Watch Those Shipping Charges!!

Got my t-shirts from KingSizeDirect.com this evening (yes, I'm a woman who wears oversized t-shirts from a men's catalog; got a problem with that?) The colors are: forest green, burgundy, rust, and navy blue. I do love their shirts -- soft and comfy and loose and long.

I do have one beef with the company about how they calculate their shipping charges. As of this writing, the site is offering free upgrade to express shipping if your order is $75.00 or more; "OR" you may qualify for a $10.00 discount if your order is $75.00 or more. What the site doesn't tell you is that your shipping cost jumps $10.00 when you hit the $75.00 mark. I was originally going to buy four shirts at $18.00 a shirt; the shipping came to $9.99. I decided to add two more shirts, making the cost $102.00; then I saw my shipping cost jumped to over twenty dollars. Can you say "sticker shock?" I took one of the shirts off, and the shipping was still too high. I then took off one more shirt to bring my subtotal back down to $72.00. The shipping dramatically dropped back down to $9.99. That's when it occurred to me that the sudden jump in shipping was to offset their "free upgrade" and "instant discount" on people's orders.

It would be in the best interest of King Size Direct to cease and desist what I call a very deceptive way to make money. It is only because I love their t-shirts that I will continue to shop there until I can find another source. Then they can kiss my big fat butt.


Another super bargain (puhleeze!)

Some of these online merchants really think we're stupid as online customers. Well, some of us are, but I'm not.

Got an e-mail advertisement through Arcamax.com advertising a digital camera worth $439.98, but they're offering it for the low low price of only $79.99! Now, this reminds me of a similar e-mail advertisement through Arcamax.com that I mentioned in my April 20, 2003 blog entry in which I made a comparison of the Vivitar Vivicam 10 between "Leading Innovations (and the ad is still there as of this writing)" and Wal-Mart. But I digress...

This particular advertisement is for the Vivitar Vivcam 55 in the e-mail ad. In this e-mail, it advertised:

* A "3 in 1" camera, meaning you can use it for still photos, as a web camera, and as a video camera (like those spy cams!)
* Comes with a case, wrist strap and cradle
* Includes batteries and all the cables you need to hook it into your computer
* Photo software
* PLUS $200 worth of additional free software
* Warranty

Total Value: $439.98
Your Price: Just $79.99!

I didn't bother to click on the link; I've been down this road before. Instead, I did a search on the internet using Dogpile.com As of this writing, this camera is available at BHPhotovideo.com with everything for only $49.95. It is also available at hotbuyselections.com for $44.98. I'm not in the market for another camera. I just like to prove those wrong who try to lie to me and act like they're doing me a favor. Puhleeze!

Am I on a roll or what???

A Friend Comes Home

In a couple of weeks, soul sister will be returning to Blackshear. Her attitude is about like mine: once we leave Moultrie this last time, we're not going back. She has a court date of December 15 for her divorce proceedings, and she's fully intent on being there and making sure it goes through. She's had it with him, and I don't blame her. It's been a years since he started going through his "changes," and she has tried to make the marriage work. I'm sorry her marriage didn't work out, but I'm glad she saw the light and decided to cut her ties to him and go on with her life.

During these 13 months, his behavior degenerated from a responsible husband to a dishonest, manipulative adulterer. At first, it looked like he had turned all their mutual friends against her. However, as time passed, people saw him for what he was and withdrew from him. It's been said before, but I'll say it again: what goes around comes around. You can't keep lying to, using, hurting nor mistreating people and expect them to hang around. He gave his girlfriends money and paid their bills, but when he got into trouble, who did he turn to for help? That's right! His wife. He wanted his freedom to do as he pleased, but he still wanted her around as the safety net. Once she found out he was still lying to her and using her, she cut the strings to the net. He's now in jail for writing bad checks, and I've been told he'll be there until February. Everyone has abandoned him: his family, his friends, his girlfriends, his church, and now his soon-to-be-ex wife. Yep, what went around came around ... and smacked him upside his head!

Flu Shots

I decided last week to get a flu shot. Originally, it was to get my mother off my back. However, the news of the Colorado flu epidemic had me rethink my feelings on the matter. First of all, I hate needles, so I was not looking forward to getting this shot. Second, I've heard from so many people how they got a flu shot once and came down with the flu (seems that's not true, according to the medical experts). Well, I'm happy to report that I'm not sick with the flu. However, I spoke with Soul Sister the other night, and she's sick with the flu. Now, she's an LPN, and she told me she's had flu shots and still caught the flu. Now I'm wondering if my shot was for naught.

Michael Jackson (again)

Since my last blog entry, I've been following the Michael Jackson case. My personal feelings on the matter is that I hope he's not guilty. I do not condone the outlandish things he's done over the years. However, it's his life, and he can do whatever he wants so long as it's legal and doesn't hurt anyone. If he wants to bleach his skin, have a million plastic surgeries on his face, live in a fantasy world like Neverland, that's his choice. I admit I tend to root for the underdog, and he's getting my sympathy simply because of the media hounding him. In addition, The Smoking Gun website has obtained a memo about a secret investigation by child welfare officials and the Los Angeles police from last February. It seems that the claim made by the teachers of the 12-year-old cancer patient were determined to be unfounded. Click on the above link and read the article at The Smoking Gun website. Between that and the GQ article from 1995, it's looking more to me like Michael Jackson is being extorted for money.