I did not get into the story here, but basically, I'm tangling with Verizon over a charge that they shouldn't have levied, never took off, sent to collections, and have put on Tom's credit report, despite monthly calls the Verizon Customer Service to get this straightened out. Ginger suggested we write to the president of the company, and I'm drafting the letter with the giant cc list to others in the organization, our lawyer, the media, and the BBB.

Nora, while you're cc'ing it to here and beyond, put tips@consumerist.com on the list as well.

Thanks, Amy, it's on the list.

Have also called our attorney, since we are bandying about talk of legal action and cc-ing her.

Yikes, Nora. Good luck with all the proceedings - a lot of times just getting high enough up the food chain can get things resolved. Credit report stuff is no joke - you guys are lucky that didn't happen before the house purchase.

Credit report stuff is no joke - you guys are lucky that didn't happen before the house purchase.

I know, right? Troublesome: we may be in the market to buy a new car soon.

Troublesome: we may be in the market to buy a new car soon.

Gives Verizon the stinkeye.

Question for eBayers: One of my auctions ended about this time on Monday morning, and I have not received payment or any other communication. The person who bought the item is very very new to ebay-- they signed up on Sunday.

Is it too soon to send an "hey, I haven't heard from you/gotten paid yet, and I know you are very new to ebay, so let me know if you have any questions about the process or payment options" email?

I would definitely send an email and state that you'll need to hear from them within a certain amount of time or you'll be re-listing the item.

When ya going, Vortex?

In October

ION, it is 2:15AM here in California, and I have a serious case of The Creeps. Granted, I was reading a murder mystery before bed, but I read them all the time without getting creeped out, and this one was predictible and not particulary scary. Still, for whatever reason the skylight over my bed, which has never bothered me before, suddenly seems quite menacing and extremely accessible to rooftop intruders. Every time I close my eyes, I have this horrid fantasy that someone is up there staring down at me, and then I have to open my eyes and make sure it isn't true.

Oh, I had that with The Carver on Nip/Tuck. Didn’t sleep well for a while, and I had to stop watching it at night, and wait until Saturday afternoon. And then, it suddenly occurred to me that The Carver was after the Beautiful People ™, of which I am not (Attractive People, maybe), and then I could sleep. Which makes no fucking sense, but it worked for me.

But we all thought the couple should have been given a 1/2 hour or so totally alone after the wedding to be together before having to be out amongst their friends and families.

It isn't a requirement or anything, but I strongly recommend that all the couples I marry do this. In some Jewish weddings, the couple goes off to a quiet room to regroup and eat apple & honey (to ensure a fruitful and sweet union).

Every couple I've had do this ends up enjoying the reception, and each other, so much more! (I never thought about it for macking purposes, but hey, that works too.)