WOW! Just when I was starting to believe what my kids were telling me, that I was getting paranoid, I woke up to the news the other day that terrorists had attacked TWITTER!
Claims by a terrorism related group are being debunked currently by the media. I can't wait to see what the bottom line on this story becomes, but I'm going to relate to you a PRETTY TERRIFYING story of my own.
In my efforts to get thedailypisser up and running I've encountered all kinds of problems and roadblocks (Google TheDailyP to see my efforts to get hooked into AdSense). So far I've hurdled a couple and am working on lots more. But one thing I CANNOT resolve is something that happened to me THE DAY I linked my blog to my facebook account in my efforts to get the blog out there for you.
Since I had pretty much found all the friends I was looking for, imagine my surprise when I loaded fb that day to see I had 3 FREIND REQUESTS. Wow, I'm getting to be a pretty popular girl, I thought. Imagine my horror when I clicked on the requests and saw that my 3 'wannabe' new friends all looked like MIDDLE-EASTERNERS who were enrolled at your nearest pilot training school, if you get my drift!
I was stunned and horrified! I panicked! How did these guys happen across the blog? Was it because I mentioned Iran in the Thanksgiving column? I know Google tags words relating to current and hot button issues, is that how they 'flagged' me? Was it counterintelligence, spying on me? I was at a loss, but all I knew was I had to be pc and yet protect myself from 'terrorist' hackers or worse!
So, I took the necessary precautions and then went through the stages of denial as I tried to figure out if I should pursue this any further. I asked friends for advice and got their opinions, varying from that I was smoking too much to calling the local police. I ruminated then decided to take some action.
Unfortunately, the actions I took led to inaction from others that has got me EVEN MORE SCARED THEN BEFORE ALL THIS STARTED! A few nights ago, I called the only listing I could find in L.A. for the F.B.I.. The gentleman who answered the phone patiently listened to my story, then proceeded to ask me to call back after 8:30 a.m.. Then, I tried to find a listing for The Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C.. I found and tried several of these phone numbers until SOMEONE ACTUALLY ANSWERED THE PHONE! This time, the operator wasn't as patient, didn't want to hear any elaborations and just told me to call back after 8:30 a.m.!
Geez, that series of efforts left me feeling a whole lot better! NOT!!!!
Needless to say, I called back neither place AFTER 8:30 a.m.. I guess I know now when the Government starts their day! And I'm sorry to tell YOU that neither office has tried to CONTACT ME!
So now, besides being scared of the 'wannabe' friends, I'm scared that the Government DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN when an average citizen wants to report suspicious activities! I'm sure that's pretty much what led to 911, aren't you? And that's what scares me. AND IT SHOULD SCARE YOU!
I don't know about you, but MY next step is to start building an underground shelter!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Oral, Oral, Oral! It rhymed with IMMORAL!
Snake oil salesmen are nothing new. Through time, there have always been people willing to make a fast buck on other people's misfortune and ignorance. The most heinous of these are those that cloak themselves in religious garb.
I've always said that religion is big business with a great loophole: they don't have to pay taxes. More and more it comes to light that along with goodness and grace, religion has left it's better days behind. Religion today masquerades as a front for pedophiles, terrorists, embezzlers and worse. In my mind, a hypocritical adulterer ranks right up there with the rest of them!
Oral could have been a founding 'religious' member of the "I OWN A HUGE WALK IN CLOSET SOCIETY". I have often said that the people who scream the loudest have the BIGGEST skeletons in THEIR closets. It makes one wonder what Oral's mama put him through in his childhood? She did turn out to be psychic though when she named him, so she had that going for her!
Oral, Oral, Oral. I bet he cringed inside when someone called him that after that sex tape hit the internet! Why is it that people like Oral spend their whole lives hiding from who they REALLY are while they expend all their energy trying to tell the rest of us how to live? I've given it great thought and have come to believe that truly ONLY GOD KNOWS.
Why do people like Oral and Jimmy and Jim Jones indulge in lies, excess and thievery in the name of the Lord? And why do people out there not educate themselves to see the difference between a savior and a snake oil salesman?
Again, I truly believe that ONLY GOD KNOWS.
But there is one thing I KNOW, or at least believe to be true: ORAL AIN'T GOIN TO HEAVEN! Why do you think he hung around so long!
I've always said that religion is big business with a great loophole: they don't have to pay taxes. More and more it comes to light that along with goodness and grace, religion has left it's better days behind. Religion today masquerades as a front for pedophiles, terrorists, embezzlers and worse. In my mind, a hypocritical adulterer ranks right up there with the rest of them!
Oral could have been a founding 'religious' member of the "I OWN A HUGE WALK IN CLOSET SOCIETY". I have often said that the people who scream the loudest have the BIGGEST skeletons in THEIR closets. It makes one wonder what Oral's mama put him through in his childhood? She did turn out to be psychic though when she named him, so she had that going for her!
Oral, Oral, Oral. I bet he cringed inside when someone called him that after that sex tape hit the internet! Why is it that people like Oral spend their whole lives hiding from who they REALLY are while they expend all their energy trying to tell the rest of us how to live? I've given it great thought and have come to believe that truly ONLY GOD KNOWS.
Why do people like Oral and Jimmy and Jim Jones indulge in lies, excess and thievery in the name of the Lord? And why do people out there not educate themselves to see the difference between a savior and a snake oil salesman?
Again, I truly believe that ONLY GOD KNOWS.
But there is one thing I KNOW, or at least believe to be true: ORAL AIN'T GOIN TO HEAVEN! Why do you think he hung around so long!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
EVEN YOUR PIGGY BANK ISN'T SAFE ANYMORE!
Hard times come and hard times go, yet there are still a few things we hold onto for comfort, things we've saved for years, thinking we'd pass them down to the next generation. Your grandfather might have collected stamps, your niece might have a fantastic Barbie collection still in the boxes and almost anyone I've ever known has an affinity for saving special coins. Little remembrances of certain times and certain adventures in places they may never travel again.
That's why what happened to me the other day was oddly exhilarating at first, and then left me strangely disquieted. I cracked open my biweekly roll of quarters because it was time to do laundry. Being an amateur coin maven myself, an unusual one will normally catch my eye. Imagine my surprise when the whole roll turned out to be a treasure trove of old coins. I even got two SILVER quarters dated 1956! Wow, I though, that's pretty cool! I can't tell you when it was I saw my last piece of true silver.
As I fingered through the whole roll, every one of them turned out to be collectible. There were a few late 80's and newer 'states' quarters, but most of the contents of the roll was at least 25 years old. I though I had hit the jackpot!
AND THEN IT HIT ME: Somewhere out there, there was a grandmother, a small child grown, a person so down on their luck THEY HAD TO CASH IN something it took them a lifetime to collect for someone special. That realization gave me real pause.
And I am definitely not leading a sheltered life here in Hollywood. 90,000 homeless people sleep on the streets of L.A. on any given night. Half of them across the street from my house! (No, just kidding, it's only a small encampment). I haven't been able to find a job in a year and a half and have been drawing unemployment. And I don't walk my neighborhood after dark because I've already been confronted once by a gangbanger while I was walking to the Smart & Final ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE! (Guess he was taking a break during his daily graffiti excursion).
But there just was SOMETHING about the thought of where those coins had come from that made me sad about the state of our country once again. If grandma's are crackin' porkers, the rest of us can't be far behind!
That's why what happened to me the other day was oddly exhilarating at first, and then left me strangely disquieted. I cracked open my biweekly roll of quarters because it was time to do laundry. Being an amateur coin maven myself, an unusual one will normally catch my eye. Imagine my surprise when the whole roll turned out to be a treasure trove of old coins. I even got two SILVER quarters dated 1956! Wow, I though, that's pretty cool! I can't tell you when it was I saw my last piece of true silver.
As I fingered through the whole roll, every one of them turned out to be collectible. There were a few late 80's and newer 'states' quarters, but most of the contents of the roll was at least 25 years old. I though I had hit the jackpot!
AND THEN IT HIT ME: Somewhere out there, there was a grandmother, a small child grown, a person so down on their luck THEY HAD TO CASH IN something it took them a lifetime to collect for someone special. That realization gave me real pause.
And I am definitely not leading a sheltered life here in Hollywood. 90,000 homeless people sleep on the streets of L.A. on any given night. Half of them across the street from my house! (No, just kidding, it's only a small encampment). I haven't been able to find a job in a year and a half and have been drawing unemployment. And I don't walk my neighborhood after dark because I've already been confronted once by a gangbanger while I was walking to the Smart & Final ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE! (Guess he was taking a break during his daily graffiti excursion).
But there just was SOMETHING about the thought of where those coins had come from that made me sad about the state of our country once again. If grandma's are crackin' porkers, the rest of us can't be far behind!
Monday, December 14, 2009
WHEN YOU'RE MAD, GET EVEN!
Now that I've got your attention, today's blog is all about helping my daughter help a dear friend. When the times look the bleakest and big brother's got his foot in your back the best thing to do is gather your buddies and give a communal drop kick. So please read and do what you can to help our cause.
I grew up in Chicago, but when it came to raising my own kids, I chose the tranquility of central Illinois' farming country. There was a sense of community and safety. No gangs, no violence, no drugs, well, at least only the ones I advised were okay.
My children grew up RIGHT across the street from the school, K-12. Consequently, our house was the 'hangin' grounds'. I got to know almost every child in our small little town (pop. 1200). One of these kids has remained a good friend to my daughter and son. She's married now and has 3 small children. AND a terminal diagnosis. She is fighting valiantly every day to stay well and stay alive - for herself, for the hubs and especially for those three precious little ones.
And now comes the rub. After being insured with one of the big 3 (and I'm talkin BIG) health care insurers, she is being denied VITAL diagnostic procedures that would hopefully prolong her life and give her the chance to raise those kids.
AND I know that EVERY single one of you has personally heard this excuse from a health care provider: THE TREATMENT IS NOT APPROVED, SO WE CAN'T COVER IT! How does treatment get approved, anyway then? If someone out there isn't willing to try it and advance its progress, how can any treatment be accepted?
I, myself, am hoping against hope that it's not the same old sh*t you see everyday on the news! We're tired of having to actually PAY out anything and your treatment has exceeded our profit/loss margin, so now we're DUMPING YOU and moving on to the next sucker who wants to pay inflated insurance premiums to a company with its HQ in Las Vegas!
In Jamie's case, she has a rare form of liver cancer with a dire prognosis. Her medical team have agreed on a course of treatment that can give her ANY hope and now the big, bad, blue says it won't pay for her PET scans, which costs in the thousand of dollars. I'm hoping that it's not the same old case of insurance company character flaws: DENY, DENY, DENY and maybe she'll go away!
Jamie and her husband have decided to do the grown up thing and approach their company to see if they can get this worked out. So, for now, I just wanted to tell her story and enlist your future aid in anything we may do as a group to help.
I hate to say this, but good luck with that, Jamie & hubs. It's soooo evident by the state of our health care system (see: Women Unite for Health Care Reform) that our nation and insurers have a long way to go before they have attained your maturity.
All our love, thoughts and prayers are with you and your family for some sort of recovery and extended life.
As for your insurance company all I have to say is: DO THE MATH, IDIOTS! IT'S CHEAPER TO PAY FOR A FEW PET SCANS THAN TO HAVE THE PUBLIC SUPPORT AND RAISE THREE MOTHERLESS CHILDREN!!!!! GEEZE, DID I REALLY HAVE TO SAY that out loud? Doesn't EVERYBODY realize that?
P.S. To ALL the friends of Jamie and her family and this blog:
Please vote in the poll at the top: HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SCREWED OVER BY AN INSURANCE COMPANY?
AND then please leave your thoughts, suggestions and comments in the comment section.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH &
Chessy has left the outhouse
I grew up in Chicago, but when it came to raising my own kids, I chose the tranquility of central Illinois' farming country. There was a sense of community and safety. No gangs, no violence, no drugs, well, at least only the ones I advised were okay.
My children grew up RIGHT across the street from the school, K-12. Consequently, our house was the 'hangin' grounds'. I got to know almost every child in our small little town (pop. 1200). One of these kids has remained a good friend to my daughter and son. She's married now and has 3 small children. AND a terminal diagnosis. She is fighting valiantly every day to stay well and stay alive - for herself, for the hubs and especially for those three precious little ones.
And now comes the rub. After being insured with one of the big 3 (and I'm talkin BIG) health care insurers, she is being denied VITAL diagnostic procedures that would hopefully prolong her life and give her the chance to raise those kids.
AND I know that EVERY single one of you has personally heard this excuse from a health care provider: THE TREATMENT IS NOT APPROVED, SO WE CAN'T COVER IT! How does treatment get approved, anyway then? If someone out there isn't willing to try it and advance its progress, how can any treatment be accepted?
I, myself, am hoping against hope that it's not the same old sh*t you see everyday on the news! We're tired of having to actually PAY out anything and your treatment has exceeded our profit/loss margin, so now we're DUMPING YOU and moving on to the next sucker who wants to pay inflated insurance premiums to a company with its HQ in Las Vegas!
In Jamie's case, she has a rare form of liver cancer with a dire prognosis. Her medical team have agreed on a course of treatment that can give her ANY hope and now the big, bad, blue says it won't pay for her PET scans, which costs in the thousand of dollars. I'm hoping that it's not the same old case of insurance company character flaws: DENY, DENY, DENY and maybe she'll go away!
Jamie and her husband have decided to do the grown up thing and approach their company to see if they can get this worked out. So, for now, I just wanted to tell her story and enlist your future aid in anything we may do as a group to help.
I hate to say this, but good luck with that, Jamie & hubs. It's soooo evident by the state of our health care system (see: Women Unite for Health Care Reform) that our nation and insurers have a long way to go before they have attained your maturity.
All our love, thoughts and prayers are with you and your family for some sort of recovery and extended life.
As for your insurance company all I have to say is: DO THE MATH, IDIOTS! IT'S CHEAPER TO PAY FOR A FEW PET SCANS THAN TO HAVE THE PUBLIC SUPPORT AND RAISE THREE MOTHERLESS CHILDREN!!!!! GEEZE, DID I REALLY HAVE TO SAY that out loud? Doesn't EVERYBODY realize that?
P.S. To ALL the friends of Jamie and her family and this blog:
Please vote in the poll at the top: HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SCREWED OVER BY AN INSURANCE COMPANY?
AND then please leave your thoughts, suggestions and comments in the comment section.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH &
Chessy has left the outhouse
Friday, December 11, 2009
BILL O'REILLY: UR AN IDIOT!!!
Especially when you start aiming those blanks at one of my very favorite TV franchises: Law & Order: SVU! C'mon, who amongst you out there doesn't want Mariska or Chris to leave their shoes under YOUR bed some night!?
It never fails to amaze me how such high profile blowhards like Bill seem to have so much free time on their hands (cuz they've already contributed SO much to helping solve the real issues) that they have to start slinging their empty arrows at our ENTERTAINMENT, for gosh sakes! It's TV, Bill, take a Xanax and chill out!
Oh, wait, you're on TV, too! Except, instead of entertaining us, you're supposed to be informing and educating us with your program. But what we get is alot of balloon propellant about what YOU do or do not like! Wow, Bill, mea culpa for not realizing it was ALL ABOUT YOU!
BUT IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME, THOUGH.
For someone who probably has a good dozen HUGE walk-in closets (literally and figuratively)I'm sure you've got ALL KINDS of twisted sh*t waiting to come spilling out! Too bad you haven't thought of taking some of those big bucks you're making from your Republican boys club and hiring yourself a competent therapist!
So for now, I get to see your red, puffy face spewing venom anytime I accidently hit your channel. Somehow, you've managed to hang on to that pathetic piece of crap you call a show because your buddies in the conservative media are all afraid you'll spill your guts lest they can your tired ass!
Because when I want to REALLY see what's relevant and what's current, I, MYSELF turn to shows exactly like SVU! Their people take the time to care about and research current topics, displaying them in a thoughtful AND fore-thoughtful manner. Whereas, you, on the other hand, are so worried about your ratings points and your next big paycheck, you couldn't possibly find time to compassionately consider the rest of us peons!
And when I want to see REAL entertainment, I'll watch your show for about 30 seconds. That's all I can take before it makes me want to hurl!
TAKE A PILL BILL, & CHILL!!!
MAMA QUOTE OF THE DAY: " Not an ounce of care, 'nuthin but air!"
DIS IS YO MAMA
It never fails to amaze me how such high profile blowhards like Bill seem to have so much free time on their hands (cuz they've already contributed SO much to helping solve the real issues) that they have to start slinging their empty arrows at our ENTERTAINMENT, for gosh sakes! It's TV, Bill, take a Xanax and chill out!
Oh, wait, you're on TV, too! Except, instead of entertaining us, you're supposed to be informing and educating us with your program. But what we get is alot of balloon propellant about what YOU do or do not like! Wow, Bill, mea culpa for not realizing it was ALL ABOUT YOU!
BUT IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME, THOUGH.
For someone who probably has a good dozen HUGE walk-in closets (literally and figuratively)I'm sure you've got ALL KINDS of twisted sh*t waiting to come spilling out! Too bad you haven't thought of taking some of those big bucks you're making from your Republican boys club and hiring yourself a competent therapist!
So for now, I get to see your red, puffy face spewing venom anytime I accidently hit your channel. Somehow, you've managed to hang on to that pathetic piece of crap you call a show because your buddies in the conservative media are all afraid you'll spill your guts lest they can your tired ass!
Because when I want to REALLY see what's relevant and what's current, I, MYSELF turn to shows exactly like SVU! Their people take the time to care about and research current topics, displaying them in a thoughtful AND fore-thoughtful manner. Whereas, you, on the other hand, are so worried about your ratings points and your next big paycheck, you couldn't possibly find time to compassionately consider the rest of us peons!
And when I want to see REAL entertainment, I'll watch your show for about 30 seconds. That's all I can take before it makes me want to hurl!
TAKE A PILL BILL, & CHILL!!!
MAMA QUOTE OF THE DAY: " Not an ounce of care, 'nuthin but air!"
DIS IS YO MAMA
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Let's 'Peace Out' the Peace Prize
No matter what, there is always someone out there willing to rain on your parade. If you're smarter, prettier, wealthier, sexier - well you get the drift, then there will always be people ready and willing to drag you down. Try to lift yourself up and you'll be back in the gutter with one swift quick from the quivering masses.
I have always felt that criticism that is NOT constructive stems from a lack of self-esteem and jealousy, two character traits I believe that everyone should try to avoid. If you've led a life of cynicism and doubt, then it's easy to be derogatory. The hard thing is to have optimism and hope.
My own childhood was not conducive to healthy development. Instead of encouragement, there was control. To replace ambition and invention, there was sarcasm and laughter. Consequently, I've struggled a lifetime to become the person I should have been all along.
Which leads me to the point of this article: LEAVE THE GOSH DARNED PRESIDENT ALONE!!!!! And that's President Obama to you, NOT mister! Since when did we lose such respect for the office? When the skin tone changed? I love all the haters who masquerade as do-gooders. Your walk in closet must be HUGE.
I've always had in it for hypocrites and critics. If you can't be your true self and you live 99% of your life in that walk-in, then do us all a favor and move on to the next plane. The one where they build the houses out of smoke and mirrors. And if you don't have something positive to say that helps move us all forward, then take your sorry ass to Eastern Europe, everybody there will like you just fine!
And for those of you out there who don't get what the Nobel Peace Prize is all about, here's a clue: IT'S A SYMBOL, NOT A CROWN!
To me, the prize stands for hope and optimism, freindship and faith and a willingness to move into a brighter future. For those of you out there who find it hard to celebrate these values, I'm sure the KKK has a hood with your name on it. It is time to stop living in the past and embrace the future, for our own good. And by the way, wasn't that what started this country?
And talk about living in the past, did we all forget 'Bushie' was president for 8 years? I guess it's easy for the Republicans, alot harder for the rest of us who are unemployed and living on ramen. I blame it on their control of the media and their limitless ability to spin. And the fear of THEIR future - Sarah Palin - don't get me started there! (That's a different blog!).
So, congratulations, President Obama! Keep up the good work! And like my first boss used to say: "Don't let the bastards get you down!". My children and grandchildren are depending on it!
MAMA QUOTE OF THE DAY: "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything".
DIS IS YO MAMA
I have always felt that criticism that is NOT constructive stems from a lack of self-esteem and jealousy, two character traits I believe that everyone should try to avoid. If you've led a life of cynicism and doubt, then it's easy to be derogatory. The hard thing is to have optimism and hope.
My own childhood was not conducive to healthy development. Instead of encouragement, there was control. To replace ambition and invention, there was sarcasm and laughter. Consequently, I've struggled a lifetime to become the person I should have been all along.
Which leads me to the point of this article: LEAVE THE GOSH DARNED PRESIDENT ALONE!!!!! And that's President Obama to you, NOT mister! Since when did we lose such respect for the office? When the skin tone changed? I love all the haters who masquerade as do-gooders. Your walk in closet must be HUGE.
I've always had in it for hypocrites and critics. If you can't be your true self and you live 99% of your life in that walk-in, then do us all a favor and move on to the next plane. The one where they build the houses out of smoke and mirrors. And if you don't have something positive to say that helps move us all forward, then take your sorry ass to Eastern Europe, everybody there will like you just fine!
And for those of you out there who don't get what the Nobel Peace Prize is all about, here's a clue: IT'S A SYMBOL, NOT A CROWN!
To me, the prize stands for hope and optimism, freindship and faith and a willingness to move into a brighter future. For those of you out there who find it hard to celebrate these values, I'm sure the KKK has a hood with your name on it. It is time to stop living in the past and embrace the future, for our own good. And by the way, wasn't that what started this country?
And talk about living in the past, did we all forget 'Bushie' was president for 8 years? I guess it's easy for the Republicans, alot harder for the rest of us who are unemployed and living on ramen. I blame it on their control of the media and their limitless ability to spin. And the fear of THEIR future - Sarah Palin - don't get me started there! (That's a different blog!).
So, congratulations, President Obama! Keep up the good work! And like my first boss used to say: "Don't let the bastards get you down!". My children and grandchildren are depending on it!
MAMA QUOTE OF THE DAY: "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything".
DIS IS YO MAMA
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
WELCOME FRIENDS!
Just wanted to say thanks for checking out THE DAILY PISSER!
I'm interested in your thoughts and concerns. What's relevant to you right now? Let's tackle current topics and old gripes with an eye to finding workable solutions. The best minds in America surf the web, let's put all that brainpower to work! Let's try to make a REAL difference in the way we treat one another every day.
I NEED YOUR INPUT! The list of things I could bitch about goes on and on, but this blog is about YOU. What would YOU like to see change?
Please leave your comments and suggestions. The more you BITCH, the more likely I am to write a blog about it!
So enjoy the in(s)anity, and COME BACK OFTEN!
Thank you very much &
Chessy has left the building!
And remember: KEEP ON PISSIN'
I'm interested in your thoughts and concerns. What's relevant to you right now? Let's tackle current topics and old gripes with an eye to finding workable solutions. The best minds in America surf the web, let's put all that brainpower to work! Let's try to make a REAL difference in the way we treat one another every day.
I NEED YOUR INPUT! The list of things I could bitch about goes on and on, but this blog is about YOU. What would YOU like to see change?
Please leave your comments and suggestions. The more you BITCH, the more likely I am to write a blog about it!
So enjoy the in(s)anity, and COME BACK OFTEN!
Thank you very much &
Chessy has left the building!
And remember: KEEP ON PISSIN'
Thursday, November 26, 2009
THINGS I'M NOT GRATEFUL FOR
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!
On this day we share with family and freinds, assessing our blessings, then gorging ourselves beyond reason as we try to convince ourselves that everything is fine, I'm here to say that everything is NOT.
Don't get me wrong now. I have plenty to be thankful for and I try to appreciate that EVERYDAY, not just on Thanksgiving. But frankly, I don't know you all that well yet and I prefer to keep it to myself for the time being.
But I know that there are lots of things that aren't what they used to be and that leaves me wondering why. As the world and technology spins to the future, I often feel that socially and personally, we are regressing as a whole. I hate to say it, because it makes me feel ancient, but are the good old days really behind us? I shudder to think so, yet it's evident around me everyday.
So hence, I present you my list of things I am NOT grateful for this holiday:
*WHAT HOLIDAY IS IT ANYWAY? Walk into any retail space and it's hard to tell. I'm looking forward to Christmas, myself. Since the kids are grown and we decided to forgo the whole retail segment of this experience, it's been alot more fun. And besides, who's supposed to create holiday memories anyway? Mom and dad or Wal-Mart? Screw it people! Stop glamorizing the materialistic aspect of it, you can't really afford it anyway! Instead, save your money to provide the best meal you can and do whatever your family's idea of fun is to the nth degree! The only ones who won't benefit and won't like it will be the retailers. Everybody else will have great stories to tell their kids and grandkids.
*IMAGINARY SHORTAGES. Come on people! If your kid really wants that 'hot' new thing, BUY IT IN SEPTEMBER! If YOU don't care enough to buy it then, then I don't think you're kids are really gonna miss it. Your family has bigger problems than finding Barbie's Jeep. Pushing, shoving and dropping expletives while drop kicking the door greeter is NOT the way to pass the holiday spirit down to the little ones.
*PAYING EXTRA FOR THE PRIVELEGE OF GETTING SCREWED! Since there are too many examples of this for my mere column to mention them all, I'll keep it simple. One prime example this holiday travelling season: Charge me more, whydoncha, to fly with baggage, when you know good and well I'm taking my chances it will actually BE on the luggage carousal when I arrive at my destination. 'Nough said.
I could go on and on and on... but I won't. Got to leave some stuff(ing) for next turkey day! Hug the itty bitties and your other loved ones today, say a prayer for the soldiers and their families and kiss the ground and be thankful you don't live in Iran.
On this day we share with family and freinds, assessing our blessings, then gorging ourselves beyond reason as we try to convince ourselves that everything is fine, I'm here to say that everything is NOT.
Don't get me wrong now. I have plenty to be thankful for and I try to appreciate that EVERYDAY, not just on Thanksgiving. But frankly, I don't know you all that well yet and I prefer to keep it to myself for the time being.
But I know that there are lots of things that aren't what they used to be and that leaves me wondering why. As the world and technology spins to the future, I often feel that socially and personally, we are regressing as a whole. I hate to say it, because it makes me feel ancient, but are the good old days really behind us? I shudder to think so, yet it's evident around me everyday.
So hence, I present you my list of things I am NOT grateful for this holiday:
*WHAT HOLIDAY IS IT ANYWAY? Walk into any retail space and it's hard to tell. I'm looking forward to Christmas, myself. Since the kids are grown and we decided to forgo the whole retail segment of this experience, it's been alot more fun. And besides, who's supposed to create holiday memories anyway? Mom and dad or Wal-Mart? Screw it people! Stop glamorizing the materialistic aspect of it, you can't really afford it anyway! Instead, save your money to provide the best meal you can and do whatever your family's idea of fun is to the nth degree! The only ones who won't benefit and won't like it will be the retailers. Everybody else will have great stories to tell their kids and grandkids.
*IMAGINARY SHORTAGES. Come on people! If your kid really wants that 'hot' new thing, BUY IT IN SEPTEMBER! If YOU don't care enough to buy it then, then I don't think you're kids are really gonna miss it. Your family has bigger problems than finding Barbie's Jeep. Pushing, shoving and dropping expletives while drop kicking the door greeter is NOT the way to pass the holiday spirit down to the little ones.
*PAYING EXTRA FOR THE PRIVELEGE OF GETTING SCREWED! Since there are too many examples of this for my mere column to mention them all, I'll keep it simple. One prime example this holiday travelling season: Charge me more, whydoncha, to fly with baggage, when you know good and well I'm taking my chances it will actually BE on the luggage carousal when I arrive at my destination. 'Nough said.
I could go on and on and on... but I won't. Got to leave some stuff(ing) for next turkey day! Hug the itty bitties and your other loved ones today, say a prayer for the soldiers and their families and kiss the ground and be thankful you don't live in Iran.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
CHASEing CUSTOMER SERVICE
Lest I ever had the notion that I had escaped the banking meltdown by the skin of my tax dollars, I was reminded rather rudely today that customer service is a dying art form.
I went to my bank of almost six years today to close my accounts. This was precipitated by a rather irritating interaction at my local branch on Saturday, when I learned that the new conglomerate that had swallowed up the dead fish of my old bank had changed one policy too many for my liking.
Obviously, I'm not the only unsatisfied customer. When the customer service representative helped me, she wasn't even interested in why I was closing the accounts. My guess is she must have known already and didn't want to hear the gripes again. If that's the case, then why are you working here and PRETENDING to help me?
Then we played pass the buck as I tried to explain that I had, yet again, been given erroneous information at the other branch on Saturday. Why is it that NO one wants to take responsibility for anything anymore? And what's the point of having a policy if each branch does and says what it will and then nobody gets held accountable? More importantly, HOW DO THESE PEOPLE KEEP THEIR JOBS, I'D LIKE TO KNOW.
At that, I got attitude from the rep, so I gave it right back. I find it astonishing that people will not tolerate you treating them the way they're treating you. And then just throw in a few self-truths about the establishment that employs them and suddenly the conversation's over as far as they're concerned.
I honestly don't understand how people of this character get jobs in the financial sector. Oh wait, Bernie, I think I do. Unless they're bending you over the teller's counter without the courtesy of some vaseline, raping you for using your own money, you're of no use to them.
Being a business major myself, my theory is that THIS takeover crowd is new in town and looking to hook the big bucks. Let's go where the money is NOW and screw the little guys who kept us afloat and didn't jump ship when we took over.
And because the bailout billions weren't quite enough for our greedy little asses, let's find new ways to screw our loyal customers while we lure in new, unsuspecting souls with fantastic offers that the regulars can't get. And as we slyly and slowly raise all of our fees and try to find ingenious new ways to charge you exorbitant amounts to use your own cash, why would we possibly care what you want or need?
TELL ME: What is wrong with this picture? I'm old enough to remember when customer service actually had a WORKING definition. Companies competed to get and KEEP your business with courtesy, accommodation and a smile. Nowadays, all you get is rude, get in & get out and 'tude. They also hope you can't see well enough to read the fine print once you're out that door!
But this is still America, G damn it! I can still choose to spend and PUT my money where I want. If you are going to make it feel like you're doing me a favor by letting me enrich YOUR establishment, guess what? I'll do you a favor and take my money elsewhere, thank you very much!
I went to my bank of almost six years today to close my accounts. This was precipitated by a rather irritating interaction at my local branch on Saturday, when I learned that the new conglomerate that had swallowed up the dead fish of my old bank had changed one policy too many for my liking.
Obviously, I'm not the only unsatisfied customer. When the customer service representative helped me, she wasn't even interested in why I was closing the accounts. My guess is she must have known already and didn't want to hear the gripes again. If that's the case, then why are you working here and PRETENDING to help me?
Then we played pass the buck as I tried to explain that I had, yet again, been given erroneous information at the other branch on Saturday. Why is it that NO one wants to take responsibility for anything anymore? And what's the point of having a policy if each branch does and says what it will and then nobody gets held accountable? More importantly, HOW DO THESE PEOPLE KEEP THEIR JOBS, I'D LIKE TO KNOW.
At that, I got attitude from the rep, so I gave it right back. I find it astonishing that people will not tolerate you treating them the way they're treating you. And then just throw in a few self-truths about the establishment that employs them and suddenly the conversation's over as far as they're concerned.
I honestly don't understand how people of this character get jobs in the financial sector. Oh wait, Bernie, I think I do. Unless they're bending you over the teller's counter without the courtesy of some vaseline, raping you for using your own money, you're of no use to them.
Being a business major myself, my theory is that THIS takeover crowd is new in town and looking to hook the big bucks. Let's go where the money is NOW and screw the little guys who kept us afloat and didn't jump ship when we took over.
And because the bailout billions weren't quite enough for our greedy little asses, let's find new ways to screw our loyal customers while we lure in new, unsuspecting souls with fantastic offers that the regulars can't get. And as we slyly and slowly raise all of our fees and try to find ingenious new ways to charge you exorbitant amounts to use your own cash, why would we possibly care what you want or need?
TELL ME: What is wrong with this picture? I'm old enough to remember when customer service actually had a WORKING definition. Companies competed to get and KEEP your business with courtesy, accommodation and a smile. Nowadays, all you get is rude, get in & get out and 'tude. They also hope you can't see well enough to read the fine print once you're out that door!
But this is still America, G damn it! I can still choose to spend and PUT my money where I want. If you are going to make it feel like you're doing me a favor by letting me enrich YOUR establishment, guess what? I'll do you a favor and take my money elsewhere, thank you very much!
Monday, November 23, 2009
KICK A HATER GINGERLY DAY
Just when you think you've heard it all, the industrious youth of America have invented yet another category of in(s)ane. As we slowly roll out the Constitutional 'red' carpet to the downtrodden, where could the aisle of hate possibly end? With the redheads, of course!?!???
Through time, the insecure and ignorant have invariably found someone to hate. Using various unjustifiable reasonings, haters will readily vent their inner frustrations on any innocent, unsuspecting individual who has the misfortune of crossing their paths. And as we slowly swim to the surface through the quagmire of equitable Constitutional and human rights, even the haters want to be pc. When our society moves to protect the rights of identifiable factions, the haters, creative as they are, just find someone new to loathe. So now we've come to this.
So now I feel a real need to say this: "KIDS DON'T LEARN TO HATE FROM TV SHOWS! THEY LEARN TO HATE FROM THEIR UPBRINGING!!!!!!".
There, I feel much better, now.
Personally speaking, my childhood was sprinkled with prejudice just as well as love. My parents were immigrants, WWII survivors. My mother was taken off the family homestead at the age of fourteen, forced into slave labor on a German farm. Backbreaking work, raw potatoes and slogging in the snow with no shoes comprised her puberty. She ACTUALLY had plenty of reasons to be hateful. My mother also told me once that she had never seen a black person in her whole life until her ship steamed into Ellis Island. Needless to say, there were plenty of perjoratives slung around my house.
And from this childhood my personal philosophy has become one of embracing the good and burying the bad of every event. Each day passes from darkness into light. Life is beyond our control. One can choose to hate and perpetuate the sins of the father OR draw one's own conclusions and really be your own person.
But lest you think I'm trying to place myself in the running for the 'Mama Teresa of the Year Award', there are still plenty of biases I hold that I struggle everyday to overcome. Proudly though I can say these all stem from personal experiences and not something I heard from somebody else. My decision was made long ago to judge a person face to face, not by inherited biases.
Jews and Germans were a favorite "haters" target in my house. Personally, I've worked off and on for Jewish bosses since the age of 14. Despite my efforts to overcome my upbringing, when asked my opinion of the group as a whole, my favorite line is: 'A Jewish person would sell their own grandma for the right price'. But I don't HATE them for it. It's just an observation. And I was never wary of black men until 2 of them tried to force me into the bushes in front of the Shedd Aquarium one hot summer's night as I was frantically searching for my 'lost' 1st husband along the lakefront and they offered to help. To this day I remember running willy nilly across all 8 lanes of LSD (while on LSD) to get away. Motorists slammed on brakes and swerved. I kept running. All the way back to our van, 2 miles away, never stopping, never looking back. There I waited, shaken, until everyone in our party returned. And I was grateful to have escaped. Glad I had chosen becoming road kill over possible assault or worse.
It took me a long time to not instinctively move away and clutch my purse when a black man got on an elevator with me. But again, I tried really hard to not let that bad experience cloud my judgement in new encounters. Then, many years later, a half African-American sweetheart became my son-in-law. As a mama-in-law, I couldn't have asked for a more caring, considerate, polite, thoughtful and respectful new 'son'. As a lifetime loser at love, I thank my G&G everyday that my beautiful, kind, talented daughter drew the queen of hearts.
And speaking of hearts (which are red) and blood (which is red) and anger (which is red): KIDS - STOP THE SELF LOATHING. Turn all that energy into things that really matter and I guarantee you'll feel much better when it's said and done. "You can crawl in the gutter OR rise up above"(c.'97).
But enough of that crap. I'm getting ready to go out and KICKstart GINGERLY some teenage badasses' brain. Now, if I could only find my little red hammer...
MAMA QUOTE OF THE DAY: "You can't hate your own grandchildren".
DIS IS YO MAMA
Through time, the insecure and ignorant have invariably found someone to hate. Using various unjustifiable reasonings, haters will readily vent their inner frustrations on any innocent, unsuspecting individual who has the misfortune of crossing their paths. And as we slowly swim to the surface through the quagmire of equitable Constitutional and human rights, even the haters want to be pc. When our society moves to protect the rights of identifiable factions, the haters, creative as they are, just find someone new to loathe. So now we've come to this.
So now I feel a real need to say this: "KIDS DON'T LEARN TO HATE FROM TV SHOWS! THEY LEARN TO HATE FROM THEIR UPBRINGING!!!!!!".
There, I feel much better, now.
Personally speaking, my childhood was sprinkled with prejudice just as well as love. My parents were immigrants, WWII survivors. My mother was taken off the family homestead at the age of fourteen, forced into slave labor on a German farm. Backbreaking work, raw potatoes and slogging in the snow with no shoes comprised her puberty. She ACTUALLY had plenty of reasons to be hateful. My mother also told me once that she had never seen a black person in her whole life until her ship steamed into Ellis Island. Needless to say, there were plenty of perjoratives slung around my house.
And from this childhood my personal philosophy has become one of embracing the good and burying the bad of every event. Each day passes from darkness into light. Life is beyond our control. One can choose to hate and perpetuate the sins of the father OR draw one's own conclusions and really be your own person.
But lest you think I'm trying to place myself in the running for the 'Mama Teresa of the Year Award', there are still plenty of biases I hold that I struggle everyday to overcome. Proudly though I can say these all stem from personal experiences and not something I heard from somebody else. My decision was made long ago to judge a person face to face, not by inherited biases.
Jews and Germans were a favorite "haters" target in my house. Personally, I've worked off and on for Jewish bosses since the age of 14. Despite my efforts to overcome my upbringing, when asked my opinion of the group as a whole, my favorite line is: 'A Jewish person would sell their own grandma for the right price'. But I don't HATE them for it. It's just an observation. And I was never wary of black men until 2 of them tried to force me into the bushes in front of the Shedd Aquarium one hot summer's night as I was frantically searching for my 'lost' 1st husband along the lakefront and they offered to help. To this day I remember running willy nilly across all 8 lanes of LSD (while on LSD) to get away. Motorists slammed on brakes and swerved. I kept running. All the way back to our van, 2 miles away, never stopping, never looking back. There I waited, shaken, until everyone in our party returned. And I was grateful to have escaped. Glad I had chosen becoming road kill over possible assault or worse.
It took me a long time to not instinctively move away and clutch my purse when a black man got on an elevator with me. But again, I tried really hard to not let that bad experience cloud my judgement in new encounters. Then, many years later, a half African-American sweetheart became my son-in-law. As a mama-in-law, I couldn't have asked for a more caring, considerate, polite, thoughtful and respectful new 'son'. As a lifetime loser at love, I thank my G&G everyday that my beautiful, kind, talented daughter drew the queen of hearts.
And speaking of hearts (which are red) and blood (which is red) and anger (which is red): KIDS - STOP THE SELF LOATHING. Turn all that energy into things that really matter and I guarantee you'll feel much better when it's said and done. "You can crawl in the gutter OR rise up above"(c.'97).
But enough of that crap. I'm getting ready to go out and KICKstart GINGERLY some teenage badasses' brain. Now, if I could only find my little red hammer...
MAMA QUOTE OF THE DAY: "You can't hate your own grandchildren".
DIS IS YO MAMA
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Women UNITE For Health Care Reform
After a lifetime of poor or no insurance, I have seen the worst AND the best medicine has to offer. Attitudes and assistance aimed towards the underinsured has at times left me in frustration wanting to add the words: "And only if The Price Is Right" to the end of the Hippocratic oaths I see hanging in the medical offices.
Personally, I suffered with fibroids for many years. After seeing 10 doctors who were all certain I should have a hysterectomy since I was done having children, I found my hero. He removed the fibroids laproscopically and I have been fine ever since. Speaking from this experience I will now say: "IT IS TIME FOR THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM TO STOP TAKING LUXURY VACATIONS ON THE BACKS AND REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OF THE AMERICAN WOMAN!".
AMERICAN WOMEN: Stop falling for the scare tactics! Be smart. When there are as many preventative screenings for male maladies as there are for female ones, maybe then you can believe the hype. Do we really think we're so much more vulnerable than men? Or is it that our sensibilities and proactive stances are being preyed upon by money grubbers? And what of the effects of multiple unnecessary screenings? Maybe one should ask these questions when being confronted by the panic mongers who no doubt have a ve$ted intere$t in YOUR body.
One plank of my American dream has always been that you shouldn't have to be wealthy to afford good health. It is time for the health care system to STOP holding our communal well being hostage and live by the oath they have sworn. Our health is NOT a commodity to be bargained but rather a fundamental American RIGHT.
Please stay INFORMED and INDIGNANT. The time for reform is now.
P.S. TO ALL HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS: The next time you leave me waiting in your office for hours, I'm going to ask you this question: "Why do you feel that your time is so much more valuable than mine?". We all have our limited time here. Mine is as valuable to me as yours is to you. Can't wait to hear your answer!
AND to all religious medical professionals and political panic mongers (as I know of very few atheistic or agnostic doctors/politicians): What questions do you think your Lord will have for YOU when he acknowledges you traded people's health for lucre?
DIS IS YO MAMA
Personally, I suffered with fibroids for many years. After seeing 10 doctors who were all certain I should have a hysterectomy since I was done having children, I found my hero. He removed the fibroids laproscopically and I have been fine ever since. Speaking from this experience I will now say: "IT IS TIME FOR THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM TO STOP TAKING LUXURY VACATIONS ON THE BACKS AND REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OF THE AMERICAN WOMAN!".
AMERICAN WOMEN: Stop falling for the scare tactics! Be smart. When there are as many preventative screenings for male maladies as there are for female ones, maybe then you can believe the hype. Do we really think we're so much more vulnerable than men? Or is it that our sensibilities and proactive stances are being preyed upon by money grubbers? And what of the effects of multiple unnecessary screenings? Maybe one should ask these questions when being confronted by the panic mongers who no doubt have a ve$ted intere$t in YOUR body.
One plank of my American dream has always been that you shouldn't have to be wealthy to afford good health. It is time for the health care system to STOP holding our communal well being hostage and live by the oath they have sworn. Our health is NOT a commodity to be bargained but rather a fundamental American RIGHT.
Please stay INFORMED and INDIGNANT. The time for reform is now.
P.S. TO ALL HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS: The next time you leave me waiting in your office for hours, I'm going to ask you this question: "Why do you feel that your time is so much more valuable than mine?". We all have our limited time here. Mine is as valuable to me as yours is to you. Can't wait to hear your answer!
AND to all religious medical professionals and political panic mongers (as I know of very few atheistic or agnostic doctors/politicians): What questions do you think your Lord will have for YOU when he acknowledges you traded people's health for lucre?
DIS IS YO MAMA
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