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October 27, 2004
Nigel Deggs will be missed!
A good friend, Nigel Deggs, is leaving VML after a span that lasted nearly ten years. Nigel was VML's Office Manager, so to say, but he was so much more than that. He was a friend, a confidant, and a genuinely great person. People like Nigel are what VML's culture was built around and thrived on... without him at VML, it will truly be a different place.
Nigel, thank you for your many years of making sure we felt like a family. Thank you for all of the responsibilities you took care of (making sure all of us whiney babies had every little thing we deemed necessary). Thank you for all of the great ideas for all of our events and the willingness to go the extra mile when no one else would or could. Thank you for the care and understanding no matter what the situation. Most importantly, thank you for all of the laughs, smiles, stories and memories that we've all been able to take a part in.
When you walk out those sliding doors for the last time, you will be taking one giant piece of VML with you. We'll miss you Nigel, we really will.
Posted by Seth at 11:38 PM | Comments (2)
October 16, 2004
VML Knows How to Throw a ... Punch?
Every year, VML (the place I currently work) throws three parties. The first of the year is the Summer Party (which I, and the rest of the Fun Committee, plan). The last party of the year is the Christmas (or Holiday) Party, which is held at the Fairmont. A month before the Christmas Party, VML holds its annual Anniversary Party, to celebrate the opening of VML in 1992.
The Summer and Christmas Parties are fun and are family/friends oriented. The Anniversary party is an entirely different beast. You see, VML has a reputation for throwing good Anniversary parties, this reputation has become bigger over the years. The reputation has become large enough that people who aren't involved with VML at all attempt to get into the party.
This past Thursday VML hosted their 12th Anniversary Party. The Anniversary Party is always held at VML, and this year over 1,000 people RSVP'd – easily our biggest party ever.
The party started at 5:30 and there wasn't an end-time slated, which was Bad Sign #1. A little past 9:30, the bartenders were giving out full bottles of wine and fifths of liquor, that was Bad Sign #2. The last Bad Sign (#3) was that after 11:00, neither of the cops we hired to watch the party were there.
Around 11:15, a scuffle occurred upstairs. A friend of mine (Janelle Laube) noticed some guy pouring alcohol out of a bottle and onto the floor. She asked him why he was disrespecting VML and asked him to stop. He didn't. So, Janelle's date asked him to stop a second time. Instead of stopping, the guy threw a martini glass at Janelle's date.
Edd Timmons and Robert Popper broke the scuffle up and Ray Haynes was upset and telling the guy to leave. So, he left, went downstairs and out the front door. At this time, Ray came outside to the tent to listen to what was left of the band.
Suddenly, two guys ran into the tent and tackled Ray who was sitting to the right of me and Kevin Kline. We were both stunned and thought this was some type of joke, until we saw arms slinging. We both jumped up and pulled the guy off of Ray. The two of us had a hard time containing this guy, he was a bit upset. He started throwing elbows at us and we let go.
He instantly went for Ray again, and on the way he knocked Phil (Erin Miller's husband) in the face and broke his glasses. Then, Nick Centofante got in the way and was sucker punched. The attacker finally hit Ray and they went to the ground. Ray got up and the attacker almost got up, until Craig Fulton grabbed him and Scott McCormick (the "M" in VML), McCormick's son, and Jordan Cochran all dog-piled him.
There was blood everywhere, broken wine bottles, tables and chairs turned over, and just a stunned silence from everyone. The guy got away with his friends and no one has heard anything since. Janelle's date (the guy who got martini glasses thrown at him) received 12 stitches and two staples for his injuries, no one else was seriously injured.
As Scott McCormick said, "great party, bad ending."
Posted by Seth at 11:47 AM | Comments (4)
October 06, 2004
ABC Creeps Into the Picture
I don't watch a lot of television. But, I do have shows that I watch on a regular basis, shows I follow, shows I really enjoy – ER, The West Wing and 24 are the only three that made it from last year to this year (besides a growing list of HBO shows: Deadwood, Carnivale and Da Ali G Show). I was fine with that list becoming shorter, since the quality of television has gone down in recent years with the introduction of reality tv. Not to say that reality tv sucks, but it's a million-times less inventive and creative than writing and producing a show.
In addition to this horrible state of television, you have NBC (a station I support, even though they constantly tried to kill off Ed) and CBS (a station I only watch for NFL) practically killing what's left of any creative juice by repurposing their hit shows CSI and Law & Order.
What is wrong with these people? Is tv really in THAT bad of shape that the viewing public needs to see the same show in Miami or New York, or from the criminal's point of view? I think not. I've never watched an episode of either show (rather, any of the six shows), and I won't, regardless of how popular they are. I just can't bring myself to watch recycled show after recycled show.
So, with the new television season upon us, I was all prepared to watch my shows on a weekly basis (since 24 doesn't start until January). As the new season neared, I began to see promos of new television shows. Of the many that I saw, two stuck out and I've started watching them both. And luckily, they're good, creative, and a great breath of fresh non-reality air.
Lost and Desperate Housewives, both on ABC, are good television ... and they're the shows that both CBS and NBC wish they could come up with. Shows like Crime & Punishment, Medical Investigation, Hawaii, LAX, Cold Case, JAG, NCIS, and Without a Trace, THEY'RE ALL THE SAME. How many damn shows do we need about weird crimes, formulaic dramas, and "ripped from the headline" stories? About 17 less, from my count.
If you can, check out Lost and Desperate Housewives, they're a great change of pace from what you may usually watch.
Posted by Seth at 10:40 PM | Comments (1)
October 05, 2004
FreeiPods.com = Bad Customer Service
A while back, I posted the news about how to receive a FREE iPod. The premise is simple: complete an offer and then get five friends to complete an offer, and you get a FREE iPod. So, I signed up, completed an offer, and now have three friends who have completed an offer – with three other signed up that have not completed an offer.
One of those people is Todd, who signed up to complete an offer over a month ago. The offer he signed up for was the Blockbuster Membership trial:
FREE 2 Week Trial to Blockbuster Online! Rent DVDs Online! More than 25,000 Titles! Free Shipping both ways! No Due Dates! Plus, get 2 FREE in-store rentals a month! Start Your FREE Trial Now! You must register, select movies and remain a member during the 2 week trial to receive credit.
Todd completed the offer as stated above (signed up, remained a member for the two-week trial, rented movies, etc.) He cancelled his membership the day after the 15-day trial – also in accordance with the offer requirements. The only problem, he still has NOT received credit for completing an offer.
Doing minor investigation on the FreeiPods.com site, you find this text:
If you have not received credit for completing an offer, please be patient. It can take up to 15 or more days for your credit to appear under the "Check Status" page. Please wait until that amount of time has passed before contacting us with any questions.
Fair enough, but he has waited the 15 days. So, you have to weed through the FAQs/Help section of the site to get more answers. Choosing the appropriate link from the list of five choices you have on the first FAQ page, here is the path of links you go through just to get to a more concise answer:
- My issue is about receiving credit for an offer.
- I completed an offer but did not get credit.
- I believe I successfully completed an offer more than 15 days ago and still have not received credit in my account.
- I completed all of the steps required, clicked the offer via your webpage, did not leave the offer part-way through, and strongly believe that I did everything correctly.
- I completed this offer but canceled right away.
The answer you get when clicking on "I completed this offer but canceled right away.":
We are able to give away free products by sending our advertisers potential new customers. We cannot operate our site if users simply join a site or service with the intent to quit only to receive their free product. Since we are 100% funded by our advertisers, we rely on their money to pay for your free product(s) and free shipping as well. We track who stays with an offer, and who does not. Please only click on offers you have a true interest in trying, and those who join and cancel right away run the risk of not getting credit of even being placed on hold.
Uhhhh, WHAT!?! Never anywhere does it say that you have to remain a customer to receive credit. That's the whole idea, you're TRYING something, that's being a POTENTIAL customer! Give me a break.
Posted by Seth at 09:32 AM | Comments (2)