Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Third post with no pictures. A record. I’m testing your reading. gr/eats makes a tofu burger. I’ve had it and helped developed it, but honestly I always felt like it wasn’t finished. I was going to remove it from the menu. I’m please to say, it’s pretty damn good now and I think I’ll get it again. It’s fun to revisit old items. I haven’t had a few of the dishes in a while, I think I’ll try them. BUT! I wish I could try them without the kitchen crew knowing it’s me who ordered it. Is it the same?!
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Today was customer service day. No, not me doing the service, but me getting “serviced.” Sounds lurid, but it’s not. I called Verizon, because our DSL wasn’t working right. Typical problem. 1) I call Verizon Business and go through their phone system. The person says that our phone number doesn’t show up on their system. We are a Verizon customer, even though I’m at GR1 and we’re a business.2) I call the Verizon number, and they say that we’re not a business customer. I tell them, we are a business, and our conversation goes no where. They have a hard time understanding and repeating our phone number. I’d say, we’re at 310 478 1819. Then they’d repeat “310 478 1998?” I’d repeat it, then they say “301 478 1819.” I correct them, then the person says, “no, I didn’t say that.” They transfer me to a tech guy. The tech guy must have been in India. He couldn’t figure out how to spell my name. That took 2 tries and he eventually says that he can’t help me. Our account is under a different name and the addresses I gave them don’t match the account. BS.3) I call the Verizon number again, this time, I get a smarter guy who says you’re definitely business. So he transfers me to a tech guy. This tech guy is a bit smarter and says, our modem is broken, just ask the service people for a new one. That simple? So then I get tranfered and the person says, oh, you’re a business customer. I get tranfered, and then they say, oh you’re not a business customer. So then I’m back to the regular Verizon, then a smart guy tells me that we’re a business customer, but our DSL isn’t a business DSL, and he takes care of us. Sort of. Now we don’t have service for 5 days while we wait for a new modem, new service, new everything. There’s more steps in between. I looked at my notes and had 5 different phone numbers, and I know I dialed each of the five. Can you believe it? So now the rant: There’s people out there who are customer service people. Don’t they know that we (the customer) is the reason why they even have a job? (maybe not, read on). This sounds mean or cruel, but let’s add more to it. This is the phone company. I am a customer of the phone company. Each bad service example meant another tranfer to another employee. It took at least 5 maybe 10 to help me. So I’m one customer, and there’s 10 people helping me. Something is wrong. What’s up with the untalented customer service people? Why can’t they help? Before you think I’m a jerk, read on. So, think of it this way, the customer service people all have phone service. So that means they’re like me… the “we” in the second sentence. They’re basically service people who service themselves. So why...
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Uglycon drawing contest winners. Take a look! It was a great contest. about 50 entries, miles of crayon lines and more. There were some great efforts, and some of the “ugliest” were the best! Also in today’s news, the iPhone. The news is bigger than God. The phone looks great, and I want one. That’s all I can add. Haters stay back, it’ll be better than your Nokia. It’s not the first phone or the last. The same with the iTV. It’s not the first TV application, and it’s not the last, but of course, I’ll take one of each. The real bad thing is that it makes my blackberry look and feel lame… How can that be… But where’s the 12″ Mac Book Pro!? I emphasize the Pro! Where is it?
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Your Yard From Boom to Bust #5 Buddhist Temple on Corinth and LaGrange. This yard is hall of fame material. Let’s start with the tree. It looks like deer antler. The shape is great, the branches look fine, and it’s a nice tree. This yard is groomed by the dream team of gardners. At least once a year, this yard is descended upon by at least a dozen Japanese American gardners. You see the trucks line up around the place, it’s an amazing sight. Dudes in trees, on their hands and knees, not one leaf is left ugly. I missed it this year. This tree needs a crutch. Years ago, a woman hopped the curb, and drove into this tree. It’s injured. I once talked to one of the gardners who filled me in. He said the tree is dying, and the crutch keeps it up. Eventually, he said it will die from the injury. I’m sure the woman who hit it has no idea, and even if she did find out, she wouldn’t care. I’m sure somehow, she thinks she was the victim. As a kid, I used to throw the rocks in that yard. Imagine little kids (me), standing in there and running around. Can you hear the sound of the small pebbles crunching under your sneakers? So in the foreground it’s amazing, those bushes look like sea anenomes. Want to be the clown fish who wiggles around in it? The curved grass is perfect. See Shinran? See him? This yard is partially for him. The composition of the taller trees are perfect. It’s as if the temple is in a forest. I don’t play golf but if I did, I’d T up here. The Rock.Close by the temple is this… It’s like a bush with a rock pointing out. Is it a symbol of an island? Is it just a corner of a yard? Is it like a lighthouse near a drive way. I like this stone that jets up. The rest of the yard is just ok, but this rock. I give the yard a 6. The rock is a 9. Trees and rocks.This house did a great job on the trees and rocks together. It’s as if they’re bonsai being stunted in growth by rocks… I dunno. There’s something about this that’s relaxing. The fact that there’s Dicondra grass makes this yard special. Someone takes care of this and is proud of it. I’d give this one a 8.5 It’s a little messy from the winds we’ve been having. The grass isn’t in it’s best shape. The Sahara.Time to dig in. That’s me on my bike… the shadow. I did this on purpose today. I dunno why. But this yard is either in progress, or they just gave up. It’s as if it’s abandoned, but it’s not. The bushes look brown, the trees are a mess, and nothing is composed right. It’s a mess. The dirt lawn is weird. And what are those things in...
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This sign is awesome. We made it in (the list) and I know people don’t read this anyway. Why 24 hours? If I parked there at 2am when everything is closed (they don’t chain the driveway) why would they tow me? Also the $38 flat rate? What’s that for? The towing is probably well over $150. Maybe $200. It’s best to park where you’re supposed to park, but this sign is a keeper. Development. This is across the street from my house. What is that crane doing? It’s a regular sized lot. Common people chill on the condo action! There’s construction on both sides of my house across and the side. This morning at 7am a huge boom shook my house. It was probably the crane going erect. The only thing I have to say is, when construction starts at 7am daily for a month and wakes me ass up, I’ll bet the folks who move in will be the first to complain if I made noise at 7am or had music on after 10pm. They’ll have no idea of the suffering the folks in the neighborhood sustained for them. Also I’ll bet these dumbasses construction folks who park lame so only 1 car can fit instead of two will be the first to complain when I start parking bad on purpose.
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