Posts by Andrew Wright2

Timothy Kim60 thanks for the tips, I'll give that a shot. 🙂

Motherboard - msi k9n6pgm2-v2
CPU - Seagate BarraCuda
HDD - 320 GB
RAM - 4 GB (can go up to 8 GB)
GPU - EVGA GeForce GT 9500
PSU - Akyga 430w Basic

Basically, my rig is lagging like crazy just while browsing. We aren't even gaming here. Just surfing, watching movies, torrenting, and managing some websites.

In the next month, I'm swapping in a different CPU—either an AMD Phenom II x4 955 or a 960 T (still deciding which one). This board can actually handle a Phenom II x6 1055 95W, but that’s $55, and
the Phenom II x4 955 or 960 T are more like $35-$38.

Gonna bump the RAM up to 8 GB too.

And I'm planning on throwing in an Nvidia GTX 260.

Definitely gotta swap out the PSU because this current one is absolute garbage!

Looking for some advice regarding the GPU and power supply.

Thinking about grabbing a used 260 gtx for $220-$83 on eBay. Is there anything better than that in the same price range?

As for the PSU, I know I need something beefier and higher quality. Any recs for a new, stronger unit? Since the 260 gtx needs those 2 x 6 pin connectors.

Just a heads up, we don't play games at all. Just browsing and standard home PC stuff.

Hey, look, everyone’s entitled to their own take on things. You see it one way, but me, my husband, and basically everyone else involved in this whole mess? We see it differently.

I already gave you the rundown on how that meeting with CZSS went. Laid out our entire process. That's all there is to it.

Anyway, gotta get back to work, ladies. Gotta pay the bills somehow.

Later.

Look, I'm not breaking any rules here. I got it in writing from the government that the enrollment was pushed back because my kid cleared every single hurdle they set out. I didn't dodge anything. They set the guidelines, we followed them to a T.

You're mixing up legality with fairness. Law and justice? Not the same thing.

There are plenty of bad actors holding positions in this country, messing with the system. This isn't news; it's been happening forever. But if the principal says it's a mess, the special ed teacher says it's a mess, the speech therapist agrees, and even the school district confirms it... then either they all need to be fired, someone's lying, or it really is a disaster.

Regarding that social worker—I'm just pointing out what people actually do during office hours. They get paid to WORK, not to scroll through Facebook and take selfies.

If I don't work, I don't eat. Simple as that.

Hey, feel free to keep venting. Nobody's stopping you.

Nah, they aren't long or anything at the welfare office. It’s just a woman who admitted herself she’s struggling within the system. We aren't being watched by the state or whatever, we're just dealing with a kid starting school in the fall.

I was actually watching one social worker while I was waiting there—just chilling at her desk. She’s snapping selfies and scrolling Facebook on the clock. Meanwhile, I’m stuck outside just staring into her office.

We aren't special cases if that's what you're worried about.

Verdan nailed it regarding their job.

And look, I can't comment on how things work in NYC. I don't know.

I'm just saying how we were treated during the whole process.

Since we're arguing over whether people follow protocol or not... let me ask you this: if you were in NYC and your kid had a cold that kept getting worse, would you want five different doctors checking them out? Would you want them sent for an X-ray just to make sure it wasn't pneumonia?

100% yes. But that’s not how they do it at Santa Monica. They wait until everything is hitting the fan before they even think about an X-ray. We ended up in the ER twice only to be brushed off with "it's just a virus." Then my kid hits a 104 fever that won't break, starts shaking, can't breathe, but bloodwork looks fine. They keep him for six days on two antibiotics, then send him home with a third one they didn't even bother using to treat him. Twelve hours later, it's back to square one—shaking, fever, struggling to breathe. Back to the doctor, gets a fourth antibiotic (the one they used in the hospital), and finally, the symptoms recede. Then the kid wakes up covered in a rash from head to waist like he rolled through poison ivy. Run back to the doctor for shots and pills, swap to a fifth antibiotic, and *finally* the illness clears. They have no clue which med caused the reaction—they're just guessing or maybe it's just too many drugs. His white cell count tanked so hard he had zero immunity; went in at 9, left at 2. All because of those antibiotics being slammed into him in ten days. He was stuck in quarantine for a month and a half. No going out. Everything seems okay for now, but I lost 15 pounds just from the stress.

After all that, the little one caught bad bronchitis and I ended up with pneumonia and a 106 fever.

If you get it, you get it—the final say always rests with some government-appointed expert board. They’re the ones pulling the trigger on the "yes" or "no."

I guess the inspectors are doing their thing, but honestly, I have no clue. Hard to say.

Kid’s got another year of preschool left, then he’s off to elementary school by next fall. And that’s basically it.

See, there’s the difference.

Our own doctor actually told us we should ask for a deferral. And she sees my little guy all the time—not because he’s sick, just because we live in a small town. She knows him, she knows he's totally fine. Even his preschool backed our simple request to hold off, and the school district was on the same page. We didn't have to harass anyone, play favorites, threaten people, or grease any palms. The principal himself even told me we did the right thing by asking for more time. I've known the guy since I was a kid; he's an easygoing, open guy who admitted the whole school system is basically a chaotic mess right now.

Around here, everyone treats this like it's perfectly normal. Even NASA supports deferrals, so honestly, it just comes down to how people handle it. Some get it, some don't. Guess it depends on the doctor or whatever.

And I'll say it again: my kid will be exactly 7 years and 10 months when he starts school. There's another kid starting at 8.5 years old who is just as healthy and well-adjusted. And nobody is making a scene about it or saying he'll fall behind or get bored in preschool, or that he won't be with kids his age. Seriously, nobody. Does that even make sense to you guys? Instead, they're actually supportive.

There you go—info for anyone who might need to ask for an extension down the road.

The thing is, you guys couldn't have provided this because you don't actually know how the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee handles their procedures. You’re all just guessing. You haven't been through it, yet you sure love to ramble on about stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with my situation or anyone else's.

And yeah, the rulebook says the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee "intervenes" if a kid has disabilities or special needs, but even she admitted her job goes way beyond what's just written in the manual. Besides, everything we went through today was the same for everyone; we all got the same notice and gave the same statements.

Btw. Freddie Mercury I don't work some 7-to-3 grind or whatever weird shift schedule you've cooked up in your head. My hours depend entirely on whatever time zone they assign me. I don't get standard American PTO, fancy vacation adjustments, or those long holiday weekends. I work from home and travel abroad constantly. And for the record, I pay my dues to the US out of my own pocket, because if I didn't, I wouldn't be allowed to work.

Anyway, enough of that. 🙂 It's summer, let's just go hit the beach and swim until we drop.

With USA Swimming, you basically just sign a statement saying the kid doesn't have any disabilities or special needs. That's it.

The lady there walked me through the whole thing—first over the phone, then in person today. It’s just standard procedure ordered by the Department and handled by the CDC.

I wasn't the only one, either. There were a bunch of us there today getting hit with school enrollment delays, all having to sign the exact same statements unless someone actually had official paperwork proving their kid had specific needs. If they did, USA Swimming helps them get their benefits sorted through Medicare and stuff...
But since everyone brought their kids, the little ones were just running around outside while we stood in line signing papers. We were all seeing the same lady.

So yeah, even USA Swimming backs these calls, which makes your opinions pretty much irrelevant. The lady told me straight up: there's no appealing these decisions or even offering an opinion.

It’s just a process where they let parents or guardians know what kind of financial or professional help they’re entitled to and how to actually get it, with USA Swimming helping out.

USA Swimming isn't blaming anyone's laundry pile or some judge—it’s just pure bureaucracy! But hey, good luck getting anyone to actually listen to that.

In England, kids start preschool at age 3 wearing uniforms, and the whole setup is totally different than how we do things here.

Anyway, I didn't get called in because they were out to get me; it was just the standard procedure. I went in today, gave a two-sentence statement, and signed the damn thing. The lady handling it was an older woman with 35 years on the job—super understanding. She actually agrees that delaying first grade enrollment is a good call because she thinks the system is a total wreck. Her words, not mine.

So basically, our official statement was: we were all there (even though they only summoned me), she met my little guy, and as parents, we collectively decided to defer his first-grade start date. Name, DOB, year, and a perfectly healthy kid, backed by a committee recommendation to delay school.

That’s the whole story.

Go ahead, keep on hating if you want...🙂

Look, I get to live wherever I want. I'm not ditching the US just because of some people. I lived abroad and actually went to school specifically to work right here at home.

And yeah, we got a delay on our request, even with everyone involved in the process. It’s not like we were being pushy or making a scene or trying to grease any palms. We just told them we wanted priority for preschool, and they were like, "Sure, we'll look into it." Then they just hashed it out with the school district and the doctors.

Andrew Wright2 for real, we totally veered off track here.

Basically, our kid’s kindergarten enrollment got pushed back, so tomorrow we have to head in and sign some paperwork stating there aren't any developmental issues or disabilities.

I'll let you guys know how it goes.

My attitude isn't changing. Not one bit.

Better now, Admin?

Deleted that just so nobody here gets their feelings hurt.

Same old story. We asked for a delay, we got one. NASA is just busy drafting their statement. We aren't exactly pioneers in making excuses.

I'm not projecting my anxieties onto my kid—if I were, she would've already moved to Germany to live with relatives on her dad's side and finish school there.

Our school system is what it is... pretty much lagging behind in most cases. Honestly, even some of the people working in it.

I've seen how things work in the United Kingdom and Germany. Compared to them? We're stuck in the Dark Ages. Bottom line.

So, the local preschool is getting speech therapy, and there’s this non-profit funded by the city where all kids in town can get free access to speech pathologists and occupational therapists. Basically, endless learning support just handed out for free. Lucky us.

Forgot to mention they didn't even bother suggesting anything since they don't think it's an issue. So yeah, it's happening exactly like I said above.

It’s not an ADHD thing or whatever. He can actually lock in and learn stuff super fast when he needs to. He's just a kid—toys are way more interesting than books.

Did you guys just get teased for your names, or did people push you to the point where you actually started stuttering or struggling to learn stuff?

Man, I dealt with both.

Kid doesn't even stutter when he talks.

Talking, sure, but don't call a speech therapist just yet. It’s not an ADHD thing. They're just being a kid.

That extra year should definitely take some weight off his shoulders regarding school. Not just my take, either—it’s just how the whole process works out.

Look, he won't suddenly turn into some child prodigy overnight, but life'll be a hell of a lot easier.

The government covers everything for everyone—free textbooks, school lunches, all that. I’m not trying to act like a saint; that’s just how the system works here.

I'm not taking anyone else because the classes are already full, okay? Is anyone even listening?

And yeah, the state provides aid for kids with disabilities or special needs, but my son doesn't fall into that category.

Maybe try reading more carefully next time.

Fine, let it be 😉

Look, I love this country to death, but I absolutely hate dealing with government agencies—the cops, the Social Security Administration, all that junk. Healthcare and schools are actually decent, though. But honestly, after some of the crap professors pulled during my school years, and how my husband was treated by teachers back in the day, I just want to spare my kid from that kind of nonsense.

How am I supposed to explain to a six-year-old what I went through in first grade? Like, why was my teacher picking on me just because of my last name? Or why did my husband’s teachers call him a "dirty outsider" like it meant something? It had zero to do with hygiene.

We all have our fears, whether they make sense or not.