Okay, We took a trip to North Carolina yesterday (4 hours away.) This afternoon our bank called and told us that there had been charges appearing on our account today. He automatically froze the account. There was a 350 dollar charge to a shoe store, a 75 dollar charge to a restaurant, and a 90 dollar charge to a grocery store. All was purchased today with my husbands debit card. All of the charges are still in our pending charges, and haven’t cleared yet. We’re going first thing monday morning to try and get this figured out, and attempt to get our money back? Is there money still there, considered the charges haven’t cleared? Can charges clear when your account is frozen? I don’t know what to do

Okay, We took a trip to North Carolina yesterday (4 hours away.) This afternoon our bank called and told us that there had been charges appearing on our account today. He automatically froze the account. There was a 350 dollar charge to a shoe store, a 75 dollar charge to a restaurant, and a 90 dollar charge to a grocery store. All was purchased today with my husbands debit card. All of the charges are still in our pending charges, and haven’t cleared yet. We’re going first thing monday morning to try and get this figured out, and attempt to get our money back? Is there money still there, considered the charges haven’t cleared? Can charges clear when your account is frozen? I don’t know what to do

OK, I was with my ex “James” for 5 months, and it was undoubtedly the worst 5 months of my life. For starters, he made me move out of my apartment in the city to a basement “apartment” in the rural area he lived in, so that I’d be close to him. The move was very stressful and I got no help from him or his family, and I had to quit my job in the process. I bought a used car on my own, the biggest purchase of my life, and he and his family only told me that I bought a “terrible” car and that I got ripped off by “shiesters.” This was very upsetting to me.

After quitting my job, I had nothing to do during the day but lie in bed and go shopping with him. He told me I was a terrible driver, and I developed a fear of driving to the point I eventually had to have him drive me everywhere — to the grocery store, library, etc because I was too afraid to drive my own car. Being with him was sheer torture. He was always telling me how stupid and ugly I am, how I’m going to amount to nothing in life, how my career ambition of being a lawyer is joke, and he and his parents were always laughing at me because I have a receeding hairline.

I was so depressed, all I wanted to do was lie in bed all day, but he’d find jobs on craigslist for me to apply to, and I eventually got one … at a fast food restaurant. And I got fired too. He also had me work for his father, handing out cheese samples at a grocery store, and I was terrible at that too. He and his parents would always laugh at how I was their “worst” demo person. And then, when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse, I was hospitalized for really bad food poisoning. I was found unconscious in my apartment after collapsing in a pile of my own waste. Yes, I lost control of my bowels and went to the bathroom on the floor. I was taken to the hospital by ambulance, and at first, James and his parents thought I had AIDS, and then, they thought I had attempted suicide because my landlord said she heard “yelling” coming from my “apartment.”

I did not have health insurance, and James thought that was hilarious. When I was discharged, he said to me, “Now do you believe us when we say you need health insurance?” He thought I was going to be forced to pay some ridiculous hospital bill (and couldn’t stop laughing because of that), when in actuality, I never paid the hospital a dime.

After driving me home from the hospital, he stopped talking to me altogether, deeming me too much of a “trainwreck” to be my friend. This was ultimately a blessing in disguise though, because as soon as he left my life, my problems disappeared. I got over my fear of driving. I moved away from him and got a new job. I made some new friends that are nice and supportive to me. But in spite of the dramatic improvements in my life, I can’t stop thinking about him, and how I let a complete stranger destroy my life. He wasn’t even handsome. He’s an ugly, fat @sshole.

Why did I let a stranger destroy my life? And is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again? Also, how do I stop thinking about him? I just want to move on with my life and forget about him and his parents for good.
Thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it. I’ve thought about seeing a therapist. His mom is actually a therapist lol (and she should have her license revoked). And I haven’t given up on being a lawyer. I got into law school, but I was unable to attend because with work, it would just be too demanding right now. I’m also looking into becoming a social worker. Hopefully I’ll be in school again next fall.

So I’m being told that I can’t open packages at the grocery store and eat the stuff in it. Why? I’m not taking it outside the store am I? I’m not consuming the whole package, am I? in fact, I put the package right back where it was…after I take what I want from it. So why do I have to pay for it? In my opinion the grocery store is like a restaurant where you don’t have to pay. Prove me wrong.

I visited First Watch and in looking at their nutrition charts I specifically looked at eggs. Plain, poached eggs.

The average egg you buy at the grocery weighs about 60 grams and has about 70 or so calories. When I looked at their report they said one egg–92 grams- at their restaurant had 242 calories!!!! Huh?

How can that be? Is there such a difference between restaurant food and grocery store food? Are they buying eggs from some place that feeds chickens something would result in an egg being 242 calories?

Thanks in advance!

I have just recently moved to Brooklyn and I really need a job. I have been avoiding restaurant jobs until now because I have no experience in that field of work. I am a Male, white, 6′1″, and I am 19 years old if that helps. I worked in a grocery store for over 2 years and I feel that experience can help as far as customer service experience is concerned. I sadly don’t have the best face / hair / or smile (damn genes) but I try to be friendly despite my natural shyness. I just want to get a decent paycheck to pay rent and other bills.

What are some good areas to look for restaurant jobs in Brooklyn?

Any tips on convincing the owner/manager to hire me despite my lack of restaurant experience?

Any stories you would like to share?

Thanks in advance.

Today’s parents are not parents as they are defense attorneys. We all hear daily that their kids “never” do anything wrong. B.S.! Parents today do not teach accountability, being responsible and if their offsprings ever get into a situation that the kid does not like….parents will sue and raise hell until they get the results the want even if they do not come close to deserving it. God bless today’s teachers as parents are their biggest enemy!

We see it everywhere. Taken a flight lately? Parents bring their young children on a plane and let them scream, holler, and annoy all others that had plans of a nice quite flight. Do the parents of the unruly kids pay more for their airfare? What gives parents the right to let their children disturb all others and make people miserable? When did in become socially exceptable for parents to let their children run wild and be obnoxious in a restaurant, hotel, movie theatre, grocery store, etc.? USA Today just did a poll this week about air travel. Well over 90% said they hate having to fly with parents with children as they are subjected to a horrible experience of crying, screaming ruining the business travelver’s flight. People that responded to the poll went on to say there should be a special section for parents with young children. Absoultely love this idea and I had better not hear a wimper of descrimination. You no grounds to state that. While growing up in an era where there were crying rooms in movie theatres. Glass in rooms are where parents would take their kids when they were crying. Today we could have the same room but parents would not think of taking their kids in there. Why? Because they just don’t give a damn. Parents today feel their kids can be as rude, loud with no manners and everyone else should just have to deal with it. AGAIN B.S. I was recently in a chain resturant and parents had 3 kids causing a loud scene and i saw other patrons asking to be moved away to enjoy their meal. As all should feel I approached the parents and asked if they paid more for their meal to allow them the right to make everyone eles dining experience a nightmare? The father stood up and wanted to fight. Yep, he wanted to fight and told me he was going to kick my ass….because he sucked as a parent, there is no dicipline in their household. Results were I encouraged him to hit me. And I went on to say that when you do I will own everything you have, you will be in jail and your children won’t have a father. All this because you think everyone should turn a deaf ear to your to your undisciplined children and all others should just get comfortable of NEVER having a quite meal, flight, movie or grocery shopping experience.

One would hope parents would realize that their children’s behavior is a direct reflection of their parenting or lack of. People, neighbors, friends, co-workers do judge the parents by the actions of their kids. WIth that they determine the parents character, class and if this is someone they would socialize with.

Remember when your father could just give you the look while out to eat and you knew you have to behave? That was when going out to eat was a priviledge not a right. What happen to the values we used to have?

In closing my wife and I both own businesses. We have seen over the last 5 years that when we have hired a 20 something year old employee that they lack the core qualities that takes to make a good employee. Not accountable for their actions, lack of respect for others, “all about me attitude”, the feeling of entitledment without work ethic to achieve higher goals and always quick to call their parents to complain. Guess what? This is the real world and Momma and Daddy have no way to bail you out of not doing your job. Bottom line is we have not and will not entertain the thought of hiring anyone that just got out of school. We are running businesses not day care.

I live in a townhouse Bel Air currently, I do like my neighbors and the close proximity to all the restaurants, shopping centers, and my school. But it stops there, I do not like the elementary school my son attends. It is also not diverse enough for me or my family, we have had a few run-ins here when it comes to ignorance. It is getting better and more people are moving here every week, but I don’t want to wait. It is also very expensive to live in Bel Air, and I am not sure if it is worth it, crime is the same here as it is every other place I have lived if not more. I have seen crack-heads, someone pulled from a house that overdosed, and a police raid at someone’s home where the guy was growing a crap load of weed, seriously I have pics… I couldn’t believe it. This is suppose to be a great neighborhood and all this happened in the same month. I have seen more of the cops here than I have when I lived in Atlanta, Detroit, and NY.

Now I have done a little research and found out that Joppatowne elementary is supposedly a great school, and I found a very nice apartment in a more comfortable price range, but when I drove to Joppa, there was absolutely nothing around and it looked kind of drab. I am kinda of worried. I know nothing about this city, or the people. I would like to hear from someone who actually lives or have lived there. What do you think of Joppa? Do you like it there? Is it safe for a family with kids in elementary school? Was is there to do? where is everything? I like to shop at safeway, and didn’t see a decent grocery anywhere, I know I could drive to white marsh, but I really don’t like to drive that far. I have been so close to everything for many years now, even before Bel Air, I could walk or ride my bike to the mall, or the grocery store.

Thanks for any help or comments!

Hello. Today I read on Yahoo news that Jeff Carter from Global Rainmakers is talking about Eye Scanners and how by having these eye scanners, we can live in a more “safe” society - BUT there will be NO PRIVACY. I don’t completely understand it, but from what I understand, by having this system where we get out eyes scanned, we can be protected/safer, BUT our every move will be tracked……”In the future, whether it’s entering your home, opening your car, entering your workspace, getting a pharmacy prescription refilled, or having your medical records pulled up, everything will come off that unique key that is your iris,” says Jeff Carter, CDO of Global Rainmakers. Before coming to GRI, Carter headed a think tank partnership between Bank of America, Harvard, and MIT. “Every person, place, and thing on this planet will be connected [to the iris system] within the next 10 years,” he says.

This really, really SCARES me. I DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN. I don’t want people knowing my every move, I don’t want people to know if I went off for the weekend to see my friends in some other state, or if I go to the grocery store - What the heck. Are they out of there minds?
It would be like we were slaves and our owners were tracking our every move. It’s wired, scary, wrong and mental. I understand that they are trying to do this to protect people from important things like terrorism and kidnapping, but this is just ridiculous. I don’t want to have to wonder is somebody is watching me, I’d be living in fear. I don’t even want people to know what my eyes look like, that’s so wired and creepy.
AND it’s already happening in Mexico and I think Columbia Missouri, this really is scary, I don’t want this to catch on. Oh and Jeff Carter also WARNS US…..”And he has a warning for those thinking of opting out: “When you get masses of people opting-in, opting out does not help. Opting out actually puts more of a flag on you than just being part of the system. We believe everyone will opt-in.”

Would we have to do this? Do we have the option? Oh” and read this…..”When I asked Carter whether he felt the film was intended as a dystopian view of the future of privacy, he pointed out that much of our private life is already tracked by telecoms and banks, not to mention Facebook. “The banks already know more about what we do in our daily life–they know what we eat, where we go, what we purchase–our deepest secrets,” he says. “We’re not talking about anything different here–just a system that’s good for all of us.”

Ok, so I don’t completely know how everything works, but when he talked about Facebook and our Banks, I felt like he was comparing oranges and apples, but I could be wrong.
Facebook, myspace and twitter is an option, we have the choice of creating a facebook ect…
and when it comes to our Banks, it’s no secret that we eat at restaurants, shop at grocery stores and clothing stores. But when it comes to getting out taxes done, I guess I could understand what he means. When it comes to things that our private, can’t we just take out our money from the banks and get what we need that we don’t want to show? From what I understand, this eye scanning thing could track out every move, isn’t that scary?
I’m not trying to offend anyone or say that I’m right, I’m just really, really scared and I don’t want this to happen.

Seriously, is there anything that we can do to stop this? Will people really fall for this? Because I know I won’t. What can we do to stop this? Protest? What? Any serious advice? I’m really scared and frightened. Will Obama do something about this? CAN Obama STOP this? CAN Obama WARN people about this? Can we Stop this? I am really scared.

Here are the links…..

http://www.fastcompany.com/1683302/iris-scanners-create-the-most-secure-city-in-the-world-welcomes-big-brother?partner=yahoobuzz

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/08/end-of-privacy-city-to-track-people-with-eye-scanners/

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/us/28eyes.html?_r=1

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/eye-scanner-iris-identification/id386584424?mt=8

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/eye-scanner-security-lite/id333884156?mt=8

For example, a grocery store, bakery, toy store, candy shop, restaurant, liquor store, and so on.

I would want to own an adult store.