UngsungBlog: A (Fantasy) Sports Blog

You know it’ll take a huge story (or in this case, two!) to get me to blog again.

First things first, though.

Quick-hitters:

- 90 degrees with a RealFeel temp of 95.

I’ve officially turned off my internal “Complain About the Cold Weather” switch and turned on the “Complain About the Hot Weather” one.

- Time Warner strikes again, and I’m not talking about their threats to put usage caps on broadband users.

I called them up about a month ago, asking for ways to reduce my bill.  They offered me HBO and Cinemax for $10/mo—I was paying $15 for HBO alone—which I accepted.  They also offered to drop my Road Runner plan down to the ‘Basic’ level:  1.5Mbps down and 384kbps up.

(Not long ago, RoadRunner raised my speeds to about 8Mbps down/1Mbps up, from 5Mbps down/512k up.)

I couldn’t fathom those speeds, so I kept the RR package I was on.

Two billing statements later…and my bill is almost the same as it was prior to the changes.  You see, apparently, TW raised rates AGAIN in April, coinciding with my attempted rate reduction.

- Once again, Fry’s is coming through for me over a rebate hassle, this time with a pair of AVG rebates handled by the now bankrupt Continental Promotions Group (CPG).

Unfortunately, unlike past instances, Fry’s dragged their feet this time around. Back in January, I emailed Fry’s about two “lost” rebates, totaling $30.  Two days later, I got a reply saying that they needed me to fax in my rebate documentation.  I did so, and got an email soon after saying that they were going to look in to it.

Out of laziness, I didn’t follow up on my rebate resubmission until March.  I sent Fry’s another email, asking about the status of my rebates.  Here was their response:

Thank you for contacting Frys.com.

It was giving to the Rebate department and they will be handling your
paperwork. They should be e-mailing you shortly.

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

I wonder what would have happened if I never bothered to email them.

A month later (again, out of laziness), I still had yet to hear anything about my rebates.  I sent Fry’s another email, asking for an update.  Here was their response:

I do apologize for all the inconvenience this may have caused. We have
done a change in our rebate inquiry department. And your forms have
been misplaced. Again my sincere apologies, if you could please fax
them again and we will expedite them to get you, your refund. So if you
could please fax at the number below.

Needless to say, I was livid.  They lost my rebate documentation, and they couldn’t have told me this earlier?

Naturally, as an a**hole customer, I sent them a hate-filled email, demanding quick resolution to this situation.  Here was their latest reply:

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to assist you with your rebate
inquiry. Please be assured that we are committed to having your rebates
honored. Due to the inconvenience, we will be issuing a check for the
rebate amount of $10.00 and $20.00. You should expect your rebate check
within the next following 4-6 weeks. Again, we apologize for the
inconvenience and thank you in advance for your patience and
understanding.

Usually, Fry’s first response to a rebate resubmission resembles the response above (nice alliteration, eh?).  I should have known that I was going to be in for a fight when I didn’t receive an immediate response from the Fry’s rebate department.

I’ll update this post (I promise!) if/when I get the rebate check(s).

Sure, I understand that eating a pair of rebates because a rebate company went bankrupt sucks, but that doesn’t justify jerking around with a customer.

- So much was going right for the Dodgers so far this season that you knew something was going to happen.  Never in my wildest dreams, however, seeing this headline on Yahoo! Sports this morning:

Dodgers star slugger Manny Ramirez has been suspended 50 games for a drug violation.

Although the news still hasn’t quite sunk in yet, here are my quick thoughts on the story:

1) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Now that I got that out of my system…

2) Am I really supposed to believe that Manny used an alleged sexual enhancer?

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the substance is supposed to boost sex drive.

Two sources said Ramirez tested positive for a gonadotropin. Major League baseball’s list of banned substances includes the gonadotropins LH and HCG, which are most commonly used by women as fertility drugs. They also can be used to trigger testosterone production. Testosterone is depleted by steroid use, which can cause sexual dysfunction.

Yeah, right, and Raffy Palmeiro really took a B-12 shot.

EDIT:  Now that I’ve had some time to digest the news, let me add that there is a chance, of course, that Manny really did just mess up, and he wasn’t really juicing.  If it really was just an honest screw up, then good, but can you really blame me for assuming the worst?

3) So what does this mean for the Dodgers this year?  I think they’ll be fine, as long as Manny produces once he’s allowed back on to the field.  In the meantime, you know Hudson and Ethier are going to take huge hits to their production, you know Furcal, Loney, and Martin are going to have to produce, and the thought of Juan Pierre in “Mannywood” has to give Dodger fans flashbacks of…2008…unless prospect OF Xavier Paul immediately starts hitting the cover off the ball.

*shudder*

Here’s a scary thought.  What if Andruw Jones had re-dedicated himself BEFORE he was paid by the Dodgers to go away, and became a semi-productive fourth OF for the Dodgers this season?

I can dream, can’t I?

With the rest of the NL Worst being plain awful, I don’t see the Dodgers losing too much ground in the standings.  Remember, we weren’t too bad last year with three automatic outs in our lineup every game:  Jones, whoever manned SS, and the pitcher’s spot.  As long as Billingsley and Wolf keep pitching well, and we get anything out of the 4 and 5 spot in the rotation, and if the bullpen holds up…

Ok, now I’m nervous.  It is really that outrageous to suggest that the entire Dodgers season might hinge on Chad Billingsley’s leg and Orlando Hudson’s wrist?

Then again, do not discount the possibility of 2008 redux, when the Dodgers acquired Manny in the summer.  When the Dodgers get him back in July, would anybody be surprised if he plays out of his mind down the stretch again?

(Would it also not surprise me if he dogs the rest of the season, accepts the option for next year, and goes “Manny?”  Sigh.)

4) So what does this mean for Manny’s HOF credibility?  Ask me again later.  I still haven’t decided if A-Rod, Bonds, and Clemens are no longer HOF worthy.

Why?  Simply put, do we know exactly when these players were juicing?  Were they HOFers before they started juicing?  Does that even matter?

5) And what does this mean for the rest of the MLB?  Albert Pujols must really be uncomfortable today.  When A-Rod got caught taking steroids in 2003, that just about make everybody skeptical about everyone in an MLB uniform.  How do we know that Pujols, Pedroia, Hamilton, Longoria, etc., never cheated either?  Manny’s suspension is only going to fan those flames even more.  I wonder how many fans got turned off by MLB over the A-Rod roid scandal, and how many more will get turned off over today’s news.

EDIT:  Despite my backtracking above (see the previous edit), I still stand by my statement that this story is going to continue to “fan those flames.”  How can it not?  And what if Manny is lying about the use of this drug?  Then what?

Oh yeah, and props to me for avoiding any Viagra- or Cialis-type jokes!

- Finally, after the Royal Rumble last night at Staples Center, I’m worried over who is going to get suspended for Game 3.

If we’re going by the letter of the law, Derek Fisher is going to get suspended for sure.  Kobe Bryant might, as well, and I’m 50/50 on whether or not Ron Artest will get suspended too.  I’m 50/50 not because I think he deserves to be suspended, but don’t tell me the “Malice at the Palace” incident still isn’t fresh in the minds of the NBA.

I’ll admit that I laughed when Scola, after talking crap to practically the entire 5 on the court for the Lakers, got smacked down by Fisher, the same way that I’m sure that Phoenix Suns fans are still laughing at Raja Bell’s “Ole!” takedown of Kobe in Game 5 of the Suns-Lakers series from a few years back.

Don’t expect me to buy Fisher’s argument that the play looked worse than it was because “because Scola stopped short of where [he] expected him to be.”  We all saw Fisher man-hug his teammates and walk off the court with a huge grin on his face.  And don’t expect Scola to apologize for running into your head with his chest.

As for the Kobe elbow to Artest, the letter of the law says he should be suspended as well; then again, Rajon Rando mistakened Brad Miller’s head for a pinata and, not only did he not get called for a flagrant or get suspended, he was revered by his own coach!  I thought the Kobe elbow was flagrant, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as Dwight Howard’s elbow “punch” to Samuel Dalembert’s head.  I do wish there was a better camera angle of the incident, though, than the one showing us only the backs of both players.  It still wouldn’t surprise me if Kobe got suspended for the elbow, however.

EDIT:  Here’s a reverse-angle replay of the elbow.  It looked pretty flagrant to me.)

(Speaking of Rondo, if the league suspends Orlando G Rafer Alston for slapping the back of Celtics G Eddie House’s head—and they should, IMO—that’s just gonna make Rondo’s non-flagrant, non-suspension after Game 5 of the Celtics-Bulls series even more ridiculous.)

So what do I think will happen?  Kobe and Fisher will be suspended for Game 3, and the Lakers will get run right off the floor.  They’ll steal Game 4 in another bloodbath, and the league will agree to line the Staples Center floor with barbed wire and a steel fence in preparation for Game 5.

If ever I wanted a series to go best of 15, this is it!

See ya in three months :P.

Tags: avg, billing, cpg, derek fisher, drug violation, eddie house, frys, hot temperatures, houston rockets, kobe bryant, los angeles dodgers, los angeles lakers, lost submission, luis scola, manny, manny being manny, PEDs, rafer alston, rebate, road runner, ron artest, steroids, time warner by Peter
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Yeah, I know I haven’t blogged in forever, and this blog entry may or may not signify the return of my blog.  I haven’t posted in forever for a number of reasons, none of which I will get to in this entry.

However, after watching one of the finer Super Bowls in recent memory—no, it won’t exceed last year’s game, but it was sure a heck of a lot better than the stink-fests of 2006 and 2007—I just had to post my thoughts on the game.

On with it.

- Raise your hand if you thought James Harrison’s 100-yard pick and TD was the nail in the coffin for the Cardinals.

*raises hand*

To call that play ridiculously amazing is an understatement, and the timing of it (end of half, with the Cards at the Steelers’ one yard line, knowing that they were probably going to punch it in AND get the ball to start the second half) screamed absolute “stomach punch,” to borrow a phrase from ESPN’s Bill Simmons.

(During the half time show, Mike Holmgren asked why Warner didn’t throw a better pass, one that had a ~ 0% chance of being picked.  I tend to agree; they had three shots at the end zone.  Why not throw three fades?)

I try not to use superlatives often, but that play might go down as the biggest momentum-shifter in Super Bowl history.  I still couldn’t believe it happened.  It was certainly the most memorable play since…last year, of course.  And to think, the play might still only be a footnote in the history pages of Super Bowl XLIII, because of the events of the fourth quarter!

- MVP Santonio Holmes definitely deserved to win the honors.  I’m glad that Big Ben, freak of nature that he is, did not win the award.  Holmes picked on Cards’ DB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie all game, and of course, Holmes made the two biggest plays of the game on the Steelers’ game winning drive.

- I’ve read that the Cardinals played with somewhat of a “We’re happy to be here” attitude, and I don’t buy that at all.  Never mind the fact that that excuse waters down the Steelers’ record-setting sixth Super Bowl win, but a team doesn’t 1) have a shot at a 14-10 halftime lead with all the momentum in the world AND the ball to start the second half, nor 2) rally from 13 points down to the brink of a Super Bowl, because they played like they were just “happy to be here.”

Kurt Warner played his butt off, Larry Fitzergald was amazing—even if it took a half for his greatness to show up—and Boldin, Breaston, and James (at times) came up with big plays to keep the Cards in the game.  I just hope Warner is remembered more for the 300+ yard passing game and the near-comeback, rather than the disastrous pick-six and the end-of-game fumble (more on the latter later).

- Overall, the game greatly exceeded my expectations.  I picked the Steelers to win handily, 27-13, and I was more than pleased that the game was closer than I anticipated.  However, I have two major gripes about the game:

1) James Harrison’s sick 100-yard pick and return will be remembered for years to come, but why is nobody talking about the sucker punch/forearm shivers combo delivered to the Cards’ Aaron Francisco (warning:  obnoxious music, NSFW language, and ridiculous Steeler myopia…just read the description)?  Michaels and Madden touched upon it during the game, but they were talking more about the fact that the penalty might have been a pre-kick penalty (it wasn’t) than the fact that it was totally classless and completely unnecessary.  Yeah, like Harrison’s MMA-like attack impacted the play in any way.

I haven’t read a single article on any sports web site even mentioning the sucker punch!  Why is this?  Do you see ANY mention of the penalty in this ESPN article?

(And Gene Wojciechowski:  the Steelers won the “right way?”  Really?  Sucker punches included?

Yeah, now I’m just splitting hairs at this point, and I must admit that Mr. Wojciechowski makes one excellent point:  the Steelers should be ahead of the Cowboys for the “America’s Team” moniker.)

How Harrison wasn’t tossed on the spot was mind-boggling, and the apparent sweeping under the rug of the sucker punch is ridiculous.  A fine and a suspension for at least one game next year seems fitting, considering the magnitude of the game.

In my eyes, the play will forever leave a stain on the game, and it’s completely unfair given the events of the epic fourth quarter.

EDIT:  (from Digg) Here’s another blog agreeing with me that Harrison’s play was dirty and warranted an immediate ejection.

2) Also, why was the penultimate play (Warner’s apparent fumble) not reviewed by the officials?  Isn’t this the type of play that the replay system is designed for?

After watching a couple of the replays, I was pretty confident that a challenge would not have reversed the call anyway; although his arm was going forward, he was stripped before he made a throwing motion.  However, are you telling me that the call on the field was so certainly correct that there was no point in, at the very least, looking at it on replay?  What if the head official looked at the replay and saw something that I didn’t see?  What if he saw enough conclusive evidence to overturn the fumble call?

Save your “Well, even if it was overturned, the Cards still needed 45 yards to get in to the end zone!”  That’s not the point of this rant.  If you have a challenge system designed to get questionable calls scrutinized and, if an error has been made, corrected, why would the officials not use it on THAT play?  It makes no sense to me.

Two closing thoughts:

Big Ben is well on his way to the HOF.  You can’t argue against two Super Bowl rings, even if one might have been *cough, cough* “referee-assisted.”

Kurt Warner?  I’m torn.  I love the guy, and even though he’s 1-2 in Super Bowls, consider that he took the St. Lous Rams to the Super Bowl TWICE and the lowly Arizona Cardinals once.  Brett Favre (*gag*) made it to two Super Bowls and went 1-1, and people forget how good the Packers’ defense was in those years.  Arizona’s defense was good in the postseason, but no one’s going to argue that they greatly overachieved, and their defense was nothing compared to the Packers’ D of those years.

I think Warner gets into the HOF, definitely not on the first ballot, but he’ll probably sneak it somewhere down the road.

Tags: 100-yard touchdown, anquan boldin, ben roethlisberger, hall of fame, HOF, interception, james harrison, kurt warner, larry fitzgerald, mvp, santonio holmes, stomach punch, sucker punch, super bowl xliii by Peter
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L O N G blog entry today.  I’ll split it into two, with my Office review in part two.

Random thoughts (an HGH-enhanced version of quick hitters):

- A pair of UngsungBlog PSAs, just for my loyal readers (all none of you):

1) Something you should not yell when your bedroom window is wide open: “Why are my pants still on?”

(Hey! I happen to enjoy sleeping in my boxers. Sue me!)

2) When smelling the scent of a candle, it would be a good idea to keep your face, especially your eyes, away from the flame. In fact, the “wafting” technique you might have learned back in high school comes in really handy here.

(I still can’t see straight :P)

- For the love of everything that is right, please stop with the “Oh, MO-JA-VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE” Windows Vista commercials!

I’d do anything for a Wal-Mart commercial right about now.

(”That’s why I go to Wal-Mart.” HILARIOUS!

…..)

- Shot-Online thoughts:

1) These new items are ridiculously misleading. If an item gives you an “additional 1.5x EXP,” doesn’t that suggest that you should get 2.5x the normal EXP (normal EXP + 1.5x more = 2.5x)? Also, if something “enhances” a Mageia, doesn’t that suggest that the item can be used in concert with a Mageia? Alas, neither is the case, which leads me to…

2) Auction House shoppers: if a 250-durability item that gives you 2xEXP (the regular Mageia) costs 10-12 million NG in the Auction House, why the heck would you people pay 12-15 million NG for a 250-durability item that only gives you an “additional 1.5x EXP” (as defined above)???

(Then again, these AH patrons are the same people that aren’t willing to pay 100,000NG for an 18-durability Mag (~6,000NG/hole), but would happily pay 12.5 million NG for a 250-durability Mag (50,000NG/hole)).

- A while back, my sister and I switched from plain old white rice to brown rice. The transition was kinda rough at first—do you blame me?—but ever since I perfected the recipe of brown rice for my rice cooker (a 3:5 rice:water ratio), I’ve been able to eat the stuff just fine.

However, while browsing through the manual of my rice cooker—yes, I do read manuals on occasion—I found out that my rice cooker has a brown rice setting! I am so excited over the discovery that I might go cook a pot of rice now, using the “new” setting, just for kicks!

Yes, tiny, stupid stuff like this amuses me.

- Jets/Pats thoughts: since I’m not a subscriber to NFL Network, I followed the game as best as I could through Yahoo! Sports.

This pains me to admit it, but Favre was absolutely huge in OT, completing an enormous third and 15 pass to TE Dustin Keller. As soon as I saw that completion, I was almost certain that Favre was going to lead the Jets down the field, and that’s exactly what they did.

What I couldn’t believe was the fact that the Pats were down 24-6 in the first place. At least Pats fans can take solace in the fact that Matt Cassel’s numbers—30-51, 400yds, 3 TDs—were awesome. Then again, I don’t know if the Pats want Cassel to have to win games, just like how the Titans love it when Kerry Collins doesn’t have to win games.

The AFC East-leading New York Jets…gag me, please.

- The following is yet another UngsungBlog PSA, yet it’s one that is important enough to get its own section:

ESPN’S TMQ believes in the football gods; I believe in the food gods. At least, I do now, after a hair-raising incident last night. My sister and I went out to grab some ice cream and food. We ended up buying store-brand ice cream, and I opted for some McDonalds food.

(Yeah, I know, but their Angus Chipotle BBQ Burger isn’t half bad!)

Anyway, when we got home, I walked into the kitchen to put the ice cream away. That’s when I felt a harsh scratch on my back, followed less than a second later by something crashing to the floor behind me! I quickly turned around, and realized that the plastic cover of my kitchen light fell, and one of the corners scratched my back on its way to the floor! Thank goodness the cover was plastic and not glass!

I’m still trying to pick up small fragments of the cover today.

Food gods, next time, we’ll buy Dreyers and go to Carl’s Jr, I swear!

Tags: auction house, mageia, mojave, shot-online, ungsungblog psa, windows vista by Peter
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My poor blog, how I’ve ignored you over the past few days!

(What can I say? I haven’t had much to talk about lately!)

Quick-hitters:

- It’s been sunny and COLD the last few days.

I miss the heat. I also miss sunlight at 6PM.

And if it’s so cold, why the heck do I really really want some ice cream?

- Small Shot-Online update: I’m still stuck on level 52 (haven’t played much lately), and, due to a bout of complete idiocy, I blew a chance at an easy ONE HUNDRED MILLION NG profit!!!

I don’t wanna talk about it.

One of these days, I will venture onto Cads. One of these days.

- Current rebate-o-meter: $1,500 or so, but I’m sure that the total is closer to $2,000 than $1,500.

That’s what I get for keeping such poor rebate records

- For the first time ever, here’s a tangent to a previous topic topic that deserves its own section!

Tangent: Fry’s/WorldwideRebates.com update: Fry’s customer service sent me this email regarding my “lost” $20 rebate:

Hello Peter, in regards to your Trand Micro rebate in the amount of
$20.00. We have since gotten in contact with the rebate manufacturer in
regards to your denial. Unfortunately after talking with them it seems
as though they are unwilling to help there customers. What we are going
to do for you in this matter is go ahead and give all of your rebate
submission to our home office. They will be issuing you a check shortly.
Please note that this may take up to 2 months. Please feel free to get
back with us in regards to this status. Thank you.

I boldfaced the line above because I thought it looked awfully familiar to me, especially the misuse of the word “there.” Does Fry’s use a form email to respond to rebate complaints? Well, remember my American Telecom rebate rant?

Hello Peter, in regards to your Pay N Talk rebate in the amount of
$25.00. We have since gotten in contact with the rebate manufacturer in
regards to your denial. Unfortunately after talking with them it seems
as though they are unwilling to help there customers. What we are going
to do for you in this matter is go ahead and give all of your rebate
submission to our home office. They will be issuing you a check shortly.
Please note that this may take up to 2 months. Please feel free to get
back with us in regards to this status. Thank you.

That was from an email response sent to me from February 1, 2008! Notice the emphasis in the blog entry linked above!

Once again, kudos to Fry’s!

(EDIT: Just as I finished typing this, I got an email from WorldWideRebates…it appears that they finally got my rebate submission! Should they successfully process my rebate claim, I will contact Fry’s and see if I can get them to not issue me a check. If not, I’ll just destroy it.)

- Fantasy football updates:

I’m riding a three-game winning streak in one league, the third win coming via a 132-88 beatdown of my opponent. It helps that my two RBs, Thomas Jones and Maurice Jones-Drew, combined to score 59 points by themselves. I am now 5-5 in this league, tied for fifth overall, and still a game out of a playoff spot (though I’m trailing badly in the tiebreaker, which is points scored overall.)

In my other league, I won for the sixth straight week. I’m not going to take too much pride in this win, though, as my opponent played three guys on their bye week, and one was on IR. I’m now in first place in this league, and I face the team that I leapfrogged in Week 11. The receivers on this team are really killing me, save for Andre Johnson.

Non-fantasy football thoughts:

- Ask and ye shall receive.  Thank you, T.O., for giving me my lead story of Week 10!  I need not even comment on this (though I will):

“We have to go back to the drawing table and look at the things that made us successful last year, moving me around a little bit, really just making an effort to get the ball in my hands on certain routes,” Owens said Tuesday, during a signing for his new book in Manhattan.

Well, at least he was smart enough to say the word “certain.”  You know, he wouldn’t want to appear to be demanding the ball, or anything like that…

I cannot wait for the upcoming Cowboys-Redskins game.  What will spew out of T.O.’s mouth if the Cowboys happen to lose THAT game???

- As soon as I found out that the Monday Night game was San Francisco at Arizona, I decided that I wasn’t going to watch it.

Boy did I miss out!  What a crazy goal-line “stand” by Arizona!  Of course, I say “stand” because Arizona’s field turf played a huge role on that series, tackling 49ers’ RB Frank Gore on 2nd and goal.  Why was Frank Gore not on the field on the final play of the game?  And why didn’t the 49ers spike the ball on the final play, since it was only 3rd down?

By the way, if Kurt Warner wins his third MVP this season—and personally, I think he’s the front-runner—tying himself with that guy currently on the Jets, that has to be enough to get him in the Hall of Fame, right?  Maybe he doesn’t get in on the first ballot, but he’s gotta get in, right?

- Speaking of the Jets, did you see them running up the score against my hapless Rams?  How sickening!

OK, fine, my Rams horribly stink, and the Jets did not run the score up on them.  However, can we stop giving Favre all the credit for the Jets’ “resurgence,” a 6-3 record against a cupcake schedule, including a LOSS to the RAIDERS?

Kris Jenkins?  Alan Faneca?  Thomas Jones?  Leon Washington?  Eh, forget it; let’s give all the credit to Diva Favre.

(And please stop with the “Oh, if Favre were still a Packer, they wouldn’t be 4-5!  It is not completely Aaron Rodgers’ fault that the Packers are struggling.  That defense of theirs is terrible, and it only got worse with the loss of LB Nick Barnett for the season.)

- Colts fans, begin to send your hate mail!

Is it just me, or are the Colts quickly rounding into that struggling team that, all of a sudden, gets white-hot, and earns the “We don’t want to play THEM!” label?  After back-to-back victories over New England and Pittsburgh (did the Colts really keep the Steelers out of the end zone when Pittsburgh was on the Colts’ 1???), the could-have-been 1-8 Colts could very well be 10-4 going into the final two games of the season.

Of course, they could also get upset by Houston, lose @SD, and then lose one of @CLE, CIN, or DET (shudder…), and miss the playoffs.

- And finally, thank goodness that Jacksonville remembered who they were…as did Detroit.

By the way, would you bet on Detroit going 0-16, or Tennessee going 16-0?  You’d have to be on the latter being more likely, wouldn’t you?

I would…but just barely.

Until next time!

Tags: cadeiger, diva favre, fantasy football, frys, green bay packers, indianapolis colts, kurt warner, mvp, new york jets, nick barnett, rebate-o-meter, shot-online, t.o., worldwiderebates by Peter
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Wow, it seems that I have abandoned this blog for quite some time.

I hope I still remember how to do this…assuming I knew how to do this in the first place.

Random thoughts (aka a super sized “Quick hitters”):

- My loyal readers (all none of you) might have realized that I have yet to post a review for last week’s episode of The Office. That might have something to do with the fact that I have yet to watch last week’s episode!

Yes, I’m ashamed of myself…unfortunately, I skipped The Office to play Shot-Online during the bonus EXP days.

- Speaking of Shot-Online, a brief update: after grinding out the game over the weekend, I haven’t played much since. I logged in for several hours, nonetheless, but mostly just to go auction house hunting.

I’m at the point in the game where I should really be playing on Cadeiger. However, I hate the course so much that I’ve been pretty much sticking to Rufus Arena or easier courses for the caddy experience.

I might just quit using this character and start working on one of my other characters.

- It’s been rainy and cold…and yet pretty warm at the same time (???) the last few days.

Can’t the weather gods make up their damn mind?

- We swung by Costco a couple days ago, and somehow managed to only spend $50!

(Well, we really spent $100, but half of that was on a membership renewal.)

Of course, we dropped by VONS right after that and blew $30 on junk food and steaks :P.

- Current rebate-o-meter: $1650 and rising.

(And it’s not even Black Friday yet!)

(EDIT: Haha…I need to add another $210 to that total :P)

Time for a couple customer service-related rants!

(If I’ve ranted about WorldwideRebates.com before, I do apologize.)

- Back in early September, I mailed out four rebates to WorldwideRebates.com. Three of the rebates showed up in their system rather quickly, but the fourth has still yet to show up.

I called the 800# on the rebate form, and once I got to the “We’ll connect you to an operator” prompt, I waited on hold for a couple seconds. That’s when I got a message that said something like “Thanks for calling…all of our operators are busy…please call back.”

*click*

Seriously? I can’t stay on hold? I have to call back, sit through the IVR, connect to an operator, and repeat ad nauseum until I can actually reach a live operator?

Fortunately, Frys.com is going to assist me in this matter.

- Thank you, Fedex. Thank you for not leaving me a Door Tag when you supposedly delivered my package at my doorstep on Thursday. Thank you for not returning my call 48 hours after I called in on the following Monday to inquire about the whereabouts of my package. Thank you for making me wait an additional 48 hours after I called in on the following Thursday to check the status of my case. And thank you for finally telling me, yesterday, that the package was lost and that I should contact the shipper to initiate a claim.

The best part is, I’ve got two more packages coming from Fedex this week! YAY!

*cry*

- Fantasy football updates:

Kyle Orton’s injury didn’t sink me in one league, as I eked out a 66-65 victory to get to 4-5, tied for seventh place. Four teams are only one game ahead of me, at 5-4, meaning I might still have a shot at a playoff spot!

Chad Pennington was available on the waiver wire, so he’ll be my Week 10 QB.

In my other league, a strong effort by Pittsburgh’s D—seven sacks, two picks, a blocked kick, and six points allowed—propelled me to my fifth straight win and a 6-2-1 record, good for tied for second in that league. In fact, the top three teams in the league have now won a combined fourteen games in a row!

Non fantasy-football thoughts:

- Another bad Dallas Cowboys loss, and…NOTHING FROM T.O.??? WTF??? What am I supposed to talk about?

Well, how about the fact that the New York Giants are coping without Jeremy Shockey and Michael Strahan just fine?

Eh, that’s no fun.

- Is it just me, or is Indy rounding into “Team that nobody wants to face” form? Sure, they struggled to get past a Tom Brady-less Patriots team, and yeah, they still don’t have a run game, and yeah, the Colts won the game on a couple boneheaded decisions by the Pats (that timeout called by Belicheck which nullified a first down and that idiotic personal foul penalty on what would have been third and short), and yeah, the Colts needed a 52 yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri, and…

Wait…what was my point?

Yeah, the Colts are finished.

- Minus-2 first half yards? ZERO first downs? Seventy-seven total yards?

Was I watching the Oakland Raiders offense or the Washington State offense against USC? The Raiders should be forced to forfeit their next game just for that abomination.

- So the Titans are now 8-0. Are they for real yet, after being a solid Green Bay Packers team?

Yeah, they’re for real, and they could conceivably be 14-0 going into their final two games (PIT, @IND). They play @CHI (minus Kyle Orton), @JAX (more on them later), NYJ (Brett Favre = Pick Six potential?), @DET, CLE, and @HOU. Which of those teams will Tennessee be underdogs against?

- And finally, didn’t I say last week that JAX @ Cincy was a “trap game”???

And who does JAX play next week? Freaking Detroit! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I’m tired, so that will have to be it for tonight. Until next time!

(Look, Ma! No Diva Favre commentary!)

Tags: bill belicheck, cadeiger, costco, dallas cowboys, fedex, indianapolis colts, new england patriots, oakland raiders, random thoughts, rebate-o-meter, rufus arena, shot-online, tennessee titans, The Office, vons, worldwiderebates by Peter
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Random thoughts:

- Has anyone seen Fall?  Seriously?  Why the hell is it so hot???

I just can’t win…

- Commercials:

1) Any time I see that stupid Sinupret commercials (”I love you more!” “No, I love you more!”), I feel like throwing my remote through my TV.

More WalMart commercials, please!

2) Cheesy cable commercials always bug the hell out of me, but Valley residents have to agree with me that the latest Keyes Woodland Hills commercial jingle (set to “Where in Thumbkin?”) has to rate as one of the dumbest, most obnoxious, cable commercial of all time!

Where is Honda?  Where is Nissan?  Woodland Hills!

(I think I got the line right.  Every time I hear that commercial, my ears start bleeding.)

3) The Guitar Hero:  World Tour commercial.  Enough said.

Now THAT’s a good commercial.

- Latest CVS trip:  bought lots of candy (2 for $3, $1 coupon), and some SoyJoy bars (4 for $4, $3 off 5 coupon, and $4 ECBs).

I will neither confirm nor deny that the candy was purchased for me first, and the Trick-or-Treat’ers second.

Next week, I’ll be buying some Brita pitcher filters which will cost me more than a buck after all my ECBs.  I hope that my favorite cashier isn’t there on that day

- Current rebate-o-meter:  $925, but that doesn’t include the $500 or so that I have not yet entered.

(I’m lazy!)

- Fantasy football updates:

Believe it or not, I actually played Brian Westbrook last week, and believe it or not, I did not hex him!

5-2-1 now (second place), after a blowout victory, and somehow, Rams WR Donnie Avery was available in this league, strengthening my average WR corps (Andre Johnson(!!!), Jerricho Cotchery, Roy Williams, Donald Driver, Lance Moore).

In my other league, I had WR Reggie Wayne, TE Dallas Clark, and a four-point lead over my opponent, who had (gulp!) RB Chris Johnson.  Fortunately for me, Johnson’s garbage-time TD did not hurt me, as Dallas Clark finally showed up in a game.  Now I’m 3-5 in that league, and amazingly, only two games out of a playoff spot.

Non-fantasy football thoughts:

- Let’s start with the big story of the week:  Deanna Favre is hurt over the recent allegations that her husband, Diva Favre, offered ousted Lions’ GM Matt Millen tips against Favre’s former team:

‘Brett does not, in any way, hold a vendetta against his former team…Some incidents, like the locker room pranks appear funny [but they are still untrue]…Others, like the questionable phone calls to other teams, are hurtful, distasteful, and…still untrue as they have been reported.

Because of this, lately, my heart has been so heavy. It is very hard to watch the daily toll this has taken on Brett.

Brett is the same man who has always put his team first, not personal gains or statistics. And, Brett is the same man we know who is filled with great character, strength, goodness and love. Truly, nothing has changed but a uniform.’

1) WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Here’s a kleenex.

2) How can something that is untrue still “appear” funny?

3) Sure, any scrutiny directed at your husband must be hard to take.  However, wasn’t it YOU that pushed your husband to return for another season?

EDIT:  I saw a clip of an E:60 interview with Mrs. Favre—Greta Van Susteren must have been busy—where she denied pushing Favre back into the league.  Maybe you should convince your husband to retire mid-season.  He could always come back in Week 13!

4) That last paragraph makes me LMFAO.  Favre puts his team first?  The same guy that used to throw backbreaking pick after backbreaking pick, and then blaming the personnel around him for his poor play, “put[s] his team first?”  And oh by the way:

*cough* Michael Strahan? *cough*

*cough* The entire drama of the past three offseasons? *cough*

*cough* Declaring that he’s not responsible for the development of Aaron Rodgers? *cough*

Character?  Goodness?  More like selfishness and a swollen ego.

(BTW, I got sick to my stomach over hearing analysts anywhere praise Favre for that fourth-quarter rally against the Chiefs.

1) THEY WERE PLAYING THE CHIEFS!!!!!!!

2) Favre threw three picks in that came, if you don’t recall.  The Jets’ D probably had something to do with keeping Favre in the game, no?

3) Enough with the praise over that pass he threw to Laveranues Coles!  That pass was thrown about two yards behind Coles, and Coles had to adjust to the ball, NOT the other way around!  That pass was so poor that it could easily have been a Pick Six!)

- In lesser news, did you hear that the Tennessee Titans are now 7-0, after a drubbing of the team formerly known as the powerhouse Indianapolis Colts?

That being said, I’m still not sold on the Titans…yet.  Look at some of their past opponents!  KC?  Cincy?  Houston?  An overrated Jags team?  Let’s not put the champagne on ice just yet.  However, looking at their next four games (GB, @Chi, @Jax, NYJ), should they go 3-1 in those games, then we can talk about championship contention.

By the way, does the Pacman Jones trade count as “Ewing Theory” potential?

And even though they are 3-4, I just can’t bury the Colts just yet.  I might after their next four games, though (NE, @Pit, Hou, SD).  I’m thinking a 3-1 record in those four games is the worst the Colts can do if they want to contend for a playoff spot this season.

- Speaking of teams that are for real, is Carolina now on that list?  Not yet, in my opinion, due to the fact that they had to rally against an average Arizona team (and it didn’t help that Arizona’s defenders appear to be allergic to tackling.  Marion Barber a couple weeks ago, and Steve Smith on Sunday?)

- At 3-5, San Diego has to be finished, right?  JAX too, at 3-4.  Washington?  I’m not sold on them being for real yet.  And maybe New England will be OK after all.

And the New York Giants are pretty good.  So is Pitt, that entire fourth quarter notwithstanding.

- The Cowboys eked out a win against Tampa Bay, but not all is well in Dallas, even at 5-3.

And has anyone seen TO?  No comments?

- Can Cincy do it?  Can they go 0-16?  Here’s their remaining schedule.

The final game of the season (KC) scares the heck out of me, but next week’s game (JAX) screams “trap game.”

- Speaking of winless teams, can Detroit do it?  Here’s their remaining schedule, and it looks great!

That “trap game” versus Jacksonville scares me as well.

- And finally…who didn’t enjoy Niners’ coach Mike Singletary’s rant on TE Vernon Davis?

Incredible stuff, all of it deserved, by the way:

‘I told him that he would do a better job for us right now taking a shower and coming back and watching the game than going out on the field,’ Singletary said after the 34-13 loss to Seattle. ‘Simple as that.’

Until next time!

Tags: andre johnson, brian westbrook, dallas clark, deanna favre, diva favre, donnie avery, fantasy football, indianapolis colts, mike singletary, new york bretts, san francisco 49ers, tennessee titans, vernon davis by Peter
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I’m in a pretty bad mood right now, so pardon me if this blog is a bit more negative than usual.

(I know, I know…MORE negative?)

Quick-hitters:

- Still no resolution from Costco…though the manager is only partially to blame. I tried calling him twice more last week, and he was not in on either day.

I have yet to call since :P.

- My forehead is still sore from the smackdown I received from my favorite cashier at the Encino CVS.

(You remember this, right?)

Two days ago, I dropped by for the first time in a month (!!!!!), and I ended up spending $7 out of pocket! You should have seen her reaction this time!

“SEVEN DOLLARS??? YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO HAND ME A QUARTER!!!”

And then…***SMACK***, right on the forehead!

(OK, so it was more like a V8 commercial-like tap on the forehead, but still, it was pretty damn funny.)

Fortunately, after seeing the 3-4 ECBs that printed out, she decided that it would be OK to return to the store for my future CVS shopping needs.

- Current rebate-o-meter: $1052, and rising.

Thank goodness for the 2009 FAR software “season!”

Yeah, I know I skipped last week’s NFL Thoughts, but I promise I’ll make it up to you.

- Fantasy football updates:

Fortunately for me, what will forever be known as the “Steven Jackson game” did not ruin me. I was blown out anyway. I am now 2-5 in that league, and facing the top team next week.

(So should I hex the other Steven Jackson owners in the Fantasy Football universe and play him this week?)

In my other league, I’m on a 3-0-1 run to get to 4-2-1, good for third place. I really like my chances in this league, even without a healthy Brian Westbrook.

Non-fantasy football thoughts:

- Awwwww…Brett Favre is angry, over the reports that he spoke with former Lions’ GM Matt Millen, offering “strategic Packers information” to the Lions.

Poor baby.

Where should I start?

“It happens more than you know,” Favre said. “Don’t think for a second that, you know, when Mike McCarthy left in ‘99, went to the Saints, the next year we played them, they put it to us, that he didn’t tell his guys what they thought. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Note to Diva Favre: the “Other people do it, so it must be OK” argument never works! Nice try, though.

“I guess I’m a little bit angry because I think my reputation has been well respected throughout the years,” Favre said. “Any time that’s questioned, the type of teammate I am, it does anger me, I’m not going to lie to you.”

You must have been quite angry over the damage your rep took over this past offseason, huh? Then again, that’s probably the media’s fault.

“Believe me,” Favre said, “I’m trying my best to help this team win, the New York Jets. Spending no time trying to make the Packers lose. I got enough on my plate, believe me.”

“Believe me. I’m trying my best to help this team win by thinking about retirement until training camp.” I can’t wait for him to try this line out during the offseason.

Now that I got the cheap shots out of the way, let me just say that Favre is…R…RIIII…RIGHT. People talk all the time. Exactly how is anybody going to prove that Favre told Millen (assuming they did speak about schemes and strategies) what the Lions’ coaches couldn’t already figure out by watching tapes? More importantly, the NFL has already considered it a non-issue, so I guess that’s good enough for me.

- Do you realize that:

The Cowboys could be 4-6 after their game at Washington?

(Speaking of the Cowboys, how I will live without some T.O. news this week???)

The Colts could be 3-6 after their game at Pittsburgh, and could easily be 1-8?

The Rams are three upsets away from being a legitimate playoff contender?

(I can dream, can’t I?)

The New York Bretts could be 4-8 after their game versus Denver, sparking Favre to consider returning to his team the following week at San Francisco?

(I can dream, can’t I?)

- I thought Chicago and Minny had two premier defenses. Eighty-nine points combined? Yikes.

- So is New England that good, or is Denver that…average?

Of course, Cutler’s finger injury played a huge role in the outcome of that game, but Denver’s D couldn’t stop a Pop Warner RB right now.

(Fantasy football tangent: Selvin Young, please stay injured. I am enjoying the Michael Pittman show.)

EDIT: OK, the tangent above was a bit of a low blow, on the heels of this article chronicling the Broncos’ injury woes. It’s incredible that the 3-4 Chargers (no, you guys should not be 5-2…please stop that) are only a game out of first place in the AFC West, and could very well beat out the Broncos for the division title.

And finally…

- Raise your hand if you had the Tennessee Titans as the only unbeaten team left in the league. To borrow a thought from ESPN’s Bill Simmons, there’s some serious “Ewing Potential” with this team, now that Vince Young is no longer the QB.

It’s probably the media’s fault that Young isn’t the QB any more, though.

Until next time (later tonight, that is!).

Tags: brett favre, brian westbrook, cashier, costco, cvs, dallas cowboys, denver broncos, diva favre, fantasy football, indianapolis colts, matt millen, new england patriots, new york jets, rebate-o-meter, steven jackson, tennessee titans by Peter
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Lots to get off my chest, and I promise a full NFL (Fantasy) Week in Review next time.  But until then…

Random thoughts (an HGH-boosted version of Quick-hitters):

- Seriously, what happened to Fall?  Mid 80s to low 90s all week last week, and now AccuWeather says it’s 78 right now.  If it’s 78 degrees outside right now, then I’m the freaking Pope.

Time to make my hot coffee iced.

(Tangent:  I dropped my coffee press!  Now the pot itself won’t stay secured to the round metal base, causing the pot to lean in one direction!  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Worse yet, my local 99 Ranch no longer carries this thing.  Bah.)

- Read this article, if you haven’t already.  What an absolutely heart-wrenching story.

(Kinda make my complaining about a broken coffee pot trivial by comparison, huh?)

- After the Boston Red Sox made that improbable rally to upset the Rays in Game Five of the ALCS, I had to brace myself for something that I hadn’t seen since June.

The Return of the Boston Myopians, led by Mr. Myopian himself!

Thank goodness the comeback was squashed by a J.D. Drew half-swing.  And yes, Boston fan, he went around.  Stop complaining.

(And yes, the fact that J.D. Drew was the one to kill the rally made it extra gratifying to watch.  I can’t wait for Boston fans to turn on this guy.)

- Raise your hand if you had Steven Jackson on your fantasy team, and you benched him this past week.

(raises hand)

It’s a damn good thing that I got blown out of the water anyway!  I’m headed for a 2-5 record in one league, and possibly 4-2-1 in the other.  Full recap next time.

- This article caught my eye this morning:  When has a video game ever made you cry?

I could think of one video game example which really got to me.  I’m pretty sure I didn’t go running for the nearest box of Kleenex, but it was pretty heart-wrenching.

I’ll post what video game that was (specifically, what scene) at the end of this blog.

- Current rebate-o-meter:  $1222, including a $20 rebate from Norton/Symantec that Parago just refuses to pay out, despite numerous fax attempts.

I hate the rebate game.

- WalMart (groan) rant time!

On the 29th of September, I bought a Philips DVD-RW drive from WalMart, because the item page said it was a ten-pack.

(Anyone who has ever jumped on deals like this already know that this was, more often than not, a description error.  Part of the reason why I decided to take a chance on this deal, however, was the fact that I had a $20 WalMart gift certificate from this ordeal.)

As expected, I received a single drive.  As I am known to do, I waited until the 10th of October to contact WalMart about the “incorrect” item in my order.  I sent them an email that day, and got a reply that night telling me to log in to my account, print an RMA label, and return the package.

Simple enough, I guess.  I decided not to pursue this further.  On Sunday, however, I got this email:

We are writing in reference to order #xxxxxxxxxx. To ensure that we
provide you with accurate information, we are researching the matter, to
see why you didn’t receive the Philips 20x DVD-RW 10-Pack, SATA
Interface. We will contact you with an update within the next 2-3
business days.

What quickly got my attention was that last line.  Two to three business days after that Sunday would have been the 15th or the 16th (that Monday was Columbus Day), both dates being past the 15 day return window.

Again, I had decided not to deal with the issue, and I requested my RMA label that day.

On Tuesday, I got another email from WalMart:

I am writing in regards to your recent order with us for the Philips 20x
DVD-RW 10-Pack, SATA Interface. Unfortunately, due to an error at our
fulfillment centers and on our site, we will not be able to replace the
order at this time. These items are only sold in singles. You may
return the item for a full refund. Please call us at 1-866-625-0507 to
discuss this issue.

“Discuss,” huh?  I liked the sound of that.

I quickly called WalMart, and here’s the gist of our conversation:

Me:  (blah blah blah…error…let’s “discuss.”)

CSR:  Log in to your account, request a return label, and return the item back to us.

Some discussion, huh?  Thank you, CSR, for telling me exactly what the previous email CSR told me to do! What, no apologies?  No “we’re sorry for the inconvenience”?  That’s it?

(Yes, I realize that the last email did tell me to return the item for a full refund.  What irks me is that the CSR is telling me to call in to “discuss this issue,” only to get the same information again???)

- Shot-Online update:  lvl 49, awesome clubs, and unfortunately I am now guild-less.

One of the things I have learned about MMORPGs—Shot-Online is the first MMORPG that I have actually spent more than a week playing :P—is that, at some point in the game, it becomes a social setting first and a game second.  I learned that the hard way after a recent ordeal with one of my now-former guildmates.

An innocent comment about club selection somehow escalated into a vicious attack on my character and intent, and I got so pissed off over the whole affair that I had no choice but to leave the guild.  I had even entertained the thought of quitting the game altogether.

I told my guildmaster what happened, and I could tell that he wasn’t exactly thrilled with the situation, acknowledging how much I had done for his guild.  Some of my friends in the guild weren’t too pleased as well, acknowledging how much I had helped them with the game to that point.

Part of me then realized, “I’m getting worked up over a GAME!  WTF?”  So I decided to discuss this situation with another friend of mine, and I asked him:  “At some point, does an MMORPG become more of a social setting than a game?”

He explained that people play MMORPGs for the social atmosphere first and foremost, and that everything I was feeling—guilt, frustration, anger, etc.—was perfectly normal, and, unfortunately, part of the “appeal” of the MMORPG genre.  He did agree with my decision to leave the guild, as others did, and that I should have expected drama like this to happen, he explained; after all, MMORPGs boil down to glorified chat rooms full of strangers.

Now I know that an MMORPG isn’t just a video game.

Will I still be playing Shot-Onlne?  Hell yes!  I want the Tour Pro title :P.

- So what was the video game moment that was so emotional to me?

Easy:  The scene in Final Fantasy VII where that bastard Sephiroth killed Aeris.  Be honest!  Who didn’t scream “F**K YOU SEPHIROTH!!!” at the TV when that happened?

(OK…maybe it was just me and a couple friends.)

Tags: boston myopians, cry, csr, fall, fantasy football, hot weather, jd drew, lost kids of willows, mmorpg, rebate-o-meter, shot-online, steven jackson, video game, walmart by Peter
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Who are three Phillies that are going to make this offseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers that much more painful?

Seriously, Carlos Ruiz?  He of the .219 batting average in the regular season?  When the hell did he turn into Mike Piazza?  Yeah, like his hit wasn’t going to matter in the eighth.  And could Jonathon Broxton have grooved up that pitch to Matt Stairs any better?  Josh Hamilton’s pitcher at the Home Run Derby thought that was a great BP pitch.

And Shane Victorino?  It had to be THAT guy to hit the game-tying HR?  I’m telling you, Hong Chih-Kuo is to blame for all of this.  Did you see that celebratory leg kick?  Talk about tempting karma.

See ya, Manny.

(And please, please, please, stop with the “Oh, Joe Torre can’t manage a bullpen after all!” comments.  Wade’s pitch to Victorino wasn’t all that bad; it was a great piece of hitting by Victorino.  Broxton’s pitch to Stairs, on the other hand…)

by Peter
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You might have noticed the way I am now labeling my Office reviews (S05E02 = Season 5, Episode 2, e.g.).

One of these days, I’ll go back and fix all my Office-related blog titles to reflect this change.

(No I won’t :P)

- Here’s all I have to say about Game Two of the Dodgers/Phillies series:

BRETT F**KING MYERS??? THREE FOR THREE, THREE RBI, AND TWO RUNS??? ARE YOU SERIOUS???

(Bye, Manny.)

- I love Costco. My wallet might not, but I love Costco. One of the most underrated aspects of Costco has to be their excellent customer service. Most of the cashiers I’ve encountered at Costco were very friendly to me. Sure, there was the occasional cashier that would half-heartedly say “Bye” to me at the end of my transaction, but this was the exception and not the rule.

However, yesterday I got to deal with the most inconsiderate Costco cashier of all time! Rather than repeat what happened, I’ll let the email I fired off to Costco speak for itself:

Hi,

Let me start by saying that several members of my family are frequent shoppers at Costco Wholesale warehouse locations throughout Southern California, and for the most part, we have had few (if any) customer-service related issues with your stores. Most of the cashiers we have encountered have been genuinely friendly to us, usually offering greetings of “How are you today?” followed by “Have a good day!” at the conclusion of our transactions.

On 10/10/2008, however, I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with cashier [cashier name, register #, store #, city, state, zip, and time]. It appeared that I had lined up right around the time that [name] and two other cashiers decided that it would be more important to converse with each other than to do their jobs. One of the other workers was manning a cash register of his own, and the other was responsible for putting scanned items back in to my cart.

When I lined up, I was not at all greeted by [name]—she didn’t even glance in my general direction! Furthermore, while scanning my purchases, there was at least one moment where she completely stopped what she was doing in order to speak to her coworkers! Each time she did this, I was tempted to say “If you don’t mind, please scan my items, and then you can chat when you’re done with me.”

After I paid for the items, [name] handed me my receipt, again without even making eye contact; apparently she still needed to converse with her coworkers! I felt like filling a complaint right then and there, but I thought better of it.

As I mentioned before, my family frequently shops at Costco, and I do not recall a customer-service related issue as atrocious as the situation discussed above. I sincerely hope I will not have to find another Costco to shop at in the future.

Thank you for your time,

I already got a reply from Costco, saying that my email was forwarded to the local manager.

(I know what some of you might be thinking: why would I waste my time filing a complaint? Cashier jobs are horribly thankless jobs, and most cashiers could care less about their customers! I will not dispute this point; however, like I said earlier, I would not have expected such rude cashiers at Costco. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if something like this happened at VONS, Ralphs, Rite Aid, WalMart, etc., but Costco? Not a chance.)

- Time for my Office review:

My opinion of “Business Ethics” might change if I watch it a few more times, but I just couldn’t really get into the episode. Sure, the whole bit with Jim, Dwight, and Andy was ridiculously funny, but the episode really felt like a chore to get through. As far as “storyline” episodes go, this was one of the least impressive ones.

Thank goodness Jim and Pam immediately announced their engagement! The last thing I needed was a drawn-out, winter break cliffhanger over when they would actually make that announcement. However, when is Pam coming back to Scranton? And what will happen to Ryan when that happens?

Have I mentioned how much I now love Holly’s character? She’s perfect for the show! She’s quirky enough to stand Michael, while, at the same time, you can tell that she wants to do her job well. I like how we got more insight as to why Michael is perfect for running the Scranton branch of Dunder-Mifflin; the process (actually going through the Ethics binder) isn’t nearly as important as the results (getting signatures from the office). Will Michael continue to mold Holly into a female version of himself? Or will Holly continue to butt heads with Michael over office matters?

(Or both?)

So Meredith has sex for discount paper and steak, huh? And Holly wanted her fired??? Give her a promotion! You just knew that Meredith wasn’t going to get punished for her actions, but I thought it was Michael that was going to defend her, not someone at corporate! The writers should continue this storyline throughout the season; maybe we can discover that Dwight traded away some beets for discount paper?

Hopefully next week’s episode will be better.

Tags: brett myers, business ethics, costco, idiot cashier, los angeles dodgers, philadelphia phillies, The Office by Peter
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