jay gatsby

OroGold employees at a mall kiosk sell two jars of face cream supposedly worth $1695 to a woman with Down Syndrome: http://www.citynews.ca/2013/09/20/mall-kiosk-sells-woman-with-down-syndrome-1695-of-face-cream-2/ More complaints about OroGold's high-pressure, and unethical, sales practices: http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/oro-gold-c382664.html http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/oro-gold-cosmetics/northridge-california-91324/oro-gold-cosmetics-mazel-enterprises-herstyler-vivo-per-lei-use-deceptive-selling-practi-818186 http://mazal-enterprise.pissedconsumer.com/oro-gold-dead-sea-false-return-policy-20101015202712.html Even the government in Tel Aviv is concerned with the frauds associated with OroGold and other Dead Sea skin care products: http://freepalestinefortnightlydemo.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/dead-sea-cosmetics-and-skincare-industry-fraud2.pdf

A long while back I was walking home in the afternoon when the sky started to darken and it began to rain. It wasn't a heavy rain, mind you, but it was still enough rain to soak a person to the skin. I decided to take temporary shelter in a church (a Catholic church, if you must know). It wasn't a Sunday so there wasn't a service in progress. There was a caretaker who was mowing the lawn and he saw me go inside the front door and he, too, came inside the church but through a different door. I saw him whisper to a lady who was working inside the church (perhaps a secretary?) and she came up to me and asked what I was doing here. I explained I was walking home and I just ducked inside to take shelter from the rain. She said to me I can't stay, that I had to leave. I objected politely, saying it's raining and that I don't have an umbrella and that I will be soaked as I have still have many blocks to walk until I reach home. She handed me a frumpled Zellers plastic shopping bag and said I can use that to cover my head. She asked me to leave. I left. Should I have been asked to leave this church?

Everyone should read How to Hunt Ghosts: A Practical Guide (2003) by Joshua P. Warren. Warren is a paranormal researcher and in his book, he explains via scientific terms how ghosts can exist. To wit, ghosts are remnants of our bodies' energy field. He also explains why ghosts appear (if they appear at all) at night and almost always in the winter season. He also explains the reason for white orbs and why those orbs are always round. All in all, his book is definitely something you should read simply to gain a different persepctive on the (scientific) existence of ghosts. An extra bonus is that portions of the book are genuinely blood-curdlingly spooky. Keep the lights on!! Does anyone else have any more real-life ghost stories to share?

:icon_question: Why hasn't anyone posted photos of their supper? I, for one, would love to but I can't because, well, I do not own an iphone. :icon_question:

OH. MAH. GAWD. Last year, when Canada Post released the limited edition Superman stamps I went to buy some but they were SOLD OUT AT THAT LOCATION! :tresmauvaisehumeur: :vatefaire: I had to go to another BUT there was no guarantee the other location hadn't already sold out! LIFE, WHAT DID I DO TO ANGER YOU SO??

Mr. Mackey from South Park! :) Technically, he doesn't upspeak; he simply ends his declarative sentences with "mmmkay"? which means he is, technically, indeed asking a question. Mr. Mackey: "Drugs are bad, mmmkay?" Everyone else: "Drugs are bad, okay?" (meaning, "Drugs are bad. You got it? They're bad!") But, for the record, I can honestly tell you I never used upspeak when I was a teen.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do N O T say you upspeak. What is upspeak, you ask? To wit, it is when a person is saying something--is declaring something--but speaks with the intonation of a question. For example, "Today in the Gaza strip? Hundreds of innocent children were killed? By continuing political unrest?" AAAAAUGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! :tresmauvaisehumeur::vatefaire: Upspeaking makes a person sound unsure of himself. He may be making a declarative statement but his rising vocal intonation makes him sound unsure of himself or even makes him sound apologetic. I've seen and heard countless news segments on the national news of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird speaking in upspeak and I just want to punch the guy in the face. ("We want President Putin to know? His actions are unacceptable? And we will issue further sanctions? Against Russia?") I remember when, after the train derailment devastated the town of Lac-Mégantic, Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt spoke to the media about how her department will do what is necessary to help the citizens of Lac-Mégantic: "I, Lisa Raitt? And my department? Will do whatever is necessary? To help rebuild? Lac-Mégantic? Rest assured? My department and I? Will listen to all your needs? And will do whatever is in our powers? To help you?" I've even heard high-power lawyers upspeaking with their clients and doctors upspeaking with their patients. Yup. That instills confidence in me, for sure. N O T !

Jay Gatsby's Roasted Spicy Potatos with Cumin Seeds 1.) cut some red potatos into edible-size pieces or slices or whatever shape you prefer 2.) toss into a plastic bag 3.) pour in some olive oil and toss in some salt, ground dried chili pepper flakes, ground chili pepper powder, and curry powder 4.) tie the bag and shake until potatos are evenly coated 5.) place potato pieces or wedges into baking pan and throw into oven 6.) set desired temperature and time (set on CREMATION if you like extra-crispy potatos) 7.) when done, place potatos into a large bowl for mixing 8.) toss in a bit of mayonnaise so that all potatos are evenly coated 9.) toss in lots of ground chili pepper flakes and LOTS of cumin seeds 10.) stir to coat 11.) eat while still warm 12.) burp 13.) lie down on sofa and nap for 3 hours. DELISH, old sports, DELISH. :)

My thoughts on tipping in general in the restaurant industry will rouse the ire of many here (and yes, I did work in a restaurant when I was much younger). The way I see it, we are subsidizing the salaries of wait staff when we tip. Sure, you can say we tip because we receive good service but that's not the point in this case. A waiter's job is to bring out the food to you, to refill your cup of coffee, to clear away the plates, to advise you which dishes are best for your palette, etc. Well, they are paid an hourly wage to do that so why should we have to tip? We tip because of two reasons: 1.) we are used to tipping regardless of the level of service received, and 2.) we are afraid of being beaten senseless by throngs of angry wait staff if we don't tip. Tipping has gotten to the point in which people do it automatically. Sure, if service is bad they will tip a bit less but they still tip. The way I see it is, we are tipping them to do something that is their job to do anyway. The way I see it is, we should tip for service that is exemplary and that which goes ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY. Tip the waiter who runs across the street to the store to purchase a pack of crayons and paper for your kids to stay busy; tip the waiter who walks you to your car carrying an umbrella because it's raining and you don't have an umbrella. Those actions are ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY. Leave a tip because the waiter brought you your food? Oh, pleeeeeease. I'm not trying to offend anyone by saying these things but in my mind, that is not what tipping is about. I shouldn't have to subsidize the poor hourly wage of a waiter because the restaurant can't pay more than minimum wage. When I was in university I worked in a men's suit store and I remember the instance of one customer's sleeve length adjustment was too short and the tailor was gone on holidays and the customer needed his jacket the next day. What I did was well above and beyond the call of duty. I took apart the sleeves myself and lengthened them myself and sewed them back myself. I phoned the customer to let him know it's all done and that I did it myself. He came in, tried it on (it was perfect), said thanks, and left with his jacket. He didn't offer anything for my trouble nor for my going above and beyond the call of duty. No tip. No gratuity. No $5 to spend on a cup of coffee and a donut at Tim Hortons. He took my action (doing the sleeves myself) as part of my duties. Well, excuse me, that's NOT part of my job description. My duties are to sell (to earn my commission) and many other things but SEWING and TAILORING are not my job. That is the TAILOR'S. I only did so because I thought it was the right thing to do. Don't get me wrong, folks: sewing the sleeves requires far more skill than just bringing out plates of food from the kitchen. In this case, my actions were far more worthy of a tip than the actions of a waiter.

Camping out in line waiting for a hot movie premiere is so traumatic because sleeping on the ground gives me a sore back and I wake up with all-over body aches and cold sweaty damp feet from having slept with my shoes on all night . . . SO HOW CAN I POSSIBLY ENJOY THE MOVIE?? OH. MAH. GAWD. LIFE, YOU ARE SO CRUEL! :tresmauvaisehumeur: I have new neighbours. :) But . . . the mother is too old and the daughter is too young. :( :tresmauvaisehumeur: OH. MAH. GAWD. :vatefaire: A woman on an adult dating site asked me how long and wide is my penis but my tape measure was in the other room. Instead of getting up from my comfortable leather chair, I simply told her I'm a eunuch and then I put her on ignore for inconveniencing me. :vatefaire:

I love ordering pizza over the phone but I don't like having to get up to answer the door. MAJOR INCONVENIENCE! :tresmauvaisehumeur: OH. :tresmauvaisehumeur: MAH. :tresmauvaisehumeur: GAWD!! :tresmauvaisehumeur: One night I went to bed and realized I forgot to put on a warm pair of socks. I wanted to get up and put on some socks but the socks drawer was at least 10 feet from my bed . . . and I was soooo warm and nicely tucked in between the sheets. I just couldn't decide what to do! :tresmauvaisehumeur: A friend sent me an email with URL links that weren't working hyperlinks. I couldn't click on them; instead, I had to COPY AND PASTE (!!!!) them! QFD!! Quelle fvcking drag! OH. MON. DIEU!! :tresmauvaisehumeur: Yesterday I couldn't decide which white dress shirt to wear. I have so many! Oxford button-down collar with short point collar, Oxford button-down with short point collar with my monogram on the cuff, textured tone-on-tone with continental collar and french cuffs and monogram, textured wide spread collar with french cuffs and no monogram, plain broadcloth with spread collar and barrel cuffs with monogram . . . OH, GOD! How could I possibly decide?!?! OH. MAH. GAWD! :tresmauvaisehumeur: Instead, I called in sick and took the day off to book an emergency session with my shrink.