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I’m sorry for being MIA the last few days. The bad news is that I was offline. The good news is that I was in Las Vegas.
You know, I’ve been to Vegas 15+ times and it never gets old. Although I’m not silly about it, I am one of the few people you’ll meet who actually knows how to gamble. And usually I win - I say “usually” because in Vegas, there’s always the chance that you’ll get your clock cleaned. My game of choice - craps - the absolute best odds if you know what you’re doing.
But the real reason I go to Vegas - the people watching. There’s never a shortage of strange people there, so I’ll definitely have a few posts about my trip. But I’m going to start off with a few cell phone pictures.
This one I took from the top of the Rio. They said this was the 50th floor, and although I’m not sure about that, it was still pretty high up. Not the greatest picture ever taken, but a nice reminder of what Vegas has to offer.
Continue reading Sin City Tales
Was I the only one who noticed that Farrah Fawcett was missing from the “In Memoriam” portion during Sunday’s Academy Awards? The only reason it occurred to me at the time was because I remembered that she died on the same day as Michael Jackson - who was included in the Oscars’ tribute. Now, even if you didn’t see the show, I wonder what your opinion is.
TMZ picked up on this right away and ran two articles. The first one noted that a representative for the Academy said, “Every year it’s an unfortunate reality that we can’t include everybody.” The second one had the Academy insinuating that Farrah was more famous for her “remarkable television work” - even though she appeared in several very popular movies.
So, let me get this straight - they skip Farrah (and Bea Arthur as I later found out), but include Michael Jackson (not a movie star) and a several other people who 99% of us wouldn’t recognize (i.e. cinematographers, producers, etc.). If the Academy is going to defend mentioning Michael Jackson since he was a household name, I would think Farrah should have also made the cut. My guess - typical Hollywood BS…
I’d like to present a one-picture explanation to the problems the U.S. Postal Service is experiencing.
This picture was taken at my local post office last week. The funny thing is that it doesn’t matter when I go there - the lobby always looks like that. Further, it seems that when I do go there, I can’t even go to the counter without being bombarded with suggestive sales.
Do you need any stamps, sir? Do you need any boxes, sir? Do you need any envelopes, sir? Do you need any supplies, sir? Do you want this sent via priority mail, first class mail, blah, blah, blah…
Then I read articles, like what the Boston Herald reported, about the post office wanting to drop Saturday deliveries, and my observations suddenly make sense. Now it’s being reported that the post office could possibly be $238B in debt over the next ten years. You can read the full article here.
I don’t believe that online-bill-pay and the decline of items being processed are the problems. It’s the lack of customer service and staffing at each location. This is one example where a picture tells the real story.
Here at The Constant Complainer, in addition to my posts, readers can submit Guest Posts on topics they’d like to complain about. Neo Con Don is back with the below-Guest Post. His complaint is the proposed Government-run healthcare. Don asked that I post this immediately, before Rush Limbaugh steals his material. Here’s lucky I was on lunch. So enjoy, and hot off the presses, here’s Don…
I have this habit of looking at gov’t policy and political talking points, and taking a side based on my morals, or how they can be reconciled with the constitution, or even based specifically on the intent of our Founders. Very rarely do I look at things based on how they affect me, good or bad. For example, I have never voted for a tax increase…ever. Whether it was to raise the income of teachers, expand school busing, or to pay for special-needs children. Looking back, that seems strange since my wife is a teacher, my children have been affected by school bus policy, and I have a special-needs child. To me, it doesn’t seem right to force someone else to pay for things that would receive no immediate benefit.
Ever since President Clinton (the second and most recent president to be impeached) tried to create a gov’t run health care system, I have been a very vocal person on the “NO” side. The older I get, the farther I move into the “HELL NO” category. But, there is something about the program Obama is pushing that has me not only intrigued, but facing a moral dilemma.
You see, since my wife is a member of one of the most powerful unions in the world, she is exempt from being required to take part in the gov’t run health care plan, just as every gov’t “worker” is exempt. Personally, I just don’t see how that’s fair. Why should the gov’t class (the highest paid class in the country) not take part in the program that the rest of the country is going to be required to participate in? That’s right, REQUIRED…if you don’t purchase a gov’t approved health care insurance plan, you will be issued a fine; in some cases, up to $950 per family member. In my house, that would come to $5700. But there’s more, if you don’t have insurance AND have a pre-existing condition, the insurance companies MUST write you a policy, and it cannot exceed the limits the gov’t sets forth.
Continue reading Bring on Obama-care…Why I’ve Changed my Mind – Guest Post
I normally avoid posts about specific ballot issues in my state, unless I believe they would produce a discussion which all readers could participate in. This might be one of those rare examples.
In November 2006, Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved Issue 5, which banned indoor smoking at businesses and also eliminated smoking in many public places. Admittedly, I voted for the ban, because for example, I enjoy going to restaurants and not having to worry about my daughter being exposed to second-hand smoke.
But it made me laugh to hear the bar owners complaining about how they were losing business as a result of the ban. I wanted to point out to them that this wasn’t a countywide ban - it was a statewide ban. So their patrons weren’t going to other places to smoke - because there was nowhere else to go. Let’s face it -people still go out - they just live without smoking indoors now. And if people weren’t going to their bars and restaurants after the ban, as my one buddy put it, “It’s not because of the no-smoking.”
After the change in the law, first there were complaints about enforcement. So an enforcement agency was created. Then there were complaints about the lack of fines. So fines were given out. Now, according to an Ohio.com story, “Newly released Ohio Department of Health figures show the state has spent $3.2 million to impose $1.2 million in fines on violators of Ohio’s smoking ban.” And State Senator, Bill Seitz, of Cincinnati, has been rumored to be working on legislation which will allow restaurants and bars to purchase smoking licenses - the exact thing that Issue 5 banned.
The Senator’s approach is going to have strong opposition since smoking is such a hot topic. Really, I just wish the crybaby bar owners would realize that the voters have spoken. Quit complaining about smoking not being allowed and find another way to attract customers. The hilarious thing is this…I think what you’re going to find are restaurant and bar owners not buying the smoking licenses (if that idea is approved) because they realize “the majority” of people don’t want to deal with it anymore…
Here at The Constant Complainer, in addition to my own posts, readers can submit Guest Posts on topics they’d like to complain about. I’d like to welcome Steve back with a new Guest Post. He’s been away for six months, but is back with a complaint about the banking industry. It’s a fascinating look at the don’t-care attitude many banks have today. And I’m sure it’s a story that many people will be able to relate to. Enjoy and without further adieu, here’s Steve…
The bank I was using for one of our business accounts finally ticked me off enough to take action and close that account. I really didn’t want to because this branch is close to our home and is open until 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, which is convenient for me. My wife had recently opened a business account at another bank and her bank treats her like a queen. They bend over backwards to help and assist her, and they have a special Merchant window for business accounts that helps speed up things like deposits and transfers. They also have special networking events for small business customers every month and my wife has made some great connections at those events. My bank used to be almost that good; at least I thought so, until recently.
I received a fairly large check from a local company, drawn on a different local bank for a large project I recently completed. As usual, I deposited the check into my business account and assumed that my bank would put the normal 5-business-days hold on the check until I could access the funds. My bank put a 2-week hold on the check, why, I don’t know. Did they tell me that they were going to do this, NO, did they send me an email alert, NO. The company who wrote the check and the bank where the check was drawn from have been in business many years and have no financial problems.
After checking my account online to see if the funds were available, I found out they were still holding the funds. I called my bank and couldn’t get an answer from their help desk. I asked my wife to go to the bank and see if she could find out what the problem was. At first, they refused to give her any information because she wasn’t the “primary” signer on the account. She told them that she was in fact a signer on the account and had me call the bank to verify that information. They finally told her that the other bank hadn’t told them that they could release the funds yet. That sounded really suspicious to me and so I called the other bank and they said that wasn’t true - the check was good and there should be no problem with my bank releasing the funds to me.
Continue reading Bank Calamity
This particular story is a great follow-up to the “We Are the U.S.” post. Thank you to one of our readers, Steve, for bringing it to my attention.
Would you like to live in North Dakota? If so, the city of Hazelton is offering a pretty sweet deal to interested families.
According to an Associated Press article, “The Hazelton Development Corp., formed by a determined group of citizens, began running ads in 2005 offering families up to two free lots and up to $20,000 toward home purchases. Businesses were offered free lots and up to $50,000 for setting up shop in the town.” You can read the full article here.
That sounds like a great deal for a town that only has “three churches, a bank, a grain elevator and a bar.” But when Michael and Jeanette Tristani took the offer, relocated from Miami and opened a bistro, they soon found themselves being exiled by the town’s current residents. Now there are restraining orders involved and the Tristani’s are moving.
This is truly an amazing story. A town on the verge of extinction comes up with an interesting strategy to recruit new residents, but then runs the first family out of town.
I can already picture this town. It’s probably something like we saw in the movies “Sweet Home Alabama” or “Sleeping with the Enemy.”
On another note, I was watching the Winter Olympics yesterday. Is curling really that popular???
Now a quick blurb about my favorite blog fodder, er, I mean, adulterer, Tiger Woods. The Associated Press is reporting that Tiger Woods will address the media this Friday. His agent said, “This is all about the next step. He’s looking forward to it.” You can read the entire article here.
Do you want to know why Tiger is looking forward to it? Because his “apology” won’t mean anything; and it will be done in front of a group of hand-picked media. They won’t be allowed to ask him any questions and only one camera will be in the room.
Personally, I’d rather talk to my fax machine than hear about another Tiger Woods’ mistress. But it’s so easy to make fun of him. So you tell me; was he a sex addict who needed help or will it only be a matter of time before he strays again?
I was watching the Olympics on Saturday and a commercial aired featuring actor, Jamie Foxx. In case you missed it, he introduced the multi-station simulcast for the new “We Are the World” video. You can watch it here.
This “We Are the World” song/video is a remake of the one originally created for the “U.S.A. for Africa” campaign in 1985. LOL, I was actually in the fourth grade in 1985…
Anyway, don’t think I’m insensitive when I say this, but was I the only one wondering why it seems that celebrities rush to the aid of those abroad, while cities in the U.S. continue to suffer?
The sad part is that whether you’re watching the world news or reading something online, there are countless public interest stories daily about U.S cities that are bankrupt and citizens that are living below poverty standards. I mean, just drive around your own city. For example, I know there are ghettos around here , but there are ones that are far worse in other cities.
ABC News recently did a study on “America’s 10 Poorest Cities.” You can read it here. It mentioned cities such as Pine Bluff (MN), Albany and Macon (GA) and Rocky Mountain (NC), where most annual incomes range between $18,000 and $23,000 - with the lower echelon between $7,500 and $8,500.
I do realize that the situation in Haiti is unprecedented - hundreds of thousands dead and millions with nowhere to stay. But to be honest, I’d like to see some celebrities band together, set up a donation hotline, answer the phones themselves, dedicate nine hours of their time, pay for a TV simulcast, solicit corporate sponsors and write some big checks to benefit U.S. cities as well. While I appreciate what they’re doing and know that the people of Haiti do too, like I said above, I don’t think I’m being irrational in the way I think.
P.S. I realize it’s hard to get 100+ musical artists in the same room at the same time. And clearly some of last year’s most recognized talent was visibly missing from this performance. But as a side-note, if you look very closely in the back row of the video, you can see actors Vince Vaughn and Jeff Bridges. Are they singers???
I published a similar post on July 21, 2008, well before 99% of you followed The Constant Complainer. But back then I was a rookie blogger and couldn’t give this topic the exposure it deserved. So I cleaned it up a little and it’s back for its day in the sun.
I’d like to tell you a true story about a 13-year-old boy. This boy was at a Cub Scout event and was playing a game called capture the flag. During the game, he got tackled and hurt his right hip. It was very sore, but he kept playing with his friends. Eventually, he went home and told his parents that he hurt his leg.
The boy’s parents called his pediatrician the next morning. And the boy went in for an appointment. The doctor checked him out, did some mobility tests and declared the injury to be a pulled muscle. She indicated the boy would be fine in a few weeks. No x-rays or prescriptions needed! Excellent, the boy thought, as he had two baseball games upcoming.
The first game was later that week. At that game, the boy was the pitcher and played the game of his life - extreme hip pain and all. He pitched nearly the entire game, but unfortunately had to be removed in the last inning due to the pain. As the doctor had suggested, he took it easy and tried to help the muscle heal in time for the next game.
The next game day arrived and the boy was playing first base. He was visibly still in pain, but he kept playing. At one point, he was up to bat and hit a ground ball. As he tried to run to first base, his hip was so sore that he couldn’t. A parent in the stands (angry that the boy seemed to be walking to first base) stood up and yelled “he can barely run - take him out” and several other parents agreed. The boy’s father was sitting there and heard this. He decided to immediately take the boy to the emergency room.
Continue reading Old School Liability 2
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