Comments on: AARP Sucks http://www.nittanyturkey.com/archives/2007/12/06/410/ Mostly about Penn State football, this is a tale told by idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:35:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Warren http://www.nittanyturkey.com/archives/2007/12/06/410/#comment-69462 Warren Wed, 14 May 2008 20:03:29 +0000 http://www.mrbig.com/tnt/archives/2007/12/06/410/#comment-69462 If AARP REALLY wanted to do something about the health care mess and help the disabled and retired they could. I can't get good health care for my wife because of her PEC. I had coverage for 32 years until I got sick. AARP is a huge Org they could start a group plan for people like this. Their are lots of people who are healthy after 50 to support this. I have a medicare Advantage plan , it works for Humana. If AARP REALLY wanted to do something about the health care mess and help the disabled and retired they could. I can’t get good health care for my wife because of her PEC. I had coverage for 32 years until I got sick.
AARP is a huge Org they could start a group plan for people like this. Their are lots of people who are healthy after 50 to support this.
I have a medicare Advantage plan , it works for Humana.

]]> By: Joe http://www.nittanyturkey.com/archives/2007/12/06/410/#comment-69306 Joe Mon, 12 May 2008 02:41:54 +0000 http://www.mrbig.com/tnt/archives/2007/12/06/410/#comment-69306 Hey. I can see how you are upset about the lifetime thing. Maybe you bought the life insurance from AARP and you can cash in now that your lifetime is over? Surely they will pay up. I became eligible to join a few years ago but have not as I , too, feel that their emphasis has drifted way away from my beliefs (and just about everyone I know). So, is it enough to just to no longer send them any more money? Souldn't we be trying to get the word out and actively encourage everyone we know to do the same? Better yet, wouldn't it be better to establish a new organization that reflects our values and encourage those who believe the same to join? I know we would never stoop to playing such a bogus limited lifetime scam. I have no doubt that we can ethically represent the interests of those AARP claims to. What do you think. Joe Hey. I can see how you are upset about the lifetime thing. Maybe you bought the life insurance from AARP and you can cash in now that your lifetime is over? Surely they will pay up.

I became eligible to join a few years ago but have not as I , too, feel that their emphasis has drifted way away from my beliefs (and just about everyone I know). So, is it enough to just to no longer send them any more money?

Souldn’t we be trying to get the word out and actively encourage everyone we know to do the same? Better yet, wouldn’t it be better to establish a new organization that reflects our values and encourage those who believe the same to join? I know we would never stoop to playing such a bogus limited lifetime scam.

I have no doubt that we can ethically represent the interests of those AARP claims to. What do you think.
Joe

]]> By: The Nittany Turkey http://www.nittanyturkey.com/archives/2007/12/06/410/#comment-63567 The Nittany Turkey Sat, 08 Dec 2007 17:15:34 +0000 http://www.mrbig.com/tnt/archives/2007/12/06/410/#comment-63567 Dear Sweetened, Prior to your post, alls I knew about capybaras was that they were the largest rodents on Earth. Thanks to your comment, however, I did some further reading. Your assessment of a capybara's potential AARP membership tenure seems to be accurate. They tend to live 10-12 years. Although they never retire, AARP no longer makes retirement a qualification for membership. I think AARP should aggressively recruit capybaras. I gleaned the following fascinating factoids about capybaras in my research: <ul> <li>At one time, a capybara ancestor eight times the size of modern-day capybaras roamed the Earth. It would have been larger than a grizzly bear. Now <em>that's</em> a helluva rodent!</li> <li>In the 16th Century, the Roman Catholic Church declared the capybara to be officially a fish. Therefore, its meat can be eaten during Lent. (Wow, those Catholics are resourceful! Next thing you know, condoms will be declared to be officially prosthetic body parts, so they'll be acceptable as a method of birth control!)</li> <li>Capybara poison can be added to ice cream to discipline intransigent husbands. However, special dispensation from the Roman Catholic Church might be required.</li> </ul> Factoids courtesy of the much maligned <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capybara" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a>. (All except for the last one and the parentheticals, anyhow.) Damn, if I hadn't changed the domain name just last night, I might be tempted to rename the blog <em>The Nittany Capybara</em>. I have no idea what this has to do with AARP, but what the hell. ---TNT Dear Sweetened,

Prior to your post, alls I knew about capybaras was that they were the largest rodents on Earth. Thanks to your comment, however, I did some further reading.

Your assessment of a capybara’s potential AARP membership tenure seems to be accurate. They tend to live 10-12 years. Although they never retire, AARP no longer makes retirement a qualification for membership. I think AARP should aggressively recruit capybaras.

I gleaned the following fascinating factoids about capybaras in my research:

  • At one time, a capybara ancestor eight times the size of modern-day capybaras roamed the Earth. It would have been larger than a grizzly bear. Now that’s a helluva rodent!
  • In the 16th Century, the Roman Catholic Church declared the capybara to be officially a fish. Therefore, its meat can be eaten during Lent. (Wow, those Catholics are resourceful! Next thing you know, condoms will be declared to be officially prosthetic body parts, so they’ll be acceptable as a method of birth control!)
  • Capybara poison can be added to ice cream to discipline intransigent husbands. However, special dispensation from the Roman Catholic Church might be required.

Factoids courtesy of the much maligned Wikipedia. (All except for the last one and the parentheticals, anyhow.)

Damn, if I hadn’t changed the domain name just last night, I might be tempted to rename the blog The Nittany Capybara.

I have no idea what this has to do with AARP, but what the hell.

—TNT

]]> By: Artificially Sweetened http://www.nittanyturkey.com/archives/2007/12/06/410/#comment-63555 Artificially Sweetened Sat, 08 Dec 2007 02:51:36 +0000 http://www.mrbig.com/tnt/archives/2007/12/06/410/#comment-63555 I think it's fair to say that they didn't mean YOUR lifetime, but the lifetime of the average capybara. My ire is currently directed at children's electronics manufacturers, who seem to believe that nobody cares if a device fails within days, hours, or minutes of its first use. So I'm not buying any electronics for Christmas this year. Take that, China! My experience with freecycle.org, where you arrange to give your stuff to people, is that very frequently someone will say they want an item and then they don't show up to claim it. I think people line up several takers to ensure that they can offload the item on schedule. I'm not defending the practice. Some people put their own needs first and to hell with common courtesy. I think it’s fair to say that they didn’t mean YOUR lifetime, but the lifetime of the average capybara.
My ire is currently directed at children’s electronics manufacturers, who seem to believe that nobody cares if a device fails within days, hours, or minutes of its first use. So I’m not buying any electronics for Christmas this year. Take that, China!
My experience with freecycle.org, where you arrange to give your stuff to people, is that very frequently someone will say they want an item and then they don’t show up to claim it. I think people line up several takers to ensure that they can offload the item on schedule. I’m not defending the practice. Some people put their own needs first and to hell with common courtesy.

]]> By: The Nittany Turkey http://www.nittanyturkey.com/archives/2007/12/06/410/#comment-63541 The Nittany Turkey Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:46:58 +0000 http://www.mrbig.com/tnt/archives/2007/12/06/410/#comment-63541 Most of my experiences with private sellers involve eBay. I've never had anyone sell something out from under me there, even though I know that such unethical practices do exist. I've been lucky. Your experiences might wind up being a blessing in disguise. If those sellers you tried to deal with are so unscrupulous as to violate the essence of a contract, think of how they might have misrepresented the goods they were trying to sell you. If they have no morals with respect to maintaining their commitments, they probably have no morals about any other aspect of their business. ---TNT Most of my experiences with private sellers involve eBay. I’ve never had anyone sell something out from under me there, even though I know that such unethical practices do exist. I’ve been lucky.

Your experiences might wind up being a blessing in disguise. If those sellers you tried to deal with are so unscrupulous as to violate the essence of a contract, think of how they might have misrepresented the goods they were trying to sell you. If they have no morals with respect to maintaining their commitments, they probably have no morals about any other aspect of their business.

—TNT

]]> By: jon d http://www.nittanyturkey.com/archives/2007/12/06/410/#comment-63537 jon d Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:43:35 +0000 http://www.mrbig.com/tnt/archives/2007/12/06/410/#comment-63537 since we are ranting today: you ever buy something on craigslist, or from any private seller in general? This week, i was looking for a new couch. so i told one seller that i would buy their couch. they agreed to sell me said couch. i called back later for directions to pick up the couch. they told me that they had sold the couch to another who just picked it up. i was more stunned then angry. on tuesday i was looking for a vacuum cleaner. same story. rage ensued. now, while i wholeheartedly agree with hagling (you've never seen it done correctly until you are in a middle eastern bazaar. but that's another story), i find it horribly unethical and borderline immoral to promise somebody a good or service, and then go back on their word. since we are ranting today:
you ever buy something on craigslist, or from any private seller in general? This week, i was looking for a new couch. so i told one seller that i would buy their couch. they agreed to sell me said couch. i called back later for directions to pick up the couch. they told me that they had sold the couch to another who just picked it up. i was more stunned then angry.

on tuesday i was looking for a vacuum cleaner. same story. rage ensued.

now, while i wholeheartedly agree with hagling (you’ve never seen it done correctly until you are in a middle eastern bazaar. but that’s another story), i find it horribly unethical and borderline immoral to promise somebody a good or service, and then go back on their word.

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