Sunday, January 13, 2008

Simple answers of looming dread

1. Is there someone who's planning to take my Christmas tree down for me, or help me decide what to do about the poinsettias, or who plans to enfold my shiny little Christmas objets in tissue paper? Because I could use some help with that.
2. When will there be a movie (preferably a comedy) that I can watch without effort and still feel happy at the end of it?
3. Is Bruiser lonely? He seems lonely.
4. Am I missing something, or have I eaten at all the restaurants in SLC and now they seem stale and unimaginative?
5. Is the world more full of incompetent people than it was just a couple of weeks ago? Or is it that all the systems they have for doing practically everything have taken a turn and become really, really bad?
6. Why is it just pasta polenta rice polenta pasta around here?
7. Why did the people at Wild Oats let me leave without the butter, the cheese, and the mushrooms that I paid for?
8. Is it just me? Because it seems like maybe it's just me.

To which I respond:

1) Trust me, you don't want my help, unless you like a house full of needs and many broken shiny Christmas things.
2) Such movies have been banned.
3) All dogs seem lonely to me. I think it is in their DNA. Perhaps it is just in our DNA.
4) SLC Restaurants are dull and unimaginative. There is a mediocrity here that is completely unacceptable, especially for the prices that they charge. Ask lis, I'm sure she agrees with me.
5) Yes.
6) Sounds kind of a tasty routine, if you ask me. It could be worse: you could be on the pre-packaged diet that many people seem to be on these days.
7) See 5 above.
8) No, it is not just you.

Labels: dogs, incompetence, life, restaurants, routine

¶ 8:43 AM 1 comments

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Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Rhetoric of anger, any one?

I am less friendly to our beloved Utah Transit Authority than I have been in th past:

While I understand the mechanical problems this morning with TRAX were completely out of your control, UTA could have informed all of its drivers who arrive at TRAX stations to inform riders that there will be long delays or that there would be alternate bus service. The lack of information form UTA to the commuting public is unacceptable. Having drivers roll around TRAX stations yelling at people to get on (having no idea where they are going) is not an appropriate contingency plan.

I expect a reply to this message. I am quite disappointed that you have refused to reply to my previous complaint about the bus stop on 21st South and 21st East. Is this how the new UTA runs? Ignore your customers?

I have decided to be blunt this time since my previous rather cordial letter received no response at all. I my note that my complaint to Thanksgiving Point also received no response. Should I write to them again?

Perhaps I should start a new blog called "It's Not Wise to Upset a Wookie" or "Let the Wookie Win."* What do you think?

*For those of you not geek:

[R2-D2 and Chewbacca are playing the holographic game aboard the Millennium Falcon]
Chewbacca: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrgh
C-3PO: He made a fair move. Screaming about it can't help you.
Han Solo: Let him have it. It's not wise to upset a Wookiee.
C-3PO: But sir, nobody worries about upsetting a droid.
Han Solo: That's 'cause droids don't pull people's arms out of their sockets when they lose. Wookiees are known to do that.
Chewbacca: Grrf.
C-3PO: I see your point, sir. I suggest a new strategy, R2: let the Wookiee win.

Grrf!

Update (2:30 pm): I just received the following from UTA:

I do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. At this
time I have forwarded your concern to the appropriate department for
further review. Our commitment to our customers is to continue to
improve the service we provide. Please contact us should you have any
further questions or comments.

Thank you,

X X
UTA Customer Comments

Labels: bitching, bus, complaints, incompetence, rhetoric, train, transit, UTA, wrath

¶ 9:20 AM 1 comments

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Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Meta this: modern broadcasting incompetence, extraordinaire! or where I advertise another blogging venture

I make a grand, sweeping generalization about Fox 13's broadcasting incompetence of the Boston/Cleveland game tonight over at TWIT:

I see the lack of notification on the part of broadcasters as yet another example of the decline of our society into greedy, me-first, ill-mannered priggishness.

Stick that in your craw, FAWWWWWWWWWWWWKS* 13 and suck it!**

*You must picture John Kleenex saying the FOX 13 bit.)

**I need a little old lady to sit on the side of my blog and comment on my posts. On this one, she would be saying "How crass!"

Labels: baseball, idiocy, incompetence, sports, television

¶ 11:29 PM 0 comments

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