The world absolutely sucks.  So much crap going on in the world, who cares about finances?  Okay, I still care, but lately, not as much. Since finances aren’t so important to me at the moment for some unknown resason. I thought I’d share some feelings with you–some financial, others not–of things I just don’t understand in the world today.
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So life handed me a bunch of lemons this week…The saying goes, “Life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”  I say screw that!  I’m going to make me some lemon bars.

Where do I start?  Let’s see I can think of at least 4 things this week that put a damper on it…2 you already know, but I’ll elaborate more in this post.

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Yeah, so if you read about my recent rant about Citi and their dumb ThankYouNetwork policy on shipping to Hawaii or Alaska, you know that they:

1. Sent me the wrong gift cards.
2. Had problems with processing orders for Amazon.com gift certificates.
3. Are pretty UNfriendly when it comes to customer service.

Well, the story gets better.  They did call me back, but it doesn’t end there.  I really want Amazon.com gift certificates if you didn’t know already.

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I recently redeemed my ThankYou points.  Unfortunately, one of the problems of living in a state that is not directly connected to the continental US, is that we have funky shipping rules.  It sucks.  Anyway, I couldn’t place my order via the ThankYou website because of my shipping address, so I had to call.

Calling was fairly painless, no long wait, and I got in touch with a person after just pressing a few buttons, excluding my member number.  I place my order.  She says, “Sorry Freedumb, the Amazon Gift Certificates require additional approval from my management because they are not ‘cards’.”  Interesting.  What difference does it make?  I’d assume a paper certificate would be lighter than a card anyway.

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Dear Dad,

Look, I know you’re busy.  For more than half of my life, you helped me grow up and become who I am today, but there comes a time when I have to stand up for myself and, in some ways, for you too.

Stop telling me about how, “we’re all busy, and sometimes you (freedumb) have to help out too.”

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I know, you can click on the chart to see more info, but come on, I noticed these graphs on a bunch of PF Blogs, and it drives me nuts.  It tells me almost nothing.  I wish NetworthIQ would do something about making these charts a little more meaningful. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a criminal person with malicious intent behind each one of these emails sent out, and it makes me sick.  I wish I could really hear about some of these people after they are caught…I’m curious.  Who are they?  Do they plan criminal activities everyday?  Are they mob-related?  Are they techy punk kids trying to make a quick buck?  I’m assuming had someone done this from most countries they would be caught fairly quickly.  Ahh….

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Anonymous comments are always interesting. Everytime I see a comment by an Anonymous poster, it gets my juices flowing…is it going to be critical? Is it going to be an outright bashing? Is it going to be something real? I always hope it’s the later…something I can learn from. However, I do get comments that make me wonder if they even read my post in the first place…

For example, take this comment about my recent post on tip jars:

At 28/6/06 23:14, Anonymous said…
i hope you’re joking. don’t tip if you don’t want to. it’s really that simple. 

Now really, as if I didn’t know that. The point is, the tip jar is excessive. It should be put where a transaction is concluded, not where it begins. It’s really that simple.

Or take this example, in my post on a deceptive 0% offer, I wrote, “Sure it’s my fault for mis-reading the offer, but still it just doesn’t make sense.” So I get a comment:

At 15/6/06 23:17, Anonymous said…
It IS your fault. I would not have waived that. You got lucky. 

Did I miss something here? Uhhh, I said, “it’s my fault.”

And finally, in response to my post on commercials I despise…

At 21/6/06 10:31, Anonymous said…
The Mac commercials are amazing. What I am finding interesting is how many PC users get upset at the Mac commercials? Is it striking a nerve…? 

Let’s face it. Macs are a superior machine. Hands down.

Let me ask you this, Anonymous, what’s your goal in posting something like that? To stir up a childish “PCs are better than Macs” war? Hah, please. The proof is in the pudding(?). Just look around…there’s a reason why PCs are much more common…and the reason why Macs now share PC hardware. So hah, Anonymous. Take that! (Really, I like Macs…)

Dear [put name of establishment here],

Everytime I visit your establishment, I see a little jar that says, “tips…thanks!” On top of that, if I pay with a credit card, sometimes I am faced with another line right before the total that reads, “Tip: ___________.” Now, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate great customer service, but this “tip” thing is just getting a little out of hand. When I buy my coffee, I don’t think a simple, “Hi, how are you doing?,” “Do you want room for cream?,” and “Anything else for you today?” deserves a tip. Come on, I mean I’m already paying you at least 50% margin on what I’m buying! At a restaurant, service entails seating, taking my order, filling my drinks, cooking, bringing my order, cleaning up, desserts…Now that, I think, deserves a tip, but come on, taking my order, my money, and giving me my change back does not deserve a tip.

So please, [put in name of establishment here] make it policy to remove these “tip” jars from your stores. I feel bad because some of your employees “expect” a tip, which to me is just ridiculous. Or at the very least, put it by where I pick up my order. Not at the register after you’ve just taken my money. I haven’t even received my order yet! Thank you.

Sincerely,
Freedumb
P.S. (Tips…thanks!) ->

————END LETTER

If you (blog reader) are interested, It’s Just Money has a post on tipping guidelines.

I hate going to the supermarket and then finding out someone is about to write a check. It takes about 5 more minutes than a regular transaction! Grrrr.

To that person who made me wait 5 more minutes in line, use your ATM/debit card or your credit card. Please. Credit card would be the wisest…especially if you get rewards. You can avoid any fees and get a discount! And while we’re talking about checks, I hope you use your online bill payment service that’s offered to you by your bank probably for free. You will not only save money because you no longer have to buy checks, but you will not have to use your own stamps! /rant

On a side note, who still uses cash?

I’ve been quite busy this last week, but hopefully this week I will have some time to catch up with blogging. Hope you all had a good weekend!