So let's just keep having amazing new experiences!

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Um, Heil Kitler?

I'm a big proponent of free speech. Even when I disagree with someone's ideas. Even when it's disgusting speech. So naturally, I tend to keep up with various government entities attempting to restrict what people can say - or sometimes even think. (A quick perusal of my Google Alerts would probably end with me being placed, sedated, in a padded room to wait for transfer to a reeducation camp.)

Usually these attempts at curtailing expression were done with good intentions. Since good intentions are the asphalt lining the road to hell, oftentimes the effects can be chilling. These effects can also be twisted hilarity.

The white supremacist blogosphere - and yes, there is actually is a such thing - is all atittle over an Austrian man being jailed and forced to apologize for posting pro Nazi sentiments on the internet.

Apparently, Austria does not consider a public trial to be a human right. The man's name wasn't released. (WTF?) He is only identified as a 38 year old man from a small town called  Flachau. I did several image searches trying to find out what exactly this anonymous miscreant had posted, but found nothing.

Well, nothing except for this.

Since everybody knows that cats everywhere are secretly plotting to once again rule the world, maybe the cat should be brought in for questioning?

Seeing this a lot lately....

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Too tired to write anything witty, so here's a picture of Waffles in a laundry basket. You're welcome.

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Izzy playing dress up.

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Woman Abuses Garbageman

Okay, so I have been sitting on the couch playing blocks with Lexi and doing some video editing.

I saw a video of a woman totally going off on her garbage man, and since I have wanted to learn how to work with video, I figured hey here's my chance.

I have also made a chicken noise ringtone because this woman does a damn good job of imitating a chicken. Want the ringtone? Shoot me an email - dorothybaez@yahoo.com.

Beautiful flower from Lexi.

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Greetings!

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FYI Friday - Exploding Teeth

Ouch.
You're welcome.

Rooms To Go Seriously Sucks

Qun ordered a bunk bed for her child. She wanted to use the trundle drawer for storage, so she didn't get a third mattress. When it was delivered, the men told us the third mattress had been sent. They would not let her refuse delivery of it and said she would have to schedule for it to be picked up.

Shortly after the delivery men left, she got a call from customer service. Since her English is limited, she had me talk. I was transferred to the store she had ordered from, and was told it would be the 30th before the extra mattress could be picked up. I asked to have it happen sooner since we have no room to store the mattress. Since the lady told me it was impossible, I asked for a manager. (Please note that I wasn't upset at this point.)

So the manager came on the line and she cut me off almost immediately, saying the first lady had told her what the problem was. She said it's store policy to not do returns once delivery had been accepted. She said they were doing us a favor by taking back the mattress my friend hadn't ordered in the first place.

I started to explain to the manager that we had not been allowed to refuse delivery of the extra mattress - that the men wouldn't put it back on the truck. She cut me off again. Then she said, "Well, my dear, we are a showroom, not a warehouse." She was very condescending. Then she said, "If the 30th doesn't work for you, we can make it for a later date when someone will be home." I told her the date wasn't the issue, that a lot of people live here and someone is always home, the issue was a superfluous mattress we have nowhere to store.  She repeated that they didn't have to take it back at all. This is where I started to get upset.

She said she could email "corporate" and have them call. I gave her my name and number, pointed out that my friend was having me deal with this because of her limited English. This is where I got really upset.

The manager tried to quiz me about how my friend and I were "associated." It got weird.

Manager: Who is Qun Li?
Me: The lady who ordered the bunk bed.
Manager: But who is she?
Me: She ordered the bunk bed.
Manager: But who is she?
Me: Look, Qun is my friend who ordered the bunk bed. Her English is very limited.
Manager: Who are you?
Me: I'm Dorothy. I gave you my name when you took down my phone number.
Manager: But who are you?
Me: I just told you.
Manager: But how are you associated with Qun?
Me: Associated? She is my friend. We live in the same house. She doesn't speak good English. I've told you all of this already. Please just have someone get in touch with us.

It was ridiculous. And very off putting. I can understand questions like that when I help her go to the doctor, but from a furniture store? Seriously?

I emailed customer service, and got a response that confirmed the pick up date. The manager's nastiness wasn't even addressed.

So, now I'm so mad i could spit, and there is a mattress blocking the children's access to the piano until the 30th.

Grrrr.

FYI Friday - Diamonds to Graphite

So I guess technically it would be possible to write a letter with an engagement ring?

You're welcome.

FYI Friday - Mosquito Killers

You're welcome.

FYI Friday - Jaywalking

You're welcome.

FYI Friday - Hot vs. Cold

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FYI Friday - Wigs....for dogs?

Japan is a very unique and trendy place. And what interesting trends they are. From dog weddings to individually shrink wrapped produce, Japan prides itself on being a super special snowflake.

In Japan, people dress like anime characters, buy lettuce out of vending machines, and have an ancient tradition of very disturbing porn.

Now, people in Japan are buying wigs for their dogs. Yes, that's right, you heard me. Wigs. For dogs.

You're welcome.

FYI Friday - The Lonliest Whale In The World

A blue whale who vocalizes on an extremely high frequency lives totally alone.


http://www.slate.com/blogs/wild_things/2014/08/27/_52_blue_the_loneliest_whale_in_the_world.html

You're welcome.

FYI Friday

Mobile phone throwing is a competitive sport in Finland.

http://www.mobilephonethrowing.fi

You're welcome. 📱

Unwanted Interlopers During Childbirth

I came across an article that really tried to drive home the idea that extended family members don't have a "right" to attend a relative's birth.

There was even a quote from an "expert:" She should not feel obligated to have any other person, apart from the father, present at the birth.

This immediately brought up feelings that I thought were long dealt with and buried. Years ago I was forced to deal with something similar. Not only was I threatened with being "dragged to the hospital in handcuffs," if I pursued a home birth, I would be given no choice about the person doing the threatening being present when I gave birth. He would be there, and he would make all the decisions.

To their credit, the hospitals I contacted were sympathetic, but he was my husband, after all. There wasn't much they believed they could do.

I finally found a lawyer who helped me bar him from the hospital should I give birth there. So then he decided home birth was fine, as long as he could be present for the birth. Not having much other choice, I felt forced to agree.

Close to my due date, my midwives asked me where I wanted him to be while I was in labor. I said the first thing that popped into my mind - "Albuquerque." I hated laboring with him there. I found tasks for him to do to get him away from me as much as possible.

Being present at a birth is a privilege, not a right. It doesn't matter if you are the husband, the grandmother, or the older kid's scout leader. Anyone present at a birth is either a paid consultant or there at the mother's invitation.

Why on earth should a laboring woman be "obligated" to have a person present whom she would rather have anywhere else but with her?

There was even a court case about this very issue. In   Plotnick v DeLuccia, Judge Sohail Mohammed ruled that fathers do not have the right to force themselves into a delivery room if the mother refuses access.

I support the right of ALL mothers to choose where and with whom to give birth. And to choose whom to exclude. No exceptions.

Geniuses who work at banks

Earlier today, I went through the bank drive through to make a deposit for my mother. Employees of this bank have said many rude and inexplicable things in the past. This is today's installment.

Teller: Welcome to blah blah blah bank. How are you today?

Me: I'm fine thank you. I have a deposit, but my mother forgot to write the account number on the deposit slip. Its supposed to go in the account that ends in 1234. (not the real last four digits)

Teller: We don't give out account information.

Me: Well then aren't we lucky I didn't ask you for any. The deposit needs to go in the account ending in 1234.

Long silence.

Me: Hello?

Teller: We'll do it this time. What were those last four digits?

Me: 1234.

Teller: Thank you for banking with us and have a great day!

Me: Oy.

I need to check my privilege

Lately I have been looking into meditation apps for kids, probably for all the wrong reasons - a houseful of squealing little girls is driving me slap ass crazy and I really need to get things under control.

So I found myself on goop.com. (I know, I know.) I scrolled through a list of apps designed to help kids calm themselves and learn beginning meditation. I also looked at lots of other sites, so there will be a post about just that.

The last app on this particular list is called  "Baby Shusher." At first glance, it seemed beyond ridiculous - an app that lets parents and caregivers digitally outsource making calming noises to soothe a baby. I may have even snorted. Okay, I did snort.

Then I thought about parents who are involuntarily separated from their infants, whether due to hospitalization, foster care, or some other reason. I thought about mothers who who cobble together several minimum wage jobs and are too tired to see straight. And, yes, I also thought about mothers whose job responsibilities require overnight business trips. And I realized I needed to rethink my judgement and check my privilege.

But just so you know, if you use an app like this to sleep train or otherwise avoid your baby, I will totally be judging you.