Macys.com

Just had a CRAZY conversation with a macys.com phone support person about an order I made for Mother's Day. I feel bad for folks that have to work the phones. It's a tough job. But the reason they gave me for why my order didn't get the guarantee was BONKERS, CRAZY GO NUTS.

I ordered my gift for my wife for Mother's Day on May 3. Macy's has a website that explains that if you order before May 4, you are guaranteed to have the order by Mother's Day. So I'm a day early. Great.

I get an shipping confirmation on May 5. I track the order. No order by Friday. Nothing by Saturday. Sunday morning, the order arrives in Redmond. UPS tracking says the order will arrive on Monday, May 9. Ugh!

My wife is way cool about it and doesn't mind the delay, but I do. So I call up Macy's and ask about my order. I have the following exchange: "Your order does not qualify for the guarantee because it was made on May 3. The guarantee only applies to orders made between May 4 - May 8. "

"What? That's not what the website says."

"Sir, that is what the guarantee is for. Only orders made on May 4 - May 8."

"So if I made an order on May 7, UPS would show up and deliver the package by the next day? How is that possible, when UPS doesn't deliver on weekends?"

"...."

"They have a...special....delivery...." (I'm not kidding about all the pauses)

"I would like to speak to your supervisor."

"Ok, but my supervisor will tell you the same thing."

"Great, I want to hear them tell me that. What you said doesn't make any sense."

"Ok, please hold."

After a couple of minutes of waiting, I am told that I will be getting an accommodation for the guarantee. Good. That is why I called.

So we'll see what the accommodation is. It should be what the website says. This isn't a big deal, but I'll be darned if some corporation is going to try to stick it to me like that.

I would be understanding if they said the order was delayed due to weather or something. But to just say absolute bullshit like that is upsetting. I'm not going to be scared off like that, Macys.

UPDATE: My Accommodation is they are resending me my order! I don't want another order! I want what the guarantee is. Oh well. I'm just going to return this order to a local Macy's store and get my money back. Same as the guarantee, except I can spend the money where ever I want and not just Macys.

Some old thoughts and new thoughts

I wrote this first part about a month ago but never posted it until now. Think back to when Paul Ryan released his budget and you'll be in the right frame of mind.

Republicans are bullys and want to go back to 1925.

Paul Ryan's budget is courageous in the fact that it reveals what true Conservatives have always wanted: A dismantling of the welfare state and a return to the rule of Robber Barons. The real kicker here is that the President is letting them hold the narrative. I can't really take anything that doesn't include tax increases seriously, because it just ignores reality. Paul Ryan voted for Medicare Part D, the perscription drug benefit that is completely unfunded and was used to buy senior voters for the 2004 Presidential election. So Mr. Ryan is not on my list of People Who Want to Get Things Done The Right Way. Voters want all this stuff government provides, and polls show that they would be willing to pay more taxes to avoid benefit cuts. But they don't really need to pay much more. Just let the Bush Tax Cuts expire, and make some tweaks (eliminate the cap on Social Security Taxes from $107k to everything, use the government's power to negotiate cheap drug prices and medical equipment). Why don't Republicans propose increases? Because it would go against what the rich people who run the party behind the scenes want and care about. Plus, the idiotic Constitutional Amendment just signed by all 47 Republican members of the Senate would invalidate all the years of the Reagan Presidency and George Bush Presidency. But the past doesn't matter. Republicans are bullies.

Ezra Klein is lamenting the fact that Obama is almost nowhere to be seen as far as leadership goes.

E.J. Dionne is saying that if Obama doesn't stand up to Republicans, it will be the end of Progressive government.

While I can sympathize with the Tea Party's anger, it has been co-opted by the very forces that have caused their ire. How good must it be to be rich? You spend the last 30 years slowing removing all the restraints set up to keep banking and finance from going crazy. Then when banking is unleashed, you make a TON of money while destroying whatever value the other 99% less wealthy Americans have. After you nearly destroy the economy, you get a government bailout to 'save the system'. A whole bunch of regular Americans see their wealth dry up, their 401(k)'s implode, and stupid wealthy people getting bailed out with taxpayer dollars. Naturally, these Americans take to the streets in protest. Somehow, you are able to co-opt these fed up Americans and convince them that they need to direct their anger not at the wealthy bastards who jiggered the system, but at the government! You have somehow convinced the angry mob that is at your doorstop to turn around and go after the the auto workers and teachers! It's amazing. I guess that you rich people deserve your wealth if you are able to convince that many people to fight against the very institutions that were designed to protect them from the likes of you.

Look at this quote from Thomas Jefferson about corporations:

"I hope we shall take warning from the example and crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws our country."

~ Thomas Jefferson Nov. 12th, 1816

I do take issue with the Tea Party's line of 'take our country back.' Take it back from whom, the majority that voted democratic in 2008? Too bad, we live in America, where the majority rules from elections, not majority rules from poll results.

So now for a posting that is more current:

Can someone PLEASE explain to me how 9% unemployment means that we should ignore doing any kind of federal jobs program and instead focus on austerity measures like the UK for deficit reduction? How is this helpful? It's not. That's the big secret. If Republicans went for a federal jobs program, they would be in effect going against their 'principles' of small government. In terms of what small government means for Republicans, that means less regulation and more corporitization. That's what small government means. Trample the people to help the rich, entitled elites even more. It's reckless and irresponsible and no one who can really make a dent is calling them on this. All the while, we are increasing our defense spending??!?! How is this sensible? I am all for having some austerity in terms of world security. We don't belong on bases all over the place!!! It's dumb! Look at Great Britain. They have embraced austerity measures and have been immediately plunged into another recession. Brilliant, that. We slash our education and infrastructure spending while putting all that money towards nation building. It's idiotic. Even the Pentagon thinks so!

On a Paul Ryan budget note, even folks at the Economist are coming out against his ideas.