May "Madness" - The Sweet Sixteen

Having an Android:

I love group chats. Who doesn't? Inside jokes, banter, memes, and good conversation. It's the full package. Remember when I had that Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 model? I was in the group chat and had a great time. Then, I switched to this LG G6, that's when I started having problems.

"Yeah, for some reason, we can't add you to the group chat."

Well, that stinks. So since freshman year, I've missed out on so many jokes and conversations. Any time they try to add me, there's an error. So I just talk to everyone in the chat individually. This stems from the problem of MMS or Multimedia Messaging Service. Essentially there are two types of messaging systems. SMS (Short messaging service), and MMS. SMS is used for regular texts and has lower character limits than MMS. MMS is used for group messages, GIFs, videos, and longer text messages. On iMessage, the transition between MMS and SMS is seamless because it is integrated into one system. On Android, they are seen as two different types of messaging, so any time I want to send a picture or gif, I have to use data to send the message. Any time I want to send a message in a group chat, I have to use data. Any time I receive a message, I have to download it using data. You can see where this gets problematic.

Half of the time, when I'm in a group chat, I don't even get alerts for the messages when they're sent. Someone will text something to the chat, and the alert will pop up an hour later. Because of this, I end up downloading a lot of the messages out of order. Not great.

Video buffering: 

Let me set the scene. Your favorite YouTuber just put out a new video (or you're streaming a movie). You've got a snack, a drink, and you're sprawled out on the couch. You start the video and, it buffers. It's such a mood killer. I've got everything ready for this moment, and of course, the video buffers. Most of the time, when a video buffers, you get a loading symbol.

However, recently, I haven't been getting this symbol. Instead, the video will just stop. No loading symbol, no pause symbol, it just stops. It will take anywhere from 30 seconds to three minutes for the video to start again, and there's nothing I can do to speed up the process. Maybe it's a sign for me to make the next installment of this series. It's only been 20 days.

Winner: Having an Android - The highest rated inconvenience just keeps on doing its thing.

Spam callers: 

The one upside about spam callers is that you can mess with them. If I get a spam caller who wants to know about my car insurance, I play along with it. "I drive a Honda Civic 2011 model. 10,000 miles. Yes, of course, I'd love to have insurance..." That's the only redeemable quality. Unfortunately, I don't get that luxury of messing with people.

My spam callers are all so boring. I'm unable to respond to the spam callers for two reasons. They're either really serious and boring, or they leave voicemails. I get so many calls from law firms that I could probably sue everyone who leaves a comment. Watch out, get on my bad side, and you'll be hearing from "my lawyers." The second problem I mentioned was the voicemails. I cannot stress to you how much they spam my voicemail inbox. It was so bad that I automatically deleted them, which meant I missed voicemails from people I knew. Scrolling and listening through my inbox is kind of funny, admittedly. Student loans, lawyers, insurance companies, the whole lot. I even get calls from people who dial just to say nothing. You'd think that I would have received a call from my number neighbor by now, but it still hasn't happened. It really is a shame.

Forgot password: 

When I was about five or six, I had a Webkinz account. If you don't know what Webkinz is, it's a game in which you'd take care of a virtual pet and interact with other people's pets. But not any normal pet. It was any animal you wanted. Well, I should rephrase. I was like Build-a-Bear in that you would buy a plush toy of the pet that you wanted to have in the game. So any pet that they had in the stores. I had a cheetah.

Now you might be saying, "Wow, that's kind of sad that you'd choose a virtual pet over a real one." Well, actually, I had a fish, so gotcha. And when would you ever be able to have a cheetah as a pet? Yeah, not so smug now.

Eventually, I ended up, as you can guess, forgetting the password to this account. I also didn't understand how to recover your password because the recovery email was my dad's. So I lost the account. Here's the kicker though, you actually had to take care of the pet. It had a hunger bar, and you needed to let it play and run around. I'm pretty sure your pet would get bored if you didn't log on after a few days. So if anyone knows how to hack, please help me out. My cheetah's probably very hungry and very bored.

So to CPRockz (Club Penguin), NFLGuy8734 (Action Allstars), FoodCannon (Transformice), and many other accounts, may you rest in peace. I hope the cringe names, memories, and memberships live on forever.

Winner: Spam callers - The 6 seed put up a great fight here, but callers barely edges it out.

Teacher's pets: 

Back when I was psychically in school, four girls were huge teacher's pets. Everyone in my grade knew them and knew how annoying they could be. I jokingly named them "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

Getting one of them? Okay, you can live with that. Sometimes you don't get the best classmates. Two? Alright, that's a little odd, but just a coincidence. Three? Things are getting scary now. All four? The beginning of the end.

Obviously, it's not as bad as I'm making it out to be, be the four of them are just annoying to deal with. One of them is constantly yelling to get the teacher's attention. And it's not like they're getting ignored. The teacher will ask a question to the entire class, and they'll be as boisterous as possible to get an answer. Two of them ask stupid questions just to prove that they're more engaged than everyone else. It goes something like this:

"The movie project is due on June 10th."

"Ok, Mr. S, just to make sure, the movie is due on the 10th, right?"

"Yep."

And not even thirty seconds later, they asked the same question. That actually happened. Both of them ask questions like these all the time just to suck up, and it drives me insane. The fourth teacher's pet is a mixture of the three of them. You can see why the four horsemen (or horsewomen, should I say) are so annoying to deal with. I wonder if my teachers are as annoyed with them as I am.

Class complainers: 

In my junior year, I took a biology class, which, frankly, I didn't like. I wasn't too keen on the teacher, and the lessons weren't interesting. In a lot of classes, we sat for 1 hour 20 minutes and looked at a PowerPoint presentation. I can complain about that class because I actually focused. But there were a handful of students who unrightfully complained throughout the entire year.

Four students sat in the back of the room and disrupted every single class without fail. They would come in and immediately put in their earbuds and go on their phones. Or, if they didn't have earbuds, they would blast whatever they were watching out loud. Then, they would talk loudly throughout the entire class. Whenever the teacher called them out, they usually spoke back. They were just rowdy and annoying. But of course, they were the ones who complained about the class the most.

"He literally doesn't teach anything and then fails us. On top of that, he purposely doesn't answer our questions or tutor us when we ask for it." Really? I don't get how kids like these come to these sorts of conclusions. I will admit, the teacher didn't do a good job of handling them. He was also sometimes snarky and sarcastic when talking to them, but what did they honestly expect?

I must say, that class was funny, though. I remember one of the four rowdy kids and another kid never got along throughout the year. Their animosities boiled over when they fought over a chair, and one of them went down to the principal's office to get the other in trouble. Kindergarten type stuff.

Winner: Teacher's pets - The four horsewomen take Teacher's pets into the next round, potentially signifying the start of the apocalypse.

Humble bragging: 

There's a TikTok trend based around this one Backyardigans song (a great TV show, by the way). Essentially the song goes, "I'm an international superspy." Just before this line, you're supposed to talk about all your great characteristics, and then when the line comes, you say something embarrassing. (It can also be used when you completely trick people regarding your personality, emotions, age, etc.). Some of these have been excuses for people to brag about something without looking pretentious.

Humble bragging bothers me because, honestly, nobody cares. Oh, you have a 3.92 GPA, but you only just learned Sydney isn't the capital of Australia? Great, mate. Nobody cares. It's no different than making jokes about spoiled rich kids saying, "Oh, poor me. I only got the Aston Martin for my birthday instead of the Bugatti I asked for." I'm sorry, but you're just not that big of a deal.

The bathrooms: 

In my high school, our lunch area is called the commons. It's a big circular area which is right next to the food kitchens. It's reserved for seniors, juniors, and a few popular sophomores. The freshmen are thus forced to find other areas to eat. Some freshmen eat in the foyers at the entrance of the school, some by the auxiliary gym, some outside under the overhang. We ate lunch at the tables right in front of the main gym in our freshmen and sophomore years. This was also right next to arguably the most popular bathroom during lunch. For some context, the people who played in both the auxiliary and main gyms used this bathroom. It was also the closest bathroom to the food kitchens, and when people came from the second floor, they usually came in our direction.

I mention all of this to say that we could never have a peaceful moment, as there was always something happening in that bathroom. Once, I vividly remember 10 guys walking in all at once and having a bar fight in the bathroom. One guy got rocked, got a nosebleed, and bled everywhere. One of them said they were arguing over the location of Cyprus.

There were also more toxic fumes than an L.A. highway. There were so many vapers. Strawberry, orange, mint, mango, dogfood, they had a vape for it. I'd always be so awkward when you'd walk in, and they'd be vaping, and they would act as if nothing was awry.

To make a long story short, the bathroom by our table was virtually always closed.

Winner: The bathrooms - Our first upset of the Sweet Sixteen. Humble braggers are sent packing.

Loud chewers: 

My brother is the epitome of bad eating habits. His first problem is that he scarves down his food, especially if he likes it. Give him mac & cheese, and it's gone in under a minute. He barely even chews and swallows before he gets another bite. He'll take a bite, chew for 3 seconds, and then take another bite. The food isn't going anywhere. Because of this, he smacks his lips. It isn't as bad as my mom, though.

Second, he has this weird habit where he scrapes his fork against his teeth whenever he eats. So any time he bites, I have to listen to the sound of metal getting scraped. And no matter how much my mom tells him to stop, he never does. Some people just never learn.

Finally, he's picky. I could genuinely see him ordering mac & cheese at a fancy restaurant in his thirties. He's getting better, though, with some persistence and pushing. He used to freak out if there was so much as a vegetable in the same airspace as his burger.

We have family dinners on Sundays, and my brother and mother smacking their lips have almost made me leave the table multiple times. I could never do it, though. I may be snarky, but I'm not that rude. It's not like I've made a whole blog series based on complaining about really trivial things. I'd never do that.

FOMO: 

Oh boy, do I have some news for you guys. Buckle up this is intense. Leaked by the most reliable news source in the world, actually. Here it is:

We're in the middle of a global pandemic.

"I mean, that's shocking! How could you possibly have known-" Shush. Inside scoop. A magician never tells their secrets. Why do I say this? Well, about three months ago, our high school stated they were still planning on hosting the senior trip to Disney World in Florida. So we were asked to talk to our parents and then make a decision within two weeks. We had to put about 300 dollars down, non-refundable, to secure a spot. My parents said I couldn't go. So last week I was stuck in Zoom University, while some of my friends were in "The most magical place on Earth!" You can imagine the agony. I was cooped inside while they got to meet my idol and the most influential person on the planet. Mickey Mouse. Sometimes it hurts to see other people live out your dreams.

Just to clear things up, this isn't me condemning my parents for not letting me go to Disney World. It was late February/Early March, and they had to project how COVID would be three months into the future. Plus, with Florida's relaxed restrictions and a whole host of other factors, it made sense. But I would have loved to go to Disney World for a week with my friends. If I was to guess, I would say just under half of the 400 people in our grade went on the trip. At least other people shared my frustration.

"This stinks. We're missing out on long lines, dirty bathrooms, and overpriced water bottles."

Winner: Loud chewers - Probably the closest match in the tournament. It was probably a last second buzzer beater, honestly.

Bad hygiene: 

Where do you want to start? I guess I'll pick oral hygiene. Please, please, please, brush after you eat your food. Some people brush before eating breakfast, which is as nonsensical as showering before jumping into a mud puddle. There are two reasons for this. One, the food doesn't taste as good because it's clashing with the flavor of your toothpaste. Have you ever had orange juice after brushing? It's bad. Second, and more importantly, you're not keeping your mouth clean. You've just cleaned your mouth to dirty it again. Plus, it can damage your enamel if you eat too soon after brushing.

Actually, there's a third problem as well, being your breath. If you're going to eat eggs for breakfast, why in the world would you brush before eating. They have a strong smell, and it lasts for a long time. Nobody wants to talk to someone who has bad breath. Don't get angry at me, though. I'm just the messenger.

Fake crushes:

In the Round of 32, I mentioned Fake Crushes, where people believe you like someone when in reality, you don't. But what about the other way around? People who lead you on. These are arguably just as annoying. Nobody likes being toyed with.

There's a saying, "There is plenty of fish in the sea." What this fails to realize is that not every fish is interested. So when someone seems to have feelings for you, hearing, "Oh, it was just a dare," won't suffice. Before, there was a little bit of hope. Now I know there's a screenshot in a group chat somewhere with my failed attempt.

Winner: Bad hygiene - Brush your teeth after not before.

Unjustified lectures: 

Being eighteen is both a blessing and a curse. At least, it is when your parents are contradictory. Here are both of my options:

I really don't win in any scenario. If I forget to do something really small, like close the blinds, it will be, "Michael, you're eighteen years old, and you're going to college. You need to take responsibility around the house." But if I want to stay up and play on my Xbox, I hear, "Michael, you're still a kid, you know. You can't just do whatever you want in this house." It's genuinely more confusing than the Ruhr.

I hate getting lectured about the little things like closing the curtains because it's such a slap in the face when I'm told off for acting my age. And then some things seemingly don't need to be lectured. I've washed and put away the dishes for the last three years, but every three weeks, my mom will have me stand in the kitchen and explain to me where all the dishes go. I know where they're placed, mom. I've done it for the last three years. What's next? Lectures on how to put on clothes? Not that I've only put on clothes by myself for only three years. I'm capable.

Sibling troubles: 

I mentioned this last round, but parents can be volatile. I honestly couldn't tell you what makes them this way. Maybe it's their jobs; maybe it's dealing with us; maybe it's just the stress of getting older. Whatever it is, they're susceptible to some pretty significant mood swings. However, it's the most annoying when parents get mad for things you didn't actually do.

"Michael, if your brother forgets to put away the dishes, you're both in trouble."

What?

Yes, I understand as the older sibling, I have to take responsibility. I'm not questioning that. But it's annoying that I could get in trouble for things that I don't have any correlation to. You're telling me a fifteen-year-old kid has to be reminded by me to put away the dishes, and if he doesn't, I'm the problem?

It's also annoying to know I could be relaxing, and I randomly get dunked on by my parents.

"Your brother forgot to take his vitamins today. Turn everything off and go downstairs." WHY MAN?!??!?! I was having good discourse with people in the comments of QM's blogs, and now I'm grounded. 

Winner: Sibling troubles - The first 1 seed goes crashing out in the Sweet Sixteen. A huge confidence boost for the 4 seed here.

Buying "One thing": 

I remember, a few years back, my grandmother came over from California to spend a week with us during summer break. Obviously, I loved it, she's great, we enjoyed our time together and had a fun week. The only downside was the shopping spree my mom and grandmother had, which of course, my brother and I were dragged along for.

Genuinely, I think we spent 2 hours in one store. Not even going through the entire mall, but one store. I think we were in there for about 5 to 6 hours walking around, following them, as they looked at different clothes. I was about thirteen at the time, so my mother didn't trust my brother and me to walk around the mall by ourselves. So we stood around, got sore feet, and couldn't even go to GameStop.

I actually like going to the mall, if I'm with my friends, or I can walk around by myself. Here's a digression, what's the point in going to the mall if you specifically aren't doing the shopping? There are so many other ways of wasting time that doesn't involve me standing around doing anything and getting sore feet. For example, I could take one of this guy's quizzes.

Disturbed quiet: 

Our family likes to read stories every once in a while and discuss them. We'll pick out a piece of text to read and sit in the living room together, talk about it. It's quite nice, a good bonding experience. So a few days ago, I was tasked with reading out loud for the night. If you're an avid reader, you know one of the big no-nos is noise. But of course, I couldn't have quiet while reading.

First, my dad decided to make some popcorn in the microwave while we were waiting to start. Took about 1 minute 30, you know how popcorn works. He then gets a drink out of the fridge and finally sits down. So I open up and start reading. Quick question. What do you imagine a good reading space sounds like? Quiet? Maybe a little white noise, birds chirping, quiet chatter? Well, obviously, I couldn't get that.

My dad started scarfing down his popcorn as I was reading aloud, and it just ruined my rhythm. I gave him a few glances while reading, as a hint, and he just kept on eating. After the third or fourth glance, I thought, he'd think, "Okay, maybe I should stop." Nope. The next thing he did was open up his drink, which of course, was canned, thus making more noise. It took about two more minutes, but he finally stopped eating.

Winner: Disturbed quiet  - Disturbed quiet does it again, another massive upset.

Here is the updated bracket after the Sweet Sixteen:

First, I should mention that Unjustified lectures declined to interview. I couldn't get anything from the coaching staff, either. I hope they have fun on vacation in Cancun.

The Sweet Sixteen is over, and eight teams are still left dancing. Two major upsets this round in the domestic conference sent both the 1 and 2 seeds packing. Next round, in the Elite Eight, our conference champions will be decided. I hope things continue to heat up in this tournament, I hope everyone's favorites are still going strong, and I hope that I don't procrastinate writing the next round. I'll see you soon enough.