I called Customer Relations & tell a very nice woman the whole story about my mail, credit report, etc. She is so horrified that she puts me on hold before I can even tell the whole story & puts her supervisor on the phone.
I begin again. The supervisor is so horrified that she also stops me & puts her supervisor on the phone. This time I get to tell the entire story & she is extremely apologetic, for both the mistake & for the behavior of the store manager.
They tell me that the account is being closed as we speak & I have until April 26 to return the rings for a complete refund. I tell her I am going there as soon as we hang up, so she says that she'll call the store immediately to authorize the return.
I race to the store as quickly as possibly in rush hour traffic on McNightmare Road. As soon as I'm waited on, I'm put on ice while the lovely Chantal is brought out. Of course, she insists that nobody called so she has to call Credit for a return authorization. She keeps me waiting for about 20 minutes, briefly popping over to ask if I have a cell phone. No.
I do have a cell phone, but I'll be damned if this horrific monster of a woman is going to have some phone bank weasel call me to say they won't accept the return. Eventually, she has to accept my return but as she processes it, she's banging the keys so hard I really thought she would break her computer.
As she works, she informs me that she herself was right all along & that the supervisor who authorized the return had no authority to do so. In fact, they had attempted to call me just moments after hanging up with me to say that I can't return the rings.
That's funny because my BF was home & the last thing I did before entering the store was call him to see if they tried to back out of the return. They did not call. We have caller ID & he had a phone next to him the entire time, so there's no mistake.
She goes on to inform me that the woman who authorized the return is going to be in a lot of trouble for doing so & will likely be disciplined. I merely stated that it's a sin if the only honest employee in the organization were to be faulted for acting upon their claim of customer service being the company's #1 priority.
I added that I just want to be rid of the account & the rings -- we didn't return the gifts we had purchased, so they still got some of my money. I wasn't being unreasonable. I bit my tongue so as to stop myself from telling her that I bought a fantastic ring with multiple sapphires & 50%more diamonds at a competitor for only $50 more than the plain, unimaginative band I was returning.
And I certainly didn't rub her face in the fact that my fiancee got the exact same band elsewhere for nearly $200 less than Jared's price. All in all, I believe I handled myself with great aplomb, considering that their incompetence could have serious repurcussions for years.
Now off I go to find yet another way to monitor my credit & protect myself, thanks to Jared the Crapperia of Jewelers.
Disillusioned idealist needs a place to rant. Complaints welcome but only if accompanied by intelligent suggestions for potential solutions.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Jared, Galla-ripoff of Jewelry III
I go to the store & patiently explain the problem to the store manager (Chantal), hoping that she will be able to help. She is not sympathetic in the least. There are rules & she can't help me. So I tell her that I want to return the rings, because I simply want to spend my money elsewhere. I'm bluffing but it works. Aha! "Return" must really hit a nerve.
Instantly, she has transformed from a sour, scowling shrew of a woman into a friendly, smiling person whose only mission in life is to satisfy this customer. The change is stunning. She's suddenly very helpful, offering to call Credit & have them change the account.
She picks up the phone & makes the call, but while she's on hold, she reads the receipt for about the 10th time & suddenly realizes the purchase was made more than 30 days ago. All traces of helpfulness disappear in an instant. She tells me that I "just missed" the 30 day return period, so the rings are mine. Then she has the nerve to tell me this is MY fault because my address is correct in the computer, so only I could have changed the address with the credit department.
She tells me they will "note" my account in the system until the payment is processed & the account is closed. If someone tries to use my account, it will be flagged & they won't be able to do so. By now, I have ZERO confidence in the entire company so this is not good enough. I want the account changed. She again reminds me that there is a corporate policy & there's nothing I can do. I have no other options.
None? I ask. No other options at all? At this point, the last thing I want here is a wedding band. There is no way I want him slipping this on my finger on our big day. I'm completely disgusted by the fact that she was willing to make me happy so that I wouldn't return the rings but now that I "can't" make a return, the company refuses correct their errors or do anything to protect me. How's that for customer service?
She tells me the rings are mine & I have to pay for them. Then she brightens & suggests there is one other option.
Thinking that she might actually be human, I ask what that would be. Her response? "Well, I get the feeling that you just can't afford these & regret the purchase. If you don't pay for them, eventually we'd repossess them, although that would ruin your credit. That's the only way you'll get us to take them back. Otherwise, you have to keep them."
WHAT?!?! Excuse me, but we wanted these bands & accepted the price. The cost is not at all the issue here. And this amount of money will not ruin my good credit. Most importantly, she just threw down the gauntlet by speaking in absolutes. Nobody is going to tell me what I "have to" do.
I just walked out at that point. I don't know what we're going to do with these rings but Jared is going to take them back if I have to drive to their corporate offices in Akron & hand deliver them. They will never see a dime of my hard-earned money. I will happily pay this sum in multiple to an attorney to ensure that these scumbags never see a single red cent of our money.
Instantly, she has transformed from a sour, scowling shrew of a woman into a friendly, smiling person whose only mission in life is to satisfy this customer. The change is stunning. She's suddenly very helpful, offering to call Credit & have them change the account.
She picks up the phone & makes the call, but while she's on hold, she reads the receipt for about the 10th time & suddenly realizes the purchase was made more than 30 days ago. All traces of helpfulness disappear in an instant. She tells me that I "just missed" the 30 day return period, so the rings are mine. Then she has the nerve to tell me this is MY fault because my address is correct in the computer, so only I could have changed the address with the credit department.
She tells me they will "note" my account in the system until the payment is processed & the account is closed. If someone tries to use my account, it will be flagged & they won't be able to do so. By now, I have ZERO confidence in the entire company so this is not good enough. I want the account changed. She again reminds me that there is a corporate policy & there's nothing I can do. I have no other options.
None? I ask. No other options at all? At this point, the last thing I want here is a wedding band. There is no way I want him slipping this on my finger on our big day. I'm completely disgusted by the fact that she was willing to make me happy so that I wouldn't return the rings but now that I "can't" make a return, the company refuses correct their errors or do anything to protect me. How's that for customer service?
She tells me the rings are mine & I have to pay for them. Then she brightens & suggests there is one other option.
Thinking that she might actually be human, I ask what that would be. Her response? "Well, I get the feeling that you just can't afford these & regret the purchase. If you don't pay for them, eventually we'd repossess them, although that would ruin your credit. That's the only way you'll get us to take them back. Otherwise, you have to keep them."
WHAT?!?! Excuse me, but we wanted these bands & accepted the price. The cost is not at all the issue here. And this amount of money will not ruin my good credit. Most importantly, she just threw down the gauntlet by speaking in absolutes. Nobody is going to tell me what I "have to" do.
I just walked out at that point. I don't know what we're going to do with these rings but Jared is going to take them back if I have to drive to their corporate offices in Akron & hand deliver them. They will never see a dime of my hard-earned money. I will happily pay this sum in multiple to an attorney to ensure that these scumbags never see a single red cent of our money.
Jared, Galla-ripoff of Jewelry II
I recently opened an account at Jared the supposed Galleria of jewelry. Biggest mistake I have ever made. For starters, I was told that if I open an account, there's no payments due or finance charges for 90 days. Ok, sounded great. Among other things, my fiancee & I bought our wedding bands there.
A couple of weeks have gone by & I haven't received anything from Jared. I was expecting some acknowledgement of the new account, such as a letter or store credit card. I called the store but my salesman is never there (big shock - see previous post). Besides, they told me, he couldn't help you anyway, you have to call the credit department. Over the next few weeks, I called Credit 3 times because I still hadn't received anything. They kept telling me it was on the way, new accounts take a while, no worries. I called for the 5th time.
Mind you, it's been only a week since my last conversation with them. But this time, they tell me that they've been sending my stuff to a different address. An address I have never heard of. They sent everything - my Jared credit card, statements, invoices, etc. to somebody else. Almost 2 whole months ago.
The worst part is that NONE of the mail has been returned. I tell them that they need to close the account right away & give me a new one because somebody should be using it. They tell me to pay in full first & they can close it in a few days, once the payment has been processed. Umm, no, I don't think so. Close it NOW & transfer my balance to a new account that hasn't been compromised by your incompetence. They refuse.
Now I'm mad. They have totally compromised my privacy & handed a stranger a credit card with my name on it. Keep in mind that they have my correct unlisted phone number, a copy of my driver's license & used my Social Security number for the account as well. At the very least, the phone number may be in the wrong hands. The least they could do is change the account number for me to protect me from fraud or identity theft. But they won't.
I try to calm down & think it through. This may not be so bad, maybe I'm making mountains out of molehills. It's probably not even a real address, so my Jared mail is probably in a landfill somewhere. Then I check my credit report with all 3 major agencies. Jared has added that address to my credit report with 2 different bureaus. Now I have to have it removed.
I Google the address & zip. It's real. They have sent everything to a stranger, in my name, at said stranger's address & stranger didn't return anything. Now I'm really REALLY mad. I could be dealing with the consequences of their incompetence for years.
A couple of weeks have gone by & I haven't received anything from Jared. I was expecting some acknowledgement of the new account, such as a letter or store credit card. I called the store but my salesman is never there (big shock - see previous post). Besides, they told me, he couldn't help you anyway, you have to call the credit department. Over the next few weeks, I called Credit 3 times because I still hadn't received anything. They kept telling me it was on the way, new accounts take a while, no worries. I called for the 5th time.
Mind you, it's been only a week since my last conversation with them. But this time, they tell me that they've been sending my stuff to a different address. An address I have never heard of. They sent everything - my Jared credit card, statements, invoices, etc. to somebody else. Almost 2 whole months ago.
The worst part is that NONE of the mail has been returned. I tell them that they need to close the account right away & give me a new one because somebody should be using it. They tell me to pay in full first & they can close it in a few days, once the payment has been processed. Umm, no, I don't think so. Close it NOW & transfer my balance to a new account that hasn't been compromised by your incompetence. They refuse.
Now I'm mad. They have totally compromised my privacy & handed a stranger a credit card with my name on it. Keep in mind that they have my correct unlisted phone number, a copy of my driver's license & used my Social Security number for the account as well. At the very least, the phone number may be in the wrong hands. The least they could do is change the account number for me to protect me from fraud or identity theft. But they won't.
I try to calm down & think it through. This may not be so bad, maybe I'm making mountains out of molehills. It's probably not even a real address, so my Jared mail is probably in a landfill somewhere. Then I check my credit report with all 3 major agencies. Jared has added that address to my credit report with 2 different bureaus. Now I have to have it removed.
I Google the address & zip. It's real. They have sent everything to a stranger, in my name, at said stranger's address & stranger didn't return anything. Now I'm really REALLY mad. I could be dealing with the consequences of their incompetence for years.
Jared, Galla-ripoff of Jewelry I
Annoying salespeople. Very annoying. At one point, the salesman offered to clean my engagement ring for me. I thought that was very kind & accepted. But when he handed it back to me, he directed us to another counter & said that if ever wanted to upgrade, they had a lot of nice diamonds in "better" settings.
My ring is an amethyst because I wanted an amethyst, thank you very much. I am aware of the existence of diamonds but have never been partial to them myself. They're pretty but boring & that's just not my style.
We figured he probably works on commission so we dedcided to cut him a break. (We were discussing this when we thought we were alone). I asked my BF if he had heard from the caterer, who hadn't returned my last call. He said "no". Suddenly the salesman appears out of nowhere.
Sooo, you're having problems with your caterer.
Not really, it's no big deal.
Well, it sounds like he's kind of flaky & who needs that? I know a fantastic caterer.
I appreciate your interest but we really like this company & have used them for other events, so we're not interested in caterers.
Well I'll give you her name & number just in case. She's fantastic.
If something happens & we need a new caterer, we'll call you first.
By the time we got home from Jared, there was a voicemail from the salesman giving me the name & number of his caterer. Annoying & pushy, but not such a big deal.
But imagine my surprise when my phone rings early the next morning. It was his caterer. He had given this woman my UNLISTED HOME PHONE NUMBER without even asking my permission!
He is damn lucky that we bought our rings there because if I wasn't a satisfied customer, I'd get him in a lot of trouble. What a prick.
My ring is an amethyst because I wanted an amethyst, thank you very much. I am aware of the existence of diamonds but have never been partial to them myself. They're pretty but boring & that's just not my style.
We figured he probably works on commission so we dedcided to cut him a break. (We were discussing this when we thought we were alone). I asked my BF if he had heard from the caterer, who hadn't returned my last call. He said "no". Suddenly the salesman appears out of nowhere.
Sooo, you're having problems with your caterer.
Not really, it's no big deal.
Well, it sounds like he's kind of flaky & who needs that? I know a fantastic caterer.
I appreciate your interest but we really like this company & have used them for other events, so we're not interested in caterers.
Well I'll give you her name & number just in case. She's fantastic.
If something happens & we need a new caterer, we'll call you first.
By the time we got home from Jared, there was a voicemail from the salesman giving me the name & number of his caterer. Annoying & pushy, but not such a big deal.
But imagine my surprise when my phone rings early the next morning. It was his caterer. He had given this woman my UNLISTED HOME PHONE NUMBER without even asking my permission!
He is damn lucky that we bought our rings there because if I wasn't a satisfied customer, I'd get him in a lot of trouble. What a prick.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Democracy or Oligarchy?
As usual, lots of whining in Western PA lately. First it was all about the Mary Beth Buchanan, the US Attorney for Western PA. She's a Republican & the Democrats think she's picking on them because her office only investigates & prosecutes Dems.
Hate to state the obvious but since no other party ever takes office for anything in this area, there is no opportunity for corruption by anyone else, thus no need to investigate let alone prosecute a member of another party.
Now allow me to address the Pittsburgh trial of the century: the Wecht trial. I must begin by saying that Cyril Wecht has few fans more devoted than me. He is our very own Quincy, which is no small feat. Before CSI, I was into forensics. Before the Wecht School at Duquesne, I wanted to go to college to be like Quincy. It was a lifelong dream to be a chick Quincy, but that's a story for another day.
I'm sorry to say that my hero has abused his power, wasted taxpayer money on private endeavors & has reaped unjust rewards at the expense of us taxpayers. I'm sick of whiny party-mongers crying mountains out of molehills & how we should prosecute real crimes instead of hot dog runs.
The truth is that he abused his office & used public resources for private endeavors. That's illegal. The hot dog thing is silly on it's face but is just one very small part of a much larger & complex pattern of theft from the public. If the hot dog run was the only crime, then this would be a ridiculous trial. But it doesn't stand alone & is one of the least serious abuses in the collective.
Not only do we deserve better from our elected officials but we deserve better from our voting peers. Theft from taxpayers should never be championed, supported or rewarded but that's what all of these self-proclaimed supporters are demanding.
Saddest of all, one of those whiny diatribes was written by a well-established columnist at the Post-Gazette. (Don't be afraid to drop Brian O'Neill a line of thanks, as he is so astute at championing our local government waste.)
Thanks for championing accountability & ethics in our local government, PG. As always, you've done a steller job of helping the untouchable political oligarchy of the Dems pick our pockets & get away with it. Can't wait to see you're next slanted, meaningless, issues-devoid voter guide.
Hate to state the obvious but since no other party ever takes office for anything in this area, there is no opportunity for corruption by anyone else, thus no need to investigate let alone prosecute a member of another party.
Now allow me to address the Pittsburgh trial of the century: the Wecht trial. I must begin by saying that Cyril Wecht has few fans more devoted than me. He is our very own Quincy, which is no small feat. Before CSI, I was into forensics. Before the Wecht School at Duquesne, I wanted to go to college to be like Quincy. It was a lifelong dream to be a chick Quincy, but that's a story for another day.
I'm sorry to say that my hero has abused his power, wasted taxpayer money on private endeavors & has reaped unjust rewards at the expense of us taxpayers. I'm sick of whiny party-mongers crying mountains out of molehills & how we should prosecute real crimes instead of hot dog runs.
The truth is that he abused his office & used public resources for private endeavors. That's illegal. The hot dog thing is silly on it's face but is just one very small part of a much larger & complex pattern of theft from the public. If the hot dog run was the only crime, then this would be a ridiculous trial. But it doesn't stand alone & is one of the least serious abuses in the collective.
Not only do we deserve better from our elected officials but we deserve better from our voting peers. Theft from taxpayers should never be championed, supported or rewarded but that's what all of these self-proclaimed supporters are demanding.
Saddest of all, one of those whiny diatribes was written by a well-established columnist at the Post-Gazette. (Don't be afraid to drop Brian O'Neill a line of thanks, as he is so astute at championing our local government waste.)
Thanks for championing accountability & ethics in our local government, PG. As always, you've done a steller job of helping the untouchable political oligarchy of the Dems pick our pockets & get away with it. Can't wait to see you're next slanted, meaningless, issues-devoid voter guide.
Crime Shouldn't Pay
Police brutality & excessive force are very serious issues. Chosen to protect & serve, the thought - or reality - of the police being our enemies is a nightmare scenario. While all professions have some bad apples, it's particularly dangerous in some more than others; certainly druggie surgeons, corrupt cops or pedophile teachers are more of a concern than say, a stealing cashier or a mechanic who pads the bill.
But overall, the police put themselves in harm's way & make sacrifices that the rest of us can only imagine. That's why it disturbs me so much to see frivilous lawsuits against officers. While there are certainly occurrences of excessive force in some situations, it seems that many lawsuits - or at least the ones garnering juicy media coverage - ignore the fact that many "victims" are equally responsible for the outcome of these situations.
So often we read of civil suits brought by criminals or their families, who feel that the police overreact to their crimes. I'm sick & tired of Americans refusing to take responsibility for themselves & blaming everything on someone else.
Over & over again, we're bombarded with plaintiffs who feel that society is at fault for their crimes because of the class, race or ethnicity they belong to doesn't get a fair shake or because their neighborhood, public schools or community in some way has failed them.
There are so many excuses & none of them hold water. Lots of people grow up poor, sad, depressed, repressed, abused, denigrated, of every race, color & creed to be productive citizens who contribute to society, rather than taking away from it or harming others. So what's the difference between them & the criminals? The only difference is that criminals choose to do the wrong thing. Very few people are mentally disturbed to the extent that they do not know right from wrong. Everyone else should be 100% accountable for their actions at all times & for the actions of their minor children.
If your kid is an a-hole, junkie or scumbag, it's nobody's fault but yours, mom & dad. Period.
Case in point: Two PA State Troopers are defending a civil suit from the father of a kid they killed during a police chase. The facts of the case are disheartening: A 12 year old led the troopers on a chase while driving a stolen Bronco. He ditched & ran, they pursued. As one officer attempted to climb a fence in pursuit, his gun went off. Lagging behind, his partner heard the shot & believed the suspect had shot at his partner.
The partner fired at the suspect, hitting him in the back & killing him. Both of those men have to live with the fact that they killed an unarmed child. It's a horrible tragedy but it's also an unfortunate consequence of criminal acts.
The officers acted upon their training, nothing more or less. Such situations don't allow for an officer to stop & take stock of every detail, they require immediate action. Anything less would allow for a lot of unsolved crimes & dead police officers.
The facts of this case are that a young child was running around late at night, stealing cars & leading police on vehicle & foot chase. Michael Hickenbottom, father of Michael Ellerbee, wants money from these two men because he views this as an instance of excessive force & somehow, I suppose, getting lots of money from them will right this wrong.
Give me a break. If anyone has a debt to society to pay here, it's the "father" who didn't bother to raise his child. The only criminal here is the man who allowed his young son to run amok & pay the ultimate price.
But overall, the police put themselves in harm's way & make sacrifices that the rest of us can only imagine. That's why it disturbs me so much to see frivilous lawsuits against officers. While there are certainly occurrences of excessive force in some situations, it seems that many lawsuits - or at least the ones garnering juicy media coverage - ignore the fact that many "victims" are equally responsible for the outcome of these situations.
So often we read of civil suits brought by criminals or their families, who feel that the police overreact to their crimes. I'm sick & tired of Americans refusing to take responsibility for themselves & blaming everything on someone else.
Over & over again, we're bombarded with plaintiffs who feel that society is at fault for their crimes because of the class, race or ethnicity they belong to doesn't get a fair shake or because their neighborhood, public schools or community in some way has failed them.
There are so many excuses & none of them hold water. Lots of people grow up poor, sad, depressed, repressed, abused, denigrated, of every race, color & creed to be productive citizens who contribute to society, rather than taking away from it or harming others. So what's the difference between them & the criminals? The only difference is that criminals choose to do the wrong thing. Very few people are mentally disturbed to the extent that they do not know right from wrong. Everyone else should be 100% accountable for their actions at all times & for the actions of their minor children.
If your kid is an a-hole, junkie or scumbag, it's nobody's fault but yours, mom & dad. Period.
Case in point: Two PA State Troopers are defending a civil suit from the father of a kid they killed during a police chase. The facts of the case are disheartening: A 12 year old led the troopers on a chase while driving a stolen Bronco. He ditched & ran, they pursued. As one officer attempted to climb a fence in pursuit, his gun went off. Lagging behind, his partner heard the shot & believed the suspect had shot at his partner.
The partner fired at the suspect, hitting him in the back & killing him. Both of those men have to live with the fact that they killed an unarmed child. It's a horrible tragedy but it's also an unfortunate consequence of criminal acts.
The officers acted upon their training, nothing more or less. Such situations don't allow for an officer to stop & take stock of every detail, they require immediate action. Anything less would allow for a lot of unsolved crimes & dead police officers.
The facts of this case are that a young child was running around late at night, stealing cars & leading police on vehicle & foot chase. Michael Hickenbottom, father of Michael Ellerbee, wants money from these two men because he views this as an instance of excessive force & somehow, I suppose, getting lots of money from them will right this wrong.
Give me a break. If anyone has a debt to society to pay here, it's the "father" who didn't bother to raise his child. The only criminal here is the man who allowed his young son to run amok & pay the ultimate price.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Skank You, Very Much
Recently, I was in a having a formal dress fitted at a local boutique. It was a Tuesday evening & there was only one other customer in the store. She was in her late 40's or early 50's & was a very attractive woman -- pretty face, body in good shape.
It saddened me endlessly to see this beautiful woman trying on lovely gowns a few sizes too small. Why do women do this? It's a crime against nature, I swear. So often you see an otherwise attractive woman wearing an outfit 3 sizes too small. A size 2 suddenly has an unbecoming muffintop but the same lady would be a knockout if she was simply wearing the same outfit in the proper size.
Also depressing is the beautiful woman in an outfit made for hanging on a pole. You see it everywhere, from the clubs to the mall, so I guess this is one unsightly phenomena that's here to stay. I was recently at a wedding where the bride is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in person & has a body most of us only dream of achieving.
But for her gown, she chose a backless, sequined, bedazzled thing that just looked cheap. It makes me sad that so many sisters have so little self-respect or just plain bad taste. I'm by no means a fashionista of any sort. Most days I can be spotted in jeans & a casual shirt so I'm not cutting down on anyone's fashion sense by any means, I promise.
I just don't understand why a woman who would be a knock-out in a classy get-up would choose to be a skank in some midriff-baring, cleavage-line-to-the-navel, butt-crack-exposing anything.
In the case of the woman at the boutique, my societal malaise soon turned to horror. She wanted a specific dress but needed to have the fabric dyed because the available color was too similar to the color of the bridesmaids' dresses.
"Oh, a wedding, no, you don't want to dress like the bridesmaids," the proprieter agreed.
"Well, as the mother of the bride, I just can't," the woman lamented.
Egads! For all of the times I've wished my parents were just slightly more hip, I take it back, every single one. I can't imagine the horror that would stem from having your mother dressed like a mid-priced call girl at your formal wedding.
It saddened me endlessly to see this beautiful woman trying on lovely gowns a few sizes too small. Why do women do this? It's a crime against nature, I swear. So often you see an otherwise attractive woman wearing an outfit 3 sizes too small. A size 2 suddenly has an unbecoming muffintop but the same lady would be a knockout if she was simply wearing the same outfit in the proper size.
Also depressing is the beautiful woman in an outfit made for hanging on a pole. You see it everywhere, from the clubs to the mall, so I guess this is one unsightly phenomena that's here to stay. I was recently at a wedding where the bride is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in person & has a body most of us only dream of achieving.
But for her gown, she chose a backless, sequined, bedazzled thing that just looked cheap. It makes me sad that so many sisters have so little self-respect or just plain bad taste. I'm by no means a fashionista of any sort. Most days I can be spotted in jeans & a casual shirt so I'm not cutting down on anyone's fashion sense by any means, I promise.
I just don't understand why a woman who would be a knock-out in a classy get-up would choose to be a skank in some midriff-baring, cleavage-line-to-the-navel, butt-crack-exposing anything.
In the case of the woman at the boutique, my societal malaise soon turned to horror. She wanted a specific dress but needed to have the fabric dyed because the available color was too similar to the color of the bridesmaids' dresses.
"Oh, a wedding, no, you don't want to dress like the bridesmaids," the proprieter agreed.
"Well, as the mother of the bride, I just can't," the woman lamented.
Egads! For all of the times I've wished my parents were just slightly more hip, I take it back, every single one. I can't imagine the horror that would stem from having your mother dressed like a mid-priced call girl at your formal wedding.
Monday, March 3, 2008
UPMC Slogan Contest
I've always had a chip on my shoulder about the many local "non-profit" organizations that clearly profit from the rest of us. Colleges, hospitals, insurers & the Catholic Diocese in this area own the best real estate & don't pay taxes on any of it -- unlike the rest of us poor schmucks, who are being taxed right out of our homes & right out of business.
There are many things to criticize about all fo these organizations, but my favorite to pick on is UPMC, for a variety fo reasons.
First & foremost, UPMC offers the additional caveat of nearly-monopolizing the healthcare industry, thus grossly suppressing wages in many fields that are otherwise quite lucrative. They also have a big piece of the insurance market while offering an average (at best) product for exhorbitant rates. Quite a service to the region, no?
At the moment, the thing that most disgusts me about UPMC is their "gift" to the city in lieu of taxes, aka the "Pittsburgh Promise". Sorry, but sending average & underacheiving students to college for lower rates does not rate high on my list of public services.
That money would be much better spent easing the burden of working people struggling with healthcare costs. It would be better spent easing the tax burden of homeowners & businesses in the region. It would be better spent improving municipal services. it would be even better spent used to consolidate municipal services so as to lower the cost & increase the efficiency of the entire county.
That being said, I'm wondering if UPMC should implement a new slogan to more clearly illustrate their motives. How about something like this:
UPMC: Our rising premiums are driving healthcare out of reach of the masses, so that C students can attend college more cheaply. But not necessarily at Pitt. No. It's just pure coincidence that our college is the only one in town that accepts such pathetic GPA's. Yeah, that's the ticket!
There are many things to criticize about all fo these organizations, but my favorite to pick on is UPMC, for a variety fo reasons.
First & foremost, UPMC offers the additional caveat of nearly-monopolizing the healthcare industry, thus grossly suppressing wages in many fields that are otherwise quite lucrative. They also have a big piece of the insurance market while offering an average (at best) product for exhorbitant rates. Quite a service to the region, no?
At the moment, the thing that most disgusts me about UPMC is their "gift" to the city in lieu of taxes, aka the "Pittsburgh Promise". Sorry, but sending average & underacheiving students to college for lower rates does not rate high on my list of public services.
That money would be much better spent easing the burden of working people struggling with healthcare costs. It would be better spent easing the tax burden of homeowners & businesses in the region. It would be better spent improving municipal services. it would be even better spent used to consolidate municipal services so as to lower the cost & increase the efficiency of the entire county.
That being said, I'm wondering if UPMC should implement a new slogan to more clearly illustrate their motives. How about something like this:
UPMC: Our rising premiums are driving healthcare out of reach of the masses, so that C students can attend college more cheaply. But not necessarily at Pitt. No. It's just pure coincidence that our college is the only one in town that accepts such pathetic GPA's. Yeah, that's the ticket!
Land On This & Spin
What would you do if the FAA just decided one day to route air traffic over your home? Seems to me that your investment would start to seriously tank, since your home wasn't always on a major flight path.
Can you imagine the noise & frustration? Many an unlucky homeowner in suburban Philly is now dealing with this issue thanks to a federal "restructuring" intended to alleviate flight corridor congestion between Philly & New York. It's so typical of the government to try to make things easier for big business at the expense of everyday folks.
Who gives a damn if travelers have to wait on their layovers? Quality of life for the residents should be tantamount to everything else. Our taxes (expecially real estate taxes in PA) keep this state alive & without us, there would be no need for an airport.
A recent article on MSNBC describes the plight of affected homeowners. The FAA has a noise complaint hotline, but apparently you never get to speak to an actual person & the message mailbox is always full. So what's a disgruntled homewoner to do?
One clever couple decided to send a message right to the source by posting a candid message to the FAA on the roof of their home. The roof now reads "F-ck U FAA" above a picture of a plane with a slash through it & the words "No Fly Zone".
I like their moxy & only hope that all the neighbors do it, too. Maybe then it will get the attention of the powers that be at the FAA.
Can you imagine the noise & frustration? Many an unlucky homeowner in suburban Philly is now dealing with this issue thanks to a federal "restructuring" intended to alleviate flight corridor congestion between Philly & New York. It's so typical of the government to try to make things easier for big business at the expense of everyday folks.
Who gives a damn if travelers have to wait on their layovers? Quality of life for the residents should be tantamount to everything else. Our taxes (expecially real estate taxes in PA) keep this state alive & without us, there would be no need for an airport.
A recent article on MSNBC describes the plight of affected homeowners. The FAA has a noise complaint hotline, but apparently you never get to speak to an actual person & the message mailbox is always full. So what's a disgruntled homewoner to do?
One clever couple decided to send a message right to the source by posting a candid message to the FAA on the roof of their home. The roof now reads "F-ck U FAA" above a picture of a plane with a slash through it & the words "No Fly Zone".
I like their moxy & only hope that all the neighbors do it, too. Maybe then it will get the attention of the powers that be at the FAA.
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