Ferrellgas charges for not using enough propane

This outfit bought out my bottled gas supplier years ago. I haven't used much propane lately because my oven died a year ago. Today I received a bill for $60.60 apparently for not using their gas fast enough. There is a tank rent fee for 10.60 for a year and a No Usage Fee 1.00 ea of $50. I'm using the gas - just not fast enough for them. Needless to say I called and told them to pick up the tanks. That is insane. I wouldn't mind the tank rental fee but the 50 is ridiculous. AND they will not compensate me for the gas remaining in the tanks. This is not an outfit I care to do business with and neither should you. They said it will take two weeks for them to pick up the tanks. I'll bet they are here today or tomorrow. Fortunately it is easy to change suppliers and I've been contemplating that anyhow. But the toaster oven and the nuker will suffice until that is arranged.

Responsibility

If I installed a doggy door large enough for a big dog to come and go, I should be aware that a small child could easily use the same door. A couple is suing the manufacturer of such a door that allowed their child to leave the house and drown in the swimming pool. My heart aches for them but my head wonders where theirs was. If more people would take responsibility for their own lives and decisions, we would all be better off. I pray the court will point out that the couple should have used their heads and taken precautions with the doggy door just as they did with everything else in the house and absolve the manufacturer.

Does a warning need to accompany everything we buy? If so, perhaps it should say:
Warning: The use of this product requires human intelligence. Serious injury or death may result from lack of forethought or use by non-humans.

Loss

A college classmate committed suicide. His partner died intestate on a cruise. The parents apparently took control and left my friend out. He never got over it. I wonder if the parents are "good Christian folks".

Sometimes I dislike religion intensely. I find it difficult to respect people who blindly follow the pronouncements of the pope or the Mormon prophet or anybody claiming to have a direct line to whatever god and know all the rules for salvation, whatever that is. Most but not all of God's creation are less interested in one sex than in another. If it isn't rape or abuse, it is normal. If it doesn't produce offspring who will add to the rolls and the coffers, it is not wrong or harmful to God's plan. It is normal.

Sheez. I wish people would learn to value each other, especially people who claim to follow Jesus. They wouldn't have to worry about salvation or much of anything else. The world would be much more peaceful.

Sometimes the church...

drives me nuts. There are reasons why only certain people have certain privileges in certain religions. I'm not inclined to think very highly of most of those reasons or restrictions. To me, most seem to insure prestige, power and wealth for the privileged few, mostly white males in so-called western societies.

This morning, the third time in six weeks, the weather kept our Episcopal supply priest away. It is not easy for us to suddenly change to Morning Prayer because we rarely do it and only a couple of people are licensed. And few like it. So we do what we have begun calling the "third setting" - simply omitting the homily and the eucharist.

What bothers me is the insistence that only properly ordained priests can properly bless the elements. Even deacons don't have that privilege. I believe I and most other lay persons are perfectly capable of presiding at the eucharist in an emergency in God's "eyes". I don't mean that in an arrogant way. I respect the rules even tho I suspect Jesus would roll his eyes and shake his head and wonder how he can possibly reach some people. Actually he probably does that constantly, especially in many institutions which claim exclusive knowledge of him.

I believe that the ELCA suspends the "rules" in emergency situations but I have no idea if our situation would be considered an emergency. It certainly is for us.

Sometimes I wonder if I really want to be an Episcopalian. Oh well, I want to try to help the parish so why not? God cares how I live, not what what dogma I believe is God's true word literally.

Verizon - I can't hear you

I just cancelled my Verizon cell account. I haven't used it for months. It rarely worked at my house. When my landline was down I had to get into the car and drive 2 miles to get a signal to report it. Of course I had to pay $70 to cancel the number.

Needless to say, I will never recommend Verizon. And no, I can't hear you now - or any time or anyone else.

Use the correct language

I have CNBC on during the daytime. Today I listened to plans the Big 3 US auto manufacturers have to try to survive in the collapsing economy. I want to change the language used to describe a certain aspect of corporate belt-tightening.

Every day we hear about more "jobs" being eliminated, new unemployment claims filed, plants closed, etc. Somebody needs to put it bluntly. Such and such company just eliminated the incomes of 20,000 people. So and so corporation will send 10,000 men and women to the unemployment offices which will be unable to find work for them. Enterprise X is closing businesses which will result in an estimated 100,000 people being without money for their families thanks to the ripple effect.

The recession/depression is personal. We need to encourage or try to force the media to make the economy personal. It affects persons, real people. Lost work often means lost insurance, lost pensions, lost savings, lately lost homes, all too frequently lost families. Perhaps by bringing reality into the picture, our government and employers will realize that those figures aren't just numbers. They are people. Real humans who can no longer support the economy and will require support from the people who are lucky enough to still have an income.

I'm not holding my breath. For a nation that many claim is "Christian" I don' t see much evidence of Jesus. Wonder what they mean by "Christian".

Tim Hortons vs decaf?

We have a new Tim Hortons. I stopped to get a cup of coffee and check the place out at 3 pm. As this seems to be a "waiting" day for me, I waited 10 minutes for some to "wait" on me. I asked for a medium decaf. Guess what. They don't make decaf coffee after 11 am. I would have to wait for him to brew a fresh pot. I left.

Is it true that nobody drinks decaf coffee after 11 am? Or is this company weird? I don't drink anything with caffeine after 3 pm except on Tuesdays. And I never drink leaded coffee if I can avoid it.

I know. I'm weird. I won't be going to Tim Hortons again any time soon tho.

Back 2 Health or a deal gone astray

Back 2 Health is a chiropractic practice in Howland, OH and Greenville, PA. The Greenville office visited Curves and offered a package which is actually a very good value if you are interested in chiropractic.

The caveats: This is not about the women in the Greenville office. They are wonderful - friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable. This is not about the expense - they are not a program provider so neither Medicare nor my supplemental carrier will pay for it.

This is about getting new clients and keeping them. While I understand that my first three visits were essentially "free", I did not appreciate spending approximately an hour and a half in the waiting room. The first two appointments were testing and talking with one minor adjustment. I was to have another adjustment today. After waiting for 35 minutes, I left. From the explanation of the delay, I gather I was in for more talking and little in the way of adjustment.

Perhaps regular paying clients are treated better. Certainly many came and went while I waited. But I was a prospective client. My time was not important to this office. I can't afford their program but I do need an adjustment occasionally and could have provided some income and a recommendation. Now they will get neither.

In fact they are getting a free international ad.

Religion run amuck (updated)

Prayers are requested for our friend Lee. He has a few problems like cancer which requires very expensive chemo forever, no income until he gets disability which will hopefully be soon, no energy to do regular work, separation from his wife and kids and, worst of all, parents from hell. Oh, he does have some wonderful friends who help financially and give him a place to stay. And he is active in the Episcopal church.

Then there are his parents. They are constant reminders of how evil religion can be, especially certain types of "Christianity". They are fundies who know everything there is to know about God. Everyone else is evil. They have hated his wife since they first met many years ago. They tell the family, including the kids, they are going to hell because they belong to the Episcopal church cult. They will help Lee financially until they suddenly have a change of heart and go back to their religious rants. They are simply unstable. Not to mention evil.

They just threatened to sue Lee and his wife for money they "borrowed" and for custody of the children. Ordinarily the documentation they possess - emails, blogs, etc. - would prove his folks are not fit parents for children of any age and should be served with a restraining order. No self respecting attorney would touch the case. But he is a retired lawyer. Lawyers stick together and know judges who will side with them even in outrageous cases. Fortunately Lee managed to talk his mother out of that for the time being at least.

Please add Lee, his wife and kids to your prayer lists.

Update: John writes better than I do - here.

Control

A bunch of Episcopal/Anglican male clergy are unable to accept female clergy, lately especially female bishops. Many seem to be the same men who are unable to accept the idea that most LGBTQs are ordinary people with ordinary lives, loved by God and entitled to the same rights and privileges as everyone else. Why are so many males afflicted with control issues?

I find it easy to worship with these men, difficult to discuss religion with them and almost impossible to respect them. Why are they and their followers so afraid of change? Of questions? Of difference? Of God? They seem to have all the beliefs and none of the faith. The clergy types control the message as if the slightest variation will cause rebellion, rejection of their control. They know God personally and none of the rest of us do or can without their guidance.

Altho I can love a person and will do what I can in a given situation, I have trouble respecting someone who has unquestioned "faith" and insists that only their religion/church has the "Truth". Religion and church were created by men. The documents of the followers of Abraham were written by men who believed they were divinely inspired yet the later two disagree significantly even in each internally. The idea that any one of the belief systems is closest to God seems to me to be just plain silly. Presumptuous. Heretical?

So where do the Episcopal/Anglican clergy who reject segments of society as unworthy of responding to God's call get their authority? Not from the Gospels. Not from Jesus. Definitely not from the Holy Spirit whom they claim to include but restrict to those who wrote, translated, edited or otherwise affected their versions of the Bible.

The men who seek to exclude and divide seem to feel threatened by those they can't control. For good reason? God help them! And us!