Matt Mauldin

I’ve really been procrastinating when it came to writing this post about the fourth WoT novel, The Shadow Rising.  In fact, at the time I write this post I’ve already read more than half of the fifth book. But I noticed how long it’s been since my WoT review (the The Great Hunt) and I owe it to you, my blog, and myself to write this down…

But what can I say?  Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed this book, but there was very little that really moved the story forward.  And by story I mean Rand.  He’s in it for a chapter or two in the beginning and a chapter or two at the end and that’s it. (ok, maybe a little more than that, but come on)

The real page hog was Perrin’s story line.  It was good, but I don’t see how it relates back to Rand.  In fact, when I think back to the other read-throughs I’ve done, I don’t recall when his storyline ever makes a real difference for any of the other major characters we started with in tEotW.  The entire middle of the book was dedicated to Perrin, and it was really nice to see so much of one plotline in one place instead of jumping back and forth after only a couple of chapters.  There was only one major break where Jordan took us to visit Elayne and Nynavae, but overall it was good to sit down and read Perrin’s part straight through.

This is probably the fourth time I’ve read this book over the past ten years, and for some reason each time I get to Tanchico where Thom, Julian, Elayne and Nynavae are, I seemed to skip over a few pages.  Can’t tell you why, it just happened.  Either that or I’ve drawn a blank.  But this time I slowed down and deliberately focused on comprehension. (Remember, the 12th book comes out this fall, so I want to be completley refreshed on all points of the story by then.) As it turns out, I didn’t miss much.  Ha ha! Eagenin, the Seanchan, made an appearance.  I always liked her because she’s one of the only Seanchan that has any sense at all.

Egwene also has a good amount of time in this book.  Although she’s with Rand’s group in the Aiel Waste, her storyline is quite different.  It’s here where she really begins to grow in power and knowledge and I am looking forward to following her story throughout the rest of the books.  Egwene’s growth from a simple farmgirl to the XXXXXXX (no spoiler, sorry) seemed like one of the most natural progressions of any character in the book.  She moves around the world map and interacts with many of the other plot lines quite often.  And in the later books (unlike Perrin) her actions have the potential to greatly affect Rand and the other characters.

Overall, the overall theme of The Shadow Rising is advance-the-side-plots-while-barely-touching-on-the-main-plot.  But that’s ok – you’ll enjoy the read.  If nothing else, it makes you anticipate the coming story even more.

Popularity: 9% [?]

• My wife logs in as me, harvests my crops, and sends herself gifts from my account #
• I have a farm on Facebook that Ive never been to #
• paying at drive-through window. The guy leans out, points to the next window where I get my food – like its a brand new thing… #

Popularity: 2% [?]

• Government run anything doesnt make money #
• But if healthcare gets socialized, the docs wont make you wait so they make more money #
• Chris on facebook said it only looks bad now. Wait til its socialized #
• 10 appt – I showed up at 9:56 with paperwork filled out. Its now 11:02 and I havent seen the doc yet #
• They do this so that the patients cant join forces in the main waiting room. Its divide and conquer by the docs #
• Now I am waiting for the doctor in the individual room #
• Nope, they stack the patients deep and run us through like a herd of cattle #
• Do they really get backed up by 10 people since 9 this morning??? #
• Why do doctors offices say 10:00 appt, but make me wait for so long? #

Popularity: 2% [?]

• The worst part is that I am now out of coffee #
• Very confusing #
• The trainer is jumping around – no logical progression from step to step #
• 40 people in a room transfering phone calls to each other with brand new phone systems – hilarious #
• It's a mandatory training, but I work mobile so I don't even have an office phone #
• In training for new company phone system #

Popularity: 4% [?]

It’s just a reality that you have to deal stupid people now and then. I’m not talking about their mental capacity. Instead,I mean the actions that customer service people take to “serve” the customer. I see three distinct levels of customer service stupidity:

Level One: Glorified Receptionists

Some companies hire a bank of chair-warmers for low wages, title them customer service (my favorite is the “customer advocate”), skimp on training, and expect them to give good customer service to you and I, the customer.

Here’s a good example.  I am currently looking for a pair of Levi’s Carpenter Shorts.  I’ve owned several pair over the past few years. They are comfortable, affordable enough so I don’t feel bad working in the yard or fishing in them, and  shorts

Poor guys – I’m civil and ask them to transfer me to the manager.

Level Two: “My Hands Are Tied”

Sometimes the rare company gets the items in #1 right, and then management screws it up. They put so many rules, regulations and procedures in place that the customer service person has no authority to actually help out.

Oh, you can’t do anything? – Again, I’m civil and ask them to transfer me to the manager.

Level Three: The Customer Service Prima Donna

The worst level of customer service stupidity, though, must be the person who can actually help the customer and refuses to.  These people are usually rude and condescending, and they use “customer” as an insult.

Idea Seed

I really don’t mind dealing with stupidity in the form of #1 and #2.  But dealing with #3 makes me want to chew my own toes off.  I’ve even posted about some of my ridiculous  encounters here and here.  Each time I talk to a prima donna, I am left feeling completely unsatisfied and all I want is sweet revenge.  That’s right, you are intentionally a jerk to me, and I’ll intentionally be a jerk back.  But my recent epiphany came from a hoax email I received last week from a family member.  It’s the Free Sony Ericsson Laptop hoax that has been around for years.  Here’s the email:

Use This Email as a Template to Mess With Stupid Customer Service People

Ha ha!  It’s so easy.  All you need to do is follow a few steps and you’ll cause Inbox Hell for the customer service punk who is trying to bend you over.  Here we go.  I’ll use Direct TV for an example since they are idiots.

DirecTV Example of a Revence Email

1. Use the company’s product/service to create a completely ridiculous offer that will get the attention of everyone who receives the email.  The big word to focus on is “free”.

Attention: Direct TV is offering a free promotion to expand their business with your help!  All you have to do is forward this email to twenty people.  Be sure to copy John Doe, Direct TV’s head of concept, so they have a record of you and can offer you the free service.  Here’s what you get:

• FREE service from Direct TV for 2 FULL YEARS.
• FREE installation. Free equipment.
• FREE premium movies and HD service

2. Grab a photo or two just to make it look good.

3. Here’s the most important part: insert the real email address of the idiot customer service people you want to mess with.  Most customer service people, especially at the prima donna level, will have ad email address to contact customers.  The best way to get this is say something like “Can you send that to my email address so I have that in writing?” regarding something fairly innocent, so you can capture the email address.

4. Send this email to everyone you can – email contacts, social networking contacts, etc.

Over the next few days, this email has the potential to spread like wildfire.  When the stupid customer service person is copied on all the forwards, their email inbox will get filled with a ton of crap.

Popularity: 26% [?]