The late, great Andy Warhol published a book in 1975. After I ordered, purchased, and read a copy years later, I was fascinated by the man's insight. Not only was Andy Warhol good at "telling it like it is," he had an amazing knack for being able to "tell it like it will be," too.
I woke up this morning to an automatic text message saying that my bank account was in overdraft, which kind of pissed me off because I had closed this particular bank account a month ago.
How can a closed bank account be in overdraft you ask? That’s what I wondered, too, so I called customer service and asked.
Read more about Bank Error: Not in My Favor
Awhile after moving to this area, I heard one of the most asinine statements I have ever heard in my life: "Manners are a sign of weakness." My first thought was "oh- that means you're an uncouth boor who wasn't brought up to know anything." I resisted the impulse to say what I thought, as the individual was only putting into words the kinds of behavior I've encountered since I came here.
Read more about Manners are What?!?
Thanks is usually enough, especially if you are doing a favor for someone you care about. If my best friend, sister, or other family member asked for anything—whether it’s a bite of my sandwich, a twenty, or a kidney—I would gladly hand it over in a heartbeat. I wouldn’t complain, and a mere “Thanks!” would more than suffice for me.
But you know what I’m talking about when I bring up those people who ask you for favors above and beyond what most people might do, and often for things people would charge for doing. They’re usually acquaintances, people you don’t see very often (if at all), or estranged family members who only pop up when they want something. As a freelance writer, for me, it’s usually people hoping to get rich quick by working from home who want to “pick my brain” about what I do—sometimes often—for free, and carelessly. Read more about You're Bloody Welcome!
I recently wrote about being denied full coverage for contraception that my insurance company had originally told my doctor would not be subject to the deductible. I appealed the decision and was denied by my insurance company.
Which sucks, since the insurance company originally told my doctor that I wouldn’t be subject to the deductible. I was told that I would have to pay $200 and instead, I have to pay $800 instead.
Read more about Insurance Companies and Independent Review Organizations:
While doing a little research for one of last week's !Klat articles, I came across yet another example of this subject. A college student, whose parent is a well-known, well-respected person in this area, had held an under-aged drinking party on the family's property. It was splattered all over the news, and resulted in some legal charges. The student, in apologizing for the situation, said: "I made a poor decision." Further back, a middle-school student had swiped some of her mother's prescription medication, taken it to school, and distributed it to some other kids. Some of the kids became seriously ill because of it. That evening, a parent was on the local news, saying the girl "made a bad decision."
Read more about Whatever Happened to "Tell it Like it Is"? 
Although I'm one of those people who rarely pays attention to celebrities, I happened to notice this article (http://omg.yahoo.com/news/kim-kardashians-bangs-love-hate-150924022.html) attached to today's Yahoo home page. I essentially shrugged it off-- until I reached the comments section, where the comments ranged from snide to downright insulting. While envy has probably been around since the world existed, in recent years it seems to have become acceptable.
Read more about Envy: From Childish to Dangerous 
One thing I have noticed about incompatible lifestyles is attempting to understand and coexist harmoniously is often not mutual. After reading an interesting post on the klaT network I decided to write this post, to address how the topic is approached in this particular locale.
Read more about "Waste Not, Want Not" 
In the distant past, I always figured slang was nothing more nor less than peculiarities of generations-- kids using words in different ways to set themselves apart from their elders. Later, I also found slang words, terms, and various colloquialisms are also common to various regions. In both cases, the general idea is for people to be understood by other people who are like themselves.
Read more about I Hate the Urban Dictionary 
One thing I appreciate is finding topics that I am completely unfamiliar with from my own personal experiences. When I hear about such things from individual people, my usual reaction is "You're kidding-- aren't you?!" even if I do not put it into those words. When I read about it, though, it is quite different. Such is the case with what is referred to as the "counterculture." It is something I heard very little about before recent years, and it never affected me before.
Read more about The Counterculture: Never Been There, Never Will