How to shoot yourself in the foot

[Taem]

For the most part, I've calmed way, way down since when I was younger, and even more so recently since realizing I had an anger problem. However, every once in awhile, I'll just straight up shoot myself in the foot. Had an issue like this the other day after getting lousy sleep the day before (maybe four hours of sleep) and everything I ate felt sour in my stomach for some reason (perhaps I had the touch of a cold) and I was tired of hearing my employees grips about their personal problems, and then it happened! I went to go workout with my boys at the YMCA, came home totally beat because I went there tired, and came back exhausted, sat down to eat and watch a show** with my family, and the video playback would not work. The video simply would not play, after getting up to fiddle with it numerous times and not eating to deal with it, my entire family staring at me like I can magically make the thing work. I could feel the anger building up inside! I checked my internet speed; 64-mbps. I checked it again, then used my IP's local server to test from and it was consistently above 60-mbps... this wasn't a problem on my side. I had sent Funimation a letter about this thirteen days prior to multiple department heads. I had been an entire month now suffering with these issues with no resolve in sight, and the month prior, they had website issues where each page on the website would take up to 2-5 minutes to load and once you clicked the video it would take (this is NO exaggeration) up to 10-15 minutes to load. I felt I had given them enough chances so it was time for them to get a piece of my mind! I fired off this letter below titled, "Cancel my Subscription":
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Warning, not exactly work friendly!
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Seriously, fuck your service! First it was website issues for the first month. I stuck through it hoping you'd improve, however I wrote you a letter dated Sept. 13th with no reply about the video playback issues I've been having trying to watch your shows with my paid subscription (I'll copy/paste that here so just maybe some fucken idiot can at least address the issue). Now, I log into my account, then click on my Toolbox / Elite Video Subscription looking to CANCEL it, and it takes me to a page giving me this error:

"You are not authorized to access this page."

No way to cancel? I'm not even sure if that's legal. Seriously, cancel my subscription and just delete my account and profile. I'm through dealing with you buffoons. I decided to download my shows from somewhere else using your dubs, but you won't see a dime more of my money! I'll never again subject myself to "hoping" you'll fix or update your shitty website/video player, because I know your income is mostly off videos, not your website so I doubt you give a shit, which would explain the low quality of video as compared to Netflix. Honestly, if I get a charge on my account this month for my video subscription when I haven't even been able to watch A SINGLE GODDAMN FUCKING SHOW ALL SEPT. WITHOUT IT FUCKING UP, then I will be irate that I'm paying for something I'm not receiving. In such a case, you might as well be robbing me at gunpoint, fuckers!

My account is taemex. Delete it. Cancel my membership. Shove this website up your ass!

Here was my original post 13-days ago with no reply; and FYI, the issues are with ALL VIDEOS since I posted my problem, not just FMA.

>I'm currently having trouble while watching Full Metal Alchemist. This issue started five episodes ago, so from episode 13 to 18 in the series. What happens is the show will stop abruptly to buffer**, will play for two to >five seconds, then stop to buffer again. This cycle continues indefinitely until I hit the pause button and let the video buffer for about 2-minutes before starting the video again, however even after 2-full minutes of >buffering, the video will occasionally stop again to buffer yet again. This renders the video experience unwatchable because I have my computer stream through HDMI to my television and can't be constantly getting >up to pause and un pause the feed.
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>Another issue we've had on the last two videos (episodes 17 and 18) is that while watching them, then will suddenly stop playing. I get up to see if it's buffering BUT the playback is at minute zero, second zero... I try to >remember where it was, click on that part of the video, of course it stalls out because it needs to buffer, I wait two minutes to let it buffer, then let it play again.... and it does it again! The last episode, 18, it did this four >times. I don't even remember what the episode was about, it was so irritating.
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>Please look into this problem. I will try a different anime and see if this problem has carried over to your entire system. If it is just Full Metal Alchemist, then I suppose I can try Attack on Titan while you fix that, however >if the issue is with the entire system and it's not going to being addressed, then I have no choice but to cancel my video membership because at current, your videos are completely unwatchable, a situation I find very >unfortunate.
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>**I pay for 60-mbps from my IP and when your video service is slowing down, I will check my speed using an external speedtest site (not on my IP's server) to see what my true speed is going downstream, and it's >always above 50mbps, so I think it's your service that is having the issue.
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One last bit of info for you, I tried watching a show again today, it skipped 5-times, I tested my speed to my server, and out to other servers and it consistently came back at over 60mbps, and when I went to hit play after giving the video roughly 5-min to buffer, it restarted the show from the very beginning with NO SOUND, but the minute bar remained where my show had left off at 7-min in. I tried moving the minute bar back just a second from the 7-min mark and it began jumping all over the minute bar, and the video was like watching stills of different scenes. Your video player is beyond broken. Your lack of response is on this issue is unforgivable considering I sent my reply out to multiple people on the contact list.

Don't bother contacting me back unless it's to tell me you deleted my account and canceled my subscription. I'm through with you guys!

I quickly sent it off in anger feeling an immediate sense of satisfaction, followed up quickly by a sinking sense of regret. I knew I had went too far.... There was no going back on this one, no way to salvage this on that off chance it was an error with my router or modem, or perhaps they just didn't get the email, or maybe even all of the above? Oh well...

So I got this email response back within 12-hours:

I apologize that no one has gotten back to you regarding your Sept. 13th inquiry. I don’t show a record of ever receiving that e-mail through either our Webmaster or Orders e-mail boxes, which are the only Customer Service boxes for the website. The last message I have from you was in July, when you were very pleased with your trial subscription, after some initial hiccups.

Due to our new site launching before the end of next week, which should address all of the playback issues that you have been having, our payment systems are currently offline, which is why you cannot cancel your account directly. However, we can cancel your account for you.

I have sent your payment information to our payment processor for cancellation. You should not see any additional charges, due to our systems being offline. In addition, you should not have been charged for either August or September due to the switchover.

Please let me know if you have any further concerns.

I bolded the part where Funimation basically said, "yes, we were having issues, but they are almost fixed, and as you requested, we're canceling your membership now that the issues have been fixed as per your request . Thank you, and have a nice day!" Yeah... no going back... I really shot myself in the foot this time. I need to learn to not write when I'm angry or upset, to realize that lack of sleep, hunger, a bad mood, and being tired from exercise are all mood zappers in their own right, but when combined culminate into a really bad situation; I need to realize this, and be the person in control, not that person out of control. I still have a lot of growing to do.

** I've mentioned it before, but for those that don't know, I don't have cable television because I don't like paying for something that tells me what to watch, when to watch it, and subjects me to a steady stream of ads; I've uninstalled apps on my phone less irritating than commercials, and I can play them WHEN I WANT! Anyways, I only pay for broadband and I get to watch all my shows online on my time with little to no commercials.



Anyway, feel free to post your own moment of "doh!", or perhaps leave a comment. I'll see you on the other side of zen.

[eppie]

Anyway, feel free to post your own moment of "doh!", or perhaps leave a comment. I'll see you on the other side of zen.

I don't want to be around when you get angry about something that actually matters.

[Kevin]

I've adopted a new policy that may not help with emails but it's helped me with some other stuff.

If it's after 11pm or if I've been drinking I can not hit send / submit on a message unless I read it out loud first. I've awoken a few times to see an unsent message on my phone or an IM client or elsewhere that I'm really glad I didn't send. Since like most people I have a lot more natural filters when audibly speaking than I do when typing, even if I'm overly tired or in some state of inebriation, it often makes me realize just how off putting or ill advised what I'm writing is.

This isn't for everyone, and I realize you weren't asking for advice, but it felt relevant and it may help you develop a strategy that works for you.

[LemmingofGlory]

Anyway, feel free to post your own moment of "doh!", or perhaps leave a comment. I'll see you on the other side of zen.

Posting angry has led to avoidable and unnecessary internet mistakes. I've made it a rule for myself "Don't post when angry." for a long, long time now. I try not to post until I can do so from an amused or matter-of-fact mindset.

That being said, I find my posts are often mistaken for angry or upset on social networking sites. I've concluded that people who are not "of the internet" have trouble distinguishing between a critical response and one that is antagonistic. This forum exists on its users having that skill.

-Lem

[Bolty]

This forum exists on its users having that skill.

And just what the hell do you mean by that? You bastard!

[Taem]

I've adopted a new policy that may not help with emails but it's helped me with some other stuff.

Usually I have my wife read over what I wrote before sending it. Even after I calm down and re-read what I wrote several times making adjustments here and there, I guess I can still sound accusatory and/or upset, so she's able to pick up on these little things and really help me iron out my emails. This time however, I sent the email before calming down, before proof reading, and before letting my spouse do a once over. The take away from this is patience is a virtue, i.e. wait it out, calm down, then send that letter .

[Hammerskjold]

Yeah... no going back... I really shot myself in the foot this time.

Is it 100% no going back, like black listed no going back, or is it possible that a sincere letter of apology and a subscription renewal will bury the hatchet? That is assuming you want to bury the hatchet with Funimation.

I myself am a cheapskate, so I use crunchyroll free version, so there are ads. But I personally consider it a fair enough trade. It still mostly shorter than traditional TV\cable on average as well.

Don't know if crunchyroll has FM-Alchemist, but I got the majority of my Attack On Titan fix from crunchyroll.

I can suggest 3 things regarding your anger management. If you haven't already seen\read these that is. The first 2 are anime series, and the third is a manga series.

1) K-On. 2 seasons, 1 movie. Adapted from a manga. Comedy\slice of life. Cute fluffy girls doing cute fluffy stuff. They form a high school band. They have tea and sweets. The music and songs are not half bad, range from J-pop to retro 60's sounding jam.

2) Nichijou. 1 season. Adapted from a manga. Hard to categorize this, slice of life\surrealist comedy I guess. It might be too quirky even by japanese animation standards, but I am biased that I'm in the camp that say this series is underrated. The first few episodes are not that great, but the sketches starts to become more developed and funnier after that. It's got elements of Seinfeld, 3 stooges, Tex Avery\Merry Melodies, and a dash of a Zen koan.

3) Yotsuba. Ongoing manga, from the same creator of Azumanga-Daioh.
Industrial, prescription strength slice of life comedy\feel good manga about an adopted 5 year old girl. It has the power to soothe some of the angriest and aspiest denizens of a certain infamous internet image board.


With that out of the way. I do have to address something very very, very important that I just read in your post.

..... using your dubs

Dubs....? Are you watching....dubs? Ok I certainly will defend anyone's choice of dub over subs. Everyone has different and personal preference after all.

And.....uggghh.....arrrggggh.....ggggaaaaaahhhhHHHGGUGGGGGGAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!1111 I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!!1111111

I hate badly done dubs! Even Princess Mononoke dubbed version, sounded like it was read by a cast of bad highschool drama class to me! 90% of what I hear in dubs is either monotone dead delivery, or an embarassingly cloying re-enactment of Sailor Moon dubs from the 90s, or a bad Pokemon clone.

You know what, I take that last part back. Pokemon N.American dub work is oscar bait next to some of the crap dubs I've heard. There probably is some good dubs out there, but damn if most of the dubs out there is drowning in crap.

I've known people who says they prefer dubs because they don't like the original voice work. To that I say foooie. Fooie out their wazoo! Yes it's their preference, but if they're going to say it's flat out better, I'll say they're out of their god damn mind.

Even if I don't speak the language, I still have a better chance of hearing the voice inflections and other verbal clues from the original voice work. A bad dub not only removes that, but can add clutter and crap that was never the original creator's intent. It's hard enough to try to do an accurate translation between languages, some *third rate overacting voice actor now has to inject their own crap into it?!

*(Minnie Driver, I'm real happy for you and I'ma let your finish, but you were crap in Princess Mononoke. Billy Bob, Jada Pinkett, don't quit your dayjobs.)

GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGAGHHLELAEEERRRRAWR!

I know, I know. There is such a thing as bad subs as well. That's very true. However, with bad subs I can at least try to ignore the text, and still get some verbal clues from the -original- voice work. With bad dubs, that ability is gone. It's not hard to read subs while watching. It's about the same difficulty as walking and chewing gum at the same time people!

Ahem. In closing. Down with bad dubs!111 Support good subs!!11

[Taem]

dubs...

I agree that most dubs done within the past 15-20 years are utter crap, such as anything done by Blue Ocean, whoever the hell did the Berserk English dub, and Funimations first dub attempt of DBZ. Regarding Berserk (best anime ever), do yourself if a favor and NEVER IN YOUR LIFE WATCH THE ENGLISH DUB!!! It will permanently ruin your perception of the series. Honorable mentions for best re-made dub go to Funimation for the orange-box version of DBZ, when considering their first dubs were so bad, they quite literally didn't even make sense because they botched the story line so severely, but their re-dub is pretty good, although they left out all the profanity. I honestly thought Inuasha dub was decent, as was Trigun but Gundum and Gundum Wing were pretty poorly botched IMO.

Regarding Funimation dubs, they have really improved and most everything coming out of there is top quality dub, no mis-translation, great voice actors, the works! They really have improved drastically in the last five years since anime has taken on a life of its own here in the states; money talks...

So I'm about 50/50 with you. Any dub made within the last five years from a reputable dubbing site, such as Funimation, has a good chance of being a well-made dub, any dub made more than 5-years ago is a questionable dub, and 10-years ago or more is almost always going to be poor quality with few exceptions. And of course any dub made by a crappy dub site is going to suck no matter when it was made. Just my 2-cents.

[LemmingofGlory]

Ahem. In closing. Down with bad dubs!111 Support good subs!!11

Y'know, what bugs me is when a fan sub is superior to the official release sub. This will veer away from anime and into live action Japanese cinema, because you can never have enough Japan. I watched a fan-sub of Robogeisha before that film had a blu-ray release, and then I bought the disc when it came out because jesus christ this movie. The official subs are much more wooden and stiff and significantly less funny than the fan sub, which managed to convey some hilarious deadpan comedy.

I cannot wait for the Ace Attorney movie to get a North American release. The fan subbed version I found on youtube was adequate, but I want to see some top-notch subtitling work. The games get localized so well the movie deserves the same.

-Lem

[Drasca]

Funimation has a lot of free stuff available. They're a business, and they'll welcome your business back if you decide to pay them again. I too am cheap and there's a lot of ad driven 'free' content available on just about all the major sites.

[Hammerskjold]

Y'know, what bugs me is when a fan sub is superior to the official release sub. This will veer away from anime and into live action Japanese cinema, because you can never have enough Japan. I watched a fan-sub of Robogeisha before that film had a blu-ray release, and then I bought the disc when it came out because jesus christ this movie. The official subs are much more wooden and stiff and significantly less funny than the fan sub, which managed to convey some hilarious deadpan comedy.

Yep, good fan subs can be like a throwback to the VHS fan sub era. They're doing it out of nerd love.

In a more perfect world I'd like to imagine the companies who has the official license would seek out the otaku nerds who loves to do -good- fan subs, and hire them. But if horses and wishes were candies and nuts, or something like that.

Also, the trailer for Robogeisha won me over. Between the 'Geisha is....', 'Fried shrimp!', and the buttock shurikens, I now need to find this winrar of a movie.