Glendale garbage is getting out of hand

I am so sick of garbage problems. It seems that my neighborhood is always getting dumped on.

First off, the corner garbage cans. Residence of Glendale are putting in bags of household garbage which fills them up fast. People keep putting garbage in and as it over flows the garbage blows down the street. Which means when sanitation inspectors come by they give tickets up and down the block. What a scam. I clean up 2-3 times a day and its never enough.

2nd, the city trees. People decide that either the green bags for water or the dirt are perfect places to dump their garbage. I always try to notice and pick it up but come on, who raised you??

3rd, NYC hired a contractor to clean out the weeds where the trees are that they planted. These people came by and did a great job, but then left the bag of weeds behind. Since it wasn't my pick up day Sanitation wanted to give me a ticket. Luckily my neighbor saw him out front and called me. I ran out and luckily was able to talk my way out of ticket. The Sanitation inspector was very nice about it and suggested that I call 311. So I did but I doubt anything will come of it.

I know its been awhile....

I know, I know, its been while. Well, I've been busy. Making baby shower gifts and submitting grant proposals for a non-profit I volunteer for. But today I felt like letting off a bit of steam.
The steam is from my new neighbors. My family has been in this house for 50+ years. But now these new neighbors have moved in and have decided to make the block miserable. Yet I seem to be the only one annoyed by it. First, instead of picking up the leaves on their sidewalk like they are suppose to do, they take out a leaf blower and blow them down the block. My dad and I go out and ask him what the heck he was doing and he acted like an ass and told us to call the cops. I wish I could, but of course, we didn't, because we're pushovers. We're too afraid of a brick through our window so we just keep picking them up. Now today I put my garbage out, then went back inside to get more and come out just in time to see him walking past my door and another bag in front of my house. His house has a huge pile already so I guess he felt he should spread some of it out. Not sure why this is making me so angry but it is. But now that I've blogged, I feel better.
Steam released....

Mac haters....

I almost feel like there are a bunch of Mac haters in the audio book field. My grandma listens to a lot of audio books and the ones she wants are not always the new best sellers that the library has in the branch. So I go to different places online, including the library. The library allows you to borrow for free audio books to listen to. Grandma can use my shuffle with no problem but I can't put them on my mac in order to give them to her. The software they use is Overdrive. This is the message I get as a Mac user.

"Why can't I transfer WMA Digital Audiobook titles directly to my iPod, or use these files on my Mac?

WMA Digital Audiobook titles, provided by OverDrive, Inc., use DRM protection technology from Microsoft Corporation. Unfortunately the iPod and Mac do not currently support DRM-protected Windows Media Audio (WMA) files.

OverDrive, along with hundreds of online digital media providers, is hopeful that Apple and Microsoft can reach an agreement that would enable support for Microsoft-based DRM-protected materials on the iPod and Mac."

Well my first questions is why are they using WMA? They are completely blocking out thousands of people. For what reason? Shouldn't the library be using something a little more open? Then today I'm on Borders and they are offering a free book. But guess what? Can't use it because I haven't paid my few hundred dollar Microsoft Premium cost. I know I can put windows on my Mac but I don't want to. Apple has been so good about their products working on a windows machine. But Microsoft just doesn't! ::pout::

Treat others the way you would like to be treated....

Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Is that too much to ask?? I guess so.

A garbage truck broke down a couple blocks away from my house this morning causing a bunch of ass hole drivers to lay on there horn when no one was moving. The horns got me dressed and out to go see what was going on. So I started telling drivers how to get around the problem. All that paid attention to me said thanks. But too many drivers were busy on their cells, honking their horns ignoring the women waving her arms at them. One of them I finally smacked his car and told him how to get around it and he practically knocked me over getting onto the sidewalk to go down the block I was sending traffic. What an ass! But thats not even what bothered me the worse. The toe truck trying to move the garbage truck said it would still be a while so I called the police to see if they could send a cop to help. The cop said they had "no one available for non emergency situations at this time." What? Bull shit!! So I continued to try. Down the block my neighbor was out front and ask what I was doing. When I told him he laughed at me! Laughed at me. The asshole said. "Who cares, if they're not smart enough to go around fuck'em". Well I could have punched him. I lost it. I asked him how he would feel if he was late and stuck and no one helped him and I walked away. The nerve! I don't even know what to say to stupidity like that. Its a basic concept...

Treat others the way you would like to be treated!

A night at the Theater....

For the last few weekends, my husband and I have been at the movies. The Regal at Atlas Park to be exact. A piece of Florida away from Florida. But the place is very under staffed. Each weekend we see the opening blockbuster to have a good time. But it turns into stress. Stress that shouldn't happen when you're going to have fun. Going to the movies has become like going to the airport. You need to arrive 2 hours before the start just to make sure you get to sit together. The place is all staffed with kids who don't care or security that look like they would fall over like a feather.

For all the people that were there, there were only 3 people working the concession and when I finally got to order my Ice Tea was like water, I traded for coke and it tasted flat so I settled on lemonade that was way too sweet. We spend a lot of money for tickets and food and its really a disappointment. Do they just not understand crowd control? How many big movies have played there and you still can't handle it! Its just a shame. I am praying for the day when the DVD comes out the same day as the movie. I would be willing to pay more and be able to sit home and I don't think I'm alone.

Sex and the City was very good. I hope they don't do a sequel. I won't ruin anything but I was satisfied. I will say it was not a movie for little kids. There was a 10 year old behind us and everytime there was a nude scene the mother screamed, "cover your eyes!" WTF!?!?! There there was a baby that started crying and the mother had to take the child out. Come on! I'm really sick and tired of it. These parents should be reported for child abuse. They don't have good enough judgment to have a child.

It comes down to people not treating others the way they would like to be treated. They think nothing about inconveniencing others....

One picture of the craziness here. The rest are on flicker.

The summer looks bleak....

Summer is usually a busy time. But this one seems to be shaping up to be a bit bleak. :(

Some of my favorite podcasts are either closing completely or taking the summer off. The Cup Car Update has decided to stop production because they just don't have the time. The same goes for Winginit 3d another Far Point Media production. Though it does look like some new stuff might be coming out from Mike in the video realm so keep an ear out. Then Technorama decided to stop regular production. They still will be coming out with special shows now and then, but its just not the same. :( Also... Beyond Reality Radio with Jason and Grant from Ghost Hunters is taking some time off the radio show because of lack of time. SciFi channel is really burning them out with production schedules and traveling to promos.

Who's gonna be next?? :( Its even coming time for my shows to go on summer break. My daily dose of Ellen I will miss the most. It was what I watched at the end of the day as my chaser. Its a great way to clean out the crap of the day and go to sleep with happy thoughts. Ellen=Happy Thoughts. :) But I will have to wait until next season. :(

I am having the worse luck lately.....

So today I was going to see my oncologist. He was suppose to be reviewing my tests and blood work and tell me what is going on. My appointment was at 9:45am and I got there at 9:30am. At 10:15 I went to the desk to see how much longer it might be and they said they didn't know because they couldn't reach the doctor!?!?!?!? I can't believe it! 2 different places in the same week someone forgets that they had to be at work. If I did that I would be fired and I'm sure you would be too. Though I guess I don't know if the radiologist from the other day was fired or not. I am rescheduled to see him next Tuesday at 10am. But come on, can I have any worse luck? I'm stressed enough as it is and to not only have this happen once but twice. If it ends up I have something incurable I plan to sue these places for their incompetence . Why shouldn't I? Everyone else does. Its really amazing that doctors and offices can get away with this kind of treatment. I know it's not the nurses fault and that they are getting the wrath from the patience but they acted like this wasn't the first time. If thats the case then I should hope they start calling him the day before to remind him. They call me to remind me I have the god damn appointment, why not the doctor. AND If I forgot about and appointment I would be charged for not showing up!!

Congestion pricing in NY.....

My opinion and you all know I have one... About Congestion Pricing in NY.

There should be a way to charge people to enter the city that don't need to, without punishing people who need to enter the city with their car in the performance of their jobs. Then maybe people who just feel like driving would think twice before they did.

Lets first take delivery trucks. Under the current plan they would be charged to enter the city. That is punishing the delivery companies, the businesses that get the deliveries and the people who buy from the shoppes. This of course would hurt the small businesses more than the big quys (as usual). So many blocks where parking was limited in certain hours for trucks with deliveries now allow parking for all the condos that have gone up. None of these places should have been allowed to be built with out providing enough parking space for the cars they would bring.... but that's a rant for another day.

Then, what about repairmen? These guys (and gals) help keep the city working. A lot of them take their tools and parts in their own cars because they don't need a truck. These people shouldn't be punished for having to go to work.

My husband says: "How do you enforce this?" Well, I guess one way might be something on the drivers license. If you have to drive into the city to perform your job you would get a type of license, maybe like an easypass you could wave at the toll booth to go free.

Now to those people who drive to the city because its more convenient for them to drive, or the tourists to want to drive. These people should be charged to come into the city at certain times. These people are impeding people from working and clogging our street for their own comfort. If they had to pay maybe they would think twice about doing it.

But now my conundrum. These people will still want to go into the city, how the hell are they suppose to do it?!? Our subway and bus system is over crowded, dirty, and un-reliable.

So... My solution to all this? (and yes I do have one)...

Make the subways and buses a place people want to be and use. The advertisements in the subway are maintained better than the subway itself. "If you build it they will come" is a famous saying that I think applies to everything. I'm sure all of these cameras in the subway catch people throwing garbage, harassing other riders and vandalizing property but its never enforced. If these people were fined that would raise the money needed to maintain it.

OK OK /rant

I like to think I would....

Last night I was at my local B.J.'s to get crapload packages of stuff that doesn't expire like toilet paper and paper towels etc. Over the PA comes a message "if anyone found an ipod please return it to the customer service area". I thought to myself never. Never would anyone turn in an ipod. I can't even honestly say weather I would or wouldn't. I'd like to think I would return it. I know if I lost one I would like to get it back. But anyway I was looking at the books and this mother was screaming at her daughter at the top of her lungs about losing her $400 ipod. "Why did she put it down in the bathroom", & "did you look around to see if anyone was using it"? This kid couldn't be more that 15 years old. What the hell was she doing with a $400 ipod?? I never had anything that expensive as a teen. I used to lose my book bag and purse regularly. All kids do. It doesn't make it right but its a fact. Kids are not responsible. They need parents guidance, not parents who will yell at their kid in the middle of store as the kid is crying her eyes out. I felt so bad for that kid. I was kind of hoping whoever found it would feel bad for the kid too and give it back but as far as I know no one did.

I just want to be on the record.....

I called 311 like I was suppose to and I called the Forest Park Trust but no one seems alarmed that this tree looks very precarious along side Myrtle Ave (a busy street, took me awhile to get a shot with no traffic). If the tree falls the other way it will hit a pre-school! Double click picture to view full size.
Update 3.21.08: The parks department came this morning to take away the branch. They didn't do anything with the tree but I hope they looked at it and feel its safe.

Well that could be why I'm not pregnant....

First, a few years ago I had huge fibroids. I had the surgery and was told go try, everything looks great! Well nothing happened. Just went for some blood test and now I get this really professional sounding diagnosis "your thyroid is out of whack"!?! and to see an endocrinologist. Just great! Some women can have tons of kids when they barely try, abuse them and sometimes worse but I try and have nothing but problems! Why is nothing ever easy!?!

I guess its my own fault for waiting until I was in my 30's to start trying. I guess I should have done what some of my friends did and have kids right out of High School. Its not like I did anything with my life. I need to stop doing things for so many other people and live the way I dame well please.

We lose another hour....

If I was president, I would split the difference and never touch the time again. Meaning instead of putting our clocks ahead an hour we would put it ahead a half hour and leave it. Enough already!! National Geographic has a great article on how standard time got started and why we do daylight savings time. But they mention it is not mandatory for any state to do it. So lets not do it. Talk to your local politicians and tell them you don't want to do it any more!!

We expect so much....

There are so many free things I have gotten addicted to lately and I tend to rely on them. Twitter, talkshoe, blogger, pownce etc. And I tend to get frustrated when they don't work. I need to be more patient and understanding. Its not the end of the world if somethings not working. When stuff like this happens I need to step back, maybe clean my house a bit or read a book. When I come back later I'm sure it will all work great again.

Ways I'm trying to make money and failing...

Originally posted on Ning January 3rd, 2008 6:19pm

I had a job I hated. I was working long hours for a place that treated its employees horribly. So I quit. I've taken over the management of my Grandmothers Arts & Crafts Shoppe. It needs a big dose of advertising but with no money thats hard because its very very expensive. So I'm working on a web site and a podcast and video tutorials, but still need a little money to come in.

So now I sell AVON. My mom used to sell it when I was a kid and I remember helping her put the samples in each of the bags etc. Well I kind of expected the local manager to be helpful, but I have to say they haven't been. First it took them over a month to get me signed up. I went to my first meeting last night and they called out everyone in the meeting about their sales and when ever I had a question I was told to take the online training or look in the books they gave me. Not really sure I like that model. I realize they are trying to make money but don't be a manger if you can't take the time to teach. So I blundered ahead on my own and wow, what a shock, I made a mistake, and they are even less than helpful. They don't understand how I made the mistake and they aren't sure how to fix it. I'm gonna give it a year. If I don't see that I'm making a little money from it I quit. If you interested in buying or selling AVON its really a great product, contact me and I'll give you more info.

I used to sell Tupperware, and wow, that was expensive. Great products but really over priced. It was hard to talk people into buying products that they could get at target for less.

My other option is selling on e-bay. I have tons of stuff. I wish I could have a garage sale. I could probably have one every weekend and still have more stuff. But no garage.. :)

I type fast, and could sit on my computer and type, but all of those work at home jobs are just BS.

So hopefully later this year I won't have time to blog because I'm busy making money. I'll keep you all posted.

The link I want to mention today is http://www.spritestitch.com/ they have some great cross stitch patterns for video games. Gives me lots of ideas.

At 3:56pm on January 6th, 2008, Eve said…

Good Morning America has an on-going series on working from home. They have done the research and recommend some legitimate opportunities. Go here: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/CareerManagement/story?id=2371804&page=1Delete Comment

At 2:04pm on January 7th, 2008, Michelle said…

Thanks I will and blog about what happens. :)Delete Comment

At 3:11pm on January 7th, 2008, Ruth Ferguson said…

Something I did for a while was work as a telephone operator from home for West and LiveOps. They generally handle calls for the infomericals.Delete Comment

At 4:04pm on January 7th, 2008, Cass said…

It takes a lot of time and effort to post items for sale on Ebay. You're probably better off having a garage sale!Delete Comment

At 9:11pm on January 7th, 2008, Michelle said…

that wouldnt be a bad idea, thanks RuthDelete Comment

At 8:50pm on January 8th, 2008, atomik-kitten said…

Have you tried etsy?

Vets treat their patients better than Doctors.....

I am again amazed by how long the wait is at my Doctor's office. Don't get me wrong, I love my Doctor, but I think its her assistant who causes the problem. The doctor starts taking patients on Saturday at 9:30, but there are 15 people who have an 8:30 appointment time. I got there at 7:45 and there were 2 people waiting there before me. I didn't see the doctor until 10am! Now compare it to the Vet. I have a 10am appointment for my cat and I was seen at 10:10am and was done by 10:40.

Everyone thinks its so great that the candidates say they will guarantee everyone will get health insurance and be able to see a doctor. That sounds all great and wonderful but what doctor are they gonna see?? Everyone I talk to says they have to wait so long at the doctors office they sometimes give up. They are sitting in a waiting room with people who are coughing and sneezing for hours so if they aren't sick going in they are by the time they leave.

Why can't the candidates figure out how to educate more doctors and make it easier to have a local doctors office. People are so quick to sue a doctor when a mistake is made. The insurance is so much money the doctors need to jack their prices up, which in turn makes health insurance more and causes people to not be able to afford to go with out insurance. Which of course brings us to the fact that doctors & nurses are so over worked more mistakes are made. Its a vicious cycle that needs to be fixed... and quick!!

Sending the wrong message....

Again, I'll probably get a lot of shit for this rant but I can't help it...

Some 18 year kid (I say kid lightly, he's actually a man) in the Bronx got caught spray painting on a road sign. Then ran from the cops and got hurt. He says the cops punched him and caused permanent damage and is now suing.

So let me get this straight. The kid claims he didn't fight the cops that the cop punched him for no reason. He couldn't even look the newscaster in the face when he was telling his story. Now this kid get to be rich for fighting the cops who were trying to arrest him for doing something wrong. He's 18!! What the fuck was he doing spray painting on a road sign?!?! If he wasn't doing something wrong he wouldn't have been hurt. Then to top it off guess who gets to pay not only to clean the road sign he defaced but to pay for his settlement with the city?? Us taxpayers who have to put up with these shitty kids that have no respect for anything around them have to pay for it!!

What kind of message is this sending to kids? In my eyes it says to do something wrong, fight the cops, get hurt, sue and not have to work for a living!!

Seems we were all had....

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong but it seems 20MacApps is a fraud! I payed $40 back in December for software that would start to be available Feb 1st or 2nd. Now on their website I see "For reasons beyond our immediate control, there will be a short delay in fufilling your 20MacApps order. We are now back on track with the promotion, and plan to begin fufilling your orders on April 1st, around 8 weeks after the original start date, with an app coming out every two weeks from that point onwards. As a way of apologizing to our previous buyers, we'll be sending out a very special offer later this week. Thanks for your patience, as we work hard to get this promotion back on track for previous buyers."

I'm sorry but I feel like a fool. And what kind of "Special offer" will it be? Something else where they want more money. Well, I won't fall for it again... I hope I'm wrong....

Live everyday as if it were your last....

one day you will be right.

I don't know who said that, but its so true. I just found out my Dad's boss was killed yesterday by a 16 year old kid drinking and driving. I didn't know him very well but he seemed nice. He was always good to my Dad. I helped him with some computer problems a couple of times. My heart goes out to his family. Welborn's wife is hanging on in bad condition with brain damage and spleen damage.They are not sure if she'll make it. Death is always harder on the living.

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=71073
another link
http://www.wbaltv.com/news/15264840/detail.html

My Dad drives all over the east coast for his job and I always worry about him. I know he's a good driver but its always the other guy. Please please please, if you have kids make sure they know how bad it is to do stupid things. I notice more and more that kids have no respect. And where are they learning it from? Their parents. Either the parents are both working and kids are being raised in a group environment where the aide is over worked or the parents just don't care. Well, thats a rant for another day.

Please, for me remind 1 person that drinking and driving does kill, it might save a life.

You should be ashamed...

I don't even know where to start I'm so pissed right now. My small business is closed on Sunday. The only day I'm home taking care of my home. 6 days I'm in the store trying to build it up, help customers and share my love of making things. My Grandmothers been doing it for 36 years. She's been robbed at gun and knife point over the years and she's never given up. Luckily no ones been hurt. So thats what I keep telling myself when things like today happen....Its Sunday so I was closed, but I went to give my Grandmother dinner and saw that some snot nose "Artists" decided to scratch their personal tags into my big store display window. Every single person who has ever done this should be ashamed of themselves. Business owners work very hard for the little they get. And when you do it to the subway or bus who do you think will pay for it. You and your family when the fares go up.
Tomorrow in the light I'll take pictures of it to post here.
Where do these people get off?!? And what can I do about it?? Nothing. I wanted to call the police, but what did my family say "it could get worse" just leave it. Just leave it!! Unfortunately it seems that thats the mentality. And thugs and thieves know it. Most people aren't gonna do anything about it. So I post here. I post here and hope that it will make me feel better to remind myself that no one was hurt... Except inside.

Apple Store - West 14th Street

OK WOW!! I got there at 5:30 and was 3 blocks away. No big deal until you got a block away and more than 50 people cut right in front of us. Myself and only a few others had the balls to say anything but it did no good. What did the cop say "just calm down or go home"!! Me, not the assholes that cut in front of all of us, me. So I shut my mouth. Then as we got closer the people behind us started getting loud and pushy, this one girl pushed me right out of the way in front of security and then when her son didn't get past us she started screaming at my husband that "no one separates her from her kid" well if she wouldn't have been such a bitch pushing ahead of people she wouldn't have gotten separated. Its really a shame that all of these people were never taught manners. I can't even say it was one particular race or age because it was a bunch of them.

Then at 9:30 we finally got in. Everyone was handed a poster and on the inside cap you could win something. Hubby and I both won $10 iTunes gift cards. Cool. So then I ask where the bathroom was. Well what a shock, there is no public bathroom. WTF?!?!?! After waiting all that time. I can honestly say I will never go back to that Apple store ever again. SoHo is the best and always will be.

P.S if anyone blogs about the loudmouth in the orange jacket trying to control the line.. That was me :)

PPS. If Apple Insider is right, Apple is opening another store on the Upper West Side. Lets see what happens at this one...