Fed-Up

This morning, at 9:00 a.m., I shipped out an envelope via Fed-Ex overnight service, to arrive sometime during business hours (before 5 p.m.) the next day.  It contained two single sheets of paper.  I was charged $34.   I sincerely the envelope gets to travel First Class, get free drinks, and receive more than just peanuts as a snack.  

I could have shipped my suitcase for cheaper.  Seriously.  WTF?  And delivery services wonder why people aren't using them as much.  It's not because of technology; it's because of their insane pricing. 

Travelocity: Bait and Switch

This morning I opened up my email inbox to find an email from Travelocity that read:

"As one of our valued customers, we’d like to extend you an exclusive offer so that you can save even more on your next trip: GET AN ADDITIONAL 10% OFF our already discounted rates on your next hotel or vacation package booking. Simply use the exclusive promo code on the right at check-out to receive your instant savings."

I was excited to get this, as I was already thinking about using Travelocity to book a vacation package.  I went through the entire process of choosing my flights, picking the seats, choosing the hotel, upgrading the room at an additional cost, added the discount code in the email, and finally entered my credit card for payment.  I then hit the submit button and received an error message that read, "The promo code you entered is valid for use by Travelocity VIPs only. If you have not been designated a Travelocity VIP, you will not be eligible to receive the discount."

I contacted Travelocity about this and received a response a couple of hours later that read, "We would like to inform you that the promo code is valid for all Travelocity VIP customers. Per our record we see that your profile is not listed below VIP list." 

Nice.  What's that about?  They sent me a code to use and then tell me I can't because I'm not on their special fucking list?  Because I don't belong to their special club?  How elitist and ridiculous is that?  I've always used and preferred Travelocity over other travel sites, but now I'm done.  Someone else can have my $1000 for my upcoming weekend trip (and any future ones).  Fuck Travelocity.

BP Still Sucks

Because I'm a BP gas cardholder (prior to the infamous Gulf of Mexico oil spill), I received an offer in the mail at the beginning of January labeled "Exclusive Offer for BP Cardmembers." The offer is for a $10 rebate when you fill up your gas tank five times in the next two months. And, because I'm a BP cardmember, they gave me my first code free, so I only have to fill up my gas tank four times to get the rebate.

I don't normally fill up my gas tank at BP, even though it is on my drive home. For one thing, because of my anger over the Gulf oil spill, but I've gotten over that for the most part. Primarily, though, it's a few cents more per gallon than the Shell or Marathon (formerly Texaco) stations on my drive home from work. When BP was hurting for customers, you'd think they would have lowered their prices to compete with neighboring rivals, but no.

Even though the pricing is a bit higher per gallon, I stopped by a BP to fill up my tank because with the $10 rebate check I was promised I'd be getting, I'd make out better in the long run. I filled up my tank, using my BP card at the "pay at the pump" option. I can't recall the last time I actually went INTO a gas station store. I prefer to do everything at the pump so I don't have to leave my car and/or stand in line inside behind people buying their cigarettes, tonight's dinner, lottery cards, etc.

I didn't see any "code" on my receipt so I contacted BP via email to see what I had to do. In their response, they told me that after purchasing my gas at the pump, I had to take my receipt INSIDE, hand it to the cashier, and, in return, I would get a code. Now, I ask you: what sort of cardmember benefit is that? I get to pay at the pump AND go inside, doubling my time spent at the gas station? Where's the logic?

For the extra time and aggravation it would take for me to do all that, BP can keep the $10. You can find me pumping my gas at Shell. (I'd go to Marathon, too, but their pumps don't accept the Marathon gas card; I'd have to go inside there, too, to use my Marathon card. Go figure.)

Why Won't "Live Like We're Dying" Die?

Am I the only person who is tired of hearing American Idol's Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" on the radio? When did that song come out? Two years ago? And it's still getting regular airplay? I swear, every time I turn on the radio, that damn song is on. They're only playing and replaying it because he hasn't had another "hit." Am I right? I already feel like I'm dying just listening to it ad nauseum. Please stop the merry-go-round; I want to get off.

Gap -- It's What's for Breakfast!

I was recently shopping in a Gap Outlet store in Orlando. I was walking through the men's section, checking out the clothing. That's when I noticed a woman plopped down on a men's sweatshirt display breastfeeding her baby. Mind you, the men's section takes up about 25% of the store. The rest is women's. Was the breastfeeding section in the women's section too full already? Or was she shopping for a babydaddy? Perhaps she'd be better off in a regular Gap store with higher-priced merchandise for that. Nevertheless, I hope they keep abreast of the situation.

Broken Halo

I was visiting PetSmart yesterday looking for some natural/organic foods for our cats and dog. I was reading all the contents of the various brands of moist canned food. Like the voice of God, Ellen Degeneres starting speaking from the PA system. It was a humorous advertisement for Halo brand pet food, of which she's a co-owner. It then dawned on me that I've never seen Halo carried in PetSmart stores. Yet this broadcast commercial was meant for PetSmart customers to purchase Halo products in the store today.

When I got back home, I searched PetSmart's website for Halo products. Sure enough, there weren't any. I sent an email inquiry to both Halo and PetSmart.

Halo responded first, explaining that Halo products are sold in Canadian PetSmarts, so that was probably why, even though I'm probably about 1000 miles away from the nearest Canadian store.

PetSmart responded later and thanked me in about four or five different ways for writing to them, but never once answered my question:

"Thank you for contacting PetSmart. I appreciate the time you've taken to share your comments about our loudspeaker announcement. We value any feedback that you can provide as it helps us to understand how our guests feel and gives us an excellent opportunity for self-evaluation. Your comments are definitely welcome and they are taken very seriously. I have taken the liberty of forwarding your feedback to the appropriate parties for review. We continue to be committed to providing you and all of our guests with the highest standards of service in this industry. Guests such as yourself are truly important to us, and deserve the best of what we have to offer. If there is anything else we can assist with, please feel free to call the number listed below or just respond to this email. Thank you again for contacting PetSmart. We value your business and look forward to serving you in the future!"

Do you see an actual reply to my inquiry in there? No? Me neither. Maybe it's hidden between all the B.S.

Who's the genius in the PetSmart marketing department who okayed an ad for a product they don't even sell? It all sounds pretty PetDumb to me.

Charlotte Local News Story - WSOC-TV

This morning on WSOC-TV Channel 9 news in Charlotte, NC, I caught the tail-end of a story about something happening overnight at the Student Union at UNC Charlotte. It was either a fire or a gas leak or something. There were fire trucks shown parking outside the Union in the segment that I missed.

Since I missed the entire story, but wanted to hear what happened, I went to the www.wsoctv.com website to hopefully read an accompanying article. However, there wasn't one.

I sent an email inquiry to the station, asking why there wasn't an article, because I felt there should be some consistency in their stories.

My response from Robin Whitmeyer, News Director was:

Our website (wsoctv.com) is not, nor will it be, a direct copy of every news item that we broadcast on television. We have to make editorial decisions on what the "web user" needs and not every news item will be posted. Since there were no injuries or health issues involved, this was not viewed as an item to be posted. Every day the editorial judgments are different- based on weather, news and traffic items.

Ouch. It sounds like Ms. Whitmeyer needs some customer service training. What crawled up her ass? Nor will it ever be? An interested viewer contacts the station looking for information about a news story that was broadcast and that's the kind of response one gets? If the "story" was important enough to warrant a broadcast on the morning news, including film footage, wouldn't it be important enough to put on the website, too? Obviously not.

This "web user's" needs were not met, so I guess there's no need for me to even visit the site unless I'm looking for information about an injury or death. For your information, Ms. Whitmeyer, there are other news stories of equal value and importance.

UPDATE: Thankfully, News Channel 14 was happy to post information about the incident on their website.

A Lukewarm Reception

I wrote an email to Sprint asking them why my densely populated neighborhood in a major US city only came up with "fair" reception on their grid, meaning my cell phone might work outdoors, but most likely wouldn't work indoors at all.

I got an email response back quickly. They apologized for the "fair" reception and, as a token of their concern, added an additional 60 minutes every month onto my plan. Great! So I can not use these 60 minutes from home just like the other 700.

Phil Spector, Guilty of Murder!

Phil Spector, the legendary record producer, eccentric and recluse with a reputation for building walls around people as much as his signature music, was found guilty of second-degree murder by Los Angeles jurors today in the 2003 shooting death of cult-movie star Lana Clarkson.

ISF: I think the REAL crime here is that hairdon't.

Madonna and No-Child

Madonna will not be allowed to adopt a second child from Malawi, a 4-year-old girl named Mercy James, the African country's High Court ruled on Friday. The ruling will please campaigners who say authorities have given the singer special treatment. Malawi's government, which came under fire after Madonna adopted a 13-month-old Malawian boy, had said on Thursday it would support a second adoption. Court registrar Ken Manda told reporters Madonna's bid to adopt Mercy had been rejected because the star was not a resident of Malawi.

An AIDS epidemic in the impoverished southern African country has orphaned more than one million children. In her ruling, Judge Esimie Chombo warned against celebrity adoptions, saying they could lead to child trafficking. "Anyone could come to Malawi and quickly arrange for an adoption that might have grave consequences on the very children that the law seeks to protect," she said.

Prominent rights activist Mavuto Bamusi defined said the decision was a "defining moment for child protection" but urged the pop star to continue her charity work. "We finally appeal to Madonna to take this positively and continue to help the children of this country," he told Reuters.

ISF: Uh huh. Ask the kid about her "defining moment" twenty years from now when she has a starving kid hanging off each tit and eating what resembles shit from a clay bowl.

"We finally appeal to Madonna to take this positively and continue to help the children of this country." We hate you, but please keep sending money!