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Does Charlie Sheen Ever Shut Up?

It is time for Charlie Sheen to button up his lips. He is ruining his career and greediness is just completely unattractive. Charlie Sheen appeared on the Today Show this morning and says he should get a 50% raise, the producers should be paying him $3 million dollars an episode to compensate for the stress he has had to put up with from the producers. Charlie is claiming he is underpaid and claiming "psychological distress." I am sorry, that is just completely ridiculous. Charlie is just looking for money to spend on his porn stars and drugs. He needs to check himself into rehab and get a grip on reality. Seeing him on the Today Show this morning, it is very apparent he is still on drugs, he's off the wall. If he keeps on this path of destruction, he is going to find himself a lonely broke man dreaming of porn stars and drugs.

Getting Over The Winter Blues

It is amazing how eating healthy and going to the gym can completely change your attitude. This morning I woke up feeling sluggish and really didn't feel like going anywhere. I was procrastinating, doing everything but getting to the gym. I forced myself to get up and get to the gym. Walking out to the car, I was looking at the snow and thinking, I am so sick of this crap and I so desperately wish it was spring. I felt so much better after going to the gym and my mood was lifted. I thought to myself, tomorrow is March 1st, just a few more weeks until spring is finally here.
Then I came home and made me a good salad with mixed greens and snow peas with a sun dried tomato vinaigrette dressing and a banana for desert. I would have to say, I am feeling much better now and ready for the day.

Rude Cashiers

There's nothing worse about going to the grocery store and not being able to use all the coupons you planned on and a rude cashier to top it off. Those coupons Kroger gives you where you get $3.00 off your next grocery bill, your only allowed to use one at a time even though it doesn't say so on the coupon. I had four on Saturday, one was for $3.00 off $15.00 in frozen food items and three were for $3.00 of your next shopping order. I was so proud of myself, I had a stack of coupons totalling around $30.00. Including one .50 cent coupon for the Colgate toothpaste that was on sale for .98 cents, when the coupon is doubled, the toothpaste was free. 

I hand the cashier the coupons and she begins inspecting the printable coupon and gives me a dirty look like I was handing her a fraudulent coupon. She begins scanning all the groceries looking annoyed there were so many groceries. When she is finished, she scans the coupons and hands me back the two coupons extra $3.00 coupons and says "you can't use all of these together. Only one coupon per shopping order." Okay, fine. Just change your tone is what I wanted to tell her. I just told her sorry, the coupon doesn't say you only use one.  So she says, Well, the computer is telling me you can't use them together. There was no bagger, so my husband and I were bagging our own groceries. Which I don't have a problem doing, just don't be rude when I am bagging my own groceries. We could have been one of those customers who just stands there and lets the cashier ring the order up and then bag it by herself. She didn't even help when she finished with the order or even say thank you for bagging the groceries. No have a nice day or nothing.

She acted like it was an annoyance we were there. After spending all that money on groceries, feeling like your a burden to checking out in her lane is the last thing you want to deal with in the grocery store. I understand they don't get paid very much to work there. But, that is the job they chose and I was trying to be polite and helpful. Be polite back. After all, I am the customer and without the customers they don't have a job.

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Sending Our Jobs Overseas

About a month ago, I did on post on our jobs being sent overseas. This is not my first post about companies sending our jobs overseas, nor will it be the last post about companies sending our jobs overseas. I will continue to discuss the issue as I find more companies who sent our jobs overseas.  Well, I have a new company to add to the list. Fifth Third Bank has their call center in the Philippines. Yes, my payment was late and they called to see if I would do a check by phone. Well automatically, I picked up on that I could barely understand a word she was saying. So, I asked "Where are you calling from?"  She proceeds to give me this bull shit line of where the head quarters is located. Well, if you knew me, you would know that isn't good enough for me and that is not the question I asked. I didn't ask where is the headquarters for Fifth Third Bank. I asked where was she. So, I asked her again. "Where are you physically sitting at right now?" She tells me the Philippines. She proceeds to verify my information. I told her "Have someone from Fifth Third Bank who is in the United States call me and verify my information if they need to." Then she still proceeds to try and get me to do a check by phone. Hell no, I will not give someone sitting in the Philippines my bank account information. So, I let her know that I will do the payment electronically and I refuse to do a payment over the phone with someone who is sitting in another country.

Then she proceeds to ask me "Why is the payment late?" Well, that is the last thing to ask me if your sitting in another country doing a job an American should be doing in the United States. I told her "If Fifth Third Bank and other banks didn't send our jobs overseas to other countries maybe they wouldn't have as many late payments, because more Americans would have jobs and could pay their bills on time." She thanked me for my time and asked me to call the 1-800 number after I made the payment. I asked her "Where does it go?" She said at our call center here. I laughed and said "I don't care if it is a 1-800 number, I refuse to call the Philippines about my account here in the United States. Not only that, she wanted me to call on Thursday and I kept telling her I'm doing the payment on Friday. I don't thing she understood what I was saying.

Well, they called me back on Friday night to ask about the payment. Another women proceeded to let me know the conversation is recorded, then asks me about the payment. So, I let her know I made the payment and how much. Then she tries to verify my information again. Of course, I didn't make it easy for her. So, I tell her tell someone from Fifth Third Bank in the United States to call me if they wish to verify my information, because I refuse to verify my personal information with someone sitting in the Philippines. I thanked her and then hung up on her.

All of this just really burns me up. What the hell kind of crappy wage are they paying them for it to be cheaper to lay off thousands of Americans and send their call centers overseas?  According to the Outsourcing Essentials, "For example, the average wage for telephone operators in the US is $12.57 per hour while their counterparts in India are paid less than a buck an hour. and Payroll clerks in the US are paid, on average, $15.17 per hour compared with between $1.50 and $2 per hour in India."


I am more than happy to hear the conversation is recorded and I really hope that these companies are listening to these recordings. So maybe they can hear about how unhappy we are they are using our money to fund overseas call centers. But, I am sure those unhappy customers recorded conversations never make it to Fifth Third employee decision makers. They are probably deleted.

In my previous post, Overseas Customer Service Centers, I started my list of companies who are sending their call centers overseas. I will continue to add to my list as I discover more companies who have laid off Americans and sent their call centers overseas. If you know of any companies, let me know so I can add them to the list. Ask them where they are physically located the next time you call or they call you. You will be surprised to know how many of these call centers are overseas. I find it difficult to believe this isn't upsetting and people aren't uncomfortable with giving someone overseas their personal information with identity theft and unemployment at an all time high.


 I wrote the White House a few months back about the recession and American companies sending our jobs overseas. Well, they have no response. Apparently, they don't have any answers. Nor do they care, nobody is doing anything to stop it or make it more difficult for them to send our jobs overseas. They are just giving them more tax breaks to send more jobs overseas. By now, we all know they are not using the money to create jobs. At least not in the United States.

I am a mama on a mission, blogging for change.


Direct TV- Your calling the PHILIPPINES when you call them! Ask & you will see.

IndyMac- They are calling you from INDIA!

Fifth Third Bank- When they call you, they are calling from the PHILIPPINES!

Sleepy Saturday

Little Sasha looking cute and sweet in one of her favorite spots in the house, the computer chair. Her looks are deceiving though, she will come and pounce on you when your least expecting it or bite your foot while your sleeping. Cats have the life. All they worry about is eating, sleeping and getting pampered by their owners. At least we think we are the owners, but they actually own us.

Yahoo Comments

As I sit and read some of the responses to the Yahoo articles, it is obvious how some people are really ignorant to what is really going on in the world around them. They say stupid things like, people are just whining about the economy because, for the first time in their life they are forced to shop wisely and they can't upgrade to the latest IPhone. You can save money, but the money is going to run out eventually. To me that is just complete ignorance. When was the last time they drove through the average American neighborhood and saw all the foreclosure signs on the homes? This recession has nothing to do with not being able to upgrade your phone every six months. This recession is about middle class families losing their homes and struggling to put food on the table for their children or to pay their utility bills to keep heat on in their home so their children aren't laying in their beds freezing at night. That is the meat of the recession, it has nothing to do with not being able to upgrade to the latest IPhone. Some people are just looking at the recession through rose colored glasses, because they haven't lost their jobs yet and don't know what it is about yet. But, that is the last thing they should be doing. Because, they could be the next one to lose their job and have the rug ripped beneath their feet. My point is, know what your talking about before you go shooting off at the mouth about people you know nothing about.

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Beauty Tips & Tricks

If you don't have a lint brush on hand, you can use a eyebrow brush to remove lint quickly from your pants or shirt when your in a bind.

Do you want to get rid of those dark circles under your eyes without paying for expensive creams. Put a little hydrocortisone cream under your eyes. It reduces the inflammation. 1/2% or 1% should do the trick.

Ever wake up late and not have enough time to wash your hair? There's a way around it, Use a fabric sheet to freshen your hair and tame the fly aways.

Yellow Nails? Scrub them with tooth paste to remove the stains and add shine.

Need to dry your nails quick and your out of quick dry spray? Use cooking spray to quick dry polish. Make sure it is the original and unscented though, you don't want to walk around all day smelling like butter.

Need to wear a skirt or short sleeve shirt and you have an embarrassing bruise? Rub some vinegar on the bruise. It reduces the blueness of the bruise.

Why You Shouldn't Drink Too Much

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Today On Oprah

Today on Oprah, she had Celine Dion and the debut of her miracle babies and the McGhee Family with their 8 month old sextuplets. The McGee family welcomed home four boys and two girls on June 9th. The sextuplets were a blessing to the McGee family after the couple had lost twins to preterm birth 3 years earlier. Thanks to Walmart in Columbus, Ohio the McGee's will have $250,000 to spend at Walmart to help them with the cost of raising sextuplets.

Winter Break



Yesterday morning there was no snow on the ground and look at it now. 10" of snow since yesterday afternoon.  



Some winter break. I guess the weather is appropriate for a winter break. Adam is probably wishing he was in school instead. Because, he is not happy with me for sending him outside to shovel snow. To his relief, he does have the assistance of his sister's boyfriend.

BP Says It's Safe To Eat Sea Food From The Gulf

BP jumped the gun a little bit when launching their new commercial featuring a fisherman of the Gulf. In the commercial, the fisherman says, BP cleaned up the oil spill, paid him for his loss and it is safe to eat the lobster from the Gulf again. Apparently, they didn't know about the new reports being put out by Samantha Joye, from the University of Georgia on Saturday at a conference. A marine scientist Samantha Joye of the University of Georgia says, the oil isn't degrading as planned and it has desecrated part of the sea life in the Gulf of Mexico. "Magic microbes consumed maybe 10 percent of the total discharge, the rest of it we don't know," Joye said, later adding: "there's a lot of it out there." Joye and her colleges took 5 expeditions and took 250 cores of the sea floor stretching across stretching across 2,600 square miles. Joye says the oil is choking the bottom dwelling sea creatures.  Bp is claiming it is safe to eat sea food from the Gulf. I think they are just thinking about the bottom line, making money and they are not too concerned about the dangers of people eating sea food from the Gulf. I wonder if they are eating sea food from the Gulf or if they would feed it to their families. My guess is, probably not.

Our Children & Texting

Almost everyone does it, including our children. My youngest could send a text message by the age of 6.  I  would walk in a room and find her sitting there with my phone sending out text messages to my contacts in my phone. Texting and cell phones has posed a new parenting challenge for parents. Cell phones are great for children to have. They can make keeping track of your child much easier. Also, cell phones make it easier for a child to communicate with their parents anytime and anywhere. My children have cell phones, I won't let them leave the house without their phone. But, along with the convenience of your child having a cell phone comes the problem of parents having a harder time to keep up with what their child is doing. Texting lingo can be very confusing. Preteens and teens have developed a texting lingo to quickly text their friends and abbreviations for words they don't want their parents to understand. Which can pose a problem for parents. Some parents feel it is snooping if they check their child's phone. Would you rather have your child safe or to make sure you are respecting their privacy 100%. I don't check my child's phone on a regular basis. But, I will check their phones from time to time. Especially, if I feel they are hanging out with someone they maybe shouldn't be hanging out with. Texting also makes it easier for predators to chat with a child or teen and disguise their age or identity. I believe in partial privacy of children. They have their privacy until they give me a reason not to respect their privacy. Too much privacy can keep a parent in the dark and that is the last thing we want as parents. If my child is in danger, I want to know about it.
There are resources out there for parents to help them stay on top of the texting lingo children are using. The National Center For Missing & Exploited Children is an excellent resource for parents. Not just in the case of an emergency. The website has excellent resources and pamphlets for parents on child safety. The National Center For Missing & Exploited Children offer a Communication Package that you can download online for free once you register with their site or you can have the pamphlets mailed to you free of charge for the first 50. A insert is included in the package to help parents understand what the abbreviations our children are using stand for. Their website also offers other great resources for parents and educators on child safety.

The Royal Wedding

The Royal Wedding is starting to become the royal bore. I think people are getting a little too obsessed with the upcoming Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton. I think everyone is mesmerized with the glamour of a royal wedding. I can understand a little coverage on the Royal Wedding, but coverage on the couple is everywhere.  I don't think The First Lady gets the kind of coverage Kate Middleton does. You would think they lived in the United States. Honestly, I am just getting bored with the whole thing. I never was one to follow the lives of the stars. I just think they make too big of a deal out of everything. Pictures of this one on vacation,  pictures of so and so out without makeup, and so on. It is just sort of silly to me. Now, the big buzz is Kate Middleton's allergy. Seriously, Kate Middleton's allergy is news worthy? Yes, I know she's allergic to horses. Does it really matter? I'm sure she isn't going to be spending too much time around the horse barn anyway.

Spring Fever

My kids are dying for spring to come this year. I think this year a little more than most. My youngest is at the park with her friend riding bikes and it's 36 degrees outside. They are ready to shed the winter coats and pull the bikes out. She tried sneaking out with just a wind breaker on. All the snow finally melted, so they were outside yesterday playing basketball and riding their bikes in the cold. They stayed out there for almost two hours. They are not letting the cold stop them, they're tired of being in the house. To their surprise we are getting more snow and sleet tomorrow and they will be stuck in the house again complaining they're bored. But, my son is still complaining he's bored, because he's grounded. He told me he wouldn't be like he is (cranky and complaining) if he wasn't stuck in the house. Hopefully, not being able to go outside and play with his friends on those few nice days we did get will help him remember to not let his grades slip. Making him stay inside when it's nice outside is like cruel and unnecessary punishment for him. I did allow him a little freedom to go outside yesterday and ride his bike for a little bit, without his friends though. He was stuck riding his bike with his sister and her friend.  I am ready for spring myself. I'm tired of the cold and tired of the kids sitting in the house complaining they're bored and there is nothing to watch on the television.  I'm sure they are going to be really disappointed tomorrow when they see the snow and sleet fall. Considering, they are going to be on winter break Monday and Tuesday. Especially Adam, because is punishment is over on Sunday.

New Blog "The Comfort Zone"

I just wanted to tell everyone about my new blog I created a couple of weeks ago,  The Comfort Zone. The Comfort Zone is about embracing diversity in your life and teaching understanding and love for all races and alternative lifestyles. I would love some new followers on my blog. So, please stop by and visit my new blog at The Comfort Zone.  

Stubborn Lint Balls

Yesterday, my daughter was complaining about a shirt she wanted to wear that was covered in little lint balls from a scarf she wore with it the last time she wore the shirt and it reminded me of this neat little trick I learned from my brother a few years back. I guess brothers are useful for something, other than making you crazy when you were a kid. I used to have a sofa that came with throw pillows and for some reason the throw pillows were always collecting lint balls from clothing. There is a way to get rid of all those little annoying lint balls you get on your sweaters, shirts, cotton pants, sheets, and pillows that the lint brush won't remove. Simply take a shaving razor and softly go over the area with lint balls. It completely removes all the lint balls. There is nothing like having a sweater or shirt you can't wear, because some  how it got lint balls on it from somewhere unknown.

Guacamole Dip & Salsa Dip

Last night was taco night. I like my tacos to be authentic, I don't want to feel like I am eating at taco bell. I made chicken soft tacos with the corn soft tacos, guacamole dip and salsa dip for sides. It was very easy and delicious.

Guacamole Dip
2 Ripe Avocados
1/4th cup of either chopped green onion or red onion
1/2 lemon
Salt

Cut the avocado and peel. Once the avocado is peeled, mash the avocado in a bowl. Add your onion, squeeze the lemon into the mixture and a few dashes of salt.


Salsa Dip
Salsa
Sour Cream
Cheddar Cheese
Diced Tomato
Chopped Green Onion
Guacamole (Mashed)


Choose the size of your bowl according to how much dip you would like to make. Spread a generous a layer of guacamole in the bottom. Spread a layer of  sour cream over the guacamole. Then pour the salsa layer on next. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes and chopped onions. You can omit the guacamole, which is what I usually do, because my husband doesn't like Guacamole. However, it is delicious with the guacamole.

Top Wacky Parenting Methods

Top 5 wacky parenting methods according to Tammy Gold, parenting expert and founder of Gold Parent Coaching. 

1. Never saying the word "no" because, they don't want their child learning the word "no".
    According to Tammy Gold, you should save the word "no" for the big things.

2. Talking to your baby like a grown up.
    I have heard this a few times and it just drives me crazy. I don't think parents should talk to their child like
    an adult. They aren't adults and there are some things that just shouldn't be said to children.  It's too much
    for their little minds. In my opinion, it should be kept age appropriate.

3. Letting baby go diaper-free
    This is not a good idea for a lot of reasons. Mainly, it's just not physically healthy for them. A few
    moments maybe while your grabbing a diaper, but not for extended periods of time. It can cause health
    problems for little girls or possibly unnecessary injuries in those private places that could have been
    avoided by leaving their diaper on. Such as, your little princess falling on something and breaking her
    hymen or little man falling and hurting something.

4. Baby biting
   This one blows my mind. Why would you bite your infant? There are other ways to teach them not to bite.
   This is a good time to use the word "no".

5. Throwing a tantrum when your tot throws a tantrum. 
    Throwing a tantrum may only work temporarily, but your not solving the problem. Your running the risk of
    the problem getting worse, because it now becomes a game.

Woman and Shot Gun Fail- Wacky Wednesday

Tell me, why would you hold a shot gun like that? The people standing there didn't tell her she could shoot her hand off that way?

Repeated Ear Infections

My dog is driving me crazy. He is one of those dogs with floppy ears and he gets repeated ear infections every couple of months. In one ear he gets a bacteria infection and the other he gets a fungus infection. I am constantly running him to the vet every coupe of months for his ears and it usually runs me around $130. The vet says he has an allergy to preservatives. So, we changed his food to an all natural food with no preservatives and give him allergy pills. Well, it's not working. He is still getting ear infections. Does anyone have any ideas of natural ways or something you can buy in the store to treat ear infections in dogs?

Snowflake Kisses

Snowflake Kisses

© Angela M. Torrence

Upon the earth the snow kisses

Glittering flakes drop as the ice glistens

My soul has awaken and now my heart listens

In my mind your voice whispers

When I close my eyes at night I dream of you

When I awake to the morning dew I think of you

Somehow I feel in your arms is where I belong

I've waited for someone like you for so long

Now my heart beats with a happy rhyme

Couldn't have asked for a better Valentine



Happy Valentines Day, Sweetie. I love you!

Cute & Funny Animals

                                                

These were too cute. I couldn't pick just a couple.

Too cute. Isn't funny how animals resemble their owners?

   

Adorable, her hair blends in with his fur.

The rabbit looks like my cat.

Ahhhhh!