Saturday, May 30, 2009

Mullet at Last Chance

Mullet at Last Chance

Last Chance is a dump store specializing in selling rejected merchandise from high-end retailers at much lower prices.

Of course with lowered prices, the clientele's fashion sense is also lowered.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Geese Trapping at Chaparral Park

I volunteered yesterday (as well as last week at McCormick Ranch) to help Arizona Game and Fish Department and City of Scottsdale to trap Canada Geese at Chaparral Park.

Chaparral Lake

This is part of urban avian study sponsored by State of Arizona including Arizona State University, Game & Fish Department, and City of Scottsdale. By learning about the movements and population growth of the urban geese, park staff will be able to determine the most effective way to manage their presence in Scottsdale parks. These geese were first trapped, neckbands and ankle bracelets with serial numbers attached, then released.

First we lured geese into traps (which I personally helped to build) with bread like what Mike Rabe of Game & Fish Dept. is doing here.

Mike Rabe

then volunteers would push them into one of the traps placed on grassy area

Walk them into a trap

Once a group of geese are inside the trap, four panels are secured with plastic zip-ties. Each panel barricade is made from two pieces of 10 ft long 1/2" diameter electric conduits bent into 6.5 x 4 ft rectangular frame with fishing net lashed in between.

Goose Group 1 captured

Some of the geese stayed on Chaparral Lake's island needed some encouragement from volunteers in kayaks.

Kayak Patrol

Once the geese have been round-up, the banding process is fairly fast.

Goose Group 1 banding station

First, determine the goose's sex by squeezing its butt ("Is that a goose in your lap or are you just happy to see me?")

Goose in the lap

Second, attach neckband, ankle bracelet, and record tracking information,

Help apply neckband on goose

IMG_0816
Then let them go,

Banded geese swam away

Some domestic geese were at a wrong place at a wrong time and they were released without any tags.

Domestic Geese got caught as well

No animals were harmed during this and previous trapping.


Photo album links:
Geese round up at Chaparral Park (Flickr & Picasa)
Geese round up at McCormick Ranch (Flickr & Picasa)

Monday, May 11, 2009

He went to Jared and got disappointed

jared_peasant

Dear Jared, The Gallera of Jewelry,

My first visit to your store yesterday, May 10th 2009, at Casa Paloma Shopping Center in Chandler, AZ was absolutely disappointing.

I arrived at the store about 1:30pm with an ESQ watch that needed battery replacement. Although the store is practically empty (5 customers including myself), the sales representative did not want to replace the battery then. Instead he wanted me to leave the watch for two days or go else where.

And elsewhere I went.

Keep in mind; this is not the first watch I owned. In the past, I have observed repairmen replaced watch batteries within minutes, certainly not "two days"!

My recent experience lead me to think this particular sales representative did not care about his action and how it would affect Jared's reputation either, therefore why is he still employed?

I would suggest an addendum to your over-hyped jiggle of "he went to Jared":

"and got disappointed".

Sincerely,


Tian


Update: May 14, 2009 -

Watch case wrench = $7.50 (including shipping from Micro-tools)

IMG_0773

Type 371 battery = $4.31 (including tax at local Walgreens)

IMG_0777

Never have to deal with Jared, The Galleria of Jewelry = PRICELESS!

----------

from: jaredcr@jewels.com
to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Mon, May 11, 2009 at 9:51 AM
subjectRe: RQST00002019411 ; Jared.com - Contact Customer Relations

Thank you for visiting our Jared Galleria of Jewelry web site. Your message has been received and will be forwarded to our Customer Relations Representatives for response. We look forward to assisting you with your request.

You can simply reply to this Email, and your reply will automatically be associated with this request, RQST00002019411.

Sincerely,

Jared Galleria of Jewelry
Customer Relations

----------

from: jaredcr@jewels.com
to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Mon, May 11, 2009 at 3:52 PM
subjectRe: RQST00002019411

Your customer service representative is: Elizabeth Whitehair
Summary: WATCH BATTERY

Dear Tian,

I would like to thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding your need for a battery replacement. Our goal is to exceed our customers' expectations, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond when there is a concern.

A copy of your complaint will be forwarded on to the Store Management as well as the District Manager for this particular location. I apologize for the inconvenience that you experienced and hope that you will allow us to provide you the service you deserve in the future.

If there is anything else I can do for you, please feel free to contact me via email.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Whitehair
Customer Relations

Sunday, May 10, 2009

As Advertised at Target

Target / As Advertised / IAMS Cat Food

New and exciting savings at Target for this week only!

Save $0.09 on IAMS adult cat food, regular priced at $14.09!

Come on, Target!

We would expect this kind of shit from Wal-Mart. $0.09 off from $14.09 is not even 1% saving. Why do you even bother to waste money by price out ads and shelf labels?