Saturday, August 30, 2008

Arsenal win!!

Arsenal thrashed Newcastle 3 -0 last night. The first 2 goals were scored by Van Persie and the 3rd was a beauty! Such smooth flow of the football resulted in Denilson scoring the last goal! Check out this last goal....

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Lousy service - Reliance

More people seem to be reading up on my post on the lousy service that Reliance has recently given me. Checking on Google Analytics, I am getting some serious hits and some big blogs have posted links to my post. Thank you all and hope this does really help some people. By the way, Reliance has started calling me - asking me to pay my bills! When I said that I have already disconnected the damned connection, they were surprised. Hehe, lets see where this goes!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Dragonfly

Have always wanted to get a good macro of an insect and today, got a really good shot of a beautiful specimen of the common Indian Dragonfly. The bugger did not even move and I got some good shots of him up close...

IMG_2961

You can check out the other shots on my Flickr page.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Vijender Kumar secures India's first boxing medal

And Vijender fought valiantly to try and get a Silver medal but lost on points. Gotta appreciate the guy for coming this far!! Great job!!

On a lighter note, he has lost a date with Bipasha and John (as in Abraham) breathes a huge sigh of relief! Err, perhaps thats why Vijender lost? :)

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Satire

Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although, in practice, it is also found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods, ideally with the intent to bring about improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be funny, the purpose of satire is not primarily humor in itself so much as an attack on something of which the author strongly disapproves, using the weapon of wit.

You really got to be a blockhead to enjoy satire - no really!

We Wish You A Metal Christmas

Hahahaha, damn. I don't know whats gonna come out next. But seriously, I would love to get this album - just to see what it sounds like! The lineup is great and there could be some great renditions of the old Christmas songs we grew up with! Came across this bit of information from Idolator. Even Alice Cooper is going to be singing "Santa Claus is coming to town"!!!

Planet Rock even gives us the whole song list.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Kashmir

Well, looks like more people are discussing it these days the way it ought to be discussed! Amit Varma asks - Do You Think Kashmir Is An Integral Part Of India? He provides links to two arguments by imminent journalists. Before I am labelled something I don't want to be labelled as - read the article on Amit's page and the links to the arguments are there.

No right, no left - just middle!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Argentina win!

Woohoo!! Argentina thrashed Brazil in the Olympics!! Awesome! And great work by Riquelme - the best playmaker there ever can be! And all you losers who say Brazil played with a lesser team and that this is just the Olympics - you know who you are!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Grooveshark - alternative to Pandora

I loved Pandora and have blogged about it before. We also know that we no longer can access it outside the USA. Well, came across Grooveshark from Download Squad. This seems to be like Pandora and works great! Whats better, you can even listen to the exact song that you want to listen to - this was not possible in Pandora. There is even an option where you can add the song that you are listening to to your favourites. This you can access directly later - again not possible in Pandora. Check it out - Grooveshark.

----------------
Now playing: Pink Floyd - Coming Back To Life
via FoxyTunes

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Eric the eel - true Olympic spirit!

Came across this really touching article about Eric Moussambani. Swimmer from Equatorial Guinea. Was given a wild card entry into the Sydney Olympics and took part in the heats alone since his other two wild card entries made false starts and were disqualified. Eric by the way had never seen or swam/trained at an Olympic size swimming pool before!. Really neat video...

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Human Influence Strategies

Such awesome and true lines from the bestseller by Stephen Covey -

"If I try to use human influence strategies and tactics of how to get other people to do what I want, to work better, to be more motivated, to like me and each other - while my character is fundamentally flawed, marked by duplicity and insincerity - then, in the long run, I cannot be successful. My duplicity will breed distrust, and everything I do - even using so-called good human relations techniques - will be perceived as manipulative. It simply makes no difference how good the rhetoric is or even how good the intentions are; if there is little or no trust, there is no foundation for permanent success. Only basic goodness gives life to technique"

Damn! Hard hitting!

Guest blogpost at Broadband Blog

Well, I am trying to get more people to read about Reliance's lousy customer service and the trouble I have gone through. The Broadband Blog which is on my Google Reader writes about various services provided by many ISPs. I have written a guest post in it explaining my woes with the lousy service by Reliance.

You can check out the post here - Reliance Wimax: Disappointing customer service.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

God complex

Beautiful monologue by Alec Baldwin in the movie Malice during a pre-trial deposition when he is accused of professional incompetence....

"I have an M.D. from Harvard. I am board certified in cardiothoracic medicine and trauma surgery. I have been awarded citations from seven different medical boards in New England, and I am never, ever sick at sea. So I ask you: When someone goes into that chapel and they fall on their knees and they pray to God that their wife doesn't miscarry, or that their daughter doesn't bleed to death, or that their mother doesn't suffer acute neural trauma from postoperative shock, who do you think they're praying to?

Now, go ahead and read your Bible, Dennis! And you go to your church, and, with any luck, you might win the annual raffle, but if you're looking for God, he was in operating room number two on November seventeenth, and he doesn't like to be second guessed.

You ask me if I have a God complex? Let me tell you something -- I AM God."

Monday, August 11, 2008

Abhinav Bindra - Air Rifle Gold

As millions of Indians held their collective breaths, we all could heave a huge sigh of relief as Abhinav Bindra shot the last one beautifully and clinched the gold!

But for me, I really thought that the guy would choke. But not to be! Great going! Our first gold at the Olympics. Who knows, might be the last. Err, I am sure it will be!

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Disgusting and lousy service - Reliance Broadband

Hey Anil Ambani. I really hope you read this blog post. Well, I really don't think you or your company cares anyway. After all, I am just one of the millions of dumbass customers you have. You lose one, there might be millions of more dumbasses taking one of your services. To tell you, you have totally lost one customer. Yes, it makes no difference to you! I don't care. I just want to tell everyone how much of a lousy service Reliance Wireless broadband services and the Customer service desk are!!

All I wanted was a relocation for my Reliance Wimax connection. So I called their Customer No Care. All the automatons tell you is that you have to pay! When I really started digging for more information did they tell me that I have to take the equipment with me! Damn, I nearly missed that and god knows what I would have ended paying up for! Then I had to call and ask what the next step was. They told me that I would have to raise a relocation request. This I did. And this was done 2 days before I moved.

So I took the equipment with me and carted it to the new place. Then I called Reliance Customer No Care to find out what the status of the relocation request was. They said that it will take a week! I said ok and waited 2 days. Then when I called for an update, I was told that I will also have to pay Rs.500. Then I asked how much for a new connection. I was told that its Rs.500. I asked how long that takes. I was told that it can be done in a day. Well, I asked why there is a difference in relocation and a new connection in terms of the days. Well, the automaton there replied that it is company policy. I pushed harder for a resolution. No go. Automaton says that he cannot understand. I ask to speak to the supervisor. I am FLATLY REFUSED access.

I call the next day asking for the supervisor again. Again, no go. The automaton this time even accuses me of calling in just to WASTE HIS TIME!! Damn, I was so damn pissed off that I cut the call cause I am worried that I might make myself into some electrical noise and burst his goddamned brains!

The next day, I get a call from their Customer No Care asking for my email address! When asked why, I am told that there is a form that I will need to fill up for relocation. By now, I am thoroughly and totally fuming. I ask why they don't have it when they can send me the bills to this email address! When Reliance needs my money, they have my email address so that they can send me the bill. When it is something concerning service, they conveniently forget my email address! And I also ask why this relocation form was not sent to me the day that I raised the relocation request! No reply. Automaton says something that makes me want to puke in disgust. He disconnects call. Remember, I swear like a sailor. But all these calls, I have not used bad language at all. Not even calling these automatons the word STUPID. Which they all are!

Damned automaton then disconnects the call. So I call Customer No Care again and I am told that I was at fault. I am told that "Customer did not respond properly". I said ok, thats fine. I am done with you guys.

I call Airtel, who even though they provide good service, usually do not have feasibility in many areas. Well the service desk was like a breath of fresh air and assured me that there was feasibility. I did not even have to pay a deposit as I took the corporate connection. The connection was done in 3 days and on the 4th day, there was light. Err no, the internet was working!!

Now, the joke with Reliance does not end there. 3 days back, I receive an email from Reliance Broadband with my bill attached. But by now, I am not surprised. I am really frustrated. So where was my email address when the relocation form needed to be filled up?? So damn pissed off again, I send a mail to their generic customer no care email address and hope that this atleast will not be monitored by automatons. Well, wonder of wonders, IT IS!!

Just read this email trail (with the latest updates on top, if you have read emails before, you will know that you will need to start from the bottom).

YOU TOTALLY IGNORANT IGNORAMUSUS!!! CAN YOU NOT READ?? I have only the worst words that I can possibly use!!! DO YOU GUYS EVEN CARE THAT I AM CLOSING SERVICE WITH YOU ONLY BECAUSE OF YOUR LOUSY CUSTOMER SERVICE? YOU CALLED ME JUST NOW TO SAY THAT YOU WILL DISCONNECT MY CALL. THATS ALL!!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE?? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ISSUE THAT I HAVE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED IN THIS MAIL TRAIL??

--- On Wed, 8/6/08, broadband@relianceada.com wrote:

From: broadband@relianceada.com
Subject: RE:'RIL=002-798-277'Reference to your mail
To: "XXXXXX@yahoo.com"
Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2008, 12:20 PM
Dear Customer,
Greeting of the day!
Thank you for contacting Reliance Broadband Customer Care. With reference to your mail regarding Service termination has been already registered under Service Request ID XXXXXXX and it will be resolved very soon. We regret for the delay and inconvenience caused to you. Looking forward to serve you in the future. For additional product and service related information you may contact us through any of the following means: Phone: *377 from any Reliance fixed line phone 1800 30007777 from all telecom service providers ( Mobile, Fixed Wireless and Landline phones ). 022-3033 7777 from any phone Email: broadband@relianceada.com Website: www.reliancecommunications.co.in
Yours sincerely,

Jitesh Chabukswar.
Broadband Customer Care
Reliance Communication

-----Original Message-----
From: Naveen Roy (XXXXXXXX@yahoo.com)
Date: Wednesday, August 06, 2008 01:21 AM
To: broadband@relianceada.com
(broadband@relianceada.com)
Subject: RE:Reference to your mail

I have only the worst words that I can possibly use!!! DO YOU GUYS EVEN CARE THAT I AM CLOSING SERVICE WITH YOU ONLY BECAUSE OF YOUR LOUSY CUSTOMER SERVICE? YOU CALLED ME JUST NOW TO SAY THAT YOU WILL DISCONNECT MY CALL. THATS ALL!!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE?? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ISSUE THAT I HAVE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED IN THIS MAIL TRAIL??

--- On Tue, 8/5/08, broadband@relianceada.com
wrote:
From: broadband@relianceada.com

Subject: RE:'RIL=002-798-277'Reference to your mail
To: "XXXXXXX@yahoo.com"
Date: Tuesday, August 5, 2008, 4:32 AM
Dear Customer,

Greetings of the day!
With reference to your mail regarding service termination, this is to inform you that your request has already been registered under Service Request ID XXXXXX and the same would be resolved at the earliest. Further, please note that it takes 15 working days to complete all the termination formalities. Hence as long as your number is active in our billing system the minimum monthly rental will be applicable.

Yours sincerely,
George Augustine.
Broadband Customer Care
Reliance Communications

-----Original Message-----
From: Naveen Roy (XXXXXX@yahoo.com)
Date: Monday, August 04, 2008 07:55 PM
To: broadband@relianceada.com (broadband@relianceada.com)
Subject: RE:Reference to your mail

My contact no is XXXXXX and my Cust Id is XXXXXX.
Please make sure that you call in the morning only between 9 and 1 in the afternoon. Please do not try calling out of these hours and then update saying customer not reachable!!.

--- On Mon, 8/4/08, broadband@relianceada.com
wrote:
From: broadband@relianceada.com
Subject: RE:'RIL=002-798-277'Reference to your mail
To: "XXXXXX@yahoo.com"
Date: Monday, August 4, 2008, 4:37 AM

Dear Customer,
Greetings of the day ! In order to address your query, we request you to provide us the following information: Your contact number. Subscriber ID / Reliance fixed line phone number. We look forward to an opportunity to assist you
again.

Yours sincerely,
Aamrin Shaikh
Broadband Customer Care
Reliance Communications


-----Original Message-----
From: Naveen Roy (XXXXXX@yahoo.com)
Date: Saturday, August 02, 2008 10:34 AM
To: broadband@relianceada.com (broadband@relianceada.com)
Subject: RE: Reference to your mail

This is something that I have been hearing from Reliance all these months. "We tried to call you but you were not picking the call or we were unable to reach you!!". Such a sweeping statement. Put the blame on the customer. Let me tell you the problem. I was living in a different part of Bangalore before. I had the Wimax connection. On relocating to a different place, I was told by Customer Care that I needed to take the equipment with me. This I have done and also told Customer Care that I need to have the relocation of service done so that I can use the existing connection in my new place also. So I raised a request and after moving to the new place, I continuously kept calling and checking to see when
they would come and do the needful to get my net connection working. Nothing happened. I even asked that I talk to a manager and nothing happened. I was rudely put off by 3 agents!

Then a day later, I receive a call from Customer Care

asking for my email address so that they can send a form for me to fill up and send back for relocation. I got really annoyed and asked why they did not send me the form before itself. When you have my Reliance bills to send, you have my email address. But when there is some service issue, you have FORGOTTEN my email address????? When asked why they didn't send me the form before itself, I was spoken very rudely by the customer service agent. He then disconnected the call!. Later on, when I check with the status of the call, he has update the call as - "Customer did not respond properly"!!! This is an audacious statement!! I have since then lost all respect for Reliance and don't think that I will be continuing with your service. Remember - YOU are providing me a SERVICE. Even then, I am PAYING for it! I will demand service. And the worst part is - now you have my email address - just to send me my bill. I ask why?? I WILL NOT PAY!!


--- On Sat, 8/2/08, broadband@relianceada.com
wrote:

From: broadband@relianceada.com
Subject: RE:'RIL=002-798-277' Reference to your mail
To: "XXXXX@yahoo.com"
Date: Saturday, August 2, 2008, 4:47 AM
Dear Customer,

Greetings of the day! We tried to contact you over the phone, but were unable to reach you. This is with reference to your mail, we request you to provide us the exact nature of issue. So that we can address your request at the earliest.
Looking forward to serve you in the future.

-----Original Message-----
From: Naveen Roy (XXXXX@yahoo.com)
Date: Thursday, July 31, 2008 09:21 PM
To: broadband@relianceada.com (broadband@relianceada.com)
Subject: Re: Monthly Bill Invoice Number : XXXXXX

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW YOU GOT MY EMAIL ADDRESS NOW ONLY? WHEN THERE WAS A FORM TO BE SENT TO ME (FOR RELOCATION), YOU CALLED ME FOR THE SAME!! I AM NOT PAYING!!

--- On Thu, 7/31/08, CustomerCare wrote:
From: CustomerCare
Subject: Monthly Bill Invoice Number : XXXXXX
To: XXXXXX@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, July 31, 2008, 11:44 AM
Dear Customer,

We thank you for being a part of the Reliance Communications Ltd. We would like to inform you that your bill for the current month has been processed. Please find attached a soft copy of the bill for your reference. Looking forward to build a lifetime relationship with you.


LIKE HELL I WOULD WANT A LIFETIME RELATIONSHIP WITH RELIANCE!!!

Awesome service - TATASky

Wow, I must say that I am impressed. When I was looking for a DTH service, I was also looking at Dish TV. I have no idea about their service, hence I really cannot comment. But I was also thinking of waiting for Reliance's BlueMagic. But I have decided that I will never have anything to do with a Reliance product in my life after this lousy and DISGUSTING service from Reliance.

Well, getting back on track, I am really amazed that there exists such great service from a service provider in India. While in the US, a provider can get his ass sued off for not providing service which he has promised in letter, there is nothing like that in India. All we can do is rant and rave and get really annoyed.

Since I decided to shift to another area in Bangalore, I called TATASky service center to ask what the procedure was. They explained that I will have to pay Rs.600 for the relocation charges and that will be all. When I enquired about the equipment, the agent was apologetic and said he was sorry for not having informed me about it. He asked me to just take the set-top box along with me to the new location and then asked when I needed the installation done and the new address. I gave them these details and when moving house, took the set-top box with me.

After reaching the new place, I called TATASky and asked them when they can do the installation. The agent looked for a slot and said the next morning. I asked them to try and make it sooner. I left it at that and was expecting the person to turn up the next morning. But he gave me a call in 3 hours and asked if he could turn up at my place. I said sure and he did. There was a small power problem so he could not test the connection but he fixed up the dish in no time! The power came back in an hour and he tested it and there, I was watching TV in 3 hours flat!!

Rocking and great service, I must say TATASky. I wonder when some other players are going to realise that CUSTOMER IS KING!

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Hungary Grand Prix 2008 start

With such an exceptionally beautiful start by Massa, it was a real pity that his engine blew out just 3 laps before the race finish. Awesome start Massa!! Kick some McLaren ass!!

But where the hell is Kimi? Like hell he has lost interest. He will come back and strong! The Iceman rules..


Evil - Unread Items

Google Reader evil update - 666 unread items...


Sunday, August 03, 2008

Lazy Sunday

Beautiful song by Small Faces - Lazy Sunday...

Wouldn't it be nice
To get on with me neighbours
But they make it very clear
They've got no room for ravers
They stop me from groovin',
They bang on me wall
They doing me crust in
It's no good at all

Lazy Sunday afternoon
I got no mind to worry
I close my eyes and drift away

Here we all are sittin' in a rainbow
Gore blimey hello Mrs Jones
How's old Bert's lumbago (mustn't grumble)
I'll sing you a song,
With no words and no tune
To sing in your party
While you suss-out the moon

Lazy Sunday afternoon,
I got no mind to worry
Close my eyes and drift away

Root-de-doo-de-doo
Root-de-doot-de die day
Root-de doot de dum
Root-de-doo-de-doo dee

There's no one to hear me,
There's nothing to say
And no one can stop me
From feelin' this way

Lazy Sunday afternoon
I've got no mind to worry
Close my eyes and drift away



----------------
Now playing: Small Faces - Lazy Sunday
via FoxyTunes