Or not...
After reading this article, I have to share my own "happiness" with the same provider and those like it.
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/verizon-how-much-do-you-charge-now/?apage=16
For the last six weeks, I have been in battle with Verizon over a phone they sent me by mistake. It was the wrong one, but they didn't want to take it back in person. I had to send it back via FedEx and "slow boat to Ft. Worth". So I did so. But, in the meanwhile...
The personnel at the store I was originally told to take the thing to is more proof that the people running the cell phone companies' HR departments never actually see the people they hire. They were young, sloppy and were too busy gossiping with each other to actually get up. OK. I went to the young man at the podium and explained to him what I was told to do with the phone by their customer service people. This silly man laughed at me and told me I was wrong, that no one would ever tell me to do any such thing. Then he wanted to argue with me about the equipment being theirs to begin with--this despite my having the entire kit, complete with receipt, in hand. ON top of that, he tried to sell me another phone even though I was trying to get the mix-up on one I already ordered corrected. Then his pals came over and suggested I was scamming them. I was getting so angry by that point, I dialed the company directly and started complaining about them right there on the sales floor.
It took almost two hours for them to figure out how I was supposed to get my correct phone and get the other one back. The final agreement was that we would cross-post the phones--I send the wrong one back at the same time they ship the correct one. Here is where it falls apart. I shipped the wrong one back and received the right one. BUT they claimed never to have received the other one and started tacking the full price of the phone onto my bills.
After that, came the calls threatening to cut off my service even with the tracking number that proves the phone was signed for by their people. It seems like every day, I end up talking to those fools and giving them that number over and over. Meanwhile, they refuse to adjust the bill to remove the cost of that old phone. They want me to pay for it now and wait for a credit. Nuh-uh! I know how that works and I would prefer not to have that mess hanging on my account in any form.
I was also jumped on over and over for choosing a smartphone and not wanting the data plan. I wanted a smartphone because I wanted Office Mobile and a touch screen to draw quick diagrams on. I want the equivalent of a laptop that I could put in my pocket, basically. Sometimes a full laptop is just much to carry into the desert. But why should I have to justify my phone choice to them? I am the customer here and why I choose an item is really none of their business. The sad thing is that the phone was my first upgrade in years and was a freebie.
In all of this hassle, I learned some nasty things about my provider and all the others who are not "pay as you go".
First, any new phone that is considered a smart phone is now saddled with a data plan, whether you want it or not. Your provider will tell you the phone won't work without the plan, but that is a lie. The last three phones I had never had data plans and they worked just fine using free WiFi connections (the built-in WiFi is why I bought them). But now, the scam is to force everyone to use at least the $30/40 MB plan and get them to go over their limits and then move them to the $60 plan which still sucks at a maximum of 5 GB, then per KB charges apply. I don't use the data (preferring the WiFi) because, even with the plan, it is hard to figure out whether you have hit your puny limit. Bandwidth limitations, my Aunt Fanny.
Funny, though--if you don't have a data plan on your old smartphone, they are still quite able to charge you $1.99 for each 0.02 KB*. This is their best revenue stream--accidentally hit the Internet connect button for even five seconds and they charge you that $1.99 no matter how fast you disconnect. Some reports put their income from the accidental connections at over $300M PER MONTH, so they sure aren't losing money. Check your bill, no matter who you get service from--bet you will see some sort of data usage charge, too, even if you have never knowingly connected to the Internet.
Most people think it is a tax and pay it, so the claims of having to refund all those charges are also bogus. I mentioned the possible charges to some of my friends and nearly all of them have seen something similar, but never realized what it was and they have paid dutifully.
Second, there are some sneaky conditions that keep getting added to the contracts at random. For those who missed it, Verizon has decided to just about double their early cancellation penalties. The claim is that they need to recoup the cost of your so-called "free" phone if you leave before your two years are up. Considering that the fee for new (after 6 November of this year) activations is nearly $400, there is no way they can claim with a straight face that all those cheap Samsungs they hand out cost that much. Not when you can buy a similar phone from TracFone or Virgin Mobile for under $30 in a grocery store... Again, they are counting on the customers not being able to find all the terms they posted in the outhouse of an ashram in Outer Mongolia.
Third, the incredible arrogance of their people really set me off personally. In all those calls, the overriding theme was "because we can". I asked where I could find a printable version of their new terms. I was told they didn't have to provide those anymore. They just had to pick a day and make the changes. It was up to the consumer to figure that day out. If that consumer decided they didn't like the terms, they would have to pay up no matter how long they had been customers. With the new penalties, even a paid-off phone would still result in a balance due. But, again--"It's our company and we don't have to tell you about that until it is too late." Verizon is having a lot of issues with people complaining about what seems to be a lot of bait-and-switch going on with their contracts, not to mention with ATT (another one who operates pretty much the same way) suing them over the 3G claims.
In the end, I am almost tempted to use D's old phone for regular calls and keep the new phone for strictly the Pocket PC and WiFi features. It just doesn't seem worth it to keep dealing with the jerks. I only stay with Verizon because nearly my entire family is on it and we get free mobile-to-mobile calls 24/7 (good for my mom who is retired and on a fixed income). It also really does have better 3G coverage than the other guys. But is it worth the hassle?
*One more thing: why does Verizon charge $1.99 per MB everywhere else in the world, but charge its U.S. customers that same rate per 0.02 KB? Again, they claim bandwidth limitations, but they cleaned up in the last administration's frequency auctions and own a large chunk of the airwave frequencies available for wireless communications.
Oh, and for the record: the darned phone, according to FedEx, arrived at the Verizon depot almost three weeks ago. Verizon still insists it hasn't even with the tracking number, FedEx confirmation and the name of the guy who signed for it.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Half a century
That is how my brother wished me "Happy Birthday" with a 7 AM call this morning.
That was the high point of my day.
A friend had to miss a flight out here due to a plane with a bad engine. You-know-who had to be her usual whiny self because I dared to expect her to behave this one day out of the year. I also had to go in to work tonight for a while.
Yep! Another milestone down the tubes...
That was the high point of my day.
A friend had to miss a flight out here due to a plane with a bad engine. You-know-who had to be her usual whiny self because I dared to expect her to behave this one day out of the year. I also had to go in to work tonight for a while.
Yep! Another milestone down the tubes...
Friday, September 18, 2009
Oh, to be 17 again!
In two days, I hit the big 5-0. That doesn't bother me because I should have died in 1961 and didn't, so EVERY day on this side of the grass is OK by me (even the suckish ones). Some of the perks include cheaper buffets and movie tickets in one casino chain as well as admission into the senior center around the corner from my house which has the only indoor pool this side of town that does NOT allow kids (woo-hoo!). The center also has all sorts of free classes I might take just for funsies.
But, when I think about it (as all who hit milestones are wont to do), I keep thinking that when I was 17 it was my best year in so many ways.
• I could stay up for days and never complain about being tired.
• I spent the night before I took my SATs getting drunk with a friend, got an hour of sleep and STILL hit four digits comfortably. I doubt I could move now with only an hour of sleep.
• Sachsenhausen was always open and no one carded us because it was "Germany, man!"
• I could sit in the Hauptbahnhof at midnight and not worry about some perv making a grab at me.
• Prom and the Military Ball meant spending the entire weekend in Frankfurt and riding the StraBe all over the place.
• I still had that long, Marsha Brady hair and could rock hot pants without looking like I was wearing pants with rocks in them.
• The art school scholarship I should have taken no matter what my dad said.
• Friends that really did understand it sucked when it was time to move for the 10th time.
• Castles, fairy-tale rivers, Roman ruins just up the road, parties for cities that were thriving even before the Aztecs and Mayans had gotten their stuff together...
• The 2nd annual Rockfest at the Lorelei with Ted Nugent and Aerosmith!
• Still feeling like I could conquer the world if given the chance (well, we know how that went, don't we?).
• So much more, but I think just about everyone has had that one year in their life when they were sure of it all.
Now, life is more about compromise and knowing that you have to make choices you would have screamed about and refused to choose in that one special year. Pay your mortgage instead of going to the rockfest? Never! Staying in to catch up instead of sneaking into Gruenberg Park during the third period break? No way! Now I am reaching the place where I sound like those people I laughed at when I was 17.
You know what? It sucks not to be 17 anymore. There are days when I look for the "do-over button".
But, when I think about it (as all who hit milestones are wont to do), I keep thinking that when I was 17 it was my best year in so many ways.
• I could stay up for days and never complain about being tired.
• I spent the night before I took my SATs getting drunk with a friend, got an hour of sleep and STILL hit four digits comfortably. I doubt I could move now with only an hour of sleep.
• Sachsenhausen was always open and no one carded us because it was "Germany, man!"
• I could sit in the Hauptbahnhof at midnight and not worry about some perv making a grab at me.
• Prom and the Military Ball meant spending the entire weekend in Frankfurt and riding the StraBe all over the place.
• I still had that long, Marsha Brady hair and could rock hot pants without looking like I was wearing pants with rocks in them.
• The art school scholarship I should have taken no matter what my dad said.
• Friends that really did understand it sucked when it was time to move for the 10th time.
• Castles, fairy-tale rivers, Roman ruins just up the road, parties for cities that were thriving even before the Aztecs and Mayans had gotten their stuff together...
• The 2nd annual Rockfest at the Lorelei with Ted Nugent and Aerosmith!
• Still feeling like I could conquer the world if given the chance (well, we know how that went, don't we?).
• So much more, but I think just about everyone has had that one year in their life when they were sure of it all.
Now, life is more about compromise and knowing that you have to make choices you would have screamed about and refused to choose in that one special year. Pay your mortgage instead of going to the rockfest? Never! Staying in to catch up instead of sneaking into Gruenberg Park during the third period break? No way! Now I am reaching the place where I sound like those people I laughed at when I was 17.
You know what? It sucks not to be 17 anymore. There are days when I look for the "do-over button".
Friday, September 04, 2009
Alrighty then!
So long since my last post and I cannot make it up all at once, so bear with me...
D did have to go to summer school for math. Here you have to PAY for it and I was determined she was going to get through it and at least get a "D" to pass, which she did. If she had done all of her homework, she would have gotten a "C". But the goal in doing a whole semester in three weeks is to pass and I was not going to push harder than that.
She also went to Georgia to visit family and to finally meet someone she only knew from emails, blogs and MySpace. It was maybe a good thing, maybe not. But they needed to spend time together and that was accomplished. I guess she had a good time, but she didn't talk to me much while she was gone. A combination of teen angst and her conditions made her surly towards me for most of the time. But, according to most accounts, she was a sweetheart 99% of the time. One semi-bad meltdown at the end, but other than that, it couldn't have been MY kid.
Went to Reno last week and didn't see any of the city except from a window. It was like ten miles from the Reno casinos, so I didn't even get to see the "biggest little city" sign. :(
It was ALL union business and I think I left interior of the hotel/conference center ONCE--on the day I left and for only half an hour. I went down to the pool and read a good book for a little while. It wouldn't have been so bad except we spent most of the time trying to reinvent the wheel and only succeeded in fattening the tires. Everything else stayed as it was before we started. I was sorely disappointed because we had such high hopes for getting some stuff through that would protect our workers and ONE agency where the workers make like $70K a year whined about every little penny or proposal whether it impacted them or not. I cornered one of the ringleaders at the airport when he happened by and explained to him what he and his buddies ruined by being childish (holding up signs behind people speaking on resolutions and issues, shouting everyone down that spoke for reforms, throwing things at the chair...). His jaw dropped when he heard about all the things they killed by being asses. Now we have to wait three years
to effect those changes and we may lose a lot of ground in between. Really a sad prospect...
D stayed with her friends while I was out of town and I swear there is a Stepford factory somewhere in this city. I am SO tired of people telling me what an absolute angel she is when ten minutes later, she lets it rip! I swear I am going to start taping her rants and posting them on YouTube for those who think she is so sweet. It makes it hard to work when I am always in one battle or another with her and her issues, which wears me out and keeps me too tired at times.
I am working too hard and there is too much to do in too little time. I managed to get hurt because someone who should have known better did something stupid. Why is it the stupid ones don't get hurt by the things they jacked up? Anyway, that makes it harder to do my job because I can't lift anything without making it worse (pulled ligaments in left hand/arm). Oh, well... At least I don't have to pay for the care myself as it was a WORK injury.
More overnights coming, more stuff to fix behind other people. And my 50th is coming up--joy. If it mirrors every other birthday for the past ten years, it will end with D whining she isn't getting all the attention. She already stole my early birthday present (a netbook) for herself. :(
D did have to go to summer school for math. Here you have to PAY for it and I was determined she was going to get through it and at least get a "D" to pass, which she did. If she had done all of her homework, she would have gotten a "C". But the goal in doing a whole semester in three weeks is to pass and I was not going to push harder than that.
She also went to Georgia to visit family and to finally meet someone she only knew from emails, blogs and MySpace. It was maybe a good thing, maybe not. But they needed to spend time together and that was accomplished. I guess she had a good time, but she didn't talk to me much while she was gone. A combination of teen angst and her conditions made her surly towards me for most of the time. But, according to most accounts, she was a sweetheart 99% of the time. One semi-bad meltdown at the end, but other than that, it couldn't have been MY kid.
Went to Reno last week and didn't see any of the city except from a window. It was like ten miles from the Reno casinos, so I didn't even get to see the "biggest little city" sign. :(
It was ALL union business and I think I left interior of the hotel/conference center ONCE--on the day I left and for only half an hour. I went down to the pool and read a good book for a little while. It wouldn't have been so bad except we spent most of the time trying to reinvent the wheel and only succeeded in fattening the tires. Everything else stayed as it was before we started. I was sorely disappointed because we had such high hopes for getting some stuff through that would protect our workers and ONE agency where the workers make like $70K a year whined about every little penny or proposal whether it impacted them or not. I cornered one of the ringleaders at the airport when he happened by and explained to him what he and his buddies ruined by being childish (holding up signs behind people speaking on resolutions and issues, shouting everyone down that spoke for reforms, throwing things at the chair...). His jaw dropped when he heard about all the things they killed by being asses. Now we have to wait three years
to effect those changes and we may lose a lot of ground in between. Really a sad prospect...
D stayed with her friends while I was out of town and I swear there is a Stepford factory somewhere in this city. I am SO tired of people telling me what an absolute angel she is when ten minutes later, she lets it rip! I swear I am going to start taping her rants and posting them on YouTube for those who think she is so sweet. It makes it hard to work when I am always in one battle or another with her and her issues, which wears me out and keeps me too tired at times.
I am working too hard and there is too much to do in too little time. I managed to get hurt because someone who should have known better did something stupid. Why is it the stupid ones don't get hurt by the things they jacked up? Anyway, that makes it harder to do my job because I can't lift anything without making it worse (pulled ligaments in left hand/arm). Oh, well... At least I don't have to pay for the care myself as it was a WORK injury.
More overnights coming, more stuff to fix behind other people. And my 50th is coming up--joy. If it mirrors every other birthday for the past ten years, it will end with D whining she isn't getting all the attention. She already stole my early birthday present (a netbook) for herself. :(
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Addictions in general
Not the normal ones like to alcohol or drugs, but to more subtle things like dieting.
The dieting addiction is the most troubling of the things listed. Once a person jumps on that wagon train, some go off the deep end and treat their diet as a religion. I am seeing this with the online support group my best friend/sister belongs to. Those people are just like Jesus freaks when it comes to their weight loss.
OK, so you lost a little or a lot of weight. It isn't like you saved the world or earned the Nobel Prize for physics. You decided you needed to lose the weight and did so. Great! I am happy you stuck to your guns and achieved your goals. But, for the love of God, do NOT presume to tell me that being overweight the tiniest bit makes you less than human or not normal or a freak. You are a person with a weight problem that you are trying to tackle. Saying anything else is just plain stupid and could cause serious issues for others who think they are "fat" and will take that negative validation as their cue to anorexia or worse. I even said as much, only to be told that they are NOT human or whatever until they become skinny. That is too sad.
One girl I work with had lap band surgery and now is so skinny, a good wind would blow her way. She is afraid to eat a salad with dressing for fear she will "balloon up". A freaking salad, for the love of Pete!
Those are the people that make me never want to be the weight I was in college, sick as a dog and never eating in public. Not anorexic, but a stomach issue that kept me from digesting properly. I still have that problem and my metabolism is now so slow, a single grape can cause me great distress and to gain weight disproportionately. I am also not diabetic, but the opposite where my blood sugar is always too low. Sucks, but I am not going to freak out and join a diet cult to become "normal".
Yes, I understand that women of a certain size category cannot walk into Macy's and buy off the rack. Why would they want to when they know that the "plus size" category isn't profitable for those stores unless they skimp on quality, style and quantity. The fabric is cheap, the cut is just a misses size expanded which kills the proportions (too long in the armholes, too much fabric in the thighs, waistband not cut right, etc.), the styles are from 10 years ago and they never have enough of a halfway decent item. There are stores that DO carry quality items, but I think there is a certain category of large women who insist on shopping at the major names to prove to themselves they are NOT "normal" or "human" or whatever. Or they go to Target, KMart or that abominable WalMart, buy the nasty polyester items or "Just My Size" just so they can whine they cannot find "nice" things. Several women of size that I know dress like they are ready to address the board of directors or Congress on less than I make, so I know the clothes are out there.
I am truly pleased that my sis has taken the initiative for her own sake but am not impressed by the people who are "supporting" her. They all have fallen victim to the fanaticism of their struggles. Lose the damn weight if you people must, but stop acting like y'all have done anything that will change any world but your own. After all, if you are losing weight for any other reason than because you personally need/want to for your health or whatever, then don't expect me to cheer you on. I will not cheer on someone who has gone from size 26 to 6 and talks about how "fat" they still are or discusses 50 different ways to make rice cakes taste like anything other than rice cakes (can't be done).
T, you done good and I am thrilled as you are for every pound you shed. Don't you stop working towards your goal. And don't let those people drag you into a life where you will be a slave to the scale. I love you no matter what!
Now, don't get me started on former smokers and those who feel married to their weapons. At least not tonight... Later this week.
The dieting addiction is the most troubling of the things listed. Once a person jumps on that wagon train, some go off the deep end and treat their diet as a religion. I am seeing this with the online support group my best friend/sister belongs to. Those people are just like Jesus freaks when it comes to their weight loss.
OK, so you lost a little or a lot of weight. It isn't like you saved the world or earned the Nobel Prize for physics. You decided you needed to lose the weight and did so. Great! I am happy you stuck to your guns and achieved your goals. But, for the love of God, do NOT presume to tell me that being overweight the tiniest bit makes you less than human or not normal or a freak. You are a person with a weight problem that you are trying to tackle. Saying anything else is just plain stupid and could cause serious issues for others who think they are "fat" and will take that negative validation as their cue to anorexia or worse. I even said as much, only to be told that they are NOT human or whatever until they become skinny. That is too sad.
One girl I work with had lap band surgery and now is so skinny, a good wind would blow her way. She is afraid to eat a salad with dressing for fear she will "balloon up". A freaking salad, for the love of Pete!
Those are the people that make me never want to be the weight I was in college, sick as a dog and never eating in public. Not anorexic, but a stomach issue that kept me from digesting properly. I still have that problem and my metabolism is now so slow, a single grape can cause me great distress and to gain weight disproportionately. I am also not diabetic, but the opposite where my blood sugar is always too low. Sucks, but I am not going to freak out and join a diet cult to become "normal".
Yes, I understand that women of a certain size category cannot walk into Macy's and buy off the rack. Why would they want to when they know that the "plus size" category isn't profitable for those stores unless they skimp on quality, style and quantity. The fabric is cheap, the cut is just a misses size expanded which kills the proportions (too long in the armholes, too much fabric in the thighs, waistband not cut right, etc.), the styles are from 10 years ago and they never have enough of a halfway decent item. There are stores that DO carry quality items, but I think there is a certain category of large women who insist on shopping at the major names to prove to themselves they are NOT "normal" or "human" or whatever. Or they go to Target, KMart or that abominable WalMart, buy the nasty polyester items or "Just My Size" just so they can whine they cannot find "nice" things. Several women of size that I know dress like they are ready to address the board of directors or Congress on less than I make, so I know the clothes are out there.
I am truly pleased that my sis has taken the initiative for her own sake but am not impressed by the people who are "supporting" her. They all have fallen victim to the fanaticism of their struggles. Lose the damn weight if you people must, but stop acting like y'all have done anything that will change any world but your own. After all, if you are losing weight for any other reason than because you personally need/want to for your health or whatever, then don't expect me to cheer you on. I will not cheer on someone who has gone from size 26 to 6 and talks about how "fat" they still are or discusses 50 different ways to make rice cakes taste like anything other than rice cakes (can't be done).
T, you done good and I am thrilled as you are for every pound you shed. Don't you stop working towards your goal. And don't let those people drag you into a life where you will be a slave to the scale. I love you no matter what!
Now, don't get me started on former smokers and those who feel married to their weapons. At least not tonight... Later this week.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Michael, Farrah and how they will be remembered by me
Today, both Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett died.
Jackson dropped dead of an apparent heart attack in L.A. His health has been the stuff of rumors for a while, but his handlers swore it was all just "exhaustion" and that he would be more than fine for the concerts he was supposed to perform in England next month.
Now, when you turn on the news, click on a news site, read a forum or even a blog ( :D ), Michael's death is the one dominating the airwaves. I suspect his picture will be on the top fold of every paper in the land tomorrow--hopefully one from his younger days. You know, before vitiligo set in and he stopped being black...
I suspect it is because we cannot resist the tragic last act to an already tragic story. Jackson was a very talented performer, songwriter and choreographer. He could move in ways you would not expect and he looked GOOD doing it. But his talent was overshadowed in the end by his alleged (never quite proven) prurient fondness for little boys. THAT became the focus of Jackson's public life. Every joke was about Michael Jackson and molestation.
No one was able to prove it, even though he once paid out a good chunk of change to shut one family up (the dad was a failed screenwriter and was trying to convince Jackson to bankroll one of his scripts or something). Later, after he allowed a cancer patient and his entire family to move into his Neverland mansion, paid all their bills and treated them pretty good, that family swore Jackson was molesting the cancer patient, getting him drunk and groping him. Again, there were questions--the mom was a serial lawsuit filer and wanted more money, plus a house and other stuff. The kid took back a lot of what was said. Jackson was found not guilty.
But the damage was done. In the first case, the authorities made Jackson drop trou so they could take pictures of his penis for evidence. Those pictures were taken before Drudge and Ain'tItCool, so they didn't get wide distribution. But you can bet they are out there somewhere. In the second case, the police raided Neverland, filmed all over the place, took pictures of everything (whether pertinent or not) and those DID get a wider show. Jackson abandoned the home he worked hard to create.
He didn't work anymore, so he paid some nutcase to have babies for him. She married him, but the truth is she probably just wanted the money she got for signing away her rights to said kids. Jackson tried his hand at some comebacks and the shows in London were supposed to be his Britney moment. Alas, not now...
I don't know if he did all the bad things attributed to him. I don't think it matters now. He was the man who wrote and performed "Thriller" and told us about "Billy Jean" and got Eddie Van Halen to play some badass guitar on "Beat It". He made wearing one glittered glove and jackets that looked like Members Only look good. AND he brought back military/band jackets as a fashion statement (but The Beatles did it better).
He owned a lot of The Beatles' music. He owned a lot of Elvis's, too. I see a MAJOR fight brewing as Paul, Yoko, Lisa Marie and every Motown star starts their own bidding wars. Meanwhile, who gets those kids conceived by methods I do NOT want to have a mental picture thereof.
____________________
Meanwhile, there is Farrah to think about. A beautiful, almost-star known as much for this iconic poster which appeared over many a young man's bed (including the beds of both my brothers) as for her acting chops. Face it--her first gigs, like on "The Partridge Family" where she was always credited as "Pretty Girl 1", pretty much marked her as "dumb blond" for a long time.
Charlie's Angels made her a kind of role model for a lot of girls because she was part of a trio of smart women who really could kick ass and take names.
Then she decided to become a "serious actress" and proved she could handle the tough roles. If you ever saw "The Burning Bed", "Extremities" or "Small Sacrifices", you knew she was the real thing. But she never got the movie roles she deserved. In "Logan's Run", she was a ditzy blond--probably there as eye candy and to contrast Jenny Agutter. We won't even talk about "Saturn 3" lest all our gag reflexes kick in.
Did people know that Farrah was an artist? She was a pretty good one, too--even if she DID paint with her naked body for Playboy a while back.
Farrah's death was expected, as she had been fighting cancer for several years and it was a foregone conclusion she was not going to be around much longer. She made a wonderful documentary about her struggle that will be watched for years. I hope her end was peaceful and that she died with a minimum of fuss. I figured when they sent her home from the hospital earlier this week, she was going home to die. One of my co-workers swore she was going to ease the transition along. So what if she did? I wouldn't want to linger like that, either.
Jackson was hauled out of his house on a gurney, people (including, I believe, one of the paramedics) snapping pictures like crazy. How would you feel if the last picture of you was taken as you WERE dying? How would your kids feel?
I hear Geraldo is already talking overdose as the COD for Jackson. At least wait for the autopsy, dude!
Jackson dropped dead of an apparent heart attack in L.A. His health has been the stuff of rumors for a while, but his handlers swore it was all just "exhaustion" and that he would be more than fine for the concerts he was supposed to perform in England next month.
Now, when you turn on the news, click on a news site, read a forum or even a blog ( :D ), Michael's death is the one dominating the airwaves. I suspect his picture will be on the top fold of every paper in the land tomorrow--hopefully one from his younger days. You know, before vitiligo set in and he stopped being black...
I suspect it is because we cannot resist the tragic last act to an already tragic story. Jackson was a very talented performer, songwriter and choreographer. He could move in ways you would not expect and he looked GOOD doing it. But his talent was overshadowed in the end by his alleged (never quite proven) prurient fondness for little boys. THAT became the focus of Jackson's public life. Every joke was about Michael Jackson and molestation.
No one was able to prove it, even though he once paid out a good chunk of change to shut one family up (the dad was a failed screenwriter and was trying to convince Jackson to bankroll one of his scripts or something). Later, after he allowed a cancer patient and his entire family to move into his Neverland mansion, paid all their bills and treated them pretty good, that family swore Jackson was molesting the cancer patient, getting him drunk and groping him. Again, there were questions--the mom was a serial lawsuit filer and wanted more money, plus a house and other stuff. The kid took back a lot of what was said. Jackson was found not guilty.
But the damage was done. In the first case, the authorities made Jackson drop trou so they could take pictures of his penis for evidence. Those pictures were taken before Drudge and Ain'tItCool, so they didn't get wide distribution. But you can bet they are out there somewhere. In the second case, the police raided Neverland, filmed all over the place, took pictures of everything (whether pertinent or not) and those DID get a wider show. Jackson abandoned the home he worked hard to create.
He didn't work anymore, so he paid some nutcase to have babies for him. She married him, but the truth is she probably just wanted the money she got for signing away her rights to said kids. Jackson tried his hand at some comebacks and the shows in London were supposed to be his Britney moment. Alas, not now...
I don't know if he did all the bad things attributed to him. I don't think it matters now. He was the man who wrote and performed "Thriller" and told us about "Billy Jean" and got Eddie Van Halen to play some badass guitar on "Beat It". He made wearing one glittered glove and jackets that looked like Members Only look good. AND he brought back military/band jackets as a fashion statement (but The Beatles did it better).
He owned a lot of The Beatles' music. He owned a lot of Elvis's, too. I see a MAJOR fight brewing as Paul, Yoko, Lisa Marie and every Motown star starts their own bidding wars. Meanwhile, who gets those kids conceived by methods I do NOT want to have a mental picture thereof.
____________________
Meanwhile, there is Farrah to think about. A beautiful, almost-star known as much for this iconic poster which appeared over many a young man's bed (including the beds of both my brothers) as for her acting chops. Face it--her first gigs, like on "The Partridge Family" where she was always credited as "Pretty Girl 1", pretty much marked her as "dumb blond" for a long time.
Charlie's Angels made her a kind of role model for a lot of girls because she was part of a trio of smart women who really could kick ass and take names.
Then she decided to become a "serious actress" and proved she could handle the tough roles. If you ever saw "The Burning Bed", "Extremities" or "Small Sacrifices", you knew she was the real thing. But she never got the movie roles she deserved. In "Logan's Run", she was a ditzy blond--probably there as eye candy and to contrast Jenny Agutter. We won't even talk about "Saturn 3" lest all our gag reflexes kick in.
Did people know that Farrah was an artist? She was a pretty good one, too--even if she DID paint with her naked body for Playboy a while back.
Farrah's death was expected, as she had been fighting cancer for several years and it was a foregone conclusion she was not going to be around much longer. She made a wonderful documentary about her struggle that will be watched for years. I hope her end was peaceful and that she died with a minimum of fuss. I figured when they sent her home from the hospital earlier this week, she was going home to die. One of my co-workers swore she was going to ease the transition along. So what if she did? I wouldn't want to linger like that, either.
Jackson was hauled out of his house on a gurney, people (including, I believe, one of the paramedics) snapping pictures like crazy. How would you feel if the last picture of you was taken as you WERE dying? How would your kids feel?
I hear Geraldo is already talking overdose as the COD for Jackson. At least wait for the autopsy, dude!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
I hate weekends!
Weekends are spent chasing down The Diva and trying to catch up on the housekeeping and never relaxing at all.
I am never at rest and am worn out.
That is all.
Reno is in August. I hope I last that long.
I am never at rest and am worn out.
That is all.
Reno is in August. I hope I last that long.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Hard to come back, but here I am
I wanted to give Sam the proper respect he deserved before coming back with my ramblings. I still pull up his "Miley" column to show friends because it is great advice for ANY star coming into a city to film for any length of time. It should be mandatory reading for all of them.
Having said that...
School is out for the summer and I am SCARED!!! There is NOTHING in this freakin' city for kids D's age to do. It is too hot for the parks already, the pool near our house is nasty and the rec center around the corner is geared for little kids and old people. Most kids will hang out at the casinos because that is where the arcades, bowling alleys and movie theaters are. Not a single theater complex on this side of the valley is NOT connected or in the middle of a casino. Sad.
I am thinking summer school for math because she didn't do very well this year and the credit system for the school district is weird--middle school SEMESTER credits have to be earned for high school. I just had to pass the year, not two quarters in one semester. But that is how it works here. Dumb!
I dread the long periods of her on her own and am not sure what to do about it yet.
Having said that...
School is out for the summer and I am SCARED!!! There is NOTHING in this freakin' city for kids D's age to do. It is too hot for the parks already, the pool near our house is nasty and the rec center around the corner is geared for little kids and old people. Most kids will hang out at the casinos because that is where the arcades, bowling alleys and movie theaters are. Not a single theater complex on this side of the valley is NOT connected or in the middle of a casino. Sad.
I am thinking summer school for math because she didn't do very well this year and the credit system for the school district is weird--middle school SEMESTER credits have to be earned for high school. I just had to pass the year, not two quarters in one semester. But that is how it works here. Dumb!
I dread the long periods of her on her own and am not sure what to do about it yet.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
When you just want to cry a river and then a lake and then an ocean
A dear, dear friend of mine--Sam Johnson--has passed away.
I think you have seen the link to his blog under "Cool Visits". I hope you click over there and read some of his material. It's very good. With a professor's encouragement, he was consolidating some of the best pieces for publication. Find his post about Thanksgiving dinners or the one about weak-ass fake chili. You'll laugh out loud and click for more.
Speaking of clicking, did you see the link to something called "Donate for Sam's Sake"? It's been there for a reason. You see, Sam needed a kidney transplant and in our country, you have to have a giant bank account for after-care as one of the preconditions. Yep, you need to have $100K or more before serious consideration unless you have the Rolls Royce of insurance that will cover 100% of all your costs with no caps and low co-pays. I'll save the insurance rant for later this week...
Anyway, that means Larry Hagman was able to afford getting a new liver (to perhaps destroy with more drinking) and that Natalie Cole will get HER kidney before the end of the year. Did you SEE how many people called/emailed Larry King with offers to give one up to her?!? Meanwhile, click on that link, too, so someone will get closer to THEIR future and say "Sam's friend sent you".
Some very good people did their best to help Sam with raising money, but times are hard and people don't give to causes that aren't "sexy" in terms of garnering headlines. But his friends still did what they could. If nothing else, we clicked the Paypal button to made sure he had pizza and comic book money.
He was working out to build up his body for that ever-pending call to haul butt to the hospital, he went back to college and had a career planned, he was working on the book... He never gave up although I know he had "those" days. I just hope someone got him those "preview" copies of certain films he was wanting to see.
I hope his transition was peaceful, slipping from slumber to slipping earthly bonds. I am confident, no matter what, he went knowing that he had friends who loved him and will miss him madly.
This is Sam during one of the fund-raisers; it was the picture he used for his profile.
This picture is one from his blog, taken at DragonCon, I think. Do ya think he had a good time?
This is an oldie from the local access TV show (UGS) we did in Savannah, a great ensemble cast and a lot of comedy that was like working-class MadTV or early SNL. In other words--no budget, a lot of hilarious ideas and a cable access station that was willing to overlook a lot of things. Soon after this, the first head-shaving occurred.
I'd post the Tom Jones video he did for the UGS New Year's show in 1995, but he would come back and jerk me around... And then laugh his ass off as he chased some kids off MY lawn!
I think you have seen the link to his blog under "Cool Visits". I hope you click over there and read some of his material. It's very good. With a professor's encouragement, he was consolidating some of the best pieces for publication. Find his post about Thanksgiving dinners or the one about weak-ass fake chili. You'll laugh out loud and click for more.
Speaking of clicking, did you see the link to something called "Donate for Sam's Sake"? It's been there for a reason. You see, Sam needed a kidney transplant and in our country, you have to have a giant bank account for after-care as one of the preconditions. Yep, you need to have $100K or more before serious consideration unless you have the Rolls Royce of insurance that will cover 100% of all your costs with no caps and low co-pays. I'll save the insurance rant for later this week...
Anyway, that means Larry Hagman was able to afford getting a new liver (to perhaps destroy with more drinking) and that Natalie Cole will get HER kidney before the end of the year. Did you SEE how many people called/emailed Larry King with offers to give one up to her?!? Meanwhile, click on that link, too, so someone will get closer to THEIR future and say "Sam's friend sent you".
Some very good people did their best to help Sam with raising money, but times are hard and people don't give to causes that aren't "sexy" in terms of garnering headlines. But his friends still did what they could. If nothing else, we clicked the Paypal button to made sure he had pizza and comic book money.
He was working out to build up his body for that ever-pending call to haul butt to the hospital, he went back to college and had a career planned, he was working on the book... He never gave up although I know he had "those" days. I just hope someone got him those "preview" copies of certain films he was wanting to see.
I hope his transition was peaceful, slipping from slumber to slipping earthly bonds. I am confident, no matter what, he went knowing that he had friends who loved him and will miss him madly.
This is Sam during one of the fund-raisers; it was the picture he used for his profile.
This picture is one from his blog, taken at DragonCon, I think. Do ya think he had a good time?
This is an oldie from the local access TV show (UGS) we did in Savannah, a great ensemble cast and a lot of comedy that was like working-class MadTV or early SNL. In other words--no budget, a lot of hilarious ideas and a cable access station that was willing to overlook a lot of things. Soon after this, the first head-shaving occurred.
I'd post the Tom Jones video he did for the UGS New Year's show in 1995, but he would come back and jerk me around... And then laugh his ass off as he chased some kids off MY lawn!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
About "sexting" and silly laws
As many of you already know, there has been a rush of late to charge random teenagers all over the country with child pornography because they are "sexting"--that is, sending naughty pictures of themselves to their friends and significant others. Now why is that so wrong, you may ask?
The laws against child porn are clear in that they all state that adult EXPLOITATION of a child for sexual purposes is to be prohibited and handled in the harshest manner. Offenders have to do time and, (no) thanks to Meghan's Law, register as sex offenders no matter what for the rest of their lives. None of the sexting incidents fall under that exploitation umbrella. In fact, in these cases, there is no legal adult involved at all.
These cases are about girls and guys showing off their ADULT bodies. And yes--they are ADULT bodies. If a girl is menstruating and a guy is able to maintain an erection with ejaculation, then they are physically adults with all the urgings that come with the territory.
One case involves a girl who posted pictures on her private MySpace page for her boyfriend and someone saw the pictures. Another case involves girls posting pictures of themselves at a slumber party in those stupid flannel pants everyone wears these days and bras (or bra-like tops). They weren't posted for adults to have one off to or for some perv to download. They were for specific people and someone else shared.
These girls (where are the boys' cases?) are facing serious jail time for TRAFFICKING in child porn. They would also have to register as sex offenders, which means that most jobs open to women even these days would be off-limits to them: nursing, teaching, store worker, flipping burgers at the local Mickey D's (kids come in there, plus work there).
OK. They were frakking stupid for sharing their stuff in places where others could stumble upon them. They were doubling stupid for thinking their "friends" would not download and share the pics. But criminals? No way on God's green earth!!! All they need is a good whoopin' and some down time working at the local kid shelter or something similar.
You may ask why I think what they did is not so bad. It's not. It's stupid because things come back to haunt people in the most importunate moments--like when one becomes famous. I personally know of a set of pictures still out there that would embarrass a prominent actress, but that's another story... But we ALL did something similar when we were that age.
When I was in HS, there was no digital media. You used film and hoped that the Walgreen's didn't actually look at your pictures. Lucky me--my dad was/is a photographer and I had my own darkroom to develop my stuff, so that was not an issue. OR... You used that magical invention called Polaroid!!! Many a party I went to back in the day featured at least four or five instant cameras and lots of pictures I would not want posted anywhere now. But we didn't think of that then. We wanted FUN MEMORIES. We wanted pictures to slip into the lockers, backpacks or math books of our "one true love" (for that week). Some of those pictures may well have been shown around in the gym locker room or on the bus going to the football games, but that didn't matter, either. We were sharing ourselves. FTR: no, there are NO pictures of me in the 100% altogether floating around from high school, although I have to say I did look great back then.
The other problem with these types of laws is that there are thousands of people out there, mostly young men, who are registered sex offenders for having CONSENSUAL relations with their girlfriends who might have been just a tad below "legal". So what? Those girls are not exactly innocent flowers, are they? In just about every case, these couples have been having it on for some time and the complaint came not from them but from parents (usually the girl’s) who refused to believe their little darling would be doing something like that.
Think about it—there is a young man still sitting in jail in Atlanta for getting a BJ from a girl at a party; someone with a cell phone recorded it and sent it to everyone at school. Apparently everyone knew about this girl’s—um—talent except her mother and that is who screamed “Rape!” Not the girl, not the other girls who were also doing “stuff”, not the young man… Only the mother who refused to believe her daughter was capable of knowing what sex was, let alone indulging in it themselves.
I sat on a grand jury once where every single person knew the people involved in a similar case. The girl had been “seeing” boy for a long time, but then mamma wanted a piece of the action. The boyfriend refused to share and mamma filed charges. No matter how hard many of us argued, there were some idiots who were more concerned with the letter and not the intent of the law. This kid was indicted and ended up doing time for not wanting to do someone’s mother along with his girlfriend. He also had to register as a tier 1 offender for “statutory rape”, as the charges were brought just AFTER the age of consent laws in Georgia were changed.
So we are back at the original point: some laws are really, REALLY stupid when they make major criminals out of young people who have discovered the life beyond Barbie and Ken going on “dream dates”.
Would I be angry if I discovered my daughter taking the more extreme pictures? You betcha!!! Her punishment would be to lose all the electronics for a while and a good butt-kicking. Would I want her going to jail for doing so? Criminal charges and a permanent blot that would keep her from holding down a job for the rest of her life? Hell, NO!!
The laws against child porn are clear in that they all state that adult EXPLOITATION of a child for sexual purposes is to be prohibited and handled in the harshest manner. Offenders have to do time and, (no) thanks to Meghan's Law, register as sex offenders no matter what for the rest of their lives. None of the sexting incidents fall under that exploitation umbrella. In fact, in these cases, there is no legal adult involved at all.
These cases are about girls and guys showing off their ADULT bodies. And yes--they are ADULT bodies. If a girl is menstruating and a guy is able to maintain an erection with ejaculation, then they are physically adults with all the urgings that come with the territory.
One case involves a girl who posted pictures on her private MySpace page for her boyfriend and someone saw the pictures. Another case involves girls posting pictures of themselves at a slumber party in those stupid flannel pants everyone wears these days and bras (or bra-like tops). They weren't posted for adults to have one off to or for some perv to download. They were for specific people and someone else shared.
These girls (where are the boys' cases?) are facing serious jail time for TRAFFICKING in child porn. They would also have to register as sex offenders, which means that most jobs open to women even these days would be off-limits to them: nursing, teaching, store worker, flipping burgers at the local Mickey D's (kids come in there, plus work there).
OK. They were frakking stupid for sharing their stuff in places where others could stumble upon them. They were doubling stupid for thinking their "friends" would not download and share the pics. But criminals? No way on God's green earth!!! All they need is a good whoopin' and some down time working at the local kid shelter or something similar.
You may ask why I think what they did is not so bad. It's not. It's stupid because things come back to haunt people in the most importunate moments--like when one becomes famous. I personally know of a set of pictures still out there that would embarrass a prominent actress, but that's another story... But we ALL did something similar when we were that age.
When I was in HS, there was no digital media. You used film and hoped that the Walgreen's didn't actually look at your pictures. Lucky me--my dad was/is a photographer and I had my own darkroom to develop my stuff, so that was not an issue. OR... You used that magical invention called Polaroid!!! Many a party I went to back in the day featured at least four or five instant cameras and lots of pictures I would not want posted anywhere now. But we didn't think of that then. We wanted FUN MEMORIES. We wanted pictures to slip into the lockers, backpacks or math books of our "one true love" (for that week). Some of those pictures may well have been shown around in the gym locker room or on the bus going to the football games, but that didn't matter, either. We were sharing ourselves. FTR: no, there are NO pictures of me in the 100% altogether floating around from high school, although I have to say I did look great back then.
The other problem with these types of laws is that there are thousands of people out there, mostly young men, who are registered sex offenders for having CONSENSUAL relations with their girlfriends who might have been just a tad below "legal". So what? Those girls are not exactly innocent flowers, are they? In just about every case, these couples have been having it on for some time and the complaint came not from them but from parents (usually the girl’s) who refused to believe their little darling would be doing something like that.
Think about it—there is a young man still sitting in jail in Atlanta for getting a BJ from a girl at a party; someone with a cell phone recorded it and sent it to everyone at school. Apparently everyone knew about this girl’s—um—talent except her mother and that is who screamed “Rape!” Not the girl, not the other girls who were also doing “stuff”, not the young man… Only the mother who refused to believe her daughter was capable of knowing what sex was, let alone indulging in it themselves.
I sat on a grand jury once where every single person knew the people involved in a similar case. The girl had been “seeing” boy for a long time, but then mamma wanted a piece of the action. The boyfriend refused to share and mamma filed charges. No matter how hard many of us argued, there were some idiots who were more concerned with the letter and not the intent of the law. This kid was indicted and ended up doing time for not wanting to do someone’s mother along with his girlfriend. He also had to register as a tier 1 offender for “statutory rape”, as the charges were brought just AFTER the age of consent laws in Georgia were changed.
So we are back at the original point: some laws are really, REALLY stupid when they make major criminals out of young people who have discovered the life beyond Barbie and Ken going on “dream dates”.
Would I be angry if I discovered my daughter taking the more extreme pictures? You betcha!!! Her punishment would be to lose all the electronics for a while and a good butt-kicking. Would I want her going to jail for doing so? Criminal charges and a permanent blot that would keep her from holding down a job for the rest of her life? Hell, NO!!
How to deal with the rotten kid your kid hangs out with?
OK, I have been MIA for a while because of work projects that required crazy hours and lots of OT. I am in between those and the next set, so here I am--and I am ranting!
For D's 13th birthday, I upgraded her secondhand cell phone to a nicer one-the Alias. She was so thrilled to get it because it was a lot smaller than the eNvy (aka "The Brick") and it fit in her pocket easier. It also had neater features. I say "had" because the same little bee itch (AC) that stole her jeans earlier this year apparently stole the phone when they were all at the skate park.
Of course, the little monster swears she doesn't have it, although it was being answered/hung up when we called to see if it was in the house. When D called AC to ask about it, the girl got very defensive and then hung up. Later, she claimed she never saw the phone to begin with. Then she went into "you people are crazy" rant and told us to leave her alone. But she keeps messaging D on her MySpace page and calling the house and hanging up.
Yesterday, at Extreme Thing, AC saw D and ran off. Other kids mentioned that she was bragging about the phone to them.
The phone service is suspended on that number, but the girl has a brand new phone with a new microSD card and all D's contacts and pictures. God only knows what the heck she will do with them. The last time she got her hands on that kind of information (from another kid), she called and texted the contacts with all sorts of nasty trashy messages. The pictures ended up on MySpace.
The contacts can be gotten back because we get the backup service from our provider and I had just synced the numbers earlier that day. But that is not the point... This girl is allowed to run wild because her parents just don't give a sh!t.
I am sorry her parents are alcohols and drug addicts and her brother deals drugs. However, it is NOT my responsibility to provide her with clothing, food or anything else. The girl thinks that, if she worms her way into our house, she is entitled to pick up any of D's clothes she likes, take food out of the fridge and steal whatever else she likes. Of course, D is afraid to say anything because of the girl's family.
Unfortunately, there are way too many kids like that around here. Parents drink or do drugs, work weird hours and leave the kids alone most of the time, forget to buy food for the house, etc. Yeah, I feel sorry for them, but I also am a parent and I work.
The difference is that I pay the bills first, then buy food for the house. Only then do we entertain extras like a trip to the mall or buying a bunch of silly stuff. D doesn't like to see drinking so much as a beer around her because of those other parents, so I don't keep alcohol in the house at all. I think my biggest vice is sneaking in a box of Cella chocolate-covered cherries once in a while.
The biggest problem is that I cannot keep D from having contact with those kids. They go to her school, they hang out at the same places... I tell her that she needs to stay aloof because there is going to come a day when something horrific is going to happen with those kids and I do not want her to get dragged into it. I know that when they do finally bust AC's family, anyone in the house will go to jail with them. I just do NOT want my kid to be within a country mile of their place when it happens.
Right now, AC is harboring a runaway at her house and her parents are letting the girl stay there. D found out and saw the girl's sister and told her. I know some of you will say that's snitching, but AC's house is no place for her, let alone someone else's kid. I tried to get the police to investigate that family before, but they say they have too many other things to deal with. Too busy now, but when some tragedy strikes, they will be all contrite and swear they did their best.
It is impossible short of moving (and that may be a possibility) to keep the bad kids away from your own kids, but I am darned sure going to do everything in my power to keep that contact to a minimum outside of school (where they WILL have to interact since some are in the same classes).
If I thought I could get away with it (and I know I can't), I would spank the little brat myself and then personally drive her over to Child Haven since Juvie is always full up.
Now D tells me Little Miss AC is trying to be friends again. Who knows what she has up her sleeve now?
For D's 13th birthday, I upgraded her secondhand cell phone to a nicer one-the Alias. She was so thrilled to get it because it was a lot smaller than the eNvy (aka "The Brick") and it fit in her pocket easier. It also had neater features. I say "had" because the same little bee itch (AC) that stole her jeans earlier this year apparently stole the phone when they were all at the skate park.
Of course, the little monster swears she doesn't have it, although it was being answered/hung up when we called to see if it was in the house. When D called AC to ask about it, the girl got very defensive and then hung up. Later, she claimed she never saw the phone to begin with. Then she went into "you people are crazy" rant and told us to leave her alone. But she keeps messaging D on her MySpace page and calling the house and hanging up.
Yesterday, at Extreme Thing, AC saw D and ran off. Other kids mentioned that she was bragging about the phone to them.
The phone service is suspended on that number, but the girl has a brand new phone with a new microSD card and all D's contacts and pictures. God only knows what the heck she will do with them. The last time she got her hands on that kind of information (from another kid), she called and texted the contacts with all sorts of nasty trashy messages. The pictures ended up on MySpace.
The contacts can be gotten back because we get the backup service from our provider and I had just synced the numbers earlier that day. But that is not the point... This girl is allowed to run wild because her parents just don't give a sh!t.
I am sorry her parents are alcohols and drug addicts and her brother deals drugs. However, it is NOT my responsibility to provide her with clothing, food or anything else. The girl thinks that, if she worms her way into our house, she is entitled to pick up any of D's clothes she likes, take food out of the fridge and steal whatever else she likes. Of course, D is afraid to say anything because of the girl's family.
Unfortunately, there are way too many kids like that around here. Parents drink or do drugs, work weird hours and leave the kids alone most of the time, forget to buy food for the house, etc. Yeah, I feel sorry for them, but I also am a parent and I work.
The difference is that I pay the bills first, then buy food for the house. Only then do we entertain extras like a trip to the mall or buying a bunch of silly stuff. D doesn't like to see drinking so much as a beer around her because of those other parents, so I don't keep alcohol in the house at all. I think my biggest vice is sneaking in a box of Cella chocolate-covered cherries once in a while.
The biggest problem is that I cannot keep D from having contact with those kids. They go to her school, they hang out at the same places... I tell her that she needs to stay aloof because there is going to come a day when something horrific is going to happen with those kids and I do not want her to get dragged into it. I know that when they do finally bust AC's family, anyone in the house will go to jail with them. I just do NOT want my kid to be within a country mile of their place when it happens.
Right now, AC is harboring a runaway at her house and her parents are letting the girl stay there. D found out and saw the girl's sister and told her. I know some of you will say that's snitching, but AC's house is no place for her, let alone someone else's kid. I tried to get the police to investigate that family before, but they say they have too many other things to deal with. Too busy now, but when some tragedy strikes, they will be all contrite and swear they did their best.
It is impossible short of moving (and that may be a possibility) to keep the bad kids away from your own kids, but I am darned sure going to do everything in my power to keep that contact to a minimum outside of school (where they WILL have to interact since some are in the same classes).
If I thought I could get away with it (and I know I can't), I would spank the little brat myself and then personally drive her over to Child Haven since Juvie is always full up.
Now D tells me Little Miss AC is trying to be friends again. Who knows what she has up her sleeve now?
Monday, February 02, 2009
Update on the birthday
The little brat who stole D's jeans has been texting her all day with threats. She also goofed up by telling D that she does have the jeans, but she got them from someone else. Except that the store she said they came from doesn't sell that brand and the girl she claimed to have gotten them from wears like a size 13 and the jeans are size 0.
I hate to get all "Vendetta" on this kid, but you know... How do you keep lying and then send threats via a method that can be traced? I'm just angry that the criminal got her hands on D's phone and deleted a lot of her contacts (and I think copied others), along with sending rude messages to other people using her phone. Guess the little darlin' hasn't heard of the instant statement from the cell company.
A trip to the school in the morning, a trip to the cops to update the event report... Yeah, my Tuesday "mental health day" is going to be SUCH a treat.
I hate to get all "Vendetta" on this kid, but you know... How do you keep lying and then send threats via a method that can be traced? I'm just angry that the criminal got her hands on D's phone and deleted a lot of her contacts (and I think copied others), along with sending rude messages to other people using her phone. Guess the little darlin' hasn't heard of the instant statement from the cell company.
A trip to the school in the morning, a trip to the cops to update the event report... Yeah, my Tuesday "mental health day" is going to be SUCH a treat.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
One more thought on turning 13
With The Diva turning 13, I got some emails which annoyed me. Microsoft, Disney and a few other sites where she has a kid account informed me that, at 13, my child is NOT a child to them and now has access to the grown-up stuff on their websites.
OK....
Now, please explain to me how taking a minor off moderation is protection for them. At 13, do ALL children suddenly become mentally mature and get a common sense chip activated? Doubtful, knowing my newly-become teen.
And people wonder how the pervs find teens on the Web to exploit.
OK....
Now, please explain to me how taking a minor off moderation is protection for them. At 13, do ALL children suddenly become mentally mature and get a common sense chip activated? Doubtful, knowing my newly-become teen.
And people wonder how the pervs find teens on the Web to exploit.
13 the hard way
Today is/was The Diva's birthday and I am so glad the day is over. It was a train wreck!
First, she spent the night with a girl whose family are really insane and trouble broke out. The girl steals and she keeps stealing D's clothes. Well, the little twitch stole a pair of jeans that my dad bought for D and I wanted them back. I also wanted the sketchbook that the girl was holding on to. The headbands the girl is welcome to keep because D said they looked nasty after this girl wore them D didn't want lice.
Well, this kid's mother decided to accuse D of being a psychopath because she has nice clothes and wants to wear them. She also swears her kid only has five pairs of jeans (this while throwing a pile of at least 10 pairs at me to go through). The husband apparently spends a lot of "quality time" in our local lock-up and just got home from the latest visit, so he was not very cordial, either.
I could replace the jeans, but the sketchbook is another story. What really made me angry was the attitude of the parents about their child stealing--"All this fuss over a pair of pants. Go buy her another pair if it is that important." "It's just a sketchbook. They cost four bucks at WalMart." Well, it is the principle here--first, I should not have to replace something your brat is standing there wearing in front of us and second, D has been working on some clothing designs over the past several months and that work is not easily duplicated. The father was like "Well, I draw too and I don't get upset when my stuff gets messed up!"
Both these people are missing the major point--their kid is a thief!
Well, I asked them to just let D see if she could find the book and they started cussing and screaming and threatening me. I just backed away and called the cops at that point. It took over an HOUR for the police to show up, giving those miscreants time to hide/destroy stuff and call someone to come get the pot out of the house (apparently the older brother makes his living via the informal pharmaceuticals trade). I watched the person go in, get the hand-over and then carry it away. Meanwhile, the parents coached their little "darling" on what to tell the cops. You could hear them yelling at her about what to say all the way down the street. Basically, the phony claim was that we went over unannounced and tried to break down the door. PLEASE!!! Anyone who knows me knows that I am not going to break down a door--especially when I know there are completely INSANE mofos on the other side.
Anyway, the mother had time to take her meds (speaking of "psychopath") and get the girl to say that Danielle was crazy and was always showing up over there. I can attest that is not true--text messaging records are a wonderful thing... The cops weren't buying their story and told me how to sue them, giving me an event number and nothing else. As if suing would ever get the artwork back.
It just about ruined The Diva's day because she had plans. However, we did salvage most of them. She and her "bestee" went to a movie and then hung out for a while, going to the park and then playing on the computer. D was so tired after we dropped her friend off back home that she crawled into bed after dinner and missed her cake. I might just wake her up in the morning with it.
Poor thing--I wanted her to have a nice birthday and it ended up being memorable, but for all the wrong reasons. Well, maybe this experience will finally convince her that there are some real bitches out there even in middle school and that when I say I want to screen these girls and their families, I'm not doing so just to be nosy. I won't be able to protect her from everything, but I will do my best to protect her as much as I can.
First, she spent the night with a girl whose family are really insane and trouble broke out. The girl steals and she keeps stealing D's clothes. Well, the little twitch stole a pair of jeans that my dad bought for D and I wanted them back. I also wanted the sketchbook that the girl was holding on to. The headbands the girl is welcome to keep because D said they looked nasty after this girl wore them D didn't want lice.
Well, this kid's mother decided to accuse D of being a psychopath because she has nice clothes and wants to wear them. She also swears her kid only has five pairs of jeans (this while throwing a pile of at least 10 pairs at me to go through). The husband apparently spends a lot of "quality time" in our local lock-up and just got home from the latest visit, so he was not very cordial, either.
I could replace the jeans, but the sketchbook is another story. What really made me angry was the attitude of the parents about their child stealing--"All this fuss over a pair of pants. Go buy her another pair if it is that important." "It's just a sketchbook. They cost four bucks at WalMart." Well, it is the principle here--first, I should not have to replace something your brat is standing there wearing in front of us and second, D has been working on some clothing designs over the past several months and that work is not easily duplicated. The father was like "Well, I draw too and I don't get upset when my stuff gets messed up!"
Both these people are missing the major point--their kid is a thief!
Well, I asked them to just let D see if she could find the book and they started cussing and screaming and threatening me. I just backed away and called the cops at that point. It took over an HOUR for the police to show up, giving those miscreants time to hide/destroy stuff and call someone to come get the pot out of the house (apparently the older brother makes his living via the informal pharmaceuticals trade). I watched the person go in, get the hand-over and then carry it away. Meanwhile, the parents coached their little "darling" on what to tell the cops. You could hear them yelling at her about what to say all the way down the street. Basically, the phony claim was that we went over unannounced and tried to break down the door. PLEASE!!! Anyone who knows me knows that I am not going to break down a door--especially when I know there are completely INSANE mofos on the other side.
Anyway, the mother had time to take her meds (speaking of "psychopath") and get the girl to say that Danielle was crazy and was always showing up over there. I can attest that is not true--text messaging records are a wonderful thing... The cops weren't buying their story and told me how to sue them, giving me an event number and nothing else. As if suing would ever get the artwork back.
It just about ruined The Diva's day because she had plans. However, we did salvage most of them. She and her "bestee" went to a movie and then hung out for a while, going to the park and then playing on the computer. D was so tired after we dropped her friend off back home that she crawled into bed after dinner and missed her cake. I might just wake her up in the morning with it.
Poor thing--I wanted her to have a nice birthday and it ended up being memorable, but for all the wrong reasons. Well, maybe this experience will finally convince her that there are some real bitches out there even in middle school and that when I say I want to screen these girls and their families, I'm not doing so just to be nosy. I won't be able to protect her from everything, but I will do my best to protect her as much as I can.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Today is a very good day to be alive
This says it better than I ever could.
But the sheer hope I saw in people's eyes today was pretty wonderful.
Monday, January 19, 2009
An actor you never knew, but did...
Bob May, the person who sat inside and operated "Robot" in "Lost in Space" has died.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090119/ap_on_en_tv/obit_may
He was particularly fond of his Robot role, once saying he came to consider the suit a “home away from home.”
Lockhart said May wore the suit for hours at a time and learned the lines of every actor in the show so he would know when to respond to their cues. Because it wasn’t easy to get in and out of the suit, he kept it on during breaks.
“He was a smoker,” Lockhart remembered. “From time to time (when he was on a break), we’d see smoke coming out of the robot. That always amused us.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090119/ap_on_en_tv/obit_may
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Hair update
The votes are in!!!
Agents and ballet teacher have threatened bodily harm if she touches her hair again. Most of her friends are like "Eh..." because her hair is not as poofy as Emo hair is supposed to be (whatever that means). It never will be because Ms. Girl's hair is spiderweb fine and flyaway. Her doctor is not thrilled because it is a manifestation of other things. So, basically, everyone has told her that I was right to be angry and she still doesn't get it.
Judge for yourself. I blurred her face to protect the guilty:
I guess it isn't horrible from this angle, but there are whole sections where she hacked off her hair only two inches from the scalp. I seriously overtipped the stylist because she was able to make those areas look like they were part of a hair style and not a "Sheer Genius" challenge loser.
Agents and ballet teacher have threatened bodily harm if she touches her hair again. Most of her friends are like "Eh..." because her hair is not as poofy as Emo hair is supposed to be (whatever that means). It never will be because Ms. Girl's hair is spiderweb fine and flyaway. Her doctor is not thrilled because it is a manifestation of other things. So, basically, everyone has told her that I was right to be angry and she still doesn't get it.
Judge for yourself. I blurred her face to protect the guilty:
I guess it isn't horrible from this angle, but there are whole sections where she hacked off her hair only two inches from the scalp. I seriously overtipped the stylist because she was able to make those areas look like they were part of a hair style and not a "Sheer Genius" challenge loser.
Monday, January 05, 2009
A Bright and Shiny New Year!
OK! I stole that from a Rudolph special, but you know...
Anyway, the holidays were a blur. I spent most of the final two weeks of the year working and managed to get hurt on the job again. But, again, no one had time to do the accident report and so I haven't been to the doctor yet. Those people owe me TWO good knees and I want them sooner rather than later.
Ms. Thang decided (with the help of her screwy friends) to chop her hair "a la Emo". It made for a three hour rant and cutting off her Internet access for going on the third day now. I had to haul her butt to Great Cuts to get what was left of her hair in a salvageable state. It was really fun telling two agents and a manager that her hair had changed--AGAIN. One was OK with it, but the other two were not so amused. Can't wait for the ballet teacher to see it!
My dad came down this past weekend on the way to see my almost-93 y/o grandpa. We were supposed to go, but D has too much school stuff going on for her to miss almost a week of classes. So we just caught up on stuff, swapped the latest family pictures and gossip, talked smack about my youngest brother and went out a few times.
I love my dad, but he is at an age where he is having to be reminded of stuff (73). He has also decided to fixate on his time in the Marines and is now sporting all sorts of Marine clothing. He also is embracing the Cherokee in our woodpile, so he has grown his hair long and wears it in a ponytail. That was cute to see. But no matter what, he is my dad and I have to humor his foibles because he worked hard all his life, went to war and got injured, and still worked till his eye got messed up (Dr. Imhof Lazik clinic--don't go there!!!)
He plans to take a trip to Russia for his next birthday with his scary girlfriend. He earned it and I hope he has fun.
Me? I turn the big 5-0 this year and I *may* get as far as the beach at Santa Monica for a day or so. I'll prolly just spend it hanging out around the city and taking in a movie. I anticipate more planning and all that for Ms. D's 13th birthday bash. I believe the theme is "Rubber Duckies"--all the guests are supposed to wear yellow (the "must-have" color this year) and the goody bags will have yellow stuff like bath oil, puff scrubbers and duckies. Remember when a party was just "show up and have some cake"?
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