Disrepect is NOT on the menu

I went off on someone in public this week.

Normally, that only serves to make me feel bad 

about my lack of self-control, or for allowing a

nobody to alter my emotions. On this particular

week's 'Hump Day' however, I felt good about

humping back.

The local Hardee's Restaurant is not known for

much in the way of customer service. This is a 

small, poor town with dying businesses and not

much going for it. Like thousands of similar towns 

in America, it's filled with people who aren't ever

going to have a better life than they have right now--

and who are aware of that fact.

It doesn't exactly inspire superb attitudes--and even 

if it did, minimum wage, monotony, lack of benefits,

and living in the middle of constant racism would

take care of finishing off any enthusiasm.

But what happened Wednesday, July 25th, 2018

at this franchised, greasy, fast-food-hole in the 

middle of Donalsonville, Georgia's main highway

was neither strange for this business, new from

the individual in question, or unique to the current

customer service trend of "Who gives a shit?"

What's truly telling is that EVERYwhere I went

that day, and everyONE I have told in the days

since, one common theme ties my sharing of

the incident: I didn't even have to say the name 

of the person in question who treated me poorly--

she was known to everyone by the described

bad acts.

This tells us several things. First, the problem

with this specific person's bad attitude is 

persistent and well-known. It is considered a

staple--a feature, if you will--of this Hardee's

restaurant. (Owned and operated by the town's

mayor, Dan Ponder, by the way. Well, 'Ponder

Enterprises, Inc.')

Second, the casual way in which people shake

their head in muted disbelief shows how

accustomed we are to overlooking problematic 

customer service. It's just part of our expected

experience when we enter any kind of business

in this day and age. We've stopped even bothering

with reporting it or being shocked by it.

Third, the lack of concern by management or 

owner for the treatment of their customer base

says everything needed to understand that 

they have no respect for the people or their money.

(Okay that's not true--They do love them some

green. But they don't care how they get it!)

I, too, have essentially Given Up when it comes

to the hopeless nature of the disappeared art of

customer service. Everywhere you go, it's people

not making eye contact with you, grunting at you rather 

than speaking, talking on the phone while they 'deal'

with you, talking to their coworkers, airing personal

problems, acting like helping you is torture,

and so on and so on....

It's disgusting and unacceptable, but what are

we to do when it's our new normal? And I don't 

want to enter into conflict just to be heard. And 

for people like me, in a small town with limited

choices, if you start boycotting horribly run

businesses you WILL run out of places to shop!

("Keep your money local!" my ass.)

I used to take the high road of ignoring the Bad 

and simply complementing the Good. I would

write courteous letters to managers and owners so 

they could course-correct with their hiring.

But no one cares any more--Not one. single. BIT!

No matter. Despite the pervasiveness of poor

service, it is NOT acceptable. With everything

going on in the world, can we not at LEAST use 

the whole 15 seconds of time it takes to make 

one another feel welcome, respected? As human

beings, can we not at least put THAT much effort 

into it?

Forget that y'all are not on a reality show and 

don't need to be mugging for the cameras with

your nasty glares and chicken-necking. Forget 

that you are being paid a wage to actually speak

to the people coming in to the store--nicely. Forget 

that your life is in shambles and you hate your

drama, because I guarantee you I am NOT the one

who pissed in your oatmeal nor have I shot your

MeeMaw, so get over it.

Because I am the flip side of that coin.

I am the one who is sick and damn tired of being

disrespected by people all the damn time.

I am sick of southerners thinking they're 'justified'

in owning their attitude-filled disdain 

and personal 'issue' with my skin color, my

heritage, my sexuality, my voice, my weight, my

politics, my extracurriculars, my attire, etc.

It's now common practice to perform a negative eval

in order to inform what level of disrespect people

will show customers. 'Mistreatment' is in vogue.

Some will think "Get over it--Not a big deal."

Disrespect is a huge deal. 

Our country is falling apart due in large part 

to an epidemic of it, and it's likely only going to

worsen. No, I can't change how people act.

I can't effectively change anything at every

place I go where people mistreat me.

But I am done with fake-smiling and 

pushing down the normal response of upset

when someone who's about to take my money

thinks I need to get a ration of bullshit on the side.

 Save that drama for when you're on your knees 

at night in prayer.

I'm speaking my mind--calmly.

I'm walking out.

I'm not returning.

I'm telling everyone I know.

I'm writing bad reviews.

I will at least be heard, regardless of 

whether or not it changes anything,

because enough is enough.

And in time, other folks will be joining

the campaign to stop stomaching 

nasty employees. When they do?

Businesses won't know what hit them.

***

"Thanks for taking a dump on our property values!"

 

Why should it be

that evil

never wants for allies

 

while good folk

stand waiting

for support and supplies?

 

**

No, children,
you're not wrong
or crazy....
it is all
bullshit.

Stand strong and
forge on!

***

 

When prior generations were

promoting the notion of their

kids' inclusion and their ability

to "be anything that they wanted,"

maybe some caveats

should have been added.

 

Check Yourself



"Please...
Don't let the
smile and the good looks
fool you.

Chicken plucker."

***



Ahhh...it's the old "Campfire-Calm/Bedroom-Bitchiness" trait in action!"

Now that mid-life crisis has set in, all the people

who were hardcore bitches (while I was a naive

Pollyanna refusing to face reality and playing a

doormat) are now becoming very touchy-feely-

centered-spiritual(esque) 'children of the world.'

And that's all fine and good-- as the world turns.

But now they want to lecture and soliloquize and

testify and project my need to be less cynical and

embrace tolerance and peace!

You know, since they have now evolved enough to

comprehend that they are inherently correct in

whatever venture they deign to embark on. Yawn.

Well, bitches... here's a newsflash; I've been there and

definitely done that! I've held hands and kissey-pooed

and Kumbaya-ed till the cows come home....and I saw

the end results. So you do your thing and leave me well

the Hell enough alone.

I'm evolved and self-sufficient and a rip-roaring

survival machine. I got mine figured out...suckas.

It's kind of funny--the piousness with which they presume

their base rightness at every turn of their transformation.

And that their basis is better...even though I was in that

place some twenty years hence.

They're as self-important now as 'enlightened souls' as

they were when they were mercenary "Every man for

themselves" assholes.

See? Nobody really changes after all.

Underwear and Hair

Set Free...in Spite of the Uneven Truth

Connect the Dots

It's not hard...

the trail of bread crumbs they leave is massive

and easily identified. They don't feel a need to

cover up their connections; the rich are accustomed

to being above the law.

***

Bureaucratic Blunder: Georgia DFACS

 

The following is an e-mail I sent a few weeks ago

to several state service agencies, the Department of

Human Resources, DFACS, congressional representatives, and several more

parties I hoped would be of use. (Side note; It's amazing how many official websites

sport invalid e-mail addresses or defunct links on them. And the Office of the

Secretary of State is staffed by some real dense jack-wagons.)

The letter is pretty self-explanatory. The only thing I might add is that many

of these folks are also without phones or vehicles, two additional impediments

to this process.

*****************************************************************

 I am having serious problems with "DFACS" (Department of Families &

Children Services) regarding my food stamps.

The Department, in an effort to dissuade more people from getting/keeping

food stamps and stay alive, has changed their interview methods. Now, for

either application or review, an individual has to first have access to a computer,

fill out that form, and then call IN to DFACS to speak to a human rep for an

interview before the information can even be processed further.

And there's the rub; Getting a live person is impossible.

It's a bitter irony that this government agency is called the 'Department of

HUMAN Resources,' as there are no humans to be found, and certainly no

resources. Another lovely government oxymoron.

I understand that the more difficult they make this, the fewer people they'll

have to deal with. But this agency was created to assist people, and that's

what they need to be doing.

Last week I waited a combined total of 2 & 1/2 hours on the phone, only to

be cut off each time without making any contact.

Today I waited for an hour before getting disconnected. I finally reached a

rep's voice mail, and it was full. I called a different department and got trans-

ferred in, and received a busy signal.

I went to my local office and asked to see a rep, and they refused me. I asked

for a complaint number, and they told me to call the one I couldn't get through

on. I told them I don't have the ability to sit around on the phone all day, and

they said "I guess you will if you want your stamps."

This is completely unacceptable. My stamps, which I truly require to get my

food and stay alive--will be cancelled if I don't reach DFACS in time to renew.

The burden is on me. Yet they are impossible to reach. Someone really needs

to lose their job over this recent change, but more importantly, it needs to go

back to the old method.

(By the way, I received two different letters from two different locations of

DFACS offices telling me to be ready at specific dates at specific times to

receive a call for my phone interview. It's ONLY because I went to the local

office to see why I had two different appointments--after I had been on the

phone 3 hours that day unable to reach a person--that I found out the letters

were to be disregarded and they no longer did things that way. So they are

really in a bad way with disorganization and incompetence.)

Please see to it that the right people are addressing this problem, which is

surely affecting millions of people statewide.

Thanks for your attention and time,

Sincerely,

Robert Sayre

*************************************************************

It took me a total of 17 phone calls, three visits to the local DFACS office, several

conversations with contacts within the system, said e-mails being sent out, and a

sum total of over 21 hours to get my review completed.

Beyond unacceptable, and I'm a tenacious bastard who won't take 'No' for an answer.

What of all the meek and mild who don't have the strength or know-how to stand

up for themselves?

The workers themselves--the low level case workers who didn't implement this

ridiculous system but are forced to listen to enraged clients every day on the

phone calls that get answered--are fed up with the ineffective and frustrating

new system. I'm sure they'd give an interested reporter quite an earful.

****

Can't Even Shit in Peace



WANTED:

Designers of public bathrooms
that take 1,200 square feet of open space
and place the only toilet
six damned inches from the wall...

with a toilet paper dispenser
positioned firmly where you would stand
in order to sit down correctly
on said toilet.

I'm looking for them;
I got a reward I want to give them.

Assholes.

***



"AIIIIIEEEEEIIIEEEEE!!!!!"



"Stop stepping on my Pussy!
You gonna stretch him out and hurt it!"



I Can Name a Few Things that Use More Facial Muscles



The exquisite Coco Peru; Drag Queens can maintain presence without smiling!

I don't know who first contrived the nonsense about smiling
taking fewer facial muscles than frowning...

Probably some nutty religious zealot trying to fool everyone
into acting all Holly-Jolly all the annoying-ass damned time.

Regardless, I call 'Bullshit.'

Frowning is my natural damned state, and it comes easily
and makes sense.

Smiles hurt my face and go against the grain of my soul.

So don't front on that shit.

Too much smiling burns worse than cum in your eye.

"IT burns, Gabriel...it BURNS!"

*******************************************

Der-de DERRRR! The New Math!

'All's I know' is...

Congress is obviously not made up of the

sharpest tools in the shed.

They might shoulda re-thunk that whole business

about making guns easily accessible to the huddled

unwashed, because with their UNpopularity at an

even deeper record low now...well, you do the math.

Take away our voices and our power, and

in the same moment grant us access to guns?!?

Tain't too swift, speedy!

Folks are ready for more than just 'Election Day'

comeuppance, thank you very much.

***

Get it Up

Life is HARD, kids!

So YOU better get Hard...

and Fuck it before it Fucks you!

***

A Call to Arms

Pat Buchanan recently renewed his

'Total Dick Card' by saying some

new outrageous shit about how

he and his right wing conservative

(not-even) Christians need to get brutal

with gays and lesbians.

Well, Patricia, be careful

what you wish for.

See, you and your ilk

have been raging assholes for decades,

and we're only now fighting fire

with force.

You wanna up your game, sissy?

Well, up yours.

We can get shitty and load guns too, bitch.

But we don't need to threaten you;

you and yours look pretty piss-poor.

I imagine you'll be dropping dead and

turning into fossil fuels any day now.

But we can take you,

even if your hate ends up

empowering you another few

dozen years, Nosferatu.

***

Translations 'R' Us

When other people dismiss you and condemn you,

it doesn't mean that you aren't worth paying attention

to or that you don't have something to offer.

It means your detractors aren't smart enough to

recognize your value, or they're compensating for

some Everest-sized shame and lack of confidence

of their own.

Either way, if you just learn to say "Fuck 'em all,"

you've kind of amply covered all your bases.

***

Pest Control

"HOW  DUBYA  LIKE  ME,  NOW !?!?"

Same as before, you inbred,

ignorant, war-mongering dip shit;

Not a single god damned lick.

Go crawl in a hole and die,

why don'tcha-- you outdated cheese.

You sponsored a library?

That's like Cheney teaching charm school.

That's like Republicans feeding the poor.

That's like a low-intellect illiterate buffoon with

no original thought and no concept of reality

promoting reading.

(Oh, wait--it is like that; you and Wifey

got that shit covered tight!)

You're a screw-up, a coke head, a

racist, a killer of men women and children,

a petty tyrant, a liar, a silver-spooned

beneficiary of plenty-o-money and

two stolen/purchased elections.

That's your legacy, con man.

Let it never be forgotten.

***

Disparity Brings Clarity

Quick! Act like we're all as stupid as

'The Powers That Be' wish we were,

and explain this to me!

Explain the disparity between allowing gun-toting

alarmists and nuts the 'freedom to assemble'

when we know they're planning to take down America,

they threaten and intimidate at every turn,

and their purpose is to oppose the law....

...

yet authorities demonize and assault the peaceful protesters

who want to hold accountable the corrupt system that

exists (and its warlords,) and who are looking

for accountability and making the system work

from within.

Hmmnnnnnn.

Thanks for making it clear, Gestapo Amerika;

Violence and the Threat of Violence Rules.

We need to fight fire with fire and start

bringing weapons and making veiled threats

in order to get your attention and

not be abused when attempting to

exercise our free speech rights.

Totally doable.

***