As many of you are aware (and frightfully numerous of you aren't), this country is headed down the wrong road, with the sheeple being led by the Pied Piper that is Obama with no thought in their head to think about where they are going or what the long-term ramifications may be...they just want immediate gratification and "free stuff"...that, and massive voter fraud, is the only way that man was re-elected for a second term.
So I have a plan to take back our country. It is a statistical fact that 70% of the military vote Republican, and they are now answering to a Commander-in-Chief who has never held a real job, much less served in the military. So I'm not worried that the military would act out against citizens trying to put our country back on the right path - heck, they may even be on our side in this fight.
So here are my ideas for this country - they aren't perfect, but I think it's better than what we have now!
- Recall every single elected or appointed person in Washington, all 545 (435 congressmen, 100 senators, the man occupying the office of President, and 9 Supreme Court Justices). And all associated persons - the entire Executive Branch (Biden, the cabinet, all the "czars") from the top down in all three branches.
- Special elections are held in every state to send new representation to Washington. New laws are enacted that specify that the criteria for holding an elected position include the person must have held an actual job in the private sector or done military service, and will be limited to no more than two terms, at which time they will return to their regular lives, with no salary for life, no special health care, no perks - they will live by the same means and laws as their constituents, including during office. They will be provided a modest office budget while in office to ensure it is staffed appropriately for their constituent's needs.
- New presidential elections are held based on a nation-wide vote of the people to nominate two candidates. The electoral college is disbanded, and the president is elected into office by a majority vote of the people only. Voting will require a valid picture ID; the military votes will be the first counted, and all military personnel will be given ample time for their votes to be tallied. Early voting and voting by American expats will be counted second, and the expats will be given ample time to submit their votes. All voter rolls will be made public (that the person voted, not what their vote was), so there is complete transparency into who is voting - no more dead people, no more illegal immigrants, every name on the voter rolls must correspond with an appropriate person and backed up with a valid picture ID. These names are posted publicly for all to see, and any discrepancies will cause that vote to be tossed out. The candidate with the most votes after sufficient time to tally all the votes will win.
- There will be no more taxpayer money wasted on huge inaguration events, first family vacations, excessive staff, etc - the president will receive a salary, which will cease upon his departure from office, as well as Secret Service protection. The president is responsible for paying all expenses relating to personal trips, vacations, extra staff, the family's personal purchases (clothing, etc.). The president and his family are also required to accept the same health care options as are available to all citizens. The president remains subject to a two-term limit. The inauguration will be a simple ceremony broadcast from the Oval Office, with no huge crowds or parties.
- Any bills introduced into Congress must have a specific reason/intention, and there will be no "addendums" or pork added to such bills that do not have direct relation to the bill introduced. The bill will stand on it's own, and any representative wanting to tack on money for an unrelated purpose in exchange for a vote will be violating the law. All bills introduced before Congress must be made fully available in it's entirety for view by the public for a minimum of 30 days before a vote is taken.
- The Constitution of the United States is held up as the litmus test for all new legislation, for all court rulings, and the Bill of Rights and the Amendments to the Constitution are the unequivocable law of the land.
- All government agencies are reviewed by an independent, non-partisan committee of private sector successful business persons to determine their value or lack thereof. Any deparment that is deemed unnecessary are shut down immediately. Some examples - the Department of Energy, Education, the IRS, Health & Human Services, etc. The federal government is trimmed down to the barest minimum of what is required of Washington - small federal government as intended by the founding fathers.
- The IRS is done away with and a national sales tax enacted. Citizens now only pay tax on what they choose to purchase (with the exception of necessities such as food, baby items, etc), but every single person in the country would now be paying tax - including the close to 50% who pay no taxes at all right now - because they are paying on their purchases rather than their income. No taxes are taken from paychecks - citizens are responsible for their own retirement fund, their own medical care after 65, etc. Programs are put in place instead to assist those who need help understanding their retirement or medical care options. People currently on Social Security or Medicare will continue, with a cutoff determined for people of a specific age where they no longer contribute but will still receive some sort of Social Security benefit.
- Entitlement programs are completely overhauled and given much more restrictions. Unemployment is limited to 90 days, and requires proof that the person is actively looking for work. A website is set up for potential employers to log into and report that they have in fact interviewed so-and-so, and either hired them or found them lacking for these reasons - this feedback is then used to counsel the person in how to better present themselves, what skills they will need to train for, etc.
Welfare and food stamps require drug testing every month to collect, and persons having multiple children to drain the welfare system (anyone having another child after going on welfare with children) will be required to receive a birth control implant for the duration they remain on welfare. Welfare receipients will be required to undergo job training and actively look for work with the goal of getting off welfare and becoming a productive member of society. Women with children that are in need of day care will have free or discounted day care available to them while they work that will include educational guidance for their children.
- Military personnel are given significant increases to their pay, in addition to access to the best medical care available for life if needed, better housing options and family resources for those who have a family member deployed, and in general. Anyone 18 years of age who chooses not to go to college will be required to spend two years in the military - those who drop out of school before the age of 18 will be required to not only give their two years in the military upon turning 18, but also complete their GED during that time.
- Illegal immigrants who give birth in this country will no longer be allowed to stay due to "anchor babies". Babies of illegal immigrants are no longer considered citizens, and the entire family will be deported to their home country. Immigration will remain an important part of the fabric of our country, but illegal immigration will no longer be tolerated. Anyone currently in the country who is gainfully employed, can speak English, and has committed no crimes while in this country will be allowed to stay with restrictions; those not meeting that criteria will be deported.
- English is our national language. All businesses must use English as their first language, any other language as a second language is fine - however all signs, literature, etc must be in English. The government will no longer print any forms in any language other than English.
- The Pledge of Allegiance will be recited in every school, every morning.
- Any group with any even remote tie to any terrorist group will be removed forcibly from the country, and the public will not be made aware of any details - covert operations will remain so, especially in the case of national security. Anyone with ties to any group that is even remotely linked to a terrorist organization will be removed - whether they are a citizen or not, they will need to prove they are not in allegiance with, for instance, the Muslim Brotherhood, etc. Mosques will be monitored and if they cry about infringing on their freedom of religion - their freedom of religion does not include the freedom to kill infidels.
- The TSA will be done away with, and a private security company with experience will be put in their place, and there will no longer be random screenings of individuals, but profiling done based on the profile of a typical terrorist - no longer will children or the elderly be pulled aside for body searches, but someone of Arab descent, 18-50 male, will be pulled aside every time. Too bad for them that they have declared out loud that their goal is to bring down America - it's time for us to stop being politically correct - they certainly aren't!
- Begin drilling for oil in our own country immediately and become energy-independent ASAP. No more buying oil from the Middle East. In fact, cut off all ties with everyone except Israel, bring all our troops home, and take care of our country first before being the first one to run out and help everyone else who have never lifted a finger when we have a disaster or crisis.
- The UN is removed from the US and we withdraw our membership. They can go to France. Never again will a declared enemy of the US such as Iran be allowed to set foot on our soil.
- No more government unions. There is no reason for them if they are working for the government. In fact no unions at all - they are made illegal. The US Post Office will be forced to be held to certain standards of delivery and customer service, and the first-class mail delivery service is opened up to competition (this is a personal one of mine - the post office can lose packages with delivery confirmation and I'm told "too bad, nothing we can do"...)
These are just my suggestions as a rational, conservative, sick-to-death-of-the-bullshit citizen. I see what's going on, unfortunately there were enough sheeple in this country (alive and dead) to get Obama re-elected...I only hope some of them wake up soon and realize where the country is headed. Back into slavery? Into a dictatorship? It won't be pretty whatever it is, and we have a long hard road ahead of us....
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
We are all in the same boat...and it's sinking...
My husband had to let all of his employees go, and physically close down their office, last month. He can do what he does (medical billing) from home. Thankfully.
I had to significantly reduce the hours of my one full-time employee last month...she decided to leave instead, which I can totally understand. My paychecks the last four months have been not enough to pay the bills, and my husband's are zero...doctors don't feel like they need to pay their bills, which I also understand, since they are being stripped of most of their income by Medicare as it is, and most of which will retire when "Obamacare" is put in place. I know that all of my doctors are hanging it up next year...
The point of this is, I had a friend of 25 years lose his business, his wife, his savings, everything he had, recently, and decided to move back to Texas after being away for 10 years or so...his wife also came back even sooner because she has family here - we are all on good terms, so it's okay.
However, when my friend called me and asked if he could come visit to check out the possibilities, he went back home, packed up his car with the necessities, and moved the hell back to Texas. He is staying with us for however long he needs to - because that's what friends do...there is no time limit, there is no "rent", we do for each other whatever we can do and make no expectations or limitations on friendship. There is so little of that in this world now, that when you find that, cherish it...that unconditional love between friends is so rare that when you do have it, be so thankful and grateful and never take advantage of it...I have a handful of friends that I have that with, the ones I can call if I haven't talked to them in months, and pick up right where we left off. These friends were the ones I found working at Safari Bar in Arlington mostly...except for the girls - there are only two, my "sister" that I've known since 8th grade, and my "bartender bitch" that I've known for 20 years...
The point...which I didn't actually get to...is that so many of us in our generation (60's, 70's) are in such bad places - bankruptcy (yes), foreclosures (yes), IRS issues (yes) - but these are not things we want to talk about, so we feel so alone and like failures. We aren't alone! There are so many of us out there going through the same things, but embarrassed to share with anyone (of course), that we can't be there to support each other! I've only just realized how many others are going through the same awful situations as we are...
One thing that scares me most, and I'm not even a parent - is what are the kids going to be left with? I am one of those adult women in my 40's that still have to go to my parents when the car breaks down or we have just flat run out of money for the month...and there are a lot of us who hate to admit that - I HATE it to have to make that call...I know my parents have the money to be able to help me, but I HATE that we aren't capable at this age to make it on our own! So of course we have no retirement...we will have to work until we die....for those who do have some retirement at our age, what is going to happen to that by the time you retire? It may be pillaged and gone by the government...
So when our generation's kids need help, who can they go to? We don't have it, we're barely scraping by day-to-day...and heaven forbid should there be grandkids already and you aren't financially solid....you better hope your kids are finacially stable too. And we are already depleting OUR parent's inheritances with all the help we need - I know that I've made a big dent in that, however I would rather have the time with my parents than money when they pass away (which might be after me, as healthy as they are!).
I don't know what the answer is, but I do know that just talking with my friend, just opening my home (as crappy as it is) with no conditions, has helped me feel a little better - there are more of us in the same boat than we know, and we need to start talking to each other so we can help each other, rather than pretending nothing is wrong and the Titanic isn't sinking, cause the band is still playing....
I had to significantly reduce the hours of my one full-time employee last month...she decided to leave instead, which I can totally understand. My paychecks the last four months have been not enough to pay the bills, and my husband's are zero...doctors don't feel like they need to pay their bills, which I also understand, since they are being stripped of most of their income by Medicare as it is, and most of which will retire when "Obamacare" is put in place. I know that all of my doctors are hanging it up next year...
The point of this is, I had a friend of 25 years lose his business, his wife, his savings, everything he had, recently, and decided to move back to Texas after being away for 10 years or so...his wife also came back even sooner because she has family here - we are all on good terms, so it's okay.
However, when my friend called me and asked if he could come visit to check out the possibilities, he went back home, packed up his car with the necessities, and moved the hell back to Texas. He is staying with us for however long he needs to - because that's what friends do...there is no time limit, there is no "rent", we do for each other whatever we can do and make no expectations or limitations on friendship. There is so little of that in this world now, that when you find that, cherish it...that unconditional love between friends is so rare that when you do have it, be so thankful and grateful and never take advantage of it...I have a handful of friends that I have that with, the ones I can call if I haven't talked to them in months, and pick up right where we left off. These friends were the ones I found working at Safari Bar in Arlington mostly...except for the girls - there are only two, my "sister" that I've known since 8th grade, and my "bartender bitch" that I've known for 20 years...
The point...which I didn't actually get to...is that so many of us in our generation (60's, 70's) are in such bad places - bankruptcy (yes), foreclosures (yes), IRS issues (yes) - but these are not things we want to talk about, so we feel so alone and like failures. We aren't alone! There are so many of us out there going through the same things, but embarrassed to share with anyone (of course), that we can't be there to support each other! I've only just realized how many others are going through the same awful situations as we are...
One thing that scares me most, and I'm not even a parent - is what are the kids going to be left with? I am one of those adult women in my 40's that still have to go to my parents when the car breaks down or we have just flat run out of money for the month...and there are a lot of us who hate to admit that - I HATE it to have to make that call...I know my parents have the money to be able to help me, but I HATE that we aren't capable at this age to make it on our own! So of course we have no retirement...we will have to work until we die....for those who do have some retirement at our age, what is going to happen to that by the time you retire? It may be pillaged and gone by the government...
So when our generation's kids need help, who can they go to? We don't have it, we're barely scraping by day-to-day...and heaven forbid should there be grandkids already and you aren't financially solid....you better hope your kids are finacially stable too. And we are already depleting OUR parent's inheritances with all the help we need - I know that I've made a big dent in that, however I would rather have the time with my parents than money when they pass away (which might be after me, as healthy as they are!).
I don't know what the answer is, but I do know that just talking with my friend, just opening my home (as crappy as it is) with no conditions, has helped me feel a little better - there are more of us in the same boat than we know, and we need to start talking to each other so we can help each other, rather than pretending nothing is wrong and the Titanic isn't sinking, cause the band is still playing....
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Cooking is an Art Form and a Passion...and I'm not a passionate artist...
I am constantly amazed and in awe of people that have the capability to take raw ingredients, and just whip them into something wonderful and edible. This capacity is lost on me...I can look at individual items, and just never comprehend how to make them into food. If I have a very specific recipe, I can do that - but I don't enjoy it...I think for cooking to be good, the person doing has to like what they are doing. Those that are blessed with a passion for it, I'm envious - I have a deficiency of my Betty Crocker gland apparently. Yet another weird "rare genetic disorder" that I seem to be blessed with (and that's another story altogether). I watch lots of shows on Food Network, and it might as well be the SyFy channel for all that I understand what the hell is going on!
I have a handful of recipes that I can do well - tuna casserole (without nutmeg now...see below), shepherd's pie, chicken pot pie, lasagna, beef & noodles, grilled cheese, and meatloaf. And my meatloaf rocks (and no, there's NO ketchup in my recipe, that's just gross). But I have to have a very wild hair going to WANT to even bother cooking any of them. Thank goodness my poor husband knows this, and will feed us both most nights. And I feel guilty that I don't like to cook - I hate it, in fact. I feel that I'm not fulfilling my wifely duties some how by not even wanting to cook.
Last night for instance, which happened to be Valentine's Day, I was all prepared to go do the grocery shopping for some steaks (which the husband would have to do on the grill), baked potatoes (I can do the poking with a fork and wrapping in foil, and put the condiments out), one of those bags of salad, and a frozen cheesecake. I can handle all that, but I was (silently in my head of course) dreading it. My husband ROCKS - because when I called him to find out if I needed to get anything else at the grocery, he informed me he had already gone to the store, and got all the ingredients for sour cream chicken enchiladas, which I LOVE! What a great husband I have! The dinner would have been the best Valentine's gift, but he also got me a Forever Lazy (which I didn't even have to tell him I wanted, he just knows me so well...I love my husband!)...
So why do I so hate cooking? Is it just something innate in me, or is it my kitchen (which is frustrating in it's lack of counter space and no electrical outlets where they are needed, to say the least)? My mom was a stay-at-home mom until I was 13, then after we moved to Texas she went to work. She was the "June Cleaver" housewife in my mind when I was a kid - we always had dinner together at the table, and while Mom's repertoire may not have been extensive, it was all edible. Yes we had TV dinners occasionally, or Swanson's pot pies, or the box of Chef Boyardee pizza on Friday nights (which we loved)...but it was mainly the typical dinners that all my friends in the late 60's and through the 70's and 80's were eating. I didn't know any different at that time. And then we moved to Texas, and there was CHICKEN FRIED STEAK! We didn't know anything about this growing up in Ohio!! Although to date I don't believe my mom has ever tried to cook chicken fried steak...
The first time I tried to cook - I was 13, Mom had gone off to work, so my younger brother and I were home for a couple hours by ourselves after school. I thought I could make the tuna casserole, since I had watched Mom do it all my life. First of all, I somehow started a fire on the burner that got put out with a whole bag of flour...at least I didn't burn down the damn kitchen, but burnt flour is a huge mess! And secondly, apparently nutmeg isn't one of the ingredients in tuna casserole. I just saw Mom putting a bunch of different spices in the mix, and having no idea what the hell nutmeg was for, in it went...it's dinner and dessert all in the same dish! Thank God I at least knew that cinnamon shouldn't be included - that was for cinnamon/sugar toast...
So cooking is not something that is instinctual for me - I have to have explicit instructions apparently. I really want to find that desire and love for cooking...maybe it will take a new kitchen? That's on our wish list as soon as our new business venture takes off...
In the meantime - Mama's Pizza makes a kick-ass pizza, which I gladly make the drive to pick up. Genghis Grill has excellent Mongolian grill bowls. Pluckers is great for wings. And my best friend Elizabeth just introduced us to the Food Truck Park in Fort Worth - Dough Boy's Pizza Truck, The Bacon Wagon, Lee's Grilled Cheese (http://www.leesgrilledcheese.com/), Red Jett Sweets (http://www.redjettsweets.com/, who I'm about to begin stalking...mmm, cupcakes!) - all are excellent! We've also found a genuine authentic Italian place, it's mainly a brew pub but they offer pizza and a couple of pasta dishes that are to die for - Zio Carlo's on Magnolia in Fort Worth. I've never sucked down an entire 12" pizza faster in my life! These are the real deal - my parents lived in Italy for five years, and Carlo's food is just like we got over there! And El Gabacho off Bowen Road in Arlington - excellent Mexican food! As is Marianos near Six Flags.
In Dallas, where I lived for a couple years, there are several places off Lower Greenville that are great - Terillis, Blue Goose, Trinity Hall, Cafe Izmir (the best chicken basil wraps)...and the Pluckers there delivers until 3am!! I do miss that...
So we have lots of restaurants we love, but that gets expensive - so lots of nights we have grilled cheese, which I could eat every day, or whatever else my husband feels like cooking...I've been truly blessed to have a husband that understands my aversion to cooking. I just wish I could figure out how to change that, and to enjoy (and understand) cooking!
I have a handful of recipes that I can do well - tuna casserole (without nutmeg now...see below), shepherd's pie, chicken pot pie, lasagna, beef & noodles, grilled cheese, and meatloaf. And my meatloaf rocks (and no, there's NO ketchup in my recipe, that's just gross). But I have to have a very wild hair going to WANT to even bother cooking any of them. Thank goodness my poor husband knows this, and will feed us both most nights. And I feel guilty that I don't like to cook - I hate it, in fact. I feel that I'm not fulfilling my wifely duties some how by not even wanting to cook.
Last night for instance, which happened to be Valentine's Day, I was all prepared to go do the grocery shopping for some steaks (which the husband would have to do on the grill), baked potatoes (I can do the poking with a fork and wrapping in foil, and put the condiments out), one of those bags of salad, and a frozen cheesecake. I can handle all that, but I was (silently in my head of course) dreading it. My husband ROCKS - because when I called him to find out if I needed to get anything else at the grocery, he informed me he had already gone to the store, and got all the ingredients for sour cream chicken enchiladas, which I LOVE! What a great husband I have! The dinner would have been the best Valentine's gift, but he also got me a Forever Lazy (which I didn't even have to tell him I wanted, he just knows me so well...I love my husband!)...
So why do I so hate cooking? Is it just something innate in me, or is it my kitchen (which is frustrating in it's lack of counter space and no electrical outlets where they are needed, to say the least)? My mom was a stay-at-home mom until I was 13, then after we moved to Texas she went to work. She was the "June Cleaver" housewife in my mind when I was a kid - we always had dinner together at the table, and while Mom's repertoire may not have been extensive, it was all edible. Yes we had TV dinners occasionally, or Swanson's pot pies, or the box of Chef Boyardee pizza on Friday nights (which we loved)...but it was mainly the typical dinners that all my friends in the late 60's and through the 70's and 80's were eating. I didn't know any different at that time. And then we moved to Texas, and there was CHICKEN FRIED STEAK! We didn't know anything about this growing up in Ohio!! Although to date I don't believe my mom has ever tried to cook chicken fried steak...
The first time I tried to cook - I was 13, Mom had gone off to work, so my younger brother and I were home for a couple hours by ourselves after school. I thought I could make the tuna casserole, since I had watched Mom do it all my life. First of all, I somehow started a fire on the burner that got put out with a whole bag of flour...at least I didn't burn down the damn kitchen, but burnt flour is a huge mess! And secondly, apparently nutmeg isn't one of the ingredients in tuna casserole. I just saw Mom putting a bunch of different spices in the mix, and having no idea what the hell nutmeg was for, in it went...it's dinner and dessert all in the same dish! Thank God I at least knew that cinnamon shouldn't be included - that was for cinnamon/sugar toast...
So cooking is not something that is instinctual for me - I have to have explicit instructions apparently. I really want to find that desire and love for cooking...maybe it will take a new kitchen? That's on our wish list as soon as our new business venture takes off...
In the meantime - Mama's Pizza makes a kick-ass pizza, which I gladly make the drive to pick up. Genghis Grill has excellent Mongolian grill bowls. Pluckers is great for wings. And my best friend Elizabeth just introduced us to the Food Truck Park in Fort Worth - Dough Boy's Pizza Truck, The Bacon Wagon, Lee's Grilled Cheese (http://www.leesgrilledcheese.com/), Red Jett Sweets (http://www.redjettsweets.com/, who I'm about to begin stalking...mmm, cupcakes!) - all are excellent! We've also found a genuine authentic Italian place, it's mainly a brew pub but they offer pizza and a couple of pasta dishes that are to die for - Zio Carlo's on Magnolia in Fort Worth. I've never sucked down an entire 12" pizza faster in my life! These are the real deal - my parents lived in Italy for five years, and Carlo's food is just like we got over there! And El Gabacho off Bowen Road in Arlington - excellent Mexican food! As is Marianos near Six Flags.
In Dallas, where I lived for a couple years, there are several places off Lower Greenville that are great - Terillis, Blue Goose, Trinity Hall, Cafe Izmir (the best chicken basil wraps)...and the Pluckers there delivers until 3am!! I do miss that...
So we have lots of restaurants we love, but that gets expensive - so lots of nights we have grilled cheese, which I could eat every day, or whatever else my husband feels like cooking...I've been truly blessed to have a husband that understands my aversion to cooking. I just wish I could figure out how to change that, and to enjoy (and understand) cooking!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Are people actually functionally illiterate or just lazy?
So I run an online business...we do over $100k in sales every month, me and two employees that do our shipping...being basically a one-woman show is challenging at times (my girls only do the packing and slapping of labels on the packages - I do everything else - yes, I have control issues).
Believe me, I am far from complaining...I have a steady, solid income that covers all our bills and leaves plenty for our travels, vices (shoes), etc. My husband's company, that he runs with his father, has been extremely challenging the last few years, to say the least...my husband has taken about a dozen paychecks in the five years we've been together, simply because there wasn't enough money left to pay himself or his dad at the end of the month. So yes, my business does provide more than enough for both of us - my husband is now moving into another area of business that we are both invested in and believe will be our retirement income - http://www.bkbenergy.igniteinc.biz/ for more information on that venture...
So what am I ranty about this time? It's the quantity of time-wasting emails I have to answer every day simply because people don't bother to read the information I have spent the time to provide up front about the items they wish to purchase. And yes, I know that it is just a part of the business - but if I could spend the time I waste answering stupid emails instead listing new items or taking care of other business, I could continue building my business faster! The number of emails I receive answering dumb questions that are already answered if they looked past the picture of the item, is astounding to me on some days...some examples...
"I'll give you $5.00 including shipping on this item" (that is currently listed at $22.50, and clearly stated that we don't accept offers).
"I purchased this item three days ago and just realized I gave you the wrong address to ship to - please ship to..." (we ship within 24 hours in most cases, and don't always read our emails first - how hard is it to verify your shipping address?).
"This item is clearly a fake, and I demand a refund right now or I'll leave negative feedback, and I'm keeping the item" (yeah, we have so much time on our hands that we can fake a brand-name product so well that 99.9% of our customers are happy with it).
"Do you ship to (insert some random country here)?" (all the countries we ship to are clearly listed).
"Where's my stuff? It's been three days and I haven't received it!" (BECAUSE YOU LIVE IN FRICKING AUSTRALIA, AND I CLEARLY STATE IT CAN AND DOES TAKE 4-6 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY!!!!) Can you tell this one gets me especially pissed off, because I get a dozen of these every day...
The list goes on and on - and these are the majority of the emails I receive. The legitimate questions or issues are the minority, only a handful every day - most are because people either can't or won't read the very simple information they are all provided up front!
The most recent buyer that was disgruntled was mad because the item she purchased (she's in Australia), was noted in the information as having a universal charger. It doesn't include an adapter, so it didn't say it had one - just the universal charger. Of the 300+ buyers of this item, most of whom are international, she is the only one who didn't get the concept. She demanded that because my description was misleading, that I provide her with an adapter...the whole reason there isn't an adapter in the package is because they are different for every country!!! Then she proceeded to tell me how to run my business, and that I should state specifically in my listing that it doesn't include an adapter, just because she is stupid...
Which kinda makes a whole other point here - we play to the lowest common denominator on so many levels, that people no longer have to think for themselves or even read...if it's not explicitly spelled out for them (and even when it is), they feel that they've been duped and take umbrage, claiming that we've tricked them somehow. I'm sick of everyone pandering to the lazy and stupid because they are the loudest and bitchiest...how about raising the bar, and those that can't reach it, well that's their problem.
As a middle-class white female, I was never handed a single thing for free in my life, and I never expected to be. I have worked hard for everything I have (which isn't spectacular, but comfortable), and I resent greatly those that feel that the government, or those better off than they are, owe them because they chose not to rise above whatever circumstances they were dealt. I've been dealt some crap hands too, but I made my choice to get past whatever that crap was (hello? cancer? with no health insurance?). I fundamentally don't understand people that choose to be a "victim of soycumstance" (must be said like Curly from the Three Stooges!)....
Enough...the dogs are flapping their gums at me because dinner time is in four minutes, and heaven forbid should I be late! Duke is already flipping bowls around in the kitchen....
Believe me, I am far from complaining...I have a steady, solid income that covers all our bills and leaves plenty for our travels, vices (shoes), etc. My husband's company, that he runs with his father, has been extremely challenging the last few years, to say the least...my husband has taken about a dozen paychecks in the five years we've been together, simply because there wasn't enough money left to pay himself or his dad at the end of the month. So yes, my business does provide more than enough for both of us - my husband is now moving into another area of business that we are both invested in and believe will be our retirement income - http://www.bkbenergy.igniteinc.biz/ for more information on that venture...
So what am I ranty about this time? It's the quantity of time-wasting emails I have to answer every day simply because people don't bother to read the information I have spent the time to provide up front about the items they wish to purchase. And yes, I know that it is just a part of the business - but if I could spend the time I waste answering stupid emails instead listing new items or taking care of other business, I could continue building my business faster! The number of emails I receive answering dumb questions that are already answered if they looked past the picture of the item, is astounding to me on some days...some examples...
"I'll give you $5.00 including shipping on this item" (that is currently listed at $22.50, and clearly stated that we don't accept offers).
"I purchased this item three days ago and just realized I gave you the wrong address to ship to - please ship to..." (we ship within 24 hours in most cases, and don't always read our emails first - how hard is it to verify your shipping address?).
"This item is clearly a fake, and I demand a refund right now or I'll leave negative feedback, and I'm keeping the item" (yeah, we have so much time on our hands that we can fake a brand-name product so well that 99.9% of our customers are happy with it).
"Do you ship to (insert some random country here)?" (all the countries we ship to are clearly listed).
"Where's my stuff? It's been three days and I haven't received it!" (BECAUSE YOU LIVE IN FRICKING AUSTRALIA, AND I CLEARLY STATE IT CAN AND DOES TAKE 4-6 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY!!!!) Can you tell this one gets me especially pissed off, because I get a dozen of these every day...
The list goes on and on - and these are the majority of the emails I receive. The legitimate questions or issues are the minority, only a handful every day - most are because people either can't or won't read the very simple information they are all provided up front!
The most recent buyer that was disgruntled was mad because the item she purchased (she's in Australia), was noted in the information as having a universal charger. It doesn't include an adapter, so it didn't say it had one - just the universal charger. Of the 300+ buyers of this item, most of whom are international, she is the only one who didn't get the concept. She demanded that because my description was misleading, that I provide her with an adapter...the whole reason there isn't an adapter in the package is because they are different for every country!!! Then she proceeded to tell me how to run my business, and that I should state specifically in my listing that it doesn't include an adapter, just because she is stupid...
Which kinda makes a whole other point here - we play to the lowest common denominator on so many levels, that people no longer have to think for themselves or even read...if it's not explicitly spelled out for them (and even when it is), they feel that they've been duped and take umbrage, claiming that we've tricked them somehow. I'm sick of everyone pandering to the lazy and stupid because they are the loudest and bitchiest...how about raising the bar, and those that can't reach it, well that's their problem.
As a middle-class white female, I was never handed a single thing for free in my life, and I never expected to be. I have worked hard for everything I have (which isn't spectacular, but comfortable), and I resent greatly those that feel that the government, or those better off than they are, owe them because they chose not to rise above whatever circumstances they were dealt. I've been dealt some crap hands too, but I made my choice to get past whatever that crap was (hello? cancer? with no health insurance?). I fundamentally don't understand people that choose to be a "victim of soycumstance" (must be said like Curly from the Three Stooges!)....
Enough...the dogs are flapping their gums at me because dinner time is in four minutes, and heaven forbid should I be late! Duke is already flipping bowls around in the kitchen....
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Oh, by the way, about the hormonal symptoms...
I forgot to mention, that as of my last injection of Sotto Pelle hormones, I am down to TWO prescriptions - one for blood pressure (which annoyingly remains high for no apparent reason), and an anti-depressant that I have to take for Achalasia disorder (a swallowing problem). I am taking several vitamin supplements, but I would rather take vitamins than eleven prescriptions. I am off the daily sleeping pill, the daily anti-anxiety, the as-needed-more-often-than-not muscle relaxers and Xanax, two cholesterol meds, and one of the blood pressure meds...I do still have a prescription for water retention and one for something else that I can't remember, because they are as needed and haven't been needed! Hooray! Life is good! And very little self-medicating with Jagermeister anymore either...that was a big sign that the hormones weren't working, because the physiological need for SOMETHING to alleviate all the day's anxiety and stress is no longer there.
I'm not kidding ladies...if you are entering that phase of life where hormone replacement might be something to consider, ask your doctor about Sotto Pelle. Visit http://www.mrmgyn.com/ - it's my doctor's website, and links to information on Sotto Pelle. It's been a lifesaver. There is no reason that a reasonably healthy woman of 45 should be on 11 prescriptions, most of which were things that were fixed with the right dose of hormones!
I'm not kidding ladies...if you are entering that phase of life where hormone replacement might be something to consider, ask your doctor about Sotto Pelle. Visit http://www.mrmgyn.com/ - it's my doctor's website, and links to information on Sotto Pelle. It's been a lifesaver. There is no reason that a reasonably healthy woman of 45 should be on 11 prescriptions, most of which were things that were fixed with the right dose of hormones!
My babies...
My dogs are my babies - I can't have kids, and never necessarily want them. Not that children aren't wonderful, and I know I would be a great mom, but you can get in trouble with CPS for leaving your kids in the backyard with a bowl of food when you go to work. And the bark collars REALLY cause a problem with the authorities...
So here are my "children"...and no, I don't really leave them outside or make them wear bark collars - they are completely spoiled, but never rotten (well, almost never)...
Susan Elizabeth Woogie (The Woogie, or Woog Woogs for short)
She is the 10-year-old "diva"...she was my husband's dog first, and had to make a major adjustment when me and my two dogs moved in five years ago. She let me know with the sarcastic roll of her eyes exactly where she saw me on the food chain. Woogie goes to work with my husband every day, and you can see her laughing at the other dogs as she skips out the door. She is addicted to carbs - God forbid should I walk in with Auntie Anne's pretzels or King's Hawaiian Rolls - she will knock me down and run off with the bag...it's gone before I get off the ground. Five years later, we all have an understanding...I let her think that she is still the woman of the house, and always let her have her way, and we get along just fine.
Duke (or Duke Skylicker, when he's getting a good ass-scratching)...
Dukie is my big doofus of a dog, he is just a love sponge. He hasn't met anyone (that we purposely allow in the house anyway) that he doesn't like, is a sucker for his stuffed toys (of which he has at least 30, Pillow Pets being the majority), and can hear a peanut butter M&M being removed from the package a mile away. I have never seen such a fool for peanut butter M&Ms (Note: I DO NOT feed my dogs chocolate, so don't get all upset...the peanut butter M&Ms are almost all peanut butter, and in six years he hasn't had any bad reaction to the half-dozen or so he receives each evening...). Duke was adopted by a friend from the SPCA at six weeks old, and my friend realized about six weeks later that he couldn't care for a puppy. I originally took him in as a foster until my friend could get his living situation situated, but after a nasty bout with Parvo that should have taken Dukie's life, I knew he was staying with me. There's nothing like a big old dog head in your lap to relieve stress and depression.
Daisy Boo...there are no words to describe her...
She is part black Lab, part Golden Retriever, part something very short. Her little legs are about six inches long, but her body is about two feet long...however she has the cutest face ever. She's now 13-years old, but doesn't show her age at all except for a little bit of gray around her lips. She's the tattle-tale and the troublemaker, who runs to tell me when the other dogs are misbehaving, yet does things you wouldn't think she could manage (like pull over the trash can) and blame it on the other dogs. She's smart as a whip and loves harassing the Woogie, and she will be the one who lives to be 20 and keep up her antics the entire time! She also goes by Twirly-Girly, since she twirls in circles in front of us to let us know she wants out, because she can't reach the bells on the back door knob that the big dogs use to tell us it's potty time. I got her for free from the folks that had the litter, and she was the runt and going to be put down the next day if no one took her. She was painfully shy around most people her whole life before we moved in here...she is now a social butterfly, and gives Woogie a run for her money for the "diva" title.
As you might have guessed, none of our dogs have official papers, although two are full-blood black Labs (and we will always have Labs, they are the best dogs ever)...all three were adopted and/or rescued. Please support your local SPCA and Humane Society - they are great causes! (Cue the weepy Sarah MacLachlan song here...)
So here are my "children"...and no, I don't really leave them outside or make them wear bark collars - they are completely spoiled, but never rotten (well, almost never)...
Susan Elizabeth Woogie (The Woogie, or Woog Woogs for short)
Duke (or Duke Skylicker, when he's getting a good ass-scratching)...
Daisy Boo...there are no words to describe her...
As you might have guessed, none of our dogs have official papers, although two are full-blood black Labs (and we will always have Labs, they are the best dogs ever)...all three were adopted and/or rescued. Please support your local SPCA and Humane Society - they are great causes! (Cue the weepy Sarah MacLachlan song here...)
My "Cranky Pants" aren't so cranky today...
...must be due to the hormones. The doctor told me when I had my first implant three months ago that I would just know when it was time for a new injection - I had no idea how I would know. Well, I finally figured out that I KNEW, but it took me a couple weeks. I just had my second injection this week, and I feel great again. However the mood leading up to the injection was bleak, and the correlation finally dawned on me right before I was scheduled for my second injection.
I had bad insomnia - literally three nights a week I wouldn't sleep at all. Thank God for my Kindle - I read a book and a half on Monday night, and went to my doctor's appointment after another sleepless night. The insomnia led to depression and anxiety creeping back in - I didn't want to get out of bed some days, and was stressed about little things. It's been four days now, and I feel back to normal again. A good night's sleep, a good meal with family and friends tonight, and life is good.
Which in a roundabout way leads me to my point - or whatever it is I'm babbling about. I have one girlfriend - my best friend - that I have known for more than 30 years and I would trust my life to. We lost touch for many years, but once we made up our minds to stay in touch regularly, we revert immediately to the goofy 14-year old girls that met on a field trip, and bonded by sharing a room on the 14th floor of the Hilton in San Antonio, spent tossing pizza and gummy bears on to the cabs parked below. We speak each other's language, so to speak. No other female that I have met before or since gets my twisted sense of humor, or shares my values (other than family, since it appears to be genetic) . That's important - shared values. And it's taken me a lot of years to figure that out.
My best friend and I can go a month without talking, but always pick up right where we leave off. We had dinner tonight with my parents, and we spent most of the evening trying not to shoot our beverage out our noses while laughing. It's always a game to see who will snort first (it was Elizabeth tonight, after her SO made a comment having to do with Reese's Feces, which I won't even try to explain). I have lots of female friends and aquaintances, but only one best friend for life. And that is more than enough - I'm truly blessed to have her in my life. And I don't tell her that enough. So this is my mushy "love letter" to my best friend, I guess.
Several years ago, after a particularly brutal relationship ended, I suddenly felt the need to TELL the people in my life that I love them regularly. It may drive family nuts when I talk to them on the phone, because I always end the conversation with "love you!", and I mean it. My husband has learned that he can't hang up the phone without telling me. My aunt Jane always laughs, but she says it back. I tell my ex-husband, and I mean it, just not in the "husband & wife" way. My best friend Elizabeth has never laughed, and always says it back - half the time she says it first. Those three little words, when said with meaning, truly do have an impact. I will call Elizabeth back if I forget to tell her "love you!" before I hang up the phone...and it makes my day brighter to know that she gets it, she understands the importance.
I know, I know, I'm getting maudlin and depressing, and entirely too mushy for most's comfort...I'll go back to being my typical snarky opinionated bitchedy person soon, I promise...love you! :-)
I had bad insomnia - literally three nights a week I wouldn't sleep at all. Thank God for my Kindle - I read a book and a half on Monday night, and went to my doctor's appointment after another sleepless night. The insomnia led to depression and anxiety creeping back in - I didn't want to get out of bed some days, and was stressed about little things. It's been four days now, and I feel back to normal again. A good night's sleep, a good meal with family and friends tonight, and life is good.
Which in a roundabout way leads me to my point - or whatever it is I'm babbling about. I have one girlfriend - my best friend - that I have known for more than 30 years and I would trust my life to. We lost touch for many years, but once we made up our minds to stay in touch regularly, we revert immediately to the goofy 14-year old girls that met on a field trip, and bonded by sharing a room on the 14th floor of the Hilton in San Antonio, spent tossing pizza and gummy bears on to the cabs parked below. We speak each other's language, so to speak. No other female that I have met before or since gets my twisted sense of humor, or shares my values (other than family, since it appears to be genetic) . That's important - shared values. And it's taken me a lot of years to figure that out.
My best friend and I can go a month without talking, but always pick up right where we leave off. We had dinner tonight with my parents, and we spent most of the evening trying not to shoot our beverage out our noses while laughing. It's always a game to see who will snort first (it was Elizabeth tonight, after her SO made a comment having to do with Reese's Feces, which I won't even try to explain). I have lots of female friends and aquaintances, but only one best friend for life. And that is more than enough - I'm truly blessed to have her in my life. And I don't tell her that enough. So this is my mushy "love letter" to my best friend, I guess.
Several years ago, after a particularly brutal relationship ended, I suddenly felt the need to TELL the people in my life that I love them regularly. It may drive family nuts when I talk to them on the phone, because I always end the conversation with "love you!", and I mean it. My husband has learned that he can't hang up the phone without telling me. My aunt Jane always laughs, but she says it back. I tell my ex-husband, and I mean it, just not in the "husband & wife" way. My best friend Elizabeth has never laughed, and always says it back - half the time she says it first. Those three little words, when said with meaning, truly do have an impact. I will call Elizabeth back if I forget to tell her "love you!" before I hang up the phone...and it makes my day brighter to know that she gets it, she understands the importance.
I know, I know, I'm getting maudlin and depressing, and entirely too mushy for most's comfort...I'll go back to being my typical snarky opinionated bitchedy person soon, I promise...love you! :-)
Friday, October 21, 2011
Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Oh...my...God...ladies, if you are of the age that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has become an option, or like me had a hysterectomy and require HRT - RUN, don't walk, to your gynocologist and ask about Sotto Pelle bio-identical hormone replacement. Today is ten days after I had the pellets implanted (took three minutes and local anesthetic shot in my right butt cheek)...the only side affects I've had are fluid retention and minor facial breakout (like three pimples).
BUT...I feel so much better and didn't realize how crappy I felt before! I was always tired, couldn't focus or concentrate, my blood pressure was up, my cholesterol was up, I was on 11 medications for the blood pressure, cholesterol, anti-anxiety, insomnia...plus the daily pill for HRT, and a couple meds for a swallowing issue called Achalasia disorder, as well as Zyrtec daily for allergies. I have now stopped the two meds for the blood pressure, which is back to normal, as well as the HRT pill. The doctor believes I'll be off the anti-anxiety, insomnia and cholesterol meds once my hormone levels have peaked and we find the right dose for me. I can't explain how much different, and better, I feel even after just 10 days - I noticed a difference within the first two days!
There have been no mood swings, no crying jags, no irritability like I always had before and thought that was just part of me...I now sit in traffic that would have made me absolutely bat-shit crazy before, and I just sing along to my Glee CD's (yes, I'm a complete Gleek...). It took me an hour to go three miles in traffic today, and I just didn't even care!
It is so important that women understand how important balanced hormones are to our quality of life (and therefore everyone around us - my poor husband had to take the brunt of my "cranky pants" episodes, but he at least knew the best way to deal with it was simply "wow, that sucks honey...I'm sorry to hear you had a crappy day..."). I never realized how many other areas of our health & well-being that off-balance hormones can affect. I can't wait to see what happens in the next 30, 60, 90 days - the doctor said it's not unusual for women to simply drop 2-3 sizes once their hormones are balanced!
So maybe my rants will be fewer and further between (although the fact that we are still over a year away from the presidential elections and are already going through debates, and Dear Leader has been campaigning on our dime while claiming to be supposedly selling the jobs bill - THAT will definitely rile me up!!)....the stupid emails I get every day from buyers through my online businesses don't stress me out anymore, traffic isn't getting to me, and I am much more energetic and happier overall.
GO GET THESE HORMONES! THEY WORK! And they are all-natural, not synthetics like I was on before....they mimic your own body's hormonal needs, rather than being a one-size-fits-all fix that the synthetic HRT drugs are.
http://www.sottopelletexas.com/
BUT...I feel so much better and didn't realize how crappy I felt before! I was always tired, couldn't focus or concentrate, my blood pressure was up, my cholesterol was up, I was on 11 medications for the blood pressure, cholesterol, anti-anxiety, insomnia...plus the daily pill for HRT, and a couple meds for a swallowing issue called Achalasia disorder, as well as Zyrtec daily for allergies. I have now stopped the two meds for the blood pressure, which is back to normal, as well as the HRT pill. The doctor believes I'll be off the anti-anxiety, insomnia and cholesterol meds once my hormone levels have peaked and we find the right dose for me. I can't explain how much different, and better, I feel even after just 10 days - I noticed a difference within the first two days!
There have been no mood swings, no crying jags, no irritability like I always had before and thought that was just part of me...I now sit in traffic that would have made me absolutely bat-shit crazy before, and I just sing along to my Glee CD's (yes, I'm a complete Gleek...). It took me an hour to go three miles in traffic today, and I just didn't even care!
It is so important that women understand how important balanced hormones are to our quality of life (and therefore everyone around us - my poor husband had to take the brunt of my "cranky pants" episodes, but he at least knew the best way to deal with it was simply "wow, that sucks honey...I'm sorry to hear you had a crappy day..."). I never realized how many other areas of our health & well-being that off-balance hormones can affect. I can't wait to see what happens in the next 30, 60, 90 days - the doctor said it's not unusual for women to simply drop 2-3 sizes once their hormones are balanced!
So maybe my rants will be fewer and further between (although the fact that we are still over a year away from the presidential elections and are already going through debates, and Dear Leader has been campaigning on our dime while claiming to be supposedly selling the jobs bill - THAT will definitely rile me up!!)....the stupid emails I get every day from buyers through my online businesses don't stress me out anymore, traffic isn't getting to me, and I am much more energetic and happier overall.
GO GET THESE HORMONES! THEY WORK! And they are all-natural, not synthetics like I was on before....they mimic your own body's hormonal needs, rather than being a one-size-fits-all fix that the synthetic HRT drugs are.
http://www.sottopelletexas.com/
Monday, October 3, 2011
Ramping up for a new rant....
...just give me a few days! It's been brewing for a couple months, I just haven't had time to write it down...nothing earth-shattering, just a plethora of little things that have been driving me nuts!
Soon... :-)
Soon... :-)
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
COEXIST Bumper Stickers? Do you really think that will ever happen?
I'm driving around running errands for work today - mind you, it's 102 degrees outside and I have no A/C in the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4wd right now, so the cranky pants were on all day - and I'm behind a hybrid "toaster" size vehicle doing 45 on a 70mph highway. And they have one of those cutsie "COEXIST" bumper stickers on their car - you've seen them, they use all the symbols of various religions to spell it out.
So my thought is "Really?" Without war there can be no peace. We are NEVER going to coexist on this planet without someone hating someone else. And if there is a religion out there who's main doctrine is "kill the infidels" (Muslims maybe? Haven't heard of any Buddhist terrorists...) - then I don't want to play with them, no matter how "peaceful" their religion purports to be. So the US needs to carry the big stick, whether they use it or not, and let our country be peaceful because we keep away the idiots that want to kill us. I'm not for our troops staying in the Middle East - bring them all home and protect our own borders...except when it comes to Israel, who is our ally that we need to stand behind and protect no matter what.
Hell yes I'm for profiling at the airport. Stop pulling aside my 92-year old grandmother for a pat down (yes they did), stop looking at the fact that I forgot to put my mascara in the damn quart size bag...if you are a Muslim or of Middle-Eastern descent, male, and between the ages of 18 and 60 - you will be pulled aside and thoroughly searched. So the last time a 92 year old white female flew a plane into a building was when? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? And MOST (not all, I understand Timothy McVeigh was a crazy white guy) terrorist attacks on this country have been made by Muslim males between the ages of 18 and 60.
And you want to know something? Every time you are on a plane I'm on, I'm watching your every move, and won't hesitate to act if I think you are up to no good. I'm just an average size woman, but I will do whatever I can when I feel threatened - believe me, I trust my gut instinct. If I have a bad gut feeling, I'll make sure the damn plane doesn't take off if I have too. And my husband, you certainly don't want to have him step in once I'm riled up. I've never had that feeling on a plane in the last 10 years, but I get that feeling when people will walk into my business - I just know they mean trouble, and I'm all over them. I keep my gun under the counter, and wouldn't hesitate to use it if threatened. I just do my best to get them out of my business with no incident, and let them know we won't tolerate it - both businesses on either side have been robbed several times, but we never have.
And if the TSA doesn't want to play, then fine...let private business take it over. Go ahead and threaten to pull all flights from Texas - really? You have that authority? I somehow don't think so. I don't believe Governor Perry will stand for threats either. How many media outlets have reported on the fact that Texas has been dealing with massive wildfires, and it wasn't until he absolutely had to that Perry went to the US government asking for aid; he refused aid up until it became critical, and now the White House is dragging their feet in approving it...it's been probably a month since he asked for aid, with no response. Politics, anyone?
Capitalism is the backbone of this country, and without it, we have what - hmmm, Socialism? In fact, let private business compete for mail delivery for first class mail - and de-unionize government workers while we're at it. Why would government workers need a union? To negotiate with the government they work for? I run a small business, and were we cut loose of all the government restrictions and BS, we could hire more people and grow our business. At least Texas is one of the best states in the country to be in - of the 495,000 jobs created recently, 237,000 were in Texas ALONE!
Let's get one thing straight - I'm not the least bit racist. I don't agree with how Muslims treat their women, and in this country last time I checked I had that right to believe that...no burkhas covering your face on a driver's license picture here when my husband has to take his required glasses off when he has his picture taken. I don't care what color your skin is, I don't care what your sexual preference is (I just don't need to hear about the details - I don't tell you about my sex life), I accept people as I see them based on their heart and soul...are they a good person, do they live their lives as "do no harm to others"? Are they honest, trustworthy, loyal? That's what makes a good person - not their choice (or lack thereof) of religion, not their skin color, not who their parents are.
Do you hear the people of Joplin MO crying for their FEMA cards and free trailers? Yet in September 2005, when we had given shelter to Katrina victims, crime rose by more than 200% in our area. Our house was broken into, as was my parents house. And nearly six years later, people are still on the dole as a "Katrina victim". HELLO!!! You were living in a city built BELOW SEA LEVEL!!! And you had more than 24 hours notice to evacuate, unlike the Joplin residents - how long are we going to allow people to just live off of our taxpayer dollars (which grow higher and higher every year, to the point that we are barely paying our bills).
This was a bit random, but I just can't believe the number of people in this country that think we can actually have "peace and love" and "coexist" with all other people - especially the ones who hate us and want to kill us...wake the hell up, it's never going to happen - no matter how many bong hits you take, we are never going to live in complete peace with the world! Stop the government handouts, control the borders and know who the hell is in this country, and let capitalism be the leader....
So my thought is "Really?" Without war there can be no peace. We are NEVER going to coexist on this planet without someone hating someone else. And if there is a religion out there who's main doctrine is "kill the infidels" (Muslims maybe? Haven't heard of any Buddhist terrorists...) - then I don't want to play with them, no matter how "peaceful" their religion purports to be. So the US needs to carry the big stick, whether they use it or not, and let our country be peaceful because we keep away the idiots that want to kill us. I'm not for our troops staying in the Middle East - bring them all home and protect our own borders...except when it comes to Israel, who is our ally that we need to stand behind and protect no matter what.
Hell yes I'm for profiling at the airport. Stop pulling aside my 92-year old grandmother for a pat down (yes they did), stop looking at the fact that I forgot to put my mascara in the damn quart size bag...if you are a Muslim or of Middle-Eastern descent, male, and between the ages of 18 and 60 - you will be pulled aside and thoroughly searched. So the last time a 92 year old white female flew a plane into a building was when? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? And MOST (not all, I understand Timothy McVeigh was a crazy white guy) terrorist attacks on this country have been made by Muslim males between the ages of 18 and 60.
And you want to know something? Every time you are on a plane I'm on, I'm watching your every move, and won't hesitate to act if I think you are up to no good. I'm just an average size woman, but I will do whatever I can when I feel threatened - believe me, I trust my gut instinct. If I have a bad gut feeling, I'll make sure the damn plane doesn't take off if I have too. And my husband, you certainly don't want to have him step in once I'm riled up. I've never had that feeling on a plane in the last 10 years, but I get that feeling when people will walk into my business - I just know they mean trouble, and I'm all over them. I keep my gun under the counter, and wouldn't hesitate to use it if threatened. I just do my best to get them out of my business with no incident, and let them know we won't tolerate it - both businesses on either side have been robbed several times, but we never have.
And if the TSA doesn't want to play, then fine...let private business take it over. Go ahead and threaten to pull all flights from Texas - really? You have that authority? I somehow don't think so. I don't believe Governor Perry will stand for threats either. How many media outlets have reported on the fact that Texas has been dealing with massive wildfires, and it wasn't until he absolutely had to that Perry went to the US government asking for aid; he refused aid up until it became critical, and now the White House is dragging their feet in approving it...it's been probably a month since he asked for aid, with no response. Politics, anyone?
Capitalism is the backbone of this country, and without it, we have what - hmmm, Socialism? In fact, let private business compete for mail delivery for first class mail - and de-unionize government workers while we're at it. Why would government workers need a union? To negotiate with the government they work for? I run a small business, and were we cut loose of all the government restrictions and BS, we could hire more people and grow our business. At least Texas is one of the best states in the country to be in - of the 495,000 jobs created recently, 237,000 were in Texas ALONE!
Let's get one thing straight - I'm not the least bit racist. I don't agree with how Muslims treat their women, and in this country last time I checked I had that right to believe that...no burkhas covering your face on a driver's license picture here when my husband has to take his required glasses off when he has his picture taken. I don't care what color your skin is, I don't care what your sexual preference is (I just don't need to hear about the details - I don't tell you about my sex life), I accept people as I see them based on their heart and soul...are they a good person, do they live their lives as "do no harm to others"? Are they honest, trustworthy, loyal? That's what makes a good person - not their choice (or lack thereof) of religion, not their skin color, not who their parents are.
Do you hear the people of Joplin MO crying for their FEMA cards and free trailers? Yet in September 2005, when we had given shelter to Katrina victims, crime rose by more than 200% in our area. Our house was broken into, as was my parents house. And nearly six years later, people are still on the dole as a "Katrina victim". HELLO!!! You were living in a city built BELOW SEA LEVEL!!! And you had more than 24 hours notice to evacuate, unlike the Joplin residents - how long are we going to allow people to just live off of our taxpayer dollars (which grow higher and higher every year, to the point that we are barely paying our bills).
This was a bit random, but I just can't believe the number of people in this country that think we can actually have "peace and love" and "coexist" with all other people - especially the ones who hate us and want to kill us...wake the hell up, it's never going to happen - no matter how many bong hits you take, we are never going to live in complete peace with the world! Stop the government handouts, control the borders and know who the hell is in this country, and let capitalism be the leader....
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Why do people think they can be rude and nasty and that's okay?
I run an online business. Pretty much by myself...I run a "brick-and-mortar" retail establishment, and associated online e-commerce sites. I have two employees at my store, that help with the shipping, but otherwise, I do everything myself for the online businesses, and it takes up 10-12 hours every single day, no days off, including holidays or vacations. I am answering emails and taking care of issues on Christmas, Thanksgiving, and like this weekend, July 4th. I have a yearly vacation to Disney World every December, but spend 2-3 hours every day working while on vacation.
So why is it that people who make purchases online think that they can be rude and bullying, claim they receive a damaged item and threaten me, yet refuse to even send a simple picture of the damage for my records. I'm not even asking that they send back the original item, and yes I realize the post office is fabulous at destroying items and not so great at actually delivering them...I understand that items arrive damaged. Am I so unreasonable for asking for a picture of the damage before I take money out of my pocket and my family's mouth to send a refund or a replacement? Lately the people claiming damaged items refuse to send pictures or return the item...and my gut reaction is, well then you must be trying to scam me.
I am all about karma - what goes around, comes around - and "do unto others". Lately it just seems that everyone wants something for nothing...and last month, those people cost me so much money that I couldn't pay my bills. The post office "lost" two boxes containing over $2800 in product, but multiple calls to Consumer Affairs, the Postal Inspection Agency (for which I was "scolded" for even daring to call their number), three US Congresspersons, three postal station masters, all yielded NOTHING except the reply "we show they were delivered"...and that's the problem, they WEREN'T delivered, yet even filing a police report did nothing. Last time I checked, taking mail not addressed to you is a federal offense, and theft of more than $500 is a felony...yet no one did anything, and the replacement came out of my pocket.
I know that the internet gives some level of anonymity, which tends to make people braver (or ruder) than they would be in person. Every single day this last week I've had at least one buyer chew me out because they had the wrong shipping address in their information, the item got shipped to that address, and after shipment I read an email asking me to change the address...reading emails and doing shipments are two separate events. I don't necessarily read emails until late at night, but shipping is done as soon as possible, because God help us if we don't ship someone's order within minutes of receiving their payment! So apparently it's my fault that they failed to fix their address before finishing their purchase - are people in this country that illiterate or just plain stupid? Or do they just think that by yelling loud enough that I'm going to cave in to their demands? There is zero personal responsibility for anyone anymore - they always blame it on someone else.
I'm always polite and factual in my replies, never stooping to their methods of name-calling and threats. I will remain so, but I'm sick of giving into their demands in fear of receiving a bad review when I don't believe there was anything wrong with the product or my service to begin with.
For those of you out there who think you can get a free handout, and you know who you are, by yelling and complaining loudly, and making false accusations, just know that there are those of us in this country who are sick of the whole thing...it's become an epidemic in this country, and we aren't going to be bullied any longer. Yell and scream and bitch all you want, my answer is no more...I am very clear in my online policies, and if you don't think I won't stick to them just because you want to try to bully me, think again.
For the bigger picture, our country is tired of the bullies on the east coast, west coast and in DC - we "slope-headed middle Americans in the fly-over states" outnumber you greatly, and we aren't going to take your bullying any more....oops, went slightly political on that one...but it's all the same no matter what level. A bully is a bully...and we're not gonna take it anymore! (Gotta love Twisted Sister!)
So why is it that people who make purchases online think that they can be rude and bullying, claim they receive a damaged item and threaten me, yet refuse to even send a simple picture of the damage for my records. I'm not even asking that they send back the original item, and yes I realize the post office is fabulous at destroying items and not so great at actually delivering them...I understand that items arrive damaged. Am I so unreasonable for asking for a picture of the damage before I take money out of my pocket and my family's mouth to send a refund or a replacement? Lately the people claiming damaged items refuse to send pictures or return the item...and my gut reaction is, well then you must be trying to scam me.
I am all about karma - what goes around, comes around - and "do unto others". Lately it just seems that everyone wants something for nothing...and last month, those people cost me so much money that I couldn't pay my bills. The post office "lost" two boxes containing over $2800 in product, but multiple calls to Consumer Affairs, the Postal Inspection Agency (for which I was "scolded" for even daring to call their number), three US Congresspersons, three postal station masters, all yielded NOTHING except the reply "we show they were delivered"...and that's the problem, they WEREN'T delivered, yet even filing a police report did nothing. Last time I checked, taking mail not addressed to you is a federal offense, and theft of more than $500 is a felony...yet no one did anything, and the replacement came out of my pocket.
I know that the internet gives some level of anonymity, which tends to make people braver (or ruder) than they would be in person. Every single day this last week I've had at least one buyer chew me out because they had the wrong shipping address in their information, the item got shipped to that address, and after shipment I read an email asking me to change the address...reading emails and doing shipments are two separate events. I don't necessarily read emails until late at night, but shipping is done as soon as possible, because God help us if we don't ship someone's order within minutes of receiving their payment! So apparently it's my fault that they failed to fix their address before finishing their purchase - are people in this country that illiterate or just plain stupid? Or do they just think that by yelling loud enough that I'm going to cave in to their demands? There is zero personal responsibility for anyone anymore - they always blame it on someone else.
I'm always polite and factual in my replies, never stooping to their methods of name-calling and threats. I will remain so, but I'm sick of giving into their demands in fear of receiving a bad review when I don't believe there was anything wrong with the product or my service to begin with.
For those of you out there who think you can get a free handout, and you know who you are, by yelling and complaining loudly, and making false accusations, just know that there are those of us in this country who are sick of the whole thing...it's become an epidemic in this country, and we aren't going to be bullied any longer. Yell and scream and bitch all you want, my answer is no more...I am very clear in my online policies, and if you don't think I won't stick to them just because you want to try to bully me, think again.
For the bigger picture, our country is tired of the bullies on the east coast, west coast and in DC - we "slope-headed middle Americans in the fly-over states" outnumber you greatly, and we aren't going to take your bullying any more....oops, went slightly political on that one...but it's all the same no matter what level. A bully is a bully...and we're not gonna take it anymore! (Gotta love Twisted Sister!)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Why am I blogging?
I'm just your average American woman...grew up in Ohio with one younger brother, my parents are still married after almost 47 years. I've been divorced once, am married to my perfect guy now. We don't have any kids - not by choice - I had cervical cancer at age 29 that required a radical hysterectomy. But my husband and I are okay with that...our dogs are our "kids" - yes we are "those people" who love their dogs more than most people. I'll be 45 in a couple months; I'd like to lose a few pounds; I seem to be the most medicated healthy person I know - high blood pressure (which came out of nowhere two years ago, brought on by stress), high cholesterol, hormone replacement therapy, some rare genetic disorder called Achalasia Disorder that affects how I swallow...all stupid stuff that requires me to take about a dozen pills a day that I want to be rid of (except the hormones - those are probably necessary for my sanity as well as my husbands!).
We are both self-employed and run small businesses - some months we are very comfortable and get everything caught up, some months we don't make enough to pay the bills. But we somehow always squeak by and never go without anything (except right now both our vehicles need the AC repaired, and living in Texas with no AC, and making a 40 minute drive each way to one of our businesses is a bitch). Our cars are paid off, we have no debt except the monthly bills, and we almost have our house paid off, so I would say we are in a pretty good place compared to a lot of the folks in this country.
In my life I've made stupid choices; I've had great successes. Life has dealt me crap, and then huge blessings have seemingly dropped into my lap. I'm just your average American woman, and I've got things to say....I see this as a form of free therapy...I can rant about things that bug the hell out of me, I can share some of the things I've learned through my mistakes, I can just clear my head by talking about the day...
I'm not looking to start any arguments over politics, religion, or any of the other crises dividing our country right now...I have my opinion that I'm entitled to, and everyone else has theirs, which I respect their right to. That doesn't mean we always agree, but I demand that everyone be respectful of each other's rights to their own ideas and opinions. So if the discussion goes in a political direction, I live by the Golden Rule - treat others as you would want to be treated.
I've always thought about writing, but never knew about what. This is my start - I am no good at keeping a journal, but figure when I've got a good rant built up about the post office or how much my damn health insurance costs, it might be better to put it out here than to constantly bombard my poor husband with it. He is a great listener, but he is also a guy - he wants to fix it. Women don't always want it fixed, we just want to blow off steam. My husband calls it wearing my "ranty pants". So while he will still hear about everything, I'm also going to inflict my "ranty pants" on no one in particular, and hope that in doing so, can retain some of my sanity and pretend that my voice is being heard!
You've been warned - it might get ugly at times!
We are both self-employed and run small businesses - some months we are very comfortable and get everything caught up, some months we don't make enough to pay the bills. But we somehow always squeak by and never go without anything (except right now both our vehicles need the AC repaired, and living in Texas with no AC, and making a 40 minute drive each way to one of our businesses is a bitch). Our cars are paid off, we have no debt except the monthly bills, and we almost have our house paid off, so I would say we are in a pretty good place compared to a lot of the folks in this country.
In my life I've made stupid choices; I've had great successes. Life has dealt me crap, and then huge blessings have seemingly dropped into my lap. I'm just your average American woman, and I've got things to say....I see this as a form of free therapy...I can rant about things that bug the hell out of me, I can share some of the things I've learned through my mistakes, I can just clear my head by talking about the day...
I'm not looking to start any arguments over politics, religion, or any of the other crises dividing our country right now...I have my opinion that I'm entitled to, and everyone else has theirs, which I respect their right to. That doesn't mean we always agree, but I demand that everyone be respectful of each other's rights to their own ideas and opinions. So if the discussion goes in a political direction, I live by the Golden Rule - treat others as you would want to be treated.
I've always thought about writing, but never knew about what. This is my start - I am no good at keeping a journal, but figure when I've got a good rant built up about the post office or how much my damn health insurance costs, it might be better to put it out here than to constantly bombard my poor husband with it. He is a great listener, but he is also a guy - he wants to fix it. Women don't always want it fixed, we just want to blow off steam. My husband calls it wearing my "ranty pants". So while he will still hear about everything, I'm also going to inflict my "ranty pants" on no one in particular, and hope that in doing so, can retain some of my sanity and pretend that my voice is being heard!
You've been warned - it might get ugly at times!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)