Warning: Audubon Society Moment
I grew up in a double-decade drought in California.
California, where cities are all as vain as Agrestic.
It was an interesting juxtaposition of water conversation and beautifully manicured landscaping. I remember laws of all sorts aimed at saving the water: can't water during the day, can't water on this day, can't use the hose, can't wash your car, etc.
I remember what a pain it was to turn on the sprinklers early, early in the morning before... automatic sprinklers.
Then, the invention of the automatic sprinklers led to the wonderful solution of letting people sleep in, while the sprinklers are running during a rainstorm.
And thus we find the problem with automatic sprinklers:
Sprinklers are only automatically controlled by a clock.
How is this helpful to water conservation AT ALL?
The answer is: it's not.
What we really need is this: We need automatic sprinklers that are controlled by hygrometer (moisture sensers).
In combination with this, the American populace needs to realize that continued cultivation of the water-sucking weed we call grass cannot continue while we have continually diminishing fresh water reserves on Earth. We need to get used to playing in drought-resistant lawns (like crab grass) instead of poisoning these plants (and thereby the ground and water) to make our lawns "pretty".
Now, I'm looking at buying a house with a lawn for a child to play in. This idea doesn't sit well with me, either. Perhaps I need to look into astroturf- perhaps we all should.
Regardless, we do need to change how we water our lawns AND our crops. We need to be smart about how much moisture is actually needed based on the amount that's already in the soil.
We need hygrometer-based watering.
And we need it now.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Seriously Sears!
Twelve years ago, I bought an air conditioner from Sears.
(yes, like Sears &Roebuck...the Craftsman tools company).
It was for a house, that I no longer own and haven't owned for most of the time since that purchase.
I have not purchased anything else from Sears since then.
(Let's just say that it wasn't a great experience...resulting in them blowing the furnace wiring during the coldest part of the year, which resulted in me having to manually the furnace on and off so that the house didn't freeze)
ANYWAY,
Today, I received a letter from Sears telling me that the warranty on that air condition has experience.
o_O
Now, like I said, I am not at that address any more. I haven't made any purchases from them since....
HOW DID THEY KNOW WHERE I LIVE!?!
Evidently, they purchase updates to their customers from those unethical personal information marketers, like Intelius, and they track you and your information in their database.
The best part of about this whole experience is this: It's completely legal. It's legal because I bought something from them and the US government has guaranteed them the right to keep track of me, my information, where I live, my phones, my purchases, my education, etc as a previous customer so that they can market to me.
The moral of this story is this:
If you are going to buy something big on a credit card from a retail company, be sure to open the junk mail from that company and read it occasionally. You might find out some interesting rights that you forfeit just by shredding it unopened.
Now, if you had made a purchase from Sears and you don't want them to market to you (or keep track of your life), call this number and ask them to remove you from the database. Of course, I'd wait until your warranties have expired, but you can still insist on your privacy.
Sears warranties and management of your private information:
1-800-366-2320.
Then press option 4 to be removed/update your information.
(yes, like Sears &Roebuck...the Craftsman tools company).
It was for a house, that I no longer own and haven't owned for most of the time since that purchase.
I have not purchased anything else from Sears since then.
(Let's just say that it wasn't a great experience...resulting in them blowing the furnace wiring during the coldest part of the year, which resulted in me having to manually the furnace on and off so that the house didn't freeze)
ANYWAY,
Today, I received a letter from Sears telling me that the warranty on that air condition has experience.
o_O
Now, like I said, I am not at that address any more. I haven't made any purchases from them since....
HOW DID THEY KNOW WHERE I LIVE!?!
Evidently, they purchase updates to their customers from those unethical personal information marketers, like Intelius, and they track you and your information in their database.
The best part of about this whole experience is this: It's completely legal. It's legal because I bought something from them and the US government has guaranteed them the right to keep track of me, my information, where I live, my phones, my purchases, my education, etc as a previous customer so that they can market to me.
The moral of this story is this:
If you are going to buy something big on a credit card from a retail company, be sure to open the junk mail from that company and read it occasionally. You might find out some interesting rights that you forfeit just by shredding it unopened.
Now, if you had made a purchase from Sears and you don't want them to market to you (or keep track of your life), call this number and ask them to remove you from the database. Of course, I'd wait until your warranties have expired, but you can still insist on your privacy.
Sears warranties and management of your private information:
1-800-366-2320.
Then press option 4 to be removed/update your information.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Recycling Energy
My daughter has a couple of pinwheels that she conned me into while we were out shopping on various occasions.
At first, she didn't quite get how to work them, but then I showed her how to hold them above the air vent to make them go.
This was _quite_ a hit.
And this got me wondering:
Why don't we have some sort of indoor pinwheels for recapturing some of this spent energy?
I mean, it wouldn't necessarily be a lot, but if you add up a few pinwheels in your home running when your air or heat or ceiling fan runs...and then you multiply that times the number of people in your neighborhood ALSO running the air...
...it makes you really wonder why we aren't making better use of the energy that we spend.
At first, she didn't quite get how to work them, but then I showed her how to hold them above the air vent to make them go.
This was _quite_ a hit.
And this got me wondering:
Why don't we have some sort of indoor pinwheels for recapturing some of this spent energy?
I mean, it wouldn't necessarily be a lot, but if you add up a few pinwheels in your home running when your air or heat or ceiling fan runs...and then you multiply that times the number of people in your neighborhood ALSO running the air...
...it makes you really wonder why we aren't making better use of the energy that we spend.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Well, That's a New One
I grew up calling them "gassers".
I call them "toots" for my daughter, giggles with glee with every "musical" note.
I've heard them called Dutch Ovens, Depth Charges, Green Clouds, Cutting the Cheese....
...but my husband clued me in to a new one, as our daughter ran over to us, tooted, and ran away laughing.
Evidently, this type of gas bomb is called a "Crop Dusting"
Gives new a slant on the whole thing, doesn't it?
I call them "toots" for my daughter, giggles with glee with every "musical" note.
I've heard them called Dutch Ovens, Depth Charges, Green Clouds, Cutting the Cheese....
...but my husband clued me in to a new one, as our daughter ran over to us, tooted, and ran away laughing.
Evidently, this type of gas bomb is called a "Crop Dusting"
Gives new a slant on the whole thing, doesn't it?
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
Dental Sealants
Why are they not covered by insurance?
Hell, why aren't they MANDATED by insurance?
Dental sealants are an epoxy/porcelain mix that are basically glued into the ridges of your molars and premolars to cover the crevasses...you know, the places where cavities form. So...this is basically a cheap, nearly guaranteed prevention of cavities in the crevasses of your teeth.
Each sealant is cheaper than a shot.
Each sealant lasts about 10 years.
Each sealant prevents cavity, which results in a filling that is a WHOLE LOT MORE expensive than the sealant. AND once you start drilling the teeth, you compromise the structural integrity of the tooth, thereby pretty much guaranteeing that you'll be visiting the dentist again for that tooth...for bigger and nastier "treatments".
Why would insurance not want to take that bet?
It just goes to show you that insurance is NOT interested in helping pay for your health and welfare. It's completely interested in you continuing to purchase insurance.
It's a business.
Keep that in mind.
And I'd recommend paying for the sealants out of pocket- no matter what your age.
Hell, why aren't they MANDATED by insurance?
Dental sealants are an epoxy/porcelain mix that are basically glued into the ridges of your molars and premolars to cover the crevasses...you know, the places where cavities form. So...this is basically a cheap, nearly guaranteed prevention of cavities in the crevasses of your teeth.
Each sealant is cheaper than a shot.
Each sealant lasts about 10 years.
Each sealant prevents cavity, which results in a filling that is a WHOLE LOT MORE expensive than the sealant. AND once you start drilling the teeth, you compromise the structural integrity of the tooth, thereby pretty much guaranteeing that you'll be visiting the dentist again for that tooth...for bigger and nastier "treatments".
Why would insurance not want to take that bet?
It just goes to show you that insurance is NOT interested in helping pay for your health and welfare. It's completely interested in you continuing to purchase insurance.
It's a business.
Keep that in mind.
And I'd recommend paying for the sealants out of pocket- no matter what your age.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Coloring for the White Collared
This week, I find myself working on a requirements traceability document.
The goal of the document is truly requirements traceability: identifying the source of the requirement and whether or not that makes the requirement out of scope.
Now, as it turns out, one of my colleagues is rather fond of color-coding. I opened up this document and it looked like Rainbow Brite threw up on it. And then to kick off the meeting, my colleague wanted to know what color to use for today's meeting...
Uhm...
I am NOT fond of color-coding documents. After being married to two color blind men, I kind of get the hint that color-coding is kind of a dumb idea.
Why?
Because the two most common colors in color coding are what?
Green and Red
What is the most common form of color blindness?
Green and Red
What type of information are you really expecting to convey to people in gray? The common colors aren't even different saturations, so they LOOK the same to a color blind person.
See, dumb.
It's much better to identify your content with, uhm, WORDS.
Despite the color palate provided by Microsoft, there are really only 7 different colors that the human eye can distinguish. And you all know what they are already:
ROY G BIV
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.
Everything else is a shade or tone of those hues.
Whoa, fancy artist speak there.
Hue is the actual color; adding white or black creates a different tone of the color. But basically, I go back to what I learned from Crayola:
In a box of 64 crayons, I still have to look at the label to tell the difference between Yellow Orange and Orange Yellow or Blue Green and Green Blue.
Now, I will give you this: I can tell the difference between pink and red. I think most people can- even the color blind.
And this is because they are different tones of the same color.
So, I guess my advice is this:
If you want to be Rainbow Brite and vomit colors all over your business documents:
The goal of the document is truly requirements traceability: identifying the source of the requirement and whether or not that makes the requirement out of scope.
Now, as it turns out, one of my colleagues is rather fond of color-coding. I opened up this document and it looked like Rainbow Brite threw up on it. And then to kick off the meeting, my colleague wanted to know what color to use for today's meeting...
Uhm...
I am NOT fond of color-coding documents. After being married to two color blind men, I kind of get the hint that color-coding is kind of a dumb idea.
Why?
Because the two most common colors in color coding are what?
Green and Red
What is the most common form of color blindness?
Green and Red
What type of information are you really expecting to convey to people in gray? The common colors aren't even different saturations, so they LOOK the same to a color blind person.
See, dumb.
It's much better to identify your content with, uhm, WORDS.
Despite the color palate provided by Microsoft, there are really only 7 different colors that the human eye can distinguish. And you all know what they are already:
ROY G BIV
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.
Everything else is a shade or tone of those hues.
Whoa, fancy artist speak there.
Hue is the actual color; adding white or black creates a different tone of the color. But basically, I go back to what I learned from Crayola:
In a box of 64 crayons, I still have to look at the label to tell the difference between Yellow Orange and Orange Yellow or Blue Green and Green Blue.
Now, I will give you this: I can tell the difference between pink and red. I think most people can- even the color blind.
And this is because they are different tones of the same color.
So, I guess my advice is this:
If you want to be Rainbow Brite and vomit colors all over your business documents:
- Use different values/saturations of colors- don't use the same darkness of all colors for your coloring
- If you have more than 7 colors, you're painting. Stop. Color in coloring books, not business documents.
- Please, please, please: Use a freakin' legend. Some of us can't understand how your artistic expression relates to due dates.
Uhm....
Gerber has changed their packaging for their baby cereal...
Now, I can understand wanting to change from a cardboard box to a plastic container- plastic definitely keeps the bugs out better.
I can even understand add a snapping spout to make the container more age resistant.
But what I can't understand is this:
Why would you EVER put the pour "spout" in the middle of the lid!?!
Every time you try to add from this container, you have to hold it funny because your hand has to span the widest dimension of the container.
Do General Mills or Kelloggs cereal boxes open in the middle of the lid?
No, because it's dumb.
What imbecile thought this was a good idea!?
On top of that, they removed the pour spot that they used to have- now it's just a lid. The cereal spills all over the place!
Morons.
Newer isn't always better.
F#$ing morons.
You can look forward to this new and "improved" container with your next Gerber Cereal purchase.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Beggars Can't Be Choosers
I'm big in donating.
You know, one man's trash is another man's treasure?
And, yes, you get to write off the full price of the donation. Sometimes, it's worth more to have the donation on your tax return than the $10 at a garage sale.
And so, when my husband and I removed some brand new bi-fold doors from our basement, we thought that we would donate them to Habitat for Humanity- a cause that I feel is fantastic- everyone should have a place to live.
Now, I know that these fine, oak, bi-fold doors are new, because when the basement flooded, we got new ones....
(and if we had know that we were doing to refurbish the basement at the time, we would have done it then, but we didn't).
So, we ended up with a set of fine oak, bi-fold doors.
Can you see where this is going?
I contacted Habitat for Humanity to let them know about these fine, oak bi-fold doors, thinking that they would love to have such fine building materials.
The answer:
No
Evidently, they don't take hollow paneled doors.
They didn't say why.
They didn't even ask if we had a non-smoking house (which we do).
They just outright refused them.
And at this point, I have to really ask myself: you know, here is a set of fine building materials in like-new condition...why would you refuse them!?
Are you really such snobs that you don't want to have them just because they're hollow paneled (e.g. less expensive than the solid core)?
It kind of makes me wonder if they're refusing other fine building materials...and if they were accepting them instead of refusing them, how many more houses would be built for those in need?
I bet if you asked the families that you're building the house for, they wouldn't care.
You know, one man's trash is another man's treasure?
And, yes, you get to write off the full price of the donation. Sometimes, it's worth more to have the donation on your tax return than the $10 at a garage sale.
And so, when my husband and I removed some brand new bi-fold doors from our basement, we thought that we would donate them to Habitat for Humanity- a cause that I feel is fantastic- everyone should have a place to live.
Now, I know that these fine, oak, bi-fold doors are new, because when the basement flooded, we got new ones....
(and if we had know that we were doing to refurbish the basement at the time, we would have done it then, but we didn't).
So, we ended up with a set of fine oak, bi-fold doors.
Can you see where this is going?
I contacted Habitat for Humanity to let them know about these fine, oak bi-fold doors, thinking that they would love to have such fine building materials.
The answer:
No
Evidently, they don't take hollow paneled doors.
They didn't say why.
They didn't even ask if we had a non-smoking house (which we do).
They just outright refused them.
And at this point, I have to really ask myself: you know, here is a set of fine building materials in like-new condition...why would you refuse them!?
Are you really such snobs that you don't want to have them just because they're hollow paneled (e.g. less expensive than the solid core)?
It kind of makes me wonder if they're refusing other fine building materials...and if they were accepting them instead of refusing them, how many more houses would be built for those in need?
I bet if you asked the families that you're building the house for, they wouldn't care.
Friday, August 23, 2013
What's Wrong With This Picture?
Remember when the dentist used to hand out toothbrushes?
Well, the advertising is getting a little more intense now. When I went recently, I received an entire BAG of dental products- floss, two brushes, and coupons.
Lots of coupons.
One of them, for Listerine, is shown here.
Now, granted, this is an advertisement for mouthwash. However, the large numbers don't make sense with the descriptions:
- Brush twice a day should have a 2.
- Floss daily should have a 1.
No wonder people get so many cavities with instructions that are so confusing.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Dental Insurance
Why is it that this is the only part of the body not covered by medical insurance? Isn't the mouth a necessity for survival for the WHOLE BODY?
Why is it that dental care is the only medical specialty that demands preapproval from your insurance before treating you?
Just something to ponder as I go and finally get my sealants today...that I've been waiting to get for almost a month.
Why is it that dental care is the only medical specialty that demands preapproval from your insurance before treating you?
Just something to ponder as I go and finally get my sealants today...that I've been waiting to get for almost a month.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
US Airlines Scam
Evidently, they scammers who put this together have updated the text since the Better Business Bureau published the old text, but it's still the same scam:
Dear XXXX,
Enclosed is your Travel Check Voucher. This Travel Check voucher can b redeemed for a certificate for 2 round trip airline tickets to anywhere in the continental US from any major internals US airport. Certain restrictions may apply. Vacation Getaways and Cruises are available for a limited time.
We have attempted contacting you on several occasions. This will be your last chance to respond.
Note that this check voucher must be redeemed by Month Day, Year. If you do not claim your award, it will be transferred to the alternate. This is a limited time offer and may be withdrawn at any time. Flights fill quickly.
Please reference you check voucher number xxx-xxx-xxx. This travel check must be certified to be valid.
Call 1-866-455-6468
This is not a timeshare or land sales offer.
The next section is an official check- it's printed to look just like a rebate check for $1,198.00:
But a couple of things clued me in that this was a fake:
Dear XXXX,
Enclosed is your Travel Check Voucher. This Travel Check voucher can b redeemed for a certificate for 2 round trip airline tickets to anywhere in the continental US from any major internals US airport. Certain restrictions may apply. Vacation Getaways and Cruises are available for a limited time.
We have attempted contacting you on several occasions. This will be your last chance to respond.
Note that this check voucher must be redeemed by Month Day, Year. If you do not claim your award, it will be transferred to the alternate. This is a limited time offer and may be withdrawn at any time. Flights fill quickly.
Please reference you check voucher number xxx-xxx-xxx. This travel check must be certified to be valid.
Call 1-866-455-6468
This is not a timeshare or land sales offer.
The next section is an official check- it's printed to look just like a rebate check for $1,198.00:
- it has the little edges you tear off,
- it has the check signature format on the back,
- it has the official looking signature and memo field,
- and it even has the bank routing codes at the bottom.
But a couple of things clued me in that this was a fake:
- It was to my maiden name.
- I don't register for prizes.
- I don't really like to fly.
- No small print- it looks official, but all the actual official documents still use fine print.
- US Airlines is not a real airport.
- The grammar is incorrect in several places.
- Airlines don't control cruises or vacation getaways.
- The only way of contacting the scam is via an 800 number- no website.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Violet Beauregarde Moment
Roses are red
Violet are blue
Eating blueberries
Turns you blue on the inside, too.
Learn something new every day.
Violet are blue
Eating blueberries
Turns you blue on the inside, too.
Learn something new every day.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Yahoo Warning is A Scam
Today, I received a rather official looking notice from Yahoo.
It had the Yahoo logo, trademark, and it arrived in my Yahoo mailbox.
The message said that it was a warning that my account was logged in at another location and asked me to click on the link to verify my account.
This sounded strange so I hovered over the link and look at the supposed link in the email. (The information of what address the link actually goes to is usually found in the footer of your browser window).
These didn't match.
It turns out that this is a phishing scheme.
It's designed to get you to click on the link, which will transmit your username and password to the sender.
So, when you get this one from Yahoo, don't open it.
Click on the drop-down menu on the Spam button and report it as a phishing scheme.
It had the Yahoo logo, trademark, and it arrived in my Yahoo mailbox.
The message said that it was a warning that my account was logged in at another location and asked me to click on the link to verify my account.
This sounded strange so I hovered over the link and look at the supposed link in the email. (The information of what address the link actually goes to is usually found in the footer of your browser window).
These didn't match.
It turns out that this is a phishing scheme.
It's designed to get you to click on the link, which will transmit your username and password to the sender.
So, when you get this one from Yahoo, don't open it.
Click on the drop-down menu on the Spam button and report it as a phishing scheme.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
A Perfect Pair
My husband and I have this debate about scissors:
"a" or "a pair"?
Evidently, Minnesota teaches that "scissors" is "a"....so, you'd have "a scissors".
This sounds SO wrong.
So I did some digging.
I verified that it is wrong.
It turns out that each blade is called a scissor. Hence, the correct reference to them is "a pair of scissors".
This is why all English grammar books also instruct people in the "pair of scissors", even though the object of "scissors" is a singular noun.
The same is true for pliers, tweezers, etc.
It's no wonder English is so difficult to learn.
"a" or "a pair"?
Evidently, Minnesota teaches that "scissors" is "a"....so, you'd have "a scissors".
This sounds SO wrong.
So I did some digging.
I verified that it is wrong.
It turns out that each blade is called a scissor. Hence, the correct reference to them is "a pair of scissors".
This is why all English grammar books also instruct people in the "pair of scissors", even though the object of "scissors" is a singular noun.
The same is true for pliers, tweezers, etc.
It's no wonder English is so difficult to learn.
Friday, August 16, 2013
And the Purpose of A Lid Would Be...
Yesterday, I started packing for a day trip with my daughter. Gathering diapers, toys, food...and a bowl to put the food in, of course.
Since it was only a day trip, I was going to dispense the food into the bowl- so it was all ready.
So, I pulled out the lid to the Gerber bowls and noticed a small problem:
The lid is full of HOLES!
BY DESIGN!
It's full of steam holes.
It's not a LID at all. It's a microwave spatter guard.
Now, when the package says LID, what do you think of? Do you think of a flat object that fits snuggly over the top of the bowl so that the contents of the bowl don't escape?
That's what I think of.
Evidently, that's not what Gerber thinks of.
So, instead of supplying a bowl with a lid that would be capable of traveling well, they have sold me a bowl with a spatter guard for the microwave.
What I have to ask here is this: why would you need a spatter guard for a baby food bowl?
It's freakin' baby food! The only way that baby food would need a spatter guard is if it reaches the boiling point, which means you're a rotten parent, anyway, so you probably won't be using a spatter guard in your microwave, anyway.
So, for those of us who purchased the product wanting to have a functional travel lid, you're either going to need to tape up the holes or try to find a different lid to fit the bowl...
...or go purchase some Ziplock containers that have real lids.
Since it was only a day trip, I was going to dispense the food into the bowl- so it was all ready.
So, I pulled out the lid to the Gerber bowls and noticed a small problem:
The lid is full of HOLES!
BY DESIGN!
It's full of steam holes.
It's not a LID at all. It's a microwave spatter guard.
Now, when the package says LID, what do you think of? Do you think of a flat object that fits snuggly over the top of the bowl so that the contents of the bowl don't escape?
That's what I think of.
Evidently, that's not what Gerber thinks of.
So, instead of supplying a bowl with a lid that would be capable of traveling well, they have sold me a bowl with a spatter guard for the microwave.
What I have to ask here is this: why would you need a spatter guard for a baby food bowl?
It's freakin' baby food! The only way that baby food would need a spatter guard is if it reaches the boiling point, which means you're a rotten parent, anyway, so you probably won't be using a spatter guard in your microwave, anyway.
So, for those of us who purchased the product wanting to have a functional travel lid, you're either going to need to tape up the holes or try to find a different lid to fit the bowl...
...or go purchase some Ziplock containers that have real lids.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
A Matter Of Time
So, what is it with "reminders" nowadays?
I mean, when you make an appointment with a company or a doctor or something, I understand how a friendly reminder is a nice thing to do.
I even understand that a company or doctor would want to remind you of your appointment BEFORE their "No Cancellations" time. I mean, if you forgot and you need to cancel, you should be able to cancel when they remind you, right?
But what I don't understand is this:
The doctor's office has an automated message than can't even pronounce my family's name right and they leave this message on my phone 2+ days before my appointment. You can't even UNDERSTAND what the automated voice is saying!
AND...
My salon is now calling AND emailing me with reminders 3 days before an appointment.
THREE DAYS!
Some weeks, it's 4 days!
I haven't ever missed an appointment, so, WTF?
Seriously, folks. Three Days!? How is that going to help me remember my appointment on the day??
Well, they were just topped.
I JUST got a "reminder" notice from my dentist about my appointment coming up.....
NEXT WEEK! It's seriously over a week away!
And to all of these stupid reminders, I have this to say:
Look, I'm sorry, folks, but you WILL have some forgetful or just blatantly jerk patients/customers who are not going to show up for their appointments on time , if at all, NO MATTER WHEN YOU REMIND THEM.
Please stop pestering the rest of us with useless spam about appointments in the next century.
I mean, when you make an appointment with a company or a doctor or something, I understand how a friendly reminder is a nice thing to do.
I even understand that a company or doctor would want to remind you of your appointment BEFORE their "No Cancellations" time. I mean, if you forgot and you need to cancel, you should be able to cancel when they remind you, right?
But what I don't understand is this:
The doctor's office has an automated message than can't even pronounce my family's name right and they leave this message on my phone 2+ days before my appointment. You can't even UNDERSTAND what the automated voice is saying!
AND...
My salon is now calling AND emailing me with reminders 3 days before an appointment.
THREE DAYS!
Some weeks, it's 4 days!
I haven't ever missed an appointment, so, WTF?
Seriously, folks. Three Days!? How is that going to help me remember my appointment on the day??
Well, they were just topped.
I JUST got a "reminder" notice from my dentist about my appointment coming up.....
NEXT WEEK! It's seriously over a week away!
And to all of these stupid reminders, I have this to say:
Look, I'm sorry, folks, but you WILL have some forgetful or just blatantly jerk patients/customers who are not going to show up for their appointments on time , if at all, NO MATTER WHEN YOU REMIND THEM.
Please stop pestering the rest of us with useless spam about appointments in the next century.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Speaking of Crummy Labeling
Today, I bought my daughter her first set of Playdoh colors.
I know it's a bit of a stretch, but she's started playing with her food, so I thought that she might be ready for Sculpting 101.
But, just as I feared, she was more interested in attempting to taste the colorful clay than in playing with it.
Why DO they make it smell edible?
But, I, being vigilant during the Playdoh introduction, managed to keep it out of her mouth...
...and I let her entertain herself, instead, by stacking the small containers, which she thought was great fun.
At the end of the building project, I went to put the tubs back in the cardboard container. My daughter assisted.
While she was "assisting", I noticed a familiar notice on the BACK of the cardboard container...
WARNING: CONTAINS WHEAT
Now, this is not an edible product- it's freakin' Playdoh!
But knowing that my entire family is gluten intolerant (and probably my daughter), I was quite outraged.
WHY PUT THIS WARNING ON THE BACK OF THE CONTAINER!?! why not the front of the box where most people are going to look because we all grew up with Playdoh and we'd never think it was poisonous! The whole reason I BOUGHT the Playdoh was because I didn't want to make my own homemade Playdough which is made from wheat flour.
Guess, the homemade version isn't so different from the expensive store brand.
I'll let you know how my conversation with Hasbro goes...I'm hoping for at least my money back.
In the meantime, all of you with gluten intolerance and/or autism: avoid Playdoh.
I know it's a bit of a stretch, but she's started playing with her food, so I thought that she might be ready for Sculpting 101.
But, just as I feared, she was more interested in attempting to taste the colorful clay than in playing with it.
Why DO they make it smell edible?
But, I, being vigilant during the Playdoh introduction, managed to keep it out of her mouth...
...and I let her entertain herself, instead, by stacking the small containers, which she thought was great fun.
At the end of the building project, I went to put the tubs back in the cardboard container. My daughter assisted.
While she was "assisting", I noticed a familiar notice on the BACK of the cardboard container...
WARNING: CONTAINS WHEAT
Now, this is not an edible product- it's freakin' Playdoh!
But knowing that my entire family is gluten intolerant (and probably my daughter), I was quite outraged.
WHY PUT THIS WARNING ON THE BACK OF THE CONTAINER!?! why not the front of the box where most people are going to look because we all grew up with Playdoh and we'd never think it was poisonous! The whole reason I BOUGHT the Playdoh was because I didn't want to make my own homemade Playdough which is made from wheat flour.
Guess, the homemade version isn't so different from the expensive store brand.
I'll let you know how my conversation with Hasbro goes...I'm hoping for at least my money back.
In the meantime, all of you with gluten intolerance and/or autism: avoid Playdoh.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Blockbusters
It looks like someone has turned the Rape of Europa story into a blockbuster with a bunch of big names.
Hope that they do justice to the effort that was made...
..though you just have to wonder if the script is going to follow the Cat rules...
Hope that they do justice to the effort that was made...
..though you just have to wonder if the script is going to follow the Cat rules...
I think it's sad that every time I see a blockbuster movie advertised, half-lose interest because the actors rarely ACT anymore- they play one role in all the movies they're in.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Something to Ponder
It's zucchini season, which means zucchini bread.
But to make zucchini bread, you need to grate the zucchini. I supposed you could probably puree it, too, which a blender, but that just doesn't work the same when you bake it because the water is already released from the zucchini, which means you add too much flour and the bread turns out like a brick.
So, it's a manual shred job.
As I got to the end of my first squash, I wondered,
Why doesn't a hand grater come with a knuckle guard? After all, isn't it pretty much a mandolin? I know mine has the mandolin slice side...
Mandolins come with knuckle guards...because you can seriously injury yourself by shredding your knuckles against the blades.
But, isn't it the same with a hand grater?
I know _I_ have sheered off my knuckle more than once using one (of course, that was back in the day because supermarkets sold pre-shredded cheese, so, there was A LOT of shredding to be done in a cheese-loving household).
But I would venture to say that I'm not the only person to have grated their fingers while using a hand grater.
When I asked my husband, he asked me how many people actually use hand graters anymore?
Cheese comes pre-shredded.
Everything else is usually shredded with a food processor....
Upon realizing he was correct, I had images of trying to explain to my daughter what life (and dinner) was like before shredded cheese in the supermarket.
I bet this is how the sliced bread revolution felt, too.
Old
But to make zucchini bread, you need to grate the zucchini. I supposed you could probably puree it, too, which a blender, but that just doesn't work the same when you bake it because the water is already released from the zucchini, which means you add too much flour and the bread turns out like a brick.
So, it's a manual shred job.
As I got to the end of my first squash, I wondered,
Why doesn't a hand grater come with a knuckle guard? After all, isn't it pretty much a mandolin? I know mine has the mandolin slice side...
Mandolins come with knuckle guards...because you can seriously injury yourself by shredding your knuckles against the blades.
But, isn't it the same with a hand grater?
I know _I_ have sheered off my knuckle more than once using one (of course, that was back in the day because supermarkets sold pre-shredded cheese, so, there was A LOT of shredding to be done in a cheese-loving household).
But I would venture to say that I'm not the only person to have grated their fingers while using a hand grater.
When I asked my husband, he asked me how many people actually use hand graters anymore?
Cheese comes pre-shredded.
Everything else is usually shredded with a food processor....
Upon realizing he was correct, I had images of trying to explain to my daughter what life (and dinner) was like before shredded cheese in the supermarket.
I bet this is how the sliced bread revolution felt, too.
Old
Saturday, August 10, 2013
More on Common Sense
So, I was recently in to take a certified test- you know, one where you'll get a certificate for completing the class? One that looks good on your resume, but is really just handing over money to get "book" and have them ask you questions on it....
Anyway, I was in queue and waiting to get in. You had to put all of your own purses or backpacks out of reach...which meant in the back of the room in cubbies.
When you get to the desk, there are a couple of pens for taking the test.
When I get the test, I read on the instructions that the test needs to be completed in blue or black ink.
ok, fine.
So, I grab one of the pens provided (thinking of how I'm going to need to REALLY wash my hands later), and I start to write my answer when...
Red ink is on the page.
The pen is in RED INK.
I grabbed the second one. It appeared to be black- it was in a black casing.
Alas, it TOO was red.
When I raised my hand to ask for a new pen, I ended up having to explain - TWICE- what the problem was before I was allowed to get a new pen.
Now, this was bad enough, but I wasn't the first tester in that seat that day.
I wasn't even the second.
It makes you wonder if the other testers just failed because they used red ink...
I'd kind of hope so.
Anyway, I was in queue and waiting to get in. You had to put all of your own purses or backpacks out of reach...which meant in the back of the room in cubbies.
When you get to the desk, there are a couple of pens for taking the test.
When I get the test, I read on the instructions that the test needs to be completed in blue or black ink.
ok, fine.
So, I grab one of the pens provided (thinking of how I'm going to need to REALLY wash my hands later), and I start to write my answer when...
Red ink is on the page.
The pen is in RED INK.
I grabbed the second one. It appeared to be black- it was in a black casing.
Alas, it TOO was red.
When I raised my hand to ask for a new pen, I ended up having to explain - TWICE- what the problem was before I was allowed to get a new pen.
Now, this was bad enough, but I wasn't the first tester in that seat that day.
I wasn't even the second.
It makes you wonder if the other testers just failed because they used red ink...
I'd kind of hope so.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Simon Says
I get a kick out of funny cat cartoons.
Yup, in the 80s, I loved Garfield.
In the 00s, I loved Get Fuzzy- (if you've ever had a Siamese, you KNOW they're JUST LIKE THAT).
In keeping with the times, I'd have to say that Simon Cat is one my favorites...especially the schtick where the cat always ends by begging for food.
So, you can imagine my disappointment when the latest episode omits that tell-tale ending. While it's still cute, it's just not the same.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Common Sense Items...
So, in the past two days, I've been blessed to encounter a couple of "items" in my life that defy common sense. Specifically, it just makes a person say, "uhm, what?!"
For example, a friend of the family has a little kid who's birthday is approaching. They are planning a birthday party for this blessing in their life.
So far, so good.
Bad part: They have a severe case of lead paint (and hence lead poisoning) in their home.
Severe.
Their kid has been affected.
They have been affected.
So, I must ask other people: Does it make ANY sense for them to throw a party, knowing that they're going to be exposing all of their guests to dangerously high levels of lead?
Even more to the point: Why haven't they abated the lead levels in the past year that they're known that they have a problem!?
Uhm, WHAT?!
The next item isn't of deadly proportions, but still begs the question of what are people thinking.
I went to a dance studio for the first time today to inquire about lessons for my daughter. I had seen the location on the internet map, so I was confident I would be able to find it. When I drove along the street, I saw the sign for the business next to a driveway.
So far, so good.
I found a limited parking spot, found the door with the business name on it, and entered.
Again, so far, so good.
Well, I was confronted by a staff member who told me that this was the staff entrance and that I had to go in through the main entrance.
Main entrance?
I asked where that was because the sign was over this door and the parking lot didn't wrap around the building.
Well, it turns out that I needed to LEAVE the parking lot, enter an unmarked parking lot, enter a unmarked door, and go up some unmarked stairs to reach the "main entrance".
I ask you, who puts the sign for their business on a staff door and not the customer door? Better yet, who places the big sign for their business in a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PARKING AREA than you need to enter as a customer?
I hope that these experiences don't continue for the rest of the month (new moon and all yesterday, you know?) I would hate to see what happens in two weeks.
For example, a friend of the family has a little kid who's birthday is approaching. They are planning a birthday party for this blessing in their life.
So far, so good.
Bad part: They have a severe case of lead paint (and hence lead poisoning) in their home.
Severe.
Their kid has been affected.
They have been affected.
So, I must ask other people: Does it make ANY sense for them to throw a party, knowing that they're going to be exposing all of their guests to dangerously high levels of lead?
Even more to the point: Why haven't they abated the lead levels in the past year that they're known that they have a problem!?
Uhm, WHAT?!
The next item isn't of deadly proportions, but still begs the question of what are people thinking.
I went to a dance studio for the first time today to inquire about lessons for my daughter. I had seen the location on the internet map, so I was confident I would be able to find it. When I drove along the street, I saw the sign for the business next to a driveway.
So far, so good.
I found a limited parking spot, found the door with the business name on it, and entered.
Again, so far, so good.
Well, I was confronted by a staff member who told me that this was the staff entrance and that I had to go in through the main entrance.
Main entrance?
I asked where that was because the sign was over this door and the parking lot didn't wrap around the building.
Well, it turns out that I needed to LEAVE the parking lot, enter an unmarked parking lot, enter a unmarked door, and go up some unmarked stairs to reach the "main entrance".
I ask you, who puts the sign for their business on a staff door and not the customer door? Better yet, who places the big sign for their business in a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PARKING AREA than you need to enter as a customer?
I hope that these experiences don't continue for the rest of the month (new moon and all yesterday, you know?) I would hate to see what happens in two weeks.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Another Great Shipment From Amazon
Here's another great shipment from Amazon...
They still refuse to acknowledge there might be a problem with UPS delivering the packages.
They still refuse to acknowledge there might be a problem with UPS delivering the packages.
Monday, August 5, 2013
I'm Shocked
And slightly relieved.
It looks like Disney Pictures may have an original, good picture in them, yet.
Long live Walt :)
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/disney/savingmrbanks/
(though, I'm frankly curious to see how they are going to make today's Disneyland look like Disneyland from opening day...)
It looks like Disney Pictures may have an original, good picture in them, yet.
Long live Walt :)
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/disney/savingmrbanks/
(though, I'm frankly curious to see how they are going to make today's Disneyland look like Disneyland from opening day...)
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Americans Do Vacation Wrong
When I worked for a German company here in the US, the company had a policy about vacation...
..well, basically that there were very few days that you got to take at your leisure (ha ha). Instead, they would take the vacation days and they would close the office for everyone.
So, everyone had the same days off.
When I lived through this, I was irked.
I wasn't married.
I didn't have a lot of family things to do.
I would rather have worked through the holiday and taken a random day off.
But, I have drastically changed my opinion. Hindsight is 20/20 and all.
Why?
Because no matter how many vacation days your boss or company says they're going to give you, you never get a break in your schedule to actually take them.
If you artificially create a break in your schedule, you can be guaranteed of spam-level emailing and phone calls ON YOUR CELL PHONE.
You're really not getting a vacation. You're just moving your work hours around because leading up to it and coming back from it, you will be working overtime to keep up.
WTF!
I think it's because most Americans have this masochistic streak. EVERY SINGLE MONDAY, I get to hear about these weekend warrior sessions where the people have worked all weekend.
Is that good for the company?
Yes, I believe you should have bragging rights for that, but WHY WOULD YOU WANT THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE!?
Do Americans really care less about the rest of things in life?
Do Americans not love their families as much as other cultures?
I think the jury is still out on that one. I my opinion, I think that I would say that Americans value bragging rights over seeing their kids grow up or reading them a book or taking them on a picnic.
I don't know why the rest of the world idolizes Americans so much. We're overworked and focus on all the wrong things in life.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Even Insurance Companies Sell Your Private Info
Today, I received a privacy policy from American Family.
Since it was one of those mass-printed form letters, I almost threw it out.
But I'm glad I decided to read it.
It turns out that they are required, by law to notify people that they are selling their information to "affiliate" companies. While, they didn't specify who their affiliate companies were in this letter, they did tell me that they are providing my information to them...but that I could opt out of this "service".
"Service?"
Now, the opt-out method is to call this recorded message and leave your name, address, policy numbers, phone number, and indicate which services you want to opt out of. If your spouse or children are covered by these policies, you have to give their names, too.
Oh, and you have to spell out everything.
Like, uhm, the policy number is unique. If I tell you I'm Irish Lass calling, that should be damn good enough.
I'm writing this out because the recording is at supersonic speed.
AND it mentions that if you don't give all the parts, your preferences will not be saved.
Nice, huh?
So, if you have AmFam insurance of any kind call this number and give them all the information I wrote out.
1-888-312-2263 Opt out of AmFam Selling of your Information to Marketers.
Since it was one of those mass-printed form letters, I almost threw it out.
But I'm glad I decided to read it.
It turns out that they are required, by law to notify people that they are selling their information to "affiliate" companies. While, they didn't specify who their affiliate companies were in this letter, they did tell me that they are providing my information to them...but that I could opt out of this "service".
"Service?"
Now, the opt-out method is to call this recorded message and leave your name, address, policy numbers, phone number, and indicate which services you want to opt out of. If your spouse or children are covered by these policies, you have to give their names, too.
Oh, and you have to spell out everything.
Like, uhm, the policy number is unique. If I tell you I'm Irish Lass calling, that should be damn good enough.
I'm writing this out because the recording is at supersonic speed.
AND it mentions that if you don't give all the parts, your preferences will not be saved.
Nice, huh?
So, if you have AmFam insurance of any kind call this number and give them all the information I wrote out.
1-888-312-2263 Opt out of AmFam Selling of your Information to Marketers.
Friday, August 2, 2013
New Gluten Labeling Rules Do Not Give Peace of Mind
So, the US government, in their typical half-assed understanding of a problem, have developed a "gluten labeling" standard designed "give peace of mind" to those who suffer from celiac disease.
The policy requires manufacturers of food stuffs to meet a maximum gluten contamination level of 20 ppm (part per million) in a serving size.
Now, I'm not saying that this is a bad rule. It's great that the government wants to try to control what it means to be "gluten-free".
HOWEVER,
As I have explained before, gluten-free does not necessarily mean gluten-safe. This is because the immune system doesn't use a word dictionary to define an allergen.
It doesn't even use a chemical dictionary, as you might be inclined to think.
It uses a SHAPE dictionary.
The immune system works just like a blind person....but without the context clues. It's like trying to grab on to a door knob floating in space and recognize it specifically as a door knob.
As you might imagine, this blind shaping matching ISN'T perfect. This is why if you have an allergy to penicillin, you aren't prescribed any antibiotic in the penicillin family (e.g. Amoxicillin), which are all the antibiotics that are shaped similarly to penicillin. Because it is very likely that you will react to ANY molecule of a similar shape.
This is why the strict definition of "gluten-free" does not mean that it is gluten-safe.
No, oats do not have a wheat gluten molecule in them. They do have a similar shape (called an analog) to wheat gluten. So, even though oats are technically "gluten-free", they are not gluten-safe.
The same is true of ANY of the following grains:
Amaranth
Spelt
Quinoa
Teff
Millet
And there are others.
If you're just eating gluten-free because it's better for your body, then by all means, chow down on anything labeled "gluten free".
If you have celiac disease, you will poison yourself by eating these foods. You will increase the likelihood of developing intestinal cancer and other bowel issues.
So, FDA, GREAT job. This new bill does NOTHING to help those with celiac disease.
In fact, you've just put them at risk, you MORONS! Try asking an immunologist about an immune problem next time!
The policy requires manufacturers of food stuffs to meet a maximum gluten contamination level of 20 ppm (part per million) in a serving size.
Now, I'm not saying that this is a bad rule. It's great that the government wants to try to control what it means to be "gluten-free".
HOWEVER,
As I have explained before, gluten-free does not necessarily mean gluten-safe. This is because the immune system doesn't use a word dictionary to define an allergen.
It doesn't even use a chemical dictionary, as you might be inclined to think.
It uses a SHAPE dictionary.
The immune system works just like a blind person....but without the context clues. It's like trying to grab on to a door knob floating in space and recognize it specifically as a door knob.
As you might imagine, this blind shaping matching ISN'T perfect. This is why if you have an allergy to penicillin, you aren't prescribed any antibiotic in the penicillin family (e.g. Amoxicillin), which are all the antibiotics that are shaped similarly to penicillin. Because it is very likely that you will react to ANY molecule of a similar shape.
This is why the strict definition of "gluten-free" does not mean that it is gluten-safe.
No, oats do not have a wheat gluten molecule in them. They do have a similar shape (called an analog) to wheat gluten. So, even though oats are technically "gluten-free", they are not gluten-safe.
The same is true of ANY of the following grains:
Amaranth
Spelt
Quinoa
Teff
Millet
And there are others.
If you're just eating gluten-free because it's better for your body, then by all means, chow down on anything labeled "gluten free".
If you have celiac disease, you will poison yourself by eating these foods. You will increase the likelihood of developing intestinal cancer and other bowel issues.
So, FDA, GREAT job. This new bill does NOTHING to help those with celiac disease.
In fact, you've just put them at risk, you MORONS! Try asking an immunologist about an immune problem next time!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Waterfalls
About this time of year, my family would usually be going on vacation. It was always a vote in the family about where we were going. Generally, the options were, Disneyland (always a winner), Magic Mountain, the beach, or the mountains.
While my first choice was always Disneyland, we couldn't drive 6 hours one way every vacation.
So, the next best thing for me was the beach. For my dad, it was always the mountains.
On the occasions when I was overruled and we went on the twisty-turn mountain roads, followed by bug-fulled dusty hikes, I was sometimes rewarded with a waterfall at the end of the road.
While this video isn't from California waterfalls, it still puts in me the mood of just sitting and relaxing with our cookie and canteen.
While my first choice was always Disneyland, we couldn't drive 6 hours one way every vacation.
So, the next best thing for me was the beach. For my dad, it was always the mountains.
On the occasions when I was overruled and we went on the twisty-turn mountain roads, followed by bug-fulled dusty hikes, I was sometimes rewarded with a waterfall at the end of the road.
While this video isn't from California waterfalls, it still puts in me the mood of just sitting and relaxing with our cookie and canteen.
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