I like my coffee with cool whip and uranium

It’s any illness.

Part 3 of the commonly used structure with some examples:

巴不得 - bā bu dé - can’t wait to do something/wish to do something 我巴不得回家 - I can’t wait to go home. 我巴不得明天就放假 - I can't wait for tomorrow to be a holiday.

怪不得 - guài bu dé - no wonder 他考试考得很好，怪不得他今天这么高兴 - He did really well on the exam, no wonder he’s so happy today.

恨不得 - hèn bu dé - wish to do something, the implication here is that you wish to do something but can't actually do it due to limitations or obstacles. 我恨不得现在就放假了 - I wish it was vacation already. 她恨不得一天有四十八小时 - She wishes there were forty-eight hours in a day.

容不得 - róng bu dé - unable to tolerate, [something] is not allowed, unacceptable 这种行为容不得 - This kind of behavior is not acceptable.

由不得 - yóu bu dé - something is beyond one’s control, external conditions don’t allow it

这事由不得我 - This isn’t up to me. 工作安排由不得个人决定 - Work arrangements aren’t decided by individuals

做不到 - zuò bu dào - can’t do, unable to accomplish 这件事我真的做不到 - I really can’t do this. 我已经尽力了，真的做不到更好了 - I’ve tried my best, but I really can’t do any better.

得不到 - dé bu dào - can’t obtain, can’t get something 有些答案永远得不到 - Some answers will never be obtained. 有些机会错过了就得不到了 - Some opportunities, once missed, will never be obtained again.

差不点 - chà bu diǎn - almost, nearly 我差不点迟到了 - I almost arrived late. 他差不点说漏嘴 - He almost let it slip.

左不过 - zuǒ bu guò - at most, nothing more than 左不过是误会，说清楚就好了 - It’s nothing more than a misunderstanding, it'll be fine once it's explained clearly. 左不过再试一次 - At worst, we'll just try again.

Here are some common cat types and their names in Chinese:

2-color cat - 双色猫 - shuāngsè māo Tuxedo cat - 燕尾服猫 - yàn wěi fú māo Orange cat - 橘猫 - jú māo Black cat - 黑猫 - hēi māo White cat - 白猫 - bái māo Gray cat - 灰猫 - huī māo Calico cat - 三花猫 - sān huā māo Tortoiseshell cat - 玳瑁猫 - dài mào māo Tabby cat - 虎斑猫 - hǔ bān māo Abyssinian - 阿比西尼亚猫 - ā bǐ xī ní yà māo Aegean - 爱琴海猫 - ài qín hǎi māo American Bobtail - 美国短尾猫 - měi guó duǎn wěi māo Arabian Mau - 阿拉伯猫 - ā lā bó māo Balinese - 巴厘猫 - bā lí māo Bengal - 孟加拉猫 - mèng jiā lā māo Birman - 伯曼猫 - bó màn māo British Longhair - 英国长毛猫 - yīng guó cháng máo māo British Shorthair - 英国短毛猫 - yīng guó duǎn máo māo Burmese - 缅甸猫 - miǎn diàn māo Chartreux - 沙特尔猫 - shā tè ěr māo Cornish Rex - 柯尼斯卷毛猫 - kēnísī juǎn máo māo Devon Rex - 德文卷毛猫 - dé wén juǎn máo māo

1. if you get the “answer my call” text, NEVER ANSWER THE CALL. 

They are calling you because they want to have the conversation verbally, and be able to lie later about what they said or didn’t say. Force them to continue via text or email- force them to continue the conversation in writing or not at all. 

2. “Lack of 2 weeks notice is unprofessional!” or the other version, “Not providing notice is illegal!”

No it isn’t. Neither is true. 

And in the US, all states except Montana are “at will” employment (though you may hear an employer refer to it as “right to work” to make it sound better, it’s the same thing). Sure, at-will employment means they can fire you without cause, BUT! It also means that you are not legally required to give a reason for quitting, or to give notice of any kind. 

Is it polite to give notice when you can? Sure. Do bosses expect it? Absolutely. But that does not make you legally required to provide it. 

3. The only thing I would change in the worker’s interaction here was their response when initially asked to come in. 

Employee: “Hey Mark. Sorry I’m unable to cover the shift tonight because I’m studying for my exam tomorrow.” 

Don’t give a reason for your lack of availability. It may be tempting to. You may feel rude if you don’t. 

DON’T DO IT.

You do not owe your boss any information about what you do off the clock, and any reason you give will only ever be used against you. 

Boss: “Hey I need you to cover Jasper’s shift tonight.”

Employee: “Sorry, I’m not available.”

And leave it at that. 

Do not elaborate. 

Do not offer additional information. 

When you boss asks you to elaborate, because they will, be polite but firm. “With respect, that’s personal. I’m sorry, but I’m unavailable to cover this shift/work late/come in early/etc.”

Be a broken record- you’re unavailable. That’s the only information they need to know, and it’s the only information they have a LEGAL RIGHT to know.