Today I received a political call on my answering machine.***  It was for a McCain rally tomorrow evening in Chicago...

I guess I'm still on the Illinois Republican's list.  I wonder if the invitation includes free airfare?

***note to self - figure out how the damned machine works so you can cut off these calls instead of waiting for the caller to get done chatting

Posted by: Teresa in Ummmmm at 10:01 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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With friends like these...

NEW YORK (AP) — Two men wheeled a dead man through the streets in an office chair to a check-cashing store and tried to cash his Social Security check before being arrested on fraud charges, police said.
...
The men left Cintron's body outside the store, went inside and tried to cash his $355 check, Browne said. The store's clerk, who knew Cintron, asked the men where he was, and O'Hare told the clerk they would go and get him, Browne said.

Posted by: Teresa in Ummmmm at 01:31 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 Weekend at Bernie's IV? 

Posted by: pam at January 19, 2008 08:25 AM (l6NIn)

2 ROFLMAO - I didn't even think of that Pam. 

Posted by: Teresa at January 19, 2008 09:29 AM (rVIv9)

3 I regret to admit that if I had seen that one the street of the City, it might have gone completely unnoticed by me, as freaks like this are rather commonplace.

Posted by: Erica at January 20, 2008 07:53 PM (OQDyt)

4 I'm really sadden with the incident, it was unexpected from the 65 year old Dalaia and O'Hare... Hope this kind of incident will not get repeat here in my city...
Roadside Assistance

Posted by: John at January 24, 2008 08:39 AM (fD4gG)

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I was looking around on Ask.com's news aggregator and hit the Health section then the "fitness" part of the health section. And was vastly amused to find the first story was the following:

Genzyme executive V.P. exercises options

I don't think that's quite what is meant by "health and fitness"... well, unless you are the executive exercising the options.

I'm not sure if I've made it big enough, but I took a screen shot - just because.




Now please excuse me while I look for other fun things in the news. 

Posted by: Teresa in Ummmmm at 08:06 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Like an idiot, I picked up the phone today without looking at caller ID.  Usually I don't do that.  Turns out it was the local Special Olympics calling.

Okay, I don't mind donating to the Special Olympics.  BUT - you knew there was a "but" coming didn't you.  First I get "the spiel" where she tells me the sob story about how they aren't getting money - and listing all the places they are NOT getting money from.  How's this...

I don't care. 

Let me repeat that...

I.DON'T.CARE.

I don't want to have an hour phone call where she details all their troubles just to get a few bucks out of me.  I cut her off - pretty ruthlessly - as she was not getting to the point.

Note to those asking me for money for your cause... especially when I don't know you... you have 20 seconds - after that I'm done listening. Everyone has a sob story - I only have so much money and very little patience.

As I said - I cut her off...

Me: "Do you have a website where I can donate?" 
Her: "Yes, but you can't donate through there, you need a special card we send you through the mail"
Me: "Sorry I don't have time for this - Good bye!" 

And I hung up.  I don't mind donating something to their event.  BUT - I no longer do my donating over the phone or even by mail.

Give me a web site and I'm good to go. If you need to have the donation designated for a specific place - then put in a field that I can enter a special code so it goes to the right people.

I realize that hanging up on this girl is akin to smacking a poor bedraggled puppy... but this is why I have caller ID and don't talk to these people in the first place.  I will have to be more careful about answering the phone. 

Now I'm annoyed and that will make me irritable for the rest of the evening. 

Posted by: Teresa in Ummmmm at 06:28 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 Same thing here; time is money!  And you know, I used to feel sorry for the really nice people who just kept talking when I'd say no... but now I just hang up.  They're doing their job; I'll do mine and put the phone down. 

Posted by: pam at January 10, 2008 07:31 PM (l6NIn)

2 My Dad used to be like that, until he retired, and now, he just plays along with 'em and screws with 'em.  In a polite way of course.  He don't cuss, drink or smoke.  Hmmm, maybe I am the milkman's boy.

Anyway, depending on the mood they catch me in, if they don't get to the point of the call, I'll start tryin' to take in a direction I want to take it.  No givin' two shits for their time, 'cause they obviously don't for mine.

If you get in a pinch again T, just ask 'em where they want you to send the 6 pack and the pig to?  A donation, is a donation.

Posted by: RedNeck at January 10, 2008 08:12 PM (zVAJL)

3 I get dozens of those calls every week at work. I get hand-written scrawlings from 5th graders in a state 2,000 miles away, asking for free tickets, I get the local NPR and Public television station's "professional solicitor" and scads of faxes and emails and letters. Most of them get something, but you'd be surprised at the level of pushiness of public television gang. It's shameless.

)

Posted by: Joan of Argghh! at January 11, 2008 07:37 AM (8F+iI)

4 Not to be too cynical, but they just SAID they were the local Special Olympics people. ::::squint::::

I never believe anything a stranger says to me over the phone. Especially if they "need" to mail us something (i.e., need our home address, other info, etc.).

And while I'm at it. Any org or group or pol -- and I don't care if it's my personal pet cause of the frickin' century, I don't care if it's handicapped vets or charity or save the whales or police athletics or whut --- who calls us at home, for anything, ever, gets 1) told off; and then 2) blocked for good (P2P unit) and 3) then I never send anything to them again. How dare them call me at home.

As you can see, I haven't quite made up my mind as to how I feel about this issue.

Posted by: dogette at January 11, 2008 09:52 AM (q/UVc)

5

I don't really donate to people charities much anymore, especially since Katrina. It sickens me to find out that hardly any of the money I donate actually goes to the people in need.

I donate to my local humane society or rescue group and military sites like soliders angels or valour it. With those groups I know my donation is going to used for good.

Posted by: Quality Weenie at January 11, 2008 10:28 AM (uHRYR)

6 Doggette cracked me up - "special" indeed.  Heh.

Posted by: Richmond at January 11, 2008 02:35 PM (JpxyZ)

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Lone trader caused 100 dollar price for oil

Arens offered 100,000 dollars on the New York market on Wednesday for 1,000 barrels of oil, producing the much talked of 100 dollars per barrel which sparked anguish across the financial markets.

He later sold on the contract for slightly below 100 dollars, taking a 600 dollar loss.

"It was just for the form; he wanted to be the first in the world to buy oil at 100 dollars," said Antoine Heff, an analyst at NewEdge.

Posted by: Teresa in Ummmmm at 05:16 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 That is ludicrous!  As for the drop in oil cost?  We haven't seen it yet here in western MA!  ::tapping toe::  )

Posted by: Lemon Stand at January 07, 2008 12:30 PM (5kFGJ)

2 LS - that's because this is the trading on barrels of oil, takes a while to show at the pump.  *grin*

Posted by: Teresa at January 07, 2008 02:45 PM (rVIv9)

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