Ginny D.

If you think Donald Trump is a yoyo when it comes to climate change and immigration policy, imagine this: both issues are about to converge with unintended fashion consequences. It's speculated that in the near future parts of the Persian Gulf will be uninhabitable due serious water shortages. So there will be a migration of wealthy Arabs hell bent on saving their skin. Let's face it, the U.S.A. is where it's at and a likely destination point. So if racist Trump had dreams of blue-eyed blondes, his color spectrum is going to be stretched to the limit. But things will get more radical than that. Fashion will suddenly change. The Ghutra, the red and white Arab headwear that I heard Trump and his kids mistakenly believe is made from a red checkered gingham table cloth typically found in family style restaurants will be so commonplace, confusion is bound to set in causing everyone to run red lights. So while I might fully embrace people of all cultures, this is a warning to Trump and his White Supremacist buddies.

I've read the New York Times for years. Its hands down my favorite newspaper. In an era where our so called President is trying to sow doubt into the importance of freedom of the press for political purposes, we should all be thankful that this paper is rooted in its mission to ensure a well informed electorate, democracy, a public conscience. And most of all, taking notice and commenting on all the things that in themselves are often trivialized or lost as unseen imagery, but are important components of the big picture. As soon as we lose sight of the pain, anguish and difficulties that affect some of us a lot more than others, we lose a sense of empathy that The Times helps restore so that we don't become clones of anything Trump ~ hollowed out.

The Sunday Review is perhaps my favorite section as it is replete with great editorial thought by phenomenal staff and contributing writers. Whether it be Frank Bruni, Maureen Dowd, Susan Collins, Paul Krugman and the list goes on, the sensory experience is myriad: complete delight, sadness, amusement, cynicism, anger and all kinds of feelings gift wrapped in a vastly improved perspective.

Most articles read in any section of The Times are balanced. Some readers might view them as liberal leaning, but from my view, I look at them as possessing a heart. This truly amazing messenger often takes long journeys involving personal commitment and resources to expose things that need to be exposed. Through that journey, positive change evolves as The Times paved the way for a quicker route to progress.

I encourage everyone to not only read what The Times has to say, but think along the lines of Hey Jude: let it into your heart, then you can start to make it better. Reflect on the needs of the needy.

Sometimes you need things that are basic or to satisfy a short term need. Kmart.com stocks things that fit the bill. No muss, no fuss, no need to blow a big wad. Its for those of us that have a quickie mentality. Like Walmarts, its a good source for the type of junk that gets the job done on the fly. Go on the site, zip in and zip out. But keep in mind, you get what you pay for. If youre looking for something to grow old with, you probably wont find it here. Cest la vie.

YELP never ceases to amaze me with little hidden surprises as this time I found new razor blades buried in their bag of candy. Thank God I inspect things. Many businesses listed on Yelp are fake businesses that are proxies for other businesses and contain fake reviews. This helps these greedy businesses get larger market share. YELP also has an Elite Yelp Squad of reviewers that just want social acceptance and are willing to review anything for the sake of adding another notch to their review bedpost. And for these elite reviewers, the payoff is an invitation to wine and dine at restaurants with other like-minded YELP Obsessive Compulsives on YELP's tab. It's a reward system to reinforce the YELP review anything culture.

Everyone knows that YELP doesn't hold itself responsible for which reviews it leaves on or takes off since this is done by some algorithm in the cloud over which they have no control, and with their self-induced climate change, this cloud opens up and peepees down the backs of hard working business owners. So, if you're the recipient of any false reviews that follow your business and negatively affect your image, if you have a paid account, cancel it because eventually the review should get get buried in theory and replaced by other subscriber reviews. BUT, just when I thought it couldn't get worse, it did!

YELP resurrected one of my positive reviews that was previously taken off which in turn resurrected my business presence toward the top of YELP's website for a search for my type of service. First I thought they were developing a sense of responsibility because the positive review raised my review average. But then, presto, they took the review down again, recalculated my review average downward, listed the removed review as not recommended, and the damage was done once again. My business shows up more frequently with more negative stats.

Keep in mind that most businesses, other than restaurants, don't get a lot of reviews. So, each one counts.

So this time, instead of stabbing me in the back, they attempted to hide razor blades in my candy and now I lost my sweet tooth.

Placing sensitive credit information of 143 million people at risk is both scary and sad. It can turn the lives of many people upside down. Preliminary reports say this could have been avoided had this big sleeping giant been more proactive in maintaining adequate safeguards.
Granted Equifax provides important credit information and financial services to the business community, it has often acted with an air of indifference and callousness. It was found by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for violating Dodd-Frank provisions by deceiving consumers into buying bogus credit programs. Prior to that, they had a round with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by delaying actions when consumers complained to them. These are the hallmarks of a ratings agency with almost monopolistic power. They've been around the longest since 1899. It's about time they understand how it feels to have your own ratings go down the toilet.
I know of instances where trying to get them to resolve minor credit issues was met with such resistance that the CFPB had to come to the rescue to force them to meet the minimum standards of a credit reporting bureau.
In the final analysis, this should be a serious wakeup call to everyone about how important consumer watchdogs such as the CFPB and FTC are in providing a voice for the average person that finds themselves at the mercy of the likes of Equifax that was apparently asleep at the wheel.

Noticing that the company provides WordPress services, I called to purchase technical support for my WordPress website. As Network Solutions and its parent, Web.com provide hosting services for websites, I made it clear I was using another hosting company and was told that wasnt an issue. Rather than getting what I called about, I was led on a glossy internet marketing odyssey. It started with SEO, Search Engine Optimization, theoretically used to improve site rankings. Everyone wants their site to rank high in searches. I was told I would first be transferred to an SEO specialist followed by a WordPress technician who would solve my technical issues.

Cutting to the chase, this was sort of a Yellow Brick Road replete with brainless people aimlessly wandering around. The SEO was not Network Solutions SEO solution, but placing you on Facebook. Obviously anyone can deal directly with Facebook for those services. When I explained that I was looking for their personalized service, I was told that was a different SEO. This went on for about 45 minutes.

Ultimately I was transferred to their WordPress guru who explained they couldnt provide the service as I was already hosted by someone else and would have to sign a new hosting contract with them. Had all of this been explained up front I would have saved over an hour of wasted time and bait and switch tactics. As it turns out, this company has a history of serious legal problems for misleading customers in which the FTC presided over a settlement. A leopard never changes its spots.

If you were a kid watching regular TV with about 7 channels, you suddenly loved cable. Then cable got saturated and redundant where its been for quite a while. Movies nowadays offer special effects that are eye popping that werent available then. Fortunately original programming from Netflix and Amazon offer some good alternatives and there are some pretty good shows on regular TV. But, I really enjoyed the a lot of the TV series of the 60s and 70s as life was not as fast paced and complicated as things seem today. Also, theres something nice about simplicity and the need to do more with less. So at the risk of sounding like an old fogey, I love MeTV (Memorable Entertainment TV) because I get to watch the TV series I grew up on where CBS, NBC and ABC had to compete heavily for ratings which were paid by TV advertising and therefore had to deliver the best content to command the highest ad dollars on free TV. Programming like Perry Mason, Columbo, Happy Days, The Odd Couple, The Honeymooners and many, many more will always be TV classics to be watched and enjoyed over and over again.

I've been using Charmin Mega Rolls, 12=48, for as long as my butt can remember. I always figured that Charmin is comfy and mega rolls were probably a great investment as softness is a virtue for a happy sphincter, which is important. However, those mega rolls seemed to fly off the handle. So recently, I decided to take a chance and part with my name brand comfort zone and try Kirkland Signature Brand sold at Costco.

The verdict is in. Charmin Mega Rolls are a MEGA RIPOFF. Kirkland is very soft and my sphincter isn't aware that I made the conversion. Best of all, the rolls last far, far longer and are less expensive compared to the Charmin price. Do yourself a favor ~ pooping is basically a pain in the butt so why enrich some toilet paper company as it's money down the drain.

Sometimes FoxNews surprises me with hidden nuggets of potential. However, in general, it's a proxy for Republican ideology which I find kind of flawed. I'm center left on the political spectrum so I don't buy into treating the Constitution as something that should be enshrined. It has enduring principles but has many amendments and more that need to be written.
I'm not surprised about Fox since Rupert Murdoch and family are sneaky prix that survive on tabloid trash. While I occasionally enjoy reading this stuff, it's more for comical value. But when it comes to something as important as the function of a well operating press, I think a responsible station will tend to be balanced and objective.
I have to qualify that because any news station reserves the right to cater to a specific mindset if that's the audience they want to appeal to. However, Fox is one of the Big 4 nationally broadcast stations and for anyone who either chooses to not read or can't afford a subscription, they would tend to rely on the legitimacy of what they're listening to. I'll admit that my values might be far different than the next person's, but if all of us are being truthful about what is important in society, protecting true equality and equal opportunity are really constitutional values. Gerrymandering, redistricting, not qualifying the right to bear arms by adopting sensible legislation to minimize unnecessary violence and re-thinking animal rights which is part of that equation, does not seem to address the rights of all people and especially those without a voice.

All businesses will find old indexed data that doesn't go away. Yext will continuously fix things that repeatedly need fixing. If you look at many indexed websites, they're purposely listed differently to game internet indexing. For example, a listing a 100 Main St, # 505 usually reflects a location when viewed on a graphic map that is often a location where there is no unit # 505. Type the main address in a search engine and it will list the current tenants. Welcome to the world of SEO for free.

I bought one of their older model 15 minute battery chargers. I wasn't sure if the problem was with the charger, the batteries or the device I was using the batteries in. I tend to think it was the latter. However, after writing them, they quickly responded and I felt they were very fair. My only concern is that I didn't see much improvement in the newer longer lasting AA batteries vs. the standard. Either way, I like their batteries and the charger will just keep charging on.

I never bought anything from Bobs. However, I was curious and went to one of their retail outlets and inspected their furniture. For a first time buyer, their goods might appear to be a great bargain. But the reality is most of it is pure crap. Take a look at a "bargain" dresser for your bedroom. The drawer front panels are stapled on. After a while, if they're filled and weighted, when you go to open the drawer you might just pull the entire front of the drawer off because unlike quality merchandise that either uses pegs or the pieces are machined to interlock and are glued properly, this type of stuff is so poorly designed that it will eventually collapse like a house of cards built on one-eyed jacks. I didn't need to look at anything else ~ one item was far too depressing to waste anymore time.

PETA is an important organization that informs the public of the abuse of innocent animals. Animals should always have the same rights as all of us. But there are differences of opinion on what we consume. I'm not an animal rights fanatic or a strict vegetarian. But my heart goes out to the innocent animals that have no voice in how they're treated.
While PETA is well intentioned, they have mailed out dated material relating to incidents that were long ago brought to the public's attention. More importantly, they sometimes provide links that can be used to observe horrendous abuse such as clubbing dogs to death, skinning animals alive, etc. This is too extreme for most people as it's a sad reflection on mentally ill people, abusive for-profit industries, POLITICIANS that look the other way because they get donations, and pathetically poor cultures where there is very little government oversight into the suffering that animals endure while SKINNED ALIVE for their most precious body defense ~ their fur.
PETA doesn't need for the public to see this type of graphic abuse to get their point across. It's heart wrenching and brings tears to any normal person. PETA should also recognize that while a vegetarian diet might be beneficial, eating non vegetarian food is often beneficial. As a society, we need to think about forcing industries to allow these creatures that enable us to sustain ourselves to have more roaming freedom as a cost of doing business. We would probably consume less and be healthier. Another option is gene therapy so that the animals don't experience the sadness they can't express to the world as their lives and the lives of their loved ones get extinguished.

Animals play an important role in the lives of many people. Children learn respect for another being and a rewarded with a friend. Families enrich their lives with these new additions who often provide uncompromising love and affection. But like any living being, there are responsibilities and costs. Part of the responsibility is to recognize that animals don't understand how we higher level beings have certain rules and so have to be dealt with fairly and with understanding. If we're going to undertake ownership of an animal, the ASPCA wants us to be responsible and not be abusive. The same goes for not using animals for horrendous, unethical thrill and profit seeking endeavors (do you hear me, Mike Vick)!

I think the ASPCA ranks as an important institution for assisting animals, particularly pets, in need. Society should think about The Beatles "When I'm 64" song to better understand that aging animals deserve the same respect that our senior citizens should receive when they become more defenseless and in need.

The FCC is a proactive agency handling communication complaints. Many relate to problems with cable providers or volumes of nuisance phone calls. The recent redesign of the site needs another redesign. They either don't offer enough options or ask for far too much detail. Another serious problem is they're sloppy with evaluating responses received from large telecommunication companies which results in complaint responses being evasive and incomplete. Rebuttals are a waste of time for the same reason.

The problem is a combination of politics, a staggering amount of complaints and not enough manpower to handle things. Try getting them to coordinate a complaint with a state Public Utility Commission, which would provide more accountability and better ammo, it's a No Go.

As an example, file a Phone complaint. Your options are limited. There should be an "other" category under "Phone Issues" as many involve nuisance calls such as no one answering on pick up. That causes you to have to bend the facts to get the complaint started. That becomes a nightmare because you're required to fill out an answer to every question they ask, some of which should be made optional.

So how do you make the FCC do it's job better? 1. contact them and provide feedback. 2. They're too cozy under the sheets with the Oligopoly Telco Behemoth monsters. 3. Most importantly, the Telco's are in the best position to counter robocalls and that kind of ilk through adoption of far more sophisticated technology which is their bailiwick. Companies should be required to provide company name caller ID with the ability to call back or face serious fines ($10,000). Too many companies are leasing local numbers and calling from other parts of the country where if you engage them for their services, you'll find it difficult to recover damages when they rip you off. AND, customers should be able to opt out of all Political Fundraising and similar types of calls. Phony caller IDs (phishing) is a menace and contributes to Identity Theft.

I used to buy HP printers. They're actually well designed. So I bought a $400 model which they classified as a business computer. All of a sudden the 24/7 support became really limited. Imagine that. A fairly standard laser printer with sudden reduced support. HP has one mission: to get you to buy and replace as fast as possible. This increases profits and allows FAT CAT CEO Meg Whitman to eat some more.

They have other tricks also. They don't fully explain how you can resolve an easily resolvable problem with your purchased item and try to hard sell you on a new model. My printer needed to be replaced as it was defective. I hounded their Customer Support, their Executive Support at *******817 (also known as Office of the President ~ which all large companies have and sometimes a good group to air your complaints to), and they wouldn't budge either. Luckily, the Santa Clara, CA District Attorney's office (where their corporate headquarters is located) advised me to inform HP that I spoke with them and they would assist me in enforcing my rights, and HP couldn't take the return and fork over my hard earned cash fast enough. You can bet Meg ate one less scoop of ice cream that night.

The Better Business Bureau has been around a long time. Although it can't represent you, it can help you. As a consumer with a legitimate complaint against a large business I've found it to be helpful in forcing a responsible business to respond. However, the responding business often misrepresents the facts or outright evades some aspects of your complaint, or responds with statements with gaping holes, and the BBB acts strictly like a sideline moderator on autopilot. Ultimately, this turns into a back and forth rebuttal volley until either the BBB drops the complaint or the victimized party that presents a more logical argument finally gives up in disgust. This is a real dilemma since the BBB is understandably not your lawyer. The problem is paying a lawyer is far more costlier than it's worth.
The BBB should adopt standards that force the business to respond fully to address the components of any complaint from the complainant or the complainant logically address the response from the business since many people filing complaints are also liars. If the BBB merely notified either party that their response is inadequate, in the absence of action, the complaint is either placed for public review against the business as "unresolved", or stricken from the record.
There is also one BIG hidden problem: the Consumer Protection Division of your State Attorney General only represents non-business consumers. If you're a small mom and pop sole-proprietor of a business, they advise you to deal with the BBB. If you're a sole proprietor dealing with a business, you are in fact a single consumer, not a business. Many businesses understand this and realize that legal action is not economical. It's a gaping loophole they exploit which overloads the BBB. The BBB should work in conjunction with the Consumer Protection Divisions and receive funding for that endeavor. That would be a win for consumers and small businesses.

I recently visited one of the Sedona Tap House locations for dinner. The place had a contemporary exposed ceiling duct décor designed for casual dining, a fairly broad menu, beer selection with decent pricing on some items and some overpriced in the sense that your dinner should have perhaps another small side.

As the location I went to, Mamaroneck, NY was new, I took this into consideration. I ordered the Salmon and Caesar Salad. In both cases, they were too spiced up. However, the salmon was pretty good. I found the service staff to be very courteous and prompt, and they asked my opinion and I was honest about things. I sensed they were open to honest feedback which I found to be commendable. Since I'm an excellent cook, I tend to notice things that perhaps others don't.

I had looked at some of the Yelp reviews which I found to be a bit unfair. I also noticed that some positive reviews by really avid Yelpers (dozens of reviews by an individual) were listed as not recommended which I found bizarre. I think all restaurants go through a learning curve as the personnel get's used to kitchen equipment, the logistics and listening to customers. I think this restaurant has the right attitude and will optimize quickly.

Like most people, I've been in all of the grocery chains serving an area. Stop and Shop has a wide variety of items, is typically well stocked, clean and the personnel are very helpful. Although some stores like a super Shoprite stock a wider range of items and some higher priced items, you pay a lot for that luxury. In some cases as much as an extra 15-20% across the board.

I also like the personal service that I get when I really need it. If I a specific poultry or meat item chopped up because it represents what I need, the butchers have always been very accommodating. If an item is out of stock because it was stocked incorrectly and not noticed, presto ~ it's replenished quickly. Automatic checkout problems or confusion are handled quickly.
In the final analysis, if I need that occasional upscale item that's not typically stocked, I can live with going to another store. But rest assured, you get a better value for the staples you would choose to buy in a grocery store at your local Stop and Shop.

I realize a lot of people use smart phones and other wireless devices but I think PC's are better for productivity, a great visual experience, you can watch all region DVDs without needing an all region device such as a PAL player and the keyboards make life very easy, particularly for older people. The list goes on and on. So Dell provides very good products and very good 24/7 tech support. I would give it a 5 star if Tech Support was tweaked a bit better. They're also fair with product returns.