Hannaford Pharmacy Fail

The lovely yet talented Mrs618 and I have been getting our prescriptions filled at our local Hannaford Pharmacy for the past five years. Hannaford is a grocery chain with stores located in New England and New York, and is part of global grocery giant Delhaize.

About a year ago, Hannaford installed new pharmacy software that was supposed to streamline the system. Well, it didn't. Hannaford started losing prescriptions left and right, blaming it on "the doctor's offices." After losing so many of the lovely yet talented Mrs618's scripts -- meds that she needs to stay alive -- we started asking the doctor to confirm the pharmacy had in fact received the scripts. Turned out our doctor had been doing that for a while.

Now, the lovely yet talented Mrs618 hyphenates her last name, because she is proud of her own heritage. And we know that some folks have a hard time dealing with complicated names like Smith-Jones, so we always spell "Smith" for them. If the techs can't find it under "Smith-hyphen-Jones," we ask them to try "Smith," then "Jones."

This last go-round, Hannaford lost the script because:

(a) the doctor didn't send it. We had the doctor re-send it (for the FOURTH time); and
(b) the folks at the central data center sent it to the wrong store (not according to the confirmation our doctor received).

It didn't help that the pharmacy staff -- all relatively new -- were arrogant, condescending, and just generally snotty.

I spoke to the store manager, who said he would look into it.

Half-hour later, we get a phone call, the script is ready to go.

It had been there the whole goddamned time.

Turns out they couldn't locate it because my wife hyphenates her last name. This is after we asked them to check "Smith-Jones," "Smith," and "Jones."  How was it filed? Under "Jones."

It was my wife's fault that these MORONS couldn't find it filed under "Jones," even after we ASKED them to check under "Jones"?!?

And the pharmacist had the balls to tell us the lovely yet talented Mrs618 shouldn't hyphenate because "it's too much trouble for us."

We saved them the trouble and switched pharmacies. And supermarkets.

If you do business with Hannaford or any of the other Delhaize America companies (Food Lion, Harvey's, Sweetbay, and Bottom Dollar Food), maybe you should do the same.

Why make them go to all the trouble of doing the jobs they were hired to do?

Another One Gone From the Blogroll

Hydrant Girl, a Canadian paramedic (married to a firefighter), has changed her blog access to invitation only. Too bad, as I really enjoyed reading it, and learning how our Canadian brethren do things.

As an aside, she and her husband were at one of the races in Daytona when a car crashed into the stands. Not surprisingly, they both jumped in and started treating the injured.

Anyway, best of luck to Dorie and Jamie.

Special Guest Blogger: Emily

Hi, furless ones, this is Emily. I'm Mr618's celebrated Labrador whom you may have read about, back when Mom and Dad thought about things like pet blogging, instead of all that political crap.

A couple of days ago, dad was reading Michael Morse's blog, Rescuing Providence. Captain Morse had a piece about my cousin, Mr. Wilson. Cousin Wilson allegedly asked, "What's a dog?"

It appears Cousin Wilson forgot what the Head Beagle told us as pups, which is that we give the humans a reason to live. Humans, of course, are significantly inferior to canines, but they do serve a useful purpose in that their opposable thumbs allow them to open cans and bags more efficiently than we can with our teeth.

Captain Morse, God (which is, after all, dog spelled backwards) created dogs so firemen could have heroes too.

Despite what the beer companies (and Ben Franklin) say, dogs are the REAL proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Oh, and here's a picture of Cousin Wilson:

I guess his hair got so white worrying about his dad. Not easy trying to take care of a fire captain in a big city like Providence, I guess. (Hey, Cousin Wilson, when my dad comes down with lobsters for your dad, I'll send down a nice fresh Maine bone for ya, 'kay?)

God, I WISH This Had been True.....

Saw this on the Internet yesterday, and -- as we all know -- "you can't put it on the Internet if it isn't true."

"Rand Paul is a f*****g idiot," says Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, whose tiny state sits astride a hurricane zone. "The federal government, by pooling resources and exploiting economies of scale, can do disaster relief more efficiently the individual states alone.

"If this arrogant douchebag got his head out of Ayn Rand's ass long enough to see two feet in front of him, maybe he'd understand how important this work is."

This was the tail end of a story about ole Rand going off on one of his favorite hobby horses, the evil FEMA.

"I suppose people need help in times like these. And if individual states want to set up disaster relief agencies, that's fine. But why should taxpayers in other states be forced to pay? Kentucky doesn't have earthquakes. Kentucky doesn't have hurricanes. Kentucky doesn't have tornadoes, I don't think. So why are we footing the bill for this stuff?"

Of course, Rand isn't the only one bemoaning the fact the FEMA helps the poor as well as the rich:

Republicans have long had an interest in disbanding FEMA, an agency that most Americans believe fulfills a necessary role of government. Presidential nominee Mitt Romney famously said he wanted to "eliminate" the agency before reversing himself following a public furor.

But, alas, it's from the Daily Currant.*

Now, why would I wish something like this were true? Because think of the good times we could have jumping on poor dumb ol' Rand (and who names his kid Rand, for that matter?)

Not to mention the fact that SOMEONE needs to use "Markell's" words... only for real.





*Note to WND, Limpdick, and company: The Daily Currant is a satire site.**

** That means it's not real, it's made up.***

*** Like your "mandates."

Initial Thoughts on Boston

First and foremost, prayers and best wishes for the runners, volunteers, police, fire, EMS, and other emergency personnel who responded to today's horrific events. I hope Obama sticks by his word (for once), and doesn't wimp out on prosecuting -- or killing -- whoever did this.

A few things that the investigators are almost certainly working on:

• April 15: Tax Day, hated by many far-right-wing anti-government extremists
• Patriot's Day: another potential "inspiration" if this were, in fact, a right-wing "Patriot" whackjob
• Boston: where the Tea Partiers got their inspiration, from the "patriots" who took part in the Boston Tea Party
• Massachusettes has fairly tough gun registration laws
• The race was dedicated to the victims of the Newtown shootings, which instigated nation-wide calls for effective gun control
• Massachusettes has a black governor
• The US has a black President

Am I saying that some right-wing McVeigh wannabe did this? Nope, I'm not saying anything of the sort. Just mentioning these points that may have played into some Patriot/Teabagging/Tax Protesting/anti-gummint/black-FEMA-helicopter racist gun nut small-penis-compensating loser deciding this was a way to strike a blow against the New World Order, Moozlums, and other scary people or whatever loser belief system this mutt or mutts might have.

I also noticed that during the second, prime-time special on NBC, anchor Bryan Williams said, "For all the wrong reasons, we've been fighting two wars for the past ten years," referring to the fact that many returning combat medics have seen these horrific injuries before.

My personal bet is some far-right-wing whacko like Eric Rudolph, Jared Loughner, McVeigh...  One of those losers.

Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?

(For the kids, that was the title of a popular song back during the Great Depression of the 1930's)

A fellow blogger whom I have mentioned many times is in really dire straits. He and his fiancee are facing some horrific conditions. If you could spare a buck or two (or even a couple of hundred), I would appreciate it, and I know it would be a lifesaver for them. He has a PayPal button at his site. Please try to send some cash his way.

It's my never-met but old buddy* Jurassic Pork, who currently runs Welcome Back To Pottersville. He's a good man who has had some truly crappy luck.

He was one of the first big-name bloggers to blogroll me back around 2006 or so, and has been lurking and commenting here since.


*Yeah, I might be presuming more to our association then he would prefer, but tough. *I* view him as a friend, so neener, neener, neener.

Leave of Absence

Posting will be lighter than usual -- bordering on non-existent -- for the week. My aunt died and my mother is taking it very hard.

JP nails it. Twice.

Fellow blogger (and one of the first to link to me) has two very timely posts at his place:

• a look at the ten year anniversary of our invasion of Iraq, which should be mandatory reading for all those who think the war only involves scary brown terrorist types, and
• this:

JP and his missus are still finding rough sledding, as they are part of the 99%, so if you could swing by his blog and help them out, both they and I would appreciate it.

Sequestration (and Castration*?)

Our local Mouse Channel affiliate, WMTW Channel 8, has a story today about Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor closing its famous Loop Road and other amenities until mid-May, as a result of the Rethuglican-inspired sequestration. The same process eliminated public tours of the White House, leading some Rethugs to bitch mightily about the BMITWH "holding the nation hostage" to his budget plans or some such nonsense.

Now, granted, I do not have the economic knowledge or training of Badtux or JurassicPork, but allow me to offer some alternative plans to reduce the cost of government:

• Congresscritters -- both Senators and Representatives -- do not get paid until a budget has been passed and signed by the President. Some will claim the Constitution prohibits "adjusting" Congressional pay or benefits until after the next succeeding election; the Rethugs like to say their financial emergency trumps all else -- including national defense -- so it should also trump their financial well-being. Hell, if we gotta suffer, it's only fair they suffer with us.
• Congresscritters no longer get free or discounted travel anywhere for any reason, including official business. They get to fly Grayhound like the rest of us.
• Lobbyists must deposit their bribes campaign contributions into the Treasury, rather than the bottomless pockets of the pols.
• Eliminate free healthcare for Congresscritters. Let them see what it 's like to go without insurance.
• Eliminate free parking privileges for Congresscritters and their staff.
• In fact, eliminate their freakin' JOBS.

Wouldn't you LOVE to see the Zombie-eyed Granny Starver standing on the corner with a little cardboard sign that says "Will teabag for food"?

Scroom.

Scroomall.

* I vote for cutting their nuts off. No anesthesia, no bandages, no mercy. That's the only way to keep them from reproducing.

Joe McCarthy and [Someone] Cruz

Edited 11-03-2013, to reflect the current Senator's full  and correct name.

Joe McCarthy on the left, Rafael Eduardo Hijo de Puta Cruz, Canadian-born anchor baby spawn of cigar-sucking Cuban émigré, Castro supporter and Desi Arnaz wannabe Rafael Bienvenido Chinga tu Madre Cruz  on the right:

 

 

'Nuff said.

 

 

(Based on something the lovely yet talented JursassicPork posted at Brilliant at Breakfast, linking to Michael in Norfolk)

O. M. F. G.

There is nothing more to say.

Via Mock - Paper - Scissors.

Which used to be one of my favorite sites.

 Excuse me, I have to go kill myself now.

This Date in Fire History: Feb 20

Tomorrow marks the tenth anniversary of the tragic Station Nightclub fire in West Warwick, RI, which killed 100 and injured countless more.

I was going to do one of my usual "Fire History" pieces, looking at the causes, fatalities, injuries and ramifications of the fire.

Until, that is, I saw this piece at Rescuing Providence.

Captain Michael Morse did a much better job of bringing home the horror that is a major fire.

I'm sure Capt Morse won't find if I lift his list of victims, for we must keep them in our memories if we don't want them to have died in vain.

Rest In Peace:

Louis S. Alves
Kevin Anderson
Stacie Angers
Christopher Arruda
Eugene Avilez
Tina Ayer
Karla Bagtaz
Mary H. Baker
Thomas Barnett
Laureen Beauchaine
Steven Thomas Blom
William Christopher Bonardi
Kristine Carbone
Richard A. Cabral, Jr.
William Cartwright
Edward B. Corbet III
Michael Cordier
Alfred Crisostomi
Robert Croteau
Lisa D'Andrea
Matthew P. Darby
Dina Ann DeMaio
Albert Anthony DiBonaventura
Rachel DePietro (Florio)
Christina DiRienzo
Kevin J. Dunn
Lori K. Durante
Edward Ervanian
Thomas Fleming
Rachael K. Florio-DePietro
Mark A. Fontaine
Chief Petty Officer Daniel Frederickson
Michael Fresolo
James Gahan
Melvin Gerfin
Laura Gillet
Charline Elaine Gingras-Fick
Michael James Gonsalves
James Gooden
Derek Gray
Pamela Gruttadauria
Scott "Skott" Greene
Scott Griffith
Bonnie L. Hamelin
Jude Henault
Andrew Hoban
Abbie L. Hoisington
Michael Hoogasian
Sandy Hoogasian
Carlton "Bud" Howorth III
Eric James Hyer
Derek Brian Johnson
Lisa Kelly
Tracy F. King
Michael Joseph Kulz
Keith Lapierre
Dale Latulippe
Stephen M. Libera
John M. Longiaru
Ty Longley
Andrea Mancini
Keith A. Mancini
Steven Mancini
Judith Manzo
Thomas Marion, Jr.
Jeffery Martin
Tammy Mattera-Housa
Kristen McQuarrie
Thomas Medeiros
Samuel Miceli
Donna M. Mitchell
Leigh Ann Moreau
Ryan M. Morin
Jason Morton
Katherine O'Donnell
Nicholas O'Neill
Matthew James Pickett
Carlos L. Pimentel Sr.
Christopher Prouty
Jeffrey Rader
Teresa Rakoski
Robert L. Reisner III
Walter Rich
Donald Roderiques
Tracey Romanoff
Joseph Rossi
Bridget Sanetti
Rebecca "Becky" Shaw
Dennis Smith
Mitchell Shubert
Victor Stark
Benjamin Suffoletto
Linda Suffoletto
Shawn Sweet
Jason Sylvester
Sarah Jane Telgarsky
Kelly Viera
Kevin Washburn
Everett "Tommy" Woodmansee
Robert Daniel Young

Sincere condolences to the victims, survivors and families.

Th' Blizzahd of Ought-Thirteen... Yessir!

Well, here I am, sitting in the living room as "The Great Blizzahd of Ought-Thirteen" rages outside. It's been snowing since morning, even though the main part of the real storm is just starting to affect us. We already have about 8 inches of snow in the yard, and we're expecting somewhere between 24 and 30 inches by the time we're done.

Some interesting cancellations crawling across the bottom of the TV machine: "Some Town Snowmobile Club Outing Postponed to Sunday" and "Some Other Town Snowshoe Hike Postponed to Sunday." Plus, the main attraction up here this time of year -- the National Toboggan escapades at the Snow Bowl in Camden had to cancel their Saturday toboggan runs because of snow. Plus at least one ski area is closed due to excessive snow.

Maine... Life in the Slow Lane.

A 19-car pile-up on Interstate 295 down in Cumberland screwed up the morning commute for folks trying to get into Portland this morning (it even made NBC Nightly News). Evening rush hour didn't happen, as most everybody got out of Dodge by about 2:00 PM.


Oh, yeah, almost forgot... some hacker got into gee-dumbya's email thingie, and posted some pix of dim son's self-portraits... including one in the tub. Not shown: how he was playing 'submarine' with a coupla turds. With presidential seals on 'em. For more on this breaking story, see this piece by the lovely yet talented Jurassic Pork (who is also even more flat broke than I am, so if you could spare a few sheckels his way, I'm sure he'd appreciate it).

Hmm, Two Milestones (at least for me, they are...)

According to the new-and-allegedly-improved Blogger dashboard:

The previous post was number 500 (yes, the Great Orange Satan does 500 posts a day, but, there's only one of me); and

32,000 page views (yes, TGOS gets that many in 3.8 seconds, but I provide quality instead of quantity)

Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

(Wonder if I could make a song outa that and make a few bucks...)

Well, Duh....

The AP is reporting that New York-area Congresscritters -- from both sides of the aisle -- are furious that Boehner let the House skip out without voting on a bill to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy:

In remarks on the House floor, [Republican Representative Peter] King called the decision ‘‘absolutely inexcusable, absolutely indefensible. We cannot just walk away from our responsibilities.’’

Well, duh.

Given the rethuglican's proclivity to shaft everyone else on earth in pursuit of their own agenda of no taxes for the rich, and their insistence on eliminating any semblance of Federal aid for anything or anyone, it should come as no surprise that the "Party of No" said "no" to relief for the devastated areas.



Another Republican had this to say:

‘‘I'm here tonight saying to myself for the first time that I'm not proud of the decision my team has made,’’ said Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y. ‘‘It is the wrong decision, and I’ m going to be respectful and ask that the speaker reconsider his decision. Because it’s not about politics, it’s about human lives.’’

Well, Mikey, in your party, it is about politics. It's always about politics.

And A Follow-Up

A couple of posts back, I went off on the small-penis-compensatin' National Fecking Rifle Association asswipes for their obsessive lust for killing devices.

Badtux left a comment saying "The only argument the right wing has that actually has any validity is the 2nd Amendment argument, where the 2nd Amendment by any reasonable reading protects both an individual and collective right to keep and bear arms."

But, alas, Badtux -- along with many other Americans, most of whom are small-penis-compensatin whackjobs -- forgot the first clause of the Second Amendment:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. [emphasis added]

And by "militia," the Framers were not thinking about the small-penis-compensatin', gun-totin' whackjobs like the Michigan Militia and the rest of the Militia/Patriot/Redemptionist genre, they were talking about what is today's National Guard.

The current crop of small-penis-compensatin', gun-totin' whackjobs wouldn't know "well regulated" if it bit them in their doughy asses.

It is astonishing how many people manage to miss the reference to a "well regulated militia," in their mad dash to justify keeping murderous devices in their homes.

Not that Badtux is in that crowd, mind you; I have a feeling he's pretty much on the side of common sense.

Actually, Like, You Know, Whatever...

Just saw this on Yapfui...

"You know," "whatever" is a really annoying term -- "like" "you know." We're "just sayin'."

When it comes to the most annoying words or phrases used in conversation, those four top the list in 2012, according to the annual Marist Poll.

But, actually, you know, like, they actually missed like the most annoying word yet...

Today's society seems to use "actually" the way kids use "like," which is starting to make me cranky.

I had to call the auto insurance folks the other day. The agent said "I'm actually looking at your account now." "Wow, you're ACTUALLY LOOKING AT IT?!? Wow, how cool is that?!?"

Where I used to work, I had to sit through a PowerPoint on a new software application... "Here, you can see I'm actually signed in..." No, you're NOT actually signed in, it's actually a screen capture of when you were actually signed in. I actually wanted to actually puke all over the presenter.

Or, to put it another way:

Although actually means “in an actual manner,” “really,” or “truly,” it has come to mean “in point of fact,” as well. I don't see this one abused too much in the written word, but some people (is it only MBAs, or does it just seem that way?) preface nearly every sentence with the word, and toss a few more into the middle of the occasional sentence, just in case we think they might be talking about something fictitious. Like hopefully and basically, actually is just an (unsuccessful) distraction from what the rest of the sentence says.

And, no, it's not only MBAs.

Just sayin'.

BushMaster... America's 21st Century Murder, Inc.

As you know, the whacko nutjob who killed 20 school children and six adults -- plus apparently his own gun nut whackjob mother -- used a BushMaster .223, as did this charming citizen:

who used his BushMaster to murder two volunteer firefighters and seriously wound two other volunteer firefighters in upstate New York.

Another BushMaster .223 was being schelpped around beautiful downtown Portland, ME, by some small-penis-compensatin', gun-totin, Second Amendment Libertarian whackjob. Douchebag's explanation? "I wanted to go for walk because I haven't exercised in ages." During the confrontation, the rifle-totin' jerkwad declined to identify himself.

And just what is a BushMaster 223? It is, appraently, a popular rifle for hunters:

I mean, isn't it obvious that you need a sniper-style bipod to kill Bambi?

And, of course, only highly-trained and thoroughly-experienced personnel carry them:

Some of the firefighting blogs that I have visited have been parroting the NRA line about how "this isn't the time to discuss gun control" followed by deleting pro-control comments, while allowing the small-penis-compensatin' crowd full reign to shriek hysterically about arming firefighters and first-graders, and by having the bigger kids -- in the case of Newtown, fourth-graders -- gang-tackle the shooter.

Now, many small-penis-compensatin', gun-totin' wingnut whackjobs will say folks should keep weapons at home for self-defense... how did that work out for you, Mrs Lanza?

Meanwhile, in DC -- which has some of the toughest gun laws -- David Gregory is being investigated for holding up an empty magazine. Read that again, an empty magazine.

God forbid anyone should say anything to someone wandering around with a LOADED one.

NSFW: Sandy Hook/Newtown, CT

UPDATE: The lovely yet talented Mrs618 convinced me to tone it down.

But you know damn well what I mean...

THIS POST IS FOR ADULTS ONLY. IF YOU ARE UNDER 21, GO AWAY.

IF YOU ARE A RIGHT-WING NRA GUN NUT, LEAVE NOW. I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FECK* FOR YOU, YOUR OPINION, OR YOUR "RIGHTS."

Once again, the fecking right-wing whackjob gun nuts at the National Fecking Rifle Association have let loose the hounds of disaster, this time killing 20 children. 20 elementary school children.

TWENTY CHILDREN.

Because some fecking whackjob got his mother to buy and register four weapons, cause he couldn't, cause he was a fecking psychotic nutcase.

Twenty children are DEAD, because the National Fecking Rifle Association will not, under any circumstances whatsoever, consider any kind of reasonable gun control.

All right. So be it.

Here's what we need to do to prevent this from happening again.

BAN ALL PRIVATE GUN OWNERSHIP, WITH TWO EXCEPTIONS.

Only ACTIVE-DUTY military and active law enforcement officers should be allowed to possess handguns.

Hunters can hunt with a .22 rifle, or a shotgun that can hold no more than one shell at a time.

NO ASSAULT RIFLES, NO AR-15S, NO LARGE-CAPACITY CLIPS FOR ANY WEAPON.

THE NATIONAL FECKING RIFLE ASSOCIATION, WITH THEIR BULL-HEADED INTRANSIGENCE, OWNS THIS.

THEY OWN THIS.

THEY SUPPORT THE MURDER OF HELPLESS KINDERGARTNERS, INNOCENT THIRD-GRADERS, AND TEACHERS.

And if you're one of the whining, mewling, sycophants for the National Fecking Rifle Association, and you want to make your point, DO IT SOMEWHERE ELSE. You have NO fecking rights HERE, you murderous scum-burping asshole.

I don't fecking want to hear it, murderer.

Go the feck away, and take your deathtoys with you.

Don't talk to me about your "rights"... I don't give a feck. Our nation's right to protect OUR CHILDREN outweighs your "right" to go squirrel hunting with a 50 calibre machine gun.

I no longer give a shirt for your Second Amendment "rights," since you National Fecking Rifle Association MURDERERS use it as a perverted excuse to go on your damnable killing sprees.

Columbine, San Ysidro, Aurora, Virginia Tech, Oregon, now Newtown. You National Fecking Rifle Association DOUCHEBAGS don't deserve to call yourselves "Americans." You should call yourselves BRAIN-DEAD, SLACK-JAWED, DROOLING, MORONIC GUN-TOTING ASSWIPES FROM HELL.

And don't try to say "If the teachers had been armed, yadda yadda...," cause that shirt ain't gonna fly.

You bottom-feeding, inbred hillbilly yokels, YOU SOCKSUCKERS from the National Fecking Rifle Association, have forfeited any claim to consideration or even adult discussion.

THERE'S NO SENSE IN TRYING TO HOLD A RATIONAL DISCUSSION WITH A CRAZY-ASS MUTHERFECKING PSYCHOTIC NUTJOB.

YOU MURDEROUS FECKING ASSHOLES OWN THIS, YOU CHILD-KILLING SOCKSUCKING MOTHERFECKERS.

* "Feck" is a very useful word I picked up from one of the British paramedic blogs, either Trauma Queen or Medic999 (Mark Glencourse). It gets the point across rather well.

Finally: A Cop Who Gets It.

For the past few years, I've been bitching mightily about my former fellow police officers, the Oath Keepers (the ones who claim that they and only they understand the intent of the Framers), the ones who drive like demons in city-owned cars because they can, the ones who kick handcuffed women because they feel "threatened," the ones who choke out paramedics on emergency calls, the thugs with badges who disgrace a once-honorable profession, the ones who pervert their oaths, the ones who oppress those they are supposed to protect.

Well, I am proud to say there are still cops like the ones who inspired me, who led me to think as a kid that there was nothing more important than helping others.

And, simply to make things even better, after all the negative publicity for years, after Amadou Diallo, after pepper-spraying moron Anthony "Tony Baloney" Bologna, after Abner Louima, of course it had to be...

... an NYPD officer who...

... bought a pair of boots for a barefoot homeless man.



NYPD OFFICER LARRY DePRIMO, YOU ARE A GOOD MAN AND A GOOD COP.