Pure Frustration

Target + Credit = Screwed!

2008-10-01T14:11:00.005-07:00

Ok,

Yes I'm back and I am more frustrated then I have ever been. I will be doing a series of posts coming up, but I wanted to talk about one that has hit home.

With the current Wall street screw up and investors freaking out over something they "knew" was going to happen, they (wall street and creditors) have decided to cut there losses and make sure they pass the buck on the card holders before they go. Don't believe me...ok...

My wife has a Target REDcard which is a Visa so who are we kidding. Any who she decided to check her card before she went out of town to make sure the payment was received and check her limit. What she found sent here into a two hour phone conversation with Target REDcard support...but more on that in a bit. So my wife noticed that the available credit had dropped 800 dollars...yes 800 dollars. They dropped the available credit 10 dollars above what we owe on the card. I'll give you a minute to compose yourself...ok....not yet...ok.

WHAT THE HELL! Listen I have been fighting with the credit card companies for the past 10 years from bogus charges to identity theft so usually nothing surprises me. Heck I even understand in this economy that one really has to have some sort of debt to get credit. I know that sounds crazy, but when banks or loan officers run your credit they are looking at your credit to debt ratio. Here's what kills me, we pay our cards on time and waaaayyy over the payment options and yet they do this. No word, no warning, no phone call, no email...NOTHING! This was down right criminal in my personal and dare I say professional opinion. Sadly it is legal, it shouldn't be but it is. It is a way for the credit industry to save their asses.

But wait there's more, so my lovely petit wife calls the card company to attempt to fix what she thought was an innocent mistake. What she was met with was rudeness and false apologies and shuffled from one person to another for over an hour. Here's what she wanted, she wanted to speak with the office or person in charge that can change her credit limit back to what it was. That's all. She was then told EVENTULLY that the offices she called does not deal with the credit limit. So she asked to be transferred to the person who she needed to speak with. She was then told, quote: "That office does not receive phone calls from card holder, nor can I transfer you to those offices because they do not speak with the people directly." I am not kidding.

So a recap: we have done nothing wrong, we pay our bills on time, our credit is now being changed without word or warning, and the people who change the credit limit do not speak to the card holders nor is there a way to talk with them directly. What the hell happened to speaking with people to resolve issues? I know their is a credit crunch but this company just went and cut prices on everyone. I suggest you all look at your credit cards and their available credit because if it has not changed it will...and very soon.

Well since we are fighters we are going to fight this. Sadly we probably won't get that far. We are not using the card anymore, nor are we shopping at Target from here on out. It isn't so much the credit, but the blatant abuse my wife had to take over the phone. She was treated like a degenerate even though our history with them is clear. I seriously do not think the answer to this credit crisis is to alienate the card holders, and or force them on to another card carrier. Simple because when we come out of this mess (and we will you Armageddon fanatics) Target REDcard will find itself truly in the RED.

I invite any Target representative to contact me, but I doubt they will since there is so little time in the day and soooo many more people to screw over.

(Since we all don't have money anyway I suggest you also boycott Target...that's just me)

-The Voice-

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2008-01-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

Ok....

First The GOOD, and this is sadly not a frustration at all, but if you are seriously into up and coming musicians that can actually SING then you need to check out http://www.crystaljeffers.com/ . This girl will blow you away, I got to see her in concert at a unknown wine shop, and man not only is she gorgeous but amazingly talented. Her site is new so she is always looking for support by linking her site out or just saying hello. I just saw that she now has some music on her page to listen too. It's these little things that keep me from punching babies due to pure frustration.

Speaking of punching babies let's talk about THE BAD. Simple frustration is the, "Why are there no real fixes to our Nations problems?" I mean in a election year one would think that we are going to have someone people stand up and start giving some answers to the F-up'd issues we have nationwide. I know that some candidates are giving lip service to our issues, but no real facts have been given to the American people as too how we are going to fix the War, Poverty, Job Loss, Recession, Home Lone's, Environment, etc. I am looking toward Obama right now since he maybe offering vague answers to these problems, but he is the only one that is addressing the fact that the damn is broken and before we can build a new damn we need to stop the leaking from the old one before everything is washed away. Plainly put he is the only one that is standing up and saying we need to fix what we have before we can move forward.

On that same note, THE UGLY, "How dumb can people really be?" I know we all want to participate within the current dialogue dealing with the candidates for president. I know we all have some of our own views on the the election, but why are we listening to email forwards from people we don't even know, and even worse from people who believe what they read in a EMAIL FORWARD. I have received emails telling me that Obama is Muslim, that Hillary is a racist, that McCain is funded by evil special interest groups the list goes on. I receive emails from anonymous people that I delete immediately...WHY? BECAUSE ITS A FORWARD FROM SOMEONE I DON'T KNOW. I really never read forwards, since they flood my email, and since most people are to lazy to write me themselves.

Another reason is well, most forwards or anonymous emails are false and are fishing for information about you. Do you really believe in a forward that Hilliary is racist or Obama is Muslim when in the same "inbox" you receive notices that you won a million dollars, that if you send a particular email to 10 or 20 of your friends Bill Gates will send you $100, or that your log in and password was lost at a bank you never heard of and you need to resubmit your information...really....I mean really really?

Don't be an idiot, don't forward crap to your co-workers, friends, or family saying, "Check this out OMG" when in fact if they read it and realize that you can be that much of a chode for sending /believing such nonsenses that they question wanting to know you...do you really want that? I hope not, let me tell you my frustration comes from people like this, that read political information in a forwarded email and then go vote!

Thanks for believing the crap in your inbox, by the way if you want to send me your personal information I will make sure all your dreams come true. Just include your bank account, full name, and social security number and I will double the money you send me in only 1 hour, that's right 1 hour. How can you lose...schmuck!

The Voice

New Year...New Rants

2008-01-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

First of all I know that I do not blog everyday...so when I do blog you all should be grateful.
Secondly I do not plan to blog everyday this New Year; I do plan to only blog about things that are really frustrating...so with that said lets look at a new one:

New Frustration is, "Oil hits $100 dollars a gallon the same day that the Iowa voters come out and support a Democrat...coincidence I THINK NOT!"

Yes I know this sounds like a conspiracy theory, but lets just look at some of the lose facts that I misread or made up.

For the past eight years the current administration has undoubtedly fucked up just about everything that made this country great. No I am not anti-American but I am anti-stupid! We are now in the nation's biggest deficit we have ever seen, we have nearly zero foreign political clout in the world, and the Euro is 1.50 to our 1 dollar. So with the country slowly slipping into manic depression and owing more debt than a graduate level art major we now have gas prices raising higher and higher everyday.

Now the experts will tell you that supply and demand is a huge factor in our gas prices. Meaning America uses more gas in a day that can be produced in the same 24 hours. Which is sadly true, we are addicted to gas as much as a lonely house wife is to Opera. However, did anyone else notice that in the past eight years our administration has allowed gas prices to rise? I know we went to war over oil, but hell you would think we would see some sort of benefit by now...dontcha? Also has anyone else noticed that the president's cabinet (as well as old chuckles himself) all have stock, positions, or money in oil. Hum...a mystery as to why gas prices would rising.

I say the current administration has been willfully and knowingly manipulating gas and oil production and reserves to solely benefit their pocket books...possibly since most of them thought they would be impeached by now any way and needed some soft cash to cushion their fall from grace. This gets me to my current frustration, now that there is light at the end of the tunnel and 43% of the Iowa voters chose a Democrat I find it highly suspicious that gas prices would be rising the same day. The voters demonstrate that it is time for a change, and the fat cats are hurrying themselves to make as much money as possible before the preverbal "good times" run out. Oh and it is only at the expense of well EVERYONE!

I personally laugh at our current condition since all it took was a nation of apathy and complacency for this to come about, and now those same people are looking for some poor guy to come in and try to fix the hemorrhaging that is our current United States. I am sure that the poor sap that gets the job will certainly be able to live up to all the promises he/she made on the campaign trail. Please not the sarcasm, I mean this person will only have to look forward right? Or will he/she have to put humpty dumpty together again with only lose instructions and oven mits on their hands. Think about it...it’s really hard to do anything with oven mits on...except take things out of the oven...take the metaphor for what it is you judging bastards.

-pf-

What the Hell

2007-08-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

Ok...
Today's Frustration is, "Why do we need to destroy a man to feel safe?"

This one hit home with me since I am an avid comic book collector. I heard the below story on NPR and looked up more information on Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF). I am attaching the column I wrote for Komikazee.com. Either way it really FRUSTRATES ME!

I am a NPR junky. I listen to NPR on the way to work, while I am at work, and I download specific broadcasts on my Ipod. So I was rather shocked to hear a comic book related story on NPR, much less one as silly as this. My humor quickly went to frustration on the matter of Gordon Lee facing a prison term for an obvious mistake. A brief overview of what has occurred, you can find the below article over at our friendly Comic Book Legal Defense Fund website.

Source: CBLDF Website

"During Halloween week 2004, Gordon Lee’s comic shop, Legends, of Rome, GA, participated in a trick-or-treat event in downtown Rome by distributing free comics. "Alternative Comics #2," the Free Comic Book Day edition from publisher Alternative Comics for 2004, was inadvertently included in the mix of books being given away. The comic was a single copy among thousands of comics being given away that day, and was accidentally handed to a minor, whose parent filed a complaint with the police. The comic book features a variety of stories from the company's line, including an excerpt from Nick Bertozzi's now published graphic novel The Salon, depicting the first meeting between Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. On three pages of the eight page section, Picasso is depicted in the nude, a factually accurate detail for the period during which the story is set. There is no sexual content in the story.
Upon learning of the error in distributing the comic, Lee admitted that a mistake was made and offered to make a public apology for the first of many times. That apology was rejected, however, so days later, Lee was arrested."

So has anyone else been to a free comic book day? Remember how the comic shop sets up the free comics for people to pick up and it gets kinda nuts to get free comics. But lets move to the other point, Mr. Lee actually opened his store on Halloween to invite the community in and receive free comics as a treat. Did Mr. Lee make a mistake? Sure he did and he was willing to make a public apology for it, but in these times for a man to admit he was wrong is just not enough. The article goes on to say:

"At arraignment in Spring 2005, Gordon Lee was charged with violating two laws: 1) Two counts of distributing material depicting nudity or sexual content, a felony; and 2) Five counts of unlawful disposition of materials to minors, a misdemeanor. The felony counts alleged that Lee had distributed the comic to the named victim and to a “John Doe.” Three of the misdemeanor counts were for distributing the single comic to the named victim, with the other two counts alleging that the comic was distributed to “John Does.”
"In May 2005 the Fund submitted four motions to dismiss the counts Lee faced. The Fund’s legal team, led by Atlanta lawyer Alan Begner, and coordinated with Cory Begner and Rome criminal expert Paul Cadle, challenged the constitutionality of both the felony and misdemeanors laws, as well as the standing of the John Doe charges. A hearing on those motions was held on December 1, 2005 during which, likely in response to Fund motions, the prosecution dismissed both felony counts and both “John Doe” counts. On January 2, 2006, Judge Salmon dismissed the felony and “John Doe” misdemeanor counts with prejudice, and consolidated the remaining misdemeanor counts from three to two."

So does this mean it is over, gosh no Mr. Lee was Re-Charged

"On April 2, 2006, the eve of trial, prosecutors contacted Mr. Lee’s counsel to notify them that they intended to dismiss the charges against Lee because, after 18 months, and numerous court appearances, they discovered that they had the wrong victim.
The morning of April 3, prosecutors walked into court and stated their intention to declare the case nolle prosse, meaning that the charges that were to go to trial were dismissed. They later re-filed under a new accusation alleging that Lee handed “Alternative Comics #2” to a six-year-old minor and his nine-year-old brother, instead of solely to the nine-year-old, as had been previously, and repeatedly, declared.
Though the dismissal was a victory in the near term, because it served as an admission that Lee was not guilty of the crimes for which he was accused in October of 2004, it raised abundant questions about how prosecutors arrived at this point." ead counsel Alan Begner said, “I have never -- as a criminal trial lawyer for thirty years -- seen a complete changing of the facts like this.
Throughout the year and a half before that trial date, through written statements, the investigation, and the presentation of evidence before the grand jury, as well as the written accusation and indictment, the State had steadfastly asserted that the comic book had been handed to the nine-year-old. The dismissal of the charges today reflects the prosecution’s admission that everything that was presented as evidence before was untrue, and that they had stuck to the false facts through procedure after procedure in the case. How did a year and a half of statements based on one set of facts get changed at the last minute to another set of facts?”

Go to the link and take a gander at the section "Going through the Motions" to continue the mind-numbingness. In a nut shell, Mr. Lee is now finally facing another trial to hopefully end this exercise in madness. For the past two years this man's livelihood and freedom has hung in the balance because he made a mistake and tried, several times, to apologize for it. If it was not for the CBLDF Mr. Lee would have had to pay an excess of 80,000 dollars in legal fees, and/or admitted a crime that the prosecution as already stated he did not commit. Now if my child had received a comic with these images I may have been upset that my underage kid had it, and confronted Mr. Lee with my concerns. But after hearing his side and then accepting his apology I am pretty sure I would have been done with this issue. I know the verdict is still out on this guy, but if there was a true malicious intent would not other underage children receive the same comic. Mr. Lee isn't a sexual predator, nor a menace towards the moral judgment of parents. If this case is found in the favor of the prosecution everyone should also question how this may cause new restrictions on the comic book industry.

Sadly yours,
The Voice :(

People Suck

2007-07-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
Sorry for the late post but the old voice here has been spreading himself a little thin this summer. If you know me than you will see the irony in the thin joke...tear. Anyway quick post on two items I saw today that just frustrate the hell out of me.

So Today's Rant is: What the hell is wrong with people?

1st.

Sadly I read way to many papers in the morning. I do so in regular print or online news source and this headline over at CNN.com stuck out to me.

Molester gets 45 years, scolding from disabled victims' parents

Apparently Wayne Albert Bleyle worked in the convalescent ward at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego CA. There Wayne got caught molesting five of his young, disabled patients and for taking pornographic photographs of others. However, Wayne admitted to molesting at least half of all his patients in his 10YEARS working at the Hospital. When asked how many children he molested the dushbag actually said, "How many snowflakes are out there" as he looked out the window.

So he actually not just molested children he molested seriously ill children that were too young and weak to defend themselves. Don't worry folks the guy got 45 years and 8 months in jail. So he is off the streets. I bet the parents are happy...or maybe they are not. I usually do not go for the death penalty, but a quote from George Carlin comes to mind when dealing with child molesters, Carlin said, "They should be dipped in gravy and locked in a outhouse with a rapid wolverine!" I have to agree with Carlin here. Whatever happened to the days of taking the accused, who admits his crime, out back and hanging em? Honestly, I just can't wrap my head around this one.

2nd.

I am interested in CNN today, not sure why but this stuck out to me.

In the headline for Lindsey Lohan and here recent arrest says, "I'm Innocent" yet her crime was: Possession of Cocaine, and she just got our of rehab again. Now normally I do not care about celebrities getting special treatment in our courts. Hell that is part of the new American way, but what strikes me as interesting is on CNN today there is another celebrity in jail. Mindy McCready accused of violating probation on a 2004 drug charge after a scuffle with her mother and authorities. McCready's drug charge was her getting pain killers in another person's name. She also has another probation for a drunk driving arrest in 2005.

Now what interests me, and sadly makes me laugh and then frustrated is this: How famous does one have to be to get out of jail time? I only say this because Lohan is being held after all the crap she has been caught doing. If you would like to know go to this link. She has been in and out of trouble with the law, that most Americans would have been sent to jail without all the special treatment. But McCready has had three instances with the law, which is more than most people should, but with her third strike she is violating her probation, which Lohan has done, and will NOT be receiving a bond hearing and can face up to 3 YEARS IN PRISON if convicted. So it has to suck that McCready's sitting in jail with a strong possibility of facing prison, and Lohan is checking back into Rehab only to hit someone else with her car as she get's high. At least McCready has had like 4 or 5 albums and some hit singles. Lohan has seriously done CRAP!

The Costumer is Always Wrong

2007-07-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hello my fellow web surfers, apparently I am a lier and will be posting when every I get the chance. I thought I would be able to post every Thursday, but as it turns out my life is not set to a regular schedule yet.

So for today's rant, "What the hell happened to costumer service?

(side note: I am talking about all areas where I shop, eat, or purchase some sort of goods)

This rant comes from being treated like a nuisance or distraction from some person(s) having to serve or wait on me. Time and time again I see this when I am out. The sales person or waitress either:

A.) Takes forever to handle the costumer

B.) Looks/Sounds iterated when listening or responding to the costumer

C.) Messes up the order or sales

D.) All of the above.

I am really not that old, but seriously in the past five to seven years there has been a HUGE drop in how people are treated in places of business. When I was a kid I remember being waited on in a polite and timely manner, or when I was working in food service (fast food) I was held responsible for my cleanliness, politeness, and work efficiency. WHAT HAPPENED!! I have said it before that there is a massive increase of people that seem to have the "You owe me" attitude.

These places forget that I am doing business with them and my money is the reason they want me there. In the past I would leave a place of business and go to their competitor. But the tables have turned on me now since no matter where I go I get really crappy service. I am a man of examples:

"Some time back my wife and I decided we would like a taquitos from Whataburger where we live. We each just wanted one and decided to go through the drive through. We ordered our two taquitos and were then squeezed in by a car behind us blocking all escape routes if the need arise. There were two vehicles in front of us, and we proceeded to wait 57 minutes in a drive through for our food. We could not leave or else I would have driven off at the 25 minute mark. Did the person working the window ask the two vehicles to pull to the side? Nope. Did the person working the window think that they could possible just bring us our order? Nope. By the time we got to the window I was so frustrated and angry that it took nearly an hour of waiting for two taquitos that I didn't want them. The girl at the window didn't apologize for the wait, nor did she even acknowledge our wait, but did have an attitude that my wife didn't have the money ready when we got to the window. Mind you we had to go through the process of starting our car and whatnot after our wait."

This was supposed to be "fast food." I do see this everywhere from shopping malls to eateries. I dread going out to places of business. Seriously, in my town there is only a limited number of place to go, so I know before I leave the house that I have to cike myself up for crappy service. Tipping doesn't even matter anymore in most circumstances. I tip because I know that in food service the waiter(s) makes less and thus relies on tip, but it is not mandatory to do so. I tip on the premise of what the tax was on my bill, and WHAT THE SERVICE WAS LIKE.

Here's what I do, I walk into a restaurant and have set in my mind I will be tipping the person waiting on me 8 dollars, which is a lot depending on the bill. Every time I am rude to, or ignored, or die from dehydration (no refill) I take a dollar away. I have let places with out leaving a tip, not because I forgot but because they person waiting on me forgot why he/she was there; To serve the customer.

I would love to hear your stories and how you handle bad costumer relations. Or why you think this is happening in the first place.

-voice-

Remember

2007-06-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Well it looks like I am settling into my schedule of posting every Thursday...or at least that is what I would like to believe. This one is lone again, but I will shorting the others sorry some frustrations take up room

Today's frustration comes for a passion of mine, as well as rants from particular friends of mine. Who are these friends, well they are soldiers. Soldiers who are or have served time overseas fighting in our current conflict. Some have been over there more than once.

So today's rant is, "Why do we so easily forget our Soldiers, even when we are at war!?"

Let me preface this frustration with the fact that I really do not care what your political, ideological, or spiritual belief is. I am not commenting on the war here (a whole other frustration) nor do I care to see posts concerning the war. What I would like to focus on is the men and women fighting on foreign soil. Those far from home waiting, fighting, and dying to come back to American soil. So drop your agenda and lets talk.

I go with the belief of "Out of sight out of mind" mentally when addressing why American citizens have become complacent to those serving in the armed forces. We see the damage on the news and we see soldiers fighting or living in Iraq, but they all look a like and then we change the channel to Stargate or Star Trek. Thus we remove ourselves from the war at home only to watch and engage the fictional military characters fighting a villain we don't have to understand. We see brief updates in the media concerning those who died in the war with a list of names that run up the screen at break neck speeds. We just do not have to connect with the reality that soldiers, American men and women, are fighting and surviving in a place that doesn't have a Starbucks (YET!)

I find it interesting that many junior and high school kids across our nation actually knows someone that served, serving, or died in Iraq. America knows that our kin are getting their boots dirty, but we seem content on waiting for them to come home before we acknowledge that they were gone. From the many men and women serving in the armed forces I have spoken (more to follow) with they seem "let down" or "forgotten" by the very people they believe they are fighting for.

I know we just celebrated Memorial Day, but let me ask you and try to be honest "How many of you actually remembered or thought about a soldier(s) that fought for our country?" Don't get me wrong I am not in the military and I rarely participate in military anything, but everyday the soldiers are on my mind. Hopefully, after this frustration they will be on your mind as well.

So Voice what can we do? Good question, You can begin to participate in the conversation and remembrance of our brave soldiers fighting right now. You can join organizations or donate time in helping send goods or cards to the soldiers overseas. You can start separating your ideals against the war by remembering those who are actually there. What I have found very helpful as well is if you know someone that has a family member overseas, talk to them about that person. Do not forget or ignore those who are trying to do what they believe is right. For most of us we never even get a chance to truly defend our beliefs, so lets try to stand by those who do.

I have not sat on the sidelines and nor should you. Please check out http://www.heroes4heroes.org/ or http://news.fanboy.tv/no15_mon_may_21_2007__chris_mccroskey.htm for more information on what you can do to boost the moral of the men and women fighting overseas. Also after looking at the site, if you know someone that is serving in Iraq right now please send their mailing info to dallas@heroes4heroes.org so we can send them stuff right away.

Voice

Well I Never !

2007-06-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

This is a fun frustration for the week.

As I am building my blogging community I took the advice of the Blogspot Help Desk by posting my blog on various blog directories. You can find three of them at the bottom of this page. However I ran into a issue while attempting to lure you into the web of my madness.

Today's Frustration is, "Who says what blogs are worthy of the Internet?"

Ok here is the email I received from BlogCatalog today:
"Thank you for submitting your blog (Pure Frustration) to BlogCatalog.
Unfortunately upon reviewing your blog we are unable to grant it access to the directory.
Your blog was declined for the following reason:
Your blog is brand new and doesn't have enough content to make it truly valuable.If this is the case, please resubmit after you have made more postings."

I particular love the part I bolded. I am frustrated because in a endless sea of information that anyone and anything (those with thumbs) can submit to this thing called the Internet. Yet my blog for some reason has been deemed not "truly valuable." I challenge anyone to go out to BlogCatalog and see if anywhere there is a listing that says only the truly valuable blogs get into our directory.

I am sure there are blogs out there changing the world, but take a gander at some of the listings out there. In your search see if you find any of their sites they deemed "truly valuable." Look to see if their listings have some sort of primary literary source that scholars should debate and politicians should frame constitutional standards on. I am sure that most of the people out there are good folk; however, I am having issues with the high school mentally of my blog being the new kid that cannot join the cool kids table at lunch.

I used to think it was the readers that demonstrated the value of the blog, or even the material that is being presented. Well I was wrong and now I have to go play cyber dodge ball and relive the inadequacies of not fitting in or "belonging" in a virtual world that seems to accept the hourly postings on the world of "furriers." Well I will take my business else where it would seem and one day they will be begging me to be on their site, and I will be like "No I am to cool and rich now!" Yeah that'll show em...

Actually, since this site does not cost me anything and I do not have to pay to be on any of the directory sites; I guess it really would behoove those on BlogCatalog to include everyone seeing how they are supposed to be aiding people in some fashion or another. By excluding me they are sending a message to future bloggers who may read my site. They are telling them if they are not deemed worthy they will be alienated from rest of the Internet universe. I say LET THEM EAT CAKE! Let's not get high and mighty because someone figured out how to create a database. Good job, what ya gonna learn in the 8th grade their junior. To deem my words or my blog as "not truly valuable" at any stage is pompous and ostentatious. Stop looking down from the mountain you see yourself on and come and join us common folk attempting to communicate and connect with the world around us. You never know you may actually like it!

Do me a favor, for the rest of the summer I will be posting to this blog at least once a week if not twice. Read, laugh, cry, and tell others.

-The Voice-

2007-06-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Today's Frustration is brought to you by the "Wiffle Bat"

"The Wiffle Bat, kicking the crap out of people at high yellow speeds for years. Remember if you seek to beat the snot out of someone and do not wish to leave bruises look for the Wiffle Bat."

My friends and loved one's have asked for this frustration topic for sometime. "Why do movie audience continue to ruin movies?"

Everyone take a breath here, insert a silent colorful metaphor and we can continue. It has come to my attention and to the attention of those around me that it is becoming more and more difficult to sit through a movie today. It has also become difficult to even talk my friends into going to a movie since they despise the experience. The experience being the rest of the audience.

Time and time again I have had an Verfremdungseffekt (alienation effect for the non-Brechtians) when I attend a movie. Meaning no matter how much I am into the movie I am RIPPED out of my aesthetic distance to the cell phone jingle two rows down. There seems to be a huge lack of societal understanding when viewing a movie today. As I go through the list real quick see how many of these have happened to you:

Kid's kicking the back of your chair

Kid's talking through the movie

Parents/Persons talking through the movie

Cell Phone ringing

People answering their cell phones and talking though the movie

People arrive late and can't find a seat together so they walk up and down the theatre asking people to movie

Baby crying at an R rated movie (seriously)

People getting up to pee twenty-eight times and having to walk/scuttle by you every time (makes you wonder why the weak bladder people always sit in the middle and not on the end.)

Ect.

When did we as a community of misfits trying to live together become such douche bags when viewing a movie together. I understand road rage and even bank line rage, but I see a new trend of movie theatre rage. This one is easy to spot, look for the guy/couple looking shaking their heads as they walk out of the theatre and continuously point or nod in the direction of other people walking out. With the progress of technology today we are quickly separating ourselves from the world around us. For most communities nation wide, the only time we actually come together and approach our neighbors home is during Halloween. Think about it, when was the last time you had dinner with your neighbors, or do you know every one's name and profession that lives around you. We have become isolated by our own doing. Yet when we go to a movie theatre or a playhouse we conscientiously take a journey together that actually shapes and changes our experience of what we are viewing.

Or so that use to be the case, now we actually judge the movie by how much crap we want to take when going. Meaning the movie has to be really really good, or specific to our interests that we would dare to venture out and watch it with other people. Even on the way to movie theatre we build in our minds the things we are to expect before we get there to sike ourselves up enough to watch it. With movies available online almost the same weekend they come out, and the super high definitions television and surround sound we rather spend a fortune to watch a film in the comfort of our own homes. If you have the finances to do so good for you, but if you are like me and are economically challenged the movie theatre is your only option.

I feel as if there should be a man or woman at the beginning of every movie that comes out and address the crowd. He/She should remind the audience to set their phone to vibrate (and not answer them during the movie), to stop ignoring their children during the movie and tell them that talking and kicking is rude, to suggest that babies or toddlers are not suitable for the R rated/Horror/Thriller movie we are about to watch, That discussing the movie after it is over is much wiser and better than during the film, and more importantly YOU ARE NOT IN YOUR LIVING ROOM so stop acting like it and be courteous to the people around you.

When you purchase tickets for the Theatre they tell you to be early. If you are not there when the film starts you lose your initial seat. If when you do arrive late (depending on the theatre) you are not allowed to enter during the performance, or someone escorts you in the theatre and seats you. If you are disruptive with a cell phone, wrapper, or talking they remove you from the theatre. Maybe we could learn some things from this. Where are those responsible for making sure we have a enjoyable viewing. I have been to a TON of movies and in my many discomforts of viewing most of them I have never seen anyone actually removed from the theatre. Apparently turning around or heavy sighs do not work anymore either F.Y.I. I have gone and spoken with management before and they may come in a look around but never do anything. Sometimes they will reimburse my tickets or give me free tickets. Which tells me in any case that we have heard your complaint and we will give you another opportunity to see how worse it can get.

I am not sure if there is going to every be a solution to this frustration, but with the rage growing out there it is only a matter of time until someone is shot over a bad movie experience. I plead with you out there to be aware of your surroundings and if not for two hours out of your day to give a damn about someone else. We understand that you bought your ticket and with that comes liberties. Just remember your liberties are only there until you begin to conflict with someone else's liberties. Meaning you can take your phone into a movie with you, but when it rings and you talk through the movie on it you just forfeited your ticket and should be removed.

*Side note: Yes your phone can be put on vibrate. ALL PHONES CAN! Your inability to figure out how to do so should mean you are not smart enough to have a cell phone in the first place. And texting during a film is just as annoying as talking on it since the room is supposed to be dark. Your personal night light should be left at home.*

GAS!!

2007-05-31T07:21:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,
To begin I would like to address a favorite

I hear this one everyday, "Gas prices are too high, we should do something!"

Well your right we should do something, but as it turns out we (as in society) are not doing anything. You can go to site after site on the Internet and see how the prices are at an all time high, how the government is addressing price gouging, and/or how the consumer is truly being effected by the high prices. What you will not find is how we are taking responsibility for the prices nor how we are fighting it.

Seriously people, the oil manufacturer's made record breaking profits last year, and will undoubtedly do the same this year on the bases of a simple plan, "They need gas and we have it." I have to travel to and from work everyday; do you? I have to travel distances for meetings, family, and recreation; do you? We need gas period. So the powers that be did what everyone in business does, they followed the concept of supply and demand. Now the interesting part is that they are also in control of the supply and thus can effect the demand. They even tested the waters last summer by allowing gas prices to hang in the $2.20 to $2.50 range. Ya know what they found out? WE WILL PAY!! Yup we will pay whatever the prices are, no matter the price. That is one of the main reasons you will see gas prices raise this summer. They know that Americans are willing to complain about prices for gas, but will fill up their massive family movers every time.

Knowing this I being to pose a very important question. Since we have demonstrated that we are willing to pay any price, as well as continue to drive gas guzzling vehicles, and have yet to curb our travel; I being to ponder "Why would the oil industry bring the price back down?" Think about it as a businessman/woman. Why would you go back to only making 10 to 20 billion dollars a year, when you can make the current 125 billion dollars (look it up) . I wouldn't and you all know you wouldn't so what make us think the gas prices are going to change. This is the reason I get frustrated when family and friends begin to talk about gas prices. They hate the fact that they have to pay so much, and then they go and fill up their huge Suburbans or Expeditions. I feel for them since I know it takes over a $100 dollars to fill them up and usually this is weekly. No they do not have the means to pay so much, and most of the people I know are not of means either. However, their lack of funding still does not deter them from changing their (or mine) gas use. And thus allows for larger revenue for the oil industry.

I remember a couple of weeks ago I received a email asking me not to buy gas on a giving day. I thought that was an interesting approach. However, I was on a business trip that day and remember sitting in my hotel as the email came flashing up on CNN, and they showed how everyone was still buying gas that day. I am sure those who did not purchase gas on that given day either bought gas the day before or after. My point is that we are all aware of the tiger in our living room, but instead of getting ride of the tiger we feed it so it doesn't consume us, and then complain about having to feed the tiger.

There are smarter men and women out there that can probably tell you how to fight this issue or how to live with it better than I. What I ask of you is when you complain about gas prices, or wonder why the prices are too high, or wonder why no one is doing anything; you take a deep breath and look in the mirror. There is the problem as well as the solution.