Legal Scam by the Sprint Corporation

Today I went to the Sprint store on Van Nuys Blvd. and no I was not a happy camper. I was in there just about a week ago because I have had many problems with my Samsung Instinct. I have the first edition of this phone and because of the same problems they gave me a refurbished phone against my wishes back in September, as though my wishes mattered.

Often times we have no choice in the matter unless we decided to cancel the service and go to another mobile company. I am always hesitant to do that because I don't feel that any of these companies give good customer service. Even with such a tough economy they do less and less for their customers.

When I got the refurbished phone I was told by the manager, who had been there for awhile, that the warranty was the same as a new phone. Last week I was told that the warranty was only 6 months on a refurbished phone. Now you know I am livid at this time, because I was just about two months past the warranty, due to the fact that I had two major surgeries in a four month span and was not able to go back until now, also knowing that I had 12 months worth of warranty. I was eligible for an upgrade but didn't want to spend the money on a new phone because I have been out on disability for almost a year. It just was not a necessary expense. I just wanted a phone that worked the way it was suppose to. I don't think it is too much to ask for one to get what they paid for. Obviously that is in fact too much to ask for.

So today I was forced to upgrade and add another 300 dollars to my bill, because the phone was not working at all. Needless to say again I am not happy.

Of course again they tell me that I have thirty days to see if I like the phone or not, but if I don't like it and decided to bring it back they will give me another new phone. But here is the catch, if I don't get the same model, then I will have to pay a 35 dollar restocking fee. So tell me if for some reason I don't like the phone, then why would I get the same model. Do they really think the consumer is that stupid. I get it, they just don't care, whether we are happy with their product or their service.

I feel the need for the cell phone because I live on the west coast and all of my family including my daughter lives on the east coast. As always a telephone has become a necessity, since I no longer have a home phone.

Now here is another way to screw with the consumer. There is a 100 dollar mail in rebate on the phone, but in the fine print it says that I must write my name as well as the other pertinent information in all capitol letters. Now who normally writes their name in all capital letters.

This is a reason that they will wait four months to return the rebate form telling you that the rebate was not accepted because it did not meet the guidelines provided. Now I say four months because they will wait just enough time for the rebate to have expired before they inform you of this error.

It is so annoying to me to be a slave to this system of capitalism or should I just call it was it is, another way to stick it to the working class. Another way to LEGALLY SCAM the little guy.

What would a company look like that genuinely cares about it's customers and treat them the way they would want to be treated. We probably would not recognize it if we saw it, because we would think it was a SCAM.

Facebook - what does it mean to you?

I was introduced to facebook about three years ago, but I was not to keen on the social networks. I am still not very fond of Myspace, and that probably is because there is a very young crowd there.

It is just in the last year that I decided to complete my profile on facebook and start to connect with others. I must say that I have really enjoyed it. I have reconnected with old friends from college and high school and it has been fun. Catching up with what everyone has been doing over the years. Seeing their children now all grown-up and going on with their lives. It has been a great deal of fun for me.

It is so easy to lose touch with old friends, and most often you never reconnect, but facebook has been that easy place to reconnect. I believe that I will probably stay connected with most of these old friends at this point. I must warn you though, it is addictive, or it can be.

Health Care

Health Reform, what does that mean to the average person. There are so may fighting this change and then there are those that have been fighting it for years and now realize there must be some sort of change. We need to begin to change the health care and pharmaceutical industries, the average Americans are consistently going broke behind medical expenses. We are not going to get it right with the first bill, but that is why there are amendments, and they will be necessary.

It is so frustrating that all that corporate is concerned with is the bottom line, the profit, but look at the casualties this sort of thinking gives rise to. It is actually embarrassing to this country. I don't believe that the average Americans would mind paying higher taxes if they are the ones that reap the benefit from the revenue, but the working man is not the one that benefits, those corporate heads are the ones that benefit. Once the tax is raised you never hear any more about what the money is being used for.

Obama is not trying to raise taxes he is merely trying to impose a tax system that is equal for all according to one's income and then channel those revenues in programs that are actually working. Health care reform is something that has been on the table for many decades but not much is ever done and that is just no long acceptable.

I read this in the LA Times earlier this week and it is unbelievable.

How could Obama still win Republican support for healthcare reform?

He should finally realize that we need to reform our insane malpractice system. The U.S. is spending between $60 billion and $200 billion a year on protection against lawsuits. I used to be a doctor, I know how much is wasted on defensive medicine. Everybody I practiced with spends hours and enormous amounts of money on wasted tests, diagnostic and procedures -- all to avoid lawsuits. The Democrats will not touch it. When Howard Dean was asked why, he said honestly and explicitly that Democrats don't want to antagonize the trial lawyers who donate huge amounts of money to the Democrats.

It is unbelievable that these doctors are not willing to do the necessary test on a patient. I am glad that doctors have some fear in being sued. If that is what it is going to take for them to be sure of the cause of a patient's complaints. It has been my experience that doctors either want to dismiss your ailments or over medicate.
It is even hard to find a good health care provider these days.

I long to see some drastic changes made, and hopefully this will in fact be the year that reform and regulation of these two industries begin.

Chung Shi from Foot Solutions

Today I went into Foot Solutions in Sherman Oaks, Ca. and met the nicest sales person. His name is Dan and he was really personable and quite helpful. I went into the store to look at the MBT shoes, but liked the Chung Shi shoe better. I tried the shoes on and fell in love with the feel. The first one that I tried on was the sandal, which is quite unattractive to say the least. I then tried on the Traveler which looks more like a hiking shoe, and they looked much better on my feet, even with the skirt that I was wearing. Since I am a photographer and always out and about looking for photo opportunities, I need and want to wear a comfortable shoe. This shoe is not only comfortable, it works the body's stabilizing muscles, and at my age, every little bit helps.

I plan to go back to the store on the weekend to see how the sandal looks with a pair of jeans, and if I can live with the look, both pair will be mine. At the very least I am going to purchase the Traveler.
Yes this shoe is more expensive than most easy walkers, but for the comfort that it provides, it is worth every penny of it's $260.00 price tag. If you are anywhere near a Foot Solutions, please go in and try on a pair if you are a person that does a great deal of walking. Whether you are walking on your job, for leisure, or just need comfort, this is definitely a shoe for you.

Why the American Economy is Going to Hell...

My experience today is one of the reasons why the economy in the country is going to hell. Customer service is absolutely pathetic in most places, or should I say lack there of. All that these companies think about is the bottom line, the profit, not the consistent revenue.
Today I went to Sprint in Encino, Ca. to see if the many problems with my Samsung Instinct could be repaired. I have been there several times with some of the same problems and they would do something to the phone and then out the door I would go. The problems are never repaired. Well now many of the problems are merely worst. Today they are actually going to order me another phone, but the problem with that is that they are going to replace my phone with a refurbished phone. I know, I know, all refurbished products are not products that have been repaired, but some are, and there is no way to differentiate. I bought a new phone less than a year ago and under the manufacturers warranty I want my replacement to be new. I don't see that as being unreasonable. After going through the store management, I called customer service from the store and even talked to someone in their retention department name Patrick, and boy was he rude. The last thing he said to me was the worst.
I was expressing my feeling on my being a customer of 8 years and I have had a problem in the past with phones and the phones that had to be replaced, and they were replaced with new phones, or the upgrade.
I made the mistake of calling him sweetheart, and he told me that his name was Patrick and he would appreciate it if I called him that. At that moment I told him that the conversation was over and hung up the phone. I was foaming at that mouth.

To calm myself down I went down the street to my favorite sushi restaurant on Van Nuys and Ventura Blvd, ate their wonderful sushi and drank a glass of plum wine, and talked to the guy that made my food.
A few years ago, I would have called him a few things other than sweetheart or Patrick, but I am little bit more reserved now.

Once I arrived home I thought that I would call Sprint again because maybe Patrick was having a bad day. Well I talked to two more people that only gave me the option of getting the refurbished phone or paying for the upgraded version, well that is no option in my eyes. So I declined and told them that I would make new arrangements for my daughter and would call back by the end of the week to cancel my service. There response was, " thank you for calling Sprint".

Yes they are willing to lose a loyal customer of 8 years and thousands of dollars in revenue over a phone that cost them a couple of hundred dollars. It is their call but the buck stops here.

I don't want to deal with any company that does not value me as a customer, especially a loyal customer, when there are not many loyal anything around these days. They can forget their early cancellation fees, because I will read that contract and I will blast their A*# all over the web, but they will not get it another dime from me.


I am getting to the point where I would much rather deal with the mom and pop businesses of yesteryear. Yes, it may be more expensive, but if you can get good customer service it will add years to your life. The hassle is ridiculous. Everything is automated, and I am sick of that as well.
I am learning the value of the small businessman, and from now on I will seek out the locally owned businesses and give my money to them, because these corporate monsters only care about lining their own pockets, and I am tired of them lining it with my own money. I have many choices and I am going to utilize them.

We need to stop these companies from charging top dollar for products that costs them pennies and telling us that we are getting the best deal. This maybe my new mission, to locate small businesses and talk about them on my site and any where else I can give them a boost.

You know I have taken to buying a great deal of things on line because I really abhor going in stores and being greeted, or not, by bad attitudes, win/lose policies, and unappreciative corporate structures. Yes I am still mad.

I will continue to write more on what I come across on a daily basis and I will write the company's name, location, and even the employees name if applicable. I really don't care. They all need to be called out. I am going start a calling.

Food and Fitness

It has been some time since I have posted anything here. I have been working a great deal lately so everything has been put on the back burner. I am going to try to do better because I do enjoy writing this blog as well as the others.

Lately I have been doing research on eating well. I have always been a pretty good eater and love good food, but I have been trying to learn the right foods to eat to give my aging body what it needs to stay healthy. Learning the right combinations of foods as well as the healthiest way to prepare these foods. I have also started juicing and it has made a great deal of difference in how I feel daily. It is mostly trial and error to find out how often to juice and what to juice. Your body will tell you what works for sure if you pay attention.
I have also started a yoga program, but have not been doing this part as often as I would like to. I am steadily trying to work all of this around my work schedule, which has increased. Again, this is all trial and error. I have even gone to a Chinese herbalist to help with the symptoms of perimenopause, and I must say that it has been quite helpful. All of this is a process, so I am trying to take the time to learn what works for me and what does not. I really want to incorporate this all into my daily life in order to make it a permanent part of my routine. This is why I am doing just a little at a time.
I have discovered some really good recipes on line for various foods as well as juicing. This has been a great deal of fun, and I will keep you posted on what I learn.

CNN Heros

On Thanksgiving night I watched CNN Heroes and it was something inspiring. It is amazing the compassion and the love that is in the heart and souls of so many everyday people. So we are not all consumed by the economy and how we are going to make it through these tough times, there are also those who are consumed with what they can do to help others through these tough times. We all know that regardless of what we are going through in this life, there are just so many more people that are suffering even more than you are. I have always heard that helping others is food for the soul.

About four years ago, I had a bad feeling, it was more of a profound feeling that things in my life were going to spiral downhill and during that time I was going to be stripped of something that was going to prepare me for something else. Well my life did spiral out of control and there was nothing that I could do about it. Emotionally it was harder than anything that I have ever experienced. Somehow through it all, I would always see a bright light, something positive, a person reaching out to me, a person that was a total stranger would give me a hug, and sometimes only a smile. Some how it was always there, and I guess that kept me going. I believe that God has a special job for me and I also feel that I am on the right path to be of service to others. My needs and wants have been put on the back burner, actually what I want and believe I need has become less and less. It seems like what I desire more of these days is to give, to give of myself, to give of my time, and to give of my heart. It was just recently that I had another profound feeling that this burden that I have had for the past four years was about to be lifted, and I would blossom into something that has always been within. I guess I had to be stripped of the fear, the fear of giving without receiving or feeling the need of acceptance by others, especially family and close friends. Through all of this humility resonates and that is a wonderful feeling. I have been compelled to do some charitable work, but I am a little selective in what I want to do. First of all it has to be something where I can see the direct benefit to others, nothing that goes through too many hands. I wanted it to be something that helps women and children, especially young women. I wanted it to be something that I am committed to, not just on holidays or special occasions, but something that was on going, and has a direct effect on people's lives.

Well I have not found that one thing yet, but honestly I have not been looking really hard. I have been trying to get myself in place both physically and emotionally, and now I feel like the cloud of smoke is lifting and it is time for me to emerge.
I have been so blessed. God has always put kind and generous people in my path. As I drive the bus everyday, there is always someone buying me breakfast, bringing me fruit, coffee, books, and many other things, but most of all they are constantly thanking me for what they perceive as acts of kindness. One girl actually said to me, " Thank you for being so kind to your passengers" That is my reward, the appreciation and the return kindness of others. I often thank God for His putting certain people in my path, and ask him if there is anything that I am doing to attract so many warm and loving people into my life, I want to keep on doing that and actually I want to do more of it. That has always been my prayer, and one day I was told on my bus, that I attract certain kinds of people because of the kind of person that I am. But it is the kind of person that I am becoming through the love and guidance of the Great Master. Don't worry I am not taking myself too seriously, but I can see the growth, that is why I think that I am on the right path to be of service to others. I am not going to lie and say I don't absolutely love how people respond to me, and the feeling I get when I am kind and considerate to others, and their appreciation of that kindness. I find it so much easier than not being kind, now that takes so much more energy.
I hope to find something that becomes a passion for me, something that impacts others lives, something that I can only give in a way that I can only give it. I feel that I am getting closer to that point in my life, and I am grateful.

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Voting Rights Act of 1965

About a year or two ago there was an email that was circulating that enraged many African-Americans. This email indicated that the Voters Right Act of 1965 which is part of the Civil Rights act was coming up to be voted on Congress. This infuriated many because they believed that what Congress was voting on was the right for African-Americans to vote. Everyone is wondering why is it that this right to vote is not a permanent part of our constitution. Well this information was quite misleading and it exasperated many African-Americans but this was bad information.

In 1870 the 15th Amendment was ratified, it specified that the right to vote shall not be denied or abridged on the basis of race, color, or previous servitude. This superseded state laws which prohibited black voting. Congress then enacted the Enforcement Act of 1870, which contained criminal penalties for interference of the right to vote. After this millions of recently freed slaves registered to vote. Black candidates for the first time were elected to state, local, and federal offices and had a very active role in the government. This participation was greatly resisted and in 1890 certain states began to amend their constitutions and enact a series of laws, i.e., poll tax,literacy tests, etc. By 1910, all blacks were kept from voting by any means necessary. After much violence and other means of keeping blacks from voting, the Voters Right Act of 1965, was initiated by President Johnson who recognized the need for stronger voter legislation. This piece of legislation followed the language of the 15th Amendment this was done in Section 2 of the legislation. However, there were certain parts of the country that Congress believed had the highest potential for discrimination to be the greatest, and this is where Section 5 comes into play, and the only part of this legislation that comes up for vote every few years. This section has special provisions for the potentially discriminatory areas of the country. Jurisdictions covered by these special provisions could not implement any change affecting voting until the Attorney General or the United States District Court for the District of Columbia determined that the change did not have a discriminatory purpose and would not have a discriminatory effect. In addition, the Attorney General could designate a county covered by these special provisions for the appointment of a federal examiner to review the qualifications of persons who wanted to register to vote. It was extended for five years at first and seven years after that, and George W. Bush just recently extended it to 2025. Many politicians wants this section to be eliminated, but it is still a problem for minority voters in the specified areas of the country, and the vote is to either continue with these provisions or not to continue.
This all should have been researched prior to circulating an email that infuriated most ns frightened other African Americans. We were thinking the day may come where we can no longer vote, as it was between 1870 and 1965. So you can't believe everything that you read it pays to find out for yourself. This is the reason why I put several links in my blog, so you can look into the various things that I write about.

Good looking up!

The Last Presidential Debate, Still Too Close for Comfort

Tonight, the debate was held at Hofstra University, in Hempstead, New York, which is where I attended college. It was actually hard to watch. The lies that McCain is steadily allowed to tell about Obama is amazing. These statements have been consistently corrected in commentary, but he continues to perpetuate them and attack the man personally. The America people want to hear what the candidates plan to do, especially with this economy. The other major issues being the war in Iraq, the education of our children so they are able to compete in this world, and health care. McCain continues to skim these issues and makes taxes the main issue of his platform other than bashing Obama.

There seems to be a great deal of people that have switched parties, because of the most recent Republican regime. When Bush took office this country had a financial surplus, and now the deficit is out of reach. The economy is headed toward a serious depression, and we are bailing out big business and letting the little man sink. It appears as though it was not until these financial institutions started to suffer from all of the bad mortgages, that the federal government publicly acknowledge that there was a serious problem. This alone is quite a disappointment, and I can't imagine what this country would be like if McCain is the next president, and with the polls being as close as it is, anything is possible here in America.
As much as I want Obama to be our next president, I am quite concerned for his life. He is too young and has too much to offer this country for him to be snuffed out like that. Then there is the obvious, his wife being widowed and their two girls growing up without their father, as so many of the families of our promising leaders have had to do; i.e., John Kennedy, Jack Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Medger Evers, and Malcom X, just to name a few.
I am aware that Obama is not going to be able to turn this country around easily or rapidly, but I believe that he will make enough of a difference for the American people to take note and benefit over the long term.
I don't think that I can handle another republican in office and especially the likes of John McCain. Leaving this country and becoming an expatriate is definitely an option for me and many others that I have spoken with. Where will I go, I am not sure at this time, but somewhere where the cost of living as well as the quality of life is much better. I always hear that there is no other place like America, and I am not able to speak on that, because I have never lived any where else. I am quite interested in finding out, especially if McCain gets into the White House.


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Witness to A Huge Historical Moment

Reuters/Shannon Stapleton


There are a number of people that believe that Barack Obama is not ready for the White House, but most people in this country are tired of what the White House represents and how it represents, and we are ready for Change, and that change will come with Barack Obama. Barack may not have Foreign Policy experience, but he has a gift of bringing people together, to contribute their individual gifts to have a win/win situation. Yes that means compromise, give and take, but that is what negotiating is all about; but you can't negotiate, talk about, work through or work on anything, if those necessary people don't see the urgency to come together . Alongside Barack is a gracious lady, that is equally as intelligent and as eager for change as we are for the future of this country. See, we all know that this country has the resources to be so much more than it is for its citizens and we want those resources allocated appropriately. This change is exactly what Michelle Obama spoke about last night at the Democratic Convention. Her speech demonstrated the passion she has for her country and her belief in her husband's abilities to ignite the change that we so desperately yearn for. She spoke of his love for people and his family, his ability to appreciate diversity by seeing and knowing that we have more that makes us the same, than that which makes us different. For once, there is a man that is appealing to us all as one people, as one nation and I believe that he has made it this far because of this ability, but not this ability alone.
No, he is not perfect, nor do we believe that he can do all that needs to be done, but we know that when he becomes the Leader of the Free World, he will have won the fight but the war is on.







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