I like that we maintain a higher standard of behavior on System Wars than CNN does of its commentators.
This kind of professionalism is truly inspiring.
Professional critic of political correctness or not, there's no reason to attack individuals instead of issues. You may think Brian Crecente's a loser or Hilary Clinton is "Stalin in a Pantsuit," there's simply no relevant connection between my personal state of loserness and my political views.
No wonder nobody bothers with CNN anymore.
I hate the US Postal Service. They have the worst tracking system of all major shippers, and they're next to impossible to contact if something goes wrong.
Case in point: I ordered Culdcept Saga on the 23rd with a gift card I had lying around. According to the website I ordered from, the order was shipped on the 24th and was delivered on the 28th. Well, the 28th was yesterday, and I sure as hell don't have the thing. They helpfully provided me a US Postal Service Track & Confirm number, so that I could view my shipment details online.
So I look it up, and this is what I see:
Accepted/Picked up, eh? Doesn't sound promising, since it was "accepted" in Springfield, Massachusetts and I live in Montville, Maine. Yeah, not the right state, smartypants.
Anyway, so I'm not quite sure that "Accepted/Picked Up" means what I think it means, so I decide to give Customer Service a call and see if I can find out a little more. First I try their dedicated track and confirm number to see what that has to tell me. Oddly (since I just searched the order on the website and had no trouble finding it) the automated system couldn't bring my tracking number up and informed me I'd have to contact the sender. "BS!" I cried, "FOUL!" I cried... so I tried to get an operator on the line, but the automated system tersely informed me that its information was up to date and speaking with Customer Service was "not an option" at this time. It then promptly disconnected my call.
I am now upset.
So I find the number for "Complaints" intending to use it for just that. I call the number and the same automated service answers and gives me the same options. This time I am smart enough not to ask it for tracking information, but I tell it I need some "general" information instead, hoping that if I am vague enough it will get confused and send me to a live human being. Again the machine outsmarted me. When I was sufficiently vague, it asked me flat out what I wanted. Forced to reply, I told it "complaint" and it informed me, again, not very politely, that Customer Service was not available at this time and that I should call back during regular business hours. It does not tell me when their business hours are. Being a government agency, it's not safe to assume that their business hours are the same as everyone else's either... that would clearly be asking too much. After informing me to call back at some unspecified hour, the machine again disconnected me.
Now I am not just upset, but also angry.
I go to their email customer service page and type out a rather strongly worded query. Is it too much to ask that if they're going to make their tracking information this confusing that it's humanly possible for someone to be around to explain? And if nobody's around to explain just now, I understand, I do, but can you not just tell me when you will be here so I don't have to go through this again in a couple of hours?
I blink at this rather caustic missive a few times, trying to decide if I should just hold off or if I should go ahead and send it. I've worked in Customer Service (several of you know just how much I loved it), I know how it is to have someone screaming at you for no real reason. But I think I'm justified in my upset-ness, and I've listened to enough yelling that I'm reasonably sure it won't kill the person on the other end. Especially an emailed yell. So I send it.
Surprisingly (oh so surprisingly!) I have a response back within moments. It said:
Thank you for contacting us about the label number, 9102015019297016190425, that has not been received.
According to our records, your shipment was accepted/picked up on April 28, 2008. It has not been delivered.USPS
Hrmph. At least I know my shipment is still coming. But would it have killed them to add in a few more sentences to explain wtf "accepted/picked up" means if not delivered? Also, would it be possible to provide me with an estimated delivery date? Seriously, UPS does it on every order. They also show me a step by step package progression. They don't confuse me with misleading terminology and refuse to assist me when I am inevitably and horribly perplexed.
US Postal Service, you officially suck.
...all of a sudden. I don't think it's cold enough to snow again (at least I hope not!) but I am definitely not warm. My landlord's gone away and the heater doesn't seem to be working. Otherwise it'd be a warm snug 70 in here instead of a damp 63.
Also, I have definitely caught a cold, so that could be adding to my general sense of frigidness. I hope it's sunny tomorrow.
I can't decide if I like this avatar or not. I was getting rather tired of the MASH-tini though, I'm always a little concerned somebody's going to interpret that as a sign of alcoholism, or rabid patriotism, or both. I've always rather wanted a Saria theme, but N64 screenshots always come out so grainy no matter what I do with them... Not like I'm expert at image editing or anything. Very much the opposite in fact.
Anybody have an opinion on her, or how I can make her look nicer?
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Sexy new banner and avatar courtesy of ShenlongBo. I like them don't you?
I'm hoping this layout puts an end to that nagging problem I've had of people occasionally referring to me as "him".
Justin Masterson
Why, you ask, am I freaking out because the RedSox are pulling a minor leaguer to fill in for the flu-ridden Daisuke Matsuzaka? It's because I went to college with Justin Masterson at a tiny little nowhere college. His sister and I shared a bathroom and we lit a toaster-oven on fire trying to use it as an oven-oven. I had good friends in his dorm, I used to sit up late watching them all play Halo and trying to convince them to let me carry the flag (you have no idea how bad I suck at Halo).
After I graduated he went off to San Diego State and got himself drafted. He's been playing for my hometown team, the Portland Sea Dogs, and I caught a game there last year in the hopes of seeing him, but no dice. Now he's pitching for the ****ing Boston Red Sox. It's surreal, it's unbelievable.
They said he's a "young man we'll be talking about for a long time to come" and who "the organization has great expectations for"!!
If you're crazy like me, you can read about it here. I gotta go watch the game now. Cross your fingers.
I'll leave you with a summary from redsox.com:
BOS: RHP Justin Masterson (Major League debut)
The highly touted Masterson gets the thrill of making his Major League debut at Fenway Park in the finale of this three-game set against the Angels.
"HIGHLY TOUTED!"
[Edit:
1st inning update - Angels groundout to second (1), strikeout (2), walk, stolen second base, groundout to second (3). RedSox Ellsbury grounds out (1), Pedroia stikes out (2), Ortiz grounds out (3). No score.
2nd inning update - Angels flyout to center (1), groundout to second (2), walk, strikeout (3). RedSox Manny singles, Youk walks, Lowrie singles, Lugo strikes out (1), Coco Crisp grounds out to second (2) drives in the run, Cash strikes out (3). Redsox lead 1-0.
3rd inning update - Angels flyout to right (1), bunt groundout to the mound (2), single to shallow center, flyout to right (3). RedSox Ellsbury grounds out to second (1), Pedroia singles to left, Ortiz hits into a fielder's choice/Pedroia (2), Manny hits into a fielder's choice/Ortiz (3). Redsox lead 1-0.
4th inning update - Angels groundout to third (1), groundout to third (2), walk, ground out to the mound (3). RedSox Youk walks, Lowrie sac bunt (1) runner advances to second, Lugo grounds out to short (2), Coco Crisp ground-rule doubles drives in the run, Crisp steals third, Cash ground-rule doubles drives in the run, Ellsbury line out to left (3). Redsox lead 3-0.
5th inning update - Angels solo HR, groundout to second (1), strikeout (2), groundout to second (3). Redsox Pedroia grounds out to short, Ortiz flies out to deep (deep :() center (2), Manny singles to left, Youk hits into fielder's choice/Manny (3). Redsox lead 3-1.
6th inning update - Angels walk, double play 2nd (1) and 1st (2), strikeout!!!!
And that's it for Masterson... holy crap what an awesome debut!! Four strikeouts, 95 pitches, only two hits and one run!!! Congratulations, Justin on your kickass first Major League Start!!!:D]
After writing nine pages of pure advertising this weekend, I find myself out of words.
I hope they'll come back soon.
HardQuor: yeh, numbers always mess things up
HardQuor: like.. the stock market..
SophinaK: it's true!
SophinaK: silly stock market.
SophinaK: we should get rid of it
SophinaK: I mean, honestly, what's it good for?
HardQuor: out the window
HardQuor: it's a big waste of time
SophinaK: I can't read a stock or listen to it or play it. pfft.
HardQuor: and it doesn't attract members of the opposite sex
SophinaK: it's true.
SophinaK: I've never yet dated a stock. :P
HardQuor: nor have i
HardQuor: it must be religious
SophinaK: a stock?
SophinaK: certain people do seem to worship them.
SophinaK: ^_^
I am getting pretty frustrated around the forums with the number of people who think it's cool to be cynical and say that game journalism is in the toilet because previews are too positive.
I think the only way anybody could say this is if they're having a terminal misunderstanding of what a preview is about. What are you going to say about an unfinished game? Nothing you'd be afraid you'd have to retract when the retail version came out that's for sure. Considering that the developers have a potentially infinite amount of time to fix anything wrong in your preview build, what's the point of bashing things that might not even make it into the final game? Plus, if you spend that time praising the things that are good about the preview game, maybe the developers will take that as a hint and leave it alone or even enhance it. If you read enough previews, you'll realize the complaints are there, just worded subtly to ensure that they're not taken as heavy handed criticism of something that simply isn't done. Statements like "we hope the attention to detail seen in the graphics of [gameX] carries over into its gameplay and control mechanisms" are pretty common, and what are they but a veiled comment that the graphics so far look great, but the gameplay isn't there (yet). Saying anything stronger at that point in the process would be silly.
Ideas? Am I missing the mark myself?
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