I still had really unattractive dry patches on my skin even after reapplying it three times in the same area throughout the day. May work for oily skin people but I've heard a lot of hate on this product on all sides of the skin equation and I personally agree and think it's rubbish too.
Dark Spot Correcter: Unfortunately, I don't have much to say on this product because, after purchasing the full size because I was unable to get a sample size, I discovered pretty quickly that it breaks me out. I don't know what it is but there is some ingredient in it that breaks me out like nobody's business. And it's the under-the-skin acne that hurts and takes longer to heal. Really wish that it didn't do that though because I would love to diminish some of my acne scarring.
Refining Mask: Anybody who purchases the kit normally gets one of these. I think it's okay. Not my favorite thing. I typically don't put masks on my face unless I'm breaking out really terribly (thanks to that lovely gift I get every month) because it just seems to throw my skin off. It does help a bit for a spot treatment but I don't really like spot treatments.
Quick Tips:
-If you know from experience that Benzoyl Peroxide is not what your skin likes, don't try this. If your skin likes salicylic acid, then use products with that in it. Salicylic acid does absolutely nothing for my skin.
-Don't use the Repairing Lotion all over your face. It has acne treating properties in it too and is not meant to be a moisturizer.
-Before spending the money on Proactiv, you may want to try isolating things that could be causing your acne. Examples: liquid makeup, any face products you're using, foods. For me, I just think that liquid makeup contributes to blocked pores. ALL makeup wipes break me out. Soda contributes to my acne. Ingesting high amounts of skim milk is shown to contribute to acne.
-Do try everything you try out for 2-4 months. Unless it automatically makes your skin worse, then it's your choice to stick it out or stop using it. Don't expect instant results with anything. I do recommend making Proactiv a last choice just because of the price.
-DO NOT ORDER PROACTIV ONLINE!!!!!!! That is something I cannot stress enough. I've heard/read too many horror stories about what goes on online with the company. If you can't purchase it locally (I purchase mine just at a kiosk at one of my malls) then try something else like Murad perhaps (I've never used Murad). Proactiv has terrible customer service and automatically bills you and sends you products even when you opt out. The customer service isn't fantastic at my kiosk, but considering where I live, I don't really think anything of it. I just walk up to the kiosk and say, "I need some cleanser and toner," and they ask if I want the 60-day or 90-day bottles and then they pick them up for me and ring them up. Simple as that. But do not order online or through the phone. Just don't.
-If you are experiencing dryness, cut back on using it. I don't ever use it in the morning. I only use it at night. And use a good moisturizer (Proactiv ones are pretty overrated though so I suggest just plain Olay which is what I use). If you're doing both of those, then I suggest moving on to something else.
-If you wear makeup, take off your makeup with a separate cleanser or makeup wipe because the Renewing Cleanser is not made to be a makeup remover but an acne treatment. I however use it as both because I find that makeup wipes just break me out. It works just as well for me.
-When your bottle of cleanser stops squirting out, take the lid off and just plop some on your washcloth/hand because I can guarantee there's probably 12 or more uses still in the bottle that just don't like to squeeze out.
-Over time, it has helped diminish acne scarring that I have.
-It has never given me cystic acne like I've heard some people claim and I've used it for over five years now. I haven't had any adverse reactions to it. I do still get an occassional pimple but it's mostly from hormonal things.
I purchase the 60-day line from my local mall kiosk. The kit runs about $50. However it lasts me 3 months instead of the 60 days. For me, the price is worth it.
Bottom Line:
I love Proactiv. It's saved my skin.
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