OK, so I’m currently having this love/hate thing going on w/ Target. I was ready to forgive them until I got this email response from them (belated email response at that). I am so miffed about it that I’ve actually decided to copy the email I sent to my girls about this whole situation here. So, here’s my rant of the day. Hopefully this doesn’t happen often; hopefully ppl won’t keep annoying me. I’ve included their generic customer service email addy in case anyone wants to tell them to stop making me upset (it can’t possibly be good for my skin).

Hey Gals,
I thought y’all might be interested in reading the response that I got from Target (for the email I had sent them about this whole birth control prescription thing). I copy/pasted it below. Also, it’s not just Target, and it’s not just “Plan B” (or the “morning after pill”). The same place had denied regular birth control pills. And that’s fine, but in the email I had told them that they should at least have one person who wouldn’t mind accomodating their consumers. There was a CVS where a married woman went in w/ her 2 daughters & the pharmacist wouldn’t fill her regular ortho-tri-cyclen prescription. She even went so far as to explain that she’s over 35 & married & just wants to have a regular relationship w/ her husband w/out worrying about getting preggers (which she, like, totally should NOT have to do). That CVS was down in the bible-belt too. This really isn’t cool. I mean, it’s totally fine that a pharmacist does not have to fill something b/c of their own beliefs, but it should be the corporation’s responsibility to have someone available to fill the needs of their consumers. B/c as I put in my email to Target, that corporations do not have religions.

Also, I’m a little miffed that it looks like no one read my letter, b/c I specifically stated in my letter that I wasn’t talking about Plan B specifically. And this “form letter” response that I got from them (for the email I sent them about 3 weeks ago, btw) goes on about Plan B. They obviously do NOT care enough to actually read the email I sent them. I’m emailing them back as soon as I have an extra minute! (Unfortunately, I don’t think that’ll be anytime real soon).
–D.

>From: “Target.Response” <Target.Response@target.com
>>To: me at my email addy
>Subject: Filling Prescriptions
>Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 10:45:57 -0600
>>Dear Target Guest
>>>>In our ongoing effort to provide great service to our guests, Target
>consistently ensures that prescriptions for the emergency contraceptive
>Plan B are filled. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Title VII of the
>Civil Rights Act of 1964 also requires us to accommodate our team
>members’ sincerely held religious beliefs.
>>>>In the rare event that a pharmacist’s beliefs conflict with filling a
>guest’s prescription for the emergency contraceptive Plan B, our policy
>requires our pharmacists to take responsibility for ensuring that the
>guest’s prescription is filled in a timely and respectful manner, either
>by another Target pharmacist or a different pharmacy.
>>The emergency contraceptive Plan B is the only medication for which this
>policy applies.
>Under no circumstances can the pharmacist prevent the prescription from
>being filled, make discourteous or judgmental remarks, or discuss his or
>her religious beliefs with the guest.
>>Target abides by all state and local laws and, in the event that other
>laws conflict with our policy, we follow the law.
>>>>We’re surprised and disappointed by Planned Parenthood’s negative
>campaign. We’ve been talking with Planned Parenthood to clarify our
>policy and reinforce our commitment to ensuring that our guests’
>prescriptions for the emergency contraceptive Plan B are filled. Our
>policy is similar to that of many other retailers and follows the
>recommendations of the American Pharmacists Association. That’s why it’s
>unclear why Target is being singled out.
>>We’re committed to meeting the needs of our female guests and will
>continue to deliver upon that commitment.
>>Sincerely,
>>>>Jennifer Hanson
>>Target Executive Offices

I do love Dave. He’s absolutely great. He’s comical, witty, incredibly intelligent, and very humble. And he’s very ethical about his jokes. He has certain ‘lines’ that he or his writer’s cannot cross when making fun of others. He’s just great. (Oh, I’ve already said that. sorry). And since he’s had his baby, he’s just a ball of mush whenever anyone brings it up. And I think everyone brings up his baby boy now to get him off topic every now & then.

But the point is. . . For years (years), Dave’s been joking around about Oprah. He’s made on-air pleas for her to come on his show. He had campaigned for a while to get on her show, and even started the famous (& hilarious) ‘Oprah Log’. And then he would make his jokes. Here’s an excerpt from the log: “Day 82: I no longer want to be on your damned show.” Good ole Dave. Oprah did ask him on her show a couple of years ago (when the baby was born), but he wouldn’t go on b/c he said he “would break down and sob like a little girl … I don’t want to have that happen.”

Well, the time has come. Dave announced last night that Oprah’s gonna do his show on Dec. 1st! Set yo VCRs (or TiVos, if ya have one. But I don’t personally know anyone who does.)! It’s opening night of her ‘Color Purple’ (she’s da producer) on broadway.

Here’s what Dave said: “What a big night that is going to be — not only for us, not only for Oprah, but for Broadway. . . You have the big `Color Purple’ Broadway opening, and then right across the street here in this theater, you have Oprah appearing here. I mean, that’s what Broadway is all about — it’s a street of dreams.”

“This just gives you an idea of what a big, big star this really is. . . She’s huge. Put bygones behind us, the water under the bridge, over the dam, wherever water goes — standing in your basement — she’s going to be here on this show and it’s going to be fantastic.”

I love Dave & I love Oprah. So let the countdown begin!

1998 was a good year for hair, but a bad year for fashion. I remember seeing some ‘cigarette pants’ that year (not the cute cropped kind, the ones that go all the way down to the ankle). Shiny ones. (Yeah, I know.) I don’t want to talk about that though.

Madonna’s hair in particular looked great that year. It was my favorite hairstyle of hers. Not like this new ‘Farrah during her Charlies Angels’ days style Madge is sportin now. But what does she care? She probably doesn’t give a ‘whatever’ to what anyone thinks of her hair (or anything else). She close to 50, in (oh my god) fantastic shape. And over the last 25 years, has been criticized by everyone from her parents to politicians to da Pope to Letterman (not in any particular order). So, she can do whatever she wants & that’s fine. She wants to sport the same feathered hairdon’t Bon Jovi’s got (& had for years), she can do what she wants. That’s a pic of her to the right (duh). It’s actually one of my faves (along with the inside cover of the Spin mag she did that same year; w/ her face w/ eyes open superimposed on her face w/ her eyes closed. That was an incredible pic, but I don’t know who did it. I have that issue still at home, but don’t want to dig it out of whatever box it’s in.) But this is the famous portrait of her that Mario Testino did & is now found at the National Portrait Gallery.

But one huge (& horrendous) thing that happened in fashion back in ’98 (and the whole point of this story) was “the shrug”. I have no idea where it came from (or why). It just happened & I hated it, and I waited a whole year to see it disappear.

Ya know those glass things that Superman’s dad put those 3 bad guys in, then sent them into outer space in the 1st superman. I feel like that’s what happened with the shrugs. The went away, and everyone was happy again. No one could believe that ppl had wore them by choice. Well, now (somehow) they’ve come back. & ppl are acting like they don’t remember 1998, when they were here & horrible. Just like how the 3 bad guys in the 1st Superman movie came back years later to another planet & no one knew how evil they were. Shrugs are just like those bad guys. I think we have to come up with a way to rid the world of them for good. Or, the same cycle will happen again. Ppl will come to their senses, and then years from now, they’ll be back again.

I just don’t get it. It’s not like they cover you up, or keep you warm. Remember shoulder-pads? You don’t want them back either, do you? While we are getting rid of stuff, I also detest these ‘metallic bags’ that are coming back. And who told anyone that Sienna Miller should be a fashion icon. Does anyone really respect any of her choices? She is single-handedly responsible for bringing the ‘hobo bags’ back. That doesn’t work for me either.

I loved San Francisco. It was quite lovely. It also made me feel a little regret-ful about the bad things I said about LA, b/c I met this really nice guy there who is actually from LA (as in, lived there all his life). And I said some bad things (or at least thought some bad things) about LA & the natives there, but he was cool.

But I did have a great time in San Francisco. Here are my pictures from San Fran.

The streets were crazy. I thought they were scary, but apparently I’ve been told that I’m a “scardy-cat”. (Whatever, hater.) I guess it’s not bad considering it doesn’t snow there.

But all the ppl I met in San Francisco wanted to start up a conversation. I mean everybody! I walked into my hotel carrying a cup of coffee, and the doorguy started talking about the coffeehouse I got it at & how he loves that place. Sidenote: half the music in the coffeehouse’s jukebox was opera!

Flying in & out of San Fran is just the most awesome thing. Flying in, you’re getting closer & closer & closer to the ground. . . but there’s NO GROUND THERE! It’s all water! Then, at the last moment, just as the wheels must be like 10 feet from the ground, comes land & the runway. Flying out is cool too, you’re about to run out of land & drive into the water, when you feel the plane levitate off the ground as you see the water below. Breath-taking, really. And I’m not being over-dramatic.

I really do not like L.A. Maybe because I went there with the preconceived notion that I wouldn’t like it. Self-fulfilling prophecy & all that. First of all, it’s dirty. I mean DUR-TEE. I went just from the airport to the hotel, which is a 15 minute car ride for 0.9 of a mile, btw. And by the time I got to the hotel, I had to wash up because I already felt dirty.

I went for a walk outside (not recommended by the way). I thought I’d walk the couple of miles I was told would get me to the beach & some shopping (a girl can at least window-shop). After 2 miles, I found out I still had about 4 more to go, so I hopped on a bus. By the time I got home, I felt filthy (& not in the good way). So I washed up, & I kid you not, the water came off me brown. ewwww. So, anyway, it’s dirty.

Also, all the ppl there are Rudy McRudepeckers. I did meet some very nice people that I talked to for a while, but they were all from out of town, visiting L.A. I also met one very, very friendly LA boi, but he worked for Coach, and I suspect his friendliness had something to do with the commission he could get from my sale. I mean, I’m sure he admired me as a put-together woman (I did look very “put-together” that day); but I don’t think he would’ve talked me up for half an hour were it not for the prospect of a looming commission. All the out-of-towners talked me up for at least half an hour each w/out gettin anything out of it but lovely conversation.

Maybe I’ll go back one day (years from now), and give it another chance. But not anytime soon, or by choice. Oh, here’s my pictures from LA.