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The PayPal thing turned out about how I expected…which wasn’t good for me. The automated response I received did nothing to help my concerns and had little to do with the problem. I was “assured” that PayPal was safe and secure (because if you can’t trust the emailed words of a stranger, who can you trust). There was no mention to why my bank account was removed; no reason given to why my purchases are being denied. We’ll see how they respond to my next letter. If this fails, I guarantee the third email will contain far more profanity (and perhaps a few comments about the sexual liberation of their mothers).
This is gold. A few months ago there was an officer-involved shooting in Anaheim–I remember the story when it happened. The police were called out to a neighborhood in the middle of the night because someone reported a robbery. Meanwhile, 20-year old Julian Alexander was sleeping in his house when he thought he heard someone outside. He went outside to confront the prowler; the police were looking for a suspect. It was dark and…well, the wrong place at the wrong time. I feel bad for the family; I feel . . . . .
Dear PayPal;
I recently added a bank account to my PayPal account but I think doing so created some sort of major glitch in your system. The bank account was somehow removed from my PayPal profile. When I tried to add it again, the account was disallowed. An error message told me to fax over a recent bank statement and a cover letter provided to re-add the account. I did as told and received another email telling me that I now needed to fax over a copy of my driver’s license and a copy of my most recent bank statement on a paper with bank letterhead. Meanwhile, I’ve been having all sorts of problems making transactions. My most recent purchase was didn’t go through and was canceled by the vendor because PayPal didn’t transfer the funds. What’s going on?
I receive paperless billing and don’t have access to my bank’s letterhead to print out a statement. Plus, I feel real uncomfortable spending copies of my driver’s license and bank statements to some foreign fax machine far away from me.
What gives? Why am I having problems? PayPal is supposed to be easy. If I knew there would be these ridiculous . . . . .
On Black Friday, there were three shopping-related deaths (giving new meaning to the term “shop ’til you drop”). I don’t understand the frenzy that motivates someone to kill for $3 off a Tickle-Me-Elmo doll, but then again there’s a lot I don’t understand about this world. Black Friday typically has some good deals but rarely anything good enough to get me out of bed before 5 am–and certainly nothing worth killing for. Like cattle being chase by a hound, dozens of Wal-Mart customers trampled a man as the store open. And at a Toys-R-Us, two men–both armed–shot each other.
While what happened at that Toys-R-Us is a tragedy (that’s what some would say; I think it’s a good thing when you rid the world full of two bozos who take guns to go toy shopping), I think the overreaction by Toys-R-Us and local police is a bit of a joke. On Saturday, deputies patrolled the Palm Desert store, ensuring there wouldn’t be repeat. Really? Is that necessary? What happened on Black Friday was the perfect storm: a mad rush of shoppers, two armed idiots, and a crowd of people who had to watch the Lions game on TV. No one . . . . .
It’s official: The Wife is legally mine (I initially penned that line “The Girlfriend”–old habit do die hard). She received her new social security card this week with her new last name–mine. And since she has my name on her that makes her my property. That’s not chauvinistic–it’s life. Kinda like when you’re a kid and you write your name on your football. You do it so everyone knows it’s yours. I’m not going to take a Sharpie and write on The Wife’s forehead, but that doesn’t change the fact she has my name and is now my property.
I’m hardly an expert and there’s a good chance I don’t even know what I’m talking about–but that’s never stopped me from giving my opinion. With that in mind, I think I’m opposed to a potential government bailout of US automakers. It’s my taxes and I don’t wanna see it wasted. I know we’re talking about putting a lot of people out of work–but I don’t see why the US government has to save a company that pushes products no one wants. That’s all it really comes down to. Isn’t the whole point of capitalism and free markets about letting the . . . . .
I have spent way too much time over the past couple weeks talking about politics. Sure, it’s a subject that fires me up–and I guess it’s best to write about something you care about–but that’s not the kinda writer I wanna be. I like writing about funny stuff. I like telling amusing, lighthearted stories with my own slanted view on society. So enough with the gloom, doom, and negativity–let’s talk about something fun.
From the “it could only happen to me category,” lemme tellya about the snafu I somehow managed to get caught up in with my landlord. I learned a long time ago I’d much rather have something do something automagically than be held responsible to remember to do it myself. It’s not so much because I’m forgetful…I just sorta get distracted and ignore responsibilities for something more amusing. Either that, or I’m lazy. In any case, it’s all automatic for me. Programming the VCR to record shows (back when I had a VCR) even if I planned on staying home to watch them (ya know, just in case). My phone is “programmed” to change to “audible” every night just in case I fall asleep with it on vibrate. . . . . .
The elections might be finished–but I’m not. I’ve been complaining a lot about politics lately because politics is “in” nowadays. So before I return to the usual complaints and irritations, I have to get something else off my chest: people are stupid. Beyond stupid. To call people morons would be an insult to morons everywhere. No one has a dime of common sense. I simply cannot believe the stupidity in the world. People have no sense of cause and effect. Action and reaction. I don’t know how I can live in a world with people that are just so damn stupid. They make it worse for people like me–the nonstupids.
On Tuesday, California voters passed many wide-ranging measures–all of which have significant dollar amounts attached to them. “We” approved of $2 billion to go to children’s hospitals. “We” approved of $10 billon for a high speed train to connect LA and SF. I reluctantly used the word “we” because unfortunately, I get lumped together with these pinheads–but trust me, these are not measures I would have approved.
Meanwhile, Thursday–not even 48 hours after the polls closed–the governor announced that California is in serious debt and proposed a $4 billion tax . . . . .
The early results are in and I’m sad. Just when you think our society is willing to accept, you see the prejudice that resides in people’s hearts. As of now, Prop 8 is failing–54 percent to 46. It’s early–but the race is nowhere near close. I’m surprised by the results–I assumed it wouldn’t pass–but I guess that just goes to show you everyone’s opinion is different.
I really thought this thing would fail. It feels like our society is becoming more tolerant of gay people. I figured intelligent folks would see through the misleading and negative ad campaigns. And yet here we are, another civil liberty denied.
Prop 8 passing means one of two things:
1) People truly aren’t open and accepting of homosexuals. Sure, they might say all the right things in public. But when it comes to anonymous private opinions, people hate the gays. That’s the only reason I can think of to deny them the same opportunity that’s available to everyone else. Either that…
2) Either that or people are truly stupid. The television campaigns focused on the children. Everyone always wants to protect the children. The quickest way you can get anyone’s emotions riled up is . . . . .
When life gets too busy or I have nothing to complain about, I just reach back and find something I wrote earlier but never posted (usually because it was uninteresting or poorly written…or maybe even both). This is one of those stories.
I don’t mean to be a troublemaker–things just sorta happen to me. I think the reason why is because I’m a fighter–I simply don’t lay down when unjust situations arise. I don’t wanna inflate my own ego here, but I believe strongly in my convictions and I’m never going to back down. Some might call it stubborn, but I prefer ‘determined’–it puts a positive spin on things.
The Girlfriend and I went to Jack in the Box because she was craving one of their fruit smoothies. “Should I buy the small one for $2.69 or the large for 3.39,” she asked after studying the menu.
“Go with the small,” I told her. She rarely finished drinks like that and it didn’t make sense to spend the extra 70 cents on something she wasn’t going to drink. We went through the drive-thru and ordered the smoothie. The cashier didn’t tell us a total–only to pull up to the window.
. . . . .
Now there’s gonna be a new “Ghostbusters”?!?!?!? When will this stop? Just once–once!–I’d like to see the studios come up with a fresh idea for a movie. But that would require a time machine and a trip back to 1955. Hey, that’s an idea–why not a “Back To the Future” sequel?
Or should I say ‘reboot?’
That’s the latest buzzword in Hollywood. Studios are no longer making sequels–they’re ‘rebooting’ franchises. After the critical and commercial success of “Casino Royale” and “Batman Begins,” Hollywood is looking to reboot any franchise that had a successful run. Marvel felt compelled to reboot the Hulk a mere three years after the first one was considered a bust (proof that there’s justice in the world: the 2008 edition made just as much money as the 2005 version).
Hollywood thinks moviegoers are suckers. The suits believe if they attach the world ‘reboot’ to a franchise, they’ll get people to flock to a tired franchise no one cares about. But it takes more than calling a film a reboot to make a franchise relevant again. The reason “Batman Begins” was successful was because it was a good movie. I say this being a well-known Batman basher (I . . . . .
A coworker was telling me about his experience meeting Fergie (who–thanks to The Girlfriend–I recently learned is a musician and not an English aristocrat). He talked about her bodyguards, fancy cars, and massive, obviously expensive jewelry. “That girl is rolling in cash,” he said.
I’m tired of making other people rich. Actors, singers, sports stars, CEOs–all of them are getting rich on our dime. Every movie we see and every CD we buy makes the rich richer. We don’t think about it when we go shopping–we just buy stuff because as Americans we love buying stuff. But the entertainers we make rich are already loaded. They have more money than they could every possibly spend (well, except MC Hammer). Imagine what it’s like being Fergie. She doesn’t hafta worry about $4-a-gallon gas. She doesn’t complain about rising food costs or worry about whether or not her boss will give her a raise. That girl is rolling in cash.
Must be nice.
Meanwhile the rest of us–people who live in the real world–struggle to make ends meet. I don’t wanna get all communist here, but it’s a load of garbage. At some point is there ever enough? No one needs that . . . . .
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