RhondaLea

Y'know, maybe I was speaking Swahili...just a little. Or maybe I just wasn't as complete as I should have been: Add in one more factoid: I've always received the holiday card. It's just that every other carrier has had the sense to put it in the paper at an appropriate time with an appropriate card, and I've never had one give me a self-addressed envelope, much less using the envelope that was supposed to be on the card for that purpose. I know that delivering papers is a pain in the ass, because at least one of the guys from the dz does it. And I delivered phone books during my three year period of unemployment, just for something to do (no tips there, btw, although it actually paid pretty well on an hourly basis). I've never understood the logic of putting people in the position of making their own collections for the newspaper, and I'm glad it doesn't happen here. I also don't like the idea of making people dependent on tips for their livelihood--employers ought to pay a living wage. I don't begrudge the tip--either during the year or at Christmas--but I do begrudge the ham-handed, inelegant, crass and thoughtless style, hence the title of the post. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Have you stopped to think that his "tip cup" just might be that envelope he provided? What makes his method any different from those who have tip cups displayed other than it's not actually a jar? As far as the "correctness" of a X-mas card is concerned, I don't think it is that big of a deal. I've never bought into all the PC bullshit, the season is about giving and celebration, no matter what you want to call it. If you think the guy deserves a tip for his efforts then by all means stay consistent in your tipping practices. Y'know, I started to put the following in my post, and then I deleted what I'd written. Edited to add: No, it's in there. I just figured since you addressed it as if it weren't that I must have deleted it. Once again: The business office allows customers to add a regular tip to the flat rate. No need to deal with the carrier directly, which is just as well considering how often he puts my paper right into the only puddle on the walk. Further edited to add that I pay for my paper by credit card; it's an automatic payment and the tip I chose to add at the time I subscribed is included in what I'm billed each month. And finally edited to add the following note to Mr. Brown: what chip? I do my part: I pay for the paper, I tip the carrier, my paper is soggy a good part of the time. Now he gives me a Christmas card at Thanksgiving with a self-addressed stamped envelope so I can send him a "Christmas present?" If expecting someone to do their job and not make a pretty blatant demand for money is a chip, then yeah, I've got one. And I never said anywhere that I wasn't going to tip him. That wasn't the point. The point was that I felt like complaining about what I see as a lack of service coupled with an attitude of entitlement, and it annoys me. I hope it is all clear now. rl P.S. I tip everyone. Seriously. Even when I get take-out. I was a waitress once for three months. I have never since then begrudged a tip. This post is not about begrudging a tip. It's about an attitude and a behavior. Sometimes I feel like I must be speaking Swahili. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

OMG! I looked at the number, and I didn't recognize it...so I not only let you go to voice mail, I deleted your number too. Sorry. rl P.S. This is a thread hijacking, and you will be punished. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I got the Sunday paper today--walked out the front door, picked it up off the walk and went back in the house. In it was a Christmas card from my carrier. The card was not in the envelope, instead the envelope had his name and address on the front. I tip everywhere I go, and I tip well. I even put money in tip cups at places where the employees aren't really supposed to have tip cups. That's not the point. It just seemed so ill-timed, so crass and grasping--particularly since one can arrange with the business office for the carrier's weekly tip and holiday gift--that I'm tempted not to give the guy anything. And not only that, if you're in business, you send holiday cards, not Christmas cards, because there's just no way for you to know what your customer celebrates. But the latter faux pas would have gotten a pass if not for the rest of it. In the grand scheme of things, this is a small thing, but it annoys me, so I thought I'd share. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

This isn't exactly my area, but my understanding is that having mineral rights to the land is not the same as owning the land. The purchasers should own the right to mine the land only. I expect that they will have to restore the area to some semblance of its former condition once the area is fully mined, and then they will go on their way. From the link you posted, there was no way to know how the bill actually reads, but if the bill was written in the usual way, there will be no "buy and switch" going on. rl Edited to add: Skin beat me to it. That's what I get for walking away in the middle of composing a post. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

The first three paragraphs of this article made me laugh. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Ok so what exactly that I am looking for? Is the IQ level higher in these states or what. What is it about these countries that is made so great by making weed legal. The only thing wrong with pot is the same thing that's wrong with alcohol--people misuse it. Both pot and alcohol have documented health benefits, but they go out the window in the face of abuse. I don't smoke it, because it doesn't like me (makes me withdraw from everything), and I can't stand being around people who are stoned all the time, but there's no denying that for certain people, the benefits far outweigh any potential risk. It's possible to abuse anything, be it drugs, food, sex, and every other weird thing that people become addicted to. But pot, unlike alcohol, is not in and of itself addictive. Do not let the mythology of "Just Say No" keep you from taking a dispassionate look at the use of marijuana. And be aware that the drug wars have been nothing more than a financial drain on the economy. Not to mention that our jails and prisons are full of people who really don't belong there, while others who do walk around free. http://www.mpp.org/ rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I draw the line where it actually has some quantifiable effect on another person's life. A holiday decoration in the office hurts no one. I'm happy to work around holiday decorations, as long as I'm not responsible for the decorating. Don't make me listen to your Christmas music, but I don't really want to listen to what you call music the rest of the year either. Decorations sit there and do nothing; music is intrusive, unless it is exactly to one's own taste. People should be able to do what they want. Don't put a tree in my house, I won't bitch that you have one in your front yard. I don't care what you call it. As for the blue laws, it sounds like the attorney general is taking the back door route to getting them repealed. Often times with such issues, this is exactly the point of the exercise. What I'm saying is that I don't think the two cases really have anything to do with one another. In the former it is a matter of disposing of an outdated law as expediently as possible; in the latter, adherence to the current state of the law is clearly demonstrated. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Punishment? If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

"Thou shall not bounce." You'd think that would be the first and foremost of the ten. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Hey there, old man. Have a wonderful birthday...and many, many more. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

The one nice thing about what's in writing (vs. words spoken in an oral argument) is that people can go back and read it. More underlying presumptions and a (by definition) passive-aggressive personal attack. Other than to say that sex is...[refer to original post]...you haven't said why public discussion of masturbation isn't appropriate. I refer you back to Betty Dodson. There we go with the underlying presumptions again. You're perfectly entitled to your own opinion, but when you post it here, it's not as if it's not subject to debate. Some people just can't accept that not everyone agrees with their opinion. I don't agree with yours. But I haven't attacked you (except for a spelling flame because it was just so ironic in this context), and all you've done is answer with subtle personal attacks. Good for you. I find this whole subject fascinating. As children, some of us are told all manner of terrible things will happen to us if we touch ourselves. As grown-ups, we're either left with the scars of that or we discover that not only is it okay, but that sharing it can be more fun than ordinary people should be allowed to have. Phone sex and demonstrating for a lover both come to mind. From the time my daughter started to be interested in sex, I simply answered her questions. I did let her know that touching herself was something that one does not do in the living room, because it makes others uncomfortable, but I never did anything to make her feel bad about her body. She's never had any trouble talking to me about sex, and there's nothing wrong with her love life. I know people who are pretty screwed up sexually just because they were given a lot of bad messages about sex, and they never grew out of them. I also know others who manage to have sex lives in spite of the early teaching, but they always feel a little guilty and dirty afterwards. If sex is so friggin' beautiful, why would that be? I posit that it is because there is altogether too little open discussion of the subject, and people are left to feel as if there's something wrong with them and only them. As near as I can see, public discussion of the subject only helps to remedy that. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I've had two of those. One was a gift (you know who you are), and it sat at the exit point all day at Bridge Day '97. Then, at the end of the day, someone stole it. I think that was the black one. I do still wonder what happened to it. The other one I sent to Quincy in my stead in either '97 or '98. Friend of mine kept it on top of his RV. I'm pretty sure that was the white one. I love blow-up sheep. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

S/he is beautiful. I had a melanistic corn a long time ago--from the time it was a baby. It was a gorgeous snake. I also had a black rat (from the time it was 3-days hatched--I got it as a wedding present), an indigo that thought it was a belt and various assorted constrictors at different times, some of which were rehab patients. I love snakes. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

When I was in college in West Virginia (25 years ago), a lot of the roads didn't get plowed, especially the small mountain roads. The guys with trucks would make (and maintain) trails, and you could stay on the road by riding in their tracks. That was cool. When I lived in New Jersey, everything got plowed, sanded and otherwise piled up by the side of the road. It was a mess to drive in and I hated it. Six years ago, I fled to Florida to escape the snow. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

None of the above. Eat raw garlic cloves (3 or 4 a day, you can cut them into quarters if you like, then swallow), and you'll be right as rain. But, uh...no kissin' for you. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I have my December issue. Got it last Saturday. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Addendum: Beautiful, meaningful and topical sex. And one more. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Are you saying the dropzone has closed or that it has been sold? rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I do not subscribe to The Johari Window theory. I think it's a load of horsecrap.

You don't see your underlying presumption? The one with which I took issue? I didn't misrepresent what you said. Not only that, you just said it again. It's just kinda funny to me that you couldn't get it right, and the correct spelling is right there in the subject line. Helpful hint here: Spelling flames are lame, but the mispelling of "masturbate" struck me as amusing. If you're going to be real serious about flaming a spelling error, however, it works better if you quote it or if it's at least in the post you're referring to. The spelling flame of a post upthread or in a different thread entirely is irredeemably lame. rl P.S. The guy posted an interesting question, and there was nothing wrong with it. Keeping sex a "mystery" has done a lot of damage to a lot of people over the years. A little more plain talk about it would prevent a lot of hurt, in general, as well as a lot of misconceptions that can screw someone up for a lifetime. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I think that instead of calling in sick, people should call in well. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Tell me that when you hit 47. :) Been there, done that I'm impressed.

#1, Typical. Can't respond to what I actually said, so let's build a strawman. Did I say that people shouldn't masterbate? Did I say that people should only have "beautiful and meaningful sex"? Did I make any rules by which people should "have sex"? (God forbid that we should refer to it as "making love." /sarcasm) I didn't say any of those things. Do I need to diagram my sentences for you so you'll interpret them correctly? This is what you said: Doesn't anyone keep their sex life private any more? Sex is beautiful and meaningful; you make it seem so frivolous. I said it is both. Your lack of knowledge of logical fallacies is your own problem. Perhaps diagramming your sentences might be a good idea. And one more thing: you spelled "masturbate" wrong. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

The bike died. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb