This happens a lot. Someone posts a link on twitter or facebook or what-have-you and click you go. As the page loads you get a glimpse of what the link is about when WHAM! Up pops a HOW DO YOU LIKE OUR SITE? survey window.

WTF?

I don’t know yet!

Somewhere the guy in charge of the surveys is wondering why nobody responds. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been to your site and I haven’t had a chance to check it out. This usually happens on newspaper websites but not always. It happens more often than not on the My HealtheVet where I have been often and have already responded to their survey.

Isn’t there some way to, oh I dunno, differentiate new or anonymous one-time hits from those who regularly visit a site? Yes I know there is. Wouldn’t your stupid survey get actual usable data from consistent readers? You’d think so.

But no, some idiot makes sure the first thing you see when you visit their site is a survey request that you can’t possibly answer honestly.

Way to go.

When did it become normal to change the way you do business because one person bitches? Or to cave to whatever some minority of your customers demands?

Case in point:

Lowe’s pays for commercials during a show called Muslims in America. I’ve not seen the show but I have seen the ads. Apparently Dearborn MI is a hotbed of normal people who happen to be Muslim, right? So they need a reality show? Okay, like an extended version of the …and I’m a Mormon ads. Whatever. Carry on.

Then Lowe’s pulled their ads because The Florida Family Association had their members send a bunch of anti-Muslim emails. BACKLASH blows up. Then some California state senator mentions he might call for a boycott against Lowe’s if they don’t apologize and re-run the ads. Poor Lowe’s. Who knew running a home-improvement empire meant you have to take a stand one way or another on Muslims? All Lowe’s wants to do is make money. I don’t shop there because they are anti-gay (and more expensive than Home Depot) but are they really anti-Muslim too? No, they ran the ads until they were pressured by religious bigots. Makes me wonder if their anti-gay history can be planted in the religious bigot garden too.

Another one: Alec Baldwin supposedly went a little nuts when a flight attendant wanted him to turn off his cell phone and now the flight attendant union wants the American Airlines to pull 30 Rock from the in-flight rotation.

Isn’t that a little much? Social media nightmare there. Nobody give a shit about Alex Baldwin making a fuss except the people who were there but let’s make a huge fucking deal about it.

I keep seeing more and more over-reaction to the squeaky wheel. Why is it companies are bending over backwards to keep the religious people happy? To keep any tiny portion of their customers happy? Just do your damned job and let people decide for themselves.

What happened to personal responsibility? If you don’t want to shop at Lowe’s for whatever reason then don’t. If you don’t want to sleep with people of the same sex then don’t. Stop getting offended over every little thing. Stop blowing shit out of proportion.

Stop trying to make everyone live the way you do.

Personally I don’t even notice which ads run during which shows. I don’t relate the plethora of Ford truck commercials to support of the message of any particular show. And though I have personal boycotts against certain companies I never expect anyone else to boycott with me or take any other action against them. I may provide information as to why I’m boycotting them but the decision is yours.

BTW Chik-fil-a is anti-gay too. Everyone should stop eating there. Seriously.

I’m kidding… but not about the anti-gay thing. If you really want to eat their food I won’t judge.

This is an open letter to all television and radio advertising morons.

Dear Head-up-your-Asses,

I am sick and tired of most advertising coming out of your little nutshell of a universe. I am not stupid or clumsy, nor are my friends. I didn’t fumble and throw my hands up in the air the one time in my life my garbage bag split. I know how to mop without making a mess and I clean a bathroom without fumbling with 8 cleaners and multiple scrubbers.

This is the Internet age. I can search products and determine which are best for what I need. If you want to get my attention with your adverts, you need to treat me with respect. Give me an ad with your product shown clearly and why it’s better than the next guy’s (if you must).

Stop with the stupid. Stop with the over-dramatic fails. Stop with the obnoxious caricatures.

I will not holiday shop at Target. That woman in the fugly red jumpsuit is not me, nor is it anyone I know. I can’t relate to that character. I don’t want to BE anywhere near that thing that Target is using as their representative. And I love Target, I just won’t support that ad by shopping there until that campaign is over.

I wouldn’t have a Swiffer if you paid me to use it. The advertising turns me off the product no matter how much I would probably like to use one.

Don’t get me started on Mentos. I forbid that in my house, just because of the advertising.

Here’s the thing, I’m not going to buy a Ford truck or a different brand of laundry detergent because of the advertising anyway. I buy what I can afford or on the recommendations of my friends or family. I/we/most people I know tend to shop for what they’ve always bought or what they’ve tried at someone else’s house or what their parents always used. To get me to try something new, you need to give the me bare basic facts why I should.

Easy. Clear. Without trashing me or the other guy’s product.

Oh yeah, can you stop buying multiple commercial time during the same TV program? That just makes me hate you even more. Seeing the same stupid ad over and over doesn’t endear me to you. And you wonder why people are leaving TV in droves or recording shows precisely to skip past the commercials.

Make something compelling with smart people and about the positives of your product and we’ll watch. We’ll share! That Old Spice on a horse guy went viral because it was funny, smart and tongue-in-cheek, not stupid humor. Stop with the stupid, please!

One disgusted consumer,

Debbie Walke

As I watch the republican race I can’t help but shake my head. You might not like Obama but at least he’s not as bad as:

Michele Bachmann - “The big thing we are working on now is the global warming hoax. It’s all voodoo, nonsense, hokum, a hoax” or ”I don’t know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We’ve had an earthquake; we’ve had a hurricane. He said, ‘Are you going to start listening to me here?” as well as her repeated retelling of an anecdote in which a mother said the vaccine caused her daughter to suffer mental retardation.

Rick Perry – “I am a firm believer in intelligent design as a matter of faith and intellect, and I believe it should be presented in schools alongside the theories of evolution.” or “I think it’s time for us to just hand it over to God, and say, “God: You’re going to have to fix this”

Herman Cain – Let’s just say he’s ignorant and sexist times 100. Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan? Seriously. I’m even leaning towards Rachel Maddow’s take – that Cain is punking us.

Mitt Romney – Hmmm, I don’t have much to say about Romney. Seems the only thing people have against him (besides the republican thing) is his religion. There’s no coincidence we’re being bombarded by those …and I’m a Mormon TV spots. I’m pretty sure Mormons are just like regular people, so the ads are useless. What they should be talking about is the differences (or similarities) between their religion and all the other christian religions. We’re just like you except we believe in magic underwear and don’t drink coffee? Every religion has its own idiosyncrasies so contrast and compare. Teach the difference.

And those are the front-runners? Republicans can’t come up with ONE woman with decent looks and intelligence? ONE person who knows what they’re saying before they open their mouth? ONE person who isn’t some religious fanatic?

Good luck with that.

Obama 2012 – just because the other guy is soooo bad. What is that, better the devil you know?

Nobody gives a shit about the royal wedding. I did a poll.

In fact, most of my friends didn’t care soooo much they told me they didn’t even care enough to go to the poll.

We don’t want 24-hour coverage. We don’t want you to send anchors to report from the scene. We don’t give a shit. Seriously.

The most you need to do is post a couple of pictures after the event. Or report if anything goes wrong. Other than that, leave that poor boy alone. Hasn’t he had enough of you people in his life?

Signed,

Americans

I don’t know why I bother, really. I knew when I lived there and it’s been proven over and over again, at least to me. Men who are born and raised in Michigan and never leave? Turn out to be more backward-thinking, beer-swilling, woman-abusing, child-neglecting, ignorant fools than any Kentucky redneck.

Case in point, a conversation with my ex-step-sister’s son Ben who I haven’t actually seen since I babysat him when he was a toddler. I get comments from him on stuff I post on Facebook. Comments just proving Fux News and conspiracy theorists abound in his little bubble.

My post on Facebook:
Apparently they’ve already started running these. So much for CBS Cares. I’ve already signed, tweeted CBS and swore my most impressive curse words into thin air.

• Benjamin Did you even watch the 21 second commercial? What is so wrong with that?
• Liza What is wrong with it?? Everything is wrong with it. It is NOT safe to not vaccinate. These are diseases that can be PREVENTED. Diseases that KILL. These people are idiots.
• Sharon Ben: No, the commercial in itself isn’t saying anything bad, but it directs you to a web site that’s anti-vax and promotes the myth that autism is caused by vaccines.
• Gill I have no issue with people being informed about vaccines, but the key word is INFORMED. That site is quoting studies which have been struck off medical journals. Even the advert should be saying ‘Vaccinations, know the BENEFITS, know the RISKS’.
• Benjamin I haven’t checked out the website but as for vaccines, it’s my choice right? I am not saying there isn’t some validity in the science of vaccinations, i simply do not trust the people creating/pushing them. Have you seen the video of Bill Gates saying we can do a good job reducing our population using vaccines?
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WQtRI7A064 Or how about our government purposely infecting patients with syphilis, gonorrhea without their consent in the 1940s ?
• Benjamin http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39456324/ns/health-sexual_health/
  MSNBC LINK
• Shanna You can do a much better job reducing the population with polio, meningitis, and whooping cough.
• Benjamin They vaccinate for a lot more than just those three things…
• Debbie Actually Ben, it’s not your choice. Well yeah there’s ways around it, but when your kid gets whooping cough, or TB or any other thing they’re vaccinating against, so does every kid they come in contact with. And if enough people don’t vaccinate their kids you have whooping cough epidemic like they have in California.
• Debbie BTW, there is no conspiracy.
• Gill ‎“I am not saying there isn’t some validity in the science of vaccinations” Yeah, there’s only SOME validity in the millions of lives around the world which have been saved because of vaccines since the first tests with cowpox/smallpox. That’s like saying there’s only SOME evidence to say the Earth orbits the sun.
• Gill Debbie, when it comes to herd immunity, I’m going to be the one on the side of the immunity, rather than take my chances on being the cow who dies of measles. I work with deaf children, and one of my signers started because her daughter was born deaf. Simply because she’d got rubella in pregnancy, because her mother didn’t agree with vaccinations.
• Gill Needless to say, the deaf daughter has had every jab offered!
• Debbie Herd immunity. Those are the words I was looking for. All it takes is one non-immunized kid to set off a chain reaction among all the other non-immunized kid at school. Watching kids get sick and/or die because their parents are ill-informed. It should be considered child abuse if you could have so easily prevented something and CHOSE not to. Don’t listen to the scary conspiracy theory people. Look at the facts from the CDC. There is valid information all over the internet. Being afraid is being lazy.
• Benjamin The CDC is the government. I could give you examples all day long but you don’t care. Just believe what your government tells you. They care so much, they are spending money rebuilding every other country on the planet, with your money, while much of New Orleans still sits in ruin. Besides that, the pharmaceutical industry makes money by treating symptoms, not curing people.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAHP5cL8MXE&feature=related Here is a clip of them telling us mercury is good for our children’s brains. I saw it on tv, it must be true. Look at history, it is by far the most important thing to study to learn everything you need to know. Human nature doesn’t change, we see what they have done in the past, we know what they will do in the future.
  Are you for forced vaccinations? It says on your profile that you are a libertarian. How do you reconcile that?
  And I am anything but afraid.
• Benjamin http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/21/obamas-science-czar-considered-forced-abortions-sterilization-population-growth/ This man is currently the science czar for Obama. How can you say there is no conspiracy when I can show you article after article, of these people in power, stating they want global de-population, forced sterilization etc. To ignore them is foolish.
• Debbie Not forced by government, forced by common friggin’ sense. Yes, look around the world and see the benefits of vaccinations.
• Debbie Fox news? Fucks News more likely.
• Debbie I wouldn’t believe Fux News if they said the sky was blue.
• Benjamin Read the article and debunk it then.
• Gill have you read the text book, or just the bits that Fox have quoted?
• Benjamin http://www.examiner.com/conservative-politics-in-national/science-czar-john-p-holdren-s-disturbing-beliefs-about-america-capitalism-and-humanityGo pick up the book he co-authored and see for yourself. You can discredit the messenger, but not the facts. Here is one that is not Fox news.
• Benjamin ‎@Gill, if they quote the book, it is still in the book right?
• Gill Also, any government, for any country should give aid to those countries less fortunate that ours. I’d hate it if the UK government didn’t give foreign aid. What right do we have to have a higher standard of living than necessary, when people are suffering from not having a clean water supply, or access to the most basic of health care.
• Gill Context is everything, @benjamin.
• Benjamin Gill, if you believe we should lower our standard of living because it’s not fair, then I can’t even talk to you because we are from 2 completely different worlds.
• Debbie It says so right in the article: “Straining to conclude otherwise from passages treating controversies of the day in a three-author, 30-year-old textbook is a mistake.”
• Gill Benjamin, I’m ending this conversation because I don’t think you actually have any compassion to humans other than yourself, nor the brain capacity to realise we live on one Earth and resources should be shared.
• Benjamin Then give your house and car away. I’m tired of people talking the talk, and not walking the walk. Do you have a cell phone, internet access, a refrigerator, a microwave? Go to the city, pick a homeless person, and give all your stuff away then. You live in the lap of luxury and decry our way of life. I’m sick of you feel good liberals. You are a hypocrite.
• Gill I give away a good proportion of my earnings every month to children’s charities and Amnesty international. I don’t need to give away my things to make the world better, I need to give a proportion of my wealth, that I’ve been luckily enough to accumulate due to free education and a strong family unit who brought me up to see right from wrong, to others in need of it.
• Benjamin And as far as giving money to other countries, THERE ARE CITIES AND PEOPLE IN OUR OWN COUNTRY THAT DIE FROM STARVATION AND LACK OF MEDICINES, SHELTER ETC. Why give it to zimbabway when we have people we can help here?
• Gill I do not need to put myself into a poverty situation to not be a hypocrite, I need to ensure that my impact in this world is a positive one.
• Gill LACK OF MEDICINES – wasn’t that why Obama was trying to make health care fairer? I pay a proportion of my wages to National Insurance every month, that provides free health care to a high standard for anyone in this country.
• Benjamin Well, it is simple math. The entire world cannot be wealthy and have it like we do. There is simply not enough to go around. So to be perfectly fair, we must all be dirt ass poor living in mud huts and eating insects.
• Debbie Gill, I thought you were quitting the argument. Some people just can’t think outside their box. Or Fox, as it were. Annnnnd if everyone immunized their kids, the proportion of necessary health care woes would decrease significantly.
• Gill I am…, I am…
• Benjamin You think the health care bill was to help people? It was admittedly written by the big insurance companies. I’ve already illustrated that they don’t care about us. Why on earth do people trust their government? Again, look at history.
• Benjamin For the last time Debbie, I don’t watch Fox news. They are controlled propaganda, just like the rest of em.

Thanks to Gill and the others for attempting to discuss. You just can’t change the mind of a Michigan man without getting him the fuck out of Michigan first. Anti-government? All you have to do to debunk government conspiracy theories is to work for the government for any length of time. You’ll soon realize they’re just way too disorganized to conspire anything effective. It ain’t perfect but it’s better than most.

Jesus Christ Cox, for an Internet provider you sure don’t understand how things should work, do you?

Let’s go back, last month I tried to arrange to MOVE my services to a new address. I went though your step-by-step instructions numerous times and it just pushes you to choose/start new services. I liked what I had and I didn’t want to think about it, I just wanted to MOVE it. Shit.

Ended up having to call in, nope you have to start new service.

That’s just stupid.

Then I had that rigmarole with actually getting my services to work in this new apartment.

That was stupid #2.

So my McAfee “Cox Security Suite” kept popping up the you-need-to-renew thing, and every time I would click on “renew” absolutely NOTHING happened. I’d go to the website and log in and all it shows is my OLD information. I don’t know my new account number until I get a bill. So I wait.

Meanwhile, that renew button just taunts me.

Now your old information doesn’t transfer to your new account, you have to reregister and basically start over. Losing your old email address and not being able to re-use the old login name.

That’s stupid #3.

Here’s how it should work just in case you want to, you know, get it right:

• I should be able to add an account number or change account numbers with my existing user information so I don’t lose email addresses, etc.
• I shouldn’t have to get a new account number if I’m moving my entire package to a new address. You’re flipping switches, it ain’t that hard. Off here, on there, done.
• Your “Cox Security Suite” should renewal should work. Right now that renew button does Jack.
• I shouldn’t have to uninstall and reinstall McAfee. There should be a way to, oh I dunno, simply transfer the old serial number.
• Steps on your website should work. I should NOT have to call in for any of this. I should be able to do it all online and have it work. And there’s too much crap on every page making it difficult to find the exact step you need.

I’m pissed off, Cox. I just want Internet/TV service and you’ve been the most pain-in-the-ass company I’ve dealt with this entire move. Great ISP, one that just doesn’t get it.

Wow. Seriously. Check this out. As if the Creation Museum wasn’t bad enough, now they’re seriously planning to build an Ark Park, a theme park with a replica ark. Complete with penned animals IN THE ARK TOGETHER.

No matter that there are recognized standards for space and relative location to predatory animals.

Let me say I’m no big huge fan of animals. I find PETA extremes laughable. But I think if man takes an animal out of the wild he has a responsibility to keep it in as close it’s environment as possible. Roaming animals need room to roam, cold animals need cold, etc. And I don’t approve of even house pets being penned up for any length of time. It’s inconceivable to me that these people are okay with penning LIVE animals up inside a wooden building for display. Just to show now Noah and his family would have handled the management of these animals.

You know, that Noah bible story from that book written by old guys a couple of thousand years ago? That book that so many base their lives on… their Christian ideals. Do unto others and all that bullshit?

And if that’s not bad enough, they want to use Government incentives to build it.

See? This is why Atheists are “attacking” Christians. Because they continue to change/break the rules of this country whenever they choose, and we’re supposed to suck it up and keep quiet. If they wanted to pay for the whole thing themselves and use animatronic animals, I’d have no problem with it. Oh, I’d still find it laughable and stupid, but to each his own. Go for it. But when you think you’re above or beyond the rules the rest of us live by, that’s where I get pissed.

And by the way, I’m hearing a lot about Atheists “attacking” Christians. Kind of like Christians have historically attacked everyone who doesn’t think just like them – and even amongst themselves – for centuries? No, Atheists haven’t killed or maimed or even penned up anyone. We’re smarter than that.

It feels to me that the atheist/skeptic/they’re overstepping their bounds group is getting stronger. Or is it just cuz I’m in it? And then “they” do something stupid like cover up the mass molestations of innocent children or build arks and I feel just that much… righter.

Come join me on the dark side.

*twank twank twank*

(That’s the sound of knocking on a metal security door)

INNER DOOR OPENS

“Yes?”

“Ma’am, I’d like to talk to you about…”

“Excuse me,” I interrupt because I see the pamphlet she’s about to shove at me. “Do you see this sign jammed in my door? Do you understand what it means?”

“Um yeah, but I’d like to just share this…”

“In a minute,” I interrupt again. “First let me share with you the joy of anal sex and how miraculous the climax can be. In fact if I close my eyes and pray I can almost cum just from the thought of shoving that pamphlet up your ass. Or… have a nice day somewhere else.”

SLAM!

Old article I just came across with yet another misleading title:

Tennessee Woman Arrested for Facebook ‘Poke’

So of course you’re all “that’s stupid” blah blah virtual assault blah. There were even man-on-the-street comments to that lead. Well, the real story is Woman A has a protection order against Woman B that includes “telephoning, contacting or otherwise communicating with the petitioner, directly or indirectly.”  So instead of the story being a reminder to block people or that protection orders include social media, they make light of Woman A’s complaint. Stupid.

———–

Over breakfast I flipped through my (for women over 40) More Magazine and I stopped at a really cute dress. Reading the blurbs that go with the picture I find it’s available for $1,895. Who the fuck pays $2k for a jersey dress and why? A competent seamstress could copy that Donna Karan dress for $18.95. Hell, even I – as an incompetent seamstress – could probably copy that dress. I don’t understand why people pay exorbitant prices for basic things. Why does having a famous designer’s name on something automatically make some people willing to pay 100 times what it’s really worth?

My son falls into that; wears lots of one label (DG or CG or one of those) clothes though they’re not at the hundred or thousand dollar level. Someone I know was so excited they finally got a new Coach bag. I don’t even remember who it was, just that they were soooo excited about this fugly bag, just because it was a Coach bag. Ever priced a new Coach bag? I once wandered through a Coach store and there wasn’t one bag in that entire store that I would carry. They’re U.G.L.Y! Handbags, clothes, sunglasses, shoes – why are people perpetuating the myth that wearing designer things somehow makes you special?

Someone please explain this to me.