New Year...New Rants

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-

The Costumer is Always Wrong

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-

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.*