theconstantcomplainer.com

Welcome to the award winning blog of The Constant Complainer.

Here at The Constant Complainer, in addition to my own posts, readers can submit Guest Posts on topics they would like to complain about.  Neo Con Don submitted the below-Guest Post.  His complaint is the poorly managed business.  Enjoy and without further adieu, here’s Don…

I believe that poorly managed businesses must be allowed to fail.  They should fail in the same way inventors fail, and athletes fail.  They should fail in the same way children fail as they are learning to ride a two-wheel bicycle or begin to roller skate. The successful ones get back up and try again with more focus and more wisdom. Failure leads to great successes…just ask Thomas Edison.

I am from and (stupidly) still live in Cleveland, OH.  I am not a LeBron James fan. However, he had a great Nike commercial running last year that I loved.  It was him making basketball moves with the different jerseys he wore during his life telling those who admire him “you don’t want to be me…you want to be better than me.” Click here to view the commercial.  That message sums up something very important.

Last week I took my family to Disney World for the first time, and I experienced an epiphany about business and service. I’m a value and service oriented person.  I expect the service and value to be equal to what I perceive I’m paying for.  I knew going in to this that the Disney Parks were extremely service oriented, but I admit that I did not expect what I received.

Here’s how I would sum it all up: If you own a business and are not reaching your goals, you need to visit the Magic Kingdom immediately.  If there were a recession out there anywhere in the world, you would not know it if you were at Disney World on December 29, 2008.  There were thousands waiting to get through the gate at 7am, and the park was so full by noon that people were being turned away.  Inside the park, everything is setup so you can get from one section to another quickly (except for having to get around all of the people).  With a temperature at nearly 85 degrees by 10am, everyone had shed their long sleeve tee shirts and was hoping to get some sun on their faces and (very) white legs…

You might be asking ‘what was so special about my trip to The Magic Kingdom that can change a failing business?’  Simple.  Every single aspect of my day was stress free…AT AN AMUSMENT PARK!  You did not need to look far to find an employee, and every single one of them knew exactly where ANYTHING in the park was located, including where to find a bag of pink cotton candy at midnight.  They have a system called ‘Fast Pass’ set up that allows you to avoid standing in line for attractions at no additional cost…standing in line is always an annoying thing to do, especially with children.

Anyone that has children hates eating in amusement parks.  The food is always expensive and if you can actually find a table, they are filthy.  Not at Disney World.  We went to one of the indoor sit down restaurants for lunch, and paid a reasonable price for a significant amount of food…equal to what it would cost me to take my family of 6 to Applebees.  While I waited for the food, my wife went to find a table.  In this restaurant, there were a dozen “helpers” there to help find a table, and make to sure it is clean before you sat down to eat.  In the mean time, the cast member behind the counter realized that I was going to have difficulty carrying all of the food and herd my three children through the large and growing crowd, so he helped me!  I have never experienced that at any theme park before.  After we finished eating, the same helper that cleaned our table took our tray from us, and we were off to experience more magic.

We spent the day moving quickly from one attraction to the other taking full advantage of the Fast Pass system and seeing the group attractions while we waited for our Fast Passes to “mature.”  Because we visited during the holidays, we were there during expanded hours, and my wife and 3 children took full advantage of 16 hours of Magic Kingdom bliss.  Even during an incident where a ride broke down (while we were on it), the Disney Staff made it seem like not a big deal at all, and dozens of them immediately dealt with the situation to make sure we were calm and to explain what would happen next. 

The cost to enter the Magic Kingdom for my family of two adults and 3 children was $361.06.  I was so impressed with the staff, the cleanliness, the ease of getting from one place to the other, and the amazing detail of every attraction, walkway, bridge and railing that if halfway through the day a Disney manager came up to my family and told us that we used up the entire entrance fee, and in order to stay we’d need to pay more money, I not only would have agreed, but I would have pulled out my money clip and asked “how much?” 

If you own a business, you can add value to your product and service by trying to figure out how to get your customers to be willing to pay more for the exact same product or service.  The best way to do that is to get your customers to expect a specific level of service, and then exceed that level.  The Magic Kingdom has managed to do just that. I walked away getting more value from the products and services offered by The Magic Kingdom than what I paid for them, and I hope they made a good profit from my patronage.  That is a win-win trade agreement.  If you own a business, you don’t want to be the Magic Kingdom, you want to be better than the Magic Kingdom…good luck with that.

By the 17^th hour, we were getting very tired and we were ready to catch the ferryboat to the parking lot and then had a 45-minute drive back to my mom’s house.  We started to make our way toward the front of the park to do some souvenir shopping and to find that cotton candy for a very happy 4 year old.  I told my wife that I wanted to move south and get a job here at Disney.  While she agreed it was a wonderful day, and it was amazing watching our children react to the experience, she would miss our friends at home, and would even miss the snow at Christmas.

As we turned the corner from Adventure Land onto Main Street USA, we were amazed by the perfect 80 degree weather at midnight, the beautiful Christmas Lights and wreaths stretching from one side of the street to the other, and the thousands of people still shopping while Christmas carols played. I looked at my exhausted kids still wanting to take in the magic of the day, and then I looked at my wife. She was looking up into the sky in absolute awe. It was snowing…

Welcome to the award winning blog of The Constant Complainer.

First, I would like to wish all of my readers a Happy New Year!  Thanks to you, this blog had a very successful 2008.  Thank you for everything and don’t worry - we’ll keep on complaining in 2009!

I was very disappointed to learn that Time Warner Cable and Viacom could not resolve their ongoing dispute.  As a result, at 12:01 a.m. tonight, the 13 million subscribers, who have Time Warner Cable, will loose 19 channels.  The channels will simply go dark.

The channels that will be affected are: Comedy Central, CMT: Pure Country, Logo, Palladia, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, MTV Tr3s, Nickelodeon, Noggin, Nick 2, Nicktoons, Spike, The N, TV Land, VH1, VH1 Classic, and VH1 Soul.

The full story can be seen here.  This issue began with a channel increase proposed by Viacom.

The way I look at it is this - this problem will affect every Time Warner Cable subscriber in a different way.  From my end, one of my favorite comedians has a weekly show on CMT, my daughter watches Nickelodeon and I often tune in to Spike a few times per week.  I’m pretty sure that families who watch MTV, VHI and Nicktoons are going to more upset than I am though.

The article I linked to suggests that Viacom’s price increase would affect each Time Warne Cable customer by only $0.23 per month.  I don’t know about you, but I think I can live with that.

What upsets me is the general antics of Time Warner Cable.  They took the offensive here and said they are standing up for their customers.  I don’t believe that for one second.  I think arranging a deal where the channels would stay on the air (in the meantime) would have been a better alternative.  I think them realizing that an additional $0.23 per month on a cable bill wouldn’t bother most customers.  I think doing everything in their power to resolve this or negotiate a lower fee is better than nothing.  But that’s not the Time Warner Cable I know.

The Time Warner Cable I know would rather bill you for pay per views you didn’t order. They’d rather place you on hold for over an hour when you call.  They’d rather not offer the channels customers say they’d like to see.  They’d rather not have timely or well trained field service providers.  They’d rather not respond to complaints and letters.  Those are my opinions based on my own personal experiences, but I don’t think I’m alone.

In the six years I’ve been living in my house, Time Warner Cable is our third cable provider.  And their service, to me, is the same that I received from Comcast and Adelphia before them.  I’ve never been convinced that any cable company can get it right.  I think Time Warner Cable is just another example of a company in trouble - and rather than try to work it out, they’d rather tick off more customers in the process.  I’ll tell you what - I don’t think I’d want to be a Time Warner Cable telephone operator tomorrow for anything…

Welcome to the award winning blog of The Constant Complainer.

As most of you know, The Constant Complainer isn’t my full-time job.  Unfortunately, as much as I enjoy complaining, I still have to work to support my family.  Anyway, I mentioned that because today’s post was generated from a task that I had to do for work.

I work in risk management.  As a part of my job, on occasion, I may have to make an appearance in court.  This could happen, for example, if we have to prosecute a former employee.  With that being said, I was scheduled in court last week for a sentencing hearing.  If I wanted to attend the hearing, the notice told me to report at 8:30 a.m.

On this particular day, there were about 20 sentencing hearings scheduled at the same time.  That’s where this story gets interesting.  It has nothing to do with the reason I was there, but what was happening around me.

I was sitting in the courtroom and overheard the woman behind me sobbing.  It wasn’t any of my business, so I didn’t say anything at first.  But as she kept sobbing for what seemed like an hour, I finally looked back and noticed that she was there by herself.  So I asked her if she needed anything or if I could help her in some way.  She said she was there for the sentencing of her husband in a domestic matter and that she was supposed to give a statement against him, but had changed her mind.  She wanted to speak to a victim’s advocate, which I was able to locate for her.  The woman was told she didn’t have to give a statement if she didn’t want to, etc.

This woman continued to sob and finally her husband’s case was called.  This is a quick summary of what happened.  The judge asked the defense attorney if the defendant (the sobbing woman’s husband) had anything to say.  His defense attorney basically said: your honor, this man is a model citizen, he has been with this woman for 21 years, they have been married for 18, they have three children together, he is a good father, he has a full-time job and he has never had an issue with the law - with the exception of this one indiscretion.  The defense attorney said the man might be a good candidate for a probation program.  The judge asked the assistant district attorney if he had anything to add.  He deferred to the court on sentencing.  The judge then asked the assistant district attorney if the wife (the sobbing woman behind me) wanted to make a statement.  She stood and said she didn’t wish to make a statement.  Instead, the assistant district attorney said that the woman was divorcing her husband and that she didn’t wish him to be incarcerated, so they could work out their differences.

OK, I hope that wasn’t too confusing to follow.  So here I am sitting there thinking - this guy will probably get probation and maybe they can work this out.  Well - then the judge asked the defendant what he had to say.  His statement was basically - your honor, all my life I’ve been a law-abiding citizen, this has been hanging over my head for a year and a half, at this point I just want to be left alone.  The judge sentenced this guy to four years in prison.

After he pronounced sentencing, I hear the woman behind me say: “What just happened?”  The guy sitting behind me says: “They just sentenced that guy to four years in prison.”  OMG, then the sobbing started.  This lady was crying hysterically and couldn’t catch her breath.  They finally had to get a victim’s advocate to remove her from the courtroom.  Now hear is the kicker to the story.  I hear one of the court personnel say to the other, something like: I don’t know what she was upset about - if you had seen the police report or pictures, that guy should have gotten 50 years.

Apparently the husband beat this woman severely.  But here she is in court crying and carrying on - on his behalf.  That is what ticks me off and what I simply do not understand.  I realize they were together for 20+ years and have three kids together.  But a minor domestic indiscretion is much different than utterly pummeling someone or breaking bones.

I could easily write a few more posts, based on my observations from that day.  I won’t, but what I will tell you is this - I’m not sure how thrilled I am with our court system…

On another note, I don’t know how many of you have seen this tragic story from CA.  My heart goes out to the family of those who were killed.  It’s a shame how many domestic issues of increasing violence are appearing these days in the news.

Welcome to the award winning blog of The Constant Complainer.

Here at The Constant Complainer, in addition to my own posts, readers can submit Guest Posts on topics they would like to complain about.  Neo Con Don submitted the below-Guest Post.  His complaint is twofold.  First on his mind is the union approach and second is the pending EFCA legislation.  It’s an interesting perspective.

This type of complaint post will most likely generate a lot of opinions - Therefore, if anyone has an interest in submitting a Guest Post to rebut Don’s, please contact me as I’m happy to present both sides.  Without further adieu, here’s Don.

IT WAS 1989 and I was on the hunt for a job.  You know, a J.O.B.  The kind of thing those high school students get in order to buy a car and pay for dates.  I figured I could work a couple nights after school and on weekends and work between 25 and 30 hours each week.  Just like today, there were all kinds of entry-level positions available in the fast food and retail businesses.  I had a few friends that worked at the local grocer so I started there.

They were hiring both stockers and baggers. I decided that I wanted to be a stocker because it was wintertime and I’ve never been much for cold and snow.  I was talking to the manager, and I told him that I had worked for the local convenience store for the past two summers and I was familiar with how to stock shelves and rotate and face the products, so I was bringing more experience than the typical 16 year old was bringing.  I told him that I was looking to work a couple evenings a week, Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons. He explained to me that as a new associate, I would not be given much choice in the hours that I was given because of seniority.  Coming from a union family I understood how all of that worked, but I wasn’t really interested in seniority- I was interested in making the money I needed during the time I was available to work.  Needing a job, I asked him about the pay.  He explained that I would make $3.95 per hour.  I would be charged $30 per month for union dues, and I needed to pay for the health insurance that the union required.  That was about $15 per month.  I explained that I didn’t need to purchase the health insurance but was told that I did not have a choice because of the union contract.

I needed a job, so I filled out the paperwork and was told that I could start in 2 weeks.  I would be getting about 20 hours per week until I moved up in the seniority list.  Before taxes, but after union fees and insurance, I’d be making about $68 per week.

Later that week, I was in a local drug store and noticed they were also hiring.  A friend of mine was working there that day so I asked him how he liked it.  He said it was a good place to work and introduced me to the manager.  The manager was hiring, but wanted someone with a little bit of experience.  I explained that I had a couple summers working at the convenience store and I understood the process of stocking shelves.  He explained that he usually starts people out at $3.35 an hour, but he would give me $3.45 since I had some experience.  I told him that I was starting at the grocery store in two weeks, but I was interested in working here instead.  He knew the grocery store was a union store, and he explained that I would not be required to purchase the insurance or pay the union dues.  I explained that I wanted to work between 25 and 30 hours per week, but I also wanted the flexibility to work more or less if I need to.  He told me what days I would need to work because of truck deliveries and that it was very rare to be off those days.  Other than that, he explained that he awarded the best and most reliable workers with their choice of schedule.  That day, I walked out of the store 8 hours later because I started then and there.  Even though I was making slightly less per hour, I was not required to pay union dues or purchase unneeded insurance.  Additionally, I was a very efficient worker and was able to get extra hours when people called off.  In all, I was making between $90 and $100 per week as a high school student in 1989.

I tell you this story because I had the opportunity to make the choice to work in a union shop, or not work in a union shop.  By choosing against a union, I was able to make more money and had greater control over my income. Today’s liberals are threatening to push a union bill through congress that will be the most undemocratic legislation in modern day history.  The Employee Free Choice Act will remove the secret ballot when it comes to employees voting for a union in the work place.  Employees will be forced to cast a public vote through intimidation, and it will expand the union roles in the United States.  Barack Obama has stated his intention to sign this bill removing privacy and choice out from under America’s working class. The retail industry is expected to be hit the hardest. Unions force workers into unfair standards that reward years of service instead of value of service.  Unions destroy a company’s ability to increase profits, create jobs, and keep prices low.

There are several unions that I believe must still exist.  They include the police and fire unions, as well as the unions that exist for the Department of Transportation workers, bridge workers and construction workers.  As the Constitution was created to protect the individual from the tyranny of gov’t, so too are these specific unions designed to protect these workers from gov’t forcing them into unnecessary life threatening conditions.  The rest of the gov’t unions are a drag on the taxpayer and should be allowed to be dismantled at their members’ request.  We should, in every circumstance that occurs where a company with a union is about to fail, let if fail.  I understand that none of these CEO’s of the big three want to have their company fail on their watch, but they must be privately dancing at the prospect of union contract re-negotiation.

Unions had a purpose and a place at one time.  As the industrial revolution occurred, it was very important for safety standards to be set to protect workers from owners and managers that did not have child and illegal alien labor laws to abide by.  Today, federal and state regulations exist to protect workers from unsafe conditions.  The modern union is redundant, has become a drag on the U.S. economy because union practices do not allow for the flexibility needed in our highly competitive global market for a business to increase profits and create jobs.  Only 12% of the U.S. work force is unionized. 7.5% is in the private sector. The rest are gov’t “workers” including the teacher’s unions and gov’t support staff (not the staff of elected officials). 

The Employee Free Choice Act is a malicious attempt by liberals in Washington to pay back the unions for their financial support by creating a law that allows the unions to force the organization of employees that do not want to be members of a union.  This is yet another example of the “party of tolerance” forcing their ideas down your throat where the only benefactors are the coffers of the Democratic National Committee and the victims are those that are employed or buy goods made in America. 

Whether you agree with unions or not, I think everyone can agree that this piece of legislation is wrong because of the coercion that is involved.  People have a constitutional right to form a union. People do not have a constitution right to force a union on workers.

Welcome to the award winning blog of The Constant Complainer.

Here at The Constant Complainer, in addition to my posts, readers can submit Guest Posts on topics they would like to complain about.  Leo Nevoli submitted the below-Guest Post.  His complaint is pricing strategies at certain stores and restaurants.  I think you’ll enjoy it.  So without further adieu, here’s Leo.

Years ago when I was out with my friends who are Jewish, we were playing foosball at a bar.  For a dollar you were to receive 11 balls and the machine would hold the ball after each score.  Since it was in a bar, the table only had 4 balls that would come out when you put a dollar in, and it did not release the 4 balls until you put another dollar in.  In order for us to keep playing and keep an accurate score, I shoved one of our windbreaker jackets in to the goal, and did the same to the other goal.  This would prevent any balls from going down and being caught in the machine, while the balls would still land and stay on the jackets after they have entered the goal.  It was after this night my Friends declared me an “Honorary Jew”.  It might be this “Honorary Jew” side of me, or the fact that I am an Accountant with a family, that tries to save as much money as I can when I buy something.  During this holiday season and any time I am out shopping, I see some things that I have to shake my head at.

For example, you can go to my local fast food restaurant and order a 6 piece chicken nuggets for $2.75.  If you want an extra dipping sauce, they charge you $0.50, so before tax you would spend $3.25 for 6 nuggets and 2 sauces.  If you take a look at their Dollar Menu, you can order two of the 4 piece nuggets and get 2 sauces for $2.00.  Just so you follow me that was 6 nuggets and 2 sauces for $3.25 or 8 nuggets and 2 sauces for $2.00, all before sales tax.  Oh, as for the price of their 10 piece nuggets and 2 sauces, it is posted as $3.55.  They also come in the box of 20 with 4 sauces, which sells for $6.00.  Quick reminder of multiplication 4 times 5 is 20, or in this case 5 orders of 4 piece nuggets, for a total $5.00 for 20 nuggets and 4 sauces.

A few weeks ago I had to order more print cartridges for my printer.  The printer uses 5 individual color cartridges and 1 black one.  At the store, if I go to Staples or Office Max, a single color ink cartridge would cost me $13.99.  I looked at their official website, and found the ink cartridges cost me $10.44 each.  I could also order the all in one set, of 5 color cartridges for $52.94.  I am assuming this set comes in one very nice box.  If you do the math of 5 individual different color ink cartridges at $10.44 this is $52.20.  So let me get this straight, if I order 1 color of each cartridge at $10.44, I would be paying $0.74 less then what I would pay if I buy the special all 5 in one box.  Now considering that I need the cartridges ASAP, I would have to pay the $16.95 for Overnight shipping if I buy the 5 cartridge set, or I can take advantage of the Buy 3 individual cartridges, and get Free Overnight shipping as part of my order.  I am sure I am missing out on a nice box that the cartridges come in, but I will still pass on paying extra.

My Wife can’t stand it when I go grocery shopping with or without her.  She goes, grabs what she wants and gets out.  I go and price things out.  For example, at our big name grocery store chain, you can buy an 8 pack of the generic paper towels, all packaged together for $5.29.  Or you can spend $4.72 by purchasing 8 individually wrapped rolls at $0.59.  For some people the extra $0.57 spent may not hurt their wallet, but for some people trying to live in a budget in this economy that $0.57 cents spent over time could add up, and mean the difference in buying a little extra food in the future.

As you holiday shop, take a look at the prices of things before you buy, you may find out it is cheaper purchasing something individually then as a whole.  Enjoy the holiday season!  I’m Leo Nevoli, and that’s my ponderings.

Welcome to the award winning blog of The Constant Complainer.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I was extremely disappointed to see the bailout for the U.S. automakers fail.

In general, I have mixed feelings about the Wall Street bailout and have not been completely satisfied about how that process works and the fact that one person has sole responsibility to decide who gets money and who doesn’t.  PNC Bank buying National City Bank is one derogatory example.

With that being said, of course I would agree that I don’t want U.S. automakers to file for bankruptcy.  That is why I was supportive of a special bailout being proposed specifically for them.

If the auto industry collapses, a few affects come to mind.  First, the auto industry is the catalyst that drives much of the advertising in the media industry.  If the dealers and companies stop advertising, that in turn will cripple radio stations and newspapers.  Second, many people with shaky credit have at least, over the last few years, been able to secure an auto loan, which has helped both the auto industry and consumer credit ratings.  It’s fair to say that only the people with top-tier credit are getting loans now, but frankly they’re not the ones that need them.  Third, I read a report earlier that said there were 100,000 people who became unemployed last month and the national unemployment rate is now 6.7%.  Do you realize that the auto industry provides 3 millions jobs nationwide?  A friend was just telling me that he thinks many people simply don’t understand how much the auto industry affects the entire country.  I think he’s right.

What irritates me the most is the fact that the bailout for the U.S. automakers failed because of the UAW.  Most reports this morning cite the union’s lack of willingness to accept stiff wage cuts is what caused the Senate to balk at the bailout.  One report I read said the UAW didn’t want any cuts to take place for their workers until 2011.  Hello!!!  That’s funny, because the companies are going bankrupt now!  I have always been pro-company, not necessarily anti-union, but this is clearly an example of how problematic labor organizations really are.

Anyway, let’s get back to the economy.  It’s getting scary out there and I truly believe that this is just the beginning.  I think it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

Have a nice weekend…

Welcome to the award winning blog of The Constant Complainer.

Most of the posts that I put on this site discuss single incidents that recently occurred in my life.  However, once in a while, numerous strange incidents occur, which causes me to discuss several topics at once.  Today is one of those days…

When I wrote the “Kids - A Product of Their Environment” post, I received a number of private e-mails from parents commenting about it.  Most said that they considered themselves to be good parents and found it hard to read about the behavior I witnessed from some of the not-so-good parents out there.

I’ve said before that I found myself being more critical of bad parents once I became a parent myself.  However, in the same breath, I don’t jump to conclusions and am fair with my observations.  Plus, I know that children can be difficult and often need to be corrected.  Apparently the two below-fathers missed that part of the parenting lesson.

I was at the Cavs game last Friday night.  There was a family of four sitting behind me.  I would say the child I will go on to describe was about five years old.  I kept overhearing the father lash out at the boy.  He must have said, “don’t be a baby” about 30 times.  It seemed to be an ongoing debate about the child wanting ice cream.  Every time the father would say no, the boy would start to cry.  Then the father would say, “stop crying” and “don’t be a baby” over and over.  This repeated itself until the mother finally told the father to go get some ice cream for the boy.  My feeling is this - explain to the child why you don’t want him to have ice cream, try to work out an alternative or discipline him for not listening.  Don’t browbeat him into submission by taunting him and calling him names.  I could be wrong, but I think that is horrible for their self-esteem.  The boy eventually ate the ice cream but didn’t say a word the rest of the game.  He sat slouched in his chair looking upset - clearly a reaction to the name-calling episode he had just endured.

Also last Friday; I had to go to the doctor’s office.  Before I even walked in their door, I knew I was going to be in for an adventure.  I take that back - before I even exited the elevator, I knew I would not leave the doctor’s feeling better, but rather with a headache.  There was a child screaming bloody murder when I walked in.  Now mind you, the office is very small.  There was another female patient there and a father with two kids (one of whom was the one screaming).  I walked in and sat down.  The boy was screaming because his brother had a toy he wanted and they were fighting over it.  Did the father step in or stop the situation?  No!  He was chatting (and continued to chat) on his cell phone.  The other patient and I got to hear all about a recent eviction, that he had no money, that his car didn’t work and that he might have to leave the children with a relative while he sleeps in his car.  But of course, no attention was paid to the kids.  I’m not trying to downplay his personal situation or insinuate that he was a poorer parent as a result.  I’m simply saying that he sat there and talked on his phone (in an office where cell phones aren’t even allowed) rather than break up the fight between his children.  The two brothers fought back and forth over the truck, hit each other, screamed, took turns crying and disrupting the rest of us for almost ten minutes.  This father stayed on the phone the entire time.  Finally a nurse took the truck and said that nobody could play with it.  That’s what I wanted to do, but did that stop the father from being on the phone?  No.  Now both kids were screaming because they didn’t have the toy.  When I couldn’t take it anymore, I deliberately walked over and took a picture of the “No Talking on Cell Phones” sign with my blackberry.  Upon seeing this; the father just stared at me.  However, before I could have the pleasure of discussing this picture with him, I was called back to see the doctor.  At that point, I simply added a “headache” to my list of ailments.

Another post that caused my in-box to be flooded with messages was “Smoke Smoke Everywhere” - which is an older post from when this blog was just launched.  But I couldn’t help but think about it when I was writing this.  I’ve heard the rumor at my office about a guy who comes onto the property at night and steals pre-smoked cigarette butts from the smokestacks and then smokes them.  The thought of which completely turns my stomach.  But I realized the other night that this guy does indeed exist.  I was working late and was tipped off that he was outside.  I watched him go from smokestack to smokestack and pull out the cigarette butts he felt were most usable and then either smoke them or put them in a baggie (I assume for later use).  I don’t smoke and realize that cigarettes aren’t cheap, but smoking pre-smoked butts!  Come on!  I thought - you must be kidding me.  Of course we asked him to leave and he muttered something about needing nicotine before storming off.  At least now we know who removed and threw away the knobs that held the two pieces of the smokestacks together.  Frankly, I just can’t imagine needing a cigarette, or anything, that bad.  However, I’m sure Neo Con Don will figure out a way to convince me that this guy is a liberal.

Have a good evening everyone…

Welcome to The Constant Complainer - voted “Best Local Blog” in a “Best of Cleveland 2008″ readers’ poll.

Here at The Constant Complainer, in addition to my posts, readers can submit Guest Posts on topics they would like to complain about.  Neo Con Don submitted the below-Guest Post.  His complaint is people trying to be politically correct when it comes to freedom of religion.  It’s an interesting perspective that I’m sure will attract your feedback.  So without further adieu, here’s Don.

I AM SICK AND TIRED of the stupid liberal political correctness that is taking place across America.  (For the idiots out there, America is synonymous with the United States regardless of what your stupid social studies teacher told you.)  It extends from hate filled freaks in California breaking into peaceful religious celebrations (called church) to the ignorant and apologetic people that are trying so hard not to offend someone that probably wouldn’t get offended anyway.  Here’s where I stand…if you don’t like religion… too bad.

1.      I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and has died for my sins.

2.      I do not believe that Muhammad was a prophet, but if you do, that’s cool.

3.      If you’re Jewish, I think you are half-right and you think I’m half-wrong.  I can live with that.

4.      I also don’t care what religion you celebrate…just as long as you don’t kill me on behalf of your god, or try to convert me…I can’t be converted.

Also:

1.      I am not offended by any of the other religions. 

2.      I am not offended by a Menorah.

3.      I am not offended when I see a Muslim praying or wearing their headdress.  Our Constitution guarantees those freedoms and their religion requires it.

The reason I live in America is because I have the freedom to practice my religion and they have the freedom to practice theirs.  We need to recognize our differences and celebrate our similarities; our desire to practice our religion freely.  But something is getting very strange.  The liberals who call themselves tolerant are anything but tolerant.  In their quest to not offend anyone, or support a specific religion, they are violating our first amendment rights by establishing a national religion: Atheism.

Here’s a list of examples and how it is directed specifically at Christianity:

1.      Christmas Break is now Winter Break.

2.      Easter Break is now Spring Break.

3.      Instead of Silent Night, Holy Night, they sing Silent Night, Winter Night.

4.      Christmas Trees have become Holiday Trees.

5.      Public squares are void of any recognition of the holidays they are celebrating.

6.      BC (Before Christ) has become BCE (Before Common Era)

7.      AD (in the year of our Lord) has become CE (Common Era.)

8.      10 Commandments are being removed from courthouses and justice centers across our country.

9.      The new Capital Visitor Center in Washington DC is void of our nation’s religious history.

In social studies classes, our public schools teach a lie called “the separation of church and state.”  *News Flash* The Separation of Church and State does not exist.  Our Founders made that very clear.  Our Constitution also makes that clear: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;” It can not be any clearer.  Refusing or requiring any display of any religion in any public or private place is unconstitutional.  Public space belongs to WE THE PEOPLE, and if we choose to celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, or Ramadan, we may do it.  The only people getting any satisfaction are the Atheists because they’re the only ones that are given the opportunity by the gov’t to celebrate their religion.  Real religion celebrates Peace on Earth and Good Will toward all of mankind.  In Washington State, an atheist group that spreads the message “freedom from religion” has been granted a display area next to a Nativity Scene in the State Capital.  It reads:

“At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail.  There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell.  There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”

The approval of this hate filled placard is legally problematic.  First, it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.  This is the gov’t establishing Atheism as a religion.  Second, while the Menorah and the Nativity are symbols of the religions they represent, the placard placed by the “Freedom from Religion” group attacks the other religions that are represented.  The Menorah and the Nativity are not offensive symbols, the Atheist plaque is offensive.  Perhaps the atheists should develop some symbols of their own.  Otherwise, I suggest the Christians simply make a plaque of the written Nativity Story out of the Gospel According to Luke.  At least each group would be on similar ground.

The right to practice our religion is the first fundamental right we have as Americans.  It was established before any other right.  It is the reason for the establishment of our Nation, and the only right that will guarantee our nation’s future existence.  It has nothing to do with the specific religion we practice. It’s okay to be an atheist.  Just don’t force it on us, and respect what the Constitution really stands for.  Unless the people of America’s religions ban together to fight the anti-religious zealots, we will find our country over run by a bunch of hate filled liberals embedding fascism in every aspect of our lives.

Welcome to The Constant Complainer - voted “Best Local Blog” in a “Best of Cleveland 2008″ readers’ poll.

Here at The Constant Complainer, in addition to my posts, readers can submit Guest Posts on topics they would like to complain about.  Tall Elf submitted the below-Guest Post.  His complaint is the sense of entitlement some people have.  He tells an interesting story that is sure to entertain you.  So without further adieu, here’s Tall Elf.

One thing that drives me up the wall is “entitled” people.  You know the type, they feel that everything is out there for them, be it nature, a parking spot, or even walking down the street rattling off their personal information on their cell phone.

This week, I had a “Natural” experience if you will.  I was out hunting on my parents’ property.  Keep in mind that they have 92 acres in the middle of nowhere.  We have had a stand in place since 1990, and I have claimed 3 deer from this stand since 1996 or so.  My father has a few to his record, along with a couple of friends that we have come hunting as well.  Its location is placed just so that it is in the middle of a split ridge, leading to a creek (water source) and a few fields and heavy brush.  We spent days sorting our property for opportune spots for an “encounter”  (As you can tell I probably use air quotes when I talk as well). 

Three years ago a gentleman (and I use the term loosely) built a stand in direct line of the front of my vantage point up the hill about 145 yards (I know because I paced off the deer that I shot in front of the tree back in 1998).  Is his stand on his property?  YES.  I cannot argue that point.  What I can argue is that our stand has been there for nearly 18 years, and common courtesy says relocate your hunt if you are infringing upon an established site. 

Tuesday, the man who built the stand started walking down the hill at me (empty handed as he knew he would be trespassing on our property).  He told me that I was in a “bad position.”  I explained to him that I have been there since 6 a.m. on Monday, and watched him walk in at about 6:30 a.m. and kick out a deer that I was watching.  He said that I was still in a bad position because his stand (BUILT 3 YEARS AGO) was directly above mine.  He went on to tell me about a deer that he has been staking out that had been walking down a logging path between our stands, and that last year he took a shot at it that would have possibly hit where I was sitting (Now internal monologue states that if he missed it, and it is still around history would repeat itself, and I should stick around to drop it for myself; I BIT MY INTERNAL TONGUE, and held my thoughts to myself).  I informed him that I had been there for years, and that if I wasn’t in that stand someone else almost always was.  He told me “God Bless” and turned around to walk up to his stand.  After watching him stumble and stop several times as he was out of shape to be in the woods climbing in the MTNS of PA, I decided to be the better man.  (And fearing for my safety due to his concern of shooting at me, as opposed to using then posted signs as a boundary and not shooting towards a man in direct site dressed head to toe in ORANGE).  I walked out to another hunter on our property to let him know of my position change, and the event. 

I got down to the new stand in the lower portion of my parents’ property, which is not on a “border” so I don’t have to worry about any more BS. 30 to 45 minutes from sitting, my good deed of leaving that stand was rewarded as a nice 6-point buck stepped into sight.  There was no suffering from the animal as it went down where it stood (as humane as hunting can be).  For those who are not hunters, this is by no means a “trophy” deer, but it will provide a healthy alternative to the hormone laden beef that is marketed in our supermarkets.

Welcome to The Constant Complainer - voted “Best Local Blog” in a “Best of Cleveland 2008″ readers’ poll.

Here at The Constant Complainer, in addition to my posts, readers can submit Guest Posts on topics they would like to complain about.  Neo Con Don submitted the below-Guest Post.  His complaint is that he believes people should be supporting Wal-Mart instead of giving them bad press for the employee death that occurred last Friday.  I think whether it is good or bad, most people have an opinion on Wal-Mart.  And I’d like to hear them.  So without further adieu, here’s Don. 

I love Wal-Mart.  Without a doubt, it is the greatest store and the best business plan in the world.  If you want to understand the realization of the American Dream, learn the story of Sam Walton and how he changed America and the world for the better.  Wal-Mart carries the same quality products (and an off brand of high quality) as other stores for less money.  Where else can you get over 300 prescriptions filled for $4 without insurance, get a new pair of glasses, have family portraits taken, develop film, have your nails done, do your banking, buy groceries and clothes and CDs and books, and eat lunch all while waiting for your oil to be changed and new tires put on your car…and by the way, it is always for less money than any other store.  Where else…???   NOWHERE…!!! 

I love Wal-Mart because they provide jobs to more people than any other business in the world…jobs people want.  In 2007, the first Wal-Mart opened in the City of Cleveland, and they had 6,000 applicants for 350 job openings.  My retired father-in-law works at Wal-Mart so he can have health insurance for his diabetes stricken wife.  So let’s get this out in the open…all of the bad impressions the media and liberal politicians are telling us about the evils of Wal-Mart are either lies, or the situation has been resolved.  Of course there will be unique situations that need to be addressed, but that’s because of the human element of each situation.  But, all in all, Wal-Mart is without a doubt the greatest company that has ever come out of America.

So needless to say, I was extremely saddened by the senseless death of a Wal-Mart employee at a Long Island Wal-Mart on Black Friday.  The most important thing for all of us to do is to focus on the truth of the incident and to make sure we learn from it.  What is the truth?  We don’t know.  I have heard stories that the rush of the crowd trampled him.  I have heard that he was trampled while trying to save the pregnant woman.  I have heard the pregnant woman lost the baby…I think the first thing everyone needs to realize is the media is once again doing a terrible job of reporting the truth.  You would think that after the extremely biased manner in which they covered the presidential election they would try to get something right…Don’t count on it.

Here’s the truth….as I see it: 

1.      Just like every other store in America, Wal-Mart was offering great deals on Black Friday.  It turns out that Wal-Mart is the most popular place to shop.  That could be why they are one of the only big retail stores to boast a 10% increase in profits…and provide more jobs than anyone else.

2.      According to Wal-Mart, extra staff was present, security was present, and barricades were up in anticipation of a large crowd. 

3.      While Wal-Mart has an obligation to make sure its customers are safe, Wal-Mart cannot prevent the malicious behavior of its customers.  In essence, IF the news reports are true, Wal-Mart customers murdered this man, and there is little or no fault to Wal-Mart.

Think about it. If you were in a crowd of 2000 people, and you noticed someone was on the ground wouldn’t you do anything you could to get him up.  I would.  I’d start screaming, I’d start hitting the people next to me and making them help me, I’d get the man up, I guarantee it.

I am certain that there will be charges made against some of the customers that trampled this man, and I hope that they end up in jail. The sad part about this is that it did not need to happen.  What has happened to the American Spirit?  Have the baby boomers so ruined their children that they think it is okay to behave like this?  ‘Pay no attention to the man on the ground, the next person will help him up…I need to get to my new TV’…or how about this… ‘The gov’t will solve the problem.’  I’m sorry, but the gov’t should be our last resort, not our first resort.  The first resort starts with each one of us looking in the mirror and making promises.  Here are the promises I make to myself everyday:

1.      Today I will tell each member of my family that I love them at least twice.

2.      Today I will give something to charity.

3.      Today I will forgive someone for doing something wrong.

4.      Today I will ask for forgiveness when I do something wrong.

5.      Today I will be thankful for all that I have.

6.      I will make today a better day than yesterday.

I’m going to add to that list the following promise:  ‘Today, I will pick someone up that is being trampled upon.’  I’m sorry I wasn’t in Long Island to pick up Jdimytai Damour as 2000 other people ran over him so they could buy their low priced electronics.  If I were there, I would have picked him up.  I would have picked him up if it would have occurred at Target, or Kmart, or Best Buy, but I wasn’t there.  Today, I am watching the media trample all over Wal-Mart for something that simply isn’t their fault.  Of course hindsight tells us that there are better ways to handle crowds, but logic tells me that if I see someone hurt, I need to help them.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a store in existence that sells logic.

Anyway, it’s time for me to fulfill my promises for the day.  I’m heading to Wal-Mart to do some shopping just so I can keep my promise of picking someone up that is being trampled on…. and today, that someone being trampled on is Wal-Mart.