Remembrance Day
Bent Double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through the sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame, all blind,
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.
Gas! gas! boys! An ecstasy of fumbling
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.
Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams before my helpless sight
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams, You too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin,
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs
Bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
They shall not grow old, as we who are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Tags: remembrance day
Finally got my phone
Well, my issue with the Source by Circuit City has finally been resolved. Actually, it was resolved last Tuesday shortly after my last post on the subject. I finally got a hold of their district manager who told me he had no idea what was going on and never received my emails. He got in touch with the store and called me back to tell me that somehow my phone was lost either by the stooges at the Orchard Park store, or by their repair depot, or by Motorola. Either way, I was given a new phone to replace the one that they lost. All I can say is it’s about fucking time!
Tags: cell phone, Radio Shack, The Source
Shitty Service
Last Wednesday I went into The Source by Curcuit City and asked about my phone. The guy I talked to told me that my phone was never received by the repair depot. He said they were closed, but he would get someone to call them the next day and then call me to tell me what was going on. Not surprisingly, they never phoned me. I went into the store and asked to speak with the manager, but he wasn’t there. So the guy I did talk to checked the computer and said my phone was in the back room. He went back their for about ten minutes looking for it, and came back empty handed. He said he made a few phone calls and found out that my phone was still at the repair depot, and would be ready soon. I asked him how long it would take since I’ve already been waiting two months. He said about ten days. I asked him for the phone number for his head office and he said he didn’t have the number. So he told me I could go to their website and get his district manager’s phone number off their hiring page. It’s a Vancouver number so I have to call long distance to get some fucking service. I calle twice and got voicemail both times. I left two messages, the second one being really long and probably a little rude. I just want my fucking phone back people. Is that too much to ask?
I’m so pissed off right now.
Tags: cell phone, Radio Shack, The Source
Labour Board
Well I went to arbitration at the labour board last Wednesday and it went really well. I got most of the money I was expecting. I got a little less for my uniform costs than I was asking for, but that’s not too big a deal. I also managed to piss off my former boss, so it was a great day. 
Tags: labour board, Nick 'n' Willy's
This is getting ridiculous
Six days have passed and I still haven’t heard from anyone at the source by curcuit city. I sent off another email through their website. It included my original email to them but started off with this:
Apparently my previous message, which I sent a week ago, has been ignored. Here it is again in case anyone from your company actually cares about customer service…
I have to meet with the labour board at 2:00 today. Depending on how long that meeting lasts I might stop in at the store and complain to someone in person.
Absolutely fucking ridiculous!!!
Meeting with the labour board
I just realised that I never blogged much about quitting my job at Nick N Willy’s Pizza. Here’s the short version of the story: The weekend wakefest was running in Kelowna Nick N Willy’s had a booth set up downtown selling pizza. The owner was working down there with some other staff. I was scheduled to work in the store. When I got to work I was given a message to call Nick because he had some complaints about how I had closed the store the previous night. So I phoned him and he bitched and yelled at me about stuff not being done the night before. When I left I thought everything was done. The full time guy told me I only had to close the til, lock the door, and go home. Nick told me it was my responsibility to make sure everything was done and to make sure the other guy I was working with did all his work. I told Nick that if he wanted me to do a manager’s job he’d have to pay me a manager’s wage. I also told him that I wasn’t going to stay late to do extra work since he wasn’t paying me for my overtime anyways. My cheques were being shorted, and Nick didn’t understand the laws regarding overtime so he just didn’t pay me what I was owed. He was pissed off and yelling at me on the phone and said he wasn’t going to talk to me about it. So I told him I quit. I hung up the phone and walked out the door. In our phone conversation I told Nick that he could either pay me the money that he owed me or I would go to the labour board. He took that as a threat and told me not to threaten him. It wasn’t really a threat as far as I’m concerned. I was just telling him how it was going to be. Anyways, when my final pay cheque came in the mail I was paid for my overtime, but I was shorted money again so I filled out a self help kit from the Ministry of Labour’s website, and dropped it off at Nick N Willy’s along with my uniforms. Nick never responded to me directly, but he did tell Suzanne that if I went through with my complaint he was going to sue me. 
Apparently there was some money stolen from the tip jar at Nick n Willy’s, and although everyone who works there knows who took the money, and a few of them are willing to testify about it in a court of law, Nick is blaming me. Funny thing is I wasn’t working there when the money went missing. Besides, theft is a criminal matter and as far as I know you can’t sue someone for theft. None of that really matters though. It’s just Nick talking big and trying to intimidate me when he really doesn’t have a clue. Anyways, I filed a complaint with the labour board on the 26th of August. We’re scheduled to go to mediation this Wednesday. If we can’t reach an agreement through mediation we go to a hearing and an Industrial Relations Officer will decide on the case. I think it’s ridiculous that it’s even come to this. I’m not even asking for a lot of money. I’m asking for one hour’s pay and reimbursement for the cost of my uniform. The cost of my uniform was deducted from my first pay cheque. Under section 25 of the Employment Standards Act an employer must provide any required special clothing without cost to the employee, and must clean and maintain that special clothing.
I’ll keep you all updated on how the mediation goes. I think it will probbaly go to a hearing, and if it does, and the officer rules that Nick N Willy’s has violated the employment standards act, not only will they have to pay me what I am owed, they’ll be given a minimum fine of $500.00. I don’t understand why they don’t just pay me the money they obviously owe me and save themselves the time and money. 
Tags: labour board, Nick 'n' Willy's, work
The Source by Circuit Shitty
As a follow-up to my previous post about my cell phone, I emailed this letter to The Source by Circuit City’s “service” department today. I’m anxiously waiting to see how they respond.
Hello. I’m writing to you once again to complain about the service I have received from your store located in Orchard Park Mall in Kelowna British Columbia. I don’t know if you still have my previous complaint on file, or if you even keep records of complaints. Apparently the quality of service has not improved at all since the last time I wrote to you, and my previous letter was just a waste of my time.
I wrote a letter of complaint in March about the slow service I received when trying to get my cell phone repaired. I still have a copy of the letter I wrote if you’re interested. Anyways, after waiting over a month to get my phone repaired last time, I was given a newer model. On August 11th I tried to use my phone, but the screen on it was completely black. I could use the phone normally except that there was nothing displayed on screen. On August 26th I took my phone into your location in Orchard Park mall and talked to Kaiden. He and another staff member told me that it was most likely just a damaged “flex cable” and it would be easy to fix. My phone was sent off for repair and I was told that it would be ready in a couple of days. From my previous experience with your company, when you were under the name of Radio Shack, I knew that it would not be a couple of days, and was not surprised when I didn’t hear back from anyone at the store. A couple weeks after taking my phone in for repair, I visited the store again, and inquired about my phone. I was told that it was not back yet, and there must have been some kind of delay. No reason was given for why my phone was not yet repaired. I was told that I would just have to wait and they would phone me when my phone was ready. It’s now the 13th of October. I’ve waited forty-nine days for something I was told would only be “a couple days”. What exactly does your company think the definition of a couple days is? I was told the same thing last time I brought my phone in for repair and had to wait over a month to see any results. I never would have wasted my money on an extended warranty, or even shopped at your store, had I known you had such terrible service. As far as I’m concerned, your company has the worst service I’ve ever received.
Why does it take nearly two months, and a letter of complaint before I receive a service I’ve already paid for? As I said in my previous letter to your company, except for picking up my phone I will never set foot in one of your stores ever again, and I have encouraged my friends and relatives to stay clear of your company if they value quality service.
Sincerely,
Former Source by Circuit City/Radio Shack customer
Curtis Sanderson
Tags: cell phone, Radio Shack, The Source
Lots to post about
Well, it’s been a while so I have lots to blog about.
Back in March I blogged about my experience with Radio Shack. Apparently that wasn’t a one time thing. Their service sucks that much all the time. Last time I blogged I mentioned that the replacement phone they gave me wasn’t working properly. So I took it into the store and they said the flex cable was busted and that’s why the screen wasn’t working. They sent it away for repair and again told me it would be a couple of days. From my previous experience with them I knew damn well it wasn’t going to be back in a couple days. I took the phone in on the 26th of August. I’ve been waiting to hear back from them for 34 days now. I went in and asked about it a week after I dropped the phone off and the guy I talked to was really rude and told me they would call me when it’s ready. So I guess I’ll write another letter to their head office and see what happens.
I was in the hospital four days in a row a couple weeks ago. I had an absessed tooth and the pain was unbearable. I went to the hospital because the detists offices and walk in clinics were all closed and I wanted to get something for the pain until I could see a dentist. They gave me some pain killers that didn’t really help and the doctor said they’d give me IV anti-biotics to kill the infection. He chose IV anti-biotics because they work faster since it goes right into your blood stream. Well, the nurse who was giving me the IV didn’t seem to know what she was doing. She put in the needle and then started injecting saline. Then she says she missed the vain and it was a good thing it was only saline and not the anti-biotic. Then she tried again, but I wasn’t sure if she had the vain the second time. She started injecting the anti-biotic and was giving me a really strange look. She had half the syringe empty and then asked me if I was alergic to anything and if my arm was stinging. Shouldn’t you check for alergies before you go injecting stuff into people? Anyways, I said no, and then she grabbed the blood presure monitor. She looked like she was in a hurry to get the thing on my arm, so I asked her if there was something wrong. She said I was really pale. Then I got really dizzy and had to lie down. I ended up being okay. I don’t normally have a problem with needles, but I think I freaked out because she fucked up on the first try. The doctor told me to come back for more IV the next day, and I ended up going in four days in a row to get another dose of anti-biotic. On the third night I was there the doctor I saw decided to cut my gums to drain the infection. That didn’t really help, but the drugs they used to put me to sleep were pretty cool. I was really high when I left the hospital. Good thing my parents came down to check on me and my dad gave me a ride home, because when they told me about the procedure they were going to do they made it sound really minor and didn’t tell me I’d be unable to drive afterwards.
Tags: cell phone, hospital, Radio Shack, teeth, The Source
Ouch!
Wow, it’s been a long time since I blogged anything. I haven’t been online much lately, and the few times I have been online I’m mostly just checking email and catching up on news from Google.
I’ve been spending most of my free time with Suzanne, or sleeping. The other day I didn’t sleep at all because I was hanging out at the beach with Suzanne. We’re finding it kinda hard to work around our schedules since I work nights and she works days.
While I was at the beach I got a pretty bad sunburn on my back. It’s hurting quite a bit today, and peeling away lots of skin. That’s got to be one of the most disgusting things ever… I also have a headache right now so I’m not really having a good day so far.
My cell phone is messed up again. It was working fine yesterday morning, but when I woke up and tried using it today it’s broken. Everything seems to be working ok except for the screen. I can make and receive calls on it, but the screen it black so I can’t really use the phone very well. I guess I’ll have to take it into Radio Shack, or whatever they’re calling themselves now, and see if it’s covered under my warranty.
I’m also going to get a haircut today. I’ve been wanting to get a haircut for probably about two months now, but I keep putting it off. My hair’s starting to piss me off though so I’m going to make sure I get it cut today. I can’t stand having long hair. I like it really short.
I can’t really think of anything else to blog about right now, but I’m going to try to post more often. If you don’t regularly see something new here feel free to visit my contact me page and yell at me. 
Tags: beach, cell phone, girlfriend, Radio Shack, sunburn, The Source
Sheep
I found an interesting story in the news. At first I thought it was a joke, but then I noticed it was on a legitimate news website.
ISTANBUL, Turkey Jul 8, 2005 – First one sheep jumped to its death. Then stunned Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the same cliff, Turkish media reported.
In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a billowy white pile, the Aksam newspaper said. Those who jumped later were saved as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned, Aksam reported.
“There’s nothing we can do. They’re all wasted,” Nevzat Bayhan, a member of one of 26 families whose sheep were grazing together in the herd, was quoted as saying by Aksam.
The estimated loss to families in the town of Gevas, located in Van province in eastern Turkey, tops $100,000, a significant amount of money in a country where average GDP per head is around $2,700.
“Every family had an average of 20 sheep,” Aksam quoted another villager, Abdullah Hazar as saying. “But now only a few families have sheep left. It’s going to be hard for us.”
Tags: sheep
