I was no stranger to the concept of being on the receiving end of a terrible customer.  Prior to this I worked in retail at a large chain record store and eventually a high end fashion shop.  Hospitality was one category I was yet to work and I became excited at the thought of who I would meet and what I would say.  I imagined meeting many people who traveled on business which would give me the opportunity to spark conversations that would leave them home sick but comforted or completely uncomfortable and validated their hatred for work travel.

People would be delighted to speak with me and it would allow me to learn more about our wonderful country without traveling to every state.  I imagined asking them about their local produce and to compare the ugliness of our citizens to those in their city.  It is important to know how much uglier people are in other states; not just for curiosity’s sake but also to feed egos and have extra leverage in a never ending argument.  “Oh yeah…well…I heard everyone in Tulsa has questionable amounts of space between their eyes and significant overbites.”

Of course I knew there would also be standard moments of frustration and tension.  Meeting all different types of people meant conversations with personalities that clashed with my own.  I also imagined talking myself down from heated discussions about the city’s large gay population or the amount of liberals allowed to protest the streets in heavy traffic with large signs and bold letters telling us to stop eating our pets and start growing our own vegetables.  I prepared myself for more of these moments than anything else.  I guess that is why I appreciated the pleasant bonding experiences with customers so much more.  These type of coin toss extremes was what made up the unpredictability of being responsible for the comfort of complete strangers.  There were times when people would be wonderfully delightful or make me fear for my own life.

The hotel was a hotspot for gatherings such as weddings and meetings due to the spacious halls and second largest convention center in the state.  About every three weeks or so we would sell out and be overbooked for events such as the National NA conference or batmitzvahs for the overly spoiled and obnoxiously needy.  On these days we were quite busy with lines of people to check in, heavy calls for extra towels or damaged air conditioners, and confusion of who booked when and was discounted what.  It was chaotic but fun because it kept me busy and too tired to notice when someone living by the phrase “The Customer Is Always Right” was verbally expressing their dissatisfaction.

When no events were occurring, time slowed down significantly, and I would even wish for conflict to nudge my brain awake, get my heart beating to heat my blood, pulse it through my veins and energize myself to get through the remainder of my 8 hour day.  On these days I would keep myself busy by organizing the front desk.  I would organize the pile of key cards and key card holders so all images were right side up and faced one direction.  I would even stack cards next to the key card maker in adequate amounts in such a way that when an associate pulled one from the pile no others fell after it.  Eventually this only took me about 20 minutes or so and I was set back to boredom.  Watching people roll their luggage in and out of our lobby, ask for the occasional direction to McDonalds’ and eavesdrop on cell phone conversations to home only took up so much of my day.  I would then move onto cleaning the front desk which included dusting behind computer monitors, underneath keyboards, tossing trash, finding all of the pens to fill the pen cups and sometimes vacuuming our crumb ridden navy blue carpet.  Even if things appeared to look immaculate I knew there was no such thing as an overly clean hotel and an overly OCD front desk associate.

During one of my routine cleanings I was neatly stacking the fresh Daily News newspapers when I noticed a customer satisfaction card tucked behind a key card maker.  We would pass out postcard sized surveys to all customers checking in to fill out and share about their experiences.  They were free to rate us on scales of “1″ being  “extremely dissatisfied” to “5″ being  “extremely satisfied” on everything from housekeeping to room comfort.  They were then asked to return such cards to a friendly associate who would place it into our survey bin and all would be reviewed by management at the end of each week.  I slowly moved the key card maker as to not disturb my pile of key cards and key card holders to retrieve this mystery survey.  Upon doing so I noticed all circles were in the “5s” for “extremely satisfied” along with a stapled piece of paper in the upper left corner of the card.  I walked to the back employee area and tore off the paper, placing the survey card in the survey card bin and finding appropriate light to read.  I looked around to ensure no one noticed I was not working and unfolded it.

It contained one sentence: “I Spooged In The Bathtub”

Just like that.  No additional details, no names, no room numbers.  Just these words written in Catholic school script on this withered piece of paper.  I immediately crumpled it in my hands as if reading it to myself had inadvertently also come out of my mouth and into the intercom that connected to all of housekeeping’s’ walkie-talkies.  When I finally realized that no one had heard me read what I had in my hands I began to uncover  it again and slowly read:    “I…Spooged…”

I held it tightly in my palm and slowly opened the connecting door to the front desk and noticed my coworker was reading in the corner.  I refolded the paper, following the natural crevices created by the original author, and slowly slid it in front of her like a deep dark secret from an exclusive club only she and I were members of.

“What is it?” she asked.

I did not say anything and only smiled at her with laughter in my eyes.  She put down her book and unfolded the note, reading it once, then turning it side ways as if it were written in an entirely different language.  Her brows furrowed and she frowned.  I was fixated on her face when she held it upright again and stared back with the type of look a girl has the first time she see a penis in Playgirl magazine.  I nodded my head and held my mouth from laughing.  She did the same and we both just stood there in silence grinning.  After a few seconds the stares we gave one another were a bit awkward because we both knew we were playing out the scenarios of bathtub spooging in our heads.

“Was it an accident?” I thought.  “Perhaps there was a toilet seat jerking moment and the man was standing when he was startled by someone knocking on the door during the finale so he immediately turned and exploded all over the bathtub.”

“Was it on purpose?” I also imagined.  “Perhaps we had a hardcore bathroom BDSM couple that loved the feel of cold porcelain against their skin and being spanked on dangerous surfaces where they teetered on the edge of severe head trauma.”

I had only known my coworker for a few weeks now and had never once had conversations about bodily fluids so I did not know if it were appropriate to discuss the possible details.  Neither of us said anything for the remainder of our shift but I could tell we were both humored and overly suspicious.

Whenever a customer came up to the front desk to check out I would casually smile but over analyze them in my head.  “How was your stay Mr. Paul?” I would ask.  All the while thinking “Was there spooge in your tub Mr. Paul?”

“Did you enjoy your stay with us Ms. Harcum?” I would inquire.  All while thinking “Did you hear anyone ejaculating in the bathroom next yours room Ms. Harcum?”

I even went pretty far as interrogating a customer about their visit.

“Was everything to your liking Mr. Stephens?”

“Oh yes hun.  Thank you for asking.”
“How was the bathtub?  Anything out of the ordinary Mr. Stephens?”
“Oh no dear.  It was quite alright.”
“Oh?  No strange slime of any kind.  Nothing feeling funny?  No extreme stench of chlorine?”
Mr. Stephens stared at me as I searched for his invoice and cleared his payment.
“….No…” he hesitated “Everything was normal.”

Although he claimed everything was normal a spooge filled tub may be Mr. Stephens’ “normal” in all of his bathtubs.  I left him alone and decided to stop investigating through heavy questioning.  Joy juice in the tub may not be abnormal to me but to others it may be the icing on their extreme sexual fantasy cake.  My coworker and I spread the information farther among the other associates and we continued to giggle about it until the day I quit.  We never really uncovered any more details but I told them to immediately call me when someone leaves a note that says “I shat in the closet.”

Is Khloe Kardashian not Robert Kardashian’s daughter?  I had to go in and read for myself.  Wow, now it makes you wonder as it seems to have been spoken from the horses mouth.  It sounds like Robert told both his newer wives about it, that he is in fact not the father.

Good lord, why would these women lie?  They’ve been told by the father himself, so you know it might be true.

Khloe is really pissed that they have spoken up about this.  She is kind of saying that it isn’t true.

Kris Jenner is saying it isn’t true.  But you know, who can say for sure.

As I was reading, it did say that she had an affair with a younger man after her girls were born.  So it makes you wonder.

Is Kris Jenner just trying to save face to protect her empire?  Celebrities will do a lot to not confess something.  They want what little privacy they have left to remain private.  Yes, she says it was after.  She says she was there during the pregnancy and gave birth to her and that it is Robert’s daughter.

But you know, a woman can also try to take things to their grave.  Maybe there is truth to what Robert said to his other wives.  Maybe he knows about stuff that nobody else knows about.

I would have laughed and shrugged it off if it had been some stranger spreading the rumor, but it isn’t.  It’s the newer wives of her father.  Whose to say that perhaps Robert knew that she was having an affair much longer than she said she did.

Sometimes can have affairs for years before someone found out.  Maybe he found out long before the pregnancy.  You know it could be the younger guys daughter.  Maybe Khloe is really a half sister to Kourtney and Kim and Kylie and Kendall.

The only one who knows for sure is Kris.  And she isn’t telling the truth.  Why would Robert spread a rumor if it wasn’t true?  Maybe there were signs that told him that he wasn’t the father.

She could have been having an affair with the guy before the pregnancy and privately known that the daughter was his.  Women do this and try to cover it up and pretend that Robert was the father.  It makes you begin to wonder about their marriage.  They did break up and divorce.  I imagine it must have been the affair among other things that did it.  I mean, she has discussed the affair and confessed to it, but she seems to not being truthful about the timing and the seed that has resulted from it.

Now, we begin to think that Kris is a liar.  We have all heard that she has been called by many people to be pimping out her daughters.  Turning them into celebrity sluts.  And it seems that her younger daughters are on their way to the same path.

Sure, she probably is a good mother to her children, but when you have an affair and cheat on your husband, that suddenly turns you into a bad mother in people’s eyes.  People think, “Oh she cheated, what a terrible mother.”

But everyone is human too and does have faults.  These celebrities just have to watch out when they do things they shouldn’t, because they are in the limelight and people lose respect for them.

Jennifer Jo Fay

Copyrighted January 12, 2012

Thought you were my angel

Now it’s all gone to truth

You’ve brought me down

To the lowest low

I’m broken inside

You would know

Sometimes trying to be strong

Only brings memories

Sometimes forgetting your past

Takes a whole lot of thinking

Because I’m not the kind to forgive and forget

I want to leave now

No matter how this is

Well it’s just to late

To tell me that you didn’t mean it

That you were wrong and I was right

That you only spent the night

Trying to figure out how

You can make it up to me

It’s just to late to say you’re sorry

You hold your head up high

Never dare to swallow your pride

It’s there as long as you live

Well I call you out

You don’t mind

It’s the exact same thing every time

I’m still wishing I had said more

Damage control

But nobody that matters knows

I’m so glad that I’m gone

Well you’ve caused me pain

Well it’s just to late

To tell me that you didn’t mean it

That you were wrong and I was right

That you only spent the night

Trying to figure out how

You can make it up to me

It’s just to late to say you’re sorry

Well I don’t care how much you think of yourself

A stupid mistake

And now you call me out

I never tried

Never hurt

Now you’ve just taken me

And broken me

Now all that I have

Is a terrible memory

Well it’s just to late

To tell me that you didn’t mean it

That you were wrong and I was right

That you only spent the night

Trying to figure out how

You can make it up to me

It’s just to late to say you’re sorry

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Don’t gossip back. The first thing that can come across your mind is to say something not so nice about your neighbor to someone whether it’s true or not, but it only adds fuel to the fire. Instead, Avoid and stay clear of the neighborhood gossip and simply don’t speak, just walk away if you hear neighbors starting to gossip about everyone.

Have a talk with the gossiper. Make time out to call your neighbor. Pick up the phone and ask her when is a good time to come over and talk. You don’t have to bring up what was said or explain anything to your neighbor. Focus on treating her with kindness and ending the chaos.

Talk positive conversation with the gossiping neighbor.Get the conversation off the right foot. Never be angry when confronting about rumors to your gossiping neighbor. If she continues to keep up chaos and gossip, you should limit your interactions with them as possibly as you can. Pick positive friends who care about you.

I will be “home alone” for Christmas. My wife and youngest son are now in in another state visiting my wife’s parents and and our son’s grandparents. They did this last year. I was invited, but declined, as I lived there for 20 years, and I don’t miss my wife’s parents like she does, and I would feel like a 5th wheel. I’m not upset about this.

Last Christmas, I traveled by AmTrak and visited my brother, but don’t want to waste time and money to go to a cold, boring place again. I love my brother, and stayed with him last year, but he lives too far from the “city” and it’s too cold. Not that the city is a fun spot in winter anyway. I’d rather be warm here in Arizona, and hike, read, write, and enjoy some solitude.

My oldest son seems that he’s “too good” for me. He hasn’t said those words, but he sure acts that way. He and his wife and 3 girls live in another state. Too bad he and I haven’t talked in two years…..

My second son will be at his home (in another state) for Christmas, but plans a trip to California shortly after that. His wife’s parents live in California. Jake’s a good kid and keeps in touch often. He’s more spiritual than any of my kids, I believe, and never acts “too good” for anyone.

My older daughter is a reprobate and I don’t really want to be with her. I can’t handle her emotionally – partly from the crap she pulled last year, and partly because she is an alcoholic and drug addict, but is in denial about it. In spite of having been in jail before, she is facing yet another term soon for her 3rd extreme DUI. Lucky me that she lives in the same town I do.

My younger daughter also lives in the same town that I do. However, she is going on a trip with her mother (my ex-wife) and stepfather. She didn’t tell me about this. I had to find out from others in the family. I had also heard that my ex- had told our kids, “Don’t tell your father about” it. Nice.

Not to forget my 5th child. He’s jobless, but has an apartment that I believe he will be evicted from in a month or so. He got a job, but didn’t feel well one day and never showed up, so he lost that job. That was about 3 weeks ago. He went to a junior college last year on a grant, but dropped or failed his classes, so he tried again this fall. And, again, dropped out or failed his classes. He’s an alcoholic and drug addict, but he is honest enough to admit it and says he’d like to stop. Overall, he has been more respectful to me than some of my other children, but spending Christmas with him, while family, doesn’t seem like a delight.

Apparently, from what I had heard, my ex- has been spreading rumors about me. And they aren’t pleasant ones. She claims to be a “righteous” and “active” member of a church, so why would she want to say things that she can’t possibly know to be true, and even if she did, why would she run around and tell others?

Otherwise, I’m great. And that’s true. I love teaching college part time, and having the rest of my time to read, write, hike, and take care of my wife and youngest son. Merry Christmas!

What is the difference between regular chatting and gossiping?

Exchanging information is a vital part of communication. We do this to gain perspective, share knowledge and sometimes to have our feelings positively affirmed. If the topic of your conversation with other people is about a new shop that’s opening that’s very valid. But how about if someone mentions that the owner of that new shop is about to be declared bankrupt? Is that gossip?

To decide you need to consider the context. If there is a risk that customer’s money will be lost, should bankruptcy occur, then it could well be vital information sharing.  In a similar way it’s pretty standard to advise against buying take away food from a shop where you once got bad service or developed food poisoning after eating. But if the information is second hand, shared for malicious intent or serves no real purpose, beware. You’re straying into the gossip arena.

Is there any form of gossip which is acceptable?

There are times when sharing information about others is not only okay, but  actually necessary. If a mutual acquaintance has just been dumped by her boyfriend it’s good for me to know. At the very least I can avoid a cheery greeting along the lines of ‘how’s your love life?

Information sharing helps us negotiate the complex social circles we move in. It helps us make decisions on what to say and who to say it to. Every day our brains process and filter millions of verbal and visual clues to guide us through this process. The flip side is that it’s very easy to be influenced by what we hear, and once said, words cannot be taken back. Once you ‘know’ something, it can be pretty difficult to erase that from your memory bank.

I like to know eveything that is going on. Is that so wrong?

Ask yourself why you feel this way. Information is power: do you crave this because it makes you feel superior? Or perhaps you’re just genuinely interested in human interaction and dynamics? More than likely there’s something missing from your life, as people who gossip a lot tend to use it as a band-aid.

Wouldn’t you rather have a happening love life of your own than live vicariously through the person you are talking about today? Does it real matter if Mr. X is lazy and doesn’t put in a 100% in the office? By shifting the lens to yourself you could find a better job, where your own efforts are actually recognised!

But people keep telling me things. I really don’t go looking for it to happen!

If you can honestly say that you are not encouraging them to over share then it’s decision time. Take a good luck at the relationship you have with such people. Do you really want to be their sounding board? To provide a place where they can dump all their negativity, bad karma and shallowness? What are you getting out of this?

Changing your own behaviour and reactions is entirely within your control. Try steering someone away from the gossip as soon as it starts. Or if you must, listen politely and then change the subject. I think you’ll soon discover that you have either nothing much to actually say to each other, or your friendship will become deeper and more meaningful. Personally I would rather not be around someone who is unable to control their need to spread rumours and personal information about others. So ending that relationship wouldn’t be much of a loss.

What kind of damage can gossip do?

Leaving aside the formal issues of slander and libel, which tend to focus on damaged reputations of folk much mightier than ourselves, and make their way to the legal system at some point, all gossip is damaging. Hurtful to you, the person or people involved and the wider community.

I mentioned earlier that we rely on many forms of visual and aural clues to make sense of a situation or to make decisions on a person’s character, ability and worth. Once we ‘learn’ something it is very difficult to turn back the clock. You can choose to ignore or not believe it, but you can’t ever erase it completely. Isn’t it better to avoid this situation altogether?

An example:

Person A goes a little over board when complaining about bad service in a restaurant. The tale is relayed from several different perspectives, morphing into a ludicrous and totally unrepresentative account. Some people then avoid including Miss A. in subsequent events. This then divides mutual friends, forcing them to choose one camp or the other.

So how can I stop gossiping without becoming Pollyanna?

• When you hear a juicy piece of gossip ask yourself: will this help anyone if I pass it on? Will this harm anyone?
• Now ask yourself: what would I gain from sharing this? This may be quite difficult, and it may reveal unpleasant aspects of your personality. We all have these facets, but we can control them.
• Learn to control a conversation. Do you really want or need to be the person someone else dumps their malicious mutterings on? Bear in mind that even if you remain neutral, such people often perceive you as a co-conspirator in this process.  Maybe it’s time to change out some friendships?
• Fill your life with meaningful activities. This is a very good way of learning to care less about what others are (supposedly) doing with theirs. If you are not reaching your full emotional, physical and intellectual potential then doing others down becomes much more attractive.

Gossiping can be as addictive as anything else which is bad for you. As always, the short term pleasure is rarely worth the long term cost.

Do you agree with my perspective?

1. Don’t be a trouble maker. Mind your own business. If you concentrate on worrying about your own life, you will avoid drama that comes along with gossiping and interfering in other people’s business or affairs, if you are talking negative about other people, the news could get back to them, and they may be angry enough to confront you about it.

2. Be careful who you talk to. Some people choose to gossip. So the things you believe you are telling them in confidence may end up common knowledge among people who you would not normally choose to tell your business. Just like discussing other people’s business could result in confrontation, so can trust. Avoid associating with people who seem to always be in the midst of violence, confrontations and confusion.

3. Pay what you owe. If you owe anyone money be generous enough to pay them back, Not paying money back to others can lead to a confrontation.

4. Do not argue. Sometimes, people will fight to the end to prove themselves right. Individuals are entitled to their own opinions, and you shouldn’t argue or let a person push your buttons to the pointing of anger just because they don’t agree with you. Let it go and move on.

5. Take control of your emotions and learn to be a peacemaker. Avoid using cut down words and low down comebacks. Sometimes this may mean biting your tongue or not speaking your mind to that person. but sometimes this is the best method in keeping the peace when dealing with other people. Avoid violence and fights, especially if they are difficult to get along with, you will be the better person.

First, go to battle.net, and make sure it’s on the right region setting (for exampe: Europe is eu.battle.net).

If you have an account, log in. If you don’t have an account, you will need to register. There is no way you will enter the bèta without a Battle Net account.

When logged in, click account in the upper side of the site.

Click “beta profile settings” in the right side, or under “games & codes” a bit above the middle.

Set for which betas you want to be in.

Download the opt-in application.

Run the application, it will scan your system specifications.

When it’s finished, you have a chance of entering the beta.

Tips: They want to have as much different systems as possible, so if you have an unique system, you chance is bigger.

There might be a chance to make sure you get in the beta, in the next presentations. Why? Well, at the Blizzcon there was a chance to win a beta key.

Further, there isn’t more you can do for it.