So yeah, I didn't get the late-night delivery I wanted. Supposedly it's out for delivery now. whatever.
I seem to recall this happened before with Amazon. Well, that's it! No more pre-orders from them! Ever!
I thought I'd look it up, just to ensure I wasn't forgetting anything ... and it turns out that it was EBgames.com, not Amazon. I think it was Mario Kart: Double Dash for the GameCube.
oops.
But that doesn't really matter. If I really want a game on launch day, I'm better off driving around for an hour and finding it live than paying extra to get it delivered and then finding out the day of arrival that it's not coming.
It's a shame that there's really no pressure in B2C relationships that you'd see in B2B ... granted, it's not about the money (I'm sure that'll be refunded) as much as the promise. I just don't feel like there's any urgency on UPS' part to deliver the game.
Well, it's not like I pre-order that many games anyway. I sure wouldn't do it if I had to put down a deposit ...
Update, 2:10 P.M.: It's here, finally. Of course I'm in the middle of a long Culdcept duel and won't be able to play for a while ... and today is supposed to be a DDR day ... grrrr ...
A profile of zlionsfan
- zlionsfan
- Indiana, United States
- I like cats. I play a lot of games. Sometimes I develop web-based applications; this keeps my current employer from firing me too often. My favorite color is blue, or maybe green.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
3-0
Well, I never would have guessed Game 3 would have turned out like this. The Wings held on to win, 4-3, but it was a great save by Jose Theodore that kept the Avs in the game late (on a breakaway by Dan Cleary), and even more surprising, Colorado pulled their goalie with about 1:30 left and not only got no shots on goal, they didn't even get the puck in Detroit's zone.
Andrew Brunette put in a couple of power-play goals that kept Colorado close, but really, this is the difference in talent between the two teams. Despite that, Games 1 and 3 have been great games, and this is what people should remember about Detroit-Colorado playoff series, not that fighting and thugging crap. (Note: pretty much all the cheap-shot players on both teams have moved on. Hopefully Claude Lemieux is having back problems somewhere.) The NHL needs to understand that you can have a really good game between two good teams that doesn't involve dropping the gloves every five minutes. (Don't think the NHL approves of thuggy play? If they didn't want it around, teams like Anaheim and Philadelphia wouldn't be able to play two consecutive games without calling up half an AHL roster: they'd have multiple players serving lengthy suspensions.)
The third period tonight was about as exciting as hockey gets. It's a shame the NHL screwed itself by burning an entire season for greed and settling for some third-tier network that can't even show all the games in HD. The Penguins are one of the more significant stories in sports the last ten years, and chances are most people have no idea at all. (I will say, though, that there are hockey fans around. Last week at BWW, there were some Pens supporters cheering the comeback win against the Rangers. We were surprised to hear cheering that didn't match any of the baseball or basketball games we saw.)
Andrew Brunette put in a couple of power-play goals that kept Colorado close, but really, this is the difference in talent between the two teams. Despite that, Games 1 and 3 have been great games, and this is what people should remember about Detroit-Colorado playoff series, not that fighting and thugging crap. (Note: pretty much all the cheap-shot players on both teams have moved on. Hopefully Claude Lemieux is having back problems somewhere.) The NHL needs to understand that you can have a really good game between two good teams that doesn't involve dropping the gloves every five minutes. (Don't think the NHL approves of thuggy play? If they didn't want it around, teams like Anaheim and Philadelphia wouldn't be able to play two consecutive games without calling up half an AHL roster: they'd have multiple players serving lengthy suspensions.)
The third period tonight was about as exciting as hockey gets. It's a shame the NHL screwed itself by burning an entire season for greed and settling for some third-tier network that can't even show all the games in HD. The Penguins are one of the more significant stories in sports the last ten years, and chances are most people have no idea at all. (I will say, though, that there are hockey fans around. Last week at BWW, there were some Pens supporters cheering the comeback win against the Rangers. We were surprised to hear cheering that didn't match any of the baseball or basketball games we saw.)
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The what is where?
So, like five hundred thousand other gamers in the US (or so Take Two hopes), I preordered GTA IV, and just for kicks, I spent the $5 to have it shipped next-day instead of second-day air. So I figured I better get up early today to ensure I'd be at the door when the UPS man arrived. (It's not a big deal, usually, because they can leave most things, but sometimes you have to sign, and on rare occasions, you can't change it, you have to be there anyway - see UPS Ground Sucks.)
Today, I checked the status of my package.
US 04/28/2008 2:55 P.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED
Well, that's normal, although sometimes it says where it originated. This should be followed by arrival in Louisville, then departure, then arrival in Indy for delivery.
PHILADELPHIA,
PA, US 04/29/2008 2:20 A.M. INCORRECT ROUTING AT UPS FACILITY / THE PACKAGE WAS MISSORTED AT THE HUB. IT HAS BEEN REROUTED TO THE CORRECT DESTINATION SITE
Um, what?
panic. I'll have to play something else today.
Then calm arrives. Of course this happens from time to time. They'll ship it back to the Louisville hub, then ... um ... fly it up? It's a two-hour drive, so I doubt they'd drive it ... hmm ...
PHILADELPHIA,
PA, US 04/29/2008 10:42 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
Okay, that's better. Back on track, but when will it be here?
LOUISVILLE,
KY, US 04/29/2008 12:33 P.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
Not bad. It still has to be flown up here, though. I'd say 12:57 P.M. for departure scan from Louisville, 1:45 P.M. for arrival scan in Indy, and then 2:45 P.M. for "Out for Delivery."
Naturally, the whole time the status has been "In Transit - On Time", which is what I would tell a panicky customer who was worried that a very important shipment would be late.
Updates to come, but let's just say that right now, I'm unhappily playing Culdcept Saga.
Update, 2:15 PM: Yeah, it's not arriving today. They just updated the status: "In Transit." As in "Not On Time."
Oh well. It's not worth spending an extra $50 or $60 just to get it now, assuming I could find a copy of it.
boo.
I'm getting my $5 back from Amazon.
Update, 5:35 PM: but wait! There may still be hope:
LOUISVILLE,
KY, US 04/29/2008 4:24 P.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
Right, so it did leave Louisville today. That's a good sign. Still, even if it's scanned in Indy at 5:25 P.M., I'd be surprised if it's on a truck and at my door by 7.
Surprise me, UPS.
Update, 8:25 PM: Closer, closer ...
INDIANAPOLIS,
IN, US 04/29/2008 7:32 P.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
Of course, it doesn't say "Out For Delivery". It may actually be out, and the data may be out of date, but I doubt it.
boo.
Today, I checked the status of my package.
US 04/28/2008 2:55 P.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED
Well, that's normal, although sometimes it says where it originated. This should be followed by arrival in Louisville, then departure, then arrival in Indy for delivery.
PHILADELPHIA,
PA, US 04/29/2008 2:20 A.M. INCORRECT ROUTING AT UPS FACILITY / THE PACKAGE WAS MISSORTED AT THE HUB. IT HAS BEEN REROUTED TO THE CORRECT DESTINATION SITE
Um, what?
panic. I'll have to play something else today.
Then calm arrives. Of course this happens from time to time. They'll ship it back to the Louisville hub, then ... um ... fly it up? It's a two-hour drive, so I doubt they'd drive it ... hmm ...
PHILADELPHIA,
PA, US 04/29/2008 10:42 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
Okay, that's better. Back on track, but when will it be here?
LOUISVILLE,
KY, US 04/29/2008 12:33 P.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
Not bad. It still has to be flown up here, though. I'd say 12:57 P.M. for departure scan from Louisville, 1:45 P.M. for arrival scan in Indy, and then 2:45 P.M. for "Out for Delivery."
Naturally, the whole time the status has been "In Transit - On Time", which is what I would tell a panicky customer who was worried that a very important shipment would be late.
Updates to come, but let's just say that right now, I'm unhappily playing Culdcept Saga.
Update, 2:15 PM: Yeah, it's not arriving today. They just updated the status: "In Transit." As in "Not On Time."
Oh well. It's not worth spending an extra $50 or $60 just to get it now, assuming I could find a copy of it.
boo.
I'm getting my $5 back from Amazon.
Update, 5:35 PM: but wait! There may still be hope:
LOUISVILLE,
KY, US 04/29/2008 4:24 P.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
Right, so it did leave Louisville today. That's a good sign. Still, even if it's scanned in Indy at 5:25 P.M., I'd be surprised if it's on a truck and at my door by 7.
Surprise me, UPS.
Update, 8:25 PM: Closer, closer ...
INDIANAPOLIS,
IN, US 04/29/2008 7:32 P.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
Of course, it doesn't say "Out For Delivery". It may actually be out, and the data may be out of date, but I doubt it.
boo.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Free Bird!
I just beat Free Bird on Hard.
Four stars, even.
I am getting better. I made it to the fourth set on Expert, too. My wrist kind of hurts, but still.
My 360 won't tell you about it tomorrow, not directly, but it will tell you that I added one achievement. Can I get a hell yeah?
P.S. I saw some of a rerun of the CMT Awards Sunday, and I remembered several reasons why I like country music.
Four stars, even.
I am getting better. I made it to the fourth set on Expert, too. My wrist kind of hurts, but still.
My 360 won't tell you about it tomorrow, not directly, but it will tell you that I added one achievement. Can I get a hell yeah?
P.S. I saw some of a rerun of the CMT Awards Sunday, and I remembered several reasons why I like country music.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Ha ha ha ha ha
The cheap-shot team in Calgary is playing San Jose in the first round. Ordinarily, I wouldn't mind seeing a strong team eliminated so the Wings have a smoother road, but aside from my brother's preference for the Sharks, I hate teams like the Flames. I believe they are the main reason why the NHL has been relegated to Vs, that and the fact the NHL apparently doesn't care. I'd like to see Calgary, Anaheim and Philadelphia swept.
Anyway, ha ha, the cheap-shot Flames whacked one of the Sharks and got caught. Power play. Then another one tried something else and got caught. Two-man advantage. Then another one flat-out slashed a Shark in what probably should have been a four-minute penalty, but still, drew another penalty. If you're scoring at home, that's three Flames in the box. I'd guess that happens about once every 20 years or so.
Kudos to the refs for calling what they see. I hope the Sharks win 5-0 and that Iginla is injured starting a fight as I'm sure he will if the game is out of reach at the end. What a bunch of thugs. Go Sharks!
Anyway, ha ha, the cheap-shot Flames whacked one of the Sharks and got caught. Power play. Then another one tried something else and got caught. Two-man advantage. Then another one flat-out slashed a Shark in what probably should have been a four-minute penalty, but still, drew another penalty. If you're scoring at home, that's three Flames in the box. I'd guess that happens about once every 20 years or so.
Kudos to the refs for calling what they see. I hope the Sharks win 5-0 and that Iginla is injured starting a fight as I'm sure he will if the game is out of reach at the end. What a bunch of thugs. Go Sharks!
Thursday, April 03, 2008
'70s horror returns
Well, it's time to move on ... my employer decided to become former. It's for the best for everyone, I think. Anyway, I had a phone call with a recruiter scheduled for 3 PM today.
At 2:45, my phone line went down. (I figured this out when my internet connection disappeared.) Aha! Neither my cats nor my house want me to find a job. What they did not know is that I am not left-handed. Actually, that I use my cell phone and already had relevant pages open in my browser.
Magically, the problem went away right before the recruiter called.
Uh-huh. Busted. Watch it, house. Just because you're in high demand doesn't mean I can't call an exorcist.
At 2:45, my phone line went down. (I figured this out when my internet connection disappeared.) Aha! Neither my cats nor my house want me to find a job. What they did not know is that I am not left-handed. Actually, that I use my cell phone and already had relevant pages open in my browser.
Magically, the problem went away right before the recruiter called.
Uh-huh. Busted. Watch it, house. Just because you're in high demand doesn't mean I can't call an exorcist.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Stupid coaches
Dear Rick Barnes,
YOU LOST. STOP FOULING.
Good God. I think it's time to go to something like four free throws for fouls beyond 12 or something like that. You're down 17 with a minute to go. YOU LOST.
What a bunch of hacks.
Billy Packer, always 30 minutes behind the action, just noticed that perhaps the fans might get upset if Texas kept fouling. (They've been booing loudly for the last three fouls. Even they realize the game is over.)
Also, CBS sucks. That is all.
YOU LOST. STOP FOULING.
Good God. I think it's time to go to something like four free throws for fouls beyond 12 or something like that. You're down 17 with a minute to go. YOU LOST.
What a bunch of hacks.
Billy Packer, always 30 minutes behind the action, just noticed that perhaps the fans might get upset if Texas kept fouling. (They've been booing loudly for the last three fouls. Even they realize the game is over.)
Also, CBS sucks. That is all.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
l2count
Dear math-challenged announcers, and you know who you are (Mr. Manaman),
When a team is down late in regulation or overtime, generally speaking, yes, they do need threes. Example: you're down 4 with 20 seconds left. If you hit a 2 right away, and you steal the inbounds pass and hit another 2, then no, you didn't need a 3. In any other situation, though, yes, you did. (It's also possible to foul, watch them miss two, and then come down and hit a two, but about as likely.)
What is much, much, much more likely is that your opponent is going to score again. Anything less than 10 seconds a possession is luck. You should expect your opponents to hit free throws, not hope that you'll somehow hypnotize the ball out of their hands. If they get two free throws per possession, you need three points per possession.
Learn to count.
When a team is down late in regulation or overtime, generally speaking, yes, they do need threes. Example: you're down 4 with 20 seconds left. If you hit a 2 right away, and you steal the inbounds pass and hit another 2, then no, you didn't need a 3. In any other situation, though, yes, you did. (It's also possible to foul, watch them miss two, and then come down and hit a two, but about as likely.)
What is much, much, much more likely is that your opponent is going to score again. Anything less than 10 seconds a possession is luck. You should expect your opponents to hit free throws, not hope that you'll somehow hypnotize the ball out of their hands. If they get two free throws per possession, you need three points per possession.
Learn to count.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
CBS = teh suck
CBS can go f themselves. The announcers did everything but paint their faces blue at halftime.
You got the team you wanted. Make sure to root for them against West Virginia, too. Normally, biased announcers favor the underdog, but it's cool, don't worry about it.
You got the team you wanted. Make sure to root for them against West Virginia, too. Normally, biased announcers favor the underdog, but it's cool, don't worry about it.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
wow
Not sure how to describe today. All I know is that a) I need to save some money so I can experience more of this tournament and b) if I went to the doctor, he'd say no way, not going to happen. (I think I'd rather have a female doctor, actually, not for that reason, but I'd rather not have a man checking out my parts. Anyway.)
Wisconsin has officially set the sport of basketball back 10 years. Good God. And yeah, Beilein has some work to do. Michigan looked awful. A decent team would have beaten Wisconsin. I'm glad MSU won, because the rest of the day sucked ...
until just now. I should have left the radio on. Hearing Don Fischer announce the end would have been priceless, but I was angry at the refs and I switched it off.
Anyway again, we watched the first two games, ducked out early and got a table at the Claddagh 15 minutes before everyone got there, headed back to watch Purdue lose a heartbreaker, and then saw Minnesota show IU why Dan Dakich is not the right man for the job. (Of course, it could also be that IU has too many players who don't realize maybe D.J. White should get the ball from time to time.)
Also, I got a free grande frappuccino at Starbucks, because they made the wrong one, which makes up for their stupid system where they have only three baristas anyway and they serve cold and hot drinks on opposite sides, so you can't ever find out if yours is ready.
One of my good friends, who is totally awesome, got tickets to a suite for the evening session. If I didn't mention this before, she's awesome. Anyway, the seats were great, and on top of that, one of the people there knows Landon Turner, so he invited Turner to the suite. (If you don't know who he is, check out his site. He was one of the key players on Indiana's 1981 national champs; he was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident, ending his collegiate career. Most people who saw him play would say he had definite NBA talent. From everything I'd heard, he's a great guy, and I'd definitely agree.)
As a bonus, Wayne Duke stopped by as well. If you don't know him, look him up. (Big Ten history.)
I did kind of have a little too much caffeine, so that didn't help. But it was a great day. (I recommend the General's Meatloaf at the Claddagh.)
Totally worth it. Bring on the dance!
P.S. Portland State won its conference. Did your school?
Oh yeah, I forgot. Some drunk jackasses from Ohio State (shocker) sat behind us, thankfully on a level up, and every other word out of their mouths was a word I will not repeat on this blog. Suffice it to say that "earmuffs" doesn't quite cover it. Probably Yankee fans too. Anyway, to them I say ha ha, your team lost, and no one cares that you stole beer from suites. (Big Ten tournament = no beer sales.)
Also, I had the worst back spasms I've ever had. Ever. I thought at one point I would have to fold myself in half to make them stop. It's possible that sitting in an arena seat for four hours and then sitting on a short stool for two hours set it off. I think it's because I drank about seven Diet Cokes at the Claddagh and didn't go to the bathroom. Why do I say that? When I got to Conseco and excused myself, after reprising the scene from A League of Their Own, the back pain was gone. If that's anything like what pregnant women can go through, wow, I never want two X chromosomes as long as I live.
Wisconsin has officially set the sport of basketball back 10 years. Good God. And yeah, Beilein has some work to do. Michigan looked awful. A decent team would have beaten Wisconsin. I'm glad MSU won, because the rest of the day sucked ...
until just now. I should have left the radio on. Hearing Don Fischer announce the end would have been priceless, but I was angry at the refs and I switched it off.
Anyway again, we watched the first two games, ducked out early and got a table at the Claddagh 15 minutes before everyone got there, headed back to watch Purdue lose a heartbreaker, and then saw Minnesota show IU why Dan Dakich is not the right man for the job. (Of course, it could also be that IU has too many players who don't realize maybe D.J. White should get the ball from time to time.)
Also, I got a free grande frappuccino at Starbucks, because they made the wrong one, which makes up for their stupid system where they have only three baristas anyway and they serve cold and hot drinks on opposite sides, so you can't ever find out if yours is ready.
One of my good friends, who is totally awesome, got tickets to a suite for the evening session. If I didn't mention this before, she's awesome. Anyway, the seats were great, and on top of that, one of the people there knows Landon Turner, so he invited Turner to the suite. (If you don't know who he is, check out his site. He was one of the key players on Indiana's 1981 national champs; he was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident, ending his collegiate career. Most people who saw him play would say he had definite NBA talent. From everything I'd heard, he's a great guy, and I'd definitely agree.)
As a bonus, Wayne Duke stopped by as well. If you don't know him, look him up. (Big Ten history.)
I did kind of have a little too much caffeine, so that didn't help. But it was a great day. (I recommend the General's Meatloaf at the Claddagh.)
Totally worth it. Bring on the dance!
P.S. Portland State won its conference. Did your school?
Oh yeah, I forgot. Some drunk jackasses from Ohio State (shocker) sat behind us, thankfully on a level up, and every other word out of their mouths was a word I will not repeat on this blog. Suffice it to say that "earmuffs" doesn't quite cover it. Probably Yankee fans too. Anyway, to them I say ha ha, your team lost, and no one cares that you stole beer from suites. (Big Ten tournament = no beer sales.)
Also, I had the worst back spasms I've ever had. Ever. I thought at one point I would have to fold myself in half to make them stop. It's possible that sitting in an arena seat for four hours and then sitting on a short stool for two hours set it off. I think it's because I drank about seven Diet Cokes at the Claddagh and didn't go to the bathroom. Why do I say that? When I got to Conseco and excused myself, after reprising the scene from A League of Their Own, the back pain was gone. If that's anything like what pregnant women can go through, wow, I never want two X chromosomes as long as I live.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
I hate you, 2K
So I rented MLB 2K7 to make up some gamerscore. I spent an hour modifying the Mets and Tigers to set up a good game to get a ton of points. I play the whole game, and guess what?
no achievements.
no gamerscore.
You know what? I broke up with you first. Before you even called, I decided to break up with you, so none of this matters, we broke up anyway, and I did it. You know what this is? Me hanging up on you.
bang.
And this too.
bang.
EDIT: okay, so it's because they hid an update as "Hey, download these stadiums!" And I said no.
I'll fix it later.
no achievements.
no gamerscore.
You know what? I broke up with you first. Before you even called, I decided to break up with you, so none of this matters, we broke up anyway, and I did it. You know what this is? Me hanging up on you.
bang.
And this too.
bang.
EDIT: okay, so it's because they hid an update as "Hey, download these stadiums!" And I said no.
I'll fix it later.
Congratulations, cheaters
Good luck with that fouling press and those moving screens in the tournament. I hope you make it myself. I'll be betting heavily on your first-round opponent.
If betting were legal, of course.
If betting were legal, of course.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Boo Sharks! Boo ref!
So I went to the Joe tonight, first time ever. awesomeness. Pictures to come later if I remember.
We got there early, got in when the gates opened, very cool. Arenas are always smaller than you think when you're older. It was nice to finally be at a home game, although the crowd was pretty quiet. (I hate scoreboards that tell you when to cheer. I know when to cheer, idiots.)
Too bad the Sharks scored early and kept up the pace. The third goal was crap - off the net and onto the ice, but of course the Wings stopped playing and waited for the whistle. Bad idea. Stupid ref wouldn't review it. Um, that's why the NHL has video review. Expect an apology. Don't expect a penalty for the ref.
Great experience, though, until we got back to Ann Arbor. We kind of went a different way through town, which meant that instead of my brother and sister-in-law getting back to their B&B right before the snowstorm, we drove around in it. Not fun. Good thing it was a rental.
Boo Sharks!
UPDATE: apparently it's not a reviewable call, because goodness knows we're not allowed to see whether or not a puck went out of play. (Upside to black netting: less visible to fans. Downside: less visible to refs.)
We got there early, got in when the gates opened, very cool. Arenas are always smaller than you think when you're older. It was nice to finally be at a home game, although the crowd was pretty quiet. (I hate scoreboards that tell you when to cheer. I know when to cheer, idiots.)
Too bad the Sharks scored early and kept up the pace. The third goal was crap - off the net and onto the ice, but of course the Wings stopped playing and waited for the whistle. Bad idea. Stupid ref wouldn't review it. Um, that's why the NHL has video review. Expect an apology. Don't expect a penalty for the ref.
Great experience, though, until we got back to Ann Arbor. We kind of went a different way through town, which meant that instead of my brother and sister-in-law getting back to their B&B right before the snowstorm, we drove around in it. Not fun. Good thing it was a rental.
Boo Sharks!
UPDATE: apparently it's not a reviewable call, because goodness knows we're not allowed to see whether or not a puck went out of play. (Upside to black netting: less visible to fans. Downside: less visible to refs.)
Hello, my good friend
Ah yes, there you are. Your solid blue casing, your familiar buttons ... that 10-key pad I know so well ... trivia, dear trivia, we are reunited again.
Stopped at Damon's for dinner (ribs, yum) and trivia. Surprised that the one here in Ann Arbor is all SD. Dominated as usual (topped the board on Get Reel, which was a pleasant surprise). Then back to the room for some 360 gaming (got to work on that Auto-Challenge). A quick 150 on arcade games should give me a good start. It's a one-week challenge. Too bad Avatar isn't arriving soon.
I didn't bring any retail ones because they'd look bad in SD. Wonder if that Wyndham in Chicago has HD in the rooms? Can't remember.
Stopped at Damon's for dinner (ribs, yum) and trivia. Surprised that the one here in Ann Arbor is all SD. Dominated as usual (topped the board on Get Reel, which was a pleasant surprise). Then back to the room for some 360 gaming (got to work on that Auto-Challenge). A quick 150 on arcade games should give me a good start. It's a one-week challenge. Too bad Avatar isn't arriving soon.
I didn't bring any retail ones because they'd look bad in SD. Wonder if that Wyndham in Chicago has HD in the rooms? Can't remember.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Cheater
I just came up with a great analogy. I think it's great, anyway. If you don't, too bad, you'll notice I didn't add a poll to this post.
Here's the deal. It's like Sampson has a white-collar job with this big company, and he's stealing mechanical pencils. Cheap ones, you know, 89 cents or something like that. Maybe the first couple were accidental: you have one in your hand near the end of the day, you get a phone call or run into the boss' office or something, you put it in your pocket and forget you did that, and you get home and there it is. It's just one pencil, why take it back?
But eventually he realizes that no one's really bugging him about the pencils, so he starts taking a few of them home a day. Just a few. No big deal yet. And as he doesn't get caught, he takes more, and more, until he's taking home a couple of boxes at a time.
What he doesn't realize is that all the pencils have RFID tags, and so his company knows he's doing it, so HR calls him in.
"Dude, you can't be taking pencils home with you like that. It's getting out of control."
"What do you mean? I'm not taking pencils home."
"Um, yes you are. Hundreds of them. You've been doing it for weeks."
"No I'm not."
"Alright, here's the deal. You've been stealing pencils. A lot of them. However, it's not like you're stealing computers. Yet. So, no more vacation time for you. Actually, it might be better if we relocate you to another part of the company, so you can kind of get a fresh start.
"But here's the thing: no matter what, DON'T STEAL ANY MORE PENCILS. I don't want to see you breaking any rule or law, but definitely don't steal any more pencils."
"Um, okay."
So yeah, his coworkers are saying "Dude, you got transferred because you were stealing pencils? That's weak!" Well, no, it was because he stole a bunch of them over a period of time and wasn't really forthcoming about it.
Well, time goes on, and what do you know? All of a sudden, pencils are disappearing again. So they call him in.
"What did I tell you? No more stealing pencils! And now you're doing it again!"
"Um, no I'm not."
"The hell you aren't! We track them, you know. We can tell you every single pencil you've taken."
"Those weren't stolen. See, one of my coworkers, Rick, he was doing this project, and he needed a lot of pencils, and I told him that if it was work-related, then he could use some from work if he took them back when he was done, and so he did, but he got busy at home, and he couldn't take them back, so he asked me if I would take them back for him, and before I could answer, he drove up in his truck, dumped them in my yard and took off. And I couldn't just leave them there, so I brought them inside, and I was just getting ready to take them back when you called."
See, it's not the pencils themselves. I realize that's not a major issue itself. (I also realize that the NCAA isn't limited to pursuing a single coach at a time, which seems to be a main point of that "argument." See, they can bust Sampson for pencils and someone else for manslaughter AT THE SAME TIME. Very clever, they are.)
It's that he stole HUNDREDS of them. MORE THAN ONCE. And LIED about it. BADLY. Now, I've never done this myself, but I know people who have ... when you are on probation for something, don't get caught doing it again. Just a tip.
But it's okay. He can always get a job announcing. Hell, Valvano did it, Packer does it, anyone with basketball experience can. Clean ethical background not required.
Here's the deal. It's like Sampson has a white-collar job with this big company, and he's stealing mechanical pencils. Cheap ones, you know, 89 cents or something like that. Maybe the first couple were accidental: you have one in your hand near the end of the day, you get a phone call or run into the boss' office or something, you put it in your pocket and forget you did that, and you get home and there it is. It's just one pencil, why take it back?
But eventually he realizes that no one's really bugging him about the pencils, so he starts taking a few of them home a day. Just a few. No big deal yet. And as he doesn't get caught, he takes more, and more, until he's taking home a couple of boxes at a time.
What he doesn't realize is that all the pencils have RFID tags, and so his company knows he's doing it, so HR calls him in.
"Dude, you can't be taking pencils home with you like that. It's getting out of control."
"What do you mean? I'm not taking pencils home."
"Um, yes you are. Hundreds of them. You've been doing it for weeks."
"No I'm not."
"Alright, here's the deal. You've been stealing pencils. A lot of them. However, it's not like you're stealing computers. Yet. So, no more vacation time for you. Actually, it might be better if we relocate you to another part of the company, so you can kind of get a fresh start.
"But here's the thing: no matter what, DON'T STEAL ANY MORE PENCILS. I don't want to see you breaking any rule or law, but definitely don't steal any more pencils."
"Um, okay."
So yeah, his coworkers are saying "Dude, you got transferred because you were stealing pencils? That's weak!" Well, no, it was because he stole a bunch of them over a period of time and wasn't really forthcoming about it.
Well, time goes on, and what do you know? All of a sudden, pencils are disappearing again. So they call him in.
"What did I tell you? No more stealing pencils! And now you're doing it again!"
"Um, no I'm not."
"The hell you aren't! We track them, you know. We can tell you every single pencil you've taken."
"Those weren't stolen. See, one of my coworkers, Rick, he was doing this project, and he needed a lot of pencils, and I told him that if it was work-related, then he could use some from work if he took them back when he was done, and so he did, but he got busy at home, and he couldn't take them back, so he asked me if I would take them back for him, and before I could answer, he drove up in his truck, dumped them in my yard and took off. And I couldn't just leave them there, so I brought them inside, and I was just getting ready to take them back when you called."
See, it's not the pencils themselves. I realize that's not a major issue itself. (I also realize that the NCAA isn't limited to pursuing a single coach at a time, which seems to be a main point of that "argument." See, they can bust Sampson for pencils and someone else for manslaughter AT THE SAME TIME. Very clever, they are.)
It's that he stole HUNDREDS of them. MORE THAN ONCE. And LIED about it. BADLY. Now, I've never done this myself, but I know people who have ... when you are on probation for something, don't get caught doing it again. Just a tip.
But it's okay. He can always get a job announcing. Hell, Valvano did it, Packer does it, anyone with basketball experience can. Clean ethical background not required.
Monday, February 25, 2008
sweet!
I finally got past Vasoline and Green Grass and High Tides on Hard drums. In the same night. (Practice, practice, practice.) Working on the seventh set now.
And on top of that, I was one of three winners in x360a's seventh-day contest, so I'm getting two free games, College Hoops 2K8 and Culdcept Saga.
And I get bagels tomorrow, imported from Ohio.
And I have a helpful cat assisting me with this post, or perhaps subtly reminding me that it is time for bed. (Okay, it's the latter.)
Sunday ftw!
And on top of that, I was one of three winners in x360a's seventh-day contest, so I'm getting two free games, College Hoops 2K8 and Culdcept Saga.
And I get bagels tomorrow, imported from Ohio.
And I have a helpful cat assisting me with this post, or perhaps subtly reminding me that it is time for bed. (Okay, it's the latter.)
Sunday ftw!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Good weekend
So I got my replacement guitar from EA (and two customer sat surveys: um, yeah, slow response, fix it - next!), and proceeded to rock out with the Pastries through our Hall of Fame induction. 100 gamerscore for that? w00t!
And this little basketball thing. Purdue +1. It's like the men's team is suddenly good or something. We'll see for sure Tuesday, or not. They could easily lose and then go back to where they were projected prior to the season, which is to say, first-round NCAA out at best.
Or they could beat the Spartans, and lock down the Big Ten lead for a while, and ... we'll see.
Also, it's cold.
And this little basketball thing. Purdue +1. It's like the men's team is suddenly good or something. We'll see for sure Tuesday, or not. They could easily lose and then go back to where they were projected prior to the season, which is to say, first-round NCAA out at best.
Or they could beat the Spartans, and lock down the Big Ten lead for a while, and ... we'll see.
Also, it's cold.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Wheel: squeak
So, while some people were receiving something more than an apology for their broken Rock Band equipment, others were getting nothing. nothing at all.
Yep, nothing.
So I added a new issue and said Hey, where's my stuff?
nothing. nothing. nothing.
So yesterday, I updated that issue and said hello? I'm not happy.
Today, I got two messages: an apology (their system had a problem and didn't automatically send out my guitar) and a tracking number. Second-day air.
good. Of course, I don't get a game for it ...
Yep, nothing.
So I added a new issue and said Hey, where's my stuff?
nothing. nothing. nothing.
So yesterday, I updated that issue and said hello? I'm not happy.
Today, I got two messages: an apology (their system had a problem and didn't automatically send out my guitar) and a tracking number. Second-day air.
good. Of course, I don't get a game for it ...
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Calle 1, cancer 0
As is too often the case, good news is infrequently reported here; bad news generally hits the front page. Allow me to change that today.
Calle and I came back from the clinic today. She had chest X-rays and an ultrasound today, and everything came back clean - no sign of anything bad. Naturally, there are no guarantees, but for now, things are as good as we could imagine. She's healthy, happy (except for this morning: not keen on fasting or going to the clinic), and just a little lighter (I'm not saying she had a pound or two to lose prior to this stuff ...).
Her next appointment is in the middle of March, just to see how things are going. If that goes well, we'll do another one six months down the road or so. For now, things look good.
One nice thing to all this is that it served as a reminder to me that all cats will eventually die, even mine, and I need to be prepared for that. That may not sound like a "nice" thing, but it's important to understand how life works. Enjoy the time you have with your cats, and when that time is up, remember your cat well.
Calle and I came back from the clinic today. She had chest X-rays and an ultrasound today, and everything came back clean - no sign of anything bad. Naturally, there are no guarantees, but for now, things are as good as we could imagine. She's healthy, happy (except for this morning: not keen on fasting or going to the clinic), and just a little lighter (I'm not saying she had a pound or two to lose prior to this stuff ...).
Her next appointment is in the middle of March, just to see how things are going. If that goes well, we'll do another one six months down the road or so. For now, things look good.
One nice thing to all this is that it served as a reminder to me that all cats will eventually die, even mine, and I need to be prepared for that. That may not sound like a "nice" thing, but it's important to understand how life works. Enjoy the time you have with your cats, and when that time is up, remember your cat well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)