So, I'm trying to apply to grad school. Universities have online applications now, which should make things more convenient, right? When frozen devil-pigs projectile cannon out of the gates of hell. One university, which shall remain unnamed, has devised perhaps the most user unfriendly online application in the history online forms. It has the erratic habit of refreshing itself when you're in the middle of typing something. The buttons are hard to find. You cannot copy and paste text from a word document into the browser window because it barfs up "exotic" characters such as long dashes. It also won't allow you to write in paragraphs.

And unlike every other school, which now allows you to upload scans of your transcripts and lets your reference writers to upload their letters directly to their website, this one still wants you to send all your documentation in on paper. In triplicate.

Actually, in quadruplicate, if that's even a word. Because you've got to send three copies of everything to the admissions office, and a fourth copy to the academic department you're applying to. This fourth copy must include full paper version of the application you've just filled out online, negating the entire point of doing it electronically. Because they can't print the bloody thing out themselves. It's a very good thing I remembered to save it to PDF before I submitted it, because otherwise I'd have to type it all out again.

And that isn't even half of it. Because I've got to submit everything in quadruplicate, that means I have to tell each of my reference writers to print out four copies of their forms and letters and seal them in two separate envelopes. I also have to give them each a stupid cover sheet to include in each envelope, and I've just spent this afternoon going to the mall to get passport photos taken to glue to said cover sheets.

And thankfully I'm handy with a scanner and Photoshop and PDF conversions because one of my reference writers is a college professor in Boston and I am in Hong Kong. It's bad enough with her having to mail me her letter so that I can mail it to England before the deadline without me also having to mail her documentation just for her to mail back again. And in addition to giving two cover sheets to each of my three reference writers, they also want me to include four extra ones in my application package, just for craps and giggles. So that's ten cover sheets. Because apparently they don't have any photocopiers there.

Oh yes, and even though their online application form required me to write a personal statement (three mini-essays actually), they also seem want me to send them an additional paper one. I'm not sure if they mean for me to just print out what I already wrote online, or if they want a whole other, more detailed essay.

This is the most bureaucracy I've dealt with in my life. This system must've been designed by Vogons. Have any of you had bureaucratic experiences that can top that?

...I don't think I can top that. But I can offer a suggestion:



Try copying and pasting from Notepad if you meet this situation again (you might, if the university accepts you). It doesn't use "exotic" characters like long dashes at all.

Three words: Military Pay System.

The online application for the grad school I just applied to required you to type in your transcripts, exactly as they appear on your official transcripts. Then after you have submitted the application, they ask for two paper copies of your transcripts.

Just seems like a waste of time typing everything in if they're just going to ask for it on paper.

You aint' kidding. When I first transfered from National Guard-part time to National Guard-full time I went 9 weeks without a paycheck. I borrowed from everyone I knew and used up my savings trying to keep up with the bills and gas money to get to and from work. I finally got action by going directly to the pay office that handled our division and making a nuisense of myself, risking my rank, untill they cut me a check. I have no idea how long it would have taken if I had waited for them to fix it themselves.

Last Tuesday I found my cel phone service was turned off. I called to find out the reason, seeing as I had just paid the bill in full on Saturday and they were claiming I owed them around $150. After being given the runaround for about half an hour, it turned out this was because I hadn't paid a bill that they said they hadn't generated yet. When I pointed out I had no way of knowing I needed to pay this without receiving a bill, they agreed to give me a 7 day extension until the bill could reach me. On Friday they turned off my service again. This time the runaround was much shorter. It turns out that they had added anticipated charges for the month following the bill I had still not received, and this put me over my new spending limit they had given me so I wouldn't be shut off before I got my bill. They agreed to another extension. I have paid what they claim I owe, but still have yet to see a bill. Anyone know a good cellular service? Don't say Sprint.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that they charged me 25 pounds for the privilege of using their crappy online application system. All the other schools I'm applying to are other way around; they have reduced fees for online applications or none at all.

I've never had any problems with my Verizon service. But onto bereaucracy...

Not much really. Me and my roommates do have a bit of a problem though. The previous boarder left his car in the driveway when he moved out. We haven't been able to get rid of it, because he can't transfer the deed to one of us because his bank won't let him. We aren't quite sure what to do, but we really just want to sell it to somebody, or worst case scenario get the city to tow it.

I can understand the wanting to sell it if possible, but why won't the city tow an "abandoned car?" They can look up the license info and confirm the owner doesn't live where it's parked just as easily as anyone with DMV access.

Can you contact him? He many not be able to transfer the deed, but the bank can't stop him from mailing you a set of his car keys to move the car.

So while you may not be able to sell it, you can at least relocate it, either to a place of the owner's choosing or at least to a place where it becomes someone else's problem.

Right?

On Tuesday I went to change my British Driving License to a Kiwi one. The fact that my name was Daniel Chris Magnus White on my passport and Daniel Chris M White on the driving license seemed to blow the mind of the person doing it, and she had to call for help and add about ten minutes to my day to make sure it was okay. I mean, surely it is obvious that the driving license has just been shortened to fit.

By the way that is not my real name.

But we'll still call you that. Daniel.

Ngau gets this all the time, because his Extremely Pretentious Mother saw fit to give him five given names. All of which begin with T. His credit card looks like this: "[lastname] [firstname] T T T T"

So his credit card implies he has Tourette's. Nice.

Look on the bright side. You're likely the only one to have completed an application. Ever.

That's gotta cut down on the competition.