Pulp Free

Next in the line of Pop songs unable to escape my needless playing is from Keisha White. Titled, “Don’t Mistake Me” - this tune enjoyably mixes the latest female pop classics parts with some classic (well, at least to me) Motown elements. I haven’t been able to find much information about this song so I’m guessing either I’m quite late in finding it, it slipped by mainstream Top 40, or I’m early on the music bandwagon. Be sure to have a listen:

Keisha White - Don’t Mistake Me - (Song Sample)

For more info, check out Amazon.com or her Web site.

I happened to be checking out one of our local grocery store online Web site to see what their fees were for delivery and looked at their FAQ. Of course their fees weren’t listed there… (It was a different page) - but I found this nice tidbit of information. The question was typical in that, as a end-user, this scenario may happen.

Question:

When I click on the checkout button, I get no response. What’s wrong?

Response:

This usually happens when a customer is accessing Schnucks Home Shopping from their employer’s network. Many companies have a firewall which either prevents Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) traffic, or requires special browser settings to do so. The checkout procedure requires the use of SSL to protect your privacy. If your company uses a firewall, your company’s IS staff should be able to help you with your web browser settings.

Now - since I’ve managed several high volume Web sites in my career both from a technical side, a support side, and a customer side - isn’t that statement a bit presumptuous?

“It’s the customer’s fault. Have your IT folks fix it”

Um - yeah. That’s a pretty poor response. It could be a lot of things. SSL not being allowed through a corporate firewall is probably like number 49 on a top 50 list. Isn’t that a response coming out of the 1990’s? I would have to assume the number one reason for “I get no response at checkout” would be related to the application not functioning correctly and the Web site’s backend causing an issue.

My guess is that somebody in their IT department rattled off that answer for the marketing group, they didn’t know any better, and it’ll save their (probably a non-existent) Help Desk from getting any calls when their poorly written Web application falls apart.

Just my two cents - but I think Schnucks should try to be a little more Internet and customer savvy and reword their FAQ a bit.

Perhaps we should start requesting licenses to those that want to have babies… From the Associated Press:

Savarin DeJesus spent her Friday night downing gin and smoking cigarettes before returning to the homeless shelter where she and her 4-month old baby girl lived.

The 18-year-old woman went to sleep with the baby at her side, but soon started throwing up in a bucket next to her bed filled with cleaning solution and water.

It ended up costing the baby her life: The infant fell into a puke-filled bucket and died.

DeJesus was charged with criminally negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of a child.

“I loved my baby. I want you to know that,” a weeping and trembling DeJesus told the judge during a brief hearing Friday.

The criminal complaint filed against DeJesus revealed more details about the horrific case, and what DeJesus was doing in the hours leading up to Niah’s death.

DeJesus told an NYPD detective that she had a date on Sept. 15 and left the infant late that night in the care of a person living at the East Harlem homeless shelter.

During the course of the evening, DeJesus drank a 20-ounce soda bottle that was filled half with soda and half with gin, according to the complaint.

She returned to the shelter at nearly 4 a.m. stinking of booze and retrieved her baby. A few minutes later, after chatting with some residents of the shelter and smoking cigarettes, she took Niah back to her room and changed her clothing and diaper.

That is when she told police she felt sick and vomited into the bucket next to the bed. She then passed out, clutching Niah’s legs.

When she awoke between 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., DeJesus found the baby’s head inside the bucket that contained about six inches of liquid. The baby’s skin had already turned cold. The baby was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The cause of death was either asphyxiation or drowning, according to the medical examiner’s office. The complaint said the baby smelled strongly of alcohol.

It’s not clear if the shelter, called the Fox House, had a crib. A spokeswoman with the city’s Department of Homeless Services was trying to determine if the shelter had one available and if an investigation had been launched into whether the shelter had followed appropriate guidelines.

On Friday, DeJesus’ lawyer told the judge that Niah’s death was unintentional.

“She loved her baby and would never hurt her,” Kenneth Gilbert said.

Gilbert said DeJesus had no criminal record and was taking antidepressants in the wake of Niah’s death.

He said his client, from Staten Island, was staying at the shelter to be closer to the baby’s father, who lived in the area.

The instructions were:

Step 1. Tie balloons to car.
Step 2. Drive like a bat out of hell….
Step 3. Watch people freak out !!!!