PS - Reporting Another Driver For Habitual Theft With Uber Eats - Of COURSE Uber Eats Offshore Customer Service Botched It!

 

As mentioned below, both the customer and myself tried to report the previous driver to Uber Eats for theft.

But guess what? 

Not understanding English well, guess what they did?

THEY BLOCKED THE CUSTOMER FROM USING THE APP and then FILED A REPORT on ME instead of the previous thief driver!!!

What the???

Uber Eats, we are trying to report a thief to you - but instead you put a complaint on the customer and blocked them and put her report on ME instead of the previous driver?

Geez, I've never seen such incompetence. 

I've dealt with offshore customer service before, and believe me, they understand English much better, sometimes better than WE do, but they're paid less.

Not this time!. 

Get your shit together and get staff that better understands English, because while you're screwing all this up, this thief is getting away with more stealing from you, restaurants, and other drivers!

At this point, the customer and I have enlisted the restaurant to file their own report, making sure to report the previous driver and not me.

Watch them botch that up as well and block the restaurant or something!

Geez - you'd think if you called to report theft by another driver, they'd want to get this right!

__________________________

PS - so I just tried using the "unsafe" feature. I realize that's mostly for literally being physically unsafe as a driver, but since nobody is taking this habitual thief seriously or seems to even understand.

Guess what happened?

They texted me a half hour later and asked me to text the details of what happened.

WTF?

If I WAS physically unsafe, how is a text a half hour later going to help???

That's kind of scary as a woman driver, right?

Geez, at least DoorDash has a direct line to 911 that's voice activated if you truly in an unsafe situation?

Nope, after this, I don't think I'll be driving for Uber Eats anymore.

So ... I Inadvertently Just Caught a Thief

 

So this happens all the time when dashing/Uber Eats-ing - somebody picks up your order  already.

In THIS situation, however, it wasn't a mistake.

So a couple of weeks ago, I arrived at the restaurant, they said "Somebody just picked this order up already - Latino guy, about 5'4", black baseball cap, green hoodie, you just passed him on the way in."

Frustrating because you just lost money, but it happens frequently, so I thought he just grabbed the wrong order, which happens a lot actually, there's actually an app button for it when the latter happens.

I questioned how he could've said the name/showed them the app, but I figured the app glitched.

So  I canceled the order and hit the button "Order picked up by other driver by mistake."

Then tonight, different restaurant, same side of town, same thing - and it just so happens they described the same guy exactly!

They normally don't describe the person to me when somebody picks up the order by mistake or on purpose, but it just so happened they did these 2 times - and it was the same guy!

So ... that's not a mistake or a coincidence - that's a scam.

So I call the customer and tell them what happened and the restaurant is remaking their food for them.

Then she says "You know? It's so weird, we could see he was at the restaurant, then all of the sudden he canceled and disappeared."

I said "Okay, NOW I get his game - because it's the same guy, 2 different restaurants described him. So what he's doing is showing the restaurant the app order, picking up the food, but instead of hitting "verify order," he just hits "cancel assignment" - - and boom, he has free food that he either eats himself, sells or gives away, who knows lol. Whatever he's doing, we need to report it"

I asked the customer if she remembered his name. She didn't, but she said when she called to report him, they would see it on her account.

When I dropped off her food, she upped my already generous tip by $10 bucks and gave me another $10 in cash and we were like "Ooooh, we're crimebusters now, we're gonna stop this guy so this doesn't happen to anybody else!" 😂

I swear, I don't even think like this, but some people just go out of their way to figure out how to scam/steal!

Thus, the customer and I just reported him and he's blocked from the app pending further review - and all they'll have to see is he habitually cancels after his car arrived at the restaurants several times - and boom, we're done here - no more thief!

Man, I have a habit of stumbling into some strange shit in life, and I don't know how lol.

__________________

PS - I realize I just told those so inclined how to steal food from Uber Eats by explaining how this guy did it -  but be aware both my complaint and the customer's complaint were escalated  to management and the IT department immediately, and the driver was immediately blocked - it was taken very seriously.

Also, either that bad at math, you're that hungry, or you're just a psychopath who just likes to see what they can get away with - because although gas is expensive, even after you subtract gas, you  still would've made about $22 bucks  in 10 minutes from a 2-mile trip!

Lastly, you can't do this with DoorDash - because DoorDash makes you actually check in at the restaurant as well as verify the food via the app and you can't cancel after you've done that - Uber Eats just has you verify the food only, so you could very easily just not hit verify like this guy did.

And if Uber Eats doesn't take this seriously and follow suit with Door Dash?

Well, they're going to lose money and vendors and customers then and it's on them because they didn't fix it.

Overheard Conversations While Dashing ...

 

So it's super interesting, the conversations you have, and especially the ones you overhear, while dashing and waiting on the food to be ready.

I tend to be super chatty with the restaurant staff, other dashers, and any customers in line.

I swear, I'm getting like one of those  "Becoming Your Parents" Geico commercials - ya know, where you talk to people while standing in line too much 😂

(Not that my mom was super chatty, at least not while growing up, but I'm becoming like those commercials anyway lol.)

But also, I've missed customer service in a way - because my favorite thing to see is the smile on someone's face when you bring their food or play with their kids or their dog or pet their cat, if they choose "meet at the door" option. 

My favorite is making lonely older people smile somehow, who often choose this option. I talk to them about their pets, flowers, house.

My goal is to give anyone I deliver to a smile, especially in this economic and political climate, and especially a giggle/chuckle somehow if I can, before I walk away😊

I noticed something though, while waiting on my food, listening eavesdropping on conversations - the differences in the content and caliber based on restaurant.

For example, if it's a family at Chick-Fil-A, the parents are like "No, use YOUR card, mine has like $50 bucks left on it. Look at what Hallie's doing, right now, dancing at the counter, so excited lol."

Or the teenage/young adult staff taking their dinner break at a table, clapping for each other for their various job or school achievements - super cute.

But last night, I was at an upscale cafe, and these 2 couples were waiting on a table that knew each other. Two blondes that were apparently former sorority sisters catching up, and they were like ...

Woman 1: "So my daughter takes dance, gymnastics, and soccer. It's exhausting."

 

Woman 2: "That's cute, My daughter takes dance, gymnastics, soccer, horseback-riding, violin, and French."

 

Woman 1: (Face falling) "Oh, yes, French, I didn't include that, but so does my daughter."

 

Woman 2: "It's exhausting, though, right? I barely have my spa time anymore.."

*Eye roll*

Bitches? 

A word, please. 😂

(Not really, just in my head lol.)

Because most of us WISH that was our worst problem right now, and you don't even know exhausted until you actually work AND raise kids, especially as a single mom with at least 2 jobs.

Families trying to pool money just to get a Friday Chick-Fil-A, especially single moms - but here you two are, not realizing how great you've got it, and though supposedly friends, competing over your kids like it's 1952, instead of helping/commending each other.

But you know, I try to be supportive of other women and meet people where they are -   and what is a molehill to me is a mountain to them and vice versa - so if I was a part of that conversation, I'd still be supportive, just not have much to add.

If I was -  and if said anything - it'd probably be like:  "Okay, we're all doing the best we can, we all win, we're all exhausted, The End!  But we have a night out, with babysitters -   so the REAL question is, what do y'all want for drinks to chill?  😂

Maybe I'm just jealous for not ever having that kind of life.

Maybe they don't have financial worries, so they invent other things to worry about and don't realize what's most important.

Maybe both are true.

Regardless, interesting microcosm of human behavior based on restaurant, for sure - a writer's dream.

Raise Your Hands if You've Stopped Eating Lettuce?

 

I miss my summer salads, they're quick and light and easy, right?

But now that we've learned it's NOT just the one farm with cyclospora, nope - no more lettuce for a while, right?

No lettuce at all for me - restaurants OR at home. Nope, not risking it, right now. No salads, take it off sandwiches and burgers - nope, nope, nope!

Also, though Taco Bell is usually a mainstay of my DoorDashing, all orders stopped for about a week, and now IF I get a Taco Bell dash, they put "No lettuce" on their orders. Good idea!

So of course, the internet does what it does about it ... 

I mean, it's a good question?

Then Taco Bell strikes back with THIS?

(Just kidding - no, this is not a Taco Bell real sign.)

😂😂😂

Now cyclospora parasites, Ladies and Gentlemen, would be an appropriate use for ivermectin - but only under a doctor's instruction and only if you actually have cyclospora, not as prevention - because Ivermectin builds up in the human body over time and can become toxic!

Just saying, because I sometimes still see people with no background in healthcare, never having read any of the clinical studies at all on ivermectin themselves, still trying to push ivermectin as a prevention/cure for COVID, simply because right-wing politicians do, who likely own pharmaceutical shares.

(These people apparently can't independently think for themselves or research anything on their own, they just drink the political Kool-Aid.)

I swear, if Trump told people to drink bleach, they would.

(Oh wait, that already happened -  he publicly speculated about injecting bleach of some sort during COVID and people actually did that or tried to drink it!)

So ... ivermectin is an anti-parasitic, not an antiviral.

Yes, sometimes we use "off-label" drugs to treat certain things, particularly for symptom relief -  but ivermectin is not one of those things. 

Ivermectin is still prescription-only rather than over-the-counter in humans for a reason - and that reason is, ivermectin builds up over time and becomes toxic - yes, lethally toxic.

And if you'd actually read the clinical trials on ivermectin and COVID  for yourselves, rather than regurgitating what your politicians (who likely have pharmaceutical shares in these companies) tell you, you would clearly see that all studies  proved ivermectin was ineffective at either preventing or curing COVID.

There WAS one a small statistical difference in COVID symptom relief in one small study; however, another study did not find any  statistical or clinical difference at all in symptom relief.

What HAS been proven is that ivermectin kills parasites (not viruses) AND that although perfectly safe short term, in large doses and/or for prolonged periods of time, ivermectin builds up to toxic levels in the human body - thus, this is why the medication is prescription only; otherwise, you could buy it over the counter!


So though your horse or your dog or cat can take ivermectin as prevention for parasitic infections, humans cannot - and there is NO evidence whatsoever ivermectin either prevents or cures the COVID virus; just one small study showed a small statistical difference in symptom relief, but others did not.

Which means, essentially, even IF the 1 small study (contradicted by other studies) was correct, ivermectin had even less symptom-relief than over-the-counter decongestants with COVID, which are safer, and thus why they are over the counter and ivermectin is not.

Some Good News!!!

 

This afternoon, the program director reached out to me via email and said that she met with administration and determined I was an excellent, engaged student - and that they may be able to help with the tuition after the OBBA cuts.

So now I'm crying again - but this time, happy tears!

I mean, I don't want anyone's pity - but someone noticing your hard work feels good, right?

In fact, it's so rare, that makes me cry more - in a good way😂

UC, you're definitely earning back points the points you just lost with me - THANK YOU!!!! 💓

A Much-Needed Laugh - "Weekend at Mitch McConnell's" and "I Just Got Off the Phone With Mitch" 😂

 

Just saw this - erm - recasting of Weekend at Bernie's 

😂😂😂

For those of you who've never seen this movie, it's where two idiots cart around a dead man to pretend he's still alive for his benefit and their own.

So ... I feel guilty laughing, but then I also don't.

Because ???

Okay, so he's not dead - but what the heck IS going on with his health? 

Governor Beshear has just requested more transparency regarding his health and fitness for office, and many commenters - including Andy-haters - agreed with him on this one.

Some commenters proposed an age limit, but that's not really fair, some people in their 90s that I know are way sharper than I ever thought of being - but perhaps there should be more transparency about health issues in elected offices?

But then I also agree with the comment that people in politics who stood idly by, while water fountains were racially segregated, shouldn't be allowed/considered fit for office 😂

Also, perhaps you have seen the memes that resulted after CNN correspondent (from Kentucky), Scott Jennings, claimed to speak to Senator McConnell via phone on social media?

We prefer the follow-ups the rest of the best of the internet came up with  ... 

Oh, God, how I wish that were true, right about now!

That is disturbing, and yet hilarious

Even more disturbing, but I get it 

Now THAT was a beyond disturbing thought to the point of and is profane -  you should be ashamed of yourself! 😉

True. 

We, the people of Kentucky on either political side, are bored senseless by Scott Jennings, to the point of falling asleep, and can't for the life of us figure out why anyone at all thought he was interesting enough to get where he is on CNN, nor why he's still there instead of Faux News - erm  - I mean, Fox News. 

Perhaps even Fox News rejected him because THEY fell asleep when he spoke 😂

Cue Gloria Gaynor 😂

 

Clearly, I had a little panicked meltdown finding out the amount I will receive for school in the fall after Trump's OBBBA went into affect July 1st is not enough to even cover tuition, forget about books, and the Door-Dashing/Uber Eats-ing I picked up will not cover the difference plus bills, especially with gas prices being what they are.

But then, I says to myself - You will survive. You've been through worse, completely alone then, and you're not now. You always find a way. You can't get in a time machine and go back and undo life choices or start this program sooner, before the cuts, so all you can do is learn from mistakes and move forward. Besides, you're rich in love and sense of humor, which are the best coping skills for life trials.

Amen?

Amen.  

We're okay, nobody worry - just had a momentary panicked meltdown due the above. Besides, I'm worried enough for everybody  lol - but we will survive.

I hereby dedicate this song - with altered lyrics for my own amusement (below) - to Trump and all his enablers in America -  on behalf of all the people whose lives and livelihoods have been adversely affected by his/their rash, selfish, and greedy decisions ...

Because Trump, we have some bad news for you ... WE, the Democrats and other non-Trump supporting people, WILL survive ... with senses of humor still intact 😂

 

At first, we were afraid ... we were petrified
Thinking we could never live without you on our side
And after spending many nights
Thinking how you did us wrong
We grew strong
And we learned how to get along

Now you're back
From outer space
Cutting funds and aid, but starting wars 
With that smug look upon your face!

We should've changed that stupid lock
Or even made you leave your key
But then you'd break the lock and just come back 

with more fraud and thievery! 

Go on and go ... walk out the door
Just turn around now
'Cause you're not welcome anymore
You're the one who tried to break us with goodbye

Did ya think we'd crumble?
Did ya think we'd lay down and die?

No, not I, we will survive
Long as we know how to love, I know we'll stay alive
We've got all our lives to live
And we've got all our love to give and
We will survive
We will survive!

It took all our strength not to fall apart
Trying hard to mend the pieces of our broken hearts
We spent so many nights feeling sorry for ourselves
We used to cry 
But now we hold our head up high

And you see us, somebody new
We're not that lonely little group
Still in love  barely tolerant of you

Now you come droppin' in
Expectin' us to now worship and love you
Hate to tell you this, we're saving all our love
For someone sane and all brand new!

Go on and go, walk out the door
Turn around now
You're not welcome anymore
You're the one who tried to hurt us with goodbye

Thinkin' we'd crumble
Did you think we'd lay down and die?

No, not I, we will survive
Long as we know how to love, I know we'll stay alive
We've got all our lives to live, and all our love to give
And we will survive
We will survive

Go on, go, walk out the door
Turn around now
You're not welcome anymore
You're the one who tried to hurt us with goodbye

Think we'd crumble?
You think we'd lay down and die?

No, not I, we will survive

Long as I know how to love
I know we'll stay alive
we've got all our lives to live
And we've got all our love to give and
we will survive
we will survive

😂😂😂

PS - Program Assistant Director Clarification

 

I wrote the Assistant Program Director to clarify what material the mandatory external preprofessional exam was actually on to be sure.

 

So ... she says the external NCRA preprofessional mandatory exam is NOT on the entire manual, just the questions that pertain to cancer registry as in Chapter 2.

I'm not sure why we were referred to self-study quizzes based on the entire manual that consisted mostly of questions that don't pertain to us, but the assistant director clarified today that the actual NCRA exam will not be.

I am in a group chat for the class of 30+ people - so when I say not a single one of us knew that until I shared a screenshot of her email, I mean it.

Can't pretend I'm not pissed, too.

At no time did either of our assigned professors tell us that, and in fact, they said the exact opposite, including an email this morning, saying the questions were exactly the same, plus a couple more.

I cannot explain why we wasted time (and money) by being referred to taking self-study quizzes on an entire manual we didn't need.

I cannot explain why we were told they were the same questions if they aren't. 

What I DO know is that I just spent close to $3,000 of borrowed money on just these last 2 classes, which essentially were extended history lessons on the profession itself, rather than information I need to do the actual job or pass professional exams. 

At present, I am likely taking one session off so I can save for what Trump's OBBBA has taken away from my financial aid, and/or transferring to a cheaper program that I feel gives more bang for my buck. 

I chose UC because it was the most elite/hardest to get into and had the best national reputation for this program, despite it being the most expensive - and at the time, it was completely covered by financial aid plus enough for books.

Now that financial aid has been sliced in half due to Trump's OBBBA - and DoorDashing at night/weekends isn't going to make up the difference - this kind of stuff makes me wonder if they were overrated from the beginning or they started slacking?

Don't get me wrong, very nice people, very encouraging, very knowledgeable - but this was absolute absurdity that I don't know if I want to continue to pay for, especially now that my aid has been cut in half thanks to Trump..

I can't speak for others, but I'm not so much mad as I am heartbroken - both about the slash in financial aid regardless of good grades based on the new OBBBA, as well as what we learned today.

It just seems like it's never in the cards for me to be able to afford  and finish school, no matter how much I love it/good at it I am.

And Then There's This ... UPDATED x 2

 

I can't share the email I mention below because it's a fellow student, but it's from our professor.

As you know, I am in an accelerated 2-year program to become a certified cancer registrar, now called an ODS-C (Oncology Data Specialist).

So in this particular class, we studied about all the standard setters for cancer registry - the CoC and ACoS, CDC/NPCR, NCI/SEER, and the NAACCR. 

The CoC itself has an over 100-page manual alone and we did exactly 1 actual assignment on it - then we were referred to practice tests to do in self study on it.

The problem with that is, we have to pass the official pre-graduation exam on this manual before we graduate, and we take the first try within the next 2 weeks.

So essentially, I just spent close to $1500 of borrowed money on 1 class that mentioned this 100-page manual exactly 1 time, for 1 small assignment, then sent us off to take a mandatory external preprofessional exam on it in self-study and expected us to pass it without actually teaching on it in the next 2 weeks!

Why didn't we spend more time on it then, and why are we spending so much time on these organizational backgrounds rather than coding and what we will actually need to pass professional exams and abstracting?!?

Believe me, I'm not alone - I'm just the bravest - or the dumbest - to say so out loud.

Now - initially, we were told that if we didn't pass it during this class, we'd just get an SP for that particular assignment, but that we had to pass it before graduation.

There is little time to study a 100-plus page detailed manual on our own outside of class work, but I figured if I didn't pass this round, I would - I do have straight A's after all.

But then not so fast - in addition to the OBBBA nonsense cutting my financial aid in half, this bomb was dropped today. 

They didn't even bother to send us all an email or make a class announcement about it - it was just casually mentioned in an office hours professor's meeting last week (which I couldn't attend due to dashing at night). My classmates present sent private email questions confirming this was the case, which have been forwarded to me, so it's true. 

They just discovered that due to new financial aid obligations, they MUST give a grade for this external preprofessional exam that we've spent virtually no class time on, just self-study, in the next 2 weeks - and if we don't pass it, our grade overall will be a D, even if we have an A in the class overall or straight A's.

So essentially, it doesn't matter that we have A's on everything else in the class, it doesn't matter that haven't spent any time learning the material in class, it doesn't matter that we haven't even gotten to coding yet or any of the things that we need to do for our actual job one day - pass this external manual test on the CoC manual within the next 2 weeks or we fail.

Ya know, had they sent us a blanket email announcement on it or a class announcement, I'd be less upset - but the fact that they casually dropped it in office hours (that I couldn't attend because I was dashing) and let it filter through gossip instead is just - inexcusable.

Also, I learned today that people mentioning they've gotten D's get to continue with full financial aid anyway, despite OBBBA -  not based solely on financial need, but amount used - meanwhile, people like me with straight A's  get cut based on the same requirements. 

Nothing against these people, but that is so F-ed up!

The government will give you financial aid for D's but cuts straight-A students based on financial aid used thus far in your lifetime, even if decades ago???

In the real world, if you do well, you get raises and promotions.

But with school, you can actually still lose it based on credit hours used thus far and other bullshit?

Despite my anxiety issues, I have not yet shed 1 single tear over the accelerated pace of this course, tech challenges, or even financial aid cuts.

In fact, I've encouraged many others struggling and crying over this stuff and their other obligations with work, kids, financial woes.

I got through the first big challenge when my tech stuff wouldn't work and that professor did nothing to fix them for us, I turned them all in by hand.

I picked up Door Dashing to account for financial aid loss.

But with this news bomb just dropped, especially the way in which it was done - white flag -  I admit it, I shed my first tear.

Because it just seems like every time I try to go back to school, obstacles get thrown in my path - some of which were within my control when younger, but many weren't like finances, family illness, and now this BS with the new OBBBA financial aid requirements.

And the thing is, I don't have many gifts, but I'm good at school. In fact, I LOVE school. 

I am 57 years old and my prior career has been replaced by AI. A certification in 2 years seemed like the best option.

And yet why am I throwing away money I don't have on courses that barely mention the stuff that will be on professional exams that we suddenly have to take and pass within the next 2 weeks that just now realized? 

And why did they not tell us all that, rather than office hours and sending private emails with students with questions about it?

(As I've said, I've seen the emails, I just can't share them.)

Now - why am I writing about this publicly?

For Trump voters to understand what they voted for and the downstream consequences on we the people, because ain't nothing "trickling down" on us, nothing good anyway..

You all say "America First" - oh, really?

We cut financial aid down to nothing, while spending $40 billion of our tax dollars are going to the Iran War - and for what?

Do we even know why?

For 17 soldiers to die thus far?

For oil prices to go up?

Oh wait, I know - so that Trump-supporting military contractors can make money!

(Well, that and distraction from other misdeeds).

Ding Ding Ding!

The latter two are the best combined answers!

Thus, Trump voters ...  I'm mad at you today.

I love you, but I'm mad at you for continuing to choose Trump despite his crazy antics. 

I'll get over it though lol. 

__________________________________

PS/UPDATE:

My professor just clarified in private email that we will not fail the class overall if we don't pass, but we WILL get a D on this mandatory preprofessional exam until we pass it at some point before graduation.

Okay, great - and yet not only was that not made clear from the emails I saw, but there's still the problem of paying $1500 with borrowed money for this class, which spent a total of one 10-point assignment on it, and spent the rest of the time teaching on other auxiliary things that will not help us pass that exam. 

I mean, if you're not going to cover it in class, but it's mandatory, then what the heck am I paying Y'ALL thousads of borrowed money for if you just send me off to self-study it? 

Why is there not a class exclusively on it then???

And I'm not alone in feeling this way, believe me - lots of people complaining it's a lot of busy work that doesn't focus on what we actually need or takes too many classes to get to the nitty-gritty - and this situation sent lots of people into full panic mode.

_______________________________________

PS AGAIN

So I wrote a prior professor, who is assistant director of the program, to ask specifically what material would be on this external mandatory preprofessional exam. 

She said it did NOT include all of those other elements within the manual that we were just quizzed on in self-study, just the parts that pertained to us.

So ... that is the complete opposite of what my assigned professor just said in email this morning.

He said the exam included the exact same questions on the practice quizzes we did in self-study, which were, in fact, mostly about other parts of the manual that don't even pertain to us, like very specific requirements for nursing, rehabilitation services, etc. 

I don't know who is correct.

And I still don't know what the mandatory preprofessional exam is on. 

And either way it's not good.

Because if the first way, then WTH did we spend so much class time on auxiliary information rather than focusing on the entire 100-page manual? 

If the second way, then WTH did we take all those practice quizzes in self-study on stuff from the manual that we didn't even need to know/didn't pertain to us?

So here's where I'm at. 

I've borrowed money for a program that just recently went to accelerated speed to cram more courses into less time so you could graduate faster - and I'm discovering there are clearly some kinks in doing that which need to be worked out. 

The problem is with prioritization - what information they should spend the most class time on  - what is mandatory, need-to-know stuff to pass professional exams versus auxiliary, nice-to-know stuff.

My financial aid has been sliced in half after OBBBA and I will have to pay out of pocket to finish my program - money that I do not have unless I work every night door dashing.

So the question is, how much money do I want to pay while they figure out what to prioritize to teach on, when I have to pass these professional exams?

America First?

 

I'm not in a good way today, admittedly, when I read the Iran War has cost us at least $40 billion and never ends and our gas prices have gone back up to $4.

So I'm dashing like a maniac, but the price of gas takes a big bite out of what I make, when I'm trying to save to make up what I'm losing in financial aid with the OBBBA (Big Beautiful Bill of BS lol).

Under OBBBA, students that go to school half-time or less will see their financial aid cut in half starting fall session, you see. 

And of course, my program is only offered half-time.

Obviously, I didn't vote for Trump anyway, but for those who did, don't his voters chant "America First?"

If so, why are we spending $40 billion dollars over picking a fight with Iran who did nothing to us, has killed 17 soldiers, has claimed a peace deal like 5 times, and has resulted in nothing but higher gas prices in an already inflated economy AND our financial aid is cut in half?

I mean, do we want to be/stay one of the most educated countries in the world or not?

So is it really "America First" then, Trump voters?

How Much Do We Love Will Ferrell AND Adam Sandler?

 *Edited - video of Will Ferrell's Thong Song Dance from The Hawk ...

Doesn't matter if the movie is terrible overall, if either Will or Adam are in it, it's guaranteed to make me laugh out loud at least once, just by being lovably weird.  😂

Yes, Will's new Netflix movie "The Hawk" is about a washed up golfer trying to make a comeback, too, like "Happy Gilmore 2" - and yes, HG2 got better reviews - and yet I still laughed out loud at Will's thong-song dance, I can't help myself! 😂

This is just the quick highlights -  you HAVE to see the full Thong Song dance for full LOL effect! 

(First 10 minutes of the movie) - it's the funniest thing I've seen in a while ...

😂😂😂😂

I can be having a crap day, as I was yesterday, and Will does something so completely OTT absurd, I have to laugh - and instantly, my day is better.

I haven't watched all of "The Hawk" yet due to lack of time, but I will. Apparently, the movie overall is "meh," but for whatever reason, this dance in the first 10 minutes is the funniest thing I've seen in a while.

Although I clearly love comedians, many of whom I've mentioned on here, only a handful have the ability to make me laugh out loud when I don't feel like it - Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Melissa McCarthy, to name a few off the top of my head.

(My pug, Ziggy, also has this ability, but we're talking humans.)

What I want to see now is The Hawk and Happy Gilmore go toe-to-toe, right? 

That would be ... chaotic. And weird in the best of ways. And hilarious!

WHY haven't Will and Adam ever been in a movie together, WHY???

Is that right, they haven't?

Happy Hawk?

HAP-PY HAWK! HAP-PY HAWK! HAP-PY HAWK!

¡Enhorabuena, España! ¡Campeones del mundo!

 

My nephew was right to pick Spain as his team from the beginning, right? 

However, by yesterday, he was torn because of Messi. I mean, who can blame him, Messi is phenomenal!

I, however, still have my eyes on Spain for retirement someday.

I was DoorDashing/Uber Eatsing and the exact moment the game ended, I had happened to walk in a bar-style chain restaurant. There was a huge crowd who had just erupted (or were nursing beers, dejected) lol. It took me a minute to find anyone to get the food, there was so much excitement! 😂

¡Viva Espana!

PS - Mark joked "Wait, should we ... cheer for the colonizers or the colonized?" 😂

I was like "Haha! Good question, tho - I like to think most of the predatory colonizing countries have evolved since, or at least the majority have - except for us, or course - the once colonized, later becoming colonizers ourselves, now reviving that conquest attitude.  And maybe England, with some who still cling to remnants of it. We're cheering for the players anyway, who have nothing to do with that!"

However, when certain other former colonizing or "raider" countries - or even former/current fascist/communist countries won or lost like England, France, Germany, Portugal, The Netherlands, Sweden, and Japan -  and yes, the USA - we'd still jokingly be like "Whatever, colonizers"   😂

BTW, Pakistan and the Congo were banned from the World Cup for governmental interference.

Helllooo, didn't Trump do that?

I Just Mentioned These!!!

 

Only they're different now!

So the other night while Dashing, I went to the unisex bathroom while waiting on an order - and this was lying on the back of the toilet!

I was just talking about these in THIS post regarding what people left in lieu of tips while waiting tables in the early 90s!  

So at first, it looks like either money or a coupon - and in this case, a FIFA thing - but if you read the back, what it actually is, is a "You're a sinner and going to hell without Jesus" bible tract with John 3:16 on the back!

I can't believe people are still leaving these!

Well, at least this one wasn't left in lieu of a tip - and at least they made it more obvious, instead of a $20 bill, they made it a million dollars when of course there is no such bill!

Fellow Christians - the world already knows the "good news" by now - and you're not bringing anyone to Christ by shaming them or trying to scare them from hell, I'm sorry. 

If anyone comes to Christ, these days, it's not because of fear of hell and shouldn't be - it's because of who Christ is/was and his love and compassion and capacity for forgiveness.

And if you leave this in lieu of a tip, or in places like the back of public toilets like a creeper, you're especially not bringing anyone to Christ!

You may think you're getting points in heaven for doing so, but in fact, your proselytizing is turning people away- along with how you treat others. 

And you KNOW what the bible says about that, right? 

The whole "greater a millstone be hung around they neck and thrown into the deepest ocean" for causing little ones to stumble (either children or new Christians) than what awaits you (Matthew 18:6, Luke 17:2.) - AND - that if you actually do convert anyone through methods of proselytizing rather than evangelizing, especially if hypocrites, you'll make them your converts twice as much a child of hell as you are (Matthew 23:15).

Speaking of hypocrisy, look at the back of this tract and what it defines as sin ... lying, stealing, using God's name in vain, or lusting ... 

So then why isn't your hero, Trump's big fat smug face on there as an example of how NOT to behave as a Christian, hmm?

Yes - our faith says that God will forgive you if you ask  -  but you have to ask and try your best not to do it again.

It does NOT say you should continue to do these things and actually get worse - especially in God's name!

Oh, me - fellow Christians?

The reason people are turning away from churches isn't because they are choosing selfishness and sin - it's because of YOU.

YOU and YOUR selfishness, greed, moral superiority complexes, lack of mercy or compassion, and especially your hypocrisy.

And it's ESPECIALLY because of your chosen leader, Trump -  who IS all of these things that you, yourselves, define as the worst sins!

PS - And Yes, Mitch McConnell is Alive

McConnell issued a statement and posted a picture of himself and his wife from his hospital bed (below) and he appears to to have his hand on an issue of the Sunday Sports Edition of the Washington Post on his lap for proof of the date. 

Other than curiously missing several wrinkles on his forehead as well as his usual gray appearance - likely due to Photoshop - there otherwise doesn't appear to be any other alterations to the photo lol.

There ya go, MAGA conspiracists - satisfied?

Like I said below, I don't know what anyone would have to gain by lying about his being alive or dead anyway - he's stepping down anyway at the end of this term!!!

Also, as stated below, apparently, it actually was most likely Vice President JD Vance who blew through Lexington yesterday in a cavalcade of black escalades with police escort, just after visiting Valhalla Golf Course in Louisville.

It's not been confirmed, but he WAS in Louisville yesterday (and hour away) and has family in Eastern Kentucky and Richmond Road is the best access to I-75 and he may have met friends or family or even other golfers here. There may also have been an element of reassuring presence to the public regarding McConnell as well with doing this, who knows, especially now that McConnell has now issued a statement today.

VIP in Lexington with Blacked-Out Escalades and a Police Escort On Richmond Road - But Who Is It? (UPDATED)

 *Edited/Updated - mystery solved (I think). It was most likely Vice President JD Vance and his entourage, driving over to Lexington from Louisville yesterday, as he was reported and publicly witnessed arriving and departing off of Air Force Two.  .

First on Reddit on Thursday, people reported seeing a giant cargo airplane, a blacked-out ambulance, and tons of civilians in suits getting out of it. The poster postulated it was Senator Mitch McConnell's body transported here instead of Louisville for privacy 😂. 

Everyone laughed, but unfortunately, the poster was actually serious - probably one of the MAGA conspiracy people demanding "proof of life" that we've seen in the news.

We laughed because Mitch McConnell lives in Louisville (about an hour away) and press says he's hospitalized in the DC area. 

And no, actually - we do NOT have the right to demand details of his personal health - and if the man isn't very well, or worse, let's say clinging to life or something - harassing the man and his family isn't going to help his condition?

Being a Democrat, I'm no Mitch McConnell fan, by a long ways - but also, we seem to have forgotten basic human decency and empathy overall, in recent years, and it's just common courtesy to give the man and his family some space, jeez!

Also, if the most famous Republican Senate Majority Leader of our lifetime was dead, we'd likely know about it - what would anyone have to gain by lying about that, considering he's stepping down anyway at the end of his term???

Also, we have national military people arriving here for conventions and doing drills, big horse-racing conventions, and golfing conventions here all the time. (With golf, it's usually senior PGA stuff, but not often, as the golf courses in Lex aren't otherwise renowned).  In fact, our hotels are full right now for these conferences/conventions, I've DoorDashed to them. 

Regardless, no one took this news very seriously except for conspiracy theorists.

Then yesterday, came this news - more than one person reported it on Reddit - around a dozen black Ford Escalades and a police escort, right down Richmond Road around 2 p.m. 

Now, I would think this was bullshit if it wasn't for the fact that more than one person reported it and there's more than one thread about it.

(You should read the threads - since know one knew why, people started joking about who it could possibly be, including JD Vance and a sofa sale at Furniture World. 😂)

No, but for real ... somebody important is here, for sure -  but who? 

There are no big concerts here this weekend - and they wouldn't get a police escort anyway. 

Those kind of processions are usually reserved for the President and Vice President, sometimes state Governors, and yes, Senators - but the latter 2 not typically with police escort. Somebody else postulated a high-profile prison transfer, and we DO have a federal prison here in Lexington, so that's possible.

We also have a couple of celebrities who are from/live in Lexington . Actor Michael Shannon is from here. Actor Steve Zahn married J. Peterman's daughter and they have a horse farm here and live here as their primary residence. (J. Peterman is from Lexington, the owner of the former magazine and online catalog , made famous in the 90s by "Seinfeld," which featured uncommon global clothing and other items). Johnny Depp's mom used to live here in Lexington, but she passed away. 

Country Music singer, Chris Stapleton, is from nearby Paintsville, and George and Nick Clooney are from Northern Kentucky, but I don't think the latter 2 ever visit Lexington or we'd know about it.  

Edited/added: Also, country music duo Montgomery Gentry (Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry) are/were from/live here - until Troy Gentry's death in a plane crash in 2017 - super sad!

Interestingly, I used to listen to Troy Gentry at a local bar at Tates Creek Centre after work before he became famous!

Also, Eddie Montgomery being the brother of country music star John Michael Montgomery. Aside: I've met JMM several times - really nice guy until he gets drunk.

However, none of the above would (and don't) have that many black Escalades  and definitely no police escort.  

In fact, when the above-mentioned celebrities visit or go around town here, they walk around Lexington in ball caps, either trying to be incognito or just blending in with everyone else like normal people, not expecting VIP treatment.  You might even catch and have a beer with Steve Zahn or Chris Stapleton at a local dive, on occasion, when not filming or touring. They're both known for being very friendly to locals and behaving just like everybody else, not expecting any special treatment.

Even high-profile basketball coaches like Pitino and Calipari, though treated like royalty here, wouldn't have a police escort. They might drive around in a black Escalade, but no police escort.

So who is it??

We're not a big city, with 8 major streets around the metro area. Though we're officially a city, the "city" only consists of about 3 parallel streets that are about 5 blocks long - so if something like this happens, we all know about it. 😂

I know that Lindsey Graham died overnight, but he was in South Carolina, so nothing to do with him.

Weird. Guess we'll find out soon - or not lol. 

_______________________________________

Update: So after Googling where Vice President JD Vance was yesterday, knowing his family is from Eastern Kentucky, I just learned that JD Vance arrived in Louisville yesterday on Air Force 2,  visiting Kentucky's only nationally renowned golf course, Valhalla Golf Course in Louisville. 

So though not confirmed, the most likely scenario is that Vice President JD Vance and his entourage simply drove over to Lexington (1 hour from Louisville), perhaps either to connect with other golf people here, and possibly was on Richmond Road even to access I-75 to Eastern Kentucky to visit family/friends Kentucky  - OR - ya know, like the commenters joked, , a sofa sale! 😂 

And yes, perhaps also to help investigate and quell all the MAGA "McConnell's dead" rumors, too, which was my theory - that it was someone here here to investigate/deal with/quell all the McConnell conspiracy theories 😂

Ronny Chieng on Trump''s Corrupt Karen FIFA Move

 

See, MAGA people, I love you, but what Trump did with FIFA - then go on to say if Belgium won the next game to just claim they cheated - does that not sound familiar or hit any alarm bells with you about his playbook and what he'll do/say any time he loses anything?

And I'm pretty sure that pushing a non-political organization to let a suspended player play again IS cheating??? 😂

Still don't see that everything he accuses others of, he's the one actually doing, huh?

Trying to get rid of late-night comedians who make fun of him though he's supposedly the protector of free speech?

Claiming peace with Iran for like the 5th time that isn't - about a war he started himself with no plan and thought would be over by now - and our gas prices remain sky high?

Still no?

Sigh - okay. 

Well, love you anyway. I really wonder if you might need your eyes and ears checked, especially if you identify as a Christian, but alrighty. 😊

Well, I don't think Trump's stated plan to just say Belgium cheated is gonna fly, this time. I mean, they stomped us.

What are ya gonna do now, Trump, bomb Belgium because they won, but tell people you're doing it because they're communists, Satanists, and pedophiles instead?

(Just kidding, Trump - please don't do that.)

I gotta share this, though, because Ronny Chieng made me laugh out loud this morning.

Just be forewarned, Ronny likes to cuss/get crass, for those of you with sensitive ears and constitutions ...

For people that don't understand sarcasm, this is sarcasm, by the way ...

"This is America, B**ch! The land of the Karen. And when life hands us lemons, we call life’s manager and say, ‘Take these lemons back and let Balogun play.’” 

"If you’re thinking this is corrupt, well, F yeah, it is. Because that’s America’s style of play. You think we’re going to obey soccer rules? We don’t even listen to the Geneva Convention.” ...

“We went from being the heroes of our own Disney sports movie to being the villain in some weird European film.”

😂😂😂

Sigh, if you don't laugh, you'll cry, from the shame and embarrassment Trump should feel, but doesn't. 

Careful, Ronny Chieng - you'll get fired, too, ya know.

Somehow, I don't think he'd care lol. 

He's legal American citizen now, and though originally Chinese-Malay,  I'm sure he's still very well aware of how dictators and colonizers disallow free speech and thus he can recognize the warning signs when they see one coming.

You know, I really wish I could be more patriotic like I used to be, but I'm embarrassed of the corruption and outright narcissism Trump displays daily, but accuses everybody else of it.

And it feels like he's undoing all the humane ground we've gained.

So with that, I have to say ... 

"THANK YOU, Belgium!"

Especially for the locker room Trump dance after you won!

Love,

The Rest of America

What the Democratic Party Needs: An Actual Party. A BIG One!

 

... and invite EVERYONE! 😊

I had an idea, the other day, so I wrote the Democratic Party HQ and the Obamas about it today. I've never written either before.

Here is the letter:

Dear (Dem Party HQ, Barack and Michelle Obama):

Hi - with all of the excitement and joy around the Obama Center opening - and the unfortunate partisan feel of America's 250th birthday -  I was thinking that what our party really needs is an actual party - a big one - and the 200th anniversary of the Democratic Party is coming up in 2028.

Not only will it help us get our joy and momentum back, but those who are not Democrats can see our joy AND wish they were!

We have all the comedians, musicians, and entertainers anyway, I'm sure they'd come - it would be a blast!

(Of course, with heightened security.)

Don't know if it's in the funding, but you could charge admission? (Not too much because, ya know, we're Democrats lol).

In fact, having a Democrat Day every year might do the trick?

Thanks for your time!

Chrystal Chaplow