MMA: The Real Deal, though Homoerotic

A few years ago, i developed an interest in boxing. Watching it, not participating. But then, i came across the relatively new sport of MMA--Mixed Martial Arts. I mostly watch WrekCage, World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) on Versus. It is the fastest growing sport in America, and its fans run the gamut of economic, social and ethnic demographics.

One of the first things i noticed--perhaps absurdly--was that the sport seemed overtly homo-erotic. Scantily clad men would wrestle with each other, their arms and legs entwined in often very sexual poses, and they could win the fight through techniques like "Submission" and "Rear Naked Choke." And some of the clinches these guys wind up in, can be pretty entertaining.


All that silliness aside, it was easy to become a fan of this sport. I am most impressed with the degree to which these guys have to be athletes. I am convinced that they are among the most physically well-conditioned people on the planet. Maybe even THE most.

MMA has more dimensions than boxing. During a match, fighters can use kickboxing, wrestling, and regular boxing, as well as various martial arts, like Jiu Jitzu, Judo, Karate, Muay Thai (moy-tie). But these guys don't wear those puffy gloves. They barely have any padding in the ones they do wear, and yet they stand toe to toe and smack each other with enough force to cause unconsciousness before they even hit the ground. Mostly, though, the sport is about skill and many times, few or no punches are even thrown. it all depends on the skill-set of each fighter and the dynamics of the fight.

There are 9 ways to win an MMA fight:

• Knockout
• Technical Knockout
• Submission
• Referee Stoppage
• Doctor Stoppage
• Corner Stoppage
• Forfeit
• Decision
• Disqualification
• No Contest

Fighters use striking and grappling techniques to conquer their opponent. And according to the URMMA,

1

3:46-24A.15 Fouls

(a) The following are fouls and will result in penalties if committed:
1. Butting with the head;
2. Eye gouging of any kind;
3. Biting or spitting at an opponent;
4. Hair pulling;
5. Fish hooking;
6. Groin attacks of any kind;
7. Intentionally placing a finger in any opponent’s orifice;
8. Downward pointing of elbow strikes;
9. Small joint manipulation;
10. Strikes to the spine or back of the head;
11. Heel kicks to the kidney;
12. Throat strikes of any kind;
13. Clawing, pinching, twisting the flesh or grabbing the clavicle;
14. Kicking the head of a grounded fighter;
15. Kneeing the head of a grounded fighter;
16. Stomping of a grounded fighter;
17. The use of abusive language in fighting area;
18. Any unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to opponent;
19. Attacking an opponent on or during the break;
20. Attacking an opponent who is under the referee’s care at the time;
21. Timidity (avoiding contact, or consistent dropping of mouthpiece, or faking an injury);
22. Interference from a mixed martial artists seconds;
23. Throwing an opponent out of the fighting area;
24. Flagrant disregard of the referee’s instructions;
25. Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his or her head or neck.

Now this is what i would call an extreme sport, yet not at all foolish. When MMA first started in 1993 with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), there were injuries, but no more than in any other contact sport. John McCain, however, derided it as "human cockfighting," spearheading legislation that kept the fights from being aired on Pay Per View, and even convinced some states to ban the sport altogether. Ironically, McCain is still a fan of boxing, though he was ringside when boxer Jimmy Garcia was killed in the ring, and also ironically, there are over a thousand documented deaths in boxing, and only 1 in MMA, Doug Dedge, who died in a Kiev hospital soon after an unsanctioned bout in Russia in 1998. But as the real story came to light, it seemed that Dedge also had a preexisting condition that probably exacerbated the likelihood of his demise. He had suffered from blackouts, temporary blindness, vertigo and other ailments, but refused to see a doctor. Those around him during this time stated that his condition seemed to have little to do with any injuries sustained during training and other bouts.

In 2001, when the regulatory bodies began to oversee the sport, after a few years hiatus, there were new fighters and the sport flew in under the radar again. Under The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts Combat, it then became just as safe as any other sport, and in some ways, safer. Professional mixed martial artist John Rallo, said,

“…it is honorable to tap in our sport. If you quit in a boxing match you may not fight again. Look at Roberto Duran after the "no mas" match with Ray Leonard. He was looked down upon and never regained his edge after that fight. A KO is not the only means of victory. The average boxer takes several hundred blows to the head in a winning performance. In MMA I have been in fights and not even taken one punch. If you take down your opponent and finish the fight on the ground you greatly reduce the chances of being KO'ed or even hit at all. Obviously there are injuries. This is a contact sport. But the injuries are no more severe then those suffered by collegiate wrestlers or football players.”

One thing i noticed after watching only about five bouts, was how many of the fighters seemed to have weird ears. I assumed it had to be a product of the constant grappling and punching they do. It soon became apparent that this was the proverbial "Cauliflower Ear," only not the one mostly known in context of those who are talked to incessantly. It really is a condition. According to Wikipedia,

"Cauliflower ear (also hematoma auris or perichondrial hematoma) is a condition most common among wrestlers, rugby players, mixed martial artists, and boxers. If the external portion of the ear suffers a blow, a blood clot or other fluid may collect under the perichondrium. This separates the cartilage from the overlying perichondrium that is its source of nutrients, causing the cartilage to die. This leads to a formation of fibrous tissue in the overlying skin. When this happens, the outer ear becomes permanently swollen and deformed, thus resembling a cauliflower."

I always wonder why anyone would want to engage in a sport that they knew was going to not only draw blood sometimes, but hurt like hell....but knowing that these guys go at it with copious amounts of training and preparation, and are familiar with what it entails, keeps me from in any way feeling sorry for them. And as a woman, it has the added entertainment of watching two men beat the crap out of each other. obviously, I'm not the only one. My fellow blogger, Maude, said,

"...then we watched WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting), which I'm embarrassed to say, I have been enjoying. I just have to ignore my feelings about the channel VS (on cable--all sports and sports related stuff like sports movies, etc.) because if I stop to think too long about it, it does remind me of everything I despise about machismo and the heteronormative sports culture that simply reinforces all that is fucked up in this world (prescribed gender roles, misogyny, violence, etc.), and yet I find all out brute ass-kicking in a cage entertaining. I don't know what to say for myself. It's embarrassing and troublesome on so many levels I just don't even know where to begin."

Neither do I, Maude, but we like it, so what the hell.

When it Absolutely Positively Has to Get There Overnight

After five days, I haven't received the package with an item i bought, using Fedex delivery.
I just find it odd that UPS and FedEx were supposed to be the alternative, quicker way to send and receive things.....

They should change their slogan to: "Fed Ex, when absolutely positively has to get there in the same amount of time as the U.S. Postal Service."

but i think i know what happened to my package. Here's the video.

Lesbians: Art Does not Imitate Life

Excerpted from my book,
ISO (in Search Of):
The Art of Dating, Relationships & Sex for the Discerning Lesbian

Any Lesbian who is currently single knows that it's often a great deal less romantic to be unattached than the media would have us believe. Many of us would love to hang out with the kinds of women we see on the L-Word, yet in the Lesbian Community, this is often not an option. Sophisticated, feminine lesbians are simply not the norm, overall. Most of the actresses who play those roles are in fact, heterosexual. I have frequently been chagrined by this. In all of Hollywood, they could not find a cast of feminine, sophisticated lesbians to play those roles? In this case, it seems that art does not imitate life. It warrants consideration.

Are lesbians primarily less feminine than straight women? I suspect the answer to that is a resounding "Yes." Are masculine lesbians a product of brainwashing -- that in romance there must be two opposite roles-one feminine, one masculine? Most Likely. . .

At the risk of being politically incorrect, [*a concept i reject] I must say that I find it disturbing that so many Lesbians feel it necessary to mimic men. A Lesbian, by definition, doesn't want to be with a man and is a woman who loves women, in the romantic sense. In a very real way, then, masculinity in gay women is a contradiction. It is patently unnecessary to become manly in order to be with another woman. The need to be "manly" then, can sometimes be about gender-confusion, and not about being lesbian. This stance may be offensive to some, but indeed, I could say that I am offended by how easily some lesbians dismiss the beauty and power in themselves by diluting it with masculinity.

So often I hear lesbians complaining about being stereotyped by the world at large. My suggestion is that if you don't wish to be a stereotype, don't act like one.

In the novels I write, I portray women as feminine or at least a lipstick lesbian, but rarely as dykes or otherwise manly females (which is, intrinsically, an oxymoron). I have been accused of catering to straight men or merely "selling out" by doing this, and yet, I find this assessment myopic, contradictory and just plain silly. I love women, because they are women. I love the feminine form. I am attracted to the quintessential qualities that make women FEMALE. If I wanted to be with a man, I would be straight. So this whole outrage based on my supposed treason against Sapphic love, strikes me as absurd.

Why do you suppose that most straight women who experiment with lesbianism, pursue gay women who are manly? It's a comfort zone, that's why. They are not straying too terribly far from being with a man.

The most attractive women, to me, are the ones who are androgynous. I use that term loosely, and colloquially, because the actual definition is way more severe and limiting than the context in which I use it. Androgyny, by its original definition, means ambiguous in gender. Genderless, almost. Like the "Pat" character on Saturday Night Live. You can't tell if the person is male or female. The way I mean it is more like a woman who blends, in a harmonious fashion, the traits of both male and female, to create a balanced person. This means the woman looks like a woman, but can hammer a nail, ride a motorcycle, or be assertive, all without losing her essential womanliness.

A great fictional character that exemplifies this would be Xena, the Warrior Princess from television. She was strong, capable, assertive, loving, loyal, always looked fabulous and feminine. Even when she was cutting someone's throat. . .

I desperately want another term to describe strong, feminine lesbians.

HOMOgenized Female. . .hmmm.

Fembian. MMM.

Sapphian.

It occurred to me that epicene meant having the characteristics of both genders, blended. So how about Femepicene? (fem-ep-uh-seen).

So women who are Femepicene are those most likely to get my attention. I can't speak for every other gay woman.

KUDZU:Movies You Should Avoid Renting...

...if You can Ignore Critics and Think for Yourself

(this is an older piece, but still useful in the age of Netflix).

I find it amazing how often I am all revved up by the idea of a movie, and how good it’s going to be, and then I find myself checking the marquee or the box to see if it is the same movie I read about. I don’t know very much about the movie industry, but I suspect it is just like any other big business where mega-bucks change hands. Sometimes someone is scratching someone else’s back, and the result has no foundation in truth or accuracy.


BASEketball-
Very rarely, do i stop a tape, or walk out of a movie before the end. I did so, with this lemon. And there wasn't even enough juice in it to make lemonade. The continual puerile, insipid jokes and visuals seem directed at 10 year old minds, yet the equation is confused by the preponderance of sleazy sexual eye-candy, definitely not suited for children. Therefore, the movie has NO audience. Not a smart investment for Hollywood moguls. To summarize very quickly, don't waste your time. The boys from South Park should stick to the cartoon.

Latter Days
This is from memory as I hadn't intended to write a review and already have sent the movie back.

I only give this movie 2 stars and not ONE because it did make me cry in places, (probably because I am an old softie anyway)and it portrayed gay men at least attempting to have something between them besides empty sex.

That aside, this movie really is a sad, clichéd and predictable attempt to inject some meaningful content into the cinematic reflections of gay life. It has been untenably difficult to discover a gay-themed movie that is certifiably GOOD (I hold up Desert Hearts and Better Than Chocolate as two that come to mind). It means nothing to hear that so many gay gatherings watched it and thought it was fabulous. The gay community is hungry for movies that accurately reflect gay life in a positive light, and so I think they see what they want to see. As a writer, I've managed to move past that and I think I can be more objective.

Latter Days wanted to be a good movie, and it tried to be a good movie, but it simply didn't try hard enough. The dialogue was largely forced, one-dimensional, and clichéd. The situations were so contrived and so staged, I could predict every single thing that was about to happen, while groaning as it did.

One example is the scene where Christian cuts his hip on something (the location near his ass--CONTRIVED) and then faints from--what? blood loss? squeamishness? Wherein Aaron rushes over to help him walk inside--half carrying him as if he had just lost a finger instead of gotten a nasty scratch. Then Christian stands at the sink and has Aaron nurse the wound, with a full view of his ass inside the thong--or shall is say the thong inside his ass--and then goes to lie down because the cut is so traumatic, and then develops a sudden fever so that he simply MUST remove his shirt and lie on the bed almost naked while Aaron brings a cold cloth to him, to soothe his fevered brow. (CONTRIVED! CLICHED! oh my god, please, tell me this is not going there!)

The sentiment in the film was forced overall, and way too melodramatic when it should have just been raw and real. That Mormon kid would never have moved from being helpful to deciding he was going to have SEX that quickly. Didn't buy it. Not for a second. The relationship between them did not develop sufficiently enough to make the interplay plausible or credible.

I was actually ashamed of Jacqueline Bisset's performance... especially out on the hospital park bench where she broke down in front of Aaron. Bad acting from someone who should be seasoned enough to know better. There were only a few scenes that were worthy of praise: one of them, the kitchen confrontation between the fallen-from-grace pariah Aaron, and his Mormon mother.

This scene was not enough to save the performance scene by his roommate, however, wherein she held the microphone like a kitchen spoon; If she had been a real singer, she would have known the proper way to sing into a microphone. (I'm a singer, and have had two bands, so I think I can say that with some degree of confidence). Same goes for the scene where she is playing the electric guitar. Real guitar players can't play like that with long fingernails, and besides, there was always something blocking her so we couldn't see that it was merely a prop, but it was painfully obvious (a finer example of realism can be found in Prey for Rock and Roll, wherein, they actually PLAYED their instruments). And all the hoopla about the songs and the lyrics had no credibility, since there was nothing special or unique about any of it.

I watched the bonus features that had interviews with participants, and when I heard one person say the script was "brilliant" I almost laughed out loud. It was a lot of things, but "brilliant" was not one of them. They even bragged that the movie had been shot in 20-something days. People! it showed. And while they interviewed several individuals involved in the soundtrack, not once did they give credit to Toad the Wet Sprocket, for the song "Windmills," which was by far the highest quality song in the film.

I appreciated the subject matter, and the intent of the movie: it's a subject that needs to be addressed on film more often. Fundamentalist and extremist religions that teach fear and intolerance have no useful purpose in a loving society, and the things that go on behind religious closed doors these days are nothing short of reprehensible. I just wish this film had been what it could have been, rather than what it was. I'm not sorry I saw it; I'm sorry it wasn't done better.

In a nutshell, Latter Days, could have been the best gay movie ever made; all the elements were there. But it was ultimately a really bad gay soap opera, with more cheese than Kraft--and I mean that in the most double-entendre way.


The Flowering of Human Consciousness: Eckhart Tolle
There seems to be a pack mentality in the spiritual milieu, which prevents spiritual, thinking people from admitting it when a pretender to the throne arrives to wave a magic enlightenment wand. More over, though I consider myself a highly spiritual person of above average intelligence, and have studied and followed the teachings of Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer and many other modern gurus for many years, it was patently obvious to me that this "lecture" was nothing more than the nonsensical meanderings of crazy person.

Eckhart Tolle presented himself as someone on a mind-altering drug. After about five minutes of listening to his babbling, i was thinking, "oh, kill me now!" He said nothing enlightening, and his content was wholly a disjointed form of gibberish with no redemption. It was an exercise in The Village Idiot speaking to other village idiots who had convinced themselves that his message was somehow illuminating. I have never in my life heard such an example of wasted space, money, and film. While I have not read this man's book, i can't imagine it's any more valuable than his verbal presentation. It was absurd, and by far the sorriest and most insipid example I've ever seen of supposed spiritual edification. I kept waiting for him to jump up on his chair and shout, "Live! from New York! It's Saturday night!"

Come on, people, not every self-described guru is really enlightened.

Politically Incorrect Kevlar

I keep hearing from friends about how bad the job market is. Some of them are struggling to find work, and they have found that there are some jobs they can't get, thought they are qualified. You know why? Because nowadays, many jobs are off limits unless you are bi-lingual. Banks are a good example of this.

Now, lets think: isn't this BACKWARDS? I feel it is. I think it is the antithesis of how things should operate. If someone from another country who speaks another language, comes to the US, they are the ones who should be bi-lingual. I shouldn't have to learn another language, in order to find certain employment, as I am not in another country. I am in America, and our national language is ENGLISH. This problem has had a domino effect and has undermined service industries, the worst of which we see n certain service industries. Like customer service, via telephone. When you call for help on any number of services from your cable, to your credit card, to your Pay Pal account, haven't you noticed that it's almost always someone with a thick foreign accent who is there to help you? Who among us, has not had to deal with the language barrier of a customer service rep who isn't fluent in English? Nine times out of ten, i have to ask for them to transfer me to someone else, hoping to get someone i can understand and who can understand me. inevitably, I get cut off during the transfer, and have to call back, or i get connected to someone else of another nationality whom I cannot understand, and who can't understand me.

Now, if we say something about this, we are dubbed racist. This is what i mean by Political Correctness being counter-productive. It's not about the color of anyone's skin. I don't judge people by that. Normally, i judge them individually, by their behavior; by their character. And this service industry problem doesn't' even have anything to do with THAT. It has to do with the need for clear communication. Which we can't have if those who immigrate to this country are not expected to LEARN THE LANGUAGE. It makes no sense for English speaking natives to suffer because of this. This is Reverse Discrimination.

So, now, I'm putting on my Kevlar vest,
in anticipation of the aspersions that
will soon be firing in my direction
for being such a racist.

KUDOS: Movies You Should RENT

...if You Want to Get Your Money’s Worth.

This list is old, but good movies are good movies, no matter how old they are.


Disclosure—(Drama)
Interesting from the first frame, with a new twist on a common situation in the world of computers and corporate America.

Starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore.







Grand Tour: Disaster in Time—(Drama)
This is one of those Sleeper Movies that few people seem to know about, but everyone most would probably enjoy. A young widower rebuilds his life with his daughter by opening a boarding house. Odd guests turn out to be menacing time-travelers, and their presence forces the young widower to face and conquer his fears. Excellent writing, and characters you can care about.

Starring Jeff Daniels.



Speed—(Action/Adventure) Appropriate title for a non-stop thriller about a bus load of people riding a bomb set to go off if the bus drops below a certain speed. Guaranteed edge-of-your-seat action.

Starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.








Mother’s Boys—(Suspense) The prodigal mother returns, expecting her abandoned husband and children to welcome her with open arms. A chilling performance by Jamie Lee Curtis, and her best role to date.

Stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Peter Gallagher, Joanne Whalley, Vanessa Redgrave, Luke Edwards.




Powder—(Drama) Okay, perhaps it’s not the most original premise: the outcast who only wants to be left alone; the underdog who suffers and those inflicting the wounds come to realize the error of their ways, and then the outcast/ underdog rides off into the sunset. But it’s a fresher rendition of the story, and it’s messages are on several different levels, the deeper of which is fairly sobering.

Starring Sean Patrick Flannery and Mary Steenburgen.




Delores Claiborne—(Drama) A realistic portrayal of long-term abuse and the human spirit, with a dash of desperation and weakness thrown in. A triumph for Stephen King, surprisingly free of the macabre, and a testimony to King’s ability to write for a genre he all too often avoids.

Stars James Caan and Kathy Bates (who deserves an Oscar for her part).




Crimes of the Heart—(Comedy)
The proverbial star-studded cast. Richly-drawn characterizations of three Southern sisters, who each have their collection of demons to deal with. One is constantly on the verge of suicide, but comically unable to be successful at it, one is foot-loose-and-fancy-free to the point of distraction, the other is staid and neurotic. There are some very memorable comedic scenes in this one.

Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard, Tess Harper.

Breakdown—(Action/Drama)
As comedian Judy Tenuda would say, “It could happen!” But there’s nothing funny about this situation. A young married couple are relocating, and on their road trip, they have car trouble, and come across a trucker who offers to give the wife a ride up the road to call for help. When the husband can’t find his wife, and no one wants to cooperate, the situation goes from bad to worse. Engaging and exciting from start to finish.

Stars Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan.



AirForce One—(Drama/Suspense)
What if the President's plane was hijacked? And what if the President was a medal-winning veteran?And what if the President got to be the hero? Great scenario, tight, suspenseful writing, solid acting—and the dialogue is refreshingly light on profanity. Compare that to most movies in this category, and the list would come up short, with this one at the top.

Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Wendy Crewson, Liesel Matthews.




A Perfect Murder—(Suspense)
Corporate mogul with a heart of stone wants his wife dead. And although she is being unfaithful, it's completely understandable. So, while the husband uses blackmail and offers big bucks to his wife's lover to kill her, and plans her demise to the last detail, as usual, nothing ever goes as planned. Based on the classic "Dial M for Murder." Plenty of twists and turns, tight writing, excellent performances and totally satisfying.

Starring Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow.


A League of Their Own—(Drama/Comedy)
A wonderfully entertaining and moving story of a washed-up major-leaguer who coaches a women's baseball team during World War II. With a cast that includes Tom Hanks, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell and Geena Davis , it's a quality film that stays in your memory.




Hard Rain— (Adventure)
Open the sky and let the rain flood a town, add a corrupt sheriff's office, a few thieves, and an armored truck with a newly hired guard, and you have an exciting premise that keeps you interested from first frame to last.

Stars Christian Slater, Morgan Freeman and Randy Quaid.





Michael—(Comedy)
The archangel comes down to earth and IS down-to-earth; perhaps a bit more than we could have imagined. One look at this heavenly Messenger munching corn flakes garnished with a pound of sugar, milk dripping down his chin, and you know this is going to be a different take on what angels are all about.

John Travolta, Andie MacDowell and William Hurt.





City of Angels—(Romantic Drama)
Another of the celestial-motif films, only this time, the theme is more serious. An angel falls for a mortal and has to make that age-old choice between who he is and who he wants to be. Very touching and memorable.

Stars Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan.






Bound —(Suspense)
When a lesbian ex-con crosses paths with a mobster's girlfriend, the result is a plot to steal money from the mob, and some rather intense love scenes. This is a brave movie that is darkly entertaining and plot-driven, and memorable and engaging, if you can get past Jennifer Tilly's overly-breathy delivery of every line. I think the movie would have been even better, had they cast a different actress in her role. As far as language, it's positively blue, which i wish it wasn't, but the movie itself was worth watching, even when you have to overlook the plentiful profanities.

Gina Gershon, Jennifer Tilly and Joe Pantoliano star.



Holy-Man— (Comedy)
Honestly, i was afraid this one would be a loser, but i was more than pleasantly surprised. An unlikely guru wreaks havoc on a failing home shopping channel, and teaches everyone a little something about spiritual maturity. Outstanding performance by Eddie Murphy, and the reliable and endearing Jeff Goldblum.





Saving Private Ryan(Drama) This one has the proverbial star-studded cast, and one cast member is now a star in his own right, but was relatively unknown in this movie--Matt Damon, who played the title character. What can i say that hasn't been said? This movie is not for the faint-of-heart, but it is a Spielberg masterpiece, and completely believable.

Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeremy Davies, Matt Damon, Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti, Dennis Farina.

Pay Pal needs Improvements

A few days ago, I needed to use money in my Pay Pal account, but realized I hadn't yet activated my new Pay Pal virtual debit card. My old one expired in February. That's when the debacle began.

Now let me say here that i love being able to use Pay Pal, and other than the problems i speak about here, it's quite necessary if you do financial business online. But be aware that there are things you need to know if you want to avoid what just happened to me.

To be succinct, this is what i wrote to them when i filled out their customer service survey after the fact:

Pay Pal is a valuable tool for online financial business. But there are some inherent issues that would make me use a different service, if you had a comparable competitor, who surpassed you in these areas. I often write reviews for products and services, and am the author of 12 books, with a degree in Professional and Technical writing; I am also an advanced web user and webmaster. So I feel I am qualified to offer you some insight. Your pages are set up in a counter-intuitive way, and there is no simple way to find a real answer. The BIGGEST PROBLEM you have is your customer service. To say "We care about your call" or to in any way suggest that the customer comes first, is not reflected in your process at all. I spent 45 minutes on the phone suffering through recordings of options I wasn't after, and it always cut me off at the end when I couldn't figure out how to reach a REAL LIVE HUMAN. I was also cut off by two of your reps, and they did NOT understand the content and meaning of most of what I said, though i am quite capable of communicating clearly. I had difficulty understanding them as well--a language barrier. If you hire non-Americans, you should ensure that they can speak English clearly, and understand American language. Additionally, since I called because there was no activation link on my pay pal page, and eventually came across something that said my card had been reported stolen or expired, with no other explanation, I had no idea what was happening. I eventually discovered that since I did not activate my new debit card before the old one expired, I couldn't get to my money. And I had to order a whole new card. And this would take something like 4 weeks. I needed my money RIGHT THEN. So this is not only aggravating, but highly inconvenient and unacceptable in the realm of customer service as far as I'm concerned. Your employees should spend less time on memorizing lines like "How may I help you" and more time understanding what real help is.