Musings of the Chronologically Challenged™ Fourth Generation

 
ISSUES

When my Number 2 Grandson lived with me for several years, I frequently called him "Grasshopper." No, not because he reminded me of the hero in the Kungfu tv show, but because he was a deadringer for the grasshopper in the Aesop fable. #2GS was also a musician, just like the Aesop grasshopper. If you don't remember the story, a google will tell you all about how the grasshopper played his fiddle all summer with not a care in the world. Winter brought cold and hunger, but the grasshopper had procrastinated and literally "fiddled" the summer away. Alas! He died. This was supposed to be a parable for teaching #2GS the value of planning ahead. Yeah, right.

So my Blogson is always telling me "time flies when you're having so much fun" and sure enough, time has flown by and I find myself feeling a whole lot like a grasshopper. Been telling myself for weeks to go ahead and write the two rants fulminating in my alimentary canal, but I was just having too much fun stressing for Christmas, traveling, seeing my doctor, etc., etc. Still, I refuse to carry these issues around in a trouble sack in 2005, so there must be a purge, albeit, there is not enough time now to do a decent job of ranting. Token Readers' Digest versions to follow.

Issue One -- Norton
In an effort to "protect" my computers and myself from the evils of the internet, I installed Norton's $70 package on each pc. The only obvious change I've noticed as a result of this $140 investment is that porn pics are now blocked. Spam is alive and thriving. Out of 50 spam emails, Norton sometimes catches 4 or 5. It seems I am not getting my money's worth. Now the kicker: There is nowhere in the known cosmos that I can find where I may communicate with Norton regarding this problem. No email address. No telephone number. Not even a snail mail address. As a last resort, I'm blogging my dilemma TO THE WORLD in the hope that someone will know someone who will email me at indigoinsightsathotmaildotcom with a suggestion. Any reputable company I've ever done business with would offer a refund or alternate. But any company that goes incommunicado as soon as they get your credit card number is probably not concerned with their reputation. I'm hoping some Norton CEOs are bloggers!

Issue Two -- Nationwide Insurance
This is such a hot item for my BP that I must be brief. Bottom line: Although my darling Rottweiler is eight years old, has lived in the house all her life, sleeps with me, loves children and guests, and hangs out and exchanges face washes with cats, a "surprise" Nationwide representative suddenly appeared at my door and saw a Rottweiler! The woman rep heard barking and saw KJ the Rott thru the glass door. It was heat therapy time when she knocked on my bedroom door and I talked to her through the door. She advised me she was from Nationwide and wanted to do an on site inspection of the property and take some outdoor measurements. I said -fine- and went back to my heat session. Later, after she had left, I noticed a baggie hanging on the door knob. She had left a "report of her findings" for me to see and sign and return. She could find no hazards or anything amiss with my property other than there was a Rottweiler INSIDE MY HOUSE!!! A few telephone calls later with my agent, wherein I refused to "get rid of the dog" accomplished nothing. In the more than 10 years that Nationwide has been my insurance carrier, there has been one claim due to liability: a fender bender in a parking lot. They've about got the coverage down to practically no exposure now, other than the worst possible disaster, since they put a $1,000 deductible on any claim for wind and water damage. I assume the house would be covered for fire unless they could prove the Rottweiler struck the match! Even murderers are considered innocent until proven guilty, but my wussy doggie is perceived as guilty before she even does anything. Blatant discrimination against color! Obviously, Nationwide is prejudiced against black and tan.
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OK. Thanks for listening. My spleen feels much better and I'm not carrying these thorns over into the new year.

posted by HCL at 7:54 PM