TSWLTH in the news

I am not surprised..........I have two good legs and can barely walk through the place......... Pat.

Funny you should mention this.... I went in JoAnn's this morning and there was an old couple in the store. She was in a wheelchair, and he was pushing her. He had on a completely see-through top that left nothing hidden.... The shirt was something like a chiffon with no lining or a net fabric....His shirt looked like he made it by creating a tube with two shoulder straps and (get this) a plaid mini-skirt .... yep, skirt. It barely covered his butt..... he also had on a knit cap and black socks .... it was one of those time when you want to get out the camera because no one will believe that a 70+ year old man would go out in public dressed like that. She was wrapped up like it was 20 below outside..... and it's 90....

I see you get your yuks making fun of the elderly, handicapped, those who may need looking after, possibly mentally impaired, etc. Make you feel good, does it? Slightly superior? Wish you had your camera along!

For penance, I suggest you take some compassion pills and volunteer to spend some time with "the least of your brothers" in homes for the elderly and alone, chatting and reading to them and maybe sew up some items for them as gifts: lap blankets, warm hats, etc. JPBill

Take a pill, Bill.

On Fri, 21 Jul 2006 17:48:52 -0700 in alt.sewing, Pogonip wrote,

Bill is just unfamiliar with the longstanding tradition on this newsgroup that funny-looking people are properly objects of scorn and ridicule.

Oh I thought someone had crapped in his corn flakes.

I cannot imagine why that guy was dressed that way but it must have been something to see. All we get are tattoos and piercing. A full body tattoo on an 80 year old woman is just sad.

I'm with you, kid. Sharon

BTW, I didn't trim your sig. My newsreader seems to be up to something new. Hummmmm.

Mine does that. I like it. I try to remember to trim replies, and sig lines are one thing I think can be trimmed without a loss. Thanks for your support. ;-)

Bill,

There were no "hahahahas" in my post, nor did I say I was laughing. The only time "funny" was mentioned was in reference to Karen's post about the store. I said people wouldn't believe what I saw and that's why I mentioned the camera.....(Truth be told, I had a camera in my phone, but I didn't take a picture or try to exploit them) Someone mentioned JoAnn's, and I shared, mostly because *I* couldn't believe what I saw.

Since you questioned my compassion, I am a teacher in a school where 75% of the children are poverty level. I keep extra clothes and shoes in the corner of my room. When a child comes to school without shoes or proper clothing, I make sure they get what they need. I keep an old sewing machine in my room and spare buttons, so I can make repairs on their clothing when needed. The children know I care, and they know I will help if they have a need.

I hold office in an organization that looks after the elderly and poor. I spend a lot of my time and own money to help the people who need it....

I am also the chapter leader for a support group for bereaved parents. When parents come to these meetings after their child dies, I am there to show them the compassion they need. Yes, my only son was killed six years ago. Through his death, I learned many lessons. I learned that we all go through life with pain, no one is exempt. I learned that many times people lash out because they are experiencing hurt and pain. I hope you can find some peace and happiness in your life.

Chip's Mom

I am familiar with this group. You are right about some on this NG: "the usual suspects" here will engage in ridicule of their perceived inferiors, (petty fault-finding of store clerks for eg.) and are somehow proud enough of their capers to describe them here to collect the usual "you go girl" from like-minded people. They sadly and apparently consider themselves to be independent and liberated thereby.

I was raised among strong women in my family who were high achievers, admired them always and still, and saw that they never needed to tear down others to elevate themselves. So I disagree with the word "properly" in the above post,if it was meant seriously. JPBill

----snip of much information--- I hope you can find some peace

There is little peace and happiness in the life of someone self-appointed to judge others. Thank goodness for filters.

So sorry for your loss. I believe that is the fear of every parent that we will outlive our children. You sound as if your coping skills have given you a wonderful out let. Thank you for all that you do for others. Sour grapes will always be sour,so no need to worry about others opinions of your post AND done so many positive things with your grief instead. I applauded you. Did anyone see the Oprah show this week with the woman who has spent millions on herself after her husband was killed in the trade towers? Appalling, boob jobs with donations.........I wanted to grab her through the TV.

Recently DH and I were in Sam's club. There were 2 'girls' with full sleeve tattoos on both arms. That was fine they are almost adults, and I even have a couple, but what bothered us and the clerk at our station was the tats on the baby, she was barely able to sit up in the cart seat but had 3 large tats on her chubby little legs. NO they were not fake, I know what a tat is. Now I will not live 30 years to regret mine, and it was my choice and I was over 40 when I got them, but who with any brains would tattoo a baby. I would put this up there with child abuse, I may be off base, but I think that was just wrong. I think the only way this could be done is by the parents.

"Pat in Arkansas" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...

I use a wheelchair and I'll believe it changes when I see it, right after the herd of pigs fly by. First off they have four years to comply to this ambiguous edict, then they have another year to comply after each complaint about them not complying. This only applies to the districts that acknowledged the complaints. There's so many loopholes for JoAnn's to act the part of concerned retailer and then work around this entire compliance order it makes me sick.

I've personally written letters to the Corporate office of JoAnn's for the past 8 years and got nothing but "we'll look into this, we value you as a customer" type replies. It has now taken a Federal law suit to get the corporate people off their butts and give a little "all our customers are important" speech. I call BULLSH*T on JoAnn's. Their ADA accommodations amount to "tell me what you want and I'll go get it for you." OK people, how many of you would go fabric shopping if you could only get 4 feet inside the door and no further and have a clerk say "tell me what you want and I'll go get it for you". I wonder how much profit JoAnn's would be making if all customers were handled this way. Retail sale is built on the premise of I need a spool of purple thread but ended up with $200.00 on the Visa. Do people really only run into the store for a loaf of bread and leave with just that. They would if you had to ask for a loaf of bread at the door and didn't see all those psychologically proven impulse buy displays. Normally I have to wait for a customer to come in or out of the store so I can even get IN the door because the clerks won't even pay attention to a person knocking, pounding, banging on the door. Anyone who has ever been in a wheelchair knows the majority of clerks make a concerted effort to NOT even make eye contact so they don't get stuck helping the crippled person. I have had more help from customers than clerks.

I say it's not going to happen. JoAnn's one and only goal is to get the most merchandise (quality is way down on the list of priorities, customer service not much higher) in the least amount of space, PERIOD. They will continue to stack and fill isles with the wide eyed; new girl didn't know: we just got freight: I'll get somebody to move that ( I love that excuse, as they walk away.....why the hell can't they move it?); to the ever popular and most used......"I know it gets really crowded in here" as they yank all the piles of crap on the floor over so I can get into an isle but leave it and disappear so I can't get out.

" hire an ADA Consultant to assist Jo-Ann's with implementation of the settlement Agreement and designate a corporate ADA Coordinator;" *insert bark of cynical laughter*

This means that somebody with a little manual, clip board and tape measure will be walking around checking things out and making recommendations. Isn't it amazing that the people who decide these things aren't in a wheelchair? Believe me, what is written in the manual and what actually works in the real world are two different things. Mobility devices come in all sizes and the manual was written for best case scenarios, which seldom there are. Door, isle, turning radius, etc are written for 'average adult manual chair". I asked my wheelchair repair guy once how many "average sized" people are in wheelchairs. His answer was about 20%, counting children. Wheelchairs come in many sizes to fit many bodies and conditions, in his customer base, which is a large one, about 80% are NOT average so there goes that regulation, a lot of good that does. They do actually interview and "observe" the disabled they have come in for a day or two to run their mock-up mazes. That manual was written by people who need to appease the clients and architects who voted in the fat cats who appointed and hired the very well paid people who decide how to write the manual. Not to increase quality of life for the disabled. Building a ramp costs less than a set of stairs, who is doing who a favor? And depending on the age of the building nothing will be done because retro fitting an older building is expensive and those funds were diverted to Halliburton's catering complex years ago. Making a building handicapped accessible is also fully tax deductible for that company if not fully funded so essentially it doesn't cost a thing. Make note that this seldom applies to private citizens. After all, JoAnn's and the like contribute a lot more to "get me the vote" campaigns than relatively few disabled people and their families who are usually pretty well tapped out financially.

We have four post offices that I can get to and have handicapped access. That means they have an automatic door. The only problem is, when you get close enough to the door to push the button for automatic door opener it swings smack into the person pushing the button. I've made phone calls and written letters.........the answers I get back; we have complied with the ADA codes for accessibility.

Anyone who is still reading this post should think about the fact that this effects you, even if, at the moment, you have two good legs to walk on. About 13 years ago at 5:30 am I had just finished a 3 mile run and my yoga routine before I left for work.....after 7:15 that same morning I never walked again. Disability not only plays no favorites to race, gender, religion, education or financial strata or anything else for that matter; it's swift and non discriminatory. People who are in wheelchairs are treated by the majority as if all are learning disabled, brain damaged, idiots, just plain stupid and/or deaf. Why DO people raise their voice to talk to somebody in a wheelchair? Maybe for the same reason they yell at somebody who speaks another language thinking that volume makes up for the lacking in ability to communicate. The worst of all is just being ignored, totally and completely ignored, as if you did not exist.

I don't put much faith in JoAnn's, I think they will make motions and noises but aren't terribly interested in going out of the way for, what to them, is a very insignificant number of customers. After all these years they didn't even make an effort until they were bashed over the head with a law suit. A little merchandise will be shuffled and a lot of excuses will be made and I'll bet the rent not much is going to change.

Val

This is happening because we are plagued with a leadership that, like the companies it seeks to aid at the expense of the public (ie Halliburton), has extremely short-term vision as well as lack of ethics and conscience. While Joann Fabric may be unique in the extreme breadth of its greed and disrespect for consumers, it is only one of hundreds of companies and institutions thumbing their noses with impunity at laws intended to protect consumers because those in power are not only antagonistic toward the general public, but have no apparent problem with exploitation either. Anything for a short-term profit and more corporate money in political fund coffers seems to suffice--- no matter how reprehensible, immoral or unreasonable.

Civil rights enforcement in general as well as enforcement of the ADA, §504 and the IDEA has been nearly absent over the last six years. The first clue was the dismissal of nearly all experienced DOJ civil rights litigators and other attorneys when Bush took office. It is the task of the executive branch to enforce the Nation's laws but, instead, they use and abuse executive power to pick and choose to their political advantage, to look the other way when they disagree, or to write executive orders which contradict long-standing existing statutes (ie FISA), under the fallacious guise of war powers.

To summarize, these are people who don't give a flying fig whether a wheelchair user can shop or not because anything that could actually help them might entail a "spending program". That elderly people are eating dog food because they cannot afford their medications or because they have been unable to navigate the complex pharmaceutical travesty is of no concern to the knuckleheads in charge.

How a civilization meets its responsibility to those who are disadvantaged by age, disability, economic status or whatever is a solid measure of that society. Right now we fall at the bottom end of that scale, past the red line, where it says, "Life among the savages".

Phae

On 27 Jul 2006 17:08:56 -0700 in alt.sewing, "cea" wrote,

Yes, really. No, not bashing each other like so many groups, but every so often a solid round of bashing bridesmaids dresses, or big asses in stretch pants, or felony bra strap exposure, or ... Really bugs me some times.

What's wrong with just leaving them alone? They're not hurting anybody.