I've heard the expression rearely in my life, but I did do that tonight. I worked on my projects so long, I could no longer see to find the things I had completed or the things I needed to complete what I was working on. I dropped a piece of rhodochrosite, not a small piece, 20 x 14 mm. Wherever it landed, it will stay til tomorrow.
I turned to my "soother" these days, jtv. It's has only beauty (except some prices and too many diamonds) and is not anout war, or murder, or hate. It's about love and giving and knowledge and they don't ask a fortune for some very lovely things. I've often fallen asleep to them talking. Sleep is a thing which often has eluded me. Mostly because people who impact my life were unstable, and there I find myself again
I worked myself blind because it seems when the former "Financial Advisors" chose to resign, it seems the main culprit did so when he could cause me the most damage, the day before Thanksgiving, when there was no way to contact the Shwab team to assure the account link money transfer wouldn't be broken. I checked the balance at the ATM this evening. It seems the money was not transferred in. I'll check with the bank this p.m., transfer from savings and get Schwab on the line. And an attorney. There has to be a law against financial sabotage, which is exactly what this was and has been for most of the past year. It won't be the first time I filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That "Financial Advisers"their warning last time I needed to get the FTC. There will be a lawsuit this time, not because of one instance, but because of their failure to perform for an entire year. So I am sitting here, unable to pay my Dad's bills because one S.o.B. decided he was in charge of my Dad's finances, and me, his Attorney in Fact and Executor, was not about to have him do as I said. I don't know what the guy's problem is, or his prejudice, but he will get to pay for it. The consternation he has caused, the pain in my spine when I am hyperstressed; the his failure to deliver per agreed to terms. If he thinks he's out of the woods with the FTC, he will be hearing from consumer affairs. I don't waste my life jerking people around and I don't appreciate it when people little obsessions do so to me. I worked myself blind to forget for tonight.
I needed to link up my blog to my other sites. Speaking of people with obsessions. Why can't Microsoft/Dell stay the hell out of my computer? I logged in to find a not from Google on my e-mail that a setting had been changed. I wondered why my usual site didn't come up. So now they're all blocked from Internet Explorer compatibility view. I wonder what mess that's going to make. Definitely not more crap I needed to deal with. I just wanted to do what I had to do without all the coprporate interference from a corporate I want nothing to do with.
And they still haven't cleared up the charge they were told not to put on my vredit card and if they did so, remove it. Is there any end to these s.o.b.'s? I wish the terrorists would quit targeting "Americans" as a whole. We are victims too and things would change far better and faster if all allied lawfully to prosecute those people who make our lives miserable. The domino theory will work their too. If you stop them in the country you're in and share how you caught them, we could make them stop the unacceptable unethical behaviour too. But when we have to keep wasting tome to stop people who want to vicitimize the victims, we can't move forward for the common good, we can't stop them from hurting others because we have our esources tied up trying to stop some misguided people who lump us all in as being corporate crooks. We are not. We are their victims too. Help me. Help us. Help your world. Don't destroy what you don't know. In other words, hone your knowledge, know your target, and get the law behind you. It does sometimes work. But it works best when we're all in together on it.
Now, to go to waht my objective was before the stupids wasted my time and got me sidetracked. As if we don't have nough reality to deal with. Some ocd computer nut has to get our attention. We don't want you to have it. OK? As soon as I get my Dad squared away, this thing is getting replaced by a Hewlett Packard or and Apple. Never again Microsoft/Dell. They even activate my AIO when it's shut off. That's alot of damn nerve. I'm sick of it.
America, be union. Like the Budesrepunlik Deutchland or France. Are you going to sit and whine about them trying to save money by making you work til you're 69 to retire? Or are you going to call them out on it? Between the age of 67 and 69, you don't have time to do anything to prepare for retirement. You have time to prepare for your funeral and that's it. If you're dead you don't cost them anything. When will you wake up Amerika?
Regine Pegi, Prinzessin of Hohenzollern
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Heartstrings and Diamond Rings
After having saved the fool's life, shepherded his children thru an entire summer which found his mother in hospital and rehab center and having survived the tensions of conflict and breakups engineered to free him to rejoin his "buddies" for drug and alcohol parties on every holiday, he wanted to solidify his intention of marrying me.
That was August, a year after we met. He'd been making some noises about not to expect an engagement ring for the foregone Christmas, which wasn't in my thoughts or plans-he hadn't even asked me if I wanted to spend my life for his intentions-I agreed. I wanted a very specific styling, so we set out to find it.
Shopping around-I look at everything before I decide on anything-I found the right semi-mounts, four brilliant cut diamonds on each side, step set. My connections found the diamond, a nearly flawless oval Kimberlite diamond of nearly three carats. The merchant was stunned. Nobody puts an oval diamond in a setting of brilliant cuts. I asked him "But can you modify the setting to accept it?" He said yes. I asked for overnight to make the final decision. All agreed.
"Jackass" and I returned to finalize matters the next day. The man knew his stuff. He took the stone from it's solitaire mounting and expertly fit the setting to it. I was surprised he used glue in addition. "Not going to take any chances with this." was his reply. I was pleased. After a short set time, the piece was finished. My affianced couldn't turn over the cash fast enough. The jeweler came out with "Have you asked her if she'll marry you yet?" He hadn't. So that was done and agreed on the spot. The diamond was registered to me and the merchant told my prospective husband that the ring belonged to me, no matter what, and made it clear that was to be understood. I do have family in Europe, after all, though out of direct contact, there are some who know will see that things are right for me.We left hand in hand quite happy.
Not so happy were my friends and family stateside. Not one had anything good to say. My friends said something didn't feel right. One said a person I barely knew (why would she care about me?) said he was setting me up to get mugged. I decided I was among the wrong people. My family was very iffy about all of it. None of which detracted from the beauty of the ring. Other friends who became engaged copied my stylings, not only that one, but from the other ring or two which were my constants.
I was concerned and as in a normal relationship needed to speak to my soon-to-be closest person on Earth about it. My brother Harry had passed away two years before. He would have known exactly. What came out of the conversation started mee thinking "Where will I go, what will I do?"(a la "Gone with the Wind". Final analysis was he didn't give a _ _ _ _ really. My friends were right. He wanted someone to watch his kids and see what he could get (or get away with.)
In the overnight before the final diamond purchase decision was made, the jackass had gone to a local gold & silver trader and had the nerve to ask if she would pay the full appraisal price for my diamond in the event things didn't work out. And he kept saying "All that money." several times over. It seems from right after dinner on the day of engagement, the shennanigans began big time. There are some things I won't put up with. He stopped calling as he normally would have. He started showing up whenever he felt like it. He started planning absences concocted by his buddies. I wasn't sure which one of us they didn't like, seeing the main man in that had been abandoned by my prospective while his buddy had a seizure during Marine training. I'm surprised he wasn't court-martialed. Then he did the same thing to me one noight when my spine went out and I couldn't get out of bed. I'd asked him to get me a hot pack; he just walked out the door instead.
His parents had decided the only way to get out of the parental duties imposed by him was to buy another house and move out, leaving him at the residence with his kids and me. We were going to stay there most of the time, and I had begun to move my things in. The night his youngest wanted to go where ever I was going instead of home with him was the breaking point. Apparently he decided to put the kids under house arrest and force me to come to him. After a few hours of string-along, it was clear he wasn't going to budge or help me. I packed up what belongings of his were in my apartment, took off the ring, boxed up mine and the ring it came from, loaded my car and went to his place. I put his things on the curb and knocked on the door. He looked stunned. I handed him the key, the rings and his shoe polish box and said "I need my thing brought out to my car and yours are at the curb." He said "Oh, thank you." I'm not sure he knew what just happened. He was standing next to my car seemingly not knowing what to do next. I wasn't about to tell him. I said goodbye and drove away. My blood pressure had gone up so much I had to pull off the road because I couldn't see to drive. I called my doctor the next day. My blood pressure was 192/114. Stroke aversion time. I was issued medication and to return next day or hospital if no improvement and scheduled for follow-up in two days. The medicine worked.
I was stabilizing when the idiot called ten days later asling if he could come see me, could we talk. I said "I don't know what you want to talk about now, but o.k." He showed up as I later said "with the wrong thing in his hand." He'd brought his overnight bag, and proceeded as though none of the other things had transpired. He asked if I'd made the reservations for the wedding. Of course he claimed he was tired and wanted to go to bed. I told him go ahead. For the first time since we'd begun to stay together, I didn't go with him. Asked if I was coming, I answered not yet. I was going to wait til he was good and asleep and I was done seething at his arrogant arrival. If there was to be a "we", that night would have been the time to bring flowers and ring and apologies and remorse in hand. Not what happened. I kicked him out of bed to go to work the next day, needing the bed to myself as with the multiple injuries in my spine, any stress sends it into excruciating immobility. I was still then trying to delay any use of the major pain medication I actually needed. I heard from him a few days later.
I answered the phone with "What?" He said "Are we o.k.?" My reply was "I don't know. I'm fine, I don't know about you and there is no we.? O.K.?" This was three weeks post break up. He mumbled some things about what he'd been doing and feeling miserable and other contrivances and added "I was waiting for you to cool down." He really didn't get it. I had to tell him "There is no we. There is no cool down. This is over. You had asked me if there was anything that might make me take that ring off my hand. I said "Only one thing. And that one thing has happened. It is over. Now do you understand?"
That afternnon his father called. He said "Don't worry, we'll have him crawling back to you in no time." We both were crying. The family and I had formed a very close bond of respect and love and aprreciation for each other, something which had escaped him. All he had felt was jealousy and begrudingness. There is no place for that when all else that had transpired was forged from love. His father and I consoled and apologized. He said "We know our son. We don't hold you accountable for anything, and don't blame you for not wanting him back. We don't expect anyone to put up with him. We had hope waht you had done for him would last. He has never been as good as in this past year with you." I could only tell him I was sorry to hear that. My heart and head were in a spin of overwhelming sympathy for all of them. I asked if they were going to be o.k. He said they'd gotten used to him over the years. We went on to discuss some other things which would impact lives in the future and were in agreement on all. We had all lost a lot, and the left the avenue open in the event of the kids or the jackassess' parents needing me for anything. His father said "He's our responsibility. We'll try not to burden you." That was where I said ,"No, you're wrong. He is his own responsibility. I think that in being as good parents as you have been to him, he's made himself and his kids your responsibility when they are all his. At least he keeps on about the kids being his. Time he acted like it." His father's reply was "You know you're absolutley right. I never looked at it like that. Thank you. Thank you so much." Huh. Their priest should have told them that years back. Not from the time I left the home of my ersatz parents would I have ever dreamed up that ploy; making them responsible for me, not even when I couldn't get out of bed because of injuries or deathly ill in the hospital. It seems my "generation", those frowned-upon "flower children", were all too willing to stand up and stand on our own feet even if our feet wouldn't hold us up anymore. We would have made great soldiers were we not so anti-killing, anti-war, especially that one and of that nature.
The Bible (and the Dylan song) say "There is a time.....for every purpose under heaven." My purpose has always been to better the lives of all humankind. "Better" is not the same in all nations. There are many things here which people call "Better lives." But in my experience, no, it isn't better, it's economically efficient. It was the fact that jackass had made "alternative economic arrangements" with regards to my engagement ring that made me decide that he and Iwere a gross mis-match. I could and maybe should have kept the ring, it was by all documents, mine. My friends all said I should have kept it. I told them I didn't because as long as I had that ring, he would have a connection to me and I did not want to him to think he had any means of recourse or claim to me or my life. He finally go the message, but not without months of questions to my "kleinbruder" and comments to my physician. I finally had to tell her that if it was grave enough to end it, it was grave enough to not go back. And did he ask for his own sake or mine? My "Kleinbruder" being ga-ordered on matters relating to me and my doctor "Hmm." on the situation, I heard nothing further until the jackass had a crisis. That he isn't in jail and retains parental rights is stunning. He had been getting drugs in the mail from the V.A., prescriptions from my physician and what he could get on the street. The street dried up and what happens to people in that situation apparently did. That he somehow has a dirver's license again is also another mystery.
But now when I tell people who want to get close to me that if they're into alcohol or drugs, stay away from me, they finally listen. Of course there were one or two attempts to trangress my rights on the matter, but they ended very quickly. Sure, I miss my diamond, but then again, I have given away two diamond rings I owned anyway. It's not the stone, it's what it comes with. I never understood all the commotion about diamonds, but it seems to me, they are a girl's best friend in the clarity that they bring. They seem to really bring out the meaning of a relationship. I don't want a placemarker instead of man to hold me. And the diamonds will tell it by what's present and absent around it. The people have to equal the diamonds, not the other way.
Only love and committment should place an engagement diamond on one's hand. And love and committment should be what keeps it there.
Prinzessin Regine "Pegi" Hohenzoller, 8 years after
That was August, a year after we met. He'd been making some noises about not to expect an engagement ring for the foregone Christmas, which wasn't in my thoughts or plans-he hadn't even asked me if I wanted to spend my life for his intentions-I agreed. I wanted a very specific styling, so we set out to find it.
Shopping around-I look at everything before I decide on anything-I found the right semi-mounts, four brilliant cut diamonds on each side, step set. My connections found the diamond, a nearly flawless oval Kimberlite diamond of nearly three carats. The merchant was stunned. Nobody puts an oval diamond in a setting of brilliant cuts. I asked him "But can you modify the setting to accept it?" He said yes. I asked for overnight to make the final decision. All agreed.
"Jackass" and I returned to finalize matters the next day. The man knew his stuff. He took the stone from it's solitaire mounting and expertly fit the setting to it. I was surprised he used glue in addition. "Not going to take any chances with this." was his reply. I was pleased. After a short set time, the piece was finished. My affianced couldn't turn over the cash fast enough. The jeweler came out with "Have you asked her if she'll marry you yet?" He hadn't. So that was done and agreed on the spot. The diamond was registered to me and the merchant told my prospective husband that the ring belonged to me, no matter what, and made it clear that was to be understood. I do have family in Europe, after all, though out of direct contact, there are some who know will see that things are right for me.We left hand in hand quite happy.
Not so happy were my friends and family stateside. Not one had anything good to say. My friends said something didn't feel right. One said a person I barely knew (why would she care about me?) said he was setting me up to get mugged. I decided I was among the wrong people. My family was very iffy about all of it. None of which detracted from the beauty of the ring. Other friends who became engaged copied my stylings, not only that one, but from the other ring or two which were my constants.
I was concerned and as in a normal relationship needed to speak to my soon-to-be closest person on Earth about it. My brother Harry had passed away two years before. He would have known exactly. What came out of the conversation started mee thinking "Where will I go, what will I do?"(a la "Gone with the Wind". Final analysis was he didn't give a _ _ _ _ really. My friends were right. He wanted someone to watch his kids and see what he could get (or get away with.)
In the overnight before the final diamond purchase decision was made, the jackass had gone to a local gold & silver trader and had the nerve to ask if she would pay the full appraisal price for my diamond in the event things didn't work out. And he kept saying "All that money." several times over. It seems from right after dinner on the day of engagement, the shennanigans began big time. There are some things I won't put up with. He stopped calling as he normally would have. He started showing up whenever he felt like it. He started planning absences concocted by his buddies. I wasn't sure which one of us they didn't like, seeing the main man in that had been abandoned by my prospective while his buddy had a seizure during Marine training. I'm surprised he wasn't court-martialed. Then he did the same thing to me one noight when my spine went out and I couldn't get out of bed. I'd asked him to get me a hot pack; he just walked out the door instead.
His parents had decided the only way to get out of the parental duties imposed by him was to buy another house and move out, leaving him at the residence with his kids and me. We were going to stay there most of the time, and I had begun to move my things in. The night his youngest wanted to go where ever I was going instead of home with him was the breaking point. Apparently he decided to put the kids under house arrest and force me to come to him. After a few hours of string-along, it was clear he wasn't going to budge or help me. I packed up what belongings of his were in my apartment, took off the ring, boxed up mine and the ring it came from, loaded my car and went to his place. I put his things on the curb and knocked on the door. He looked stunned. I handed him the key, the rings and his shoe polish box and said "I need my thing brought out to my car and yours are at the curb." He said "Oh, thank you." I'm not sure he knew what just happened. He was standing next to my car seemingly not knowing what to do next. I wasn't about to tell him. I said goodbye and drove away. My blood pressure had gone up so much I had to pull off the road because I couldn't see to drive. I called my doctor the next day. My blood pressure was 192/114. Stroke aversion time. I was issued medication and to return next day or hospital if no improvement and scheduled for follow-up in two days. The medicine worked.
I was stabilizing when the idiot called ten days later asling if he could come see me, could we talk. I said "I don't know what you want to talk about now, but o.k." He showed up as I later said "with the wrong thing in his hand." He'd brought his overnight bag, and proceeded as though none of the other things had transpired. He asked if I'd made the reservations for the wedding. Of course he claimed he was tired and wanted to go to bed. I told him go ahead. For the first time since we'd begun to stay together, I didn't go with him. Asked if I was coming, I answered not yet. I was going to wait til he was good and asleep and I was done seething at his arrogant arrival. If there was to be a "we", that night would have been the time to bring flowers and ring and apologies and remorse in hand. Not what happened. I kicked him out of bed to go to work the next day, needing the bed to myself as with the multiple injuries in my spine, any stress sends it into excruciating immobility. I was still then trying to delay any use of the major pain medication I actually needed. I heard from him a few days later.
I answered the phone with "What?" He said "Are we o.k.?" My reply was "I don't know. I'm fine, I don't know about you and there is no we.? O.K.?" This was three weeks post break up. He mumbled some things about what he'd been doing and feeling miserable and other contrivances and added "I was waiting for you to cool down." He really didn't get it. I had to tell him "There is no we. There is no cool down. This is over. You had asked me if there was anything that might make me take that ring off my hand. I said "Only one thing. And that one thing has happened. It is over. Now do you understand?"
That afternnon his father called. He said "Don't worry, we'll have him crawling back to you in no time." We both were crying. The family and I had formed a very close bond of respect and love and aprreciation for each other, something which had escaped him. All he had felt was jealousy and begrudingness. There is no place for that when all else that had transpired was forged from love. His father and I consoled and apologized. He said "We know our son. We don't hold you accountable for anything, and don't blame you for not wanting him back. We don't expect anyone to put up with him. We had hope waht you had done for him would last. He has never been as good as in this past year with you." I could only tell him I was sorry to hear that. My heart and head were in a spin of overwhelming sympathy for all of them. I asked if they were going to be o.k. He said they'd gotten used to him over the years. We went on to discuss some other things which would impact lives in the future and were in agreement on all. We had all lost a lot, and the left the avenue open in the event of the kids or the jackassess' parents needing me for anything. His father said "He's our responsibility. We'll try not to burden you." That was where I said ,"No, you're wrong. He is his own responsibility. I think that in being as good parents as you have been to him, he's made himself and his kids your responsibility when they are all his. At least he keeps on about the kids being his. Time he acted like it." His father's reply was "You know you're absolutley right. I never looked at it like that. Thank you. Thank you so much." Huh. Their priest should have told them that years back. Not from the time I left the home of my ersatz parents would I have ever dreamed up that ploy; making them responsible for me, not even when I couldn't get out of bed because of injuries or deathly ill in the hospital. It seems my "generation", those frowned-upon "flower children", were all too willing to stand up and stand on our own feet even if our feet wouldn't hold us up anymore. We would have made great soldiers were we not so anti-killing, anti-war, especially that one and of that nature.
The Bible (and the Dylan song) say "There is a time.....for every purpose under heaven." My purpose has always been to better the lives of all humankind. "Better" is not the same in all nations. There are many things here which people call "Better lives." But in my experience, no, it isn't better, it's economically efficient. It was the fact that jackass had made "alternative economic arrangements" with regards to my engagement ring that made me decide that he and Iwere a gross mis-match. I could and maybe should have kept the ring, it was by all documents, mine. My friends all said I should have kept it. I told them I didn't because as long as I had that ring, he would have a connection to me and I did not want to him to think he had any means of recourse or claim to me or my life. He finally go the message, but not without months of questions to my "kleinbruder" and comments to my physician. I finally had to tell her that if it was grave enough to end it, it was grave enough to not go back. And did he ask for his own sake or mine? My "Kleinbruder" being ga-ordered on matters relating to me and my doctor "Hmm." on the situation, I heard nothing further until the jackass had a crisis. That he isn't in jail and retains parental rights is stunning. He had been getting drugs in the mail from the V.A., prescriptions from my physician and what he could get on the street. The street dried up and what happens to people in that situation apparently did. That he somehow has a dirver's license again is also another mystery.
But now when I tell people who want to get close to me that if they're into alcohol or drugs, stay away from me, they finally listen. Of course there were one or two attempts to trangress my rights on the matter, but they ended very quickly. Sure, I miss my diamond, but then again, I have given away two diamond rings I owned anyway. It's not the stone, it's what it comes with. I never understood all the commotion about diamonds, but it seems to me, they are a girl's best friend in the clarity that they bring. They seem to really bring out the meaning of a relationship. I don't want a placemarker instead of man to hold me. And the diamonds will tell it by what's present and absent around it. The people have to equal the diamonds, not the other way.
Only love and committment should place an engagement diamond on one's hand. And love and committment should be what keeps it there.
Prinzessin Regine "Pegi" Hohenzoller, 8 years after
Friday, November 26, 2010
Talkin' Dirty
I'm not referring to adult sexual interactions. I'm talking nasty habits people have, when they don't care who they hurt, as long as they get theirs.
I have learned to hate. People taught me, by the things they do, the way they rob a man when he's too sick to know, when they almost kill him in their greed.
My American Dad (not my father, Nikolaus)became deathly ill in September 2007. He had begun apparently to have problems as early as January of that year; he didn't want to tell us, so behaved as though he was still, at the age of 72, holding down a high paying job. To cover up, he began to withdraw massive amounts of money from his IRA. His so-called financial advisers just kept handing it over; no question why a man purportedly bringing in nearly $100,000.-- would need $80,000.-- in cash. When they demanded to come to the nursing home (apparently I was lieing to them invoking my Power of Attorney and Executorship of his Estate). They got the papers signed by a man who had no clue who they were or why they were there brinign him cake (he's diabetic). They released $10,000.--, ignoring my "make sure you take out enough to cover the taxes" part of what my position demanded.
My Dad got out of that place for a week; he had a "change in mental status"...caused not by him being insane, but his heart rate from having been overdosed on insulin in the nursing home plus being given a drug for a psychiatric condition he did not have plus 22 other medicines landed him in the hospital with a heart rate of 32 beats per minute. God bless the docotrs for figuring it out. He didn't want to stay in hospital, so we got yet another home health aide. Dad was home for a week and needed to be back in the hospital. I couldn't even get this lazy cow to take his vitals. "I took that at lunch yesterday" she tells me. And of course demands to get paid, be chauffered to her specialty food place expecting me to pay for it. And she stays. for 8 weeks, lollygagging around the house, demanding $900.-- a week for her presence. I couldn't get my Dad's son to send her off, he was afraid there might not be anyone there if he came home. He came home, within a week, back in the hospital again. The woman was let go. Someone else came in but was so nervous (she was from Newark NJ) she jumped out of her skin at every sound whe heard and wanted us to board up the windows because she was afraid someone might come in. I let her go and I stepped in. I recruited my friend Li and my Dad made wonder progress. Enter Carolyn.
Not only did she make Li quit-my best friend, not speaking to me since then (I had planned on firing Carolyn imminently), now I was stuck with her. Being disabled, I can't do it all. She took my $500.-- a month budget and by forcing everyone else to leave, convinced my Dad and his son that she should be paid that per week to do part time work and demand grocery money on top. She took the money, bought food for her family and brought my Dad the left overs. He was in and out of the hospital constantly after her lies and thievery and refusal to leave had me fleeing the situation. I have a strong connection to my Dad-I could feel it when something was wrong. I showed up to check on him to find hime in severe distress on several occasions requiring immediate emergency care from paramedics to stabilize him for transport. Still they fought me on the Carolyn issue.
Another instance, after a fall which Carolyn diagnosed as a broken femur, he had actually sustained a severe head injury and another stroke, brought on by her no doubt. The hospital played the shell game, she had no access to him. Only they and I knew where he was. Even her claiming to be my sister in law didn't get over on them. I had let the doctor know what was going on-not that he wasn't suspicious with the multiple hospitalizations, but apparently in NJ, unlike the legal mandate that Medical Personnel must contact law enforcement if abuse is suspected involving minors, they have no such avenue. But I do. And I did. My Dad not in his right mind, he told them he didn't need any help. Of course not. He failed to mention who was doing what and when. He was released from hospital for the stroke and head injuries and I brought him home. He phoned me that night to say he was alright.
I was shopping the next day, and tired, so based on his call the night before, almost didn't stop to check on him. I found him in bed with a 102 fever having severe seizures and another stroke. Off to the hospital again. He'd had a reaction to his medicine which Little Miss "I'm a Medical Professional" Carolyn failed to see. That was just her major lie to keep her job and continue to pilfer prized meaningful objects from the home and demand to get paid. My Dad pulled through that too.
Then came my deceased brother's birthday. I went to see my Dad at his house and had the worst feeling of my life- I knew the smell. The smell said he was dieing. But he was on his feet. It made no sense, so I didn't leave. It took three hours before he finally gave in to the trust he used to have for me pre-Carolyn. He not only had a friction wound on his ankle and heels becasue Carolyn had bought cheap, rough sheets which abraded him down to the bone, but she had not seen to his personal hygiene and the failure to change his "pull-ups"(adult incontinence underwear instead of diapers)had left him in a state which had caused necrotic tissue to accumulate across 70% of his derriere. I'm not sure if my head, my heart, or my stomach were the most sick at that moment. I began to clean him up. Debriding the tissue over the next week was a slow process; it was painful for him and I did not want to cause him any pain. Of course, the other wounds were dressed and the doctor was called. He told me to carry on, I was doing a good job. Until my Dad's son and Carolyn decided when he was supposed to fire her that they were going to tell my Dad that if I kept taking care of him they were going to cut off his feet. Joking with my Dad about "Are they also going to cut off your butt? I think not." didn't make much difference. The man was terrified. And then the hireling decides because the doctor abided by the privacy laws that she was in charge and called in a doctor who had no clue about my Dad's condition. He prescribed a drug to which he had a severe allergic reaction. Again I found him with a serious fever. I contacted my allies and verified. We stopped the drugs but unknown to me at that moment, Carolyn had decided the thing to do to counteract Bactrim fever was to give him an additional antibiotic.
We made it to the Wound Care Center at St, Peter's Medical Center in New Brunswick and my Dad was barely able to move. He couldn't walk; I got a wheelchair. We thought between the fever and the terror of thinking I was taking him to get his feet cut off it was enough to bring that on. He did not want to go to the Emergency Room. I put him to bed with strict instructions not to get out of bed til I came back. I had found all the contraband medication and confiscated it. Carolyn arrived back at his house before I did. She was livid and demanded he get out of bed. He fell. She forced him to try to walk to the kitchen table for breakfast. From the condition of his knees in the hospital, I don't knoe how many times he fell. She finally called an ambulance. Nobody called me. I arrived to an empty house, calling police and rescue squads and his doctor. Police called back to say there had been a call earlier for ambulance. His doctor told me where to find him. On my way, I dropped in at the local P.D. to be met with an attitude because I had been there the week before requesting a restraining order to keep Carolyn from interfering with my Dad's medical care. I met the attitude of that particular officer with the same. I started having an asthma attack on the way to see my Dad. I talked myself through it.
The nurses were happy I had gotten there. My Dad was refusing medicine, refusing food, refusing to talk to anyone. They gowned and gloved me. Dad was semi-conscious. I put my head on his chest and started crying. He started to come around. I got a lot of tubs of Jello as well as medicine into him. After 5 hours, I went home. The scenario repeated for 3 days, adding Graham Crackers in with the Jello. On the fourth day, he didn't want them. He wanted a sandwich. It was a slow go, but he was back.
The following day I got a hysterical phone call from one of the physicians at the hospital. "WHAT HAPPENED TO(my Dad)?!?!" I had to ask him when did he mean, and gave him the most recent applicable history. Why, I asked. He had gone unresponsive, I was told. Was Carolyn there? Someone was, I was told. Response was, "That could do it." My Dad was O.K. now though, I was told. I wrote a detailed Social Woprker's report and left it for the doctors at the hospital with who to contact at Adult Protective Services. Apparently, they did their job. Carolyn appeared no more, not then. My Dad was moved to the nursing home. I got a call from his local police, could I come and speak to Detective J.? Of course. I went with every note I'd written and the photo documents I took of my Dad's condition and daily progress from the time I found him in the condition which resulted in this. Carolyn had gone to the Police and pretended she was concerned for my Dad's feet. The detective didn't need me to show him anything and I didn't have to tell him much. He had already been to see my Dad at the nursing home where I had made sure Carolyn was barred. My Dad had had told the det. the truth. As well the detective and I simultaneously said that my Dad cannot be left alone.
I found a great Home Health Aide. It took us three days post-nursing home to get my Dad's body temeperature up to near normal. The nursing home had him sleeping on a "Medicare approved" air mattress meant to prevent bed sores. Only a thin sheet below and a thin sheet on top. Air mattresses do not get warm. And again he was on improper medication, an Alzheimer's drug when he doesn't have Alzheimer's. Aricept. That went first. The Plavix went next. Omega 3-6-9 was doing just fine and had reversed most of the stroke damage from before these episodes. He was not able to get around. We had to call an invalid transport service to take him for medical appointments. He could not get from his wheelchair to his bed or up from the bed by his own self. He's big; we changed and washed him by helping him roll onto his side. Finally, a month later, he was able to get up and about. He still didn't know what day it was, we spent last Thanksgiving eating sandwiches. I'd given our HHA the time off to see her family. He was making steady improvement; by Christmas we had him out shopping having a great time escaping from us in the electric cart at the Loew's Hardware. And in the snow. Then there came a problem-the State refused to renew her Certification unless she works for an agency. It was putting her through agpny. She was distressed and arguing with me although I had written everyone and every agency about how distorted that rule is. It wasn't even supposed to apply to her because she had been certified to a prior date which exempted her from that "agency" rule. But some government clerks are not worth their weight in pay. I hope they're the ones who'll be gone come year's end.
And right then, the IRS decides it wants money,so first freezes the JOINT account I hold with my Dad and then actually go in and steal the money based on their incompetence and flimsy excuses and lies. I had filed his return. I had filed six Powers of Attorney with them. Nobody there knew anything. Not even when they heard from my Congressman with full proof of everything. Only after they stole the money did they acknowledge him and the fact that they were now "in receipt of the Power of Attorney". I had filed six altogether since my Dad became ill. I guess they got mad because I found errors on two previous returns and they had to in one instance settle for less, in another issue a refund, and in another do nothing at all. They simply were mad that I had the proof and the facts and they didn't want to hear it again.
So we began the year $2,000.--down due to the "DropDeadGap" in the Medicine Coverage(which my Congressman was instrumental in changing once Congress got it that when people don't get their meds, the hospitals cost way more much more often.Plus the $1600.-- the IRS stole on top of that, plus the additional HHA costs, plus another $1,000.-- a month in bandages, dressings, ambulatory, incontinence and wound care products Medicare doesn't pay for (and that's wholesale); New Jersey's Blindfolded Bull in a China Shop decides he's going to keep the Homestead rebates as a credit toward next year's real estate taxes instead of giving them back to the people who need them now and another round of Drop dead gap; after allowing the aquandering of $80,000.--by my Dad, $30,000.--on unneeded Carolyn, the "Financial Advisers" stonewall me from October 2009 to June 2010. The promise was a certain amount with differential to offset taxes and additional to offset dealy, I get an e-mail that "we" decided not to sen the $3,600,--check, "we" were going to hold it. And the hit the Prinzess in me.
I e-mailed them very diplomatically and got a bunch of gobblydy-gook. 3 times. And more of the same belligerence. And then I pulled the legal cards. I told them they do not have Power of Attorney over my Dad's affairs, I wanted an explanation as to why they were keeping a stock which has been only losing over the last three years as a "hedge against inflation" in the account of a man who didn't have enough money to pay his bills and had to rely on my credit several times because of their remiss. I guess they didn't want to answer that in any sense of honesty. I get an e-mail of "we tried". Ja. (They didn't say and screwed up miserably.) They allowed an account which stood at $200,000.-- three years ago to go down to only $30,000.-- while my Dad's debts equal $44,000.-- and mounting. Now they tell me "Well, you have full Power of Attorney over your Father's account at Schwab(which "Father? _____ or Nikolaus?)So now I'm going to be dealing with "The Shwab Alliance Team". I couldn't be happier and I can't wait to meet with them. At least the investments won't be restricted to the minute circle which was theirs. They were dropping people anyway because all they wanted to do was play with gold anyway. I asked them when we got that letter two years ago if that meant I would have to find someone else ot handle my Dad's things. A simple yes could have saved a lot of heartache. So, Schwab people...I'm looking forward to it and don't forget--my heart, my soul, my mind, and I are 150% GERMAN.
So, I am thankful for something. The freedom to put the investments where they can actually start to gain something. And that my Newphews, Dad's son and wife and HHA had a really nice dinner with him and nobody was going to leave God's grace out of it. That was who my nephew thanked before anybody else. And our current HHA and me for preparing the food. So it was good.
I don't participate in acts of mass insanity, so be safe if you're shopping this weekend. No thing is worth it.
Prinzess Pegi Hohenzoller
I have learned to hate. People taught me, by the things they do, the way they rob a man when he's too sick to know, when they almost kill him in their greed.
My American Dad (not my father, Nikolaus)became deathly ill in September 2007. He had begun apparently to have problems as early as January of that year; he didn't want to tell us, so behaved as though he was still, at the age of 72, holding down a high paying job. To cover up, he began to withdraw massive amounts of money from his IRA. His so-called financial advisers just kept handing it over; no question why a man purportedly bringing in nearly $100,000.-- would need $80,000.-- in cash. When they demanded to come to the nursing home (apparently I was lieing to them invoking my Power of Attorney and Executorship of his Estate). They got the papers signed by a man who had no clue who they were or why they were there brinign him cake (he's diabetic). They released $10,000.--, ignoring my "make sure you take out enough to cover the taxes" part of what my position demanded.
My Dad got out of that place for a week; he had a "change in mental status"...caused not by him being insane, but his heart rate from having been overdosed on insulin in the nursing home plus being given a drug for a psychiatric condition he did not have plus 22 other medicines landed him in the hospital with a heart rate of 32 beats per minute. God bless the docotrs for figuring it out. He didn't want to stay in hospital, so we got yet another home health aide. Dad was home for a week and needed to be back in the hospital. I couldn't even get this lazy cow to take his vitals. "I took that at lunch yesterday" she tells me. And of course demands to get paid, be chauffered to her specialty food place expecting me to pay for it. And she stays. for 8 weeks, lollygagging around the house, demanding $900.-- a week for her presence. I couldn't get my Dad's son to send her off, he was afraid there might not be anyone there if he came home. He came home, within a week, back in the hospital again. The woman was let go. Someone else came in but was so nervous (she was from Newark NJ) she jumped out of her skin at every sound whe heard and wanted us to board up the windows because she was afraid someone might come in. I let her go and I stepped in. I recruited my friend Li and my Dad made wonder progress. Enter Carolyn.
Not only did she make Li quit-my best friend, not speaking to me since then (I had planned on firing Carolyn imminently), now I was stuck with her. Being disabled, I can't do it all. She took my $500.-- a month budget and by forcing everyone else to leave, convinced my Dad and his son that she should be paid that per week to do part time work and demand grocery money on top. She took the money, bought food for her family and brought my Dad the left overs. He was in and out of the hospital constantly after her lies and thievery and refusal to leave had me fleeing the situation. I have a strong connection to my Dad-I could feel it when something was wrong. I showed up to check on him to find hime in severe distress on several occasions requiring immediate emergency care from paramedics to stabilize him for transport. Still they fought me on the Carolyn issue.
Another instance, after a fall which Carolyn diagnosed as a broken femur, he had actually sustained a severe head injury and another stroke, brought on by her no doubt. The hospital played the shell game, she had no access to him. Only they and I knew where he was. Even her claiming to be my sister in law didn't get over on them. I had let the doctor know what was going on-not that he wasn't suspicious with the multiple hospitalizations, but apparently in NJ, unlike the legal mandate that Medical Personnel must contact law enforcement if abuse is suspected involving minors, they have no such avenue. But I do. And I did. My Dad not in his right mind, he told them he didn't need any help. Of course not. He failed to mention who was doing what and when. He was released from hospital for the stroke and head injuries and I brought him home. He phoned me that night to say he was alright.
I was shopping the next day, and tired, so based on his call the night before, almost didn't stop to check on him. I found him in bed with a 102 fever having severe seizures and another stroke. Off to the hospital again. He'd had a reaction to his medicine which Little Miss "I'm a Medical Professional" Carolyn failed to see. That was just her major lie to keep her job and continue to pilfer prized meaningful objects from the home and demand to get paid. My Dad pulled through that too.
Then came my deceased brother's birthday. I went to see my Dad at his house and had the worst feeling of my life- I knew the smell. The smell said he was dieing. But he was on his feet. It made no sense, so I didn't leave. It took three hours before he finally gave in to the trust he used to have for me pre-Carolyn. He not only had a friction wound on his ankle and heels becasue Carolyn had bought cheap, rough sheets which abraded him down to the bone, but she had not seen to his personal hygiene and the failure to change his "pull-ups"(adult incontinence underwear instead of diapers)had left him in a state which had caused necrotic tissue to accumulate across 70% of his derriere. I'm not sure if my head, my heart, or my stomach were the most sick at that moment. I began to clean him up. Debriding the tissue over the next week was a slow process; it was painful for him and I did not want to cause him any pain. Of course, the other wounds were dressed and the doctor was called. He told me to carry on, I was doing a good job. Until my Dad's son and Carolyn decided when he was supposed to fire her that they were going to tell my Dad that if I kept taking care of him they were going to cut off his feet. Joking with my Dad about "Are they also going to cut off your butt? I think not." didn't make much difference. The man was terrified. And then the hireling decides because the doctor abided by the privacy laws that she was in charge and called in a doctor who had no clue about my Dad's condition. He prescribed a drug to which he had a severe allergic reaction. Again I found him with a serious fever. I contacted my allies and verified. We stopped the drugs but unknown to me at that moment, Carolyn had decided the thing to do to counteract Bactrim fever was to give him an additional antibiotic.
We made it to the Wound Care Center at St, Peter's Medical Center in New Brunswick and my Dad was barely able to move. He couldn't walk; I got a wheelchair. We thought between the fever and the terror of thinking I was taking him to get his feet cut off it was enough to bring that on. He did not want to go to the Emergency Room. I put him to bed with strict instructions not to get out of bed til I came back. I had found all the contraband medication and confiscated it. Carolyn arrived back at his house before I did. She was livid and demanded he get out of bed. He fell. She forced him to try to walk to the kitchen table for breakfast. From the condition of his knees in the hospital, I don't knoe how many times he fell. She finally called an ambulance. Nobody called me. I arrived to an empty house, calling police and rescue squads and his doctor. Police called back to say there had been a call earlier for ambulance. His doctor told me where to find him. On my way, I dropped in at the local P.D. to be met with an attitude because I had been there the week before requesting a restraining order to keep Carolyn from interfering with my Dad's medical care. I met the attitude of that particular officer with the same. I started having an asthma attack on the way to see my Dad. I talked myself through it.
The nurses were happy I had gotten there. My Dad was refusing medicine, refusing food, refusing to talk to anyone. They gowned and gloved me. Dad was semi-conscious. I put my head on his chest and started crying. He started to come around. I got a lot of tubs of Jello as well as medicine into him. After 5 hours, I went home. The scenario repeated for 3 days, adding Graham Crackers in with the Jello. On the fourth day, he didn't want them. He wanted a sandwich. It was a slow go, but he was back.
The following day I got a hysterical phone call from one of the physicians at the hospital. "WHAT HAPPENED TO(my Dad)?!?!" I had to ask him when did he mean, and gave him the most recent applicable history. Why, I asked. He had gone unresponsive, I was told. Was Carolyn there? Someone was, I was told. Response was, "That could do it." My Dad was O.K. now though, I was told. I wrote a detailed Social Woprker's report and left it for the doctors at the hospital with who to contact at Adult Protective Services. Apparently, they did their job. Carolyn appeared no more, not then. My Dad was moved to the nursing home. I got a call from his local police, could I come and speak to Detective J.? Of course. I went with every note I'd written and the photo documents I took of my Dad's condition and daily progress from the time I found him in the condition which resulted in this. Carolyn had gone to the Police and pretended she was concerned for my Dad's feet. The detective didn't need me to show him anything and I didn't have to tell him much. He had already been to see my Dad at the nursing home where I had made sure Carolyn was barred. My Dad had had told the det. the truth. As well the detective and I simultaneously said that my Dad cannot be left alone.
I found a great Home Health Aide. It took us three days post-nursing home to get my Dad's body temeperature up to near normal. The nursing home had him sleeping on a "Medicare approved" air mattress meant to prevent bed sores. Only a thin sheet below and a thin sheet on top. Air mattresses do not get warm. And again he was on improper medication, an Alzheimer's drug when he doesn't have Alzheimer's. Aricept. That went first. The Plavix went next. Omega 3-6-9 was doing just fine and had reversed most of the stroke damage from before these episodes. He was not able to get around. We had to call an invalid transport service to take him for medical appointments. He could not get from his wheelchair to his bed or up from the bed by his own self. He's big; we changed and washed him by helping him roll onto his side. Finally, a month later, he was able to get up and about. He still didn't know what day it was, we spent last Thanksgiving eating sandwiches. I'd given our HHA the time off to see her family. He was making steady improvement; by Christmas we had him out shopping having a great time escaping from us in the electric cart at the Loew's Hardware. And in the snow. Then there came a problem-the State refused to renew her Certification unless she works for an agency. It was putting her through agpny. She was distressed and arguing with me although I had written everyone and every agency about how distorted that rule is. It wasn't even supposed to apply to her because she had been certified to a prior date which exempted her from that "agency" rule. But some government clerks are not worth their weight in pay. I hope they're the ones who'll be gone come year's end.
And right then, the IRS decides it wants money,so first freezes the JOINT account I hold with my Dad and then actually go in and steal the money based on their incompetence and flimsy excuses and lies. I had filed his return. I had filed six Powers of Attorney with them. Nobody there knew anything. Not even when they heard from my Congressman with full proof of everything. Only after they stole the money did they acknowledge him and the fact that they were now "in receipt of the Power of Attorney". I had filed six altogether since my Dad became ill. I guess they got mad because I found errors on two previous returns and they had to in one instance settle for less, in another issue a refund, and in another do nothing at all. They simply were mad that I had the proof and the facts and they didn't want to hear it again.
So we began the year $2,000.--down due to the "DropDeadGap" in the Medicine Coverage(which my Congressman was instrumental in changing once Congress got it that when people don't get their meds, the hospitals cost way more much more often.Plus the $1600.-- the IRS stole on top of that, plus the additional HHA costs, plus another $1,000.-- a month in bandages, dressings, ambulatory, incontinence and wound care products Medicare doesn't pay for (and that's wholesale); New Jersey's Blindfolded Bull in a China Shop decides he's going to keep the Homestead rebates as a credit toward next year's real estate taxes instead of giving them back to the people who need them now and another round of Drop dead gap; after allowing the aquandering of $80,000.--by my Dad, $30,000.--on unneeded Carolyn, the "Financial Advisers" stonewall me from October 2009 to June 2010. The promise was a certain amount with differential to offset taxes and additional to offset dealy, I get an e-mail that "we" decided not to sen the $3,600,--check, "we" were going to hold it. And the hit the Prinzess in me.
I e-mailed them very diplomatically and got a bunch of gobblydy-gook. 3 times. And more of the same belligerence. And then I pulled the legal cards. I told them they do not have Power of Attorney over my Dad's affairs, I wanted an explanation as to why they were keeping a stock which has been only losing over the last three years as a "hedge against inflation" in the account of a man who didn't have enough money to pay his bills and had to rely on my credit several times because of their remiss. I guess they didn't want to answer that in any sense of honesty. I get an e-mail of "we tried". Ja. (They didn't say and screwed up miserably.) They allowed an account which stood at $200,000.-- three years ago to go down to only $30,000.-- while my Dad's debts equal $44,000.-- and mounting. Now they tell me "Well, you have full Power of Attorney over your Father's account at Schwab(which "Father? _____ or Nikolaus?)So now I'm going to be dealing with "The Shwab Alliance Team". I couldn't be happier and I can't wait to meet with them. At least the investments won't be restricted to the minute circle which was theirs. They were dropping people anyway because all they wanted to do was play with gold anyway. I asked them when we got that letter two years ago if that meant I would have to find someone else ot handle my Dad's things. A simple yes could have saved a lot of heartache. So, Schwab people...I'm looking forward to it and don't forget--my heart, my soul, my mind, and I are 150% GERMAN.
So, I am thankful for something. The freedom to put the investments where they can actually start to gain something. And that my Newphews, Dad's son and wife and HHA had a really nice dinner with him and nobody was going to leave God's grace out of it. That was who my nephew thanked before anybody else. And our current HHA and me for preparing the food. So it was good.
I don't participate in acts of mass insanity, so be safe if you're shopping this weekend. No thing is worth it.
Prinzess Pegi Hohenzoller
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
As Tiffany is to Diamonds and Light....
...so Swarovski is to crystal.
Swarovski is not the huge vases which the Cranbury, NJ, Lenox Warehouse carries. Nor is it the delicate crystal ware created in Ireland or even Czechoslovakia. They are a completely different "element".
Swarovski Crsytal is, first and foremost, a mined gemstone. No, it's not a diamond or a blue topaz, but for the gemstone-sized crystals which are marketed by Swarovski, you see the difference immediately upon entering that section of A.C. Moore or Michael's, maybe even Rag Shop. They're the ones that :pop". The light comes from the inside, the colors are brilliant; if your eye is not drawn to them, you are most like looking at a catalog or wearing color shaded glasses. They are brilliant. And made in every color you might want (I don't know how they make the colors); they even come already mounted with even 4-way opening for sewing, using headpins, meshing, or simply stringing on a chain. They do cost more than their counterparts, but you won't find mis-shapen or mis-sized pieces unless the packer made a mistake. Although they are primarily Austrian in origin, you all have heard of German precision. Swarovski Elements (I believe they us that as their trademark) are no less than that. But that's a small part.
Swarovski has from time to time created a limited amount of jewelry. It's sparkle makes it impossible to take your eyes off-except when the crystals are black-they show a high polish. I sent one of Swarovski's cross necklaces to my Aunt some years back, saying in the note, "It's not real (gemstone), it's just Swarovski." My Aunt has replied to some of my gifts and notes with "You are crazy." such as when I sent her necklace saying "I'm not sure if it's Alexandrite or just Chrome Diopside or an Emerald." I may be a little crazy in some ways when I don't know things.
Swarovski's main pride is their figurines. Their carved crystal is exquisitely carved, detailed and perfect. Whenever my Dad would send me on a mission to purchase something special, "maybe some crystal", for someone's upcoming special remembrance celebration, I'd head to the Swarovski dealer who was set up in our local Fri-Sat-Sun market. He was fascinated. Stunned at first at the price, then relieved that I hadn't paid three times as much for it. It became almost a tradition til the market was shut to be replaced by a parking garage and possibly future boutiques. When you've had the best at a price that fits, you don't want to pay boutique prices because the town wants more tax money to squander on who knows what. Fancy lightpoles in one part of town, no snow plows in another. I have never been disappointed by the artwork and artistry, only by the unavailability of the "retired" pieces. I don't know Swarovski's policy on these, but my local merchant stated they were not to be sold. One cluster of grapes my Dad could not buy due to that factor resulted in amusement when I found a similar thing, completing the 'look' with paper gold leaf, in that high grade plastic. It's one of our favorite laughs.
Swarovski also makes exquisite little boxes, not huge, but they won't disappear on your dresser space. Though I promised myself that my Holiday spending for gifts was at an end, I could not pass up a newly released frog. Yes, a frog. There are pieces available in just about every animal from miniature to just under 60cm, but I collect frogs. I believe they will bring me good luck. Maybe one day I will get one who has a magic gold piece in his mouth. Well, if I can't find a prince, a good frog will suffice. They even have Elvis's "Blue Suede Shoes". There is no end to the imagination of these designers, if as other indsutries require, the ability level of the artists is perfect or not at all. And the looks on the faces of the creatures are equally delighful. The baby animals have that babyness about them, cute as can be and about to cost me a bit more money. I couldn't turn away from this one baby elephant.
Of course, just because it's advertised Swarovski, it doesn't mean it was made by them. Do check with your merchant. It may be an independent has used Swarovski crystals in the creation. Most people willing to do that much work will add their name to the piece someplace. I don't know that the Swarovski's themseleves have ever featured one particular designer or signature over their name. There are other crystal companies, of course, the most prominent for a time having been lalique, which used an etching or sandblasting technique to remove the sheen from the piece leaving a matte finish. There are other manufacturers whose items seem also to be made of cast glass. I've not seen anything Swarovski which was not faceted. They have everything from tiny mice to miniature castles, which is the only thing I've seen with a flat not faceted surface, but the cuts are evident in the definitions of the walls and joists and detailes. There is no "oops" in Swarovski.
As with all things, it is a matter of taste. And sometimes, a matter of space. If you want something upper crust which won't clutter up the homes of persons who don't have huge mantels, give a look at the Swarovski world. If you are able to purchase a thing, enjoy looking at it. You will find it is worthy of any occasion. And beware of fakes. A site on the internet was selling "Swarovski Certificates" she states were left over from when she was selling Swarovski. No pieces, just certificates. But you will know if it's counterfeit.
Wishing you good times and good company,
til next time,
Pegi
Swarovski is not the huge vases which the Cranbury, NJ, Lenox Warehouse carries. Nor is it the delicate crystal ware created in Ireland or even Czechoslovakia. They are a completely different "element".
Swarovski Crsytal is, first and foremost, a mined gemstone. No, it's not a diamond or a blue topaz, but for the gemstone-sized crystals which are marketed by Swarovski, you see the difference immediately upon entering that section of A.C. Moore or Michael's, maybe even Rag Shop. They're the ones that :pop". The light comes from the inside, the colors are brilliant; if your eye is not drawn to them, you are most like looking at a catalog or wearing color shaded glasses. They are brilliant. And made in every color you might want (I don't know how they make the colors); they even come already mounted with even 4-way opening for sewing, using headpins, meshing, or simply stringing on a chain. They do cost more than their counterparts, but you won't find mis-shapen or mis-sized pieces unless the packer made a mistake. Although they are primarily Austrian in origin, you all have heard of German precision. Swarovski Elements (I believe they us that as their trademark) are no less than that. But that's a small part.
Swarovski has from time to time created a limited amount of jewelry. It's sparkle makes it impossible to take your eyes off-except when the crystals are black-they show a high polish. I sent one of Swarovski's cross necklaces to my Aunt some years back, saying in the note, "It's not real (gemstone), it's just Swarovski." My Aunt has replied to some of my gifts and notes with "You are crazy." such as when I sent her necklace saying "I'm not sure if it's Alexandrite or just Chrome Diopside or an Emerald." I may be a little crazy in some ways when I don't know things.
Swarovski's main pride is their figurines. Their carved crystal is exquisitely carved, detailed and perfect. Whenever my Dad would send me on a mission to purchase something special, "maybe some crystal", for someone's upcoming special remembrance celebration, I'd head to the Swarovski dealer who was set up in our local Fri-Sat-Sun market. He was fascinated. Stunned at first at the price, then relieved that I hadn't paid three times as much for it. It became almost a tradition til the market was shut to be replaced by a parking garage and possibly future boutiques. When you've had the best at a price that fits, you don't want to pay boutique prices because the town wants more tax money to squander on who knows what. Fancy lightpoles in one part of town, no snow plows in another. I have never been disappointed by the artwork and artistry, only by the unavailability of the "retired" pieces. I don't know Swarovski's policy on these, but my local merchant stated they were not to be sold. One cluster of grapes my Dad could not buy due to that factor resulted in amusement when I found a similar thing, completing the 'look' with paper gold leaf, in that high grade plastic. It's one of our favorite laughs.
Swarovski also makes exquisite little boxes, not huge, but they won't disappear on your dresser space. Though I promised myself that my Holiday spending for gifts was at an end, I could not pass up a newly released frog. Yes, a frog. There are pieces available in just about every animal from miniature to just under 60cm, but I collect frogs. I believe they will bring me good luck. Maybe one day I will get one who has a magic gold piece in his mouth. Well, if I can't find a prince, a good frog will suffice. They even have Elvis's "Blue Suede Shoes". There is no end to the imagination of these designers, if as other indsutries require, the ability level of the artists is perfect or not at all. And the looks on the faces of the creatures are equally delighful. The baby animals have that babyness about them, cute as can be and about to cost me a bit more money. I couldn't turn away from this one baby elephant.
Of course, just because it's advertised Swarovski, it doesn't mean it was made by them. Do check with your merchant. It may be an independent has used Swarovski crystals in the creation. Most people willing to do that much work will add their name to the piece someplace. I don't know that the Swarovski's themseleves have ever featured one particular designer or signature over their name. There are other crystal companies, of course, the most prominent for a time having been lalique, which used an etching or sandblasting technique to remove the sheen from the piece leaving a matte finish. There are other manufacturers whose items seem also to be made of cast glass. I've not seen anything Swarovski which was not faceted. They have everything from tiny mice to miniature castles, which is the only thing I've seen with a flat not faceted surface, but the cuts are evident in the definitions of the walls and joists and detailes. There is no "oops" in Swarovski.
As with all things, it is a matter of taste. And sometimes, a matter of space. If you want something upper crust which won't clutter up the homes of persons who don't have huge mantels, give a look at the Swarovski world. If you are able to purchase a thing, enjoy looking at it. You will find it is worthy of any occasion. And beware of fakes. A site on the internet was selling "Swarovski Certificates" she states were left over from when she was selling Swarovski. No pieces, just certificates. But you will know if it's counterfeit.
Wishing you good times and good company,
til next time,
Pegi
Friday, November 19, 2010
TO: H.R.H. Charles from R.M.H.E. Pegi, Prinzess of Hohenzollern
Dear Charles,
Tonight as I watch your interview I find we could not be more in accord. Oftentimes I don't know what to write not because of lack of issue but because a cause pops into my head every few minutes. I do think you put the sum of the whole, people have lost touch with this earth, their nature, what they breathe to what they eat. They snicker at Royalty and boast this faked democracy, but yet they all want to be. Despite that the U.S. Constituion prohibits the conferring of Monarchial Titles, they refer to themselves as "Princesses", Queens" and "Kings". The truth of it is, most of us are slaves to this Capitalistic Megalopoly which lacks any sense of direction or purpose beyond war and destruction.
I've been here for the most of 42 years and I have watched, I've listened, and I see.
I see humanity lost to concrete and machines. I see love and romance become a financial and business proposition. I've seen the fallen trod upon, and disoaragement of those who would give a hand out or up. When and what from did this selfishness evolve?
From dissatisfaction of their own lot in life. From the lash of Capitalism masquerading as Democracy which forever drives them on without respite. Not even when they are old and sick; the "caregivers" and "medical system" only want to keep their hands in other people's pockets as long as possible. Now the age of retirement here is no longer 62, or 64. And they talk of raising it even more. They have bankrupted their own coffers in the desire for power and glory of being elected to office. Do they care about the people really? No. They only care that they get elected at the poles by spewing anti-tax things which would not be a problem if but one of them showed the people that the payment of taxes gave them something in return. "A secure, safe country" is not so secure and safe for those who have no food on the table, who cannot pay for medical and dental care, who are losing their homes because of a sudden, everyone who sold wanted to pay off not only their old house but wanted to include the cost of their new one in the sale of the old. And so it began, this out of control spiral of inflated real estate pricing. How does one get back from that? With no less than total economic collapse.
I saw waht George Bush was doing. And I opposed what Barack Obama did. He bailed out those who rubbed the nose of the American Public in their Capitalist Ethic and then asked to be rescued by the Socialist Conscience. As they sowed, so should they have reaped. But that's just not the way it is. Almost everyone in this country steals. From politicians to businessmen to drug dealers who have a pocket full of something to invest, they steal ideas with no recompense. They step on the very heads which propelled them in their quest to achieve a Royal Standard.
You say "Bloody People", which I believe you mean "Bloede Leut", oh so yes and getting worse. The news anchors are mere puppets who might well be perched on a knee like Winchell Mahoney because what comes out of their mouths is what was fed into their ears. Research? Verify? That's too much like actual work. They're "Personalities" nowadays; they're not news men or women. And the American Public? Bloede Leute even worse, they lsten and repeat what comes from the mouths of fools. Thinking might disturb their brainwashed little selves.
I don't know that I feel anything at all about the upcoming marriage of your son. There are issues of relationships always; more complicated by station in life. No doubt you know what they say about Hollywood marriages. The difference is that the attitudes are different.
I have said that there are things in life which we never get over, we just learn to live with them. The absence of loved ones lost to death are the primary things there. Can you find happiness and peace when constantly wounds are torn open again? They are not well-meaning; they are meant to upset and disturb.
For the most we all are diplomatic but there comes a time when this does not penetrate the brains of the ignorant. And for all the touting of the advances USA claims, they are highly ignorant of the rest of the world. I've had to tolerate this from the age of 8, being told I couldn't possibly have an Aunt in France and that I and my charge, Harald, were NAZI. I always said I knew where the NAZIs went-they came to the United States. Seeing history, it's where they began. Only their "jews" were Africans. As much as some decry anti0semitism, prejudice here abounds and always has. In the beginning it was against blacks. It was against women. It was against communes. It was against Socialists. It was against Irish, Italians, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, Russians, Koreans. There isn't a race or a place in the world against whom these were not at some time or other prejudiced. We both know what that currently is. What was your Harry thinking, going to Iraq and Afghanistan? It is my hope he had brain enough to go and seek the truth fro himself, not fight a cause for which there was no proof but hearsay.
I wrote recently to the Congressman from district where I live to tell him what I had not remembered, about what may have triggered the events of 9/11.
A man, seemingly crazed by drug or suggestion, walked up to me ranting and babbling that the top of the World Trade Center housed all the computers which ran all the business and military actions of the world and the US. I tried to explain to him the possible ramifications of such unsubstantiated and conjured nonesense. He didn't get it, that those things were housed where they are thought to be impenetratable. He preferred to ascribe to the "Hide in Plain Sight" principle. I tried further to reason with him, to go there, to see for himself. He demanded to know what I knew about where these things might be. I didn't reply because I was astounded that what I thought common knowledge was lacking in his head. And how many times was it repeated, "There are no weapons of mass destruction." In the end, it was a retaliation for threats against the Bush children; there were threats also against the sons of Sadam (Hussein). It has long been agreed that the children of those in power were off limits. When they are in the military, does that change because they now rank as "Soldier"? The whole thing was misguided and horrid. Put pushpins in every place where U.S. soldiers are now stationed and compare to where Great Britain (or the British Empire) had theirs. Do they/did they belong there? I say if the people are happy, stay the hell out of their country, you're trespassing. A thing the Americans didn't want to hear when they were in Germany as "occupation forces". Everyone else has left, why are they still there? I've told the US repeatedly my allegiance is not with them. I have a right to not agree with their expansionist, world domination for capitalism ethic. Especially that they so grievously fail their own people. They churn out automatons based on wht the economy needs, no regard for aptitude, talent, desire or fitness to serve in a given capacity.
The biggest laugh of my life came when I was working in Engineering and doing "Word Processing', aka typing. They were always gooing over how great I was at my job. One day I said to them "I'd like some day to find out what I could accomplish if I got a job doing something I didn't flunk in school." Stunned looks. I'm incompetent at typing, the 3 month course was my only failing grade among A's in all else. Math being the second problem. I knew how to do the eqasions Euro style. I didn't know the American way. The teacher's didn't "see" how I got the answer, I hadn't done the step-math on the paper. It made no sense to me. So because they didn't know how I got the answer, they refused to pass me. An oral examination would have proven my part. But the teachers weren't smart enough to think of doing that. So they decided I couldn't pass. Imagine the raised brows when my Aptitude Tests and College Entrance Exams returned a higher score in my Math than my English which I had aced since I began to speak the language some time in third grade, a few months after being trapped here. They make no sense. I wish I could say ignore them, but that only makes them more ignorant.
I am happy you have taken what you have and given meditation and exploration and human contact with all things outside "the castle".None of it is for ignoring. None of it is for destruction by ignorant outside forces. A time ago I said "I cannot wait for 2012. I cannot tolerate the way things are. My only hope is that when it comes, I will not be here, I will be back home." I can't abandon the American who devoted his life to being my Dad despite his wife, my abductress, doing all she could against anything which favored me. He has rescued me to her consternation. Her death in 2001 was a relief and she is seldon thought of. For years my Dad would buy me clothes. There was much about my being here he and I had not discussed. What English I knew, the shock cause it lost and he could not understand German. I asked him, "Dad, I know you were upset that when I (we-Harry & I) arrived, we had no clothes with us. I don't know what you thought, that the airlines lost them or there weren't any to send. But the truth is, there were no clothes sent because I was not supposed to stay here. They thought you'd figure it out if we came without enough clothes." His response was that now it makes sense. He had been annoyed because he did not know why then. I had to tell him "I'm sorry, your wife was not honest with you. But i told you who I am when you were in Germany and what you said was 'I asked the kid her name and she gives me a sentence.' It wasn't a sentence, it was my full name. Now I don't remember the whole thing, only part of it, because they decided I didn't need to drag all the dead people in the family around with me. My name is _ _ _,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _ _, Sanctus_____________________________________. Americans expect 3 word sentences from their kids and are dumfounded when that's not what they get. Oh well.
It seems William and Kate are not repeating Diana's mistake. Common courtesy would have dictated that she seek out the Lady of the Manor, that being Mami Elisabeth. Instead she chose to saty in her rooms, decrying her "solitude". I've corresponded with Mami Elisabeth when I have not been so ensconced in the madness of my abductress, the destruction of my own life, and for a long time but nearly every day in the last three years the continuation of my American Dad's mortal life. My life would be different if he had died, but again more joyless. I find little joy in what remains of my life. I knew it would be destroyed if I were forced to remainh here, and so it was. Beyond all the obvious such as a secure future being stolen from me, there was a near death illness from air pollution which left me dbilitated and within six months, the sister of an employee of the very company against whom suit had been filed slammed into the rear of my car and destroyed my spine. I had planned to go home to have it fixed, it would have been around $10,000. then (20 years ago)but everyone and everything had what I call a panicked death grip on me, doing all they could to keep me here. I expatriated where I stood. I wroet to the government, hoping they'd deport me. But they loved what I said and couldn't get enough of it. I was astonished. I kept on for the good of the whole world. But this last election shows me, they don't know what is good for their own selves. But I have some converts who thought they were Republicans til they heard what I said. Some woke up and I hope passed things on.
I do have some thing to say to William and Kate: Do not let them force you into a role of being any person other than your own. I don't care how much they talked your mother up; a lot was just to put the Monarchy down. The envy it, they want to be it, they hold a begridging jealousy for what they can't achieve. Don't let them steal your lives, your ideas. Tell them the things which fall in line with the direction you want to lead. Your father was far more shy than "Shy Di", but what his has accomplished is very, very much, without the support of the media and at the time Diana. I am happy things appear better with Camilla. One can do much worse than to marry their best friend. I can't imagine marrying a man who isn't that to me. That is because of my charge, my adopted brother Harry. He died far too young, from liver cancer, in 1999. He was the most loyal defender I have ever known and stood by me when I was faltering. I wish he'd told me more of what his needs were, perhaps I could have helped before it was too late. Before he died he said "I wish I'd seen it before. You have been my best friend all along. When I was drunk, you said don't do it. When I did drugs, you did everything to make me stop. AAnd I resented you for it then but I know now those other people who just kept on helping me do it more were not my friends at all. The only one who was true and caring about me was you. You didn't want me hurting myself." At least I was able to say "It was because you were those things and more to me." If the woman you are planning to marry is anything less, cares less for you than what the public thinks, then end it. If she is your true friend and defender against the outside things which could hurt you, against the ways you hurt yourself, then she is your true friend and your marriage has a chance. You can be in charge only so long as you can see the whole and not just you. But I think you learned that from your father. Your mother was much loved because she played to the public. But your father, quietly, has done much, and would do more if humanly possible. Mami Elisabeth I know has always been open to the human element. Look to her even more now. What is me and what isperceived are not the same thing, even by those "close" to me. They see what they feel, not what you are, what you feel or what you fail.
Much love and Very Best Wishes to Mami Elisabeth,
the lost Prinzess,
Pegi, von Vater Nikolaus.
(I am 59 years old this year. I cannot be. I haven't accomplished anything-each time I do, they revert back to "Bloede".)
Tonight as I watch your interview I find we could not be more in accord. Oftentimes I don't know what to write not because of lack of issue but because a cause pops into my head every few minutes. I do think you put the sum of the whole, people have lost touch with this earth, their nature, what they breathe to what they eat. They snicker at Royalty and boast this faked democracy, but yet they all want to be. Despite that the U.S. Constituion prohibits the conferring of Monarchial Titles, they refer to themselves as "Princesses", Queens" and "Kings". The truth of it is, most of us are slaves to this Capitalistic Megalopoly which lacks any sense of direction or purpose beyond war and destruction.
I've been here for the most of 42 years and I have watched, I've listened, and I see.
I see humanity lost to concrete and machines. I see love and romance become a financial and business proposition. I've seen the fallen trod upon, and disoaragement of those who would give a hand out or up. When and what from did this selfishness evolve?
From dissatisfaction of their own lot in life. From the lash of Capitalism masquerading as Democracy which forever drives them on without respite. Not even when they are old and sick; the "caregivers" and "medical system" only want to keep their hands in other people's pockets as long as possible. Now the age of retirement here is no longer 62, or 64. And they talk of raising it even more. They have bankrupted their own coffers in the desire for power and glory of being elected to office. Do they care about the people really? No. They only care that they get elected at the poles by spewing anti-tax things which would not be a problem if but one of them showed the people that the payment of taxes gave them something in return. "A secure, safe country" is not so secure and safe for those who have no food on the table, who cannot pay for medical and dental care, who are losing their homes because of a sudden, everyone who sold wanted to pay off not only their old house but wanted to include the cost of their new one in the sale of the old. And so it began, this out of control spiral of inflated real estate pricing. How does one get back from that? With no less than total economic collapse.
I saw waht George Bush was doing. And I opposed what Barack Obama did. He bailed out those who rubbed the nose of the American Public in their Capitalist Ethic and then asked to be rescued by the Socialist Conscience. As they sowed, so should they have reaped. But that's just not the way it is. Almost everyone in this country steals. From politicians to businessmen to drug dealers who have a pocket full of something to invest, they steal ideas with no recompense. They step on the very heads which propelled them in their quest to achieve a Royal Standard.
You say "Bloody People", which I believe you mean "Bloede Leut", oh so yes and getting worse. The news anchors are mere puppets who might well be perched on a knee like Winchell Mahoney because what comes out of their mouths is what was fed into their ears. Research? Verify? That's too much like actual work. They're "Personalities" nowadays; they're not news men or women. And the American Public? Bloede Leute even worse, they lsten and repeat what comes from the mouths of fools. Thinking might disturb their brainwashed little selves.
I don't know that I feel anything at all about the upcoming marriage of your son. There are issues of relationships always; more complicated by station in life. No doubt you know what they say about Hollywood marriages. The difference is that the attitudes are different.
I have said that there are things in life which we never get over, we just learn to live with them. The absence of loved ones lost to death are the primary things there. Can you find happiness and peace when constantly wounds are torn open again? They are not well-meaning; they are meant to upset and disturb.
For the most we all are diplomatic but there comes a time when this does not penetrate the brains of the ignorant. And for all the touting of the advances USA claims, they are highly ignorant of the rest of the world. I've had to tolerate this from the age of 8, being told I couldn't possibly have an Aunt in France and that I and my charge, Harald, were NAZI. I always said I knew where the NAZIs went-they came to the United States. Seeing history, it's where they began. Only their "jews" were Africans. As much as some decry anti0semitism, prejudice here abounds and always has. In the beginning it was against blacks. It was against women. It was against communes. It was against Socialists. It was against Irish, Italians, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, Russians, Koreans. There isn't a race or a place in the world against whom these were not at some time or other prejudiced. We both know what that currently is. What was your Harry thinking, going to Iraq and Afghanistan? It is my hope he had brain enough to go and seek the truth fro himself, not fight a cause for which there was no proof but hearsay.
I wrote recently to the Congressman from district where I live to tell him what I had not remembered, about what may have triggered the events of 9/11.
A man, seemingly crazed by drug or suggestion, walked up to me ranting and babbling that the top of the World Trade Center housed all the computers which ran all the business and military actions of the world and the US. I tried to explain to him the possible ramifications of such unsubstantiated and conjured nonesense. He didn't get it, that those things were housed where they are thought to be impenetratable. He preferred to ascribe to the "Hide in Plain Sight" principle. I tried further to reason with him, to go there, to see for himself. He demanded to know what I knew about where these things might be. I didn't reply because I was astounded that what I thought common knowledge was lacking in his head. And how many times was it repeated, "There are no weapons of mass destruction." In the end, it was a retaliation for threats against the Bush children; there were threats also against the sons of Sadam (Hussein). It has long been agreed that the children of those in power were off limits. When they are in the military, does that change because they now rank as "Soldier"? The whole thing was misguided and horrid. Put pushpins in every place where U.S. soldiers are now stationed and compare to where Great Britain (or the British Empire) had theirs. Do they/did they belong there? I say if the people are happy, stay the hell out of their country, you're trespassing. A thing the Americans didn't want to hear when they were in Germany as "occupation forces". Everyone else has left, why are they still there? I've told the US repeatedly my allegiance is not with them. I have a right to not agree with their expansionist, world domination for capitalism ethic. Especially that they so grievously fail their own people. They churn out automatons based on wht the economy needs, no regard for aptitude, talent, desire or fitness to serve in a given capacity.
The biggest laugh of my life came when I was working in Engineering and doing "Word Processing', aka typing. They were always gooing over how great I was at my job. One day I said to them "I'd like some day to find out what I could accomplish if I got a job doing something I didn't flunk in school." Stunned looks. I'm incompetent at typing, the 3 month course was my only failing grade among A's in all else. Math being the second problem. I knew how to do the eqasions Euro style. I didn't know the American way. The teacher's didn't "see" how I got the answer, I hadn't done the step-math on the paper. It made no sense to me. So because they didn't know how I got the answer, they refused to pass me. An oral examination would have proven my part. But the teachers weren't smart enough to think of doing that. So they decided I couldn't pass. Imagine the raised brows when my Aptitude Tests and College Entrance Exams returned a higher score in my Math than my English which I had aced since I began to speak the language some time in third grade, a few months after being trapped here. They make no sense. I wish I could say ignore them, but that only makes them more ignorant.
I am happy you have taken what you have and given meditation and exploration and human contact with all things outside "the castle".None of it is for ignoring. None of it is for destruction by ignorant outside forces. A time ago I said "I cannot wait for 2012. I cannot tolerate the way things are. My only hope is that when it comes, I will not be here, I will be back home." I can't abandon the American who devoted his life to being my Dad despite his wife, my abductress, doing all she could against anything which favored me. He has rescued me to her consternation. Her death in 2001 was a relief and she is seldon thought of. For years my Dad would buy me clothes. There was much about my being here he and I had not discussed. What English I knew, the shock cause it lost and he could not understand German. I asked him, "Dad, I know you were upset that when I (we-Harry & I) arrived, we had no clothes with us. I don't know what you thought, that the airlines lost them or there weren't any to send. But the truth is, there were no clothes sent because I was not supposed to stay here. They thought you'd figure it out if we came without enough clothes." His response was that now it makes sense. He had been annoyed because he did not know why then. I had to tell him "I'm sorry, your wife was not honest with you. But i told you who I am when you were in Germany and what you said was 'I asked the kid her name and she gives me a sentence.' It wasn't a sentence, it was my full name. Now I don't remember the whole thing, only part of it, because they decided I didn't need to drag all the dead people in the family around with me. My name is _ _ _,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _ _, Sanctus_____________________________________. Americans expect 3 word sentences from their kids and are dumfounded when that's not what they get. Oh well.
It seems William and Kate are not repeating Diana's mistake. Common courtesy would have dictated that she seek out the Lady of the Manor, that being Mami Elisabeth. Instead she chose to saty in her rooms, decrying her "solitude". I've corresponded with Mami Elisabeth when I have not been so ensconced in the madness of my abductress, the destruction of my own life, and for a long time but nearly every day in the last three years the continuation of my American Dad's mortal life. My life would be different if he had died, but again more joyless. I find little joy in what remains of my life. I knew it would be destroyed if I were forced to remainh here, and so it was. Beyond all the obvious such as a secure future being stolen from me, there was a near death illness from air pollution which left me dbilitated and within six months, the sister of an employee of the very company against whom suit had been filed slammed into the rear of my car and destroyed my spine. I had planned to go home to have it fixed, it would have been around $10,000. then (20 years ago)but everyone and everything had what I call a panicked death grip on me, doing all they could to keep me here. I expatriated where I stood. I wroet to the government, hoping they'd deport me. But they loved what I said and couldn't get enough of it. I was astonished. I kept on for the good of the whole world. But this last election shows me, they don't know what is good for their own selves. But I have some converts who thought they were Republicans til they heard what I said. Some woke up and I hope passed things on.
I do have some thing to say to William and Kate: Do not let them force you into a role of being any person other than your own. I don't care how much they talked your mother up; a lot was just to put the Monarchy down. The envy it, they want to be it, they hold a begridging jealousy for what they can't achieve. Don't let them steal your lives, your ideas. Tell them the things which fall in line with the direction you want to lead. Your father was far more shy than "Shy Di", but what his has accomplished is very, very much, without the support of the media and at the time Diana. I am happy things appear better with Camilla. One can do much worse than to marry their best friend. I can't imagine marrying a man who isn't that to me. That is because of my charge, my adopted brother Harry. He died far too young, from liver cancer, in 1999. He was the most loyal defender I have ever known and stood by me when I was faltering. I wish he'd told me more of what his needs were, perhaps I could have helped before it was too late. Before he died he said "I wish I'd seen it before. You have been my best friend all along. When I was drunk, you said don't do it. When I did drugs, you did everything to make me stop. AAnd I resented you for it then but I know now those other people who just kept on helping me do it more were not my friends at all. The only one who was true and caring about me was you. You didn't want me hurting myself." At least I was able to say "It was because you were those things and more to me." If the woman you are planning to marry is anything less, cares less for you than what the public thinks, then end it. If she is your true friend and defender against the outside things which could hurt you, against the ways you hurt yourself, then she is your true friend and your marriage has a chance. You can be in charge only so long as you can see the whole and not just you. But I think you learned that from your father. Your mother was much loved because she played to the public. But your father, quietly, has done much, and would do more if humanly possible. Mami Elisabeth I know has always been open to the human element. Look to her even more now. What is me and what isperceived are not the same thing, even by those "close" to me. They see what they feel, not what you are, what you feel or what you fail.
Much love and Very Best Wishes to Mami Elisabeth,
the lost Prinzess,
Pegi, von Vater Nikolaus.
(I am 59 years old this year. I cannot be. I haven't accomplished anything-each time I do, they revert back to "Bloede".)
This Mind I Own
If anyone was from looking at me expecting a simple person, they learned within three months that I am something quite different. There's a reason why I think I'm a Pisces, but my mind is Gemini-quick and as multi-faceted. It's rare that one topic doesn't trigger a cavalcade of thoughts, all related, but so fast the perceiver has no clue how I got from A to Z without seemingly going first to B. I went to B. Just not out loud.
Per example, I was discussing with my American Dad's Home Health Aide the Memorial Observance and the Poinsettia tradition where we would take my Dad to pay respects to his wife, deceased in 2001 from complications of herself and osteoporosis. Logistics having been established, I said to her "And you need to call Dr. **** in the morning. She stared at me incredulous. So I said "You're wondering how I got from poinsettias to Dr.****. She said she was. I explained. The mausoleum is on Rt.xyz. We got a card in the mail the other day that Dr. **** just opened and office near there and you need to see a doctor. "It does make sense" is what she said. I told her it always makes sense in my head, just not to the people who don't know what's going on in it."That explains some things" she said. Good, that's the way I think. Trust it first, ask questions later. She said "I know". Important when I have to give her medical instructions in the space of a heartbeat possibly. I can't be arguing about how I got to the conclusion at that moment. With my Dad's condition, there was a time where a heartbeat was about all he had bewteen critically ill and dead. I'll knock someone on their butt and do it myself before I argue about matters that important.
My typing at times belies it, but at PPPL my friend Brian used to look at me and say "picky, picky, picky." What else would you like me to be when I'm working 200 feet from the largest nuclear fusion test reactor in the state? No room for floating decimals or incomplete information. If it carried my signature or initials or was perceived as being in my realm of responsibility, it was perfect. Including the layout on the page. My letters and documents were read. My way drew the attention. Which merited a lot of engineers later on some raises. Now, not so much. I've never been a typist, and I never really liked it, but it is the way of the world these days. Some few people I will take time for to write it out longhand because my printers have not functioned in over a year. One, the Dell AIO, is great for photocopies and faxing, but it never printed for me. My Hewlett-Packard worked just fine til Dell found out I had it. Then it stopped. They decided it was "incompatible" with this sytem. It wasnt til they got wind of it. I have more to think about than Deell/Microsoft's little desires to retain their empire. Which is fading fast. They still tell me every day I didn't sign in under the password they have. That's right. They asked me last month why my password to evry site was different than the one I'd initially given them. I told them it was my very own security system (omitting the "which you have no right to access anyway"). I have no patience for those people. I don't care how they want it; it's my tool and I want it to do what I need it to do, not what they want in increased revenues. So I blocked a lot of their things, just like they blocked my freedom to choose my printer. I find their system's rendering of colors highly inaccurate and I can't do a thing about it. I told them the next time I have a problem, this is going in the garbage right after I buy a Hewlett-Packard. I don't have time or patiencew for non-sense "updates"hich present a new computer system on a daily basis. It's abusurdity to the nano-degree.
Their mess has caused a mess in my own normally highly disciplined life. My paperwork was never scattered. My pets were never put second to an object. It leaves me no choice. I've wanted to heave it off the balcony many a time. But first I need to transfer everything to someplace else.
Normal me enters every transaction in the bank registers immediately on returning home. After diggin for paperwork from 3 years ago for Dell Tech Support, I'm lucky I can find my checkbook. No, I won't trust it on-line. My Dad was a computer professional from the time computers were invented. His financials are in a seperate computer with no connection to the net. Were, anyway, till someone physically present tried to snoop in and crashed the whole system. I've been doing it longhand now for over three years. But up til then, the HP never failed. The Quicken program made it all so simple. Currently, I can't even locate half the bills because of the time I've had to waste. It's just not my gig, this computer thing. I'm a highly logical organized person who has used a number of different manufacturer's computers. Nothing like this mess ever happend with them. I'm also first and formost an artist. Except for writing and fast buying as well as occasional real communication, I don't have much use for the thing. Especially not if I can't get my artwork to print out color true. I have my Dad's medical problems to deal with, in addittion to financials for two households and my own medical things. Business as usual for Dell is life disrupted for me. Including business. They're the worst offender when it comes to "popping up". Always exactly when you don't want them to. And I.E. is rapidly becoming the slowest and most unreliable way to cross the net. What a mess. Capitalism allows it. By allowing it, they disallow me. Lately it's getting harder and harder because of the damage to my spine and having to fix a mess someone else made of my things does not contribute to attempts to avoid things which cause spinal distress. Computer problems contribute greatly to the pain I've been in for the past four weeks.
Despite my best efforts, more and more stuff shows up in my mailbox, both virtual and real. Virtual I can ignore; real I cannot. I have to sort thru a mess before I can find the bills. I will not pay on line. Especially not since the Dell guy's questions were more about what financial information I have on my computer and what he was trying to sell than actually making the thing work for me. I finally almost got it up to full function last Friday. He left it in selective boot mode. I went thru all my programs trying to make it work like it did before he messed it up after they messed it up with thei so-called "security". And I had to delete a new spyware I downlaoded becasue Microsoft decided it was going to take up my entire Google toolbar with their icons and such. There's still one on my desktop, but it will soon be gone.
If anyone still doesn't get that they can't rely on their computers for accuracy from one day to the next, this mess of a world will be a bigger mess. My reality is tangible and physical. Cyberspace is something like floating in free fall orbit. You don't always know where you are, but you do know you need to land. It's out there. I'm in here. And my life will continue to be lived here, not out there.
Once the rest of the mess gets policed, I expect I'll be blogging on a more regular basis. My head is full of ideas and topics. Like looking at a gemstone-the light is coming back at you but changing and converging and originating/culminating somewhere. There's a beginning and an end to everything on this Earth with the possible exception of the messes people make.
Ciao!
Pegi
Per example, I was discussing with my American Dad's Home Health Aide the Memorial Observance and the Poinsettia tradition where we would take my Dad to pay respects to his wife, deceased in 2001 from complications of herself and osteoporosis. Logistics having been established, I said to her "And you need to call Dr. **** in the morning. She stared at me incredulous. So I said "You're wondering how I got from poinsettias to Dr.****. She said she was. I explained. The mausoleum is on Rt.xyz. We got a card in the mail the other day that Dr. **** just opened and office near there and you need to see a doctor. "It does make sense" is what she said. I told her it always makes sense in my head, just not to the people who don't know what's going on in it."That explains some things" she said. Good, that's the way I think. Trust it first, ask questions later. She said "I know". Important when I have to give her medical instructions in the space of a heartbeat possibly. I can't be arguing about how I got to the conclusion at that moment. With my Dad's condition, there was a time where a heartbeat was about all he had bewteen critically ill and dead. I'll knock someone on their butt and do it myself before I argue about matters that important.
My typing at times belies it, but at PPPL my friend Brian used to look at me and say "picky, picky, picky." What else would you like me to be when I'm working 200 feet from the largest nuclear fusion test reactor in the state? No room for floating decimals or incomplete information. If it carried my signature or initials or was perceived as being in my realm of responsibility, it was perfect. Including the layout on the page. My letters and documents were read. My way drew the attention. Which merited a lot of engineers later on some raises. Now, not so much. I've never been a typist, and I never really liked it, but it is the way of the world these days. Some few people I will take time for to write it out longhand because my printers have not functioned in over a year. One, the Dell AIO, is great for photocopies and faxing, but it never printed for me. My Hewlett-Packard worked just fine til Dell found out I had it. Then it stopped. They decided it was "incompatible" with this sytem. It wasnt til they got wind of it. I have more to think about than Deell/Microsoft's little desires to retain their empire. Which is fading fast. They still tell me every day I didn't sign in under the password they have. That's right. They asked me last month why my password to evry site was different than the one I'd initially given them. I told them it was my very own security system (omitting the "which you have no right to access anyway"). I have no patience for those people. I don't care how they want it; it's my tool and I want it to do what I need it to do, not what they want in increased revenues. So I blocked a lot of their things, just like they blocked my freedom to choose my printer. I find their system's rendering of colors highly inaccurate and I can't do a thing about it. I told them the next time I have a problem, this is going in the garbage right after I buy a Hewlett-Packard. I don't have time or patiencew for non-sense "updates"hich present a new computer system on a daily basis. It's abusurdity to the nano-degree.
Their mess has caused a mess in my own normally highly disciplined life. My paperwork was never scattered. My pets were never put second to an object. It leaves me no choice. I've wanted to heave it off the balcony many a time. But first I need to transfer everything to someplace else.
Normal me enters every transaction in the bank registers immediately on returning home. After diggin for paperwork from 3 years ago for Dell Tech Support, I'm lucky I can find my checkbook. No, I won't trust it on-line. My Dad was a computer professional from the time computers were invented. His financials are in a seperate computer with no connection to the net. Were, anyway, till someone physically present tried to snoop in and crashed the whole system. I've been doing it longhand now for over three years. But up til then, the HP never failed. The Quicken program made it all so simple. Currently, I can't even locate half the bills because of the time I've had to waste. It's just not my gig, this computer thing. I'm a highly logical organized person who has used a number of different manufacturer's computers. Nothing like this mess ever happend with them. I'm also first and formost an artist. Except for writing and fast buying as well as occasional real communication, I don't have much use for the thing. Especially not if I can't get my artwork to print out color true. I have my Dad's medical problems to deal with, in addittion to financials for two households and my own medical things. Business as usual for Dell is life disrupted for me. Including business. They're the worst offender when it comes to "popping up". Always exactly when you don't want them to. And I.E. is rapidly becoming the slowest and most unreliable way to cross the net. What a mess. Capitalism allows it. By allowing it, they disallow me. Lately it's getting harder and harder because of the damage to my spine and having to fix a mess someone else made of my things does not contribute to attempts to avoid things which cause spinal distress. Computer problems contribute greatly to the pain I've been in for the past four weeks.
Despite my best efforts, more and more stuff shows up in my mailbox, both virtual and real. Virtual I can ignore; real I cannot. I have to sort thru a mess before I can find the bills. I will not pay on line. Especially not since the Dell guy's questions were more about what financial information I have on my computer and what he was trying to sell than actually making the thing work for me. I finally almost got it up to full function last Friday. He left it in selective boot mode. I went thru all my programs trying to make it work like it did before he messed it up after they messed it up with thei so-called "security". And I had to delete a new spyware I downlaoded becasue Microsoft decided it was going to take up my entire Google toolbar with their icons and such. There's still one on my desktop, but it will soon be gone.
If anyone still doesn't get that they can't rely on their computers for accuracy from one day to the next, this mess of a world will be a bigger mess. My reality is tangible and physical. Cyberspace is something like floating in free fall orbit. You don't always know where you are, but you do know you need to land. It's out there. I'm in here. And my life will continue to be lived here, not out there.
Once the rest of the mess gets policed, I expect I'll be blogging on a more regular basis. My head is full of ideas and topics. Like looking at a gemstone-the light is coming back at you but changing and converging and originating/culminating somewhere. There's a beginning and an end to everything on this Earth with the possible exception of the messes people make.
Ciao!
Pegi
Saturday, November 13, 2010
He Walked In.
After eleven years stateside, I was finally back home in Germany. Not a trip I initially wanted to make, I had other plans here, but it was an emergency call to the bedside of my Omi Halki. There was no way I wasn't going.
I'd flown back to Jersey from Iowa, no sleep, bus to NYC to Embassy, U.S. State Department, actually; wrong destination, to get my passport. There was a delay. I didn't have any of my German documents, only the phony U.S. ones my abductress had engineered for me. So I got a green passport, back to Jersey. Could not sleep on the floor at the home I'd left two years before. Next day, off to the airport. I couldn't sleep in transit. Not with the sunrise popping up in the sky, the brightest and most sudden night to day I'd ever seen or would again.
We arrived in Munchen, got a train to Kirchheim, a limo to my hometown. On my Omi's kitchen floor, too exhauseted for anything more, I put my head on my suitcase and fell immediately asleep. I'd never been able to just fall asleep in years. It seemed everytime I did, I woke up in another country or place. Sleeping "in transit" just wasn't safe.
All the much desired friends and family were contacted; my Omi in the hospital visited. She was always insisting we shouldn't be hanging around in the hospital, we should go out and have some fun. Onkel Horst was due "home" on the weekend and joyously awaited. He came early, and life started up. They had evry sort of plan for us. Except one. It was altogether unexpected.
With Onkel Horst, we visited the town of my Aunt, where there was nightlife; at the Gasthof and down the hill where there was a little Cantina with a spring fed swimming pond. I was in my element. Since I learned how to swim, keeping me out of swimmable water was an impossibility. Onkel Horst had been given "ferien" for our time there. My Dad was to come the final week of our stay; he had to work, now with more bills to pay.
After a day of me in and out of the water, it was time to dress and go back for festivities at the little Cantina. I found out what the "Stammtisch" was; for some reason I was welcome to use it. No one else was sitting there, so I didn't stay long at that table. I wasn't used to drinking; the good German beer stated wonderfully unsweet and satisfying. We were busily uncrossing the language barrier; my amnesia had taken, along with my memory of everyone and everything, my native language. I didn't know then how upset people were with the condition of me on my return to them. As we were discussing words, someone came in the door. I wasn't looking for anyone, I had left a boyfriend in the States, and really didn't know the extent of the fuss my return had made. I lifted my head up to laugh and across the room, He stood, looking all like Eastwood only a nose better. The bang of my glass as it went back to the table from halfway to my mouth stopped all conversation and everyone saw what happened.
What happened was love at the first instance. There, at home, everyone knew it, everyone understood it, everyone supports it. Even my Uncle's warning, "Watch out for that guy. He's not a good thing." was followed immediately by an "Uh-oh. Too late."
Roland came over to the table and excused his presence, saying he hadn't meant to cause anything, he was just there because that's where he goes. The fact that he had even come that far had me giddy and light-headed. I tried to stand up and immediately sat down again. I excused myself by virtue of the beer. How much had I had, he asked. My answer "Half a glass." caused further amusement. For the next two weeks, Roland and I stayed close, but distant, but there comes a day when nature prevails and the magnetism was no longer preventable. We had held out nearly three weeks, when it was close to time for me to return to the states, there was a "Spahnferkele" celebration. It was that night after some ranting and raving from my stepdad; Roland and I agreeing the man was off his rocker or too drunk to be sane, we were in each other's arms and kissing; both a little shy, both a little embarrassed. We both had another person looking for us to give them our lifetime.
I spent five happy months basking in love and being loved. I've tried to find that here; I've given all sorts of relationships and non-relationships chances. Nothing happens. They go nowhere, they dead-end. If once in your life you've found pure love, nothing less will keep the heart at ease. But so it is with me. Not that the door to my mind and heart were not open. What walked in fell short of being true; too often contrived, too often convenience and economics related. I find I cannot long abide in the actress in me, to pretend to happiness and committment when my soul isn't in it is too phony for me to live it.
I don't at this moment know if Roland is alive or dead. But I know our love never had the chance to fail, to tire or to wane. It's a feeling I remember well when I hear Josh Grogan "Hallelujah". I can feel the song go through and through me and that is the closest since way back when I have felt to what Roland and I had. No doubt. No question. No heeded criticism or warnings. This love lives on perfect like the chord progressions of that song; seemingly endless but yet not continued. I've given up hoping I'll ever find true love again because there are no bearers of it, but I know without question what it is and it isn't. As much as I have compromised my life, in essence as much as it was against my will sacrificed, I know at least my feelings are honest.
Pegi
I'd flown back to Jersey from Iowa, no sleep, bus to NYC to Embassy, U.S. State Department, actually; wrong destination, to get my passport. There was a delay. I didn't have any of my German documents, only the phony U.S. ones my abductress had engineered for me. So I got a green passport, back to Jersey. Could not sleep on the floor at the home I'd left two years before. Next day, off to the airport. I couldn't sleep in transit. Not with the sunrise popping up in the sky, the brightest and most sudden night to day I'd ever seen or would again.
We arrived in Munchen, got a train to Kirchheim, a limo to my hometown. On my Omi's kitchen floor, too exhauseted for anything more, I put my head on my suitcase and fell immediately asleep. I'd never been able to just fall asleep in years. It seemed everytime I did, I woke up in another country or place. Sleeping "in transit" just wasn't safe.
All the much desired friends and family were contacted; my Omi in the hospital visited. She was always insisting we shouldn't be hanging around in the hospital, we should go out and have some fun. Onkel Horst was due "home" on the weekend and joyously awaited. He came early, and life started up. They had evry sort of plan for us. Except one. It was altogether unexpected.
With Onkel Horst, we visited the town of my Aunt, where there was nightlife; at the Gasthof and down the hill where there was a little Cantina with a spring fed swimming pond. I was in my element. Since I learned how to swim, keeping me out of swimmable water was an impossibility. Onkel Horst had been given "ferien" for our time there. My Dad was to come the final week of our stay; he had to work, now with more bills to pay.
After a day of me in and out of the water, it was time to dress and go back for festivities at the little Cantina. I found out what the "Stammtisch" was; for some reason I was welcome to use it. No one else was sitting there, so I didn't stay long at that table. I wasn't used to drinking; the good German beer stated wonderfully unsweet and satisfying. We were busily uncrossing the language barrier; my amnesia had taken, along with my memory of everyone and everything, my native language. I didn't know then how upset people were with the condition of me on my return to them. As we were discussing words, someone came in the door. I wasn't looking for anyone, I had left a boyfriend in the States, and really didn't know the extent of the fuss my return had made. I lifted my head up to laugh and across the room, He stood, looking all like Eastwood only a nose better. The bang of my glass as it went back to the table from halfway to my mouth stopped all conversation and everyone saw what happened.
What happened was love at the first instance. There, at home, everyone knew it, everyone understood it, everyone supports it. Even my Uncle's warning, "Watch out for that guy. He's not a good thing." was followed immediately by an "Uh-oh. Too late."
Roland came over to the table and excused his presence, saying he hadn't meant to cause anything, he was just there because that's where he goes. The fact that he had even come that far had me giddy and light-headed. I tried to stand up and immediately sat down again. I excused myself by virtue of the beer. How much had I had, he asked. My answer "Half a glass." caused further amusement. For the next two weeks, Roland and I stayed close, but distant, but there comes a day when nature prevails and the magnetism was no longer preventable. We had held out nearly three weeks, when it was close to time for me to return to the states, there was a "Spahnferkele" celebration. It was that night after some ranting and raving from my stepdad; Roland and I agreeing the man was off his rocker or too drunk to be sane, we were in each other's arms and kissing; both a little shy, both a little embarrassed. We both had another person looking for us to give them our lifetime.
I spent five happy months basking in love and being loved. I've tried to find that here; I've given all sorts of relationships and non-relationships chances. Nothing happens. They go nowhere, they dead-end. If once in your life you've found pure love, nothing less will keep the heart at ease. But so it is with me. Not that the door to my mind and heart were not open. What walked in fell short of being true; too often contrived, too often convenience and economics related. I find I cannot long abide in the actress in me, to pretend to happiness and committment when my soul isn't in it is too phony for me to live it.
I don't at this moment know if Roland is alive or dead. But I know our love never had the chance to fail, to tire or to wane. It's a feeling I remember well when I hear Josh Grogan "Hallelujah". I can feel the song go through and through me and that is the closest since way back when I have felt to what Roland and I had. No doubt. No question. No heeded criticism or warnings. This love lives on perfect like the chord progressions of that song; seemingly endless but yet not continued. I've given up hoping I'll ever find true love again because there are no bearers of it, but I know without question what it is and it isn't. As much as I have compromised my life, in essence as much as it was against my will sacrificed, I know at least my feelings are honest.
Pegi
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Too Absurd for Words
I received in my e-mail a legal mandate wherein Google had to notify all users of gmail that there had been brought a "class action suit" against them for providing a service, free of charge, voluntary, to gmail users, called "Buzz".
I chose not to use it when it was first offered; I revisited to discern why. The site allows the choice of keeping your "whatever" private or publish it to the world. I should have gone with it and "publish to the world", but I didn't. So why do I have to reply to a lawsuit which has nothing to do with me, which I would not have joined were I asked, and which will serve only to make this one particular "garden variety" group of lawyers who bring multiple class-action suits rich? I wouldn't.
I am stunned with the backlog of real cases that any judge who did his homework wouldn't have laughed this thing out of court. Even more stunned that Google decided to use the ointment instead of swat the fly. But some things, when you have enough money, simply aren't worth your time and aggravation to address. I suppose this falls into that category. Like keeping a product you don't want because to ship it back would cost half of it's value anyway.
As to these lawyers, I'm familiar with their work from multiple stock failure lawsuits they brought. They didn't even bother to sort out who had what but sent a list of things which would have taken 3 days to read and God only knows how long to figure out which step-parent at what time held what stock thru which broker. And of course they all fell outside the seven year period wherein brokers are required to keep this information. One set of brokers tried to help, the other set was "It was Kenny's account"....o.k., so I got $127.++ back for my Dad. Whatever stocks my deceased step-mom held, well, I guess that was forfeit and the attorneys walked away with multiple millions of dollars.
So I ask you, is this justice? Or should I ask "Who does justice really serve?"
Apparently it serves anyone with an ax to grind and the strength to use it. Those of us who have truly been damaged can't get into the court room, struggle to exist, and are worn down to nothing until we lack the strength to fight. Do the lawyers care? I haven't found one. They all want the big bucks cases; they don't care about merit of the case. They're too lazy to get the facts, you have to because they won't. They're not Perry Mason, or any other TV lawyer who cared. Just like the real life cops don't have the equipment the tv cops have. Pity it is that. Maybe I just expect too much. Like somebody taking finerprints after someone drilled out my dead-lock to get int my apartment. The cops did care, in fact were quite upset over what happened to me. Upset enough to get people out of bed at 12:30 AM, especially given that the idiot stole my asthma medicine and that needed to be made public. They could have overloaded their hearts if they took a lot of it. We left that at the possibility that someone might present in the emergency room with bronchial spasms and cardiac issues. Overdose of asthma meds will do that even to asthmatics. People do dumb things. So I made a list of what was missing, a couple of antihistamines and anti-seizure meds I kept for in case I had an emergency so I could function and not die on the way to get help. The idiots who stole the meds were ignorant. The people who brought this frivolous suit against Google aren't. They're culprits. Or else they can't read and shouldn't be using the computer anyway. The very first thing you see when you click on "Buzz" is a choice which says "Keep it Private" OR "Publish to the World."
I wrote the lawyers and told them I am opting out as this had nothing to do with me. How dare they demand I take my time, my supplies, my money, to answer them who have no right to know which email I use as I had not contacted them on anything. I think it was a ploy to get private information. And I bet if Google investigated, they'd find a bit of collusion and ulteriors besides for getting rich.
I told the lawyers also that if they really wanted to go after people who invade or breech privacy, there are a lot of non-profits out there who think nothing of disseminating your personal information to whom they choose. And there are those people who sell their mailing or customer lists. Can they get more stupid? My money stops going to my chosen charity the moment I am contacted by another of it's same affiliation. It's dumb. Why would you want to decrease the donation you get by sharing it among everyone else? This is not a democracy here, it's a capitalistic megalopoly and if you don't guard your assets, people's donation or purchse info being that, you will lose it. I promise it.
I hope these lawyers get a well earned lesson and walk away empty handed for making evryone else do their work for them. Oh yes, some do pride themselves on their laziness.
In the meanwhile, check you gmail. You have to opt out or else live with whatever those lawyers have in store for you. And if Google chooses to file a malicious prosecution suit in the aftermath, I'll testify on their behalf. This kind a garbage needs to be corralled sometime. And I'm speaking as a former associate ACLU member (my dues lapsed-my ethics haven't.)
I chose not to use it when it was first offered; I revisited to discern why. The site allows the choice of keeping your "whatever" private or publish it to the world. I should have gone with it and "publish to the world", but I didn't. So why do I have to reply to a lawsuit which has nothing to do with me, which I would not have joined were I asked, and which will serve only to make this one particular "garden variety" group of lawyers who bring multiple class-action suits rich? I wouldn't.
I am stunned with the backlog of real cases that any judge who did his homework wouldn't have laughed this thing out of court. Even more stunned that Google decided to use the ointment instead of swat the fly. But some things, when you have enough money, simply aren't worth your time and aggravation to address. I suppose this falls into that category. Like keeping a product you don't want because to ship it back would cost half of it's value anyway.
As to these lawyers, I'm familiar with their work from multiple stock failure lawsuits they brought. They didn't even bother to sort out who had what but sent a list of things which would have taken 3 days to read and God only knows how long to figure out which step-parent at what time held what stock thru which broker. And of course they all fell outside the seven year period wherein brokers are required to keep this information. One set of brokers tried to help, the other set was "It was Kenny's account"....o.k., so I got $127.++ back for my Dad. Whatever stocks my deceased step-mom held, well, I guess that was forfeit and the attorneys walked away with multiple millions of dollars.
So I ask you, is this justice? Or should I ask "Who does justice really serve?"
Apparently it serves anyone with an ax to grind and the strength to use it. Those of us who have truly been damaged can't get into the court room, struggle to exist, and are worn down to nothing until we lack the strength to fight. Do the lawyers care? I haven't found one. They all want the big bucks cases; they don't care about merit of the case. They're too lazy to get the facts, you have to because they won't. They're not Perry Mason, or any other TV lawyer who cared. Just like the real life cops don't have the equipment the tv cops have. Pity it is that. Maybe I just expect too much. Like somebody taking finerprints after someone drilled out my dead-lock to get int my apartment. The cops did care, in fact were quite upset over what happened to me. Upset enough to get people out of bed at 12:30 AM, especially given that the idiot stole my asthma medicine and that needed to be made public. They could have overloaded their hearts if they took a lot of it. We left that at the possibility that someone might present in the emergency room with bronchial spasms and cardiac issues. Overdose of asthma meds will do that even to asthmatics. People do dumb things. So I made a list of what was missing, a couple of antihistamines and anti-seizure meds I kept for in case I had an emergency so I could function and not die on the way to get help. The idiots who stole the meds were ignorant. The people who brought this frivolous suit against Google aren't. They're culprits. Or else they can't read and shouldn't be using the computer anyway. The very first thing you see when you click on "Buzz" is a choice which says "Keep it Private" OR "Publish to the World."
I wrote the lawyers and told them I am opting out as this had nothing to do with me. How dare they demand I take my time, my supplies, my money, to answer them who have no right to know which email I use as I had not contacted them on anything. I think it was a ploy to get private information. And I bet if Google investigated, they'd find a bit of collusion and ulteriors besides for getting rich.
I told the lawyers also that if they really wanted to go after people who invade or breech privacy, there are a lot of non-profits out there who think nothing of disseminating your personal information to whom they choose. And there are those people who sell their mailing or customer lists. Can they get more stupid? My money stops going to my chosen charity the moment I am contacted by another of it's same affiliation. It's dumb. Why would you want to decrease the donation you get by sharing it among everyone else? This is not a democracy here, it's a capitalistic megalopoly and if you don't guard your assets, people's donation or purchse info being that, you will lose it. I promise it.
I hope these lawyers get a well earned lesson and walk away empty handed for making evryone else do their work for them. Oh yes, some do pride themselves on their laziness.
In the meanwhile, check you gmail. You have to opt out or else live with whatever those lawyers have in store for you. And if Google chooses to file a malicious prosecution suit in the aftermath, I'll testify on their behalf. This kind a garbage needs to be corralled sometime. And I'm speaking as a former associate ACLU member (my dues lapsed-my ethics haven't.)
Monday, November 1, 2010
Trick Questions
Q. Why can't you leave "feedback" to me?
A. You should be addressing your issues to the subject in question-i.e., the merchant, the politician. I can't change anything.
Q. Would you invest 10% of your income if you got a 100% worry-free return on it?
A. (?)
Q. Who's on your agenda?
(Multiple choice)
A. 1. Holt's office calls. It says "Please excuse the intrusion. This is Congressman Rush Holt. I'm calling to invite you to a telephone town hall meeting..."
A. 2. Siprelle's people call (and call and call and call...) "I'm calling on behalf of Scott Siprelle to remind you to send in your absentee ballot..."
Of course at dinner time, when else would working people want a break?
Q. Do you want to continue the oil disasters?
A. 1. No. I want to get as far away from that greedy war mongering bunch ASAP.
B. 2.Yes.
I think Governor Christie did the right hing cutting funds to mass transportation and forcing more people back in to depending on their own wallets paying higher insurance, car payments and or repairs, and fueling th need for oil-based fuels so I'm going to vote for Republicans..
Q. Can a man who has no record stand on his record?
Q. Have you checked in on YouTube to see what your electorati are really doing or is it just too easy to rely on the rock-star style publicity hype?
Q. Do you really know enough about what they're doing/planning to cast an informed vote?
Your conscience. Your country. My gulag.
I know what's right and wrong. I know both (or more) sides of the issue. Do you? Figure it out for real before you vote.
Pegi
A. You should be addressing your issues to the subject in question-i.e., the merchant, the politician. I can't change anything.
Q. Would you invest 10% of your income if you got a 100% worry-free return on it?
A. (?)
Q. Who's on your agenda?
(Multiple choice)
A. 1. Holt's office calls. It says "Please excuse the intrusion. This is Congressman Rush Holt. I'm calling to invite you to a telephone town hall meeting..."
A. 2. Siprelle's people call (and call and call and call...) "I'm calling on behalf of Scott Siprelle to remind you to send in your absentee ballot..."
Of course at dinner time, when else would working people want a break?
Q. Do you want to continue the oil disasters?
A. 1. No. I want to get as far away from that greedy war mongering bunch ASAP.
B. 2.Yes.
I think Governor Christie did the right hing cutting funds to mass transportation and forcing more people back in to depending on their own wallets paying higher insurance, car payments and or repairs, and fueling th need for oil-based fuels so I'm going to vote for Republicans..
Q. Can a man who has no record stand on his record?
Q. Have you checked in on YouTube to see what your electorati are really doing or is it just too easy to rely on the rock-star style publicity hype?
Q. Do you really know enough about what they're doing/planning to cast an informed vote?
Your conscience. Your country. My gulag.
I know what's right and wrong. I know both (or more) sides of the issue. Do you? Figure it out for real before you vote.
Pegi
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Fave Rave
Having been never home in my younger years due to dance, song, and acting, I never was much of an audience. Yet there are a few big and small screen appearances which are rarely missed by me when they are on. I am at this moment referring to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", which after the tenth viewing, I stopped counting.
Friends took me to see it at a local arts theater first in 1980. I didn't know what to make of it or the annoying audience. They'd seen it before. A lot of times before. They thought they were part of it. The media made them part of it. But this once, I was overhwelmed into being a stunned audience.
When Tim Curry made his meteoric entrance, a rush went through me. It shook me. How could a man dressed in beads, make-up and female underwear hit me that way? He did. The remainder of his cast faded beside him. It was the pinnacle performance of his career. Sadly consigned to the "cult" list, it didn't hit big on release. But it has been enduring.
Last seen, Tim Curry was in the end of season episode of "Criminal Minds". I didn't get to see the second half, played in the fall of the past year. Tim Curry's around. He's been in a number of roles which all have managed to underutilize his talent. But then, there aren't many roles written which equal "Frank n Furter". So, finally, I am recording it to VCR, and am going to sit back and relax and enjoy the feeling of my younger years, the angelic music, and the "Time Warp" again.
Salut, Tim Curry, wherever you may be!
Pegi
Friends took me to see it at a local arts theater first in 1980. I didn't know what to make of it or the annoying audience. They'd seen it before. A lot of times before. They thought they were part of it. The media made them part of it. But this once, I was overhwelmed into being a stunned audience.
When Tim Curry made his meteoric entrance, a rush went through me. It shook me. How could a man dressed in beads, make-up and female underwear hit me that way? He did. The remainder of his cast faded beside him. It was the pinnacle performance of his career. Sadly consigned to the "cult" list, it didn't hit big on release. But it has been enduring.
Last seen, Tim Curry was in the end of season episode of "Criminal Minds". I didn't get to see the second half, played in the fall of the past year. Tim Curry's around. He's been in a number of roles which all have managed to underutilize his talent. But then, there aren't many roles written which equal "Frank n Furter". So, finally, I am recording it to VCR, and am going to sit back and relax and enjoy the feeling of my younger years, the angelic music, and the "Time Warp" again.
Salut, Tim Curry, wherever you may be!
Pegi
I Never Talked About It....
It wasn't the shortest engagement on record, but 28 days if it was a month. I never said much because the reasons were so multiple, perhaps because of the schizophrenia he was beset with and the things connected therewith, or my ESP kicked in again. In any event, I ended it.
I had seen the man in the bar several times before, always too drunk to be spoken to. Two years later, he reappeared seeming all clean and sober and for some reason, maybe because I don't drink, velcro-izing onto me. At a point when I was ready to go home, he said "I'll walk you to your car." There he asked me if I'd consider going out with him. Hadn't expected that. Something in me said "If you say no, he is going to end up dead." How true that turned out to be. I said o.k, sure. He lived.
He lived because sometimes I can be a total _____. Not that I like it, but there are certain things I just can't let be. He was having some kind of problem, constantly falling asleep, complaining of stomach pain. On one of such days, I found his two sons, one 11 , the other approaching 4 years of age, clinging to each other trembling down in the computer room. I asked them what was wrong. They said "We think Daddy's on drugs again and we're afraid. He's going to die and we don't know what to do." I promised them it had me worried too, but for sure it wasn't drugs, it was something else and I'd make sure it was taken care of. I promised them.
I forced hin to go to the doctor. I hate it when people make me nag and get tough, I think they should be more mature and self-responsible than that. Just like I think they should get their own butts out of bed when it's time for them to go to work. Sense to go to the doctor and not give some gobblydygook excuse about the VA is going to whatever in six months. I finally got him to go to my doctor, whose husband is a cardiologist. She felt the stomach thing was something else, so right quick scheduled the jackass for another test next day.
A long test after a long drive, to be followed by a long night. The tests showed blockages in 3 coronary arteries. Emergency procedure was scheduled with first available for the next morning. The closest place was St. Michael's, in Newark, about 30 miles north, 5 AM the next morning. Though it was past winter, there was frost on my car. We did the trip. At the hospital, I had a long wait. It was only supposed to take a couple of hours, a 5 hour stay at max. There were complications.
It seems he was about to pop a couple of aneurisms the arteries to his heart. Stents had to be put in, there was a stability question. They didn't want to cause a rupture. They'd keep me informed. I called his parents. And waited some more. The nurses got me some food, I needed it right then. Around 7PM, they came and said he was asking for me. He was awake, a little out of it, but not bad. The doctors said it was too risky to let him go home. Go get some rest, come back tomorrow morning around 10 AM. I wasn't arguing. I was in awful pain from my spinal injuries. I can only be up for a while, then I need to lie down or I'll fall down. No fun. But I did what had to be done.
I never from the start thought about marrying him, he came up with that. But I'd answered that call that I'd heard when he asked me out. His family was thrilled, the kids were happy. They loved me and showed it. He couldn't stand that. He'd been the center of their attention for some time, since he'd gotten his psych-dis from the Marines and his ex-wife had died shortly after the birth of their second kid and end of marriage.
That's the reason it began. Why it ended, that will be another day's writing. But for now, I just was not going to live like that. Better for me in the long run to just walk.
til another day,
Pegi
I had seen the man in the bar several times before, always too drunk to be spoken to. Two years later, he reappeared seeming all clean and sober and for some reason, maybe because I don't drink, velcro-izing onto me. At a point when I was ready to go home, he said "I'll walk you to your car." There he asked me if I'd consider going out with him. Hadn't expected that. Something in me said "If you say no, he is going to end up dead." How true that turned out to be. I said o.k, sure. He lived.
He lived because sometimes I can be a total _____. Not that I like it, but there are certain things I just can't let be. He was having some kind of problem, constantly falling asleep, complaining of stomach pain. On one of such days, I found his two sons, one 11 , the other approaching 4 years of age, clinging to each other trembling down in the computer room. I asked them what was wrong. They said "We think Daddy's on drugs again and we're afraid. He's going to die and we don't know what to do." I promised them it had me worried too, but for sure it wasn't drugs, it was something else and I'd make sure it was taken care of. I promised them.
I forced hin to go to the doctor. I hate it when people make me nag and get tough, I think they should be more mature and self-responsible than that. Just like I think they should get their own butts out of bed when it's time for them to go to work. Sense to go to the doctor and not give some gobblydygook excuse about the VA is going to whatever in six months. I finally got him to go to my doctor, whose husband is a cardiologist. She felt the stomach thing was something else, so right quick scheduled the jackass for another test next day.
A long test after a long drive, to be followed by a long night. The tests showed blockages in 3 coronary arteries. Emergency procedure was scheduled with first available for the next morning. The closest place was St. Michael's, in Newark, about 30 miles north, 5 AM the next morning. Though it was past winter, there was frost on my car. We did the trip. At the hospital, I had a long wait. It was only supposed to take a couple of hours, a 5 hour stay at max. There were complications.
It seems he was about to pop a couple of aneurisms the arteries to his heart. Stents had to be put in, there was a stability question. They didn't want to cause a rupture. They'd keep me informed. I called his parents. And waited some more. The nurses got me some food, I needed it right then. Around 7PM, they came and said he was asking for me. He was awake, a little out of it, but not bad. The doctors said it was too risky to let him go home. Go get some rest, come back tomorrow morning around 10 AM. I wasn't arguing. I was in awful pain from my spinal injuries. I can only be up for a while, then I need to lie down or I'll fall down. No fun. But I did what had to be done.
I never from the start thought about marrying him, he came up with that. But I'd answered that call that I'd heard when he asked me out. His family was thrilled, the kids were happy. They loved me and showed it. He couldn't stand that. He'd been the center of their attention for some time, since he'd gotten his psych-dis from the Marines and his ex-wife had died shortly after the birth of their second kid and end of marriage.
That's the reason it began. Why it ended, that will be another day's writing. But for now, I just was not going to live like that. Better for me in the long run to just walk.
til another day,
Pegi
Friday, October 29, 2010
First Tuesday, November-Will chaos reign again?
Not everyone lives in New Jersey. Consider yourselves lucky. I don't know why people move here. To escape from New York, it seems. The situation is terrible. And maybe about ot get worse.
I am aware there are great differnces between the Medical Care Services one gets in NYC and what one does not get in NJ. Knowing best about NJ's lackings, I'll address, but not before I say something that's been needing to be said-last I knew, Rush Holt was not a rocket scientist. To the best of my knowledge, he was a nuclear physicist and a great humanist. But what would I know? I didn't work at PPPL all that long because of a shoulder which just wouldn't stay where it should. It was immobilizing and I couldn't do the drive. But the man know his stuff. He never sits still. He never stops.And he has a huge rank of Medicare/Medicaid constituents due to the numerous retirement villages in his district. He's my Congressman and I've been the happier for it. He is very responsive and Ihad the pleasure of walking a memeber of his staff thru the reality of "out here" a few years ago, courtesy of the "Walk a Mile...(in my Shoes)Program."
About medical care in NJ-you get it if you're lucky. If you're lucky, you can actually afford the outrageousness of the insurance companies who bleed you dry and then renege on their end of the contract (especially car insurance-it's mandatory here, and they screw you every which way even if, like me, you have never had a moving violation in your entire 42 year driving history. If you've been the victim of other drivers or as recently a tree falling on my car, you're screwed. They'll find a way not to pay. They expect everyone to just accept their phony damage estimate and don't argue with them. They put the doctors through the same crap.
My step brother is 5 years younger than me. They've had financial difficulties all along, but especially in this economy. They can't afford to go to the dentist, so he tries to work on his own rotting out teeth. Why? Because he was a trusting dummy who doesn't screw people over, so he expects the same. He nearly lost his house because of some scheister, he's barely able to keep his cars on the road (while "Detroit" rolls in "Goernment Gold"-since they priced themselves out of everyone's reach to begin with, they should have stayed there) and medical care? What's that?If they could afford the doctor, even though a lot of pharm co's have limited assistance for certain individuals, they can't bouy the medicine. So what's the point of any of it? And he doesn't understand that the system needs changing. He doesn't understand that being "American" is about changing what's wrong-that's what it was about from the day the Revolution grew from seed to germination. It's wrong to burden the people. Eventually, that took a war to extend to all the people, but slavery here is nowhere near dead. It just took on a more plasmatic form and hides at random in different houses. The current system of non-care in Medical field is a huge contributor to this. Why should a man lose his house just because he got sick once. Why should he have to take out a "Medical Savings Account" when he can't get his teeth fixed now?When his wife never gets over bronchitis because the house is always too hot in summer, too cold in winter and they can't afford medicine? Oh, they fell through the cracks. Yeah. That's a crack I'm sick of hearing. Stop with the cliches and get real like you maybe give a hoot because it maybe and probably will happen to you. Would have the thought the one good thing would have come out of the crashed econmomy. Maybe a few more people might actually care. But no. Once they get over their own rough stuff, it's now time to begrudge.
Medicaid doesn't pay docotors. I tried to find a Medicaid doctor for a friend via internet and can't even get a list of participating's from the state. She's a cancer survivior. She's not getting the right kind of care. The government has taken away funding because they figure the private sector is rolling in doantions dough. In a sense, they're correct, but the money isn't getting to the people to help them. It's going into administrative and "charity" perpetuating paychecks. To qualify as a charity, you can't show a profit. They find every way to hide it except to help the patients libe-really live. The only one that seems to vary from the norm are the AIDS charities, who realize there's more to medicine than hospital satys, such as eating and having a secure place to live, and maybe some rare addiction services program. Don't know for sure. But I do know that the only thing Medicaid wantsed to pay for was stays in nursing homes. So Senator Lautenberg authored the "Community Choice Act of 2009" so Medicaid could stop stuffing people into the 12x20 incacerations they get when they're old, sick and broke. Where did it go?
America, you have a bad habit of turning the lash on your own selves. When things get good, you decide it's time for a change. Due to your misconceptions, I haven't been to gynecologist in 9 years or had a mammogram in as many. And I was diagnosed with carcinoma in situ in both breasts just before that. But one clean biopsy, and the current Medicare (who, by the way, are actually NOT the government, but private insurance companies conctracted to the government) decides you are no longer in an "at risk" category. It used to take a few clean biopsies before you got pushed into that void. Private funding there has been disappearing too. There's a pre-process you have to go through to see what your financial standing is before you even get in the door for an appointment. And that's under the Susan B. Koman foundation's assistance. It always seems the poor can't get and the rich get everything for free here. Including medical care.
And no, the government does not take care of a person on Medicare. Depending on what you're willing to go without or have the ability to comprehend, you might get an HMO that includes most evrything, but then the dollar expenditure limits on other things will leave you bankrupt. Unless you're a Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary, you pay your Medicare premium straight out of Social Security, you pay your co-pays (20% or more), you pay for anything you need they decide they for some reason don't cover; you must accept the generic form of any medication if available (which I don't fully disagree with), you stiil sometimes have an enormous co-pay. This donut-hole they've been talking about, that's a $2,000. copay all-at-once on your medicine. (And now they give you $250. back if you go through that).
Do you get the picture? I hope so, because I live in it, and frankly, I don't want to look. It's coming onto Halloween Eve and I know I'd rather watch a horror movie which has less chance of happening than the horror that this mess is. And yes, the greedy get greedier. They won't even wait for Medicare to process before they start demanding to be paid. If you do that, you wait 3 months after they get the Medicare money to get paid back. Floating themsleves a loan on the those who are vicitms to be begin with-something attacked them-a germ, a virus, a car, a fall,--. And I know a system that was much better, where everyone had care and no one went without it. But I'm German and I know better than to say that America has the greatest medical care system in the world. You don't. Not even from the Capitalist Enterprise point of view that it is. If your docotr cures you, you're not repepat business. So where does that leave his business? It shouldn't be that your health and their monetary needs compete. I'm German, so I question everything-we don't want another Hitler, do we? Not most of us anyway. But then there are those days when the greedy little liars and crooks get away with what they get away with and no one can do anything about it and you begine to understand what was up with Josef Stalin-and you know you'ver been among them far too long.
When I was young, I never thought I'd have the ability to hate. But congratulations people. You've succeeded in teaching me that I most certainly can.
(P.S. I flunked typing. I know how to spell.)
Happy Hauntings!
I am aware there are great differnces between the Medical Care Services one gets in NYC and what one does not get in NJ. Knowing best about NJ's lackings, I'll address, but not before I say something that's been needing to be said-last I knew, Rush Holt was not a rocket scientist. To the best of my knowledge, he was a nuclear physicist and a great humanist. But what would I know? I didn't work at PPPL all that long because of a shoulder which just wouldn't stay where it should. It was immobilizing and I couldn't do the drive. But the man know his stuff. He never sits still. He never stops.And he has a huge rank of Medicare/Medicaid constituents due to the numerous retirement villages in his district. He's my Congressman and I've been the happier for it. He is very responsive and Ihad the pleasure of walking a memeber of his staff thru the reality of "out here" a few years ago, courtesy of the "Walk a Mile...(in my Shoes)Program."
About medical care in NJ-you get it if you're lucky. If you're lucky, you can actually afford the outrageousness of the insurance companies who bleed you dry and then renege on their end of the contract (especially car insurance-it's mandatory here, and they screw you every which way even if, like me, you have never had a moving violation in your entire 42 year driving history. If you've been the victim of other drivers or as recently a tree falling on my car, you're screwed. They'll find a way not to pay. They expect everyone to just accept their phony damage estimate and don't argue with them. They put the doctors through the same crap.
My step brother is 5 years younger than me. They've had financial difficulties all along, but especially in this economy. They can't afford to go to the dentist, so he tries to work on his own rotting out teeth. Why? Because he was a trusting dummy who doesn't screw people over, so he expects the same. He nearly lost his house because of some scheister, he's barely able to keep his cars on the road (while "Detroit" rolls in "Goernment Gold"-since they priced themselves out of everyone's reach to begin with, they should have stayed there) and medical care? What's that?If they could afford the doctor, even though a lot of pharm co's have limited assistance for certain individuals, they can't bouy the medicine. So what's the point of any of it? And he doesn't understand that the system needs changing. He doesn't understand that being "American" is about changing what's wrong-that's what it was about from the day the Revolution grew from seed to germination. It's wrong to burden the people. Eventually, that took a war to extend to all the people, but slavery here is nowhere near dead. It just took on a more plasmatic form and hides at random in different houses. The current system of non-care in Medical field is a huge contributor to this. Why should a man lose his house just because he got sick once. Why should he have to take out a "Medical Savings Account" when he can't get his teeth fixed now?When his wife never gets over bronchitis because the house is always too hot in summer, too cold in winter and they can't afford medicine? Oh, they fell through the cracks. Yeah. That's a crack I'm sick of hearing. Stop with the cliches and get real like you maybe give a hoot because it maybe and probably will happen to you. Would have the thought the one good thing would have come out of the crashed econmomy. Maybe a few more people might actually care. But no. Once they get over their own rough stuff, it's now time to begrudge.
Medicaid doesn't pay docotors. I tried to find a Medicaid doctor for a friend via internet and can't even get a list of participating's from the state. She's a cancer survivior. She's not getting the right kind of care. The government has taken away funding because they figure the private sector is rolling in doantions dough. In a sense, they're correct, but the money isn't getting to the people to help them. It's going into administrative and "charity" perpetuating paychecks. To qualify as a charity, you can't show a profit. They find every way to hide it except to help the patients libe-really live. The only one that seems to vary from the norm are the AIDS charities, who realize there's more to medicine than hospital satys, such as eating and having a secure place to live, and maybe some rare addiction services program. Don't know for sure. But I do know that the only thing Medicaid wantsed to pay for was stays in nursing homes. So Senator Lautenberg authored the "Community Choice Act of 2009" so Medicaid could stop stuffing people into the 12x20 incacerations they get when they're old, sick and broke. Where did it go?
America, you have a bad habit of turning the lash on your own selves. When things get good, you decide it's time for a change. Due to your misconceptions, I haven't been to gynecologist in 9 years or had a mammogram in as many. And I was diagnosed with carcinoma in situ in both breasts just before that. But one clean biopsy, and the current Medicare (who, by the way, are actually NOT the government, but private insurance companies conctracted to the government) decides you are no longer in an "at risk" category. It used to take a few clean biopsies before you got pushed into that void. Private funding there has been disappearing too. There's a pre-process you have to go through to see what your financial standing is before you even get in the door for an appointment. And that's under the Susan B. Koman foundation's assistance. It always seems the poor can't get and the rich get everything for free here. Including medical care.
And no, the government does not take care of a person on Medicare. Depending on what you're willing to go without or have the ability to comprehend, you might get an HMO that includes most evrything, but then the dollar expenditure limits on other things will leave you bankrupt. Unless you're a Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary, you pay your Medicare premium straight out of Social Security, you pay your co-pays (20% or more), you pay for anything you need they decide they for some reason don't cover; you must accept the generic form of any medication if available (which I don't fully disagree with), you stiil sometimes have an enormous co-pay. This donut-hole they've been talking about, that's a $2,000. copay all-at-once on your medicine. (And now they give you $250. back if you go through that).
Do you get the picture? I hope so, because I live in it, and frankly, I don't want to look. It's coming onto Halloween Eve and I know I'd rather watch a horror movie which has less chance of happening than the horror that this mess is. And yes, the greedy get greedier. They won't even wait for Medicare to process before they start demanding to be paid. If you do that, you wait 3 months after they get the Medicare money to get paid back. Floating themsleves a loan on the those who are vicitms to be begin with-something attacked them-a germ, a virus, a car, a fall,--. And I know a system that was much better, where everyone had care and no one went without it. But I'm German and I know better than to say that America has the greatest medical care system in the world. You don't. Not even from the Capitalist Enterprise point of view that it is. If your docotr cures you, you're not repepat business. So where does that leave his business? It shouldn't be that your health and their monetary needs compete. I'm German, so I question everything-we don't want another Hitler, do we? Not most of us anyway. But then there are those days when the greedy little liars and crooks get away with what they get away with and no one can do anything about it and you begine to understand what was up with Josef Stalin-and you know you'ver been among them far too long.
When I was young, I never thought I'd have the ability to hate. But congratulations people. You've succeeded in teaching me that I most certainly can.
(P.S. I flunked typing. I know how to spell.)
Happy Hauntings!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Not Another "New & Improved"
Do you remember the t.v. commercial for the "new and improved" whatever-it-whats-its"? Like laundry detergent, cold medicine, fabrics? Somehow or another, they never worked as well as the old ones? The same thing is happening with our computers.
There's way too much "upgrade and update" going on and it's causing quite a mess on this supposed information superhighway. It's not what I was going to write about today, but after going thru all this, I'm sure I don't recall what I did want to say. It wasn't about computers, or even the upcoming elections. I think it was going to be about jewelry. What do computers and jewelry have in common?
If the mode of transport to the store is your computer, beware. It has a nasty habit of not completely finishing your payment processing. So your order is stuck in limbo and you have no way to get it out. Try using the customer service system on ebay. Good luck. After a week or so, you might get to talk to someone. The individual merchants are much faster in replying and I can get something here from China faster than I can get it released from jtv. For what reason? JTV says credit card orders take ten days to two weeks to process. I knew something was wrong there, because in between I've ordered and received my merchandise from Hong Kong.
There's a nasty litttle pop-up from bizrate or whatever that keeps popping into my checkout sequence. If it happens to you, ignore it. They're trying to get your financial information under the guise "This order qualifies you for a $100. reward". Right. After they have you take a survey they claim is for JTV, they tru to sell ("give")you magazines for a $2.00 processing fee. A whole six bucks is what you'll pay, but the trick is that they now want you to give them your financial information so you can get your "free gift." Are any of us still that stupid? I hope not.
Internet Explorer has a nasty habit of aborting the entire checkout process when it says "Internet Explorer has blocked this website from displaying all content due to security certificate errors. Click here for options..." You click there and the page disappears. We need some heavy duty cyber-cops on Internet Explorer as well as any high volume sites which may be subjected to raiders. If the crooks spent as much brainpower improving the world as they do on defrauding it, things might change for the better. They might even find their minds occupied by something better than giving everybody else "the screw".
I can't believe I actually had to say to a supplier that if the goods were picked over when they got here, they're going back. No, I don't trust the warehouse & shipping crews. I've been out in the world too long to think they can be trusted. Especially when recently I got into a conversation with two ladies in the local Wal-Mart who told me I wouldn't believe if they said.
What they said was that the security people in a certain store were "setting up" employees to get busted by planting things in their pocket books and going thru their lockers(now there's a corrupted crime scene and should be thrown out of court)and diverting attention in that way from what was really going on. What was really going on was the security and warehouse people were once again doing as others I know of without a doubt have done:diverting (stealing)entire truck trailers full of merchandise to their own special depots. It was 1973 when I heard of the first incident. It is now 2010.
Perhaps some things never change in this world, but for sure, it's much easier now than ever to lose the paperwork in the cyberjungle. Truckloads of merchandise, medical records, financial records and IRS data. I've been around those blocks for my Dad an awful lot these past three years. He at least is fairly stable now whereas I am a fottstep away from being stuck in bed for a week. And an unnavigatable communications system doesn't help. My spine does not have an unbroken part in it. There isn't a day that I'm not in pain. And now computer programmers have deemed themselves "engineers". But what are they building other than something that would give Rube Goldberg nightmares? Not buildings or bridges r tunnels that people actually use. And if you live in New Jersey, please back Sen. Lautenberg in demanding the tunnell project and the elction results be gone over manually with a fine toothed comb.
Well, maybe one day it will all just cancel each other out and we can return to the world as we knew it: out, talking to other people, making deals face to face. But then, how would I be able to get things from China? Or track things from the moment they're shipped til they're in the mail carrier's truck? Some things were done right. Don't "new and imrpove" what doesn't need changing.
There's way too much "upgrade and update" going on and it's causing quite a mess on this supposed information superhighway. It's not what I was going to write about today, but after going thru all this, I'm sure I don't recall what I did want to say. It wasn't about computers, or even the upcoming elections. I think it was going to be about jewelry. What do computers and jewelry have in common?
If the mode of transport to the store is your computer, beware. It has a nasty habit of not completely finishing your payment processing. So your order is stuck in limbo and you have no way to get it out. Try using the customer service system on ebay. Good luck. After a week or so, you might get to talk to someone. The individual merchants are much faster in replying and I can get something here from China faster than I can get it released from jtv. For what reason? JTV says credit card orders take ten days to two weeks to process. I knew something was wrong there, because in between I've ordered and received my merchandise from Hong Kong.
There's a nasty litttle pop-up from bizrate or whatever that keeps popping into my checkout sequence. If it happens to you, ignore it. They're trying to get your financial information under the guise "This order qualifies you for a $100. reward". Right. After they have you take a survey they claim is for JTV, they tru to sell ("give")you magazines for a $2.00 processing fee. A whole six bucks is what you'll pay, but the trick is that they now want you to give them your financial information so you can get your "free gift." Are any of us still that stupid? I hope not.
Internet Explorer has a nasty habit of aborting the entire checkout process when it says "Internet Explorer has blocked this website from displaying all content due to security certificate errors. Click here for options..." You click there and the page disappears. We need some heavy duty cyber-cops on Internet Explorer as well as any high volume sites which may be subjected to raiders. If the crooks spent as much brainpower improving the world as they do on defrauding it, things might change for the better. They might even find their minds occupied by something better than giving everybody else "the screw".
I can't believe I actually had to say to a supplier that if the goods were picked over when they got here, they're going back. No, I don't trust the warehouse & shipping crews. I've been out in the world too long to think they can be trusted. Especially when recently I got into a conversation with two ladies in the local Wal-Mart who told me I wouldn't believe if they said.
What they said was that the security people in a certain store were "setting up" employees to get busted by planting things in their pocket books and going thru their lockers(now there's a corrupted crime scene and should be thrown out of court)and diverting attention in that way from what was really going on. What was really going on was the security and warehouse people were once again doing as others I know of without a doubt have done:diverting (stealing)entire truck trailers full of merchandise to their own special depots. It was 1973 when I heard of the first incident. It is now 2010.
Perhaps some things never change in this world, but for sure, it's much easier now than ever to lose the paperwork in the cyberjungle. Truckloads of merchandise, medical records, financial records and IRS data. I've been around those blocks for my Dad an awful lot these past three years. He at least is fairly stable now whereas I am a fottstep away from being stuck in bed for a week. And an unnavigatable communications system doesn't help. My spine does not have an unbroken part in it. There isn't a day that I'm not in pain. And now computer programmers have deemed themselves "engineers". But what are they building other than something that would give Rube Goldberg nightmares? Not buildings or bridges r tunnels that people actually use. And if you live in New Jersey, please back Sen. Lautenberg in demanding the tunnell project and the elction results be gone over manually with a fine toothed comb.
Well, maybe one day it will all just cancel each other out and we can return to the world as we knew it: out, talking to other people, making deals face to face. But then, how would I be able to get things from China? Or track things from the moment they're shipped til they're in the mail carrier's truck? Some things were done right. Don't "new and imrpove" what doesn't need changing.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Second Blog
Oh boy. I think this is my second blog. The computer isn't responding right to new password and I wanted to say a few words about someone who has been a major help to me in caring for my step-dad.
The name is simply given as T.J. at customer support for allmed wholesale.
Customer support is so what he does. Finding things I needed for my convalescing Dad who I was removing from nursing home to his home left me floundering. My Dad having previously worked for a Pharmaceuticals Distribution firm, I knew there was such a thing as wholesale. But where to find and would they be honest? I know some of the local "Medical Supply" places would have a person mortgaging their souls to get the supplies they need. And the "Rent-a-Wheelchair" etc. programs would have cost in one month what it costs to buy one outright. Dumb government again. They'll pay 10 times the cost of purchase in renting, but yet insist the thing must be rented not purchased. Ridiculous from every aspect.
I had less than a week to get everything my Dad needed, from wound care items to the wheelchair. I placed the order online overnight and immediately the next day I got a call from T.J. He knew the right questions to ask, so the right product would be delivered, from the size of my Dad to the maneuvering space in his home to removable or non-removable arms on the wheelchair. TJ got it to me in quite time sufficient to allow me to familiarize myself with it and very timely before actual need. What a blessing indeed.
It didn't stop there. TJ helped me make sure I got the right bandaging materials, the right personal wear, even the right nightshirts. (My Dad's body temperature was running quite subnormal due to the nursing home use of an air bed designed to prevent bedsores but not hypothermia.)
It's been nearly a year since then. The service remains as top-notch as ever. TJ's committment to Customer Care never flagged. Not even when I had problems with my Dad's credit card. I had left my "call me" number in the comments or special instructions block. He called. He took the time to make sure everything that was coming my way was right and gave the time to help me get my end right. Not always easy when it included some computer SNAFU and lacking access to reorder numbers.
TJ Singh at allmedwholesale has never let me down. It's been a year now and there has been no slack-off in service, no "I don't have time, I have new customers now", none of the usual hurtful practices when you know a company couldn't care about you and will bankrupt you if you allow. Allmed Wholesale of Corona, CA has made this long convalescence far less distressing monetarily than had I chosen another company. I have never had to worry whether or not I would have to begin reusing bandages on a man who has recurrent MRSA on his skin, wounds included. My Dad is also diabetic and asthmatic. And I had no one to confer with on any of this because multiple strokes left my Dad somewhat impaired. A year ago, that mixed with the wrong medicine, an Alzheimer's drug given when he does not have Alzheimers and his medical histroy precludes it, left him with all the symptoms of Alzheimer's and a recurrence of rhabdomyolisis. My Dad was oblivious, not able to realize he was in his own house, unable to get up from his wheelchair without help from both myself and his aide. TJ was always understanding, always helpful, even when I couldn't manage my own computer. (That's typical for me.) He went thru lists and identifiers with me, asked how things were going. He says he's not really a medical professional. But he has been good medicine for me and a blessing I sorely needed. If you are facing a long term care situation, don't waste time running around trying to find anything with a reasonable price tag on it. Type allmedwholesale.com into your browser and when you do connect, breathe that sigh of relief.
I rarely give endorsements. When I do, you can believe it was merited.
Sometimes in this life we get blessings we have come not to expect. It used to be good business practice way back when. Not these days.
The name is simply given as T.J. at customer support for allmed wholesale.
Customer support is so what he does. Finding things I needed for my convalescing Dad who I was removing from nursing home to his home left me floundering. My Dad having previously worked for a Pharmaceuticals Distribution firm, I knew there was such a thing as wholesale. But where to find and would they be honest? I know some of the local "Medical Supply" places would have a person mortgaging their souls to get the supplies they need. And the "Rent-a-Wheelchair" etc. programs would have cost in one month what it costs to buy one outright. Dumb government again. They'll pay 10 times the cost of purchase in renting, but yet insist the thing must be rented not purchased. Ridiculous from every aspect.
I had less than a week to get everything my Dad needed, from wound care items to the wheelchair. I placed the order online overnight and immediately the next day I got a call from T.J. He knew the right questions to ask, so the right product would be delivered, from the size of my Dad to the maneuvering space in his home to removable or non-removable arms on the wheelchair. TJ got it to me in quite time sufficient to allow me to familiarize myself with it and very timely before actual need. What a blessing indeed.
It didn't stop there. TJ helped me make sure I got the right bandaging materials, the right personal wear, even the right nightshirts. (My Dad's body temperature was running quite subnormal due to the nursing home use of an air bed designed to prevent bedsores but not hypothermia.)
It's been nearly a year since then. The service remains as top-notch as ever. TJ's committment to Customer Care never flagged. Not even when I had problems with my Dad's credit card. I had left my "call me" number in the comments or special instructions block. He called. He took the time to make sure everything that was coming my way was right and gave the time to help me get my end right. Not always easy when it included some computer SNAFU and lacking access to reorder numbers.
TJ Singh at allmedwholesale has never let me down. It's been a year now and there has been no slack-off in service, no "I don't have time, I have new customers now", none of the usual hurtful practices when you know a company couldn't care about you and will bankrupt you if you allow. Allmed Wholesale of Corona, CA has made this long convalescence far less distressing monetarily than had I chosen another company. I have never had to worry whether or not I would have to begin reusing bandages on a man who has recurrent MRSA on his skin, wounds included. My Dad is also diabetic and asthmatic. And I had no one to confer with on any of this because multiple strokes left my Dad somewhat impaired. A year ago, that mixed with the wrong medicine, an Alzheimer's drug given when he does not have Alzheimers and his medical histroy precludes it, left him with all the symptoms of Alzheimer's and a recurrence of rhabdomyolisis. My Dad was oblivious, not able to realize he was in his own house, unable to get up from his wheelchair without help from both myself and his aide. TJ was always understanding, always helpful, even when I couldn't manage my own computer. (That's typical for me.) He went thru lists and identifiers with me, asked how things were going. He says he's not really a medical professional. But he has been good medicine for me and a blessing I sorely needed. If you are facing a long term care situation, don't waste time running around trying to find anything with a reasonable price tag on it. Type allmedwholesale.com into your browser and when you do connect, breathe that sigh of relief.
I rarely give endorsements. When I do, you can believe it was merited.
Sometimes in this life we get blessings we have come not to expect. It used to be good business practice way back when. Not these days.
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