Natavio.
Funny how it all blew up in about 2.5 seconds and where we knew nothing, we now know plenty more than enough.
They changed his birthday. I can't get over that. I just....... can't.
I love you.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Monday, July 9, 2007
I so hate waking up to this kind of crap.
Taken from ZDNet this morning:
Sprint Nextel is booting customers that call customer service too much and tossing soldier accounts due to excessive roaming. All potential customers should just boycott Sprint–after all you may have to call customer service o
Now let’s add this up. As Russell Shaw notes the soldier treatment is ludicrous. Tossing customers (even high maintenance ones) also isn’t a good move. Why? These moves make any potential customer–notably me–say “@#$@# Sprint.” Maggie Reardon was the first on Sprint’s case and the fiascos just keep coming. Now the Wall Street Journal is on the case. Meanwhile, some of these booted customers were just trying to correct Sprint errors.
Sprint’s moves–and all the press that goes with them– can’t be good for business. Not that Sprint does much of anything good for business. Customer service is known to be weak anyway and coverage in my experience (Sprint wireless user for two years) is spotty.
Here’s what Sprint’s customer tossing says to me:
- Call centers are so maxed out that it can’t deal with a few stray high maintenance customers. Can the network be in much better shape?
- Sprint is simply idiotic about public relations.
- The customer isn’t always right.
What’s truly comical is that Sprint is trying to court higher-margin customers. You know the ones that keep up with the news and are now stunned at Sprint’s customer treatment.
Russell nails it when he asks how CEO Gary Forsee has a job. Got me. But alienating current customers–not to mention potential ones you may get–can’t be good. Boycott Sprint and watch those churn rates jump.
I have no real opinion other than it's tiring to see this kind of news about the company you work for all the time.
Sigh.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Kroger Bans "Gay Music"
No more Elton John over the loudspeakers
In its continuing effort to avoid offending homophobes, Kroger has banned the playing of what an internal memo calls “gay music” over store loudspeakers.
“It’s goodbye ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,’ ” says a source at the grocery giant’s Cincinnati headquarters. “We’re not going to be playing any Elton John, George Michael, Melissa Etheridge or any other openly gay performers.”
Most stores in the chain pipe in a selection of popular songs interspersed with promotional announcements, and until now there has been no sexual orientation test for the music.
“Before, we only focused on having songs that most people like—kind of a middle-of-the-road approach,” the Kroger source says. “We’ll still do that, just without anybody who’s a known homosexual.”
Apparently performers who are merely rumored to be gay are still OK.
The move by Kroger follows the store’s r ecent ban on giving rack space to Out & About, the local newspaper covering news of interest to gays and lesbians—a move that has been met with approval from social conservatives and derision from others.
The chain justifies its ban by characterizing Out & About as a niche publication, though why it is any more “niche” than, say, Nashville Parent isn’t specified. Critics also note the grocer’s spotty enforcement of its own policy, and that Kroger stores happily display the local gay paper in Atlanta.
“I don’t see what the big deal is about this,” the Kroger source says. “There are a million songs out there. And a lot of performers aren’t going to be missed. It’s not like we were playing a lot of Frankie Goes to Hollywood or Culture Club anyway.”
Asked if this newfound concern for prevailing social norms extended to performers who are known to use illegal drugs, the spokesman backpedals.“We’ll still play songs by those people because we don’t want our stores to go completely silent,” he says. “Performers like Charlie Daniels and Tom Petty may sing about dope, but at least they’re sexually straight. As far as we know.”
In its continuing effort to avoid offending homophobes, Kroger has banned the playing of what an internal memo calls “gay music” over store loudspeakers.
“It’s goodbye ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,’ ” says a source at the grocery giant’s Cincinnati headquarters. “We’re not going to be playing any Elton John, George Michael, Melissa Etheridge or any other openly gay performers.”
Most stores in the chain pipe in a selection of popular songs interspersed with promotional announcements, and until now there has been no sexual orientation test for the music.
“Before, we only focused on having songs that most people like—kind of a middle-of-the-road approach,” the Kroger source says. “We’ll still do that, just without anybody who’s a known homosexual.”
Apparently performers who are merely rumored to be gay are still OK.
The move by Kroger follows the store’s r ecent ban on giving rack space to Out & About, the local newspaper covering news of interest to gays and lesbians—a move that has been met with approval from social conservatives and derision from others.
The chain justifies its ban by characterizing Out & About as a niche publication, though why it is any more “niche” than, say, Nashville Parent isn’t specified. Critics also note the grocer’s spotty enforcement of its own policy, and that Kroger stores happily display the local gay paper in Atlanta.
“I don’t see what the big deal is about this,” the Kroger source says. “There are a million songs out there. And a lot of performers aren’t going to be missed. It’s not like we were playing a lot of Frankie Goes to Hollywood or Culture Club anyway.”
Asked if this newfound concern for prevailing social norms extended to performers who are known to use illegal drugs, the spokesman backpedals.“We’ll still play songs by those people because we don’t want our stores to go completely silent,” he says. “Performers like Charlie Daniels and Tom Petty may sing about dope, but at least they’re sexually straight. As far as we know.”
Here's the newspaper that featured it...
http://www.nashvillescene.com
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
happy freedom day
I was talking with Michael as I was getting on the bus this afternoon and the dearest little man heard me say "well, has he read it sober yet?" I turned to see him slap his leg, wave his arms and burst into laughter.
when I hung up he tapped me on the shoulder and told me a story about Mrs. Roosevelt and how she had made a needlepoint that said "if you don't have anything nice to say, sit right here next to me." I'm still not sure exactly how the two relate, but he was amused by that and I was amused by him.
We talked awhile and I learned that he is part of a local 911 Truth organization; webmaster for them actually. He got my email address and told me about meetings and film night (!), and I'm sure I'll show up for something. Visit Glen at www.911truthgroups.org/portlan
Meanwhile, the Scientologists are everywhere. Duck. They seem to be right around the corner from everywhere I exist, and if I am asked to take a free stress test while innocently minding my own business one more time, well, I just don't know what I'll do.
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