Random Rants OA - I Have 71 Problems, But This Thread Ain't One

[MagisterCultuum]

Not really a rant, but while we are on the subject I went to a dentist last Tuesday. My previous visit was in September 2015, when I was still on my parent's dental insurance. The first thing the hygienist said when she looked inside my mouth was that I must have done a good job flossing every day because my teeth and gums are in better shape that most patients who come in for a cleaning every 6 months. When I told her that I rarely floss but use a Waterpik most days, she said she didn't think much of those when they first came out but have come around. She agreed that it was a better investment for be to spend $50 on one of them 3 years ago rather than seeing a dentist for regular cleanings. When the dentist himself heard that, he did not disagree but said we shouldn't speak so loudly when other patients are around to hear. The dentist said that there are spots on the fillings on two of my wisdom teeth which might eventually turn into cavities, but that there is no reason to do anything about them yet. He said I seemed to be taking care of them well enough that he would not recommend removing my wisdom teeth, just replacing the fillings if they get worse over the next few years.

When I showed him a picture of my mother's teeth and asked about them, he said he could certainly remove them and make her new dentures. I have a coupon for a free limited exam which expires in April, but he said that if mom's doctors don't give her clearance for dental work by then that he will ignore the expiration date. He said she would probably need more x-rays than the coupon is supposed to cover, but that he would go ahead and do those for free too. He will give us a quote of all her dental work without us having to pay a cent.

 

[Cutlass]

I just got a call from someone where the location read Vermont. I answered, and the somewhat panicked sounding man with the think south Asian sounding accent started telling me how my father had told him there was a problem with my computer that had to be fixed immediately.

So I hung up on him.

But he called back, and asked why I hung up on him. I told him, my father is dead, and hung up on him again.

 

[Takhisis]

If I wrote that as a comedy sketch people would say it was too far-fetched.

 

[Cutlass]

The guy had my name too.

 

[Synobun]

Not really a rant, but while we are on the subject I went to a dentist last Tuesday. My previous visit was in September 2015, when I was still on my parent's dental insurance. The first thing the hygienist said when she looked inside my mouth was that I must have done a good job flossing every day because my teeth and gums are in better shape that most patients who come in for a cleaning every 6 months. When I told her that I rarely floss but use a Waterpik most days, she said she didn't think much of those when they first came out but have come around. She agreed that it was a better investment for be to spend $50 on one of them 3 years ago rather than seeing a dentist for regular cleanings. When the dentist himself heard that, he did not disagree but said we shouldn't speak so loudly when other patients are around to hear. The dentist said that there are spots on the fillings on two of my wisdom teeth which might eventually turn into cavities, but that there is no reason to do anything about them yet. He said I seemed to be taking care of them well enough that he would not recommend removing my wisdom teeth, just replacing the fillings if they get worse over the next few years.

Waterpiks are the bee's knees. I really want to get one. They are better than floss string and better than softpiks.

Speaking of which, I just came back from the dentist. Yikes. Not a great experience. They brought in a special hygienist to clear away all the infected debris. It took nearly an hour and hurt real bad. My mouth looks completely different now and is beyond sore. I had to reschedule the cavity fillings. I didn't want to deal with needles and drilling after all of that.

I'm going to need to start using softpiks from now on. I used to never floss but the infection makes that necessary now. I'll also need to completely stop using clay toothpastes. Apparently they suck. I can confirm that personally but having it confirmed by a dentist is like, doubly cool. Right? Right.

Man, dental and medical insurance is lame. I have to use a special antibiotic rinse for ten days but it's not covered by either insurance. So now I have to wait until I get paid just to buy something that I have no choice but to use. But isn't covered. But is needed. Granted, it's not as expensive as the actual dental procedures, and those are covered, but like... why the half-measures, tho?

 

[Ajidica]

I'm still amazed dental work isn't covered up in the People's Republic of Canada.

Minor rant, my winter boots have basically fallen apart. The top part of the boot that holds the laces and the side of the boot have started to separate and on the left side of the left boot, have separated from the heel to the toe. Don't want to buy boots now because not much winter left, but we got a fair amount of snow today and will get some tomorrow, so either I wear my soon-to-be-replaced work/dress shoes and have my feet get cold and a bit wet or I wear my sneakers to work (with the other shoes in a bag) and get salt stains on them.

Oh, any my car is going to be in the shop for another week because Reasons. Though minor rave in that some repair work that wasn't part of the insurance claim was done for free so I saved a couple hundred bucks. They already had the heat gun and paint sprayer out for the insurance repair work so it was easy to fix.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I just got a call from someone where the location read Vermont. I answered, and the somewhat panicked sounding man with the think south Asian sounding accent started telling me how my father had told him there was a problem with my computer that had to be fixed immediately.

So I hung up on him.

But he called back, and asked why I hung up on him. I told him, my father is dead, and hung up on him again.

If I wrote that as a comedy sketch people would say it was too far-fetched.

It's actually a pretty common scam, and the perpetrators are usually based in India. I've had phone scams for my computer, for installing security, for insurance, and for CRA (they pretend to be from the Canada Revenue Agency and tell you that you owe $$$$ in taxes and unless you pay up within the hour - in gift cards - an RCMP officer will come to arrest you). The trip scammers haven't called for a long time now and the credit card interest rate scam doesn't seem to be active in this area lately.

I finally got rid of the computer and insurance scammers by copious use of the f-word (I guess even scammers get tired of being sworn at), I told the insurance scammers that I never make financial decisions over the phone and if their offer is legitimate I can just discuss it with someone at my local branch, and so far the CRA scam (in the phone form; I've also had the email version) hasn't resulted in a live person on the other end. It's been automated. So far. But in case they ever do decide to use a live person, I've been contemplating what to say - as hanging up on these people never works the first time.

People actually do get taken in by this stuff, and it's gotten to the point where there are signs up at the gift card kiosks and stands to warn people that the RCMP and CRA will never demand payment in gift cards.

It's unsettling, though, to get a phone call that references a deceased family member. I got a call one day, many years ago, asking for my grandfather. I wondered if it could be some friend who didn't know he'd died, but it turned out to be the Shriners, soliciting for a donation. So I told them my grandfather was dead, and to never call back. At least they apologized, and took this number off their call list.

 

[Commodore]

Not many people would classify a desire to get off food stamps as "greed,"

Except they aren't on food stamps. I already posted the wage data for teachers in West Virginia, which you are conveniently ignoring. They are paid well over what is considered a living wage in West Virginia.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Walked into a pawn fork. I hate getting forked, but I hate pawn forks the most.

 

[Snerk]

If I wrote that as a comedy sketch people would say it was too far-fetched.

Final frame would be Cutlass' ghost father not figuring out his ghost computer.

 

[Cutlass]

Final frame would be Catlass' ghost father not figuring out his ghost computer.

My father was born in 1920. He never even looked at a computer before his death. It wasn't something many people of his generation did. Valka is right though, fraud phone calls similar to this are fairly common. Although they usually don't have a cell number, and the name that goes with it. That part disturbs me.

My mother once got a call, caller saying it was her grandson, and he was stuck in a jail in Brazil, and he needed money immediately. She didn't fall for that, fortunately.

 

[Arakhor]

I once told one of those chaps that he was a scammer and he should get himself a proper job before I put the phone down. He then rang straight back to swear at me!

 

[Snerk]

That's pretty aggressive scamming. The only thing I've come across was an Indian chap claiming my PC was corrupt and such. But he hung up on me when I didn't play along.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

I relapsed on Saturday night on benzos and alcohol. I used to use them copiously pretty much every Friday night, but after a really, really bad experience last July involving being completely sloshed on them and taken advantage of in my stupor, I vowed to never be that irresponsible again. But Saturday I blacked out and was completely unresponsive to waking up. My partner freaked. I used them to chase away some really dark thoughts that had been bothering me lately because 2018 has been super testing financially and socially in a way 2017 wasn't at all, but it just made things worse, obviously. I took a few days to clear my head and am feeling better now but seriously, don't mix benzos and alcohol. It ain't worth it. I get how useful either alone can be (Xanax has literally probably saved my life, not even joking) but yeah. Be safe. Drug synergy is brutal and dangerous and can sneak up on you in a hurry, even if you think you know better.

 

[Kyriakos]

I relapsed on Saturday night on benzos and alcohol. I used to use them copiously pretty much every Friday night, but after a really, really bad experience last July involving being completely sloshed on them and taken advantage of in my stupor, I vowed to never be that irresponsible again. But Saturday I blacked out and was completely unresponsive to waking up. My partner freaked. I used them to chase away some really dark thoughts that had been bothering me lately because 2018 has been super testing financially and socially in a way 2017 wasn't at all, but it just made things worse, obviously. I took a few days to clear my head and am feeling better now but seriously, don't mix benzos and alcohol. It ain't worth it. I get how useful either alone can be (Xanax has literally probably saved my life, not even joking) but yeah. Be safe. Drug synergy is brutal and dangerous and can sneak up on you in a hurry, even if you think you know better.

Hm... You - as you obviously know - should find some other way.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

Hm... You - as you obviously know - should find some other way.

Yeah, I am seeing my psychiatrist tomorrow night. I'm worried in the sense I messed up, but the average person relapses on drugs/alcohol multiple times, and for me it was once in an 8 month stretch, so I feel (this will sound weird) ok overall. Then again I never even viewed it as a problem in the first place, because it was like once a week or so, and on Fridays, when it wouldn't interfere with life, and it took someone telling me "uhhh you're justifying basically a habit here which is sort of a sign of abuse" that I realized what I had done was a problem. Anyways! I have people I can reach out to now and that's good so yeah. I am feeling better today and reset my counter on doing what I did but I'll make sure it doesn't last only 8 months this time.

 

[Arakhor]

What did your partner think?

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

What did your partner think?

They were worried. They have a formerly alcoholic father and have had their own battle with drug abuse so I don't think it's their favorite thing to see happen in someone else, to put it lightly. We've talked every night since though and we're having a sit down tonight where I come up with an actual plan for what to do if I find myself mentally wanting to do that again. They just don't want to see it happen again and want to help.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

That's pretty aggressive scamming. The only thing I've come across was an Indian chap claiming my PC was corrupt and such. But he hung up on me when I didn't play along.

Some of them get really verbally abusive, and they tend to target the elderly and new refugees/immigrants. In the latter case, they use the additional spiel that if the target doesn't come up with the money they'll be deported. Since the refugees don't know how most of our legal system works and most of the elderly still aren't familiar with such scams, they're easy prey.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

A few months ago my mother got a call from one of those "your Windows is infected!" scammers, and I took the phone from her and started playing stupid, acting like he was talking about actual glass windows and wondering how they could get infected since I used Windex on them every day. He hung up after ten minutes of this. It was fun.