This Piece Of Clothing Contains Better Cotton Even If It Actually Doesn't

If you are concerned about the environment and want to support sustainability, then you might buy a piece of clothing with "Better Cotton".  If you still want to feel good about yourself, then don't read the fine print, which states "may not contain Better Cotton".  

I am sure this "greenwashing", as it is known, has plenty of reasons to explain how even though the Better Cotton product you just bought doesn't actually contain Better Cotton, it's still all good and green and sustainable, but it's still basically like buying organic orange juice and then reading the label and finding out it may not contain organic oranges.

Or even oranges.

Ah, corporate America . . . 

Maybe buy something from an actual person instead such as my new novel, which contains 100% individual writing!

Red Stripe Update

A few years ago, I noted that Red Stripe, the beer of Jamaica, was now being made in Latrobe, Pennsylvania USA, which struck me as odd.  Recently, I bought another 6-pack of Red Stripe, and it's back to being made in Jamaica, which is probably how it should be.  It looks like some people got upset enough about Red Stripe not being made in Jamaica that they sued the company.  That lawsuit got dismissed, but it looks like at some point, the beermaking moved back to its origins.  It looks like they might be making Pabst, along with some other stuff (apparently, whomever pays them to brew), at the old Rolling Rock plant now.  Poor Rolling Rock is made in Newark, New Jersey USA still.

With all the good craft beer around, I drink this type of mass market beer rarely, but when the weather starts getting warmer, I do get an occasional hankering for Red Stripe and reggae music, so I am happy to know that if that will be the case again, then I will be drinking the stuff from Jamaica.  The Latrobe stuff seemed like a cover band from Western Pennsylvania playing Bob Marley songs.  Not bad, but not quite the real thing.

Whatever beer you drink, my latest novel goes well with it.

A Tale Of Two Companies

Recently, I was overcharged by two companies.  Oddly enough, both of them stem from Western Pennsylvania USA.

The first company, Giant Eagle, remedied the situation immediately.  I bought some toilet paper on sale and was charged the normal price.  When my total bill came out higher than expected, I checked the receipt and discovered the error.  The clerk checked things out and verified the error.  I only wanted the difference between the sale and regular price back, but the store gave me the toilet paper and gave me back the entire price I had paid for it, apologizing for the error.  Wow!

That experience stood in stark contrast to the other.  I had insurance with Erie Insurance through the Myers Insurance Agency in Lakewood, Ohio USA for many years.  I moved and went through some other major life changes last year, and even though I had paid for a year's worth of auto insurance back in May, my agent oddly insisted that I open up a new policy, pay for it, and then the money that I paid for my old policy would be refunded.  When no refund eventually showed up, I inquired about it.  When I didn't hear back from my agent after 11 days and several followups, I just contacted corporate, specifically the CEO, since he always stuck his name on the letters I would get from the company.  He sicced a snotty secretary on me, who gave me various goofy reasons why I wouldn't get a refund.  Finally, I just ended up getting new insurance and canceling all my policies with Erie.  I also complained officially to the Ohio Department Of Insurance.  I was prepared even to buy a share of stock in the company just to show up at the annual shareholders meeting to complain.  Fortunately, I didn't have to buy stock in such a crappy company since, amazingly enough, my refund for the old policy finally appeared.

One of these companies I will patronize again; one I will not.  You can probably guess which they are.  Companies can learn a lot from this juxtaposition.  If you want to keep customers, treat them well and fix any mistake promptly.  Most people understand that mistakes can happen, so if the situation is resolved quickly, it's usually forgiven.      

Red Stripe, The Taste Of Latrobe

Every summer, I get a hankering for some reggae and Red Stripe.  I was puzzled to discover with my latest purchase of the beer that, though long associated with Jamaica, the Red Stripe for sale in the USA appears to no longer be brewed there (though Canadians and some others can still get the Jamaican stuff straight from the source).  In fact, Red Stripe appears to be now from Latrobe, Pennsylvania USA.  I visited that brewery when Rolling Rock was made there.  So the glass lined tanks of old Latrobe now are filled with Red Stripe.  It would be fitting if Rolling Rock were made in Jamaica, but it is now made in New Jersey.  The beer industry must have its reasons for what it does, but it is all a bit puzzling to me.  From now on, when I reach for a Red Stripe, I guess I will listen to Donnie Iris instead of Bob Marley.

A Tale Of Two Giftcards

I received two giftcards for Christmas and decided to knock them out today before I forgot about them. I went to J.C. Penney and checked out, and the cashier said "Do you have one of the coupons?" I said, "No, what coupon?" She said, "I'll find one for you," and took $10 off the price. I thanked her and then bought some more stuff with the remainder on the giftcard.

Then I went to Kohl's. I didn't see anything that I particularly liked, so I just picked up a Barnes & Noble giftcard for the same amount and tried to check out (I had done this a couple of years ago), but the cashier and the assistant manager said the system wouldn't take the transaction because it wasn't for "merchandise". Call me old-fashioned, but if you're selling a product in your store, it's "merchandise." I left without buying anything. I guess one should beware of Kohl's gift cards. One never knows when they'll slap a "can only be redeemed for pants on the third Thursday of May" into the giftcard fine print either.

Guess which store I'll continue to shop at?