Which Culture Is The Civilized One

 

I was Surprised when I went to get essentials, that the cost of a Gallon of Milk is way down, just barely over Two Bucks and that wasn't a Sale Price.  Splendid, coz it's been more than 3 times that much for a while around here, so, that was an unexpected boost to the Grocery Budget.  With a Three Generation Household and Two of the Family Members Lactose Intolerant, so needing Specialty Lactose Free Milk for them, it's good to get a break on what the rest of us can use.  Of coarse most things that are essentials are up in price.  So, with many Dollar Stores also folding, trimming the necessities budget is still challenging.  I can do it and not feel deprived, I can stretch a Buck.   It's just that I know some hard working folks are probably doing without a lot that they really need and can't afford.

Above is a Hoodie by Lowrider that I was gonna Sell but The Daughter really wanted, so, I gave it to her for Working so hard for me.  She's been doing Housekeeping in the Main House as well as Working on the Yard and in The RV Garage Mahal and Art Studio Spaces.   I had done the Shopping at Wal-Mart, just coz it is Open 24 Hours and it was too early after dropping Princess T off at Work to Shop anywhere else.  For some reason, Wal-Marts often Decline payments made if you're using your Chase Debit Card, they can't tell you Why either.  It's not the Card, coz it works everywhere else, just not at Wal-Mart and why I rarely shop there now.  Luckily I also have a Wells Fargo Account and they never Decline that Bank.  Next time I go in to my Banker at Chase I'm going to ask if any other Customers are experiencing this Bank bias at Wal-Mart? 

 It's embarrassing and inconvenient after you've spent a lot of time Shopping and Scanned everything, for them not to take your form of payment.  They don't do Phone Tap Scans either which all the Young People use.  So, last time Princess T was there Shopping I had to Front her the Money for her Purchase when they reject using Phone Taps, so, she doesn't wanna Shop there anymore either.  Strange that a Mega Store has Issues like that, they're big enuf they should be able to correct those problems, but, they seem disinterested to do so.  Therefore, I put the Wal-Marts near us on Blast and Wonder if this is a National problem with their Company?  *Winks*  I'm not a huge Fan of Wal-Mart anyway, so, just give me another reason to boycott them.  *LOL*  Never had these problems at their Competitors.  And so, their Competitors shall get our Business.  If I never had to Shop at another Wal-Mart in this Lifetime, I wouldn't miss it.  And, I don't use Amazon either, never have. 

 I still haven't received my Vampire Lips Coffee Mug I Bought off Poshmark in Mid-October, so am corresponding with that Seller too, to ask WHY?!  A Month later... REALLY?!  Then, I get a Response saying they Cancelled the Order in late October, without my Consent since I didn't request a Cancellation, and allegedly Refunded my Purchase Cost, WTF?!   A Seller unable to perform what they Listed and Sold to you should be Investigated or Banned IMO.  That only happened to me one other time and I saw the Seller re-listing the exact same thing, so I filed a Complaint with that Auction Site against them.  No explanation given that time or this time, just, reversing their Obligation to Sell me what they were Listing and I Bought.  This Listing still has "Item Sold" on it!!!  I just want an Explanation as to why what I already Bought they Cancelled the Sale of after having been Paid for it and the Shipping Costs?

 Poshmark just has a Purchase Price, no competitive Bidding, so, I can only assume they didn't have the item really or decided they wanted to Sell it for more, so just didn't Honor their Original Listing?  So far no response to explain from the Seller.  So, I just Re-Ordered it via a Buy It Now Feature on E-Bay from a Cali Seller with good Feedback Ratings and quick Promise Date of Arrival.  Not impressed with Poshmark, especially if you have a problem with an Order.   I'm going to ensure they did give me a Refund becoz I know my Payment went thru and I got Confirmation of that right after making the Purchase.  They didn't even allegedly Refund until a much later Date in October, so, kept my Money for a couple Weeks, if in fact it was Refunded at all by the Date they Claimed they did?

The Man and I are gonna do some Environmental Cleanup again Today. Yesterday we had done some Roadsides we'd never done before and Hauled off a lot of discarded Aluminum Cans.   I'm actually making more Money Recycling Aluminum lately than what I'm making in my Showroom, Sad commentary of how shitty Sales have been there for almost all the Vendors.  I foresee, if the Management don't turn things around, or the Economy gets shittier under 45/47's Watch, they're gonna start losing Vendors in droves.  I've been there since the beginning and had the first Sale there before the Mall even had their Soft Opening Years ago, so, I've weathered some downs, but, Margins are eroding on the Profits you can Clear there and have stagnated considerably in recent Years.   A lot of their Bigger Vendors have Downsized their Rental Spaces considerably already. 

I've only got the One Showroom and a Locked Case, and the Risks are low, since no Lease is required, just Month to Month Rental Obligation.  And, personally, I think everyone everywhere is hurting right now except mebbe the Affluent.  Unemployment is allegedly down, but Higher Paying Jobs, Full Time and with Benefits, aren't plentiful locally.   Lots of Low Paying Jobs, Part Time or not Guaranteed Steady Full Time Hours, with little to no Benefits is what seems unable to be filled and available.   And Rents are still too high and Buying Homes too expensive with inflated prices on Real Estate still the norm.  So, I don't particularly see a lot of improvements for the average Citizens having a better Quality of Life being offered to them with someone in charge who will change a steadily improving trajectory with a destructive one.  Every Economist is in Agreement with that Assessment, we can't all be Wrong.

Anyway, Princess T said that soon they'll be having to come in an Hour earlier every day at 6:00 A.M., right now it's only on Tuesdays and 7:00 every other Day they Work.  They MAY get off an Hour earlier at 2:30 rather than 3:30, but, it depends.   She's not thrilled, she's Tired and going to bed by 7:00 P.M. as it is, so she's not looking forward to having to go to Bed even earlier to get enough rest and be in Bed by 6:00 P.M..  *LOL*   Ahhhh, they can't wait to grow up and then when they do, they realize how much it sucks compared to Childhood.  *Winks*  I had told her to hang onto Childhood for as long as she could coz you have the rest of your Life to be an Adult.   She likes Working, but it really wipes her out Physically and with her Health Issues, some Days it's hard for her when she's Dealing with chronic Respiratory Issues.   Every Fall and Winter she really has a hard time Breathing and feeling Well.   It's better than when she was little, but, still takes a toll.

Above is our Friend and Neighbor T.J. beside his beloved Corvette Drop Top Convertible.  Friday is our Irrigation Cycle and it's coming at 2:10 in the Morning, ugh, glad we Hire T.J. to do it.   But, we always check to ensure he doesn't need some assistance, especially now he's battling Cancer and having Chemo.   He still wants to do it, but at some point I know he probably won't be able to and will have to concentrate on his Health exclusively and the limitations it imposes upon him involuntarily.   His Older Brother Rob isn't interested in being Hired anymore, he got a large Settlement and has been talking of moving to Flagstaff where he bought some Property.  Rob and his Dad don't get along well and now the Parents are in their 80's, I think Rob is becoming more overwhelmed by their Needs and response to having Grown Sons living there.  

Yes, the Parents need the present Help at their advanced Ages, but, they won't Sell and move into an Assisted Living Transitional Placement, so, the Sons don't really know what to do?  Both Parents are still Sound of Mind, but Health has been deteriorating, as it just does by the time you become that Aged.  And I see Old Tom often getting very frustrated and very upset, which is probably more fear based than anything else.  Losing one's Independency and ability to do what you've always done for yourself, seeing it slowly eroding, and seeing his own Sons now limited by Aging, is some scary stuff to face.  Anger is often just fear in disguise.   I'm an Angrier Person than I was in my Youth and I know sometimes we just project it outwards in unlovely ways.  Some Days I have to be Pleasant On Purpose.  *LOL*

 

I'm going to be Scheduling an Appointment with my Doc to get Symptoms I've been having Checked Out, just to ensure it's nothing I should be unduly concerned about... or should.   So many things it could be, or isn't, that I just don't know.   And tho' Anxiety and Stress is mos def a Thing right now, it might not just be that so I want to make sure I'm not neglecting something it might be or could be and making inaccurate assumptions.   I remember when I first got diagnosed with Diabetes, I had no inkling that's what was Wrong with me, but was.  Sometimes you don't feel Right, but, you don't feel all Wrong either, so you just keep piping along not knowing Medical intervention would be in order.   I don't wanna get any more Bad News, Lord knows we've had enuf already, but... if it ain't Good News, better you know what you're up against than being clueless.   Ignorance isn't Bliss, it's just Ignorance.

I need to get The Daughter in to see our Doctor too coz one side of her Face is swelling up just under One Eye and around her Cheek.  It's very swollen and she's had some Dental Issues, so I do worry about an Infection, tho' it could be severe Allergies, I just wanna make sure.  Might as well both go together if we can get back to back Appointments?  I know she's been Anxious since returning from Mexico becoz she's Cleaned and literally Organized every single bit of the House!  *LOL*   Every Cupboard is regimented and Organized, every Drawer, so, even places you can't see are OCD Arranged now!   She's clearly on a Mental Health Bender, but at least doing things excessively is Helpful to her so she doesn't Spiral Downwards.   She presently has no Income, her Brother has no Income... and it Weighs heavily upon both of them.  Her Brother told me his Sister was now Cleaning all of my Shoes with a Toothbrush!  *LOL*  Ah well, whatever distracts her and keeps her on The Rails is Fine with me.  *Winks*

The Son is having trouble with his Ex-Employer in that the Paperwork they gave him to Lay him Off, wasn't Signed and DES and Unemployment are saying they have to be Signed.  Well, the Employer and their HR are evading him so now he's gonna go sit in their Showroom, with his Sister in tow, to make things very difficult for them should they refuse to Sign the Paperwork he needs to receive Unemployment and Nutritional Assistance to be Approved.  Just WTF?!  Bad enuf they gave no Warning for the Big Layoff they did and it had zero to do with who was most efficient, qualified or had longest Seniority there... in fact, they were all the ones that got Let Go!!!   Top of the Pay Scale folks who were most qualified, had best production numbers and longest Seniority on the Job!!!   The Company kept all the Low Paid New Inexperienced Hires!!!  Fuckers.  Now they're toying with The System coz they don't wanna pay Unemployment Benefits!!!

They strung them along from receiving their Last Paycheck for an extra Eight Days as it was, so, all the Laid Off Folks are in Financial Crisis now.  And, to make things more complicated, his Car is having problems and he's been working on it himself, but, doesn't have the Money to Buy all the Parts it needs!!!   It's a long commute, so I just Hope the Car doesn't break down and leave him stranded now?  He didn't wanna do that much driving with it until he could get it reliable again.   He's bringing his Sister to Record the HR People so that if they give him shit about what they're required by Law to do, he can present the Video to DES and Unemployment to prove he's doing all he can to make them comply and perhaps now The System can pressure them to comply?  It's a disgrace that Employers get away with shit like that without Penalties.

I'm not Excusing why some Employees go Postal, but I can see Why some do after being put thru some of the shit they have to endure by Corporate America and then Snap.   My concern of coarse is that with his Sister in tow... well, she is known to Snap, so... let us Hope the Employer is Wise, recognizes Crazy when they see it, and doesn't poke the dormant Beast enuf to Trigger her Ass?   She sometimes is mean to her Little Brother but she's fiercely protective of him and knows he's an upstanding and hard working Good Guy who doesn't deserve any of this.  All his Reviews raved about what an exemplary Employee he's been for the Company.  So this already was a slap in the Face for it meaning absolutely nothing and he might as well have been a Fuckup on the Job coz some of them still are Employed there and have a Paycheck!  It's now The American Way... sad to say.   Fuck Up, be a Criminal, don't Care, Exploit everyone and get ahead, all the way to the Top... then you can even be the President of the U.S.A.!

And The Man likes to watch these irritating "Reality Shows" about Traffic Wars and shit where ordinary Citizens are often being unfairly harassed by Systems in place about nitnoid shit and I don't find it Entertaining.  I find it irritating to the point I get mad FOR the People in those Situations.   I made him turn it off coz the Case he was looking at was an Older Man in Philly who got his Vehicle Booted for something he'd already taken Care of and Paid.  But, Parking Authorities had fucked up his Paperwork and written the Wrong Tag, so, tho' it was his Paperwork proving he'd Paid what he should, becoz of an Administrative Error on THEIR part, his Vehicle got Towed and now he'll have that expense.  Well, the Old Guy went Off, naturally.  He had Proof of paying the $400 for whatever Parking Privilege he has for the Tags required, but, they wouldn't accept it coz of The System's internal Screw Up!  And that's something he's gotta now have the hassle and added expenses of running damage control behind all of.

I can relate coz when my Mom lived in Section 8 Housing they required Parking Permits too for her Assigned Parking Space for her Apartment.  Mom didn't drive, didn't own a Vehicle, but, if I used the Space to pick her up for Appointments, to take her to do her Shopping, Welfare Checks or to simply Visit, I often got Booted.  Even tho' she could prove she lived in the Unit assigned that Space and I was her only Transportation, didn't matter, and it was highly annoying.  Management wouldn't give me a Permit coz I wasn't on the Lease.  Pretty sure they got kickbacks from the Tow Company too.  She was an Invalid at that point in her Life and required me to Park, transfer her in and out of Wheelchairs and help her with Mobility Issues.  So, it's not like I could just Park and honk the Horn, she required my Assistance and should have had every Right for that Space to be used by whoever was aiding her or even visiting her.   There was no place else to Park without being Towed, so, it was always a big hassle.   

We often got Unbooted simply coz once it Triggered my Mom, she went absolutely Postal and they didn't wanna call Police on an Octogenarian Invalid and have a Media Circus in the Aftermath.  Becoz I'd of had the Media on Speed Dial so that in Real Time they could have a Newsworthy Story playing out and a PR Nightmare for everyone involved.  *Winks*   But, the Tow Company folk were always complete Assholes, no matter how much Proof you presented in your Favor, or how hard you tried to keep your Cool and be reasonable.  They're determined to make Money off of the Misery they cause Law Abiding Citizens that is completely unnecessary and rather a mild form of Extortion.   Just like that Old Guy on TV's situation, the Tow Company folk were being unsympathetic to his Plight and even called Police to escalate things.  

 They could have unbooted his Vehicle and given him some Grace to fix what THEIR System had Administratively fucked up and wasn't his fault.  I'm not saying it was their personal Fault, but, he had the Receipts.   So, I can see why he'd had enuf if he's dealt with such injustices for so fucking long where he has to Live and has no other Options for Parking.  Often no Solutions are made available to problematic circumstances like these.   And we all know how many Administrative Errors are made all the time by Incompetent or poorly Trained or Indifferent Staffing at so many places now, errors are the Norm.   I just had to sort out ANOTHER Error on a Bill of mine, where they claimed I was Delinquent.  I wasn't, I'd Paid by Phone, got the Confirmation Number and Date Verified, and the Lender failed to Process the immediate Payment until AFTER Late Charge Assessment so they could charge one and say the Loan was in Default! 

Well, I'm a Retired Executive from that whole Industry... and know that now they Outsource everything for Loan Servicing to the Philippines or India to Cheaply Service the Loans.   The Woman I was speaking to barely spoke or understood English, had Zero understanding of Loan Servicing, just whatever her Script tells her to say and she's unable to deviate from or use critical thinking.   I'm explaining over and over again how the Payment was made, is Current, has Verification, Confirmation and Proof I'm giving her, and that it was made well before any Late Charge can be Assessed Legally.   Whether they'll actually Waive it is questionable, but, it's annoying and happening with too much regularity lately.  Every fucking Month in fact with various Companies.   I'd venture to say most Lenders now don't have competent Loan Servicing to alleviate problems or fix errors THEY make.   And at the end of my 1st Corporate Life in the Industry I spent far too much time as a highly Paid Consultant doing that for Banks, so, I'm not doing it now for Free.  *Winks*

You can't give a 3rd World American Slave Labor Hire a Crash Course in Financing or Loan Servicing anyway, but, I tried.  *Le Sigh*  After over 30 Minutes explaining and re-explaining, pretty sure the Woman still didn't Understand, but, Bless her, she was trying.   So I kept and maintained my Calm, tho' internally I was roiling with irritation at the Lender, not her.  She's a Product of what's Wrong with Corporate America right now and Capitalism Greed run amok.  Most of these Companies aren't the Original Ones you dealt with and chose to do Business with.  So, it doesn't make any difference anymore how discerning you were with who you choose to do Business with, it's not who you'll be forced to do Business with at the Industry's benefit and your detriment.

Toting the Note now is a big Business, so before the Ink is Dry on the Paperwork they've Sold your Loan, and do so numerous times thruout the Life of it.  And, let's face it, anything with a very big ticket item like a Mortgage and big Home Improvement Projects that become absolutely necessary before you can Save to pay Cash for them, becoz some poorly constructed high ticket Unit goes out every 5-10 Years now, are gonna have to be Financed these days.   And usually the lesser Lenders Buying the Portfolio after Origination, are even worse.  Most of them don't Originate a lot of Loans.  They end up with doing the Loan Servicing for you, since that's their Cash Cow, and you have no Control over any of that.  They typically are Lenders I'd never voluntarily ever do Business with coz they have abysmal Track Records.  Or might even use Predatory Practices in the Industry that skirt Legalities and push Boundaries of what they can get away with doing to Consumers/Borrowers.  And a lot of Judgments now are suspicious, so, who knows what Judges they've Bought and Paid for to Rule always in their Favor?

I represented many Lenders in Court during my First Corporate Life and back then the Industry wasn't as Corrupted as clearly it has become now.   The Court Systems too have clearly become compromised in Favor of these Lenders and I'm not convinced some Judges haven't been Bought and Paid for to Issue the Judgments I see coming down on people that are highly irregular.   Even some of our Supreme Court Justices and numerous Politicians are now enslaved to their Masters with beaucoup obscene amounts of Money to Buy who they want to Own.   Having had a 2nd Corporate Life in Criminal Law, well, I see Systems failing now all around by Corruption, Greed and deep  Infiltration of folks into those Institutions and Industries that are questionable of Character and have skewed Moral Compasses themselves.   So then the whole shebang cannot be Trusted by the Public anymore, becoz it's evident, shit ain't Right anymore and the Criminal Element seems to be mostly In Charge now and running the Show, all the way up the Food Chains.

I Worked my Thursday fill-in Shift, Two of my GF's were Working it, Kristi and Sue, I was apparently filling in for Mark.  It was SLOW, we didn't even have anywhere close to 200 people thru the Doors!  So, no Wonder Sales are shit!!!   Timmy came in with his Boyfriend and introduced him to me and gave me a big hug.  My Co-Workers asked me who the Handsome Young Stud Muffin was that was hugging me.  He is a good looking Young Man and is so Tall and has so much Swag and Style.  *LOL*  He didn't know that Princess T and I had moved our Showroom, so I showed them where the new one is, he liked it better than the old one.  After Work when I got Home The Man said that Princess T had gone out with Timmy and some Friends.  She probably wanted the Tea spilled about his "Date" and he told her he'd seen me at Work.  *LMAO*

He didn't know I'd Texted her and told her he was with a new "Friend".  *Winks*  Nice looking Young Man with very Curly Black Hair and even Taller than Timmy, which is TALL!   He'd told me his Name but I couldn't recall it and don't know if he's Timmy's Mister Right or Mister Right Now?  *Ha ha ha*  Princess T had been telling me she's TRYING to break up with Rusty and he's just not receiving that the Relationship is ending.  He wants her to "think about it"... and... pretty sure she has and is just trying to let him down gently since she has no intention of hurting the Guy.  But, he's getting Jealous and she can't tolerate that coz she's giving him no cause to be.  All she mostly does is stay in her Room and go to Work, and when she does go out and it's not with him, it's with her Gay Male Friends.   Who are Hawt Young Men, but, Fabulously Gay, not even anyone flying under the Radar as Undercover Gays.  *Smiles*

I told her that's Rusty's insecurity and has nothing to do with her actually and you can't fix someone else's self-esteem issues.   I have been seeing this coming for a while, so, though she wanted to talk it over with me and solicit some advice, I wasn't Surprised she wants to move on.  I don't even think she wants a Boyfriend right now, it's not high on her list of Priorities.   Lots of Guys really like her and would want to be a Boyfriend, she's just not interested.   She likes her Life to be uncomplicated and she was telling me that Gay Guys are less complicated than Straight ones and treat her so well and generously becoz they Adore her, that she doesn't need a Straight Boyfriend.  *LMAOROTF*  Even tho' she has a Job and her own Money now, her Gay Boy Posse insist on covering her when they go out, they still Believe in being Chivalrous and Protective of her too, enjoy her Company, but with NO Sexual strings or pressure attached. 

And with Women's Rights being taken away, every Young Woman now is more Mindful of having less Choices and Rights than even her Grandmother's had!!!   The last 50 Plus Years of Progress in establishing Women's Rights have been obliterated now.  So my Granddaughter's Choice is to Deal less with Men when she has that option available and I don't blame her.   And when the new Administrative Government next fucks up our Military with their Agendas, you'll have less Young People choosing that as a Career as well, thus compromising our National Security and probably requiring induction via Draft again.   Ironic, since, the Commander in Chief who will be sworn in and wants to gut our Military and install his preferred "Generals like Hitler had" {his Quote}, was a Draft Dodger too Cowardly to Serve and faked Bad Feet.  He's almost 80 now and his Feet are just Fine... grew a New Ear too... things that make ya go Humnnnnnnnn.  *Eye Roll* 

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Happy Autumn from the Arizona Desert... Hang in there my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian