soduh

2006-10-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

OK, my daughter is three and even she knows that the people that work for Best Buy are a bunch of Monkeys. I went to Best Buy a few months ago to purchase two identical digital cameras. They were on sale and with each purchase you received a $10 gift card. I was going to purchase one for a gift and keep the other one and use BOTH of the gift cards to purchase a memory stick for my camera. So in one trip I wanted two cameras and one memory stick, and i wanted to two gift cards to pay for the $19.99 memory stick. I explained this to my "sales monkey" and the monkey said "OK, sure I can do that but i will have to ring it up as two seperate transactions." "No problem", I tell the monkey.
He proceeds to ring me up as I blindly hand the monkey my credit card. I am not paying too much attention at the time because my aformentioned 3 year old is requiring my attention at the time.
I sing the slip and grab my bag and drag my daughter out of the store and get her in her car seat as I review my receipt.
WRONG!!!!!!!!
I look in the bag and there are two cameras. a memory stick and two $10 gift cards.
UGH!!!! What happened?????
I drag my daughter back into the store with my bag and receipt and the gorilla at the door tells me to go right to customer service. The gal at the counter was dumb even for a monkey. I explained it tow her a few times and she just didn't get what I wanted to do. She was filled with excuses like, "Oh those cards aren't activated yet, it takes a few seconds for them to go through".
HUH????
I had to speak monkey to get through to her.
I said, "OK, forget everything I said to you just now. Ok, is it all gone yet? Good. I would like to return this memory stick I purchased, here is my receipt." She did and credited my credit card.
Next i said,,"Hey, do you have any memory sticks on sale for $19.99?"
She said, "Well, yeah the one you just returned was $19.99."
I said, "I'll take it!!!!"
"Do you want me to put the charge back on your credit card?" the monkey grunts.
"No, i would like to use these two $10 gift cards."
OOOOOOHHHH I get it now, the monkey said.
Finally i was on my way with my two cameras, one memory stick, and no more gift cards. This entire process took the better part of an hour, instead of 15 minutes or less.
Why do they think that placing a blue Best Buy shirt on a monkey is going to make them smart?
i would like to say I am never going back to Best Buy again, but I can't.
They still ar ethe best place in town for certain things that don't require customer service, like CDs or movies.
Still, the piss me off just the same.

2006-10-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

Let's start with the most recent one since it is still VERY fresh in my head. I ordered 3 items from Lillian Vernon. A cat in the Hat Halloween costume for my three year old daughter, a ballet bag for her, and a cat flashlight that she could use during Trick-or-Treating. We placed the order on September 21st, and were told that it would arrive at our house no later than October 10th. On October 10th, we received a package from Lillian Vernon containing the flashlight, the ballet bag, and a set of bloody hands wondow clings????? Hmmmm Major problem, because we were having a Halloween PArty at our house on Saturday the 14th. We needed that costume in 4 DAYS!!!
Keep in mind, the fine people at Lillian Vernon located at 100 Lillian Vernon Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23479-0001, have decided to have their customer service call center OUTSOURCED TO INDIA. Do they even have Halloween in India?
Anyway, my wife calls about the mistake and she is promptly told thatthey are sorry and they will process the order and send out a new costume. The item will be ready to ship out in a minimum of 4 to 5 business days. Naturally, I receive the phone call at work from the hormone filled very pregnant crying wife to see what I can do to FIX this problem. My daughter by the way is fighting back the tears in the background but is very angry with Lillian Vernon nonetheless.
I call and immediately ask to speak to a manager. I speak with a Miss Ryan Onz, who to the best of my understanding has attempted to expidite things and 2nd day air a package to me. Everyone at the call center is very difficult to understand.
I call back the next day and Miss Onz is unavailable. No one is able to provide me with a tracking number at that time, but if I give them my e-mail address, they will send me an e-mail with the tracking number for UPS in it. I give them my e-mail address and wait.
Thursday October 12 (Two days before the party) I call again because I still have not received an e-mail. Miss Onz is unavailable yet again so I speak with whoever is available. They call up my records and track the package for me and tell me that it is scheduled to arrive at my doorstep on Monday October 16. She actually seemed OK with that even though I wasn't. I replied with," I had made it abundantly clear that if the package wouldn't be able to be at my doorstep no later that Friday October 13th, to NOT SEND IT as I have no use for it. So Why did you still send the package?" I was informed that the package is no longer there and that there was nothing they could do about it. I asked, well what am I supposed to do now? I was then given the tracking number and the phone number for UPS and told to give them a call to see if there is anything they can do to hurry it up.
"WHAT?????"
Then I was asked if there was anything else that Lillian Vernon could assist me with. My reply was this,"Yes there is, you screwed this shipment up, you should be the one tracking down my package, calling UPS, and fixing the problem that YOU are responsible for. Not me! If I call UPS and ask them if they can speed thing up I am going to look like a complete idiot. This isn't UPS's fault, it is yours. You call them and explain yourself, and right this wrong!"

This is the best part.

They hung up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have not heard from Lillian Vernon since. And they from now on, will never hear from me.

First of all any company that outsources their customer service department gets a HUGE black mark in my book. Secondly they treat you like a number on a screen not a person, not an indivual. Two failed attempts in my book is all they have made. It is now Friday October 13th, and I have no halloween costume (as of yet) for my three year old daughter and her halloween party at our house for tomorrow.

I suppose I will run out and buy her one locally tonight at the last minute.
But who knows, maybe I will get home from work and there will be a package at my doorstep.
Even if there is, after all this hassle, I still am NEVER DEALING WITH LILLIAN VERNON AGAIN!
Besides, with my luck, the box at my doorstep will contain another set of bloody hand window clings.

2006-10-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

New found inspiration!
I haven't written in this blog for almost (or maybe it's over) a year, and I have just had a revelation to rid this writer's block. I now know what the purpose of this blog should be.
I will use it to bash the companies that have wronged me as a consumer throughout the years!
I have this mental list of companies that I just will NOT deal with anymore because they have screwed me over big time in a time of need and I will never forget it. I keep telling myself I need to actually write this down so I never forget. Well, this blog will be even better. Instead of a crumpled piece of paper in my wallet, this list will now be available for the entire planet to access.
Enjoy and feel free to add your comments as well!

2005-12-29T08:05:00.000-08:00

HOLIDAY TRIBUTE PART II

2005-12-29T07:56:00.000-08:00

OK, this is more for my benefit than anything, but ENJOY.
I am putting these here as a tribute to the holiday season.

2005-11-03T14:12:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN COSTUMES!!!!
Well in the spirit of halloween I was doing a little looking around at costumes. And as I did not participating the the ritual dressings of the season this year I did find quite a lot of interesting ideas for next year. I did stumble upon one site that impressed the hell out of me. Granted these are costumes for the female persuassion, and don't do me a whole lot of good for next year, but they are still definately worth checking out. Dawn, Poison Ivy, Animae, and more, this woman really has an eye for costuming detail! I highly recommend checking out these photos and drawings. The artwork is fantastic. If I ever get around to creating a comic book character and i need an outfit idea for a female character I know who I am going to call first!
http://sickstarr.deviantart.com/

2005-10-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

FUNNIEST THING I HAVE SEEN IN MONTHS!!
Ok, I am not even going to bother describing this because I don't want to ruin it for anyone. just take my word for it and visit the link below

http://ualuealuealeuale.ytmnd.com/

2005-09-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

Web Comic!!
Year One by Mike Parkinson. You must definately check out this web comic. To give you a brief run down on the story line; it is about all your favorite comic book super heros if they all were together in first grade. Little spidey, little wolvie, and the villians are there as well. There is nothing funnier then having Little Dr. Doom have his plans foiled not by a super hero, not by justice, but by his teacher sending him to the principals office. The artwork is fantastic too. I actually went back and read all 127 strips that i had missed out on before I found out about this. I recommend you do the same.
Check it out!

http://yearone.spiderspawn.com/

2005-08-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

MUSIC
Alright, you all knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Normally all we chat about in this blog is comics and art but what better topic to tackle next but Music. I would like the first music post to be about the band that I have been a fan of the longest and that is Johnny Socko from Bloomington Indiana. They may not be the most famous band, but damn it, they are definately the most entertaining. I have been watching these guys PERFORM for over a decade and each performance is better than the one before. What had started out as a ska band has evolved throughout the years into just a great rocking sound of a band. The music is wonderful, but if you have only heard them on CD (or vinyl in the case of Full Trucker Effect) then you are missing half the experience. OK, so they aren't playing out much anymore but if they ever start up again, i highly recommend you drop what you are doing and go see them LIVE. They are a mighty ball of endless energy from the first beat of the drum to the last blurt of the horn. If you get tired of waiting for the live performances to resurface, I would recommend picking up their LIVE album. If there are any left I would pick up the 3 disc set. Disc one has an entire night of live entertainment, discs 2 and 3 are full of the witty banter that kept fans coming back for more and more. If you like smart ass comments, a great horn section, powerful vocals, and a beat that just won't quit even if you beg, then check out any of the johnny socko albums.
Check them out at the link below.
http://www.johnnysocko.com

2005-08-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

It's about time
As you can tell it has been a while since my last posting. Well in continuing with the great artists theme, I would like to highlight Joseph Michael Linsner. He is the artist behind the character and series Dawn. There are some wonderful pieces of art with amazing detail on his site. I would also like to point out that every year there is a convention called DragonCon, where there is actually a DAWN look-a-like contest. When I attended this years chicago Comicon Mr. Linsner was there. I approached his booth where he was doing some signings. Not only did he sign the comics I brought, but I also have in my possession a hardcover collection of his art which he did a quick sketch for me on the inside cover. I was very pleasantly suprised! So anyway, take 5 minutes and check out some of his art. It's not going to kill you!
http://www.linsner.com/

2005-08-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

A Quick One!
I really have nothing new to say, but I did want to put this image up on the site. I would like to add that I think Family Guy is one of the funniest shows on TV. The writing is brilliant! It is about the only show on TV that I watch regularly. I have all of the past seasons on DVD but i will still make a point to watch them when they are on TV. I think the evil monkey in the closet and the chicken are the best parts of the show!

2005-08-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Another Artist's Link
Ok, along the same lines of the last blog update here is another site that I think everyone should check out. Strange Type Studios. I met these guys at the Chicago Comic Con selling shirts. I bought one of the Hell's Daughter T-shirts they were pimpin out for a mere $5 each. Couldn't resist a cool shirt for the price. I glanced around their site and they have a very interesting look to their art. I am particularly fond of the Maggers & Ripley comic. I haven't read any of their stuff and half of the reason is they don't tell you where you can obtain their work on their site! FRUSTRATING!! If you are going to have a site to promote your goods, you might as well sell them there too! Anyway, check them out, give them a few minutes of your day. It won't kill ya! click the logo below

2005-08-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

NEW ART!
Visiting the comic book convention definately has me reevaluating my station in life. I realize (and I am usually the first person to admit it) that what I do for a living (advertising graphic design) isn't exactly art. There isn't too much talent involved in throwing text on a page and using Photoshop to manipulate an image. Granted, there is some skill involved with learning the program and there is something to be said about having an eye for this stuff, and you have to know how to create a good clean readable layout. All that aside, you are still more of a manipulator than an artist. you aren't truly creating anything. I have really been looking at these artists that were at the comic convention. this is the whole reason I started looking at comics in the first place - great art. I used to draw all the time. You couldn't get a graphic design degree without taking countless hours of drawing classes. I keep telling myself that I need to unplug the mouse for a while and pick up a pencil. Someday my daughter might ask me to draw a picture with her and I have this strange feeling that hers will look a lot better than mine if I keep this computer graphics thing up. All I am really trying to say in this little rant is that I really have to start drawing again. I have to make the time! so if anyone else out there is reading this try to get something out of it for yourself. If you never were an artist, maybe you used to write. I can't remember the last time I pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and sat down and actually hand wrote a letter. It is such a lost art.
As an act of potential inspiration I will add links from time to time to other "artists" websites. The first will be the art of ERICA ANGELIQUE HESSE. Before 2 days ago I had never heard of her. Just sort of stumbled upon her site as I was looking at some comic stuff. I highly recommend taking 2 minutes and checking out her stuff.
more to come . . .

2005-08-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

Back from the Comic Con!
Well it was a very very very long day but I survived! I started off the day in a very dissapointing fashin. After being let into the convention I decided to wait in an additional line for 45 minutes to get a "special event" ticket. I waited because I was hoping to get a ticket for what I thought was a Kevin Smith Signing. Finally after my wait I received my magin ticket. I read it carefully and it was for a Kevin Smith "Q&A". So my choice for the day was to either get my other comics signed by my favorite creators or sit in a giant room and listen to fanboys hollar questions to Kevin Smith. So needless to say I decided to scrap my ticket to the Q&A (not the best use of my time). The best event of the day was to come next. As I was strolling down artist's alley I happened upon a table with a bunch of "Dora the Explorer" books surrounded by a bunch of Zombie drawings. I asked the kid behind the table was it was all about. Turns out he is the illustrator for Dora the Explorer, Dave Aikins. For those of you who don't know, this is only a big deal to me because my daughter is a HUGE Dora fan. I bought a book from him and he did a quick dora sketch on the inside cover and signed it. Quite the thrill! I also got to meet Joseph Michael Linsner, who created a comic called DAWN. He signed some of my comics and did a quick sketch as well for me on the inside cover of a hard cover book. I also got to meet Astonishing X-Men artist John Cassady and House of M writer Brian Michael Bendis. i waitied in line for a total of 4 hours for the Cassady and Bendis signings but was worth every minute of it. So in all the convention was a success, I got a lot of really good finds, and spent a bit of time in the up and coming artists section and might have a few new titles to keep my eye on. Ejnoy the pics.

2005-08-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO COMIC CON!!!!!
I invited 6 other guys (you know who you are) to attend the Chicago comic book convention with me this weekend. Needless to say, I will be attending the convention all by myself. I will be attending Saturday's festivities and supplying a full report on my return. Stay tuned for my convention experience!!!!!

2005-08-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Fantastic Four VS. Batman Begins
A few weeks ago I successfully attempted my first "2 for 1" movie day. I paid my matinee admission and walked on into Batman Begins. If you have not seen this movie, stop reading this blog and run to the nearest theater. Long gone are the days of Jim Carey and Arnold running around in brightly colored costumes spewing dumb catch phrases. This movie is dark! It is an actual drama, you walk away with the feeling that this could actually happen. Some very rich guy could have lost his parents, and instead of carrying a chip on his shoulder he decides to train himself to be a vigilante and cleans up the streets. Alright, it isn't likely but it is at least possible. Great cinematography, wonderful acting, excellent story. Trying not to spoil anything, but the villan in this one is the Scarecrow, and it is by far the scarriest villan yet. Wonderful effects with that mask.
Riding that "great movie high" I left the theater and walked right in next door (timed perfectly) to watch "The Fantastic Four". FASLE ADVERTISING. It sould have been called the Campy Four. Bad story, no character development, hokey plots, a Very Labored romance. UGH! This was the movie that I thought I would like so much better than batman. In comparrison to other comic book movies, I would rank this slightly bettwe than the HULK. (And I thought the HULK stunk!)

2005-08-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome!
This is my little spot on the web to spew out all of those random thoughts that run through my head during the day. Movie reviews, music reviews, tech reviews, comic reviews, rants and raves, we will cover it all and feel free to debate. And because I know i will receive some questions, someday I would like to start brewing my own gourmet soda, and when that day comes, i will be naming that first drink "Soduh".