Sassistas! Our dish on the social soup.

Diss-Connect

It's been a while, but time once again for, "Rant on, Matissta!"

Matissta here.  Two words:  INTERNET CONNECTION.  Two more words:  RANT ON!

Been years since I had an internet connection.  So long ago, it was dial-up.  But I got the new kick-ass MAC and wanted the kick-ass, lightening speed internet service to go with it.  Did my homework.  Called Verizon and Comcast.

Verizon offered a DSL package with free modem.  Price was a bargain compared to Comcast, as the cost of its lowest package cable service was double Verizon's, plus I had to pay a monthly fee for the modem.  I went with Verizon.

Got the self-install package in the mail.  Installation seemed straightforward until I began installation. Two hours later, I gave up.  Called Jerseysista (kind of a whiz at these things) and she came over. Two hours later, she gave up.  We decided to call for assistance.  The helpline had shut down 10 minutes earlier.

Called the next day when the helpline opened.  A recorded voice told me I can solve my installation problem by going to the Verizon site . . . on the internet.

Finally got through to Ricardo.  He gave me steps that weren't included in the self-installation package.  "Why didn't I know these steps?" I asked Ricardo.  Ricardo said, "You have to call to get them."  "It doesn't say to call in the self-installation package," I replied.

Ricardo said nothing.

Finally, I'm connected, but the signal is so weak, it keeps going out.  I call Verizon's recorded voice.  By now, we're engaged.  Eventually a breathing human tells me that a Verizon technician must examine the line.  I make an appointment.  Take half a day off.  Technician comes, looks at the box, the lines, the clouds in the sky.  Tells me, "There's no way you're going to get a stronger connection with these old lines."

"I asked that question when I signed up for Verizon," I said.  "I was told I could get a stronger connection."

"Won't happen," he said.

Didn't happen. 

Solution?  One word: COMCAST.

Please share your rants about internet connections and service or lack thereof.

Shhhhhh!!!

Last month, the Sassistas!^TM were proud to introduce a new post category: RANT ON, MATISSTA!  -- where Matissta spouts off about whatever she feels like.  Today, Matissta takes on movie theater etiquette!

LINES

I get here early.  Why can’t you?  I get holding a place in line for your date, who is parking the car, but I sure don't get holding a place in the line for five or six of your friends, who couldn’t make it on time.  Get lost.

TICKETS

Don’t complain about the ticket prices when you approach the window.  We all have to pay them.  The kid in the booth doesn’t own the theater and can’t do anything about it.  Plus the kid probably only makes six bucks an hour.  Show some mercy rather than some arrogance. 

CONCESSION

It’s not cool to bring in food from the outside.  If your reasoning is high prices, why do you have to purchase any food at all?  When watching a movie at home, do you eat all that crap?  A bucket of popcorn and a barrel of soda? 

EATING

Okay, so you DO have to eat all that crap, but do I have to hear every slurp of your drink or crunch of your popcorn?!  Do those sound effects make for a better movie-viewing experience?  Be considerate. Be a slob in the comfort of your home, but not in the comfort of the seat in front or behind me. 

TALKING

I paid good money (see TICKETS above) to hear the dialog, not you.  So you missed a line or two because you were slurping or crunching, but don't ask your companion about what you missed. Better just you miss something than those sitting around you.  And if you’ve seen the movie, please don’t describe what will happen next or explain why the current scene is important.  

Turn off your cell phone.  Yeah, I'm talking to you.  What makes you think this only applies to others?  If you must leave your cell phone on, please turn it to vibrate and step out of the theater to speak. Otherwise, please be quiet.  Really, just shut up. 

What’s your pet peeve about movie theater etiquette?  Yeah, you -- I'm talking to you. What is it?  

Let me know.  Now.  And don't slurp or crunch.

 

 

Best Practices?

The Sassistas!^TM are proud to introduce a new post category: RANT ON, MATISSTA!  Once or so a month, Matissta will spout off about whatever she feels like spouting off about.  Today, Matissta takes on corporate budget cuts!

TRAVEL
After more than two decades of booking the cheapest hotels, airfare, car rental and rarely charging the powers-that-be for dinner (because I often go out with friends to a nicer place), I don't travel to our New York office anymore because the powers-that-be tell me our company needs to save money.

Here's my idea: The airport here is 30 minutes away.  My CEO, who lives 10 minutes away from me, could haul his own ass to the airport, like I do, for a day visit to our New York office.  Instead he uses car service: $90 each way (to and from his home to the airport here and to and from the airport there to the New York office).  His cost for a single-day of travel, not including airfare or food -- $360.  My cost? $110.  And he goes to the New York office once a week.  Let's see . . . $1440 a month vs. $440.  You do the math.

COFFEE
To save money, coffee stations are "closed" up at 1 pm to limit coffee consumption.  A co-worker suggested that the powers-that-be purchase coffeemakers that make individual servings. Their response? "You people will steal the individual servings of coffee for home use."

Here's my response:  Hey, Sherlock, people don't have machines at home that make individual cups of coffee.

Further, the powers-that-be laid off the person responsible for cleaning and stocking the coffee pantries.  Now, staff persons making between $50,000 and $110,000 are stocking and cleaning the pantries.  What's more, we've been told to bring in our own mugs rather than using 8 oz. paper ones typically supplied by most offices. The result?  The powers-that-be are panicking because of the size of the mugs people are bringing in from home.  More coffee is being consumed. 

Here's my worry:  We'll be asked to supply our own toilet paper.

Last time we went through "hard times," the powers-that-be increased our hours, froze our wages, and eliminated any social events (e.g., the annual picnic and holiday party), because they wanted to "send a message."  Result: The wages of the CEO and VP's were frozen too, but they still got their bonuses.

Here's my message: Morale sucks.

Matissta invites all the sistas and mistas to join her rant about corporate "best practices"!