finally a new update

Not a very exciting update, but I'll get one with pictures and the end of the New Zealand updates up relatively soon.

I finally have internet again at both work and home. It is a near miracle. Here are some emails that I sent (which are compeltely true and not exaggerated) that at last led to the phone company putting internet at my house (once they showed up the whole process took about 5 minutes):

"This is Aaron Masser again. I'm sure you're tired of having to deal with me, but I'm tired of not having internet still. What is going on? It is completely ridiculous that I have to call consistently for a month and usually the call rings until it times out without anyone answering. The second most frequent outcome is a busy signal. Several times I have called only to have the call picked up and immediately hung up. Then the phone is left off the hook and I get a busy signal.

When I have actually gotten through, while the person answering has almost always been friendly, I have never been actually helped. Each time I am able to get through, I am told that someone will get my internet installed "today" or "tomorrow" or "don't worry, the guy will call you today". I give my cell number but I do not receive the promised call. I have been called back a total of one time. That was last Thursday. The technician called me after I had to actually go down to ASTCA to get someone to talk to me. I was assured that anytime the next day (Friday) I just need to give him a call and he'd come right over. I called many many times on Friday but the technician's phone was never answered. I left multiple messages. No call back. I of course was unable to get through to the ASTCA office.

Today, (after an hour of trying) I finally got through to the office after trying the technician's phone and again having to leave a message. I was assured that the technician would call me right away on my cell phone. Of course there has been no call. Now I cannot get through to the office. My last two attempts rang maybe 40 times and timed out. What is going on here?

This is beyond unbelievably bad customer service. I have been waiting long enough.


733.2692 IS MY CELL PHONE NUMBER

PLEASE AT LEAST HAVE THE COURTESY TO GIVE ME AN UPDATE! (note, this section was in huge font in the email)"




"Update:

Well, after writing my last email, I was able to get through to the office. I explained that I still had not been contacted by anyone for an update as to when the internet would actually be installed. I was assured that I would be contacted right away by the technician.

I was suspect of anyone actually calling me back since I have been assured of calls back multiple times and it almost never actually occurs. I explained my suspicions that I was just being jerked around again and nobody was actually going to call me. I was assured that the technician would call me right away.

Well guess what? Nobody called me. It's now the next day. Still no call!

I know this is at least nominally a part of ASG, but even for ASG, this is over the line. Does somebody need a bribe or something? Is that what is going on?

I am through being jerked around. My next step is to contact ASTCA's director myself.


I'm going to start that procedure this afternoon if this situation is not resolved.

Aaron Masser."




"Just as a written record of what is going on, here's another update:

- I received no response by phone or email to my last two emails to ASTCA
- I still received no calls from ASTCA despite being again assured I would receive an update "right away" yesterday.
- I had been trying off and on all day to reach ASTCA by phone but was met with busy signals and failures to answer a ringing phone.
- About 1pm, I finally got through to ASTCA. This time I was told that they had been waiting for some wires to come in. This was the first time I had heard this particular excuse used through the past month of getting jerked around by ASTCA. Anyway, I was told that the wires had come in and everything would be ready for ASTCA to install my internet tomorrow. I was also informed that they can't do it today because the technician didn't come in today.
- I was told that I would be called on my cell phone 733.2692 tomorrow afternoon to let me know what is going on and presumably that they will come over right after that to install my internet.
- Due to the failure upon failure of ASTCA to actually do as they say, I insisted on pinning a time down by which I would be called back tomorrow. 1PM was the time promised.

- Despite this new excuse at this late date and the repeated failure of ASTCA to even have the slightest bit of respect to actually call me and keep me updated when they say they are going to, I will await the call that supposedly will tell me my internet can be installed right away tomorrow by 1pm.

- I am going to assume, based on past performance, that ASTCA will neither be ready (or more truthfully, willing) to install my internet tomorrow nor will I receive any call by 1pm. At that point I plan on writing the director a detailed description of this debacle and personally deliver it.

Still waiting and still getting jerked around,

Aaron Masser"



So since I don't have pictures yet, I'll wait on some other updates and get to what you are really waiting for me to talk about anyway (NOT): What I think about the M's.

John McLaren seems like a cool guy and someone that you want to succeed. But, after being picked to win the division this year, and with 1/4 of the season gone, the Mariners are in last place and have the worst record in the AL. That is pretty pathetic. Granted Ritchie and Vidro just flat out suck and that is Bavasi's fault, not McLaren's. Something needs to be done though.

- Fire Bavasi...and do it quick before he trades Jeff Clement for Barry Zito or something.
- Fire McLaren. Bill Plummer didn't turn it around either. This did lead to the Ms getting A-Rod, but I can't stand this every day losing anymore.
- Hire Bobby Valentine. I can't think of any other choice that would have any chance to turn this around this season. They do have the worst record, but not really a bad team and the Angels haven't distanced themselves as much as they could have. At least he'll be interesting.
- Trade someone like Jeremy Reed or the catcher Johnson in AAA for Griffey and get him to sign for a medium level (say $6M per) for 09 and 10. Put him in a LF/DH rotation.
- Trade Ritchie and Vidro for whatever you can get (with us paying the salary since we're stuck with it). If all we can get is nothing, fine cut em. Someone will give us a low level prospect for Sexson at least. Vidro, not so much probably. Usually, worst batter in the majors isn't someone you trade for.

If the M's want to hold off on trading Ritchie for another month or two, ok, I can understand that. But Vidro should be off the team today. Maybe they can call Vidro and Bavasi in at the same time and gun them together. Then they could offer McLaren the opportunity to stay on Valentine's staff if he wants.

Weave comes in this evening and is here for Moi's bachelor party weekend, so it might be until Monday til I get a real update on here, but it will be soon.