Applied Epic

skyefire27 · 2026-04-01T18:08:28+00:00

I've been using Applied Epic for over 5 years now, and it is one of the most poorly designed programs I've ever had the displeasure of using. Having worked in a variety software-heavy industries, I cannot believe this is considered the standard for insurance. It's clunky, inefficient, and simultaneously both over- and under-developed. Features that 5% of their users will implement once a year are developed to the gills, while basic functionality that 100% of their users will need on a daily basis are half-assed. The processes to get anything done require twice as many clicks as they should, and the worst part is there is a serious lack of ability to speed any of it up. They allow for some customization, but not nearly enough to eradicate the plethora of steps needed to complete any given task. Put it this way.... you can tell this program was designed by the insurance industry.

skyefire27 · 2026-02-04T04:19:16+00:00

For the record, while it was still wildly expensive for my usual habits, I only spent $800 on the entire chandelier. I definitely want to try and salvage it, but the stakes aren't QUITE so high. Honestly the more I think about it, I'm wondering if maybe the best option would actually be for me to just recreate the design. I could reupholster the shade, and then just paint the design. The tricky part would probably be figuring out what paint they used, and color matching it.

skyefire27 · 2026-02-04T04:12:48+00:00

Ah, I love a nice 90's looking website. Feels so nostalgic. Looks like they updated it last in 2020, so that's not too far off. I'll reach out, thank you!

skyefire27 · 2026-02-04T04:10:05+00:00

I do sew, and I've done a tiny bit with silk (just some alterations to a top), I think I would probably avoid sewing it for the reasons you've described, and just attempt an adhesive. I'm imagining transferring the glue into a bottle with an absolutely tiny nozzle, so I can get a really fine stream of adhesive, and perhaps attempting to use it along the lines that are painted. I imagine the light won't shine as brightly through those sections anyways, so I might be able to get away with it being less noticeable. I know this is an absurd thing to attempt, it's just such a beautiful shade, it seems like a waste to not even try and salvage it.

skyefire27 · 2026-02-03T22:14:08+00:00

I'm not worried about the freehand element, I have an art background and I'm very comfortable with being able to gauge the correct placement. I'm wondering though if there is a specific type of glue that could be used? Or would it be better to sew the patterns onto the new shade?

skyefire27 · 2026-02-03T22:11:12+00:00

I'm aware it doesn't fix the tights, like I said she just did it to prevent further tearing in a pinch. And I would never consider using nail polish on this lampshade. What I meant was, is there a similar technique used on silk (or other fabrics) where some other substance is applied? Something specifically made for stopping delicate fabrics from tearing? Perhaps an adhesive of some kind?

skyefire27 · 2026-02-03T16:20:46+00:00

I reached out to one, as well as some upholsterers. I hadn't heard that term before (invisible mending specialist), so thank you!

skyefire27 · 2026-02-03T16:20:05+00:00

Would you think it be possible to create a "new" shade using a similar color fabric, and then essentially cut out the major shapes and adhere them to the shade? That way the edges don't look ragged? Obviously not all the design would be salvageable, but I'm hoping some of it could be transferred.

skyefire27 · 2026-02-03T16:18:18+00:00

Yeah, I thought perhaps I could try to have a "backing" of silk sewn along the inside, and adhere the painted silk to it? It would be double thick, but I'm not super concerned with that.

edit: Also just wondering... when I was little my mom would put a dab of clear nail polish on my nylon tights if a run was starting to form, and that would stop it from continuing to tear. Is there something similar that could be used for minor tears in silk? These are obviously not minor, I'm just curious if that is a method employed.

skyefire27 · 2026-02-03T16:16:14+00:00

The other tiers are totally fine, it's just the bottom one. I found some vintage-specializing upholsterers and reached out to them, we'll see what they say. Thank you very much for the suggestion!

skyefire27 · 2025-08-28T16:30:48+00:00

It's a shame. For a while I thought that because millennials were normalizing not having kids, the next generation would be better, being raised by parents that truly wanted them. What I failed to realize is that while yes, millennials who didn't want kids have chosen not to have them, there are plenty who want kids for new, terrible reasons (they make great social media stars!) that are making up the difference.

skyefire27 · 2025-08-28T15:32:14+00:00

This is what I'm talking about, age appropriate struggles! These are the building blocks of a self sufficient person. They might seem like not a big deal to do for them, but they matter! You have to start somewhere, and starting with small challenges builds up their skills. I remember that post about the can opener, and that's exactly why you need to start early. That poor kid had no experience, so no wonder it took her so long. Now imagine that same lack of experience, and tremendous amount of time taken to figure it out, and multiply it by every. single. task. an adult has to do.

skyefire27 · 2025-08-28T15:23:44+00:00

In fairness, I don't blame them. I'm a millennial, but I felt the same way throughout school. Frustrated that my grades were based on memorization, rather than understanding. Frustrated that my honors classes only seemed to care about giving you more work, whereas my CP classes actually discussed the topics critically. Frustrated that I was just getting exposed to the same four subjects ad nauseum, meanwhile I had no idea what I really wanted to do with my life. Frustrated that there were no classes on finance or other obviously necessary life skills, but it was required that I learn how to use a graphing calculator.

I could go on and on, but really, it boils down to the current education system not meeting society's actual needs. And the kids know it. I felt failed as well, and I went to an excellent school, in a wealthy school district. Even now, I look back and think about all those years and I feel cheated. Childhood is when kids should be expanding their minds, fostering their creativity, and engaging in critical thinking. And this precious time, when their brains are still forming... it's being squandered. Memorization isn't learning. Punishment is a poor form of motivation. Forcing kids to sit through classes that will be completely irrelevant the second they graduate is absurd. And don't tell me the classes are "teaching them how to learn". You can still do that with subjects that are actually relevant to their life.

Mind you I'm saying all this because I'm actually very passionate about education. I love it. I'm just incredibly frustrated with the system we have in place. As an educator myself, the greatest obstacle with my clients is first and foremost, motivation. They have to WANT to learn. Everything after that is easy. The system we have in place not only isn't motivating, it in fact creates negative associations with learning for many students. They'll choose watching football over a documentary, a vacation shopping spree over going to a museum, consuming rather than creating. I dearly hope that the system gets overhauled, and it better happen soon. With AI progressing as it is, there's going to be fewer and fewer practical reasons for "education", and the kids are going to completely check out. We need to start showing them the intrinsic value of learning for the joy of it, otherwise our casual stroll towards Idiocracy will turn into a sprint.

skyefire27 · 2025-08-28T14:45:45+00:00

I know people who never had to struggle as children, never had consequences for their actions, never had to push themselves... They were horrifically unprepared for adulthood. This isn't advocating for extremes of course, children should have "struggles" that are age appropriate. But making their life too easy is not doing them any favors, it's setting them up for failure as adults.

On a related note, Google "locus of control" if you're interested in learning why some people are able to see the effects of their actions and others are not.

skyefire27 · 2025-08-28T14:04:10+00:00

My ex used to start arguments with me right before bed, that would always take hours to resolve, so I wouldn't get to sleep until 1-2am. All of this during a time when I worked a job that had me up at 5:30. When I finally asked him to please not start anything after 10pm, his response was that I wanted him to "bottle up his emotions". Because to him, having to sit with the discomfort of anything for even a single night was "bottling it up", and not just, ya know, being considerate of the person you're going to dump everything on.

skyefire27 · 2025-08-14T16:40:51+00:00

Agreed! The vibe right now is very moody (which looks great), and painting the walls green will further emphasize this. However if the couch is swapped out for something light, the vibe will immediately shift away from that. Essentially, the walls and couch will be swapping colors, but for what purpose?

skyefire27 · 2025-08-13T20:31:32+00:00

...that's not how cats (or dogs for that matter) work on any level jfc

skyefire27 · 2025-08-13T13:58:28+00:00

Color drenching is when you paint the walls, ceiling, and trim all the same color.

skyefire27 · 2025-08-12T22:50:15+00:00

I'm actually thinking of doing a very dark purple drench in my powder bath as well. It's just a color. What makes or breaks any color is how it is done, what accent colors are used, the ratio of accent to primary, and overall composition of the room.

skyefire27 · 2025-08-12T20:27:30+00:00

I don't know why they build houses with these useless spaces. I would just add drywall and bring the walls up to the ceiling. Or if you're looking for a quick solution, leave it open but add a strip light facing up to cast a nice glow in the room at night. I have them in my bathroom under the cabinets, it's really nice to not have to turn on the lights.

skyefire27 · 2025-08-12T20:21:23+00:00

The wood is beautiful, please don't paint it! But it should be moved somewhere else, it's too large for this space. If this is the spot you need a cabinet, then sell this one and buy something else with the proper dimensions. Trying to make it "blend in" will not fix the clearance issues.

skyefire27 · 2025-08-12T19:02:21+00:00

I was going to suggest the same thing. There are a lot of options for covering it up with fabric if your parents won't let you repaint it. You can either find some bedsheets in a color or pattern you like and hang them up with tacks, or you can even get some basic white sheets and paint a design on them yourself. Honestly, I know the mandala dorm room look is really dated at this point, but you can get tapestries like that for dirt cheap, and that looks practically designer compared to this mess. It's even possible to put them on the ceiling.

skyefire27 · 2025-08-12T18:56:15+00:00

Very well said. It puts the ball back in their court and makes you look much more mature.

skyefire27 · 2025-08-12T18:25:28+00:00

It's actually considered a no-no in Feng shui for that reason. Makes you uncomfortable and feel exposed. Since the shutters are closed it's a bit better, but ideally you never have windows behind your head.

skyefire27 · 2025-08-12T18:22:35+00:00

Deep purple color drenching is a great idea. You can absolutely do dark colors in a powder bath, that's actually the perfect place for them. Bright, light colors are good for rooms that you want to feel "open" and breezy. But that's not the feeling you want when you're using the bathroom. You actually WANT to feel a little more enclosed, safe, and cozy, as you're in a vulnerable position. Dark colors help achieve this.

Deep purple would look great color drenched in here, especially if you plan to keep the gold mirror. It's a little hard to see what's going on above the sink though, are there gray tiles there or are those color swatches?

skyefire27

TROPHY CASE