Return Policy

Okay, let me first start out with an update: I do have a sinus infection and I'm on a 10-day course of Augmentin. Suck ass. I really hate being sick, especially when the weather hasn't been too bad of late. You people that hate the rain can all stop bitching now.

Here's today's dose of irony: the return policy for www.musictoday.com. I recently received my pre-ordered copy of the new Dave Matthews Band CD "Stand Up." It's completey awesome, but I digress. I couldn't wait to get into it, and was surprised when I found this:

"Musictoday will be happy to return any unopened Dave Matthews Band Stand Up CD within 30 days of purchase. Once the CD is opened, we cannot accept any returns or exchanges unless there is a manufacturer defect."

This shouldn't surprise me too much, but why the hell is it INSIDE the CD case? Isn't it a little late to tell the consumer about it AFTER the fact? That's like telling a child not to put their hand on the hot stove AFTER the child burns their hand. I guess it's a good thing I really love the CD, isn't it? The t-shirt, however, needs to be exchanged because they sent me the wrong one. To that I say oh well, defecation occurs. They told me I could send it back and they'd pay me back for shipping, so it's all good.

I really need to come up with some interesting stuff to blog about. This is boring me.

Chinese Water Torture

Okay, this may seem like I'm complaining about the weather, but I promise I'm not!

The constant change in weather--rain to sunny, warm to cold--is driving my sinuses up a wall. I usually don't have a problem (since the operation to help remedy that), but for some reason this year it's hit me like a ton of snot--err, bricks. Here's a little something no one wants to know about me: I have post-nasal drip. That's where all of the mucous runs down the back of your throat. It leads to throat irritation and an upset stomach (where do you think it all goes?). All in all, it's just no fun. The roller coaster pattern of air pressure is going to make me sick.

I want to prevent a sinus infection, and if I haven't already done that (TMI: mucous color says it may already be too late), I'd at least like to give it a run for its money. I'm worried about taking antibiotics while trying to get pregnant--that and I'm sick of pills.

Well, throughout today it has become clear: I have a cold. This sucks ass royally, because this is the THIRD cold I've had this year! Not only that, the weather is great and I'm done with school until August. NOT FAIR! I guess now that I'm no longer pregnant I'll break out that homeopathic stuff I bought last time but was told I shouldn't use. I've already got vitamin C drops I'm popping like candy, I'm still taking my daily vitamins--the only thing I haven't been doing is sleeping. Of course, that gets tricky when you wake up at 3 AM with a runny nose.

Since this is really a boring post, I think I'll end it now.

Be Kind, Please DON'T SCRATCH!

Remember back in the day when we watched movies on VHS? If you rented them, there was a label that said "Be Kind, Please Rewind." Some places even charged you for not rewinding. Ah, the good old days.

Now I rent movies (when I rent movies) on DVD, and I love it. EXCEPT when a previous renter doesn't take care of the DVD and it gets scratched up. I rented Fargo this week because I missed watching the movie in my film class. I was almost done with the movie when the damn thing started freezing and pixellating. I was PISSED! I still haven't finished watching it, because I don't think I can fix the scratch. I swear, it's got to be like the last, 15-20 minutes of the movie, where everything comes together. I mean, I'm pretty sure I could predict the ending after having watched the first 2/3 of the movie, but seeing the resolution just brings a sense of closure. I can't stop thinking about how it ends. ARGH! Damn you, careless movie renter!

This irritates the hell out of me because people don't respect property that isn't theirs. Is it really so hard to take care of a DVD? Are you so mentally challenged that you don't know how to put one back in the case when you're done? Do you know how to put something out of a child's reach so they don't get into it and destroy it? It doesn't take much time or effort to return the DVD to its case and possibly put it somewhere the kids won't get to it.

This doesn't just go for the DVD's you borrow from Netflix and Blockbuster. What's even MORE annoying is when someone borrows a DVD (or CD for that matter--it actually pisses me off more when it's a CD because I love my music!) and returns it in worse condition than it originally was. At $20+ a pop, it gets expensive to replace things that other people have destroyed.

I'm the kind of person who makes an effort to leave something cleaner than it was when I got it. I recently borrowed my sister-in-law's Jack Johnson CD's that were pretty scratched up. I mean, I tried to stick one in my car CD player and it spit it out after 2 songs because it skipped so bad. So I took them home and took my Disc Doctor to them and cleaned them up almost until they looked like new. That's just the kind of nice person I am. I think of the other people that would like to enjoy the CD's and DVD's I borrow, the fact that it's not mine to begin with, and just a general sense of respect are what motivate me to take care of things borrowed. I just wish I could say the same for whoever rented Fargo from the West Valley Blockbuster and put a huge scratch in it that prevented me from seeing the rest of the movie. May your progeny learn to be more respectful and careful than you were, and may the fleas of a thousand camels infest your jockey shorts.

Health Insurance: A Necessary Evil

Office visit to IHC Instacare: $74
Urinalysis and blood draw: $39
Realizing your insurance company tells you the cost billed by their own facility is too much: Priceless.

Yes, it's time for me to pontificate once again on the evils of the healthcare industry. Remember that nifty flu-like illness I got checked out for a few posts ago? Well, the explanation of benefits is here, and I must say I'm dumbfounded. Flabbergasted. It really boggles the mind.

You see, Intermountain Health Care runs both my insurance company AND the Instacare urgent care facility where I went that night I had a fever. So when I read that these charges all exceeded the allowable amount that IHC insurance says they're willing to pay out to IHC Instacare, I had to wonder. It brought to mind a scripture--something about "the left hand knoweth not what the right hand is doing." Doesn't make sense to me.

I guess I'm really not going to complain about the convoluted nature of health insurance and billing. I just thought it was amazingly odd, and quite asinine. But I'm sure it makes sense to someone, somewhere.

Bleh. This post really lacks my usual angry energy. Tough beans, I'm publishing it anyway.

"Eye R a Colij Stoodent"

Ah, education. It's a vital thing if you're going to survive in today's world. Higher education is a must if you plan on being able to do anything with your life besides flip burgers or bag groceries. That especially applies if you want to find a job in the tech sector. Some will argue that experience means more than a degree, but after my husband's 9 1/2 month stint of unemployment, I've come to the conclusion that it's just not true. They want the experience AND the piece of paper that says you're qualified. But this really isn't what my rant is about.

Today's complaint is about people who do not have a basic understanding of their own damn native tongue. I think it's pathetic that people who claim to have graduated from high school cannot distinguish between "your" and "you're." My brother is in his second year of college and still tells me what he is going to do "tomarrow." I really think there's no excuse for it.

What's really killer is when people misspell something, you call them on it, and then they say "I'm not a good typeist." That may be true, but you're really not all that great with the language, either. Don't blame it on dyslexia, either. ADD/ADHD won't fly. There are all sorts of tools and resources to help you. Don't play victim and use your learning disabilities or difficulties as a crutch. It's lame (no play on words intended).

Please, please, PLEASE--don't use big words you can't spell. I learn new words all the time when I go into my usual chat room, and it's all because people want to sound intelligent. I've really been thinking about keeping a list of "new" words so I can help prove my theory that schools are failing American people. The most recent word I learned was "exasterbate." The context of the sentence: "the smog in LA exasterbates problems with asthma." Hey genius, that's exacerbate. Please, don't try to sound smarter than you really are. Do you know the word but are unsure how it's spelled? www.m-w.com is the Merriam-Webster Dictionary online. Use it.

Another thing--don't challenge someone's intelligence unless you are sure of your spelling/grammar. Someone once told me, "your a idiot." Right. Can anyone point out the two mistakes in that sentence? No, the fact that it was directed at me isn't one of them--though that would be a mistake. I've seen people online complain about not being able to find "inteligent" conversation, and it just cracks me up. How intelligent are you looking to be? You can't spell the word, so something tells me you're not looking for an advanced conversation on the science of fractals or chaos theory. Perhaps you should limit your conversation to, say, "what's your favorite 'Dick and Jane' book?"

Why should I care about spelling, you ask. Well, when you're dealing with written/typed communication, it's imperative that the person to whom you are typing can understand. Now, when talking to peers it's okay to use some improper English, such as phonetically (yes, I had to consult the dictionary for that one) typing out "gonna," "wanna," etc. But sloppy spelling backed up with "why should I care?" reflects poorly on you. To me, it screams "I lack education and self-respect!" You don't need to be a rocket scientist or even a college graduate to know how to spell. In fact, you should graduate high school with the ability to properly speak and write in your own language.

Use your brain, and if that doesn't work, use your resources to educate your brain. It's just that simple.

Jesus Loves You, Everyone Else Thinks You're an Asshole

I love bumper stickers. Some are rather witty, and I've seen a few that have almost gotten me into accidents because I was laughing so hard. This above bumper sticker applies to my early-morning rant, which is leftover from yesterday. More interesting is that it doesn't have anything to do with bumper stickers.

Joy of joys, a trip to the post office. Usually I'll avoid going at all costs, but this time I had to *finally* mail my parents' Christmas present along with my mom's birthday present (happy birthday, Mom). I also had a CD to return to BMG (I'm so bad about remembering to mail in those reply card thingies) and a surprise to mail to my friend Maree (thought I was going to blow it, didn't ya?). The post office has decided to make my life quite a bit easier (FOR ONCE!) by installing these automatic postage machines. It's SO nice! Weigh package, enter zip code, pay for postage, and--BAM!--it produces a label you can stick on the package. There's even a handy drop-box next to the machine so you can throw your box/letter in and go. No more getting ticket #67 while they're calling for ticket #13. No more waiting for the slower-than-molasses postal workers, or wondering why the have 5 teller booths and only use 1-2 at a time. Of course there is a catch to this--the door on the box drop says not to put anything more than 16 oz. in the box. Come to think if it, I probably read it wrong and it said LESS THAN 16 oz. But that's neither here nor there.

Okay, I told you that so I could tell you the story behind the title of today's rant. My package to Delaware was 3.some-odd pounds, so I couldn't put it in the drop box (or at least that's what I thought at the time, who knows). This meant I had to go inside the main part of the post office. Fortunately for me, there was a small line of people picking up registered letters and whatnot, so I hopped in that line rather than pulling a number. While waiting to give my box to the postal worker, there was a woman standing at one of the teller booths, and I believe she was trying to pay for something with a money order. Evidently the post office doesn't let you pay for things with money orders, so the woman's daughter went and got her father out of the car. This folks, is where the fun begins.

The man stormed in and didn't hesitate to raise his voice at the teller. "You don't take money orders? Why not? They're as good as cash!" The woman softly responds, "not to me, sir. I'm sorry, but we don't accept them." He kept going on about the money orders for a minute, then when he realized he'd lost that battle, he COMPLETELY changed the subject. This had to have been the most drastic topic shift I have ever witnessed. He suddenly says to the clerk, "you have a dress code, don't you?" Rather befuddled, the clerk replies "yes sir, we do." Then he points to another teller at the other end of the counter and says "what about her? She's not following that dress code. She has a rag on her head!" The teller was a woman with what looked like a variation of the traditional Muslim scarf on her head. Actually, after having looked at some pictures while reading about the Pope, I think it might have to do with that (pretty sad that I wouldn't know that and I'm a former Catholic). Either way, the poor woman looked totally startled, completely surprised by this random attack. Other people looked at him, and the office grew quieter for a moment. I don't know about anyone else, but I was livid.

What the hell was the point of dragging that poor woman into it? Some people just cannot accept defeat. When they lose one battle, they pick another one by changing the subject. It was an irration and completely asinine move on this guy's part. I don't care what you believe about what other people believe, just don't impose your hatred on anyone else. For one, it's just plain mean. Two, you look REALLY stupid doing it. Just remember folks, anger is a secondary emotion. What this guy probably REALLY felt was "I'm hurt because you won't make an exception to the rule for me."

I really felt for that poor girl that was with them. Being the child of a parent with a temper, I know what it's like to be completely embarrassed in public because your dad can't control his temper. Lucky for me, he would never resort to throwing any kind of derogatory slurs at people who didn't have anything to do with his own personal battle. I have to admit, for that, I am grateful.

This conclusion doesn't really have anything to do with my post, but I've noticed that I have a dilemma with writing a conclusion. How do you wrap up a rant? I know I just go right from one to the other until I run out of steam. When I verbalize a rant, I don't take the time to make closing remarks on one rant--I'm more of an "...and another thing!" kind of person. So I guess I'll just do it the same in my blogs and stop trying to come up with stupid conclusions.

"Think About the Irony..."

I saw something yesterday that made me laugh, but at the same time kind of made me sad inside. There was a car in front of me as I was driving to my math class last night that had one of those magnet ribbons on the back that said "Be Aware and Show You Care." It was pink, the color of the American Cancer Association's campaign against breast cancer. A wonderful cause, no doubt. So what's sad about that, you ask?

The next thing I saw shouldn't have surprised me much. It was a cigarette butt flung out the window of the same car someone had taken the time to put the breast cancer awareness magnet on! The first thing that went through my mind was "WTF?" The second thing was "what is that woman thinking? 'Care about breast cancer, but screw the lungs!'?" (Attention grammar Nazis, did I punctuate that correctly?) Ah, the duality of man--the only animal that would go to the ends of the earth to rid himself of one illness just to muck himself up with another. It's something akin to buying something to cure athlete's foot then shooting off your big toe.

Why do we do this to ourselves? Does anyone else see the cruel irony people inflict upon themselves? Supersize meal with a DIET Coke? There's a dichotomy here, folks. If you're going to quit smoking because it can cause cancer, why not give up booze too so you don't poison your liver? If you're going to exercise for a healthier heart, why not put down the Carl's Jr big and nasty burgers (whatever it is they're called--don't EVEN get me started on the commercials for that place!)? Perhaps giving up caffeine and tripling your sugar intake isn't a good idea either. Just some, you know, food for thought?

Those who know me are probably thinking "who the hell are you to talk?" But you see, I don't try to do any of those things listed above. When I make my feeble attempts at changing habits for the better, I go for the gusto. I give up the caffeine, cut my sugar intake, exercise more, etc. Could be why I fail miserably every time, but it's not about falling off the horse--it's about getting back on.

Well, it looks like I'm back on the bitch-blogging scene. I guess my rant for next time will still be about the cigarette butt thing. That really grates my nerves. Or maybe that will wait for another day, and tomorrow I'll rehash today and the number of times I heard giggling girls say, "guess what? I'm PREGNANT!" Stupid little brats. Anyway, real life calls.