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These are a few of my favorite holiday gripes... |
stuff-o-rama
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 20, 2003
Posts: 751
From: Central Coast of California
|  Posted: 2005-12-24 2:24 pm Permalink
My one gripe this year (in the wacky world of retail) was a phone call I received yesterday (Dec 23rd) from a boisterous woman on the phone who was screaming at me the second I said hello. She explained she was on the web site, she wanted to order an item that was noted "out of stock", she wanted it overnight delivery to NYC, she would not take NO for an answer and ended with "I'm a paying customer, how are you going to make this happen for me?" I was so caught off guard, all I could do was laugh. It just happened, all the bottled up stress just came out in hysterical laughter! So now she's fuming at me, I explained the item in question was sold out, I did not have any "hidden away" I could not "make it happen" on short notice and that I was sorry for both not being able to help her and for laughing at her request. She volleyed various obscenities at me before slamming the phone on me. I think the transit strike must have done a number on her. I almost feel bad for laughing...
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Bamboo Dude
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 05, 2004
Posts: 164
From: Orange Countiki, CA
| Posted: 2005-12-24 5:01 pm Permalink
Stuff...I am rolling on the floor, and my sides ache. Do you ever have any customers who identify themselves as "non-paying"??? Just curious. Man, I need to lay down, my stomach is killing me!
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Chip and Andy
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 13, 2004
Posts: 2079
From: Corner table, Molokai Lounge, Mai-Kai.
| Posted: 2005-12-24 7:45 pm Permalink
Merry Happy, since sometime this year the *C* word became a bad thing to say.
My biggest gripe (this year) is that somehow we are not supposed to celebrate Christmas, but we are supposed to run down to our local shopping destination and buy a bunch of Christmas gifts. If we have Santa Trees and Holiday closings, does this mean that we are switching into a new phase of consumerism? Will we soon be expected to give gifts for Veterans Day or Independance Day? They are still holidays, aren't they?
Mele Kalikimaka, Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day, Happy Hannukah, Joyous Noel, Blessed Candlemas, Fruitful Kwanza, Happy Festivus, Prosperous Solstice (or Winter Fest for you modern Druids), Happy New Year, Blessed Three Kings Day, and any others that I failed to mention. ((Put that on your HOLIDAY cards!)) 
And by that way.... What is up with Kwanza? I have a friend from Africa (Nairobi) who has never even heard of Kwanza.....
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cynfulcynner
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 1800
From: Ocean Beach, San Francisco
| Posted: 2005-12-24 9:10 pm Permalink
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On 2005-12-24 19:45, Chip and Andy wrote:
And by that way.... What is up with Kwanza? I have a friend from Africa (Nairobi) who has never even heard of Kwanza.....
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I don't think Kwanzaa originated in Africa.
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paranoid123
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Dec 13, 2002
Posts: 374
From: New York City
| Posted: 2005-12-25 11:31 am Permalink
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On 2005-12-24 21:10, cynfulcynner wrote:
I don't think Kwanzaa originated in Africa.
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That's right, Kwanzaa is of African American origin. It originated in 1966 during the civil rights movement celebrating African American culture.
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ErichTroudt
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 295
From: SoCal
| Posted: 2005-12-25 12:17 pm Permalink
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Mele Kalikimaka, Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day, Happy Hannukah, Joyous Noel, Blessed Candlemas, Fruitful Kwanza, Happy Festivus, Prosperous Solstice (or Winter Fest for you modern Druids), Happy New Year, Blessed Three Kings Day, and any others that I failed to mention. ((Put that on your HOLIDAY cards!))
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Mele Kalikimaka---- how many ways can people butcher the spelling of that?
Merry Christmas---- Sssshhhhh don't say that outloud, it might offend someone.
Happy Boxing Day--- Please tell me I get to punch someone on boxing day....please.
Happy Hannukah--- another one people can't spell or pronounce. Lets pick a universal spelling for this holiday and stick to it.
Joyous Noel--- She dances at Deja Vue on the weekends.
Blessed Candlemas-- Now we're just reaching...next thing we'll be celebrating the hamburglers birthday
Fruitful Kwanza--- Once again, can we pick a spelling please?
Happy Festivus-- Isn't that tha little car made by Ford? My neighbor has a blue one.
Prosperous Solstice--<insert joke here>
Three Kings Day--- I saw that movie and it sucked.
Happy Holidays.
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WenikiTiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 10, 2005
Posts: 183
From: Hawaii
| Posted: 2005-12-25 2:10 pm Permalink
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On 2005-12-24 14:24, stuff-o-rama wrote:
My one gripe this year (in the wacky world of retail) was a phone call I received yesterday (Dec 23rd) from a boisterous woman on the phone who was screaming at me the second I said hello. She explained she was on the web site, she wanted to order an item that was noted "out of stock", she wanted it overnight delivery to NYC, she would not take NO for an answer and ended with "I'm a paying customer, how are you going to make this happen for me?" I was so caught off guard, all I could do was laugh. It just happened, all the bottled up stress just came out in hysterical laughter! So now she's fuming at me, I explained the item in question was sold out, I did not have any "hidden away" I could not "make it happen" on short notice and that I was sorry for both not being able to help her and for laughing at her request. She volleyed various obscenities at me before slamming the phone on me. I think the transit strike must have done a number on her. I almost feel bad for laughing...
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SORRY to insult any particular group of people, but her needing it sent to NYC explained a lot! Did you somehow forget that the world revolves around NYC? When I was in real estate my WORST customer was a New Yorker. I called him: "The Self-Proclaimed New York Jew". My kids called him: "The Guy Who Comes to Our House and Eats Our Food..." I actually advised his fiancee not to marry him. She took my advise. He spent 2 years not buying a house and then complained that the prices had gone up too much and that he could have made a ton of money. DUH!!!
If I hadn't met some cool TC people from NY I would have given up hope! I guess there are badly behaved folks everywhere.
My 16 year old realized yesterday, the 24th, that he hadn't bought his brother a gift. So even though my presents were all wrapped, mailed, and otherwise done.... I found myself at the mall yesterday afternoon. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I only had to dodge a few people trying to step on my recently surgered foot.
Merry Christmas to you all! We are going to see if Santa left any cool shells at the beach for us!
Love,
Wendy
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purple jade
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 19, 2003
Posts: 1450
From: New Orleans
| Posted: 2005-12-26 08:04 am Permalink
stuff-o-rama, I'd have laughed too...impossible not to. Though the urge to mess with her calmly for a few minutes would have been hard to resist as well.
Now THIS is customer service:
When a woman complained to Tesco to ask why her favourite chocolate was no longer available in her local store, she received a letter telling her that she had bad taste and should go elsewhere. The letter said:
"We have come to the conclusion that you and a select few have an astonishingly bad taste in chocolate and Tesco is not prepared to accommodate the less sophisticated market. We suggest you try Sainsbury's as their food is especially bland and may satisfy your plain palette (sic)."
The letter was signed Mrs S Upyours.
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paranoid123
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Dec 13, 2002
Posts: 374
From: New York City
| Posted: 2005-12-30 10:44 am Permalink
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On 2005-12-10 06:01, TikiTikiTavi wrote:
I have one "Holiday Gripe" and that is having to call "Christmas" by some other non-offensive name because people are offended by the word "Christmas."
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I agree. I just noticed how sensitive ads are becoming in using the word "Christmas" and replacing it with "Holidays". It's pretty silly in my opinion. I'm a strict atheist and I'm not offended if someone says "Merry Christmas" to me.
In fact when you consider how many nonchristian elements Christmas incorporates: misteltoes, Christmas Trees, the timing close to Winter Solstace, worship of the almighty dollar, and I'm sure there's a ton more - one can argue that Christmas celebrates many different religions, in fact several religions that predate Christ.
So please, you can wish me a Merry Christmas, and I'll say the same to you :)
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tikivixen
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 28, 2002
Posts: 724
From: Vallejo CA
| Posted: 2005-12-31 01:32 am Permalink
All this brouhaha out there over CHRISTMAS (neener! neener! Christmaaaas!!!) seems rather pointless to me.
I mean, if I were to play 'word association' with 100 randomly picked Americans out there, I wonder what words would come up most often upon hearing the word CHRISTMAS?
Probably something like,
1. presents
2. shopping
3. bills
4. presents
5. food
6. shopping
7. stress
8. food
9. presents
10 tree
Etcetera. I bet that "Christ" would probably be down the list a ways. I mean, is it REALLY a purely religious holiday anymore? Probably not. It's just, you know, a shopping holiday. Does anyone REALLY need to freak out about the religious implications of Christmas? NOT.
My paranoid feeling is, this is just another evil Illuminati plot to distract us from thinking about what REALLY should be concerning us...like, our credit card bills.
--grinchvixen
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Jungle Trader
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 04, 2003
Posts: 3691
From: Trader's Jungle Outpost, Turlock, Ca.
| Posted: 2005-12-31 09:12 am Permalink
My sister-in-law almost kicked the shit outta some lady who twice pushed her cart into her heels while waiting in line. After the second time she pivoted around and gave her a full faced, finger wagging, expletive laced spittin' spew. The thing is, she's a small lady and I believed she really would have delivered some devastating blows. DO NOT PUSH YOUR CART INTO OTHER PEOPLE'S FEET!! 
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WenikiTiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 10, 2005
Posts: 183
From: Hawaii
| Posted: 2005-12-31 1:04 pm Permalink
I actually got a big laugh out of the big corporations changing over to the more generic (Or so they think) phrase "Happy Holidays". If you ponder the word holiday it came from the words holy days....HELLO!
I'm off to help hubby take down the Christmas lights!
Happy New Year to you all!
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donhonyc
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 13, 2003
Posts: 1173
From: The Quiet EAST Village
| Posted: 2006-01-02 08:12 am Permalink
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On 2005-12-25 14:10, WenikiTiki wrote:
'Did you somehow forget that the world revolves around NYC? When I was in real estate my WORST customer was a New Yorker. I called him: "The Self-Proclaimed New York Jew".' |
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1) If the world revolved around New York City we would be living in a entirely different politcal landscape right now...if you get my drift.
2) You called your customer a 'Self-Proclaimed New York Jew', huh? Well if you called him that I guess he really never got the chance to 'proclaim' this himself. Please tell me exactly what that means. Did this individual actually do that or is this your funny little way of getting your thinly veiled Anti-Semitism out there in public?
"If I hadn't met some cool TC people from NY I would have given up hope!"
Well...thank goodness for that. I would hate to see what happened if you never owned a computer.
Oh...and by the way, Happy Hannukah, one day late.
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WenikiTiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 10, 2005
Posts: 183
From: Hawaii
| Posted: 2006-01-02 09:40 am Permalink
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On 2006-01-02 08:12, donhonyc wrote:
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On 2005-12-25 14:10, WenikiTiki wrote:
'Did you somehow forget that the world revolves around NYC? When I was in real estate my WORST customer was a New Yorker. I called him: "The Self-Proclaimed New York Jew".' |
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1) If the world revolved around New York City we would be living in a entirely different politcal landscape right now...if you get my drift.
2) You called your customer a 'Self-Proclaimed New York Jew', huh? Well if you called him that I guess he really never got the chance to 'proclaim' this himself. Please tell me exactly what that means. Did this individual actually do that or is this your funny little way of getting your thinly veiled Anti-Semitism out there in public?
"If I hadn't met some cool TC people from NY I would have given up hope!"
Well...thank goodness for that. I would hate to see what happened if you never owned a computer.
Oh...and by the way, Happy Hannukah, one day late.
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Sorry, I thought the part where I said "Self Proclaimed" explained it all... This guy began every negotiation with the phrase "I'm a New York Jew, so don't think I'm going to pay too much for this house." No kidding! He was so silly. And since I met him when he tried to buy one of my listings right across the street from my own house...he knew where I lived! He and his girl friend would just show up at my house, and want to go house shopping. I suspect they were bored. Many times I was out working in my garden and they would just show up! I am certainly not anti-Semitic. Or pretty much anti- anything. Okay I do really hate e-mails trying to save my soul.
As to my belief that the world revolves around NYC, it came from reading magazines and watching sit-coms... So again, I thought I was making a joke. But I GUESS I am only funny in person.
Did you miss my "Happy Chrismahanaquanzaka" greeting I left earlier? My personal belief is that it is a big world with lots of different people in it, and that we should all respect each others differences without trying to change them. Just call me Pollyanna!
I grew up as a military brat, military member, now military wife. I have traveled a great deal and have seen a lot. Living here in Hawaii is my 31st lifetime move in my 46 years on the planet. I have visited 20 countries and actually lived in 3 countries besides the US. I never have any problems with anyone, anywhere. So I certainly didn't mean to offend you. Next time I write one of my amusing anecdotes I will include all the details!
Happy New Year!
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Haole'akamai
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 2269
From: The Polynesian Port of NOLA
| Posted: 2007-11-16 10:10 am Permalink
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On 2004-11-30 11:46, cynfulcynner wrote:
Does anyone go caroling anymore?
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TofuJoe and I go carolling every year, and we don't do any other Christmas-type celebrating (Well, we do go to Dickens Fair, but that's because were nerdy Victorian re-enactment geeks and just go to dance and drink in Tuxedoes and Hoop Skirts). We wear our "Vics" (the aforementioned Tuxes and Hoops) and carol along Picardy Drive here in Oakland, where all the neighbors deck out their houses, complete with strings of lights the connect house to house.
Oh, and in response to Cyn, bourgeois in SF (AKA Neo-Expressionist Illumination Sculptures)
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On 2005-12-22 02:53, cynfulcynner wrote:
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On 2005-12-21 18:13, powerofthetiki wrote:
I hate these bags of shit. I feel like shooting the crap out of this shit every time I see them !!!
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One advantage of living in San Francisco is that few people have front yards, and those who do would never decorate with something so bourgeois. 
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As uber-fans of popular culture experiences, we also partake of the After-Thanksgiving Day Sales. We have very strict rules, though. Anything we buy must ultimately cost nothing (accept our time, which we donate in order to partake in the adventure, and a few stamps, to return all the rebate receipts). We set ourselves up by pouring through all the pre-sale ads for the free (mostly with rebate) deals, making our driving routes, and getting to bed early. One year, went with four other couples. It was a fabulous booty that year, all free (with rebate): a dozen walkie-talkies, two lava lamps, boxes of pens, pads of paper, a wireless router. Ah, good times...
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"If you can't be a good example -- then you'll just have to be a horrible warning."
-Catherine Aird
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