The lame experience:  Couple of years ago, it took about 2 hours at the AT&T store to get my new phone.  A lot of the time the sales guy was  fumbling around to get the phone activated (I don’t think he knew what he was doing though he claimed the “system” was down but it a chance for him to sell me stuff I did not want). Store was crowded and cramped. While the network was “down,” the sales guy kept trying to sell me a different phone, then a warranty, then accessories.   Awful. Lame-o-rama.

The easy-peasy not lame experience: The next time I needed a new phone I bought it online from amazon.  Lots of choices. I even found a great phone for 1 cent. Plus, I changed carriers and kept my old number. Easy peasy and phone worked great.

Something is dreadfully wrong when I can use the internet to easily order all sorts of prescription medications, including tightly controlled substances, as well as the human growth hormones and such stuff (if email and comment spam is to be believed).

Yet I cannot easily order prescription medicine my cat takes daily. My vet writes the prescription and fills it. One vet acts as prescriber and pharmacy and I am unable to get a copy of that prescription. All online vets that I have checked require a faxed copy of the prescription.  No cheap Canadian meds for my kitty.

(kitten photo from Flikr via Creative Commons license)

Did you ever notice how the faces in the crowds are mostly retirees who are the benefactors of the biggest government entitlements ever: Social Security and Medicare?

 
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Likely not grubbing for profits.  I’m guessing it is confusion over the list of recalled products. That list grew fast and kept changing as supply chains were unraveled. 

The store clerk dutifully and sincerely checked the store’s printout of recalled products as though the list was the official gospel.  

Sure, the store office had a printed list.   List got old.  But the printout was etched in stone to store employees. 

Yo, FDA!  Get a better system of notifying retailers and consumers.  That bad food is still out there.

So, instead of buying cookies , I simply donated cash and said to please keep the cookies so as not to punish the kids.

This year, same lame story.   Again, I’ll donate cash and tell them to keep the cookies.  I’ll also promote recipes for homemade Girl Scout cookies from BakingBites.com who expresses thoughts I share:

The other day, I expressed some concern over the fact that (a) Girl Scout cookies still have trans fats in them because they are made with hydrogenated shortening instead of, say, butter and (b) Girl Scout cookies don’t taste all that great any more – especially considering that the price per box has gone up and the size of the cookies seems to have gone down. I mentioned that I wanted to make my own Girl Scout Cookies and decided that I would go for it! This week, I’ll be featuring recipes for three of my favorites – these, Samoas and Tagalongs - and (if you’re lucky) I might throw in a bonus recipe, as well, though you can find a Thin Mint recipe in the archives if you want even more. 

There’s Still Time! Rush shipping extended on great gifts …
Christmas Gift Baskets in Time For Christmas
Last Chance for Christmas Delivery
Get Delivery by Christmas …
Last Day to Order Gifts in Time for Holiday Delivery 

That last one is from the company that I placed a toy order with on December 15th. I have little hope of receiving it because of the snowstorm that slammed our area.  Nothing is moving in and out and around our fair city.

I have become too reliant on our nation’s delivery infrastructure. Although I placed all orders by December 15th, my gifts have little hope of arriving.  My favorite status message is “Your package has experienced an exception.” Threw an exception.  Funny sad to us software geeks.

I really don’t want to hear how Obama is the first “African-American President” or listen to any talk of the significance of his race. Let’s just welcome him as our new president. Quit parading around the race card and get on with things.

My son is 4 years old and as far as he is concerned, race, color, creed is irrelevant and meaningless. Let’s keep it that way.

The good news is that the financial crisis has been solved.  Captain America has announced that all is good in the nation’s capital and he will resume his campaign and be at the debate.  Bless his heart, we are lucky to have great heroes like Captain America in this time of crisis.  Seriously, he did us a favor by blowing up the deal. He saved us all a lot of money.  Sometimes unintended consequences are your friend.  We need some luck and we got some yesterday.  One day at a time.