Best and Worst – Page 14 – Jason Clock's Blog

2008-09-012021-01-26

I am faculty….here me roar!

If you don’t know, I work at Georgetown University. Students began returning to campus on August 22 and things started to get busy again. In fact, this is the busiest time of the year as far as computer and network issues. So you get the idea that it was a little stressful.

Since we were busy, I opened up the office to assist those waiting. In walks a faculty member looking to borrow software. Behind him were 2 or 3 other people looking for assistance. To prevent data loss, the files we use are stored on a server and I was in the processes of logging into the computer and accessing the necessary files. Needless to day I needed to enter a password and user name 3 times to get to this point. So in the time waiting, being the multi-tasker I am, once I knew what the faculty member wanted, I assisted those behind him. He got very upset and said….can you help me! I mentioned that I was helping him and was being efficient by assisting others.

Throws down the faculty card…..well tried.

At this point I am a bit frustrated and he says…..”I am faculty!” Hmm..okay, perhaps a problem with me, but I don’t see a reason to treat people differently because of their affiliation with the University. Frankly, while I do believe that faculty help to build leaders of tomorrow, if it were not for the students, there would be no faculty! Those thoughts were to myself of course…..He then proceeds to hold up his proof of faculty status….his, you guessed it, American Express card! Hmm..which department does he work for? remind me not to take classes from him. Perhaps I would have a book from a totally different major on my book list! I mentioned to him that it was an American Express card and he quicky reached into his pocket and pulled out his GU card with “Faculty” on it…tossing it on the desk in front of me.

Faculty more important than the Students that pay the bills?

Needless to say, at 10:15 in the morning….it was not a very good start.

2008-07-042021-01-26

The dreaded furniture shopping!

Last year this time we picked up a few pieces from Marlo furniture. This time we were looking for a new bed and headed out to Marlo again. I dislike stores that pay their workers a menial wage and encourage them by commission from sales. I was saddened to find out that Hudson Trail Outfitters does this, but that is another matter. Everyone knows that furniture stores work that way. Last year we had issues with a salesman in Rockville, so we travelled to Alexandria.

We arrived and attempted to dodge salespeople explaining that if we need help, we will ask for it. This Marlo seemed to be laid out in a odd pattern for shoppers, but like grocery stores who usually put the bread and milk furthest from the entrance to entice you as you go to pick up your staple products. For those who drink soda, you have convenient coolers at the end of each register to save you the hunt ;P Marlo seems to bunch them into collections which means you have to traverse the entire store to see all of the beds. We liked 2 of them, and the one we really liked had a sold floor model which gave me little hope. Sure enough it was the last one and the warehouse was out. I asked the salesman if he could contact other stores in the area for us to check on the floor models.

The salesman would NOT call for us. Making an excuse that he would have to do work and no one would answer the phone anyway or call them back. The latter is true, I tried to call a few stores and once I reached an operator who mumbled something and sent me to a voice mail box…another time, no one answered. Hmm..what about customer service? Basically the salesman did not want to help make a sale that he would not get commission on. Perhaps that is the downside of commission sales. I do know first hand with houses, the more money you are going to spend, the more attention you get!

On the way back to DC we saw signs for a furniture liquidation sale and headed over to the Landmark Mall. We got there and while there was no JC Penny, we did find the sale at Direct Furniture. DO NOT SHOP THERE! We had a pleasant experience in the lower floor showroom and was sent up to check out their other showroom, discount warehouse, on the upper level. I asked if the 2 were owned by the same and the saleswoman said NO! So at that point, my partner jokingly said the bed we really liked was $500. She believed him, I could not keep a straight face, and she went to check the computer to see if that was possible to “match.” At this point we were thinking they were competitors and the fact that the lady downstairs left us her card and said..”If you don’t like the price upstairs, to let her know.” Hmm…perhaps competition at it’s finest. It was a dying mall, so perhaps a sale would make or break the store.

So the saleswoman came back and basically called our bluff, joke anyway, and kind of with an attitude said the regular price that was on the bed. As we walked out, she said “For your information, we are the same.” That just infuriated me, she had flat out lied to us! She was mad at us for saying $500 which was a joke. I asked her why she lied and she had no reply. I am guessing she wanted the sale, but her dishonesty lost the sale. So, on the Internet I go looking for a good price on the bed we wanted, but will not buy from a dishonest store.

2008-06-292021-01-26

Movie Review: “Wanted” (Spoilers)

So this time, in an attempt to find a theatre where patrons understand the term “courteous,” we travelled to Silver Spring, MD by hopping on the Metro Rail. I was not aware of the acquisition of “Consolidated Theatres” by Regal Entertainment Group so this is another theatre to use the $7.50 movie tickets from Costco 🙂 Silver Spring is definitely up and coming and very busy tonight. After dinner at the Austin Grill, which had a surprising Tex Mex menu, we caught the 7:25 showing of “Wanted.” The previews got me interested. Any spy like movie with Angelina and Morgan is definitely worth watching. I have yet to see a bad movie starring either actor.

I have to admit the beginning 30 min or so seemed to go on for a long time. This was when the main character was introduced and his situation explained. This movie seemed to be directed in a similar manner as “Batman Begins” and “Spiderman,” some of my favorite movies.

To begin, this is not a movie for young children or those who are very sensitive to “swear words.” The “f-bomb” is dropped a number of times. The opening scenes reminded me of the classic “Office Space” complete with a miniature red stapler. A guy stuck in a dead end job in a cubicle with an annoying nagging boss. After a few run-ins with the “Fraternity” he grows some cojones by telling his boss off and breaking half of his ergonomic keyboard on his coworker’s face. His coworker has been cheating on him with his girlfriend for quite some time, even leaving his wallet in the apartment! Once that happens, he realizes his life is going to change and starts the training to become a member of the “Fraternity” of assassins.

Morgan freeman is the head of the fraternity which gets kill orders from a 1000 year old loom which spells out the individuals to be killed in binary code. The flaws in the weave reveal the the code. No one questions the loom and the code dictates the swift assassination of those selected in order to save lives.

The stunts in the movie are incredible. A very strange twist is a recovery room. This room seems to have multiple wax baths which speed recovery of wounds. The main character wakes up disoriented unable to move.

The main motivation for the joining of the fraternity is the main characters father who was said to have been killed. He did not know his father. He is trained and sent to kill his fathers’ assassin. Hanging from a derailed train over a ravine, he does shoot his target who oddly enough catches him just a few minutes before preventing his fall. As he is dying, he reveals that he is truly the father. A friend of his father connects the dots for him and it turns out that he is on the wrong side and the loom actually has revealed that all of the current assassins in the fraternity are slated to be assassinated!

Standing in a room looking for the leader, he becomes surrounded by a group of assassins and leader orders him to be killed. After explaining what he has found, and a rebuttal by the leader that if it weren’t for him, they all would have been killed and he is now choosing who is to be assassinated. One of the assassins decides to forego “the code”, but before he shoots, Angelina bends a bullet which ends up killing all of the assassins as it travels around finally striking her in the head upholding the code.

Morgan escapes, but in the end, goes on a hunt to kill the rogue assassin….but, in the same way his supposed dad was killed, Morgan is killed!

So now that I have spoiled the movie, go see it! It is a great one!

2008-06-262021-01-26

Flat Tire Number 2!

After I blew my first tire on the way from GU to Friendship Heights, I expected my next flat to be my front tire since the back went first. Nope, tonight I had another flat back tire 🙁 This time I was past Hudson Trail Outfitters, so I walked to work and took the metro home. I picked up a spare last time I was in, so I am going to do my first flat fix on my new bike. Hopefully I will be able to find whatever punctured the tire so I can be sure to clear it before the new tube gets inflated to 100 psi. I did not realize how fast I go through tubes, I should have picked up a few 4 packs from chainlove.com the other day.

Tomorrow is another hot day in DC..stay cool and have a nice weekend!