Caveat Emptor * Latin for Let the buyer beware

 

“You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming?” –Peter Pan. 

Now for Tinkerbell, that line and the one that followed, dealt with eternal love and waiting.  But the line resonates with me because I find that exact place to be filled with a diamond mind of creative thoughts.  If you lie very very still, not even opening your eyes or stirring a muscle, and just be aware you find yourself in a true wonderland of thought, experience, memory, and joy.  Until of course the need for morning ablutions inserts itself and poof!  Gone.  And you can’t get it back by napping later.  I’ve tried.  It seems it only happens with any depth after a full night’s sleep.

So what does this have to do with buying anything and being aware you ask?  Of course you ask.  It is perfectly logical to do so.

Well this morning one of my gently floating thoughts was about on-line dating.  I know, I know, – what does on-line dating have to do with buying or being aware?

Everything to do with social media in this day and age is all about buying.  It’s no longer a case of walking to the store, choosing a product, paying money and thereby buying something.

In the old days, and I mean long, long, absolute decades before my time, but since the beginning of time, the world has had its dose of shysters; those who sold goods or tales to reap profits but were disreputable, unethical, unscrupulous, thieves of hearts and money, users of the frail.  Back then, if you lived in a one horse town you may never have come across a true scoundrel, unless it was the fellow making the rounds selling coca cola, or snake oil for medicinal purposes.  Most folk probably lived scoundrel free unless they set out for the big city to make a new life.

I had my time of on-line dating and met some nice fellas.  I have a ridiculous sense of humor so it was amusing to me when I met a scoundrel and there were quite a few.

Well, social media has given birth not only to instant information but to the proliferation of scoundrels, otherwise known as snakes, dogs, (no insult to canines intended), scum etc etc.  You get the idea.

Every day there are reports about people being taken.  The primary targets are women who are alone, lonely (of any age), seniors (the true innocents of the information age), and any target of any age or gender.  Therefore, EVERYONE. (don’t even get me started on sexual predators! AKA Beasts of Satan)

Remember when PHISHING  became big news?  It may not be front page news anymore because it is so common place.

So I decided to make a list of On-line dating scams we have all heard about but are not necessarily AWARE of.  The word ‘aware’ is such an important one.

Scammers or more accurately SCUMmers know how to play the heart strings of even the most level headed business people. (and yes it happens to men too.)  Catfishing is a term you will want to look up and get real familiar with.

BEWARE

1. The profile on the dating site is false. In my own experience the picture is of someone who is just too good looking. You know the picture in the wallet that you buy in Walmart good looking. The information they give may not be consistent with their claims, either education mismatches with grammar etc.
2. They often have impressive titles. I have been contacted by Generals (military – and General seems to be the fave designation, in my experience. Doctors, scientists, diamond agents stuck in Nairobi or Kenya, or Uganda.
3. Scummers express real strong emotions real fast. Honey, darling, sweetheart, are frequent terms.
4. Scummers often portray themselves as younger and target women in their fifties and sixties, whom they see as richer and more vulnerable.
5. Scummers often want you to meet them on a more personal site, such as messenger, a private site, or email and sometimes phone.
6. In my own experience they are always in another place such as Africa (Nigeria is especially popular), Australia, Asia etc. usually working there and setting up the scene for some tragedy to strike.
7. They may even send you gifts, though that never happened to me.
8. Christian sites are also especially vulnerable.
9. Eventually they make ask to send money or articles to you and have you send said items on. THIS IS ILLEGAL AND NEVER DO IT.
10. They may say they will send you money or other items of value but say they need your money to cover fees or taxes.
11. A favorite is to tell you their tools of trade, or their credit cards were stolen and if you would please send some money for immediate relief they will repay you.
12. THE VERY WORST OF THEM MAY TRY TO LURE YOU OVERSEAS OR AWAY FROM HOME.
13. Once they ask for money, and you do not respond quickly their pleas will become more desperate and persistent.
14. DO NOT EVER SHARE PHOTOS, ADDRESSES, OR PERSONAL INFORMATION. And remember if you have ‘location’ turned on your phone or computer they can find your exact location.

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY GIVEN INFORMATION OUT THAT PUTS YOU AT RISK, ESPECIALLY BANK INFORMATION, GET OVER ANY EMBARRASSMENT AND CONTACT YOUR BANK IMMEDIATELY.

 The attempts to scam were amusing for me, and I once had two separate men I communicated with who both surprisingly were in the diamond industry, in Africa (I don’t remember where exactly now), who surprisingly suddenly were in difficult straits and needed my assistance in the form of money.  I messaged both and said how horrible, and how amazing I knew 2 men in such a situation, and for both of them to send me their coordinates and I would send a helicopter to get them away.

In other situations when my loving suitor became distraught at his sudden financial situation I messaged to say I was certain he was the victim of thieves and scoundrels and that on his behalf I had already contacted the police with his information.  So long sucker.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE – IN SPITE OF MOMENTS OF LEVITY IN THIS ARTICLE – BE SAFE.  KEEP YOUR HEART AND WALLET SAFE.  DO NOT LET LONELINESS OR DESIRE OR PERCEPTION OF LOVE AND ADORATION MAKE YOU VULNERABLE.

AND DO NOT BE EMBARRASSED TO SPEAK UP. 

ON-LINE DATING ABUSE IS JUST RAPE IN ANOTHER FORM.

SHAWN ROCK ROCKS!

The Real Royal Wedding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHAWN ROCK ROCKS
 
Coming Soon!
 
Y’all will remember The Real Royal Wedding that took place May 14, 2011 and the MOG (Mother of the Groom).
 
Fascinators were at a minimum probably because Princess Beatrice was unable to attend but the Royal Chef truly rocked. I have had requests for more about this culinary delight, his business and where you can find him.
 
So I thought I would whet your appetites by letting you know  I am in the process of setting up an interview so I can accurately portray the story and skills of this incredible man and his team.
 
Hopefully I will have the delicious details soon!

 

Husky…Best Customer Service!

As you know Customer Service is right up there with fun, family and humor for me.  Sometime ago I posted on what was probably the worst customer service ever in my experience.

Customer Service

Westjet has always been my number one Customer Service standard.  Every word they advertise is absolutely true and you can bet if I had any skills they could use, they would be my employer of choice.  It is true ownership and it shows in the service they deliver.  It is the standard I have come to embrace in Customer Satisfaction.

Today as I was leaving Hamilton to return home after my week as Queen I noticed the volume of gas in the tank was iffy for the hour-long journey.  Now there was one service station between my destination, and me – the dreaded Husky.  The very same station I had posted on some weeks ago as having the worst Customer Service ever.  Sure I could have gone an extra block but if there is one thing I am consistent about in my life it is laziness.  So I gritted my teeth and pulled in.

Imagine my surprise when a man came running, yes running, to my car.  “What can I do for you?  Would you like me to check your oil, or tire pressure, or wash your windows?”  All with a smile and enthusiasm and making me feel like I was his only concern on this sunny day.

I told him I was paying by Visa and should I go inside.  “No Ma’am you stay right there I will look after it for you.”

You have no idea how thrilled I was.  I am always uncomfortable saying anything negative about anyone, exes, bosses, and meanies of any sort.  I have no idea why the change but I do know that at Mohawk and Ottawa in Hamilton Ontario..

HUSKY YOU ROCK!

And I am glad that I went back!

 

DETOX & CLEANSE…WHAT???

DETOX & CLEANSE…WHAT???
 
So, it is fourteen days to my son’s wedding and no I am not ready …yet. But that is of little consequence, as I live my life not ready. I tried to change that a few times. You know the not being ready and stuff but I swear it is part of my genetic makeup. And I have faith that it will work out and it always does.
 
Now I am pretty happy with who I am and how I look. I love my body; the way I move, the way I think, the fact that I do laps most days in the pool, I have energy and I revel in the joy of life. And no I am not particularly attractive nor would I fit anyone’s idea of a perfect weight but that is also of little consequence. I am young, generally only date men years younger as that is where the mutual attraction seems to be, but do not think of myself as age discriminate.
 
That whole thing is not where I used to be in my head, it has grown and developed over the years. Yesterday my sis and I decided to look through the mall to see what kind of suitable dresses might be out there. One sales lady asked what I was looking for and I told her my son’s wedding.
 
Well she directed me to a rack and my response was …Oh no they are all too old looking. I’m only sixty-four. I don’t want old lady dresses! She darn near choked on her chewing gum! But that also is of little consequence. No Heimlich maneuvers were required and no sales ladies were hurt.
 
I decided a little Detox & Cleanse would be in order. Just to perk me up. Though I must confess that I have tried it before and lost interest after a few days. Losing interest in such things is also part of my genetic makeup.
 
I chose natural capsules of some sort: two twice a day for seven days and then one once a day for seven days because that works into my time frame for said miracle. It promises to; reduce belly bloat ( I did not know that is what excess adipose tissue of the abdomen was), reduce body waste build up (I thought nature sort of took care of that in the form of evacuation of..), support colon and digestive system (is that not the same as above?), support the livers natural detoxification process, make you feel lighter and more energized. Gotta say the last two points sold me.
 
So no dress yet. Actually a lot of things not done yet, but by all that is mighty my colon and liver should look great for the wedding!
 
Now I am off to swim and yes to do my taxes, as they are due TODAY!

One Stupid Phone Call

One Stupid Phone Call

It was a dark and stormy night.  Well it wasn’t but I have always wanted to write that.

But it was dark.  Oh no it wasn’t, it was daylight.  But it WAS a stupid phone call.  And I made it.

Usually I do my posts from my iPad because it is convenient and I can do it anywhere, even lying down when gravity gets to be too much.  The inconvenient part is that I can’t post pics on my blog from it.  I am not sure if it is the iPad or my non techy ways.

My lab top died leaving me with my Jurassic Park era PC.   Now wanting to be cool I fired up the beast to do something picturesque.  Something with a little creativity to it.  But I had no Internet. None.  Nada.

I unplugged things and replugged.  I jiggled wires. I broke out in a cold sweat that turned out to be a hot flash.  They never leave entirely.  Did you know that?? Then I repeated all of the above several times.  Then I would leave and return again thinking it would magically start up.

It occurred to me a couple of hours later that I could call my Internet provider.  Normally I avoid any help lines because most of the time is spent on hold. But guess what!  Being a blooming techie I discovered the speaker button so I no longer have to actually hold the phone.  Now if I had called them two hours previously I would have been close to speaking to someone by this time.

Finally a pleasant woman asked what the problem was.
I have no Internet.
Before any solution could be given you must first give your account information.  I assume they want to be sure you are not negligent in your account, which would explain the lack of internet.  I was in good standing.

She asked what color the lights on the thing were.
There are no lights.
Long long pause.
There are no lights.
No there are no lights.
Is your receptacle working?
Of course it’s working.
Well please unplug the cord and plug it into another receptacle.

By now the cold sweat was not a hot flash.  It was the hint of possible embarrassment.  

I unplug and replug.
Nuts it worked.

Then and only then did it occur to me to check the other things plugged into that power bar.  Nothing else worked.  The natural assumption was the power bar had died.  Do they die?  So I got rid of it.

Several hours later I walked past a wall.  A wall with a switch I never use.  Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the switch was down.  It’s always up.

Turns out I remembered brushing against that very wall earlier when I was folding a sheet.

And that is when the full flush of embarrassment hit like a tsunami.  Turns out the receptacle worked.  The power bar worked.  I didn’t.  Times like that I really miss having a man in my life.  Just so I have someone to blame.

Now What Did I do with That Body?

Yes I lost a body. Well I didn’t exactly lose it myself. I just didn’t know where it was.
 
A few decades ago (I love being old enough to talk in decades), I was an evening supervisor of a hospital. It was a great job. In those days staffing was stabilized and when we were busy we worked like crazy. When things slowed down so did we. Nowadays as soon as there is a dip in activity nurses are redirected so they always function at peak levels. There is no restorative period and this leads to exhaustion, depression and a general dissatisfaction.
The only exception to this is still critical care areas where the one to one ratio still exists.
 
Most of the employees were happy then, regardless of what went on in their personal lives, and the evening shift in particular seemed that way. My job was to make rounds, act as a resource, teach and mentor. It was a pleasure to go to work!
 
We had a procedure, of course, for when a patient died. The doctor was called in to pronounce, the nurses contacted the family and confirmed arrangements such as which funeral home.
 
One evening a family doctor was called for such an event. He was an old country doc from a little village outside the city, and most of his patients were of his generation. These were people he took on when a fresh new GP forty years previously. And they all aged together. And they were friends.
 
He phoned the family and promised to stop by their house on the way home. He also told me he wanted to get the funeral home details. It was a sad time as he was also grieving a friend, but it also was heart warming and I agreed.
 
About an hour later I got a call from switchboard saying the funeral home staff had arrived to pick up the deceased. About an hour after that they called again to inform me the death certificate had been left behind. So I head up to the floor to ask the nurse the name off the Home. She didn’t know and neither did other staff or switchboard or the orderlies or the gardener. There was no gardener. But no one knew.
 
One cannot proceed with a funeral without a certificate. One cannot proceed with anything!
 
Well I’m figuring I am a pretty smart cookie. After all I am the boss. Think Chris. Think. So I pull out the yellow pages and start calling funeral homes. After the first dozen calls I realized two things: this wasn’t going to be so easy, and the ever kind compassionate soft voiced Directors of such establishments aren’t so pleasant when the business isn’t theirs.
 
Finally I completed the list with no success. I tried outside the city – no luck.
I tried calling the doc but he wasn’t home and did not carry a pager.
 
There was only one call left to make and it had to be done carefully and tactfully.
 
I called the family.
 
Introducing myself I gave my condolences and talked about things that the patient had said during his hospitalization and asked where he would be resting. They were so glad for my call and after a chat gave the info I needed.
 
It was a Home forty miles away!
 
Everything got done. And I learned that when a family does not come to hospital following the death of a loved one, to give them a call. It was a rough way to discover that the care we deliver goes beyond the confines of any hospital.

What is your Customer Service Pet Peeve?

Nothing to do with customer service..my son and DIL in their natural state

 

What is your Customer Service Pet Peeve?

Or do you even have one?

I am a pretty peeveless person so it surprises me that a pitch made with good intention is just so annoying. More than annoying, it makes me grit my teeth and cast murderous looks at wee puppies, children of any age, groups of nuns and anybody who steps in my path. I’m too polite a person to ever verbalize nastiness so I settle for The Glare.

Wee puppy

I just cannot figure out how the higher ups ever embraced a campaign of this nonsense. I am speaking about one particular large grocery store chain where every cashier greets you with, “How are you today?”

First of all I don’t want to tell you, it’s none of your business.
Secondly do you really want to know that my husband left me, that I am dying, that I have a communicable disease, that the dingo stole my baby?

A google search defines customer service as:

Taking care of your customers, their needs and desires in a professional and courteous manner.
regentpress.typepad.com/mlmmarketing/2009/07/direct-sales-beginners-dictionary-part-1.html

Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_service

I am sorry! Where does it say you have the right to pretend to care how I am?
In my mind I ask to see the manager, then sit him/her down and actually tell him. Everything I can think of or make up.

Now I look at this I seem to be perhaps the teeniest bit extreme.
I wonder what Dr. Sana at friendtoyourself.com would say?

Now am I really nutso on this or do any of you have a similar beef?