Less Alarmed By The Worms

"Alabama governor touches off controversy with Christian comments."

Newly elected Alabama Republican Gov. Robert Bentley, speaking on Martin Luther King Day:

"Now I will have to say that, if we don't have the same daddy, we're not brothers and sisters," he told parishioners at a Baptist church in Montgomery Monday shortly after being sworn in. "So anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother."

"CNN's Erick Erickson suggests "mass bloodshed" may be necessary if Roe isn't overturned."

From the conservative blog Red State, of which Erickson is editor in chief:

"...once before, our nation was forced to repudiate the Supreme Court with mass bloodshed. We remain steadfast in our belief that this will not be necessary again, but only if those committed to justice do not waiver or compromise, and send a clear and unmistakable signal to their elected officials of what must be necessary to earn our support."

"How much would you pay to eat this man's worms?"

Zoom wrote a post about a guy named Jasper Lawrence "who sells hookworms which he harvests from his own poop." It's really gross but also extremely fascinating.

And I think I'd be more comfortable with Jasper Lawrence than either Robert Bentley or Erick Erickson.

January 24 Coolest Story

It was-30C (-22F) or 38C (-37F) with wind chill when I got up this morning. It was so cold yesterday too. I went out yesterday but I did not take a picture.

Zoom, however, was.

He had warmed to a gentle-21C (-6F) when I went to my race this afternoon. See frost on my coat?

This is a very annoying message. I wish I had something more interesting to say.

Someone Serves Me A Drink

A few months ago I bought a sports watch on Zeller .* committed in the store convinced me to get a credit card in stores so I can get a discount of 25 percent.

Against my better judgment, I agreed.

Fast forward a couple of weeks later, when the bill arrives. Knowing which credit card the store has high interest rates, pay the full balance immediately.

Fast forward a few weeks later I have another credit card bill, showing that I still have in full, plus interest.

Annoyed, I called the credit card company to complain. The woman on the other side of the phone was friendly and helpful. He quickly identified the error is fixed and told me I have a good day.

Fast forward a couple of weeks later, when you start getting calls, calls from "credit services".

Now I'm very angry. I ask the credit card company. The person with whom I speak at this time does not recognize my previous phone conversation. When I ask that my credit card will be credited the amount I have already paid. He declares that "it is not how things work."

Thus Zeller proposes to solve the problem:

They will send me a check for the amount I paid. And I'll send them a check to cover my bill.

Let me repeat - Zeller sends me a check for sixty dollars. And I am expected to mail a check for sixty dollars.

Credit can not give me the money you paid. I can not pay online or by phone.

Zeller and I send each other for control exactly the same amount, so they can cross in the mail.

At this point I would like to inform the agent for the other end of the phone that I want to cancel the card. He says that I need to call another number to do and he can not move me.

I put this call to cancel my card ("No, I mean, I do not give the company another chance") and then told me to call a number of others to cancel the insurance on the map.

The approach of hysteria, I called the insurance people, and I frankly (after being on hold for some time) that insurance is automatically canceled when you cancel the card.

My wife will tell you that I am very tolerant (to the point of ridiculous) about poor service in general. But this experience left me the impression that someone needed to think Zeller take action together.

* For readers in Canada: Zellers is a chain of department (such as Wal-Mart or Kmart). Hudson's Bay Company come to sell their goal.