help thy fellow PAXonian
I don’t usually pass things like this along that often, but this one hits semi close to home.
A fellow compatriot of mine, Lori, who is an Enforcer (some know what this is, for others Please read this), was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder known as APS and may possibly have lupus. Because of this, she will have to have one of her legs removed.
Lori, along with her husband, have opened there house multiple times to us Enforcers to just hang out, play games, talk, or be rowdy. And we are now helping give back in what ever way we can to help these two friends of ours out.
Another Enforcer and friend of mine, who goes by the name of Liger, is hand making her own version of the LiveStrong bracelet. Please visit her site and take a look, and please purchase one if you can afford it.
curing with a walk
Lately Meg and I had been getting a bit edgy. Some of it dealing with the planning of the wedding, some of it due to medical issue’s, and other times I now believe because we haven’t been doing things together.
Well, not like we used to. Going on walks. Drives to places. etc.
Things like this:
This was Memorial Day, a nice walk down a beach in Seattle. Was refreshing and enjoyable. Need to get out and do more of this type of stuff. Get the bikes fixed and take rides. Go for drives.
customer dissatisfaction
*I recommend not using the company I name. Two times now i’ve been screwed over*
I’ve been using deepdiscount.com for a few years. The prices they had on movies, books, ect were really good. And they always touted Satisfaction Guaranteed and ‘GUARANTEED LOWEST TOTAL PRICE’.
What happened was this:
Meg and I saw a movie we thought would be really good. So I did the typical google search and DD had it for $20.97 in the Blu-Ray format. I thought great! We’ll order when we get home. Even though tower had it 1.50 cheaper, I stuck with DD.
Later when I got home. I went to DD’s website and noticed the price was now $23.97. I then went back to google and noticed it was still $20.97. So I wrote an email, which stated this: “Google shopping shows you have Vexille Blu-Ray for 20.97, but your site shows 23.97. Is this a mistake or can I actually order it for this price?”
I had included the link in the email and recieved a response the next day stating: “Yes, we sell our products through other sources. To get that $20.97 price, you would need to purchase it through Google.”
I order it. Week later, I get it in the mail. Only one problem. Its not the blu-ray version. Its the normal version.
Now, i’ve had an issue before with a HD-DVD I received that the case and dvd were cracked. It was a bit of a hassle to get a replacement, but after 2 weeks, it was. So I was thinking the same with this.
But no. Not that simple. Here is a run down of the emails:
I just recieved my order today, order # #########
It was a regular DVD version of the movie, not the Blu-Ray version which I had ordered. I used the link below when I had asked you about the pricing difference. Now it doesn’t even show in the google shop for blu-ray.
I had emailed thinking that it could of been an error, but your reply to me was that it was fine and to get the price, order it through google.
Their reply to me:
Thank you for contacting DeepDiscount.com!
We do apologize for the error. If you like, we can send you a prepaid label to your email to return the item and a refund will be issued upon receipt of the return. Please let us know what you would like to do.
Ref# ************
Again, thank you for writing DeepDiscount.com. We appreciate your business.
Regards,
Customer Service Department
cs@DeepDiscount.com
At this point, I thought maybe the individual didn’t read the email fully or I hadn’t explained what was wrong clearly enough. So I sent this:
Customer (David Wyble) – 04/25/2009 02:11 AM
You say a refund? Does that mean I would not receive the blu-ray version instead as I had originally ordered? Please refer to quoted text below for full explanation of what has occured.Thank you.
And once again, they obviously didn’t read it, cause this is what I got:
Response (ms) – 04/25/2009 03:55 AM
Thank you for contacting DeepDiscount.com!If you wish, we can process an exchange, however, there would be an additional charge for the Blu Ray since it is more expensive than the DVD.
Again, thank you for writing DeepDiscount.com. We appreciate your business.
Regards,
Customer Service Department
cs@DeepDiscount.com
Me:
Customer (David Wyble) – 04/25/2009 12:12 PM
There seems to be a break down in the communications with you folks. As I
had explained, the link AND the description from the Google shopping site
had it listed as Blu-Ray for 20.97. It is NOT my fault that the link is no
longer available since it has been removed and that it was actually the
normal DVD version. This is also not the first time i’ve had issue’s with
orders from your company. Broken cases, cracked dvd’s, etc.In the original email, I had pointed this out and was told I would have to
order it through Google as prices sometimes are offered lower else where.
The link:
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=vexille&hl=en&cid=7773483330369722890&scoring=p#ps-sellersAs you can see, you are no longer listed there, yet there are others with it
much lower then the 20.97 you had offered. But I still had chosen to go with
you as I had for multiple other transactions. It is now not the point of the
price, but of principal that you will not stand behind an obvious mistake of
someone in your company for mislabeling a link or what not, and then want to
charge me to rectify it.Please send me the return label and I will request my refund.
Even though I’ve been a long time customer, I will now just bring my
business else where and no longer recommend your site.David Wyble
And the final straw:
Response (ms) – 04/25/2009 08:00 PM
Thank you for contacting DeepDiscount.com!We do apologize for the inconvenience. We have sent a prepaid label to your email and a refund will be issued upon receipt of the return.
Again, thank you for writing DeepDiscount.com. We appreciate your business.
Regards,
Customer Service Department
cs@DeepDiscount.com
I just sat there looking at that post, feeling as if I had been told ‘and?’
But being the stubborn ass I am, I called this time and spoke with a lady who’s name was unintellegible. I had asked to speak to a manager, she said she would need to know why, and I told her i’ve already dealt with the entry service reps and will only speak to a manager. She wants to put me on with her lead, but I say again, manager.
A guy by the name of Jose gets on. I explain the whole situation to him and first words out of his mouth are ‘It obviously was a mistake on googles part as their prices aren’t always up to date with ours. But the Blu-Ray is $3 more then the normal DVD.’ Even though I had just explained to him that everything I have says it was the blu-ray version, even the confirmation email for the order. But he wouldn’t budge, not even after 10 mins of conversation.
I then gave him the same response, that I will take my business else where. I will take their links off my website. I will no longer recommend, but discourage people from using them because they refuse to honor their Customer Satisfaction Guarantee, at which point he stammers ‘I never said we wouldn’t, I will be more then happy to exchange it for you and I will place the order for you right now for the Blu-Ray at $20.97.’
I was flabbergasted, I kindly, and yes, kindly, informed him it is to late. To finally give me that offer after all this over $3, was actually insulting.
Yes, I know some of you are thinking, why didn’t you just do pay it? That’s not the point. Its principle of the matter. To many companies now are just walking over customers, and I for one will not deal with a company that treats its customers that way.
pimpin again
I’ve talked about Scott Sigler before, who has now published 2 books, the 2nd one getting onto the NY Times Best Sellers list. All the while still releasing his books for free in an audio format on his website.
Today, he’s released The Rookie for pre-order on his site. This is a hardback limited edition (only 3000 copies) that will be released in Sept. If you like football and scifi and mafia type stories, get it. You will love it.
The Rookie
spotlight
Yesterday, after having arrived at work, my supervisor handed me a card. It was addressed to me, which was rather strange, as I do not recieve mail at work. This happened to be from the West Division President. My supv said he didn’t know what it was.
Upon opening it, I read the following hand written:
Dave,
Congratulations on being named a finalist in the Circle of Success – Hero of Valor Award. I know that when people like you see something that needs to be done – you take action. Thank you for setting an example for us all in saving the poeple and animals from the burning building!
Good luck!
Brad
I was rather shocked, as this was something that happened last year. I’ll let the article in the Employee Newsletter explain it:
Comcast Techs Rush to Aid Fire Victims:
A fire broke out last week inside a four-story apartment building across the street from the Seattle office. Smoke and flames shooting were from the third floor, and three Seattle technicians, David Thomas, Dave Wyble and Eric Laumatia quickly ran across the street and into the smoke-filled building. They went door-to-door to alert residents and help them vacate the building. But their aid didn’t end there: they also rescued animals from the building. In addition, one resident had advanced stage multiple sclerosis and was unable to leave the building without emergency help, and Eric Laumatia sat with her until rescue crews arrived.
This was totally unexpected and I had not sought any type of acknowledgement or such. Just the thank yous from all these people was enough. So i’m very thankful for being selected as a finalist.
Oh, and the free luncheon at the awards ceremony. 
Its a small world
While i’ve got a few mins to work on the site, I decided to actually make a post here instead of on twitter.
Saturday night I was doing my normal getting ready for work the next day routine. One of these is plugging my ipod in to get some of the podcasts I listen to while driving from customer to customer (section coming soon on which I listen to).
One of these, Slice of Scifi, had a newer ep up and in it, was this name that I recognized. Derek Colanduno. An old friend who I used to LARP with when I lived in Vegas before he moved to Atlanta, Ga.
I left Vegas in ‘02 and he had left several years before me, and through the rigors of life, we had lost contact. Last I had known, he was getting married and I was unfortunately not able to attend his wedding. I had wonder from time to time what he was up to and it seems he’s been very busy. New job, his own podcast named Skepticality, along with being very involved with Dragon*Con.
After locating his email, I fired off a small note and to my pleasure, he responded. What came next was a surprise. Even more so then the thoughts I had of it truly is a small world.
It seems back in Sept ‘05, Derek had a stroke, a bundle of vessels in his skull had ruptured.
In his own words in an email to me, he had this to say:
Basically, I was at dinner after I got home from a business trip, went to dinner with a bunch of people… had to go to the bathroom. On my way back to the table to eat my food, I started to get a very strange head-ache, then had to vomit suddenly… Next thing I know I am waking up in the hospital with tubes coming out of the top of my head and stuck in me everywhere. I was confused and had no clue where I was. I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t walk, or get up, I was strapped down. When I finally started to ‘come to’ my wife came and told me the deal. I had just woken up from a coma which lasted a tad more than a month. They had to drill several holes in my skull to let out all the pressure, and they didn’t know how much brain damage I had.
Then about 2 months of in the hospital stuff happened. They got me back on my feet so I could move myself around and such. Around that Christmas I started to go to full time 8 hour a day rehab to learn how to talk and think and remember stuff again. The speech part was the WORST. I had to start from the beginning and learn how to make the words with my mouth and tongue again. At least I didn’t have the common damage which ALSO makes it so you don’t realize you are saying the wrong words. So, I KNEW I was saying the wrong thing so I was able to re-learn fast. They used the, at the time, experimental music therapy to get me to talk again like a normal person. So I don’t have that ‘stroke stutter’ that people know from most stroke victims. So, you wouldn’t really know if you hear me on the audio show now. Actually it was my podcast which helped that, the speech doctor loved that he was able to listen to HOURS of my old speech so he was able to use it to get me back to normal. I slowly regained my ability to taste different flavors over the first year, which is good, I HATED that everything, no matter what it was, tasted like… nothing…
I sat there stunned. Both Derek and I are around the same age, so lots of things went through my head. Two of the biggest ones were happiness and guilt.
Happiness that he is ok and continues to get better. That he has a strong loving wife and friends who all were there for him to help him get his life back.
And guilt, that I hadn’t tried harder at maintaining a viable friendship with someone I honestly think is a totally down to earth guy.
Because of the net, i’ve re-located a friend and hope to recover that friendship and at the same time, it has caused me to re-think some of the things I take for granted.
So back a week and half ago, I was at PAX again. As an Enforcer, again. And I just can not describe in words the amount of fun I had. The people I worked with, met, and hung out with, were all absolutely a blast.
PAX itself was amazing this again this year. Even though it was quite a bit bigger, it never lost any of its community feel. And seeing Freezepops, The One Ups, and Jonathan Coulton in concert was alot of fun, along with the staples of PAX, The Minibosses, MC Frontalot, Optimus Ryhme and the Neskimos.
Anyways, back to Bioshock, the best game to come out in quite awhile and grab my attention.
 |
Currently playing Bioshock: *Gamestop Exclusive* Limited Edition (Xbox 360) |
Bleh
Lonely… Only gone two days and I miss her alot… 
crushes pt II
Hehehehe. This is a little different.
I have a crush, and I like her very much, and she should come over, and we should eat junk food and play video games, and sit in the hottub, and drink good beer, then go out for dinner, blahblahblah… you know, all of that.
“It seems like every day’s the same and i’m left to discover on my own, it seems like everything is grey and there’s no color to behold. They say “it’s over, and i’m fine again”, yeah. Try to stay sober, feels like i’m dyin’, yeah. And I am aware now, how everything’s gonna be fine, one day, too late. i’m in hell, I am prepared now, seems everyone?s gonna be fine, one day too late, just as well” – Seether “Fine again”
I have been spending a lot of time asking “what kind of night is this” with no avail… well tonight I washed my light bulbs… that’s what kind of night it is.
Because it seems like sometimes a tornado has ripped through my life, and left everything shredded… and now, the only way I can clean it is to burn it all and start fresh. I know why the forest feels that is the best way to let in the new. Did you know there is a type of tree, the Jack Pine, which has pine cones which only open in the event of forest fires (scorching temps) and it’s absolutely natural to have to begin that way. And maybe that’s just the easiest way to see every seemingly major event.
A disaster.
Tornado room, bedroom disaster, work disaster, X-mas disaster… maybe i’m the only one that sees it like that, not sure. “Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone.” … stoning disaster.
I’m not tired, I spend too much time behind a keyboard, too much time behind a controller. But sometimes it’s all i’m capable of. Oh well, tread water, that’s all I can ask. I cleaned up my bathroom, i’d like to get this room under wraps, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen, ever. At least, not until i’m able to collect my own scattered thoughts. I think the main theme of my life as of late has been detachment. I’m not sure why. It’s hard to get into anything, to ever not feel like i’m just observing. And i’m not sure if it’s just wear, or that i’m not feeling like i’m really living as of late. It’s a bunch of philosophical nonsense I suppose. All I can say for sure is, well… I can’t speak with certainty. How’s that for paradox? How’s that for poor spelling? I have the worst grammar ever.
I’ve wanted to write lately… I want to get back to creating the world i’ve worked on for so long. I’ve ditched my group creation, and that feels good, because I have more freedom and control, on the opposing hand, it’s hard because i’m used to playing on others, building and collaborating in creation. I guess i’ve used that crutch too long. Sadly, i’ve never been that good with endings.
Ok, enough for now, more rants later i’m sure, this is too unstructured as it is. Broken fragments from a broken fragment.
And, I’m still not to comfy with the idea of having a crush. :p
-j
Running Blind
It has been said that one who does not know he is darkness cannot fear that which hides within it. I do not know of the darkness I exist in. To make matters worse, I’m making a mad dash through life. I often run as fast as I can, legs shaking, lungs heaving, eyes closed – right into a brick wall. Each time I collide with the wall I can feel my entire self being shaken down to my very core. Then I fall. I can feel my head dully bounce off the bedrock and I can feel the blood running down my neck and face. I sit there in shock, wondering what the hell just happened. When I realize my fault, I slowly pick myself up and clean myself off. When my legs stop trembling, I think to myself ‘I’ll never do that again’. Then I close my eyes, and resume my sprint.
The scars I bear on my ego, heart, and skin should be enough proof that I run into too many walls. In the course of a human life there are some walls that you will run into, it goes without saying. However, the number of walls you hit will be greatly reduced if you are not always running. Having your eyes open helps too. So what is this glue that binds my sight?
There are a multitude of problems that exist in my life. However, most of them can be attributed to a select few reasons. Self-centered mindset, not learning from the past, being a sucker for immediate gratification and being unable to see the future are those reasons. They fuse together to form one gigantic, disgusting, unseen presence that keeps me wholly ignorant of the fact that my eyes are closed. Besides just binding my sight, they also make speed through all things, good and bad. The harm this may inflict upon my body, mind or spirit, usually pales in comparison to the piles of slain and unmet goals that I leave in my wake.
Admitting to the fact that I am a self-centered individual is no problem. The problem arises when I grasp for an answer to the question, ‘How do I change this’?. Looking out for number one is a basic societal instruction. However, when ’self-centered’ perverts into selfishness, then new walls become erected in your immediate path. When I turned to selfishness, I can never be too sure. Clarity only shines over the idea of destroying it.
Tagging along with selfishness, is the idea that you are big and bad enough to take on all that life has to throw at you. When this smoke cloud of illusion finally dissipates, you come crashing down to the sight of the destruction you caused. Bridges that could once withstand the fiercest storms are reduced to mere piles of glowing embers. Broken hearts and broken friendships litter the ground all around you. After all this has set in, you see that you have no clue where you are. Only then do you come to the realization that you are but a mere speck in the grand scheme of things and you cannot bear this pain all alone. Harder yet is the lesson that many goals cannot be achieved without others.
Normally, people learn what not to do by doing something that causes them pain. I on the other hand, will usually burn my hand on the stove, realize that in doing so I hurt myself, but then I’ll see a candle across the room and still reach for the flame. Fire is fire, no matter what setting it exists in. My mind has this haze that envelops it and believes that every situation is different, even though time and pain has proved otherwise. Stupid, yes, but it does help me to maintain a childlike innocence and has so far kept me from becoming jaded to the various fires (relationships, daily mundane routines, Etc.) within my life. Weather or not the innocence will ever outweigh the pain, that is something i’ll never know fully, but have faith that it will.
I am man enough to admit that I am stupid enough to do things that will hurt me, even after i’ve already learned that they cause pain. However, I will not say that I don’t understand that they will cause me pain the second time around. It loops back to the innocence factor. In all honesty, within the deepest chambers of my heart, I know its going to hurt. I pray that each time I remake a mistake that its going to be different. I obviously hope that it is going to turn out for the better, and if not that, then at least be different, if only in the tinest, minute way so I can rationalize it as a ‘brand new’ learning situation.
Instant gratification is a constant problem with me. The fight between me and the sloth that instant gratification brings with it seeps into all different aspects of my life. It effects me in stupid little ways, like weather or not I should microwave a hot pocket for lunch instead of making a nutritious bowl of soup. The real drop down, drag out war is, rationalizing weather or not my studying for work is worth loosing sleep over so that I can hang out with all my friends and my maybe soon to be girlfriend. I’ll give you a real good example, this is being typed at 5:06 AM, and not because I’m nocturnal. Everyday I have to make decisions weather or not to take the quick fix, or choose the option that consumes time and generally isn’t all that fun. Factor in a nice dose of senioritus, and it turns my loosing battle into a slaughter.
My last real problem is mostly a byproduct of having my three other problems at the same time. Take selfishness, Laziness and a dash of the inablity to learn from the past and you get my final problem – not being able to see what effects my actions will have. Sometimes this will work to my advantage, keeping me from fearing things that I have no reason to, but more likely the opposite will occur. I will not see that if I decide to stay out all night hanging out with friends that I will be unable to wake up in the morning and will run late for work. I will only see that if i decide to stay out I will probably get a chance to pop really stupid jokes, get in on some juicy gossip, or have a chance to make out with the girl I like. In this sense, I really am blind, and I do not even know it.
Each of these factors exists on their own, and as a part of a larger problem. They are my bane. Laying down and dying isn’t something I am known for doing, so I know that these undoings won’t plague me forever. I have to muster up the courage, sense of mind, strength of will and patience to slay the beast that basicaly decides which goals I will or won’t make for me. It won’t be easy. I’ve let them build up untouched for too long to expect this to be a quick and easy battle.
What exactly can be done to change this? Beats me. There are a number of ways to fight this, and I know eventually they all lead to the same conclusion. But for me, I think retraining my mind will be the best method of attack. I will have to relearn that i’m not the only one in this world. I will have to take time to recognize what is fun isn’t always whats going to be what is needed. I might have to loose that special innocence to learn that each fire burns the same. Its going to take a really long time to do this, but for the sake of my future self and all the goals I wish to achive, I know I can do it.
True, right now I am running through life blind, but it doesn’t have to be that way. One day the collision will be so great that I won’t be able to get up. When that happens I’ll have no choice but to tear the scales from my eyes and see the road ahead of me. But why let it come to that? I have the ability to stop dead in my tracks right now. I can refuse to move another inch until I can see. I can clear my sight and avoid so much pain, heartache and confusion right now. I think i’ll start now.
-j
