Back in 2023, I wrote a little ditty about the prevalence of after-the-fact surveys and how we get harangued for feedback after nearly every transaction. Unfortunately, it has only gotten worse since then. So a month ago, I finally decided enough was enough and I cut the survey cord. (Snip!)
Since my decision, I have summarily trashed or deleted every “how did we do” hounding I’ve received, including the following:
✏️ My annual Blue Cross Medicare patient survey. Blue Cross always starts the process by sending an email asking you to complete the survey online. (It has multiple pages and dozens of questions.) If you don’t respond in a timely way, they send you a second email. If you still don’t comply, they send you a hard copy of the survey in the US Mail. And if you don’t do that one, they mail you yet another copy. We are now going to find out what happens after that — I bet I will get a robo phone call, which I intend to ignore.
✏️ An online survey request, followed by a reminder, from the hospital where my x-ray markers were implanted. (It was fine. But no one ever wants to be in a hospital, not even the staff.)
✏️ An online survey request, followed by a reminder, from the hospital (a different one) which delivered my hormone-rejection injection. (That was fine too. But see above.)
✏️ Two pester posts from Open Table, asking me to review restaurants we visited using the Open Table reservation system. (What they really want is more data on me.)
✏️ A request from Lowe’s Home Improvement to take a five-minute survey about our refrigerator delivery experience. (The guys were friendly and their huge truck broke only one tree limb — there, that took five seconds.) This was followed by a reminder five days later.
✏️ An email, followed by a reminder four days later, from Sam’s Club, wanting feedback on my recent shopping experience. (Answer: Like always, it involved lots of walking.)
✏️ An email, followed by a reminder just one day later, from DirecTV, asking about my interaction with their telephone representative. (Hey, let’s see if the problem gets fixed in two weeks when the technician shows up.)
You can spend your days filling out surveys or you can just save your energy for the times you have something to complain about. I’ve opted for the latter and I’m not looking back.
_____________
* Even better, let people know in real time what you liked and what you didn’t and move on.
Today’s shake-my-fist-and/or-head post consists of an array of news headlines that have contained the words, “Trump Baselessly Accuses.” They are sorted from present to past.
• Trump Baselessly Accuses Obama of ‘Treason’… New York Times, July 22, 2025.
• Trump baselessly accuses news media of ‘illegal’ behavior and corruption in DOJ speech… CNN, March 14, 2025.
• Trump baselessly accuses Ukraine of starting the war and claims Zelenskyy is a dictator… The Journal (Ireland), February 19, 2025.
• Trump Baselessly Accuses Harris of Faking Crowd Size With AI… Drexel News, August 12, 2024.
• Convicted Felon Trump Baselessly Accuses VP, Former Prosecutor Harris of ‘Committing Crimes’… Rolling Stone, July 24, 2024.
• Trump baselessly accuses Biden of being on Beijing’s payroll… AlterNet, May 21, 2023.
• Trump baselessly accuses John Fetterman of using heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl… The Independent, September 4, 2022.
• Trump baselessly accuses ‘nutjob’ Alec Baldwin of intentionally killing cinematographer… Raw Story, November 5, 2021.
• Trump Baselessly Accuses Doctors of Overreporting Covid Deaths for Financial Gain… Forbes, October 30, 2020.
• Trump baselessly accuses Fauci of being a “Democrat”… Axios, October 15, 2020.
• President Trump baselessly accuses Biden of taking performance-enhancing drugs during primary debates… Business Insider, September 13, 2020.
• Trump Baselessly Accuses ‘Deep State’ at FDA of Delaying Clinical Trials for COVID Vaccine… Talking Points Memo, August 22, 2020.
• Trump baselessly accuses Biden of wanting to abolish suburbs and more… Daily Kos, July 15, 2020.
• Trump Baselessly Accuses Bubba Wallace of Perpetrating ‘HOAX’ with Noose Incident… Talking Points Memo, July 6, 2020.
• Trump Baselessly Accuses Obama of ‘Treason’… HuffPost, June 22, 2020.
[Editor’s Note: You’re right, you did see that headline before — it was the first one I cited. I could probably devote an entire post to the variant “Trump Repeats Baseless Claim” but even the most deranged TDS-sufferers among us might view that as overkill. So, moving right along…]
• Trump Baselessly Accuses CNN and MSNBC of Hyping Up ‘Caronavirus’ to Tank the Economy… Mediaite, February 6, 2020.
• Trump baselessly accuses drug industry of fueling impeachment push… Politico, October 3, 2019.
• Trump baselessly accuses Democratic lawmaker of ‘violence’ in insane tweet… Raw Story, August 20, 2019.
• Trump baselessly accuses Ilhan Omar of ‘ungrateful US hate statements’… The Independent, April 15, 2019
• Trump baselessly accuses Democrats of inflating Hurricane Maria death toll… Axios, September 13, 2018.
I didn’t think I would make it to twenty, but Hurricane Maria (the occasion of Trump’s infamous paper towel toss) sealed the deal.
Recalling all his baseless accusations has been a real trip down Memory Lane, and by that I mean a dark and dangerous lane where, for years now, a hateful little bully has delighted in terrorizing the neighborhood.