Spain Trounces Dutch Thugs – World Cup

When did the Dutch become such thugs? They are no cute little blonde boys eager to put a finger in the dyke. They’d sooner put a finger in your eye!
I wasn’t a big Spain fan based on their other games and a bad travel experience. Hated the country ’cause the men were such horny bastards. But after watching the first minutes of the game I wanted them to knock the wind out of the Dutch with a win.
I read up on the referee criticism but nothing changes the mean and vicious attitude of their players. A lot of money is at stake for the teams, bringing out ugly tactics. It taints the game.
At least Spain won with a nice goal, no penalty kick, no accidental knock-ins or generally dubious plays.
Now World cup is over? I have nothing to look forward to. I need to get a life.

Oh Derek Have you Forsaken Me

Knew it was too good to be true. They all want you in the beginning, realtors, eager like dogs in heat. Today I asked for his thoughts on guidelines on how much lower to bid below a list price on a house. I emailed him this morning.
Oh, yeah, I got a fast reply. I’m busy. I’m on the road. I need to get back to the office and give you a reply – this afternoon!
Well what time zone are you in? This afternoon waiting for the solar eclipse? Well ya got the wrong day!!
Look at the time, it is Friday night! Oh, maybe you forgot to specify the afternoon of what day?
Think I’m too demanding?

Starbucks – No Ethics

I have not received the supposed second check for the missing tip money. Can’t believe the manager would lie about mailing it. She was forgetful and disorganzied, typical 30 something, always apologizing, fake cheery barista, but I didn’t think she would lie. If you just keep saying you’re sorry it doesn’t matter how much of a fuck up you are, right? Wrong.
I can’t fathom why a second item mailed to me would not reach me. I will not pursue the corporation about this any longer.
What is the problem inherent in large corporations? A company starts out with a vision; the more altruistic of them include employee benefits like health care, profit sharing, decent wages. They they get big and bigger and become anonymous always looking to the bottom line. Just because you say our company is caring and you institue a partnerline to handle complaints and even hire a third party to answer your hotline doesn’t mean it works! Just putting up the sign for a customer service number and advertising that we give better service doesn’t make it so. Yet as corporations grow they follow a path to a disconnect. The top implements programs that the executives love and their marketing people say will work wonders or sales. No – when will they learn it is the front line, bottom people that take care of the customers, not the ads and signs and new color schemes.
Starbucks is already passe, isn’t it? I love that I finally am drinking great tasting coffee without that burnt taste. (No more free weekly one pound coffee for me.) So many Americans have totally killed their taste buds.
And yes, Howard Schulz, your dream no longer lives in your extensive network of stores, licensees, retail outlets, and so on. You simply can’t have a mega-empire and deliver top quality personal service and product.

Ethics and Starbucks

Yes, once they were a model company for their treatment of employees and for providing medical benefits to part-time employees. Now they are a mega corporation struggling with an economic depression, personnel problems typical of mega corporations, and no longer a media darling.
Right now my specific problem is that when I parted ways with Starbucks I asked the Store Manager to send me my tips. She heartedly agreed! Such a good Starbucks employee – never say no! I waited a week for the money along with my last pay statement. Alas, no gifts came in the mail. I contacted her, giving her the benefit of the doubt – too busy perhaps. No, she sent them out three days later than promised, but mailed.
Waited a bit longer. Still nothing. When I called her found out she sent CASH! In the mail! And she adds that she checked and found out my paycheck hadn’t been cashed. What paycheck? It was a pay statement and direct deposited. Who are these people and why are they in charge of anything.
I also contact her District Manager by text message asking that he help her resolve the situation. Of course I get no reply, so typical of her, more evidence of the new way they now treat employees. Store Manager tells me the DM is unhappy with her for sending cash and not using certified mail. She says she is not sure of where to get the money to pay me my tips.
Time passes I hear nothing. I contact the help line. This is so wrong; bad enough I’m taxed on more tip income than I ever actually receive, but now I don’t even get the tips. Granted the money isn’t much but I abhor stupidity.
From the third-party confidential help line I get a call from Partner Resources. In a nutshell, the DM states they are not responsible for my tips. But Partner Resources will work with him to see if they can resolve this.
Okay asshole DM what you are responsible for is that the Manager should never touch tips. You have no proof she ever mailed it. And you are responsible for agreeing to do something. Write the bitch up. Go ahead and check the tip slip – verify that I signed for my tips. I dare you.
Yeah, it’s only a fucking $28 or so.
This is what happens when you give people without common sense positions with responsibility. And I don’t miss the work at all. It became demeaning. High maintainance customers, psychologically unbalanced co-workers, and the standard low motivation college kids. And now I can buy good coffee beans instead of the weekly one pound freebie.