What Has Happened to Customer Service in this Country?

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Thursday night in the make-up room, as Bernie Grimm came in, the make-up artist turned to me and asked why I didn't say anything about Bernie's hair the other night. Apparently it was standing straight up. She and Bernie — both laughing — pointed out that I was seated inches from Bernie and said nothing about his hair. I said, "I didn't notice anything." Bernie said a friend called him after the show and said his hair looked like Don King's. Apparently his hair got more comments in addition to the one friend's call. I missed his "bad hair night"… or maybe I am so used to my own bad hair nights that his hair standing straight up went unnoticed by me.

Two nights ago, Congressman Patrick Kennedy got into a car accident. He was not given a sobriety test by the police (but I think the police should have given him one.) The congressman issued a statement around 10 p.m. last night that he had taken two drugs — Phenergan for gastroenteritis and Ambien to help him sleep. He became disoriented and about 2:45 a.m., thought he had a vote. He got in the car to drive the short distance to the Capitol and had the accident. He has said he will cooperate fully with an investigation. I hope he keeps his word to fully cooperate.

A quick question: Has your opinion changed on the Terri Schiavo matter since it happened? If so, what was your opinion and what is it now? I will post some of the responses on Monday.

I also have a consumer question for you: I wonder if this stuff happens to you:

I ordered a Sony camera DIRECTLY from Sony by phone last week and was promised — yes, promised — that it would arrive by May 3 or 4. It did not. In my conversation with the Sony salesperson I said, "Are you sure?" He said, "Yes." Wanting to make sure it arrived in time for an event for which I needed it — and knowing the camera is new — I said, "Is the camera in stock?" He said, "Yes, I am looking at the record showing it is. You are lucky because we have many in stock."

When I did not get the camera on May 3 or 4 as promised I went on the Sony Web site to look at my order and my online receipt indicated the camera is "not in stock." I then contacted Sony and got an e-mail promising to FedEx the camera. That seemed like a good idea to me. I was given a FedEx tracking date. I went to the FedEx Web site and see that Sony is FedEx'ing it the slowest possible way. The estimated — yes, estimated — arrival is May 9.

What's with Sony? Why not just tell it straight in the first place? It is not a huge deal, but why the lame service?

Now for some e-mails from you — randomly chosen — and following the e-mails I posted some articles that caught my attention:

E-mail No. 1

Hi Greta,
I know this is a very serious night tonight, but seeing Bernie... I have to have you ask him if he has a twin brother who is currently playing an evil guy on "24."
Kim Nagy
Weston, OH

ANSWER: Not that I know of….

E-mail No. 2

As someone who lives and works within two blocks of Ground Zero, I completely agreed with this sentence. Moussaoui was a wannabe terrorist who couldn't negotiate a car rental from Hertz — he didn't even get through flight school so could not have flown a plane even if not already cut lose by 9/11 plotters. The FBI and CIA in all their incompetence were more responsible for 9/11 than Moussaoui even dreamed of being — and the jury said as much. Bottom Line: Moussaoui got the sentence he deserved and American Intelligence is still to be called to task for that black day.
Paul J. Brown

E-mail No. 3

Hi, Greta,
I agree with you that we must respect the decision of the jury in the Moussaoui case. Without knowing all of the facts, we must put our faith in our fellow citizens. I live in Colorado and had an opportunity to tour "Supermax" a couple of years ago. I thought that this experience would be of interest to your readers. This place feels like a prison.
It is in the middle of desert terrain, not the beautiful Colorado Rockies that you normally think of. Mr. Moussaoui's cell will be 7 feet by 12 feet and I was able to actually sit in one of these cells and have the door closed. Words cannot express how dreadful this felt. Unless you actually see this place, you really cannot comprehend how terrible an existence Mr. Moussaoui is about to endure. He will spend 23 hours of every day in this cell. The cell has a small window, which cannot be moved, which means that there is no fresh air available. The 24th hour can be spent in an exercise room that has only a chin-up bar on the wall, no exercise equipment or weights. Nothing. There is no contact with other prisoners, ever, and minimal contact with prison staff. His bed is made of concrete with a heavy pad for a mattress. He will be monitored by camera every minute of every day.
In short, most people would consider this existence, I believe, worse that death.
Whether you agree with the jury's decision or not, Mr. Moussaoui is about to pay a huge price. He's just going to make these payments each and every day for the rest of his life and I believe that that is a very fitting punishment for someone so evil.
Enjoy your show,
Greg Steward
Littleton, CO

E-mail No. 4

Greta,
Dennis Hastert has no right, or do any of us, to make a statement about the jury's decision. They heard all of the evidence, we did not. And yes, I live in Illinois where there is a stay on the death penalty. I do not believe in the death penalty as let a murder live every day with their guilt.
Janet Mann
Pekin, IL

E-mail No. 5

I cannot believe that any lawmaker would have the audacity to say that he doubts the judge’s or jury’s decision in any case. As you said, unless you have been present for all of the testimony in a case, how can you say that you would have rendered a verdict different from the verdict rendered by a Judge or jury? I have never been called for jury duty and I have always longed to serve. Our justice system is fascinating and I don’t understand people who negate it by saying that it is flawed. Of course it is flawed, as is every system. Unfortunately, there is no perfect system. I thought, given just the information I gleaned from the news and the Internet, that the jury had the worst possible decision to make in the Moussaoui case and they rendered their verdict after taking the time to be thorough instead of voting with their hearts. Too often, people who are on the outside expect juries or judges to make decisions based on how they feel. Feelings are not mentioned anywhere in any juror’s oath that I have heard. I thought the verdict was fair and just. I also believe that the jurors knew that no matter what decision they reached they could not please everyone. We should all be thanking these jurors for taking time from their lives to be a part of this case. I admire all of these jurors for the job they have done, for seeing and hearing evidence that most people would have been unable to. Thank you for always asking your viewers opinions and for considering that we are all so different!
Paula Israel
Round Rock, TX

E-mail No. 6

I believe that Speaker Hastert's comments were inappropriate. I happen to believe that this jury did a truly outstanding job with, to be sure, the toughest decision any jury has faced since our world changed so dramatically on 9/11. It is clear that they considered everything and that it was a difficult and thorough deliberation. I do not believe that they were swayed by the testimony related to his upbringing. I believe that the two factors that weighed most heavily on their hearts, excluding the obvious fact that he could have prevented the tragedy, were 1), he was not one of the actual murderers, and 2), the death penalty would have given him the ticket he wanted in order to join his fellow extremists in their idea of heaven.
We are all angry and hurt by what the terrorists did to us that day. I hear that anger in pain in what Speaker Hastert said. We are truly fortunate that this jury was able to put aside those raw emotions and make a reasoned decision.
Liz Beard

E-mail No. 7

Representative Hastert has the right to speak his mind as do you and me. That plus, being a politician he feels he must comment on all sorts of subjects (mostly things they nothing about) but that’s the price we, the common citizen, must pay after voting them into office. You are correct… everyone can second guess this jury but they were not in the court room for the entire hearing, nor in the deliberation rooms after. I must, therefore agree with the jury’s decision.
Larry Pratt
Pflugerville, TX

E-mail No. 8

Hi Greta,
I am a firm believer in our justice system and do not approve of the comments that Mr. Hastert made. He can think what he wants, but just to blatantly make a comment like that was way out of line. If he had been there every day and listened in on all of the evidence, he might very well have had a different opinion.
I myself would have thought the death penalty would have been a good choice, but I too wasn't there for all the evidence, so I too might have come up with life in prison. You never really know until you are in the shoes of the juror. Thanks for listening to another opinion.
J. Reynolds
Wilmington, OH

E-mail No. 9

Hi Greta,
My wife and I drive by the Supermax in Florence, CO, each weekend when we go to our cabin. The "max" part of the complex really can't be seen from the road but I always make myself think about all the bad dudes tucked away in that fortress.
Personally, I'm against the death penalty. I also understand the feelings of those who felt Moussaoui should have been executed. The cat liked publicity. He won't get much tucked away in Florence in a box 23 hours a day with no windows and no outside contact. At his age he should have about 40 or so years to enjoy his solitude. He'll be able to shout anything he wants and no one will hear him. Like the tree in the forest thing.
I just wish I could see the look on his eyes on Judgment Day when he finds out the truth about the 70 virgins deal!
Brian Olson
Highlands Ranch/Westcliffe, CO

E-mail No. 10

The viewer responses regarding Anna Nicole Smith being "trash" and "gold digger" crack me up. All the venom toward the woman. Not much is said about the fact that Howard Marshall had a taste for gals showing skin and attention for dollars, long before he married Anna. Where's the moral police, there?
Don't you folks get your panties in a knot either about the illegals! You, as parents (loose use of the word), are single-handedly destroying this country's future far worse than an influx of Mexicans could ever do. You raise your kids as though they will thrive by merely feeding them; exposing them to every contradiction, violence, neglect or overindulgence of material goods. I am 48 years old and chose to not have children because of what their peer group was to be. Haven't regretted it a bit. Just go to any restaurant and see how the parents fail to teach/correct their hellions in a public setting. They care about others as little as their "disciples" will as adults.
Keep up the good work — you may be begging the illegals to fix this country. And also, please build more prisons, etc. and continue to chisel down mental heath services. Fools... and to think they all but crucified Joseph Hazelwood (E. Valdez) for being incapacitated at the helm! I give up. Pat Hirsch
Wilmington, NC

E-mail No. 11

We've all heard the joke, but reading the blog today reminded me of it: I guess Moussaoui didn't get his 70 virgins, he got 12 Virginians! I think we were all hoping for life in prison rather than a quick death to make a martyr out of him.
Sally
Clovis, CA

E-mail No. 12

Greta,
I think Moussaoui received the correct sentence. I did some research on these Supermax prisons and they are horrid! No one has ever escaped or even gotten close to escaping. He will have no contact with other prisoners, visitors are limited and visiting room conditions are not nice; therefore, family members do not visit often. It will be a horrible way to wait for death to eventually happen. I thought of this today and the thought of never laughing again is just awful. He will never hold or love a woman again for the rest of his life. His life is over. Justice was served.
Linda

E-mail No. 13

Greta,
I am very pro-death penalty, but I am glad that the jurors chose to give Moussaoui life instead of death. Instead of dying like a martyr in the "chair" he'll rot in jail for the rest of his life. I believe Moussaoui was hoping for death so he could die a hero for his cause, but instead he gets to live the rest of his life in a cell, with no glory and no "72 virgins," or whatever it is he believes will be waiting for him on the other side.
Jennifer R.
Pensacola, FL

E-mail No. 14

Dear Greta,
That picture of your "babies" is adorable! Looks like you posed them!
I was reading this morning that Anna Nicole is supposedly pregnant with the "help" of a friend. I feel for that poor child already, if it is true. I agree with you, how much money does one person need? She and the son should just split it and quit making these lawyers multimillionaires and tying up the courts.
As for Moussaoui, I totally agree with life in prison without parole. Let him sit and rot, mainly because he is a terrorist and that is what the USA should do to people that come into our country and try to harm us. I do not think he played such an important part in 9/11. I did not lose anyone in the attack, but was so shaken for my country and my fellow Americans. I really think the families, etc., wanted a scapegoat because we haven't caught UBL, however, that won't really solve the problem. Moussaoui wanted to die, this punishment is really worse for him. And, yes, I am a taxpayer too and will be footing the bill for him for life. Well, if he were sentenced to death, I would still, as a tax payer, be footing his living bill for the next 25 years before he was put to death, so what's the difference. I don't believe the speaker of the House should have made that comment, he wasn't in the jury and doesn't know all they know.
Love your show, we watch it every evening. Even our dog, Cricket, watches with us!
Take care,
KR Thomas
MD

E-mail No. 15

Good morning, Greta,
I enjoyed your interview with the Durham DA — for an impromptu interview, it looked as if it had been planned and rehearsed. Being from Charlotte, NC, I have great interest in this case. It is surprising to me that this problem happened at Duke because of it being so upscale as compare to Carolina and State. Years ago, the Methodist denomination was a huge support of Duke... they must not be now or I believe we would have heard from them.
Great shows and you do such a wonderful job as host!
Martha
Macon, GA

E-mail No. 16

Hi Greta,
First, Dennis Hastert, or anyone else for that matter, can only express their personal opinions. They don't know how they would vote unless they are sitting in the jury and hearing all the evidence. One thing I'm curious about. Is it permissible to gag a defendant who is disrupting the trial? It is a shame they had to allow Moussaoui to carry on the way he did.
Second, regarding Mike Nifong. I did see him on your show. I hate to see this case going on in the media quite so much. Everyone is assuming Mr. Nifong has no case and maybe they are right but I find it bizarre that he would continue after all the negative publicity if he didn't have something to go on. I would love to see the media coverage end completely until it's ended in the courts.
Jane McNair
Mystic, CT

E-mail No. 17

Hi Greta!
I saw your interview with Mr. Nifong the other night and I really think he came off as pretty goofy!
I am sure he is a smart man but he needs to stick to law and not try to be a comedian!
Angie Peterson
Morton, IL

E-mail No. 18

Thank you Greta, for posting e-mails in Anna's favor in your blog. It's so refreshing to read that people actually concur with my belief that Anna is due her moneys. Please! She was his wife. Like one e-mailer pointed out the son is already loaded and to try to take ALL his father's wife's money is just disgraceful! You go, Anna! I have been rooting for her from the start with this court thing (bless her little heart for enduring the court process — right, Greta!). I am glad she has this recent turn of events in her favor; I just hope it continues for her.
Great stuff in those e-mails. I love the e-mails in your blog! Refreshing!
Caroline

E-mail No. 19

Dennis Hastert is thinking like a lot of others who wanted Moussaoui to be executed — that was my first thought. But I am glad Moussaoui's dream of being a martyr is gone.
Trudy
OK

E-mail No. 20

Greta,
I think the same can apply to both the DA and Hastert with respect to your question. How can one form an opinion if one has not been privy to ALL of the facts?
Love your show...
June

E-mail No. 21

What do I think of Speaker Hastert’s comments? He was asked a question and he responded. I think there are a lot of people who feel the same way. No — he didn’t sit in and listen to all the evidence; but we saw what happened on 9/11 and Moussaoui had knowledge that could have made a difference.
Love the picture of your pets. We were adopted by a kitten a few months ago. We now have three indoor cats that have adopted us — we are the “home for wayward cats” — and a couple who hang around outside wanting to come inside.
Cathy
Houston, TX

E-mail No. 22

Hi Greta,
I've lived in this town long enough to know better than to take a politician's remark seriously. You must remember that most, if not all politicians, play to their audience when making off the cuff remarks.
Jan Maane

E-mail No. 23 — note, this next e-mail is about E-mail No. 19 in Thursday's blog:

"Why is Mr. Grimm not listed with Martindale-Hubble [sic]?"
ANSWER: It's not a free listing (as you know, Greta); attorneys must pay to be listed and many choose not to.
Terri
Lafayette, IN

E-mail No. 24

Greta,
As far as Mike Nifong being elected, I guess I was a little surprised. All the polls I had seen had Freda Black in the lead (just barely), and I saw her try the Petersen case on Court TV and thought she was very competent. I was quite impressed. But after hearing your interview with Mr. Nifong last night, perhaps he is the right person for the job. I thought at first that his high profile comments right after the Duke incident (for lack of a better word) were not very wise let alone legally the right thing to do. I'm no lawyer so I'll leave that one up to your call, but it does remind me of the D.A. Mike Sneddon in the Michael Jackson case, or the D.A. (I can't remember his name) in the Kobe Bryant case, and we all know what happened in those. In listening to Mike Nifong last night though, he sure sounds confident. I don't know if I'm just being effected by that, or he really has the goods, but time will tell.
Lori Campbell
Redlands, CA

Finally, for some articles that caught my attention. The first one explains why people don't always help the police:

• Key witness in gang murder case shot, killed

• Pregnancy rumors swirl around Anna Nicole Smith

• Man's tattooed toes allegedly tied him to crime

Send your thoughts and comments to: ontherecord@foxnews.com

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