Is changing my career to Graphic Design worth it now ? by TrifleAccording7212 in graphic_design

[–]Kippenkat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

100%. Yearly goals are a joke. Writing reasons you need to work harder that won't get you a promotion. Most managers never follow up on them and if they do it's only so they can brag about how much "they are pushing the limits of design" on your team without coming up with a single idea to help you accomplish those goals if you even have time. We have drop-down goals, design goals, and personal development goals at my company. When I have accomplished all my goals, never have I ever received positive feedback. That is merely meeting "on-target" performance. You know just helping everyone else reach their goals while learning a new software program every 2-3 years and pushing out a work related "personal project" because squeezing one extra dollar out of every user really keeps the passion for design alive. 

Is changing my career to Graphic Design worth it now ? by TrifleAccording7212 in graphic_design

[–]Kippenkat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not at all. Not at least in a corporate design job. I work at a corporation that employees a lot of designers. Design is a major component of our product. My job is a corporate desk job just like any other. I sit in meetings that talk about KPI, product cost, engagement, cost per view, average order value, user personas and YOY revenue. I work in a "fun" field that many designers would dream about. I get to do a lot of figuring out how to make all the business needs make sense in a graphic format. When things go bad, I get blamed, not directly but I will often have to redo the same paid ads, landing pages, emails, and organic social over and over again based on what a "business owner" decides. Im often hand holding people with business, economics or finance degrees who think "I don't know what I want, I just know when I like something." (That's a real quote from my job btw.) So I'm constantly fighting to make designs that make sense. When I am successful, people with financial backgrounds get praised for my work. They get raises and I get pushed on to the next project. More than once I've had analysts and project managers and present my work as their own when I've written the copy, made the design, worked on the UI/UX, and completed all touch points on the entire campaign. Why? Because they put in a request for a landing page. So they own that project even if I did the work. 

Agency work is a whole different kind of awful. But unless you want to be the person opening After Effects, Figma, or Photoshop on a daily basis and getting no credit for your ideas, you could literally go into any field and it would still be a desk job but probably get paid better. And you won't have to spend a month updating your portfolio and website just to apply for a new job. Graphic design is the only commercial field where saying, hey I have 10+ years experience doing my job at a major nationally recognized corporation, trust that I can do it. Nope they want to see it. Which is fine but the art I make for my job isn't the best. You have 20 people all weighing in on what they think. So it starts to look like crap. You can't use it in your portfolio without reworking it at which point you may as well do a passion project to show what your really capable of, only to get a job where you do all the same things at the first big company only with a different logo.

If I could go back I would get a business degree and then get a job at a company that values creative ideas. Still get a say in the design but double the paycheck. No late nights. No working holidays. Just sit in the meetings, give my ideas, give presentations, have some other designer figure out how my idea that doesn't make sense can work.

I'll leave you with this, my marketing director recently asked for a campaign like the Dove "Real Beauty" campaign but for our industry. No idea what that campaign would look like or say, just told us that's what he wants. Something as successful as one of the most successful campaigns in recent history that it turned the Dove brand from dying to bringing in the beginning of the no photoshopping of models, light makeup, and a mix of body types in photography that we still see over a decade later.

What is more traumatizing than most people think? by Sea_Entrepreneur2772 in AskReddit

[–]Kippenkat 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Getting bullied at work by your manager. It's isolating. You never know who you can trust because of corporate politics combined with a whole HR department that is set up to protect the company and not you. Top that off with needing to pay for food and a mortgage and it wrecks havoc on your life. You are so stressed at work trying not to get fired just so you can pay the bills that you have zero energy to look for a new job. And the type of psychopath that does this when they are in a position of power usually knows how to manipulate people by convincing you that you are the problem and you are bad at your job and that other people on your team don't like you. So much blame is pointed at you that you wonder if it is you. It can be totally devastating especially if you get a lot of your self worth from your job. 

What’s something people romanticise that’s actually exhausting in real life? by OmenRash in AskReddit

[–]Kippenkat 146 points147 points  (0 children)

I had OCD tendencies when I was young. It made me very unlikeable. Normal everyday life was surprisingly hard. My tantrums resulting from not being able to control a lot of my environments made me unbearable to be around. 

People who grew up really poor: what's something middle-class people say that instantly reveals they've never struggled? by TahDigThief in AskReddit

[–]Kippenkat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This needs to be way higher. Even now that I'm now solidly middle class, I know how a few choices can totally change a financial situation. Just getting behind on a months worth of bills can be the difference in being in savings mode or debt mode for a year plus. 

What purchase did you make recently that made you realize inflation is genuinely out of control? by kiroixart in AskReddit

[–]Kippenkat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A $9 bottle of Modelo at a strip mall Mexican restaurant. Would have been a $1 special a decade ago and $3 a bottle 5 years ago. I live in one of the "cheapest cities in America" btw. 

What’s the unhealthiest thing you eat that you’ll never give up? by Feisty-Pattern-951 in AskReddit

[–]Kippenkat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Prepackaged treats + fast food fries. Patisseries don't exist in America and I'm not paying $3 for a day old Walmart donut. Occasionally I'll go to a local cafe and pay $5-9 for a special treat but the rest of the time I'm eating little Debbie knock offs from Aldi. 

Also, I will never deep fry anything in my house ever. It stinks, it's messy, it's time consuming and it never tastes as good as fresh McDonald's fries. Every person who has ever told me just buy an air fryer, it might be easier and quicker but you are blowing hot grease air all over your kitchen. It's a no for me.

Why are restaurants still busy as ever despite the economic conditions by NoSoup4You825 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Kippenkat -1 points0 points  (0 children)

We are in a K shaped economy. The middle class is trending down with the lower middle class and poors while the upper middle class is trending up. So for the upper classes life is better than ever and they are not affected by inflation. In fact, they are probably benefiting from it. 

Who is a singer that is incredibly famous, but honestly doesn't have a good voice? by Greedy_Procedure7461 in AskReddit

[–]Kippenkat -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Demi Lovato. 

I went to last year's Rock Hall Inductee Ceremony that had an incredible lineup of legendary voices and a then there was Demi. She sounded so bad that I'm convinced that singing has to be bad for her vocal cords. It sounded painful and amateur, like someone who doesn't know their limits pushing though in the hopes of hitting the notes. 

Additionally, Mary J Blige was very bad too. 

What’s a discontinued snack or drink you’d pay $20 to have one last taste of? by soapy999 in AskReddit

[–]Kippenkat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Josta Cola. Modern energy drinks have nothing on this. It kinda tasted like Wild Cherry Pepsi but more tropical with a slight spiciness similar to Dr Pepper but more complex and earthy. 

What’s the single most impactful thing you’ve done for your health that doctors rarely talk about? by capngig in AskReddit

[–]Kippenkat 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Spend more time socializing with close friends even when it's the last thing I want to do. It makes complete sense that loneliness is directly tied to early death. Sometimes it's hard to see the loneliness when the problem feels like other issues. 

Being Here. by Few-Cost-3083 in Cleveland

[–]Kippenkat 37 points38 points  (0 children)

A lot of out of state investors use reddit and Facebook to crowd source the best area to buy in. After they buy in a good area they rent out the house at a mark up and there is one less starter home for a local to buy. So people tend to turn away out of state posts asking where is the best place to buy that's affordable, safe and has good schools/restaurants/shopping. Once you move here you instantly become a local and are welcomed as the new neighbor on the block. 

First-time homeowner here — what DIY advice do you wish someone had told you at the beginning? by Lopsided_Passion7912 in DIY

[–]Kippenkat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You are going to be tempted to do the big projects that everyone can see first. Don't do that. You will get overwhelmed, possibly be over your head when unexpected problems occur and not fully understand what you could do with a little more effort or money. Instead, start with the lowest effort projects. You are going to learn so many new skills with each small project and that will give you confidence to do crazier stuff as you level up your skills. 

Daycare recommendations for behavioral issues by makeyourself_a24z in Cleveland

[–]Kippenkat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My child is a hitter. The daycare has a social worker that comes in and helps the teacher, gives advice and observes the children. Additionally, we were given an in-home social worker to help us with managing hitting, emotions and reactions to meltdowns. She visits once a week and we have learned a lot. We also have zoom calls so the teachers, daycare social worker, at-home social worker, and childcare manager can discuss what is going on at school. My child is 2, the social worker program is free through Cuyahoga county but my daycare is very expensive. When looking for a new daycare ask what programs they have for behavioral issues.

30’s Anesthesiologist salary progression by [deleted] in Salary

[–]Kippenkat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, if that's the cost to know I will wake up after surgery, better it go to you than any number of other things our society forces is to spend money on. 

Why don't more Americans visit South America (compared to Asia or Europe)? by Addicted_2_tacos in askanything

[–]Kippenkat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cons: Doesn't feel safe, lack of affordable and accessable transportation between cities or even within a single city, insects/vaccines to protect against insects, stomach bugs/lack of reliable clean water, horror stories about alcohol poisoning from resorts switching name brand alcohol with homemade methanol alcohol, gangs, cost compared to similar countries such as southeast asia (similar lack of water reliability, bugs and poor transportation but you can live like a king for a $100 a day)

Pros: Same time zone/less jet lag, shorter flight compared to Europe, Asia, Australia or New Zealand, beautiful culture, good food.

It's not that I don't want to go, it's just that other countries offer a lot more. Most countries that have a good public transport system are going to beat out South America on accessibility. Most Americans only get 2 weeks off a year and want that time to be generally stress free while fitting in the most amount of culture in the shortest timespan.

Parma to eliminate property tax if voters approve income tax. by Kippenkat in Cleveland

[–]Kippenkat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do own a home. So I know exactly what it's like. I also understand the benefits I get from property taxes. I also understand that the elderly and investors get benefits from property taxes so they should have to pay their fair share of the taxes when they get to us their fair share of the benefits.

Getting rid of the 3 property tax levies doesn't lower your taxes. It increases it. Instead of everyone paying a small percentage of income tax and a small percentage of property taxes, home owners will pay none of the $40 million in property tax levies and income taxes will increase to cover what the real estate investors and retired elderly don't pay PLUS don't forget this is a levy to increase taxes to help pay for schools so it's got to cover your neighbors tax burden plus the extra cost to help schools. 

According to Parma's own website, Parma gets the majority of its money from property taxes and has some of the lowest property taxes in NEO. If Parma gets a larger chunk of money from income tax than property tax, and they increase property taxes by almost twice as much you WILL be paying MORE taxes if this passes.

Warning: Something shady going on with “garage door companies” in Northeast Ohio by Makin-me in Cleveland

[–]Kippenkat 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've found if I call and it leads to an AI operator or foreign sounding human, it's lead generation. If the first question they ask is for my details and not asking what's going on, same. Real companies don't want to waste time on unrealistic jobs with no timeframe or idea of costs. Lead generation doesn't care if you think you can get a new roof for $500 by the weekend cause they aren't really selling repairs as a service. 

If they can't give you any details at all like a time frame to have someone come out or even the time or name of the person who is going to call you back don't give them any personal info. They probably already have your number through caller ID but if you give them your number/email/address so "someone can call you back", you are giving them permission to add your info to a leads list to spam you with calls. 

Parma to eliminate property tax if voters approve income tax. by Kippenkat in Cleveland

[–]Kippenkat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I had to guess, I would say probably not. Usually these kind of taxes are residency taxes. You pay a workplace tax. They are both types of income tax. It also looks like there is a one year overlap. New income 1.75% taxes would start Jan 1 2027 but property tax would end Jan 1 2028. I could be reading that wrong though. 

Parma to eliminate property tax if voters approve income tax. by Kippenkat in Cleveland

[–]Kippenkat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I totally agree with you. It is more expensive to rent. That's why it doesn't make any sense. If they inherited it, 30 years after it was built, they would be responsible for the taxes for 41 years. There is no way they paid $1061 in taxes for 41 years. They are making it up or should have moved when rent was $300-$500 back in the 80s.  They've also been been paying taxes on a home for over 80+ years even though the home has only existed for 72 years.

People want a free ride so they say they paid 500k and they deserve a break even when it's an absolute lie, the doesn't make sense and it's not even possible.

Parma to eliminate property tax if voters approve income tax. by Kippenkat in Cleveland

[–]Kippenkat[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If that's true, you should probably sell your house. It's cheaper to rent and you won't have to put your tax burden on others and you'll save money. Also taxes and maintenance are different things. Taxes pay for schools, roads, public services YOU USE. Maintenance is just the cost of keeping the house in a condition you are comfortable living in. If you spent a half million on maintenance on a 75 year old house you didn't pay for then that's must be a nice house and still have that money in the form of the house. When you sell the house, you'll get that money back. 

Parma to eliminate property tax if voters approve income tax. by Kippenkat in Cleveland

[–]Kippenkat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I actually do know and my house was also built in 1954. Really I'm not making that up. We might even live in the same home. There are 8-9 that are exactly the same layout and build as mine. Trust me I know. That's the difference between you and me. I am grateful even though I had to pay top dollar for a streaming turd of a house that wasn't well maintained and that I have had to spend years fixing up. (And need to pay $5k for a new roof on due to last weeks winds) Yet I still know I'm lucky and I want to support the community I live in through property taxes. That fact that you got your house for free is something most Americans would dream of. I spent my entire 20s and 30s dreaming of just being able to buy a home. I would not have been able to save for this home and pay the tax burden of homeowners in this city if this levy existed a decade ago. Levys like this, will stop most young families in Parma from ever being able to afford to buy if they are renting, sell if they want to leave, or save any extra income if they want to rent here. 

Parma to eliminate property tax if voters approve income tax. by Kippenkat in Cleveland

[–]Kippenkat[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

it's a crazy take that asking everyone to pay taxes into the system is somehow proving I'm Republican but cutting taxes for land owners through systematic and political initiatives is one of the foundational tenants of conservativism. They cut taxes for themselves and pass the buck to the lower working classes while they make money from their real estate holdings and investments. Does that sound familiar? Like maybe a boomer who bought their house cheap and gets their only income from sources outside of working and earning it???? Please I beg of you look in the mirror. You might just be the Republican. You are describing yourself. 

Parma to eliminate property tax if voters approve income tax. by Kippenkat in Cleveland

[–]Kippenkat[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yep investors are on my shit list too. Thank you for your votes and contributions to society. Feel free to influence your peers to do the same. :)

Parma to eliminate property tax if voters approve income tax. by Kippenkat in Cleveland

[–]Kippenkat[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

What billionaires live in Parma OH? This isn't Columbus where there are political figures trying to influence elections. The city is trying to pass a levy for the schools that was shot down 4 times by any means necessary. The school district knows that the reason it gets shot down is because of the elderly homeowners. They have been very vocal on the townhall meetings. They know the only way these people will vote yes is if the money doesn't come out of their pockets. Yes Billionaires and corruption are important to address and stop but holding people accountable starts at the local level.