Category: WTF?

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This has to be a major WTF???

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I heard of an instance a couple of months ago where a brave young life guard was fired from his lifeguard job because he saved someone that was drowning.

The problem is… The drowning person was beyond the area the young lifeguard was supposed to be tending to. 

This occurred in Hallandale Beach FL, and the young heroes name is Thomas Lopez

So the message is Save a life, as you’ve been trained to… BUT ONLY in your area! 

I suppose that if during the save, the lifeguard and the drowning victim had drifted out of bounds that young Mr. Lopez was supposed to let go of the victim, commending his soul to Poseidon’s mercy. 

What the hell is wrong with our society you may ask… Well here is one example of litigation and liability taken to it’s insanely logical conclusion.

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I just heard of another instance where someone saving a life was penalized for their trouble.

In this case it was a young man In Oregon. Seventeen year old off duty lifeguard John Clark jumped into rough surf to save a 12 year old that was being swept out to sea. 

How did the ambulance company hospitals and doctors tell him he’d done the right thing? They sent him a bill for nearly $2600

When Johns story appeared on the local news the good people in his local area began donating to cover the bill. You see, Johns family doesn’t have health insurance or the cash to cover the cost. 

Johns bill will be paid I’m sure of that, any extra cash from the donations, John is putting into a college fund or donating to help cover the medical bills of the victim, because he’s a good kid.

It’s exactly this kind of selfless people we need more of in our society. And yet… we punish them indirectly for doing the right thing.

I suspect that the trouble is just beginning. I’m sure that John or his family will be taxed on the donations he’s received to pay for the hospital charges that he never should have been billed for!

Hospitals go through $2600 bucks of toilet paper in the emergency room lobby every day just due to illegal aliens.

The ambulance company should have waived their bill to say;

“Good Job, Well Done, you’re a hero and made of the right stuff” 

The hospital and the doctor that checked him out should have done the same.

Instead they’ve sent a message not only to this heroic young man but to everyone nationwide.

The message is Human life is worth $2600 or in the case of Mr. Lopez… Your Job!

Sadly, this is one of the reasons I no longer have a current CPR or first aid card.

It works like this… If I have the card and don’t help I’m liable and If I do help and something bad happens once I’ve accepted the responsibility to help someone I’m liable.

I don’t have 8 Million in liability insurance and couldn’t afford the premiums even if I wanted to.

So If you’re bleeding out, or have a heart attack around me, and you’re not my best friend or a member of my immediate family… well YOUR’E GOING TO DIE. Sorry about that, Can’t be helped but you will have the joy of actually seeing all the ambulance chasing  attorneys in a special circle of hell reserved JUST for them…

I figure that my best friend and immediate family members aren’t likely to sue me for trying to save their lives.

Our overly litigious and greedy society is unfortunately filled with tons of people looking for an angle… A way to get rich quick, even if it’s on the back of a Good Samaritan whose only sin is that they tried to help.

After reading articles like these… It’s obvious that a value has already been set. A human life is worth $2600. If it costs more than $2600 to treat you then you’re dead! Obamacare take note!

I suppose that the converse is also true… As a Good Samaritan I could only be sued for $2600.

Hmmm, maybe I could go get that CPR/First Aid card renewed. I could afford to be sued for that amount….

Nahhhh, I’m a white guy I’ll be sued for millions, especially if I happen to help a lawyer. I can see it now…

“Is it true that you prevented me from bleeding out from a gunshot wound? ‘Uhh Yes.’ But you weren’t trained to deal with gunshot wound were you? ‘Uhh No.’ Your honor, the prosecution rests it’s case. The defendant wasn’t qualified to save my life and therefore should pay restitution for bruising me with the tourniquet that saved my life in the amount of 20 million dollars.”

The Obscene part is that I and millions of other people just like me will hesitate for a second or two to consider the ramifications of getting involved.

That second or two could mean the difference between someone living and dying. Is this really the society that you want to live in?

Something to think about…

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I saw this little jewel on TOWLEROAD a while back

I’ve let this one steep a while since I wasn’t really sure that I wanted to be quite this out there. But I’m thinking aww what the hell?

I’ve gotta file this one under the WTF category…

Friend of Norwegian Mass Murderer Anders Behring Breivik Thought He Was Gay, Closeted

Read more: TOWLEROAD

I have to ask what does this guys sexuality have to do with the fact that he’s on trial for killing 77 people?

This guy has confessed to committing the murders but claims that he did so to protect his beloved homeland and culture.

The piece also comments on the fact that Breivik had a nose job “so he could have a more “Aryan” nose”. So what?

I’m not sure what the attorneys in Norway are trying to prove.

Breivik, had he been the leader of a revolution that won… would be described as a liberator and hero to his people for protecting the purity of Norwegian culture.

However since Breivik was acting alone he’s perceived as a nutcase and murderer. Now it looks as if the Norwegian court is trying to marginalize the crime and his stated reasons for committing it by painting him as a vain, closeted homosexual who acted out.

This suggests to me that perhaps Norwegian society isn’t ready to consider that they may have a larger problem…

They’re hoping that the Breivik case is a “one-off“.  Perhaps it is.

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But what if it’s not?

Lets look at this another way…

What kind of social pressure, cultural change, and abuse does it take for a vain, closeted homosexual to make, plant and detonate a bomb, or pick up a rifle and start shooting people?

The Norwegians had a bit of civil unrest several years ago because one of their cartoonists drew a picture. That picture while protected under Norwegian free speech rights still had to be apologized for. The artist still had to flee his home. The Norwegian government, instead of expelling those who sought to deny the artist his rights made concessions to a radical minority.

The imposition of foreign cultural taboos on a society will inevitably result in unrest. 

Vivid examples include Palastine, and Iran.

The Shah of Iran was deposed at least in part because his policies were too progressive, and  too Western. Apparently the religious infrastructure of the country perceiving a threat to their tradition, power and culture incited a coup. The ruling government then exiled all foreigners, nationalized all the resources and descended into an almost isolationist (from the West except for oil sales) period.

The Palestinians resented in 1947 and do to this day control being imposed on them by the West in the creation of the State of Israel.

I’m not suggesting that Breivik was in any way correct in what he did.

What I’m saying is that perhaps Norway should look more carefully at it’s rising nationalism and the factors that are contributing to it.

Otherwise the next  Breivik will organize an insurgent movement. Such a movement could easily be aimed at focusing Norways’ rising nationalism against the Norwegian government and all people that are perceived as a threat to Norwegian cultural values.

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Complete EDD MEGA #FAIL

I know it sounds like I’m picking on the EDD but for fucks sake…

I Just got a bunch more paperwork from EDD. all of the paperwork has the same phone numbers on it.

The real crack-up is that one of the documents is a confirmation of PIN number request.

This one says “If you did not request a PIN Immediately call 1-800-300-5616 (English)”

This is the number that I’ve been dialing for the past 6 hours trying to get hold of a human being to find out what the hell is happening with my EDD claim and depending on those answers to potentially report fraud.

Of EVEN more amusement is that My Social Security number, phone number, and address are all over these EDD forms.

Which means that if one of these pieces of mail was to end up in someone else’s mailbox. It would be THE EDD that exposed me to complete identity theft.

I swear I can’t even believe the complete and utter incompetence I’m seeing. If someone was to call and use the automated system to change my mailing address they’d be able to take my unemployment payments and at the same time they’d be able to use my social security number at a hospital, or employer, or to buy a car or to open credit cards.

All of this thanks to the State of California.

Why the FUCK do we bother shredding every piece of paper, fighting to protect our privacy when BIG FUCKING BROTHER has no problem violating every rule in the book?

HIPPA regulations, which are enforced by the state PREVENT the exposure of this kind of personally identifiable information.

So why would the fucking Employment Development Department turn around and just publish this stuff on every single document they send out?

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No More PayPal and No More Ebay

Tried to Kill the PayPal account online… still had to contact them via phone. That account was locked out because the review process was still posted.

Got a nice lady on the phone that closed the account but even then she had to put me on hold a couple of times because the systems was fighting her about it.

While I was on the phone with PayPal, I was online with E-Bay killing that account.

You know, it occurred to me a while ago that I had a lot of internet accounts. In the case of PayPal and Ebay I used them so infrequently that I invariably had to look up the passwords and logins.

I don’t think they’ll be missed. If I find myself needing their rather questionable services again I’ll simply create new accounts.

Of course it is Friday the 13th… I’m having technology problems like you wouldn’t believe.

There is a cool breeze and a light rain which I’m enjoying.

 

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PayPal #FAIL

 

Actually it’s not PayPal that’s the problem.

It’s our wondrous Federal Government. Also known as the Assholes in Congress.

Could these people be any more out of touch? 

Apparently as of April 2012 the Federal Morons, have mandated that all Money Service Businesses must have on file customer verification information. 

OK… I suppose that having a PayPal account fucking LINKED to your checking account and / or credit card accounts isn’t enough!

I guess I can kind of get it… My PayPal account is over a decade old. By this time if there was anything nefarious about my transactions I’m assuming that I’d already be in prison. But for the paltry 200 or 300 bucks that has EVER been in the PayPal Account the Government feels they have the right to know all about that money and whose using it.

Supposedly the new requirements for Identification are to prevent money laundering and terrorist activities.

I could see it if there were 10s or 100s of thousands of dollars going through the account on a monthly basis… that might be suspicious. But for the average person of an established account? Come on give it a rest!

But the real kicker is this…

PayPal, in order to comply with the FEDERAL Gestapo is demanding that I provide them with the following information either as a FAX or Emailed Scan  of my Social Security card, My drivers License, and A paper utility bill.

Do you see the problem here?

We have well known National Banks, Insurance Companies, and even the IRS, who cannot keep this kind of information from ending up on the internet.

Yet PayPal is asking that we make it EASIER for them to lose this information and set ourselves up for identity theft!

SAY WHAT? You have to be fucking kidding me! 

You’re actually saying that I should just hand this information over to a company that I barely have done business with. A company who will not service ALL Vendors. A company who allows their narrow version of morality to dictate which transactions they will process, and I’m supposed to do all of this OVER THE INTERNET and trust them? I’m supposed to believe that the information will not be distributed to criminals because after all we all know how trustworthy and secure the internet is.

BUZZZZZZ! 

I’m sorry that’s the wrong answer, but thank you so much for playing and here’s your lovely parting gift.

We emailed you a little while ago to ask for your help resolving an issue
with your account.

What’s the problem?

As of April, 2012, new Federal Regulations require Money Service
Businesses, such as PayPal, to verify the identity of a customer before we
can provide various services or product offerings. As a result, PayPal must
ensure we have collected and verified important data such as customer name,
address, date of birth, and national tax ID or social security number.
Because we were not able to fully confirm your identity based on your
current account information, we need to request additional supporting
documentation from you.

You will continue to have full access to your PayPal account, but until we
are able to confirm your identity, we may be unable to process certain
types of customer initiated requests such as adding funds to your PayPal
account.

According to their message above, there is another option. I can choose not to give them this information and simply not transfer any cash to my PayPal account.

BUT that’s not good enough… I’ve spoken with PayPal twice, informing them of my choice NOT to have cash sitting in their hands. Instead I’ve chosen to simply use them on rare occasion to facilitate a transaction with someone that may or may not be above board.

Yet I’m still getting emails like the one above, Thus far I haven’t gotten any phone calls but I’m sure that’s only a matter of time.

The way I see this… I’ve got three choices

1) Ignore them.

2) Give them the information. (Not Happening!)

3) Close the account and not do business with them.

I’m leaning to option #3. I’d prefer one less account ID and Password to keep track of anyway. My credit cards are pretty secure and I’m automatically protected in the event of fraud. So why do I need a PayPal account?

OH yeah… for Ebay… Which I don’t use either! Humm. Maybe I can lose Two un-necessary accounts!