Gettting along in life and being accepted by others depends to a large extent on knowing and following the “secret” rules. I say secret becasue no one is going to tell you what they are, and if you ask, the existence of The Raules will be denied and you wil be deemd wierd and crazy. They are never to be spoken of – clocked in adamant denial by th epurveyors of them.
Demonstrating knowledge of these secret rules is part of how the herd designates outsiders and keeps them out. Society is composed of group of rule followers. Those who do not know and follow the unspoken rules are cst aside. They do not belong. Some of this casting aside may have value – as in pedofiles and murders, etc. But for most people it just simply means that one is not accepted by the click.
In general people are very big on rules and they like people who follow the rules. There are rules for everything. Those who are independent, creative. Thinkers, automatically do not fit in. In the most benign form this culling protects society and individuals from dangers. In the most dangerous form it creat4es separation and squashes individuality , intelligence and invention. In general the innovators, sicnetists , thinkers and leaders of the4 past , without whom we would not be where we are today, were condemed, critcized and faced much resistance becasue they dared to think diferently from the “pack.”
So dare to think diffferently. Dare to think at all. Consider alternative perspectives, ponder possbilitis and consequences, seek new and innovative ideas and dare to be yourself independent of the herd norm. Without this individualaity there is no spark to life.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
The New Poor
We live in a very spoiled age with generations of spoiled people. Poor used to have a different meaning. I know several people who now are out of work and have been for a while. They have constant worries and cannot pay their rent, yet they have air conditioning, iphones, high speed internet, cable and satellite tv, take mini vacations, even with the high cost of gasoline, and never, ever, ever go without their drugs: cigarettes, booze or whatever. That is a heck of a way to be poor. My heart bleeds.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Irritable on Mother's Day
I am not a mother and have never wanted to be, yet I have been receiving random mother's day greetings from complete strangers since I was a teenager! For one, to say that to a teen is highly inappropriate. To say it to me now is still inappropirate. It implies that because I am female and have a uterus, I am simply obligated and expected to be popping out babies. I find that a vulgar thought. I am not a baby machine, but rather an individual with a mind, free thought and free will, and it is within my right to choose NOT to have babies; and withoput the assumption being shoved down my throat at every opportunity, that I am automatically supposed to be doing just that.
Aside from the mindless strangers, there are plenty of well-meaning friends who wish me happy mothers day with the expectation that I should be happy for the holiday greeting and acknolegement . . . ackowledgement of what? My uterus! There is nothing to be appreciated in having something wished upon you that you do not want. Please respect our rights to NOT be mothers if we so choose.
On the other side of the coin, if you are one of the people who does this, you may be wishing that on someone who desperately wants it and cannot conceive, or who has lost a child, and such heartless, flippant greetings surely bring much pain. Please be mindful and considerate.
Aside from the mindless strangers, there are plenty of well-meaning friends who wish me happy mothers day with the expectation that I should be happy for the holiday greeting and acknolegement . . . ackowledgement of what? My uterus! There is nothing to be appreciated in having something wished upon you that you do not want. Please respect our rights to NOT be mothers if we so choose.
On the other side of the coin, if you are one of the people who does this, you may be wishing that on someone who desperately wants it and cannot conceive, or who has lost a child, and such heartless, flippant greetings surely bring much pain. Please be mindful and considerate.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Move to the Right!
There are basic social contracts already in place, yet I seem to be caught in some warped spot in the nation where the majority of people are mindless of these. For one: move to the right! This is not Britain. We do not drive on the left side of the road, we do not enter the left door, and we do not walk on the left side of corridors and aisleways - step to the right people!
I hate it when in traffic inside a store I crowd to the right side, which I am already on, to make it clear that I am making as much room as possible for people to move by on my left - where there is all of this space. In spite of all of the excess room there, in spite of the fact that I have moved over more, in spite of the fact that it is not normal to move to the left as the oncomer is trying to do, and it is really impolite to crowd someone and push past them, these socially challenged people insist on aiming for the place where there is NO room, separating me from the side of a wall or display to squeeze between me and whatever, instead of simply and politely moving to the other side - the correct side - their right side.
This should not need be said! Unbelieveable and yet a constant annoyance!
I hate it when in traffic inside a store I crowd to the right side, which I am already on, to make it clear that I am making as much room as possible for people to move by on my left - where there is all of this space. In spite of all of the excess room there, in spite of the fact that I have moved over more, in spite of the fact that it is not normal to move to the left as the oncomer is trying to do, and it is really impolite to crowd someone and push past them, these socially challenged people insist on aiming for the place where there is NO room, separating me from the side of a wall or display to squeeze between me and whatever, instead of simply and politely moving to the other side - the correct side - their right side.
This should not need be said! Unbelieveable and yet a constant annoyance!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
About Time Someone Delivered the Message
http://news.aol.com/article/man-slaps-child-in-walmart/653392
There is a story in the news about a man taking action to discipline an unruly toddler in a Wal-Mart. There is a big deal being made about the man's actions. I have heard on the news that he slapped the child, slapped the child several times and I also heard that he scolded her. In any case someone finally did something about ill behaved children in public places, in which the parents are irresponsible. I wish they would mention that in the news - that a lot of people are fed up with the spoiled, inconsiderate, irresponsible and unmannered parents that do not teach their children any manners and do not make them behave in public. Truely, if the cannot behave in public, they should not be allowed in public. That is how it was with those of us who were taught manners as children. If we wanted to go out in public we had to behave. I find it deplorable that anyone allow their kids to misbehave at home, bbut it is unacceptable to subject innocent bystanders in public placed to their obnoxious brats - and lets be honest - it is their fault that the kids are like that. So they need to be accountable and if they want to raise brats, keep them home and away from the rest of us.
There is a story in the news about a man taking action to discipline an unruly toddler in a Wal-Mart. There is a big deal being made about the man's actions. I have heard on the news that he slapped the child, slapped the child several times and I also heard that he scolded her. In any case someone finally did something about ill behaved children in public places, in which the parents are irresponsible. I wish they would mention that in the news - that a lot of people are fed up with the spoiled, inconsiderate, irresponsible and unmannered parents that do not teach their children any manners and do not make them behave in public. Truely, if the cannot behave in public, they should not be allowed in public. That is how it was with those of us who were taught manners as children. If we wanted to go out in public we had to behave. I find it deplorable that anyone allow their kids to misbehave at home, bbut it is unacceptable to subject innocent bystanders in public placed to their obnoxious brats - and lets be honest - it is their fault that the kids are like that. So they need to be accountable and if they want to raise brats, keep them home and away from the rest of us.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Customer Service Hall of Shame 2009
And this is a lot of what this column is about . . customer no service and the things they do to irk, take or money and waste our time, while they explout our good faith and loyalty towards those we patronize. (This column is about companies AND people who do this). (Ecuse . . .blog. In the old days it was called a colum, though really the same thing.
Here is the top 10 worst customer serving companies from the just published MSN hall of shame - here they are in order beginning with the most abhorent lack of customer service.
1. Citigroup
2. Bank of America
3. Abercrombie
4. Qwest
5. HSBC
6. Time Warner Cable
6. Capital One
7. Sprint Nextel
8. Comcast
9. AOL
I am truly shocked that T-Moble is not on the list. People who have deal with them are probbaly to busy with their lawyers to complain to the media - as I was when I tried to get out of their money grubbing theiving claws.
Then there is Toyota. Now, although this was a long time ago, I will have nothing to further do with any company that rips a custoemr off for several thousand dollars over and above the cost of the vehicle, and turns a deaf ear and cold shoulder, takling adavantage of those of us who lack the capital for high powered legal teams. No matter what a three month old, brand new car, maintained normally and under nothing but normal wear and tear should not have th engine blow up out of the blue. And what about that $2,500 cash plan I bought that was supposed to cover anything that the manufacturer's warranty did not. Ping pong - each one throwing responsibility to the other. It should have been covered under the manufacturer becasue anythign put together correctly won't just blow up. I had that added protectoin to, but they hung me out to dry with a several thousand dollar rep[air bill adn paying for my own rental car while I waited three full months for a new engine from California. Toyota is forever a dog.
Alltel
These guys rented me a cell phone while traveling and lied about the rates. When I got the bill for my nominal usage it was $2,000!
Taking care of customers used to be a thing of pride - and earned renewed and referred business. Now they know that even though there is competition you have to choose one of them and all of them have more than adequate market share, so what do they care.
Anyone else got comapny/service horror stories? Please share them here. Take your opportunity to vent (language please!) and let the world know what jerks they are. Help us not fall into the same trap.
Here is the top 10 worst customer serving companies from the just published MSN hall of shame - here they are in order beginning with the most abhorent lack of customer service.
1. Citigroup
2. Bank of America
3. Abercrombie
4. Qwest
5. HSBC
6. Time Warner Cable
6. Capital One
7. Sprint Nextel
8. Comcast
9. AOL
I am truly shocked that T-Moble is not on the list. People who have deal with them are probbaly to busy with their lawyers to complain to the media - as I was when I tried to get out of their money grubbing theiving claws.
Then there is Toyota. Now, although this was a long time ago, I will have nothing to further do with any company that rips a custoemr off for several thousand dollars over and above the cost of the vehicle, and turns a deaf ear and cold shoulder, takling adavantage of those of us who lack the capital for high powered legal teams. No matter what a three month old, brand new car, maintained normally and under nothing but normal wear and tear should not have th engine blow up out of the blue. And what about that $2,500 cash plan I bought that was supposed to cover anything that the manufacturer's warranty did not. Ping pong - each one throwing responsibility to the other. It should have been covered under the manufacturer becasue anythign put together correctly won't just blow up. I had that added protectoin to, but they hung me out to dry with a several thousand dollar rep[air bill adn paying for my own rental car while I waited three full months for a new engine from California. Toyota is forever a dog.
Alltel
These guys rented me a cell phone while traveling and lied about the rates. When I got the bill for my nominal usage it was $2,000!
Taking care of customers used to be a thing of pride - and earned renewed and referred business. Now they know that even though there is competition you have to choose one of them and all of them have more than adequate market share, so what do they care.
Anyone else got comapny/service horror stories? Please share them here. Take your opportunity to vent (language please!) and let the world know what jerks they are. Help us not fall into the same trap.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Annonymous Phone Calls / Messages
Don't you just hate getting voice messages from an unknown nuber that demand that you call that or some other number without evening saying who it is, what company they are with or why they are calling and what the heck they want to waste your time for?
If I do not know who it is or why they are calling, why should I bother? Well, I shoudn't and I don't. Let that be a lesson to anyone who actually wants a call back.
What it also annoying though does not tick me off like the one above, is people who call and ask for a call back, but do not leave a call back number. True in this technological age, e can usually get the number from the caller ID or stored in a cell phone. But just in case the return number is different, or if the call is routed through a swtichboard, or if the caller has their number blocked from view or any otehr reason - leave the number. In any case, don't o and make us look it up - unless you realy do not want a call back.
If I do not know who it is or why they are calling, why should I bother? Well, I shoudn't and I don't. Let that be a lesson to anyone who actually wants a call back.
What it also annoying though does not tick me off like the one above, is people who call and ask for a call back, but do not leave a call back number. True in this technological age, e can usually get the number from the caller ID or stored in a cell phone. But just in case the return number is different, or if the call is routed through a swtichboard, or if the caller has their number blocked from view or any otehr reason - leave the number. In any case, don't o and make us look it up - unless you realy do not want a call back.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)