Years ago...if I were going to try to be precise I'd say about seven years ago, PG&E made a mistake on my bill. They didn't charge me as much as they were supposed to and I honestly didn't notice. I did notice when I got a huge bill from them charging me back fees for all the money I apparently owed them thanks to their mistake. I tried to fight it but to no avail. Eventually I settled on paying it back in installments; installments that went on longer than they were supposed to until I noticed that and brought it to their attention at which point the installments stopped. Like I said, that was a while ago and it's not something I dwell on. I certainly didn't know that PG&E had made similar mistakes with many of their other customers around the same time. What I do know as of two days ago is that I got a letter in the mail from PG&E explaining that they were settling a class action law suit for screwing up their customers billing and since I was one of those customers they were giving me a check for SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY DOLLARS!
I love class action law suits. It's like playing the lottery without having to buy a ticket. Maybe you'll end up with a free week at 24 Fitness thanks to the time they overcharged you five dollars when you canceled your membership five years ago. Maybe it's a twenty percent off coupon for Hold Everything because they asked for your address when you tried to make an eight dollar credit card purchase. Who knows? It's the prize at the bottom of the cereal box: you know it'll probably suck and you did kind of buy it by paying the inflated price for the cereal but you don't feel like you bought it. You feel like you got something for nothing which means that the sucky plastic toy is really a very special thing. Something to cherish for at least fifteen minutes.
And then, every once in a blue moon the prize is a check for almost eight hundred dollars. Granted, it doesn't happen very often but when it does you can't help but feel giddy. This really is so much better than that Hold Everything coupon!
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE,
PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS,
OBSESSION, DECEIT AND REALLY DARK CHOCOLATE
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
For Me It Really Is About Hope
I have tried very hard not to use this blog as an outlet for my personal political views. Every once in a while I'll talk about an issue that I think is totally nonpartisan although in this day and age things that should have nothing to do with politics have been politicized beyond belief. But now, just for a moment, I'm going to deviate from tradition.
I'm a huge supporter of Barack Obama.
I know there are people who will assume that I'm voting for him because we are of the same race but those who know me understand how out of character that would be for me. I'm supporting him for three reasons:
1) While I actually like McCain I take issue with some of his foreign and domestic polices and I don't think that Hillary Clinton can beat him in the general election. Most Hillary supporters would vote for Obama if she won the election but while canvassing and calling voters I've come across a huge number of democrats and independents alike who have said that they would NEVER support Hillary no matter who was running against her. I think it's a mistake to underestimate the intense hatred held against the Clintons. For the record I don't hate Bill or Hillary but it's still an issue when it comes to electability.
2) As I've noted before, I NEED a new healthcare program in this country and I think Obama has the only plan that could actually pass congress. I remember when the Clintons tried to get a universal health care plan through congress last time, keep in mind that this was in 1993. We had a democratic congress and she STILL couldn't get it passed. I applaud her for trying but it's time to let someone else have a crack at this. Plus, I'm not all that thrilled with the idea of mandates when it comes to healthcare, but that's just me.
And then there's my third reason, and for me it's the most important. When Obama spoke at the New Hampshire primary I was still on the fence. My son and I listened to his speech. After he was done my son, with no prompting from me, made a flyer that said, Vote For Obama and above that he wrote Stop Global Warming, Start Healthcare because in my son's words "That's what he's going to work to do." He wouldn’t let me put him to bed until I agreed to take him to Kinkos the next day so he could put the flyers all over the place.
"I like the way he makes me feel when he speaks," my son explained. He must have meant it because the next morning he asked if he could donate half of the well guarded holiday money sent to him by his das to Obama's campaign. My son is VERY cautious about spending his money so this surprised me.
"You know," I said, "it's not like you get a refund if he doesn't win."
My son shook his head emphatically. "That's not the point. This isn't just about winning. Didn't you here the speech? This is about Hope."
Well that got me thinking. My son is 8 years old. What if he could spend the next 8 years of his life in a country lead by a man who could inspire him to get involved and to have hope? What if we had a president who truly believed in a government of the people, for the people and by the people? What if we elected a man who rejected the politics of division and honestly tried to reach across the aisle? People loved JFK and to be sure many of his policies did a lot of good for this country but that was nothing compared to the good done by the millions he inspired by his words. Washington politics have been getting dirtier every year and every year the leaders become a little more distant from the people they represent. I think that Obama may be able to lead us in the right direction.
I like the Clintons but they were already in office (yes, I'm using the word 'we' because let's face it, when it comes to politics they're a team). I'm looking ahead now. I do need a change and during this difficult time in my life I desperately need hope. If you feel similarly I urge you take a look at Obama's website and click the issues button to see where he stands.
Regardless of who you're voting for I urge you to vote in both the primaries and the general election. If we're going to have a real democracy we all have to participate in it.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE,
PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS,
OBSESSION, DECEIT AND REALLY DARK CHOCOLATE
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
I'm a huge supporter of Barack Obama.
I know there are people who will assume that I'm voting for him because we are of the same race but those who know me understand how out of character that would be for me. I'm supporting him for three reasons:
1) While I actually like McCain I take issue with some of his foreign and domestic polices and I don't think that Hillary Clinton can beat him in the general election. Most Hillary supporters would vote for Obama if she won the election but while canvassing and calling voters I've come across a huge number of democrats and independents alike who have said that they would NEVER support Hillary no matter who was running against her. I think it's a mistake to underestimate the intense hatred held against the Clintons. For the record I don't hate Bill or Hillary but it's still an issue when it comes to electability.
2) As I've noted before, I NEED a new healthcare program in this country and I think Obama has the only plan that could actually pass congress. I remember when the Clintons tried to get a universal health care plan through congress last time, keep in mind that this was in 1993. We had a democratic congress and she STILL couldn't get it passed. I applaud her for trying but it's time to let someone else have a crack at this. Plus, I'm not all that thrilled with the idea of mandates when it comes to healthcare, but that's just me.
And then there's my third reason, and for me it's the most important. When Obama spoke at the New Hampshire primary I was still on the fence. My son and I listened to his speech. After he was done my son, with no prompting from me, made a flyer that said, Vote For Obama and above that he wrote Stop Global Warming, Start Healthcare because in my son's words "That's what he's going to work to do." He wouldn’t let me put him to bed until I agreed to take him to Kinkos the next day so he could put the flyers all over the place.
"I like the way he makes me feel when he speaks," my son explained. He must have meant it because the next morning he asked if he could donate half of the well guarded holiday money sent to him by his das to Obama's campaign. My son is VERY cautious about spending his money so this surprised me.
"You know," I said, "it's not like you get a refund if he doesn't win."
My son shook his head emphatically. "That's not the point. This isn't just about winning. Didn't you here the speech? This is about Hope."
Well that got me thinking. My son is 8 years old. What if he could spend the next 8 years of his life in a country lead by a man who could inspire him to get involved and to have hope? What if we had a president who truly believed in a government of the people, for the people and by the people? What if we elected a man who rejected the politics of division and honestly tried to reach across the aisle? People loved JFK and to be sure many of his policies did a lot of good for this country but that was nothing compared to the good done by the millions he inspired by his words. Washington politics have been getting dirtier every year and every year the leaders become a little more distant from the people they represent. I think that Obama may be able to lead us in the right direction.
I like the Clintons but they were already in office (yes, I'm using the word 'we' because let's face it, when it comes to politics they're a team). I'm looking ahead now. I do need a change and during this difficult time in my life I desperately need hope. If you feel similarly I urge you take a look at Obama's website and click the issues button to see where he stands.
Regardless of who you're voting for I urge you to vote in both the primaries and the general election. If we're going to have a real democracy we all have to participate in it.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE,
PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS,
OBSESSION, DECEIT AND REALLY DARK CHOCOLATE
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)