I am ticked off today because...

[blunthead]

And unfortunately those people who are trying to game the system make it harder for people who legitimately need the help. The perception among many is that ALL who collect welfare are lazy slackers who just don't want to work and they want to throw out the whole system rather than trying to address the problems with it that allow abusers to receive benefits when they are capable of fending for themselves.

I insist on helping those who legitimately need it, whatever the legitimate need. If this designates me a "liberal", so be it, and I'm very proud to be counted among sincere, passionate, selfless liberals. I also insist on exerting conscientious effort to weed out those who think welfare is all about milking a government system. If this makes me a "conservative", so be this too, and I'm very proud to be counted among sincere, passionate, selfless conservatives.

What really excites me is the idea of being counted among both. It suggests the possibility of a healthy, balanced philosophical mindset in a society bent on dividing itself into black and white (by this I do not mean racially) ultimately meaningless superficialities. The truth is life is not a game. People's welfare, their very lives are at stake. We can't afford to waste precious resources on thieves.

[Moderator]

Couldn't agree more, Frank. There's a lot that could be done to improve the system to help people while they need it and also help them to get off the program if/when they don't rather than doing away with it altogether.

[blunthead]

Couldn't agree more, Frank. There's a lot that could be done to improve the system to help people while they need it and also help them to get off the program if/when they don't rather than doing away with it altogether.

Good word, Mod. Government is huge anywhere relative to its populace. What a challenge it has to maintain integrity, how tempting to just collapse onto a governing party's all to human idealistic weaknesses. Nevertheless, government's duty is to do a good job anyway, just like the rest of us have to. I think they screw up when they succumb to the unique temptation power offers.

[Chuggs]

I ticked off today because...its just one those days...

[AnnaMarie]

I have to go fight with a grocery store manager today.

Yesterday my husband bought four individually wrapped baked pie thingies. He opened one, made a face, and double checked the Best Before date. It's dated late July 2012 (I don't remember the exact date). But, it was a sticker. He pulled back the sticker, and the original date on the box is mid-June.

What a slimey trick to pull.

Updating on my own post. I got a full refund, including for the empty box of the one my husband opened. The cashier/CSR said the store doesn't put stickers on any products...they came in that way. She said the store manager and the owner would both be told about it (both were in today). After giving me my refund, she asked if I wanted to speak to the manager myself. Since she was as disgusted as me, and said she'd tell him, I didn't feel the need to speak to him myself.

[LongTallSally]

Updating on my own post. I got a full refund, including for the empty box of the one my husband opened. The cashier/CSR said the store doesn't put stickers on any products...they came in that way. She said the store manager and the owner would both be told about it (both were in today). After giving me my refund, she asked if I wanted to speak to the manager myself. Since she was as disgusted as me, and said she'd tell him, I didn't feel the need to speak to him myself.

Quite often stores get shipped stuff that is close to the expiry date, but it's not normal practice for relabeling to happen. There was an investigation in Canada years ago, and it was a supplier problem because they didn't want to lose money on their warehoused stock when it went off. The products at the time were yogurt, pasta, olive oil, etc. I don't trust expiry dates that are on stickers at all. I want something stamped onto or into the surface of the box.

Maybe I just feel this way because I run the outdate/shortdate program at work.

[Todash]

Quite often stores get shipped stuff that is close to the expiry date, but it's not normal practice for relabeling to happen. There was an investigation in Canada years ago, and it was a supplier problem because they didn't want to lose money on their warehoused stock when it went off. The products at the time were yogurt, pasta, olive oil, etc. I don't trust expiry dates that are on stickers at all. I want something stamped onto or into the surface of the box.

Maybe I just feel this way because I run the outdate/shortdate program at work.

I trust my own nose, eyes, and if necessary (shudder), tongue vastly more than expiry dates on most things anyway. They're not really real; milk can go bad before an expiry date, and it can be good beyond that date. (I do tend to pay attention to the dates meat is packaged as there's not much leeway there.)

Still, as they do give a general idea, it's very slimy to change the dates like that.

[fljoe0]

Ok in case everyone is wondering what all my complaining about AT&T has been, here is a condensed version. One thing that has been apparent the last few years in my dealings with AT&T is that it is very easy to buy service but increasingly difficult to reduce service.

I had an office in a building that was recently sold so I had to move out (IN MAY!). I had 3 phone lines and dsl internet service. I moved to a location where I already had internet service so what I needed to do was to disconnect my internet , 2 phone lines and remote forward the main number to the new location. When I called in May, the remote forward of the main line was taken care of so all I needed was the disconnect of everything else. I placed an order for this to happen on May 31 as the closing on the building was in early June.

In mid June, I called my old numbers and realized they were still operating. I logged on to my old e-mail account and noticed it was still active too which more that likely means that the dsl is still connected.

Ever since then, I have been calling and trying to get this resolved. Every time I get a human and explain my situation, they say something like, "that's not my department, let me get you someone that can help." Then I get transferred to a robo system that doesn't solve the problem or I am put on hold for 15 or 20 minutes and then after waiting, the phone will disconnect. I am still getting bills for the old service too which I refuse to pay and eventually that will get it disconnected but of course the problem is that people have moved into the old building and can use my service as well as a bad credit mark for this. Another weird thing is that every time I get transferred to a department that handles disconnects, the volume is very low and I can barely hear anything. Again, if I want to add service, the volume is perfectly fine, you want to reduce service you can't hear them. But the bottom line is that I have live service in a building I'm not in and I can't get it disconnected. Bizarre, eh? I have spent many hours over the past month trying to get this resolved and I'm no closer to it today than I was a month ago.

I thought I would update everyone on this fiasco. It's now August 3 and we finished moving out of this building on Memorial Day weekend. Guess what, my phone service is still active in this building. I'm still getting billed in full (about $400 a month) and of course I haven't been paying it and I got this e-mail today:

Dear AT&T Valued Customer,

Thank you for contacting AT&T. We apologize for the delay in responding to your email message.

We are following up to ensure you were able to get this matter resolved.
If you still need assistance, please respond to this email and I will be glad to assist you. However, if no assistance is needed, this case will be considered closed.

Thank you for choosing AT&T.

Absolutely nothing has been done, why in the hell would they send an e-mail like that? How many months will it take of not paying the bill to get it disconnected? I bet someone who needs their service gets disconnected for non payment quicker than this. My cell phones are attached to this bill so I had to go out and change providers so that when this gets disconnected I don't lose my cell phones. I'm sure soon I'm going to be getting "we want you back" letters from AT&T wireless.

[Spideyman]

I thought I would update everyone on this fiasco. It's now August 3 and we finished moving out of this building on Memorial Day weekend. Guess what, my phone service is still active in this building. I'm still getting billed in full (about $400 a month) and of course I haven't been paying it and I got this e-mail today:



Absolutely nothing has been done, why in the hell would they send an e-mail like that? How many months will it take of not paying the bill to get it disconnected? I bet someone who needs their service gets disconnected for non payment quicker than this. My cell phones are attached to this bill so I had to go out and change providers so that when this gets disconnected I don't lose my cell phones. I'm sure soon I'm going to be getting "we want you back" letters from AT&T wireless.

I am so sorry, but that made my day. Made all my little issues seem so unimportant. It amazes me they have not sent a collection agency after non payment. Maybe then you could talk to a live person? Sending disconnect vibes!!!

[not_nadine]

Arrrgh, Fljoe. Watch your credit, though.

I am still trying to get my car legal. It has been months and months. First the DMV, changing from one state to another. Why o Why did they need my original marriage licence? Showed it to them, it is real but had white out on it for some reason. No good for them.

arr, I was married out of the country. Had to go throu all kinds of back and forth before I finally got another
certified copy at the price of 90 bucks. err.
Finally got the licence.
Now to get it tagged. My fault I lost the title. Back and forth and back and forth with PennDot because I moved to another state. Finally gave them all the info twice. They said they mailed it. I wait I wait ..
It does not show up.
I call again. They said I would have to start the process all over again. errrgh Talk to supervisor. Yell at supervisor.
Guess what? They call today and they have magically found it! woo freakin hoo
Said they are sending it.

I will see.