Looks Aren't Everything...But Good Teeth Help!

Image courtesy www.muppetcentral.com

Some dedicated readers were wondering at the curious lack of recent material here...but I assure you the mystery is purely mundane.

One of the drawbacks of losing your dominant hand to paralysis is that you must relearn how to brush your teeth with the OPPOSITE hand...not an easy trick even for the semi-ambidextrous of us.

As a result, in addition to getting lifetime neural-damage, I developed my first adult cavities in over 5 years...because of poorly developed brushing ability with that hand.

In the USA, there's not a ton of National dental-care options available (although Medicare part D [which I HAVE NOT received as of this date] coverage now includes RUDIMENTARY dental care [or so i'm told]...little more than routine cleanings, actually), my dad was kind enough to help me pay for the work that I needed now, but he isn't the wealthiest guy in the world, either...so thaks Dad!

Anyway, the whole experience left me partially incapacitated for a while (just getting to the dentist [and back home] on THE DENTIST'S schedule was a fairly difficult task to organize for me...but thanks to caring family and good friends, I now have an acceptable smile again.) :)

Yes, I know: excuses, excuses...but as my working-class coleagues understand, bad dentistry is a cause for all kinds of subtle ostracism in the USA, so again, thanks Dad!

I'm acceptable to the general populace again!

--mattergy

Soylent Greed?

In the third week of March 2008, I had placed an order for Richard Fleisher's Soylent Green (starring Charlton Heston)...it's hardly a surprise that NOW, 4 months later and 3 months after Charton Heston died, the internet-store I purchased it from emailed me a note saying: "We're sorry this title is no longer available."

Obviously I had ordered the movie ONE MONTH BEFORE Heston's unfortunate death...yet only yesterday (June 9, 2008) did I recieve this email apology for the title being out-of-stock.

I don't like to think that some funny-business happed to back-date the sudden disappearance of my order (which would now be a collector's item had it shipped), but my familiarity with human nature informs me that something fishy DID happen.

The point being that the apology now appears as a cover-up, rather than a legitimate apology.

I know SOMEONE got that movie, but I can't know for sure what the genuine motivation here was for suddenly erasing ALL record of my order...but I will always suspect foul-play in one of the companies' far-flung departments...that is the bane of having years of real-life experience...I can't help but feel that the critical timing my apt foresight has been totally ignored in favor of lining somebody's pockets.

But it's "only" suspicion.

--mattergy