E-mail to Delta

Had a mess of a situation with Delta Airlines.

Message: I spoke with Yvette in corporate customer care regarding my issue, and she suggested contacting the Refund department. There I spoke with Carmen Adams, who told me I needed to contact Corporate customer care to have a refund authorized. I purchased my tickets on December 15th using a US Bank check card. The charges showed as pending on my account for 4 days, at which time they disappeared. Between 12/15 and when I flew in January, I called Delta 6-8 times to ensure that I still had a ticket, as the money had not been withdrawn from my account. I took my trip, and had no issues. When I returned to Korea (where I live) from my trip (early February), I again called Delta. Delta assured me that their records indicated that I had paid for my trip, even though I told them I had not. This was about my 10th call to Delta asking to pay for my trip. I said, so Delta will not charge me again? They said no. I specifically asked to make sure I could spend the money, and they said they would not be taking any money from me. In the next 1-2 weeks I paid some credit card debt and bought my girlfriend a present. Fast-forward to Memorial Day Weekend. Since I still live in Korea, I rarely keep much money in my US Bank checking account--the account which the card draws upon. I only keep enough to service my student loans for a few months. I had about $150-200 in there. Delta decided to charge my card for $775 dollars, charging me to overdraft my checking account, and face fees from my bank as well as the fees I will incur when I transfer money home. Yesterday I spoke at length with two different customer care agents, Yvette and Carmen Adams. Yvette, as a gesture of goodwill, offered a $200 travel voucher and 15,000 frequent flyer miles. I appreciated the gesture. She also recommended I contact the refund department, as she understood that "frequent flyer miles don't pay the bills". How right she is. I called refund and was escalated to Carmen Adams, who again was incredibly helpful. What she found out and informed me is that Delta eventually realized there was an error and that Delta had not charged some cards a while back, and apparently mine was one of them. I told her my story, and she seemed willing to authorize a refund, but because the ticket was flown, she could not do so without approval from corporate. I then called corporate customer care back, hoping to speak to Yvette, and was on hold for a long period of time. Tonight, then, I called corporate customer care back, seeking approval for the refund, and again was on hold for an extended period of time. Initially I was not anticipating a refund. However, after hearing that Delta realized there was a problem with payments and started charging cards that were missed, my expectations changed. First of all, the obvious point is I was charged for something 5 months after the fact, which frankly is unprofessional and nothing short of asinine. Moreover, though, was that I had made 10 calls to Delta informing them there was a problem, only to have my calls basically ignored, told not to worry, and even that Delta would not charge my account again. I even could have accepted the new charge 5 months later if Delta had provided SOME type of communication prior to charging my card in May for a ticket bought in December and flown in January. Is this company really this incompetent? As I said, I have received minimal compensation for this. I do not believe it is enough. I was telling Delta there was a problem before Delta even knew there was a problem. For 2 months I practically BEGGED to pay for my ticket. I was then told that everything was fine--to spend the money, only to have it taken out of my account without any notification 5 months after the fact. My due diligence had been done, and Delta, for all intensive purposes (though, regrettably, undocumented) had released me from my responsibility. With buying an air ticket as easy as a couple mouse clicks, and as affordable as it ever has been, there is much competition for passengers. It takes minimal effort on my part to select a different airline, something I'm inclined to do after the issues I have had in regards to this trip. I hope to hear from someone soon.

Hotels are for Sex

I've been playing a home-made version of "Taboo" that I hijacked from my girlfriend who hijacked it from someone else who apparently was named Kevin, and one of the words is "Hotel." For one round in the game, rather than only speaking in English, I have them only do gestures to describe the word. Apparently the only thing that happens in hotels in Korea is sex, usually done from behind. At least that's how two separate boys, in separate classes, acted it out today.

Could you see SpongeBob and Patrick playing George and Lenny respectively in "Of Mice and Men"? I think so.

The Daily Stick is back, my fellow equestrians. Happy Trails!

Commence Additional Ridiculous

Long time no balderdash. Seriously. The amount of balderdash that hasn't come from me in the past couple months is nothing but disappointing. Well, I mean, the amount is astounding, but the fact it hasn't come from my mouth er fingers is disappointing.

Lots has happened lately. I learned the Egyptian word for "tomorrow". Bookra. I learned to ride the Subway. It's very similar to America. Women get their own cars, but every now and then I ride in them anyway. I can't help it, when I'm running really fast to catch the train before the door closes I don't really notice if I'm technically allowed in that car or not. I'm usually not the only one though. If I was, it would be awkward.

I also got my iPhone to work, broke it, broke it some more, and then fixed it again. Yeah.

Oh, I flew to America. No plane, just my wings. Take that. They're gone now, though. I need to refill my miles at the wing store. Used them all up.

I also eat vegetables and have lost 20 lbs. And by 20 lbs. I mean 10 kilograms.

45365 aka 43410

For those who read my blog who aren't in the know, which is hopefully no one I work with (yet--they'll know soon) I'm planning to move to Egypt in the end of September.

Also, for those who don't know, I grew up in the zip code 43410, better known to some readers, as Clyde, Ohio, and known to less readers as Winesburg. Between the ages of, we'll say 9 and 19, I hated that fact. Maybe not hated, but would've rather grown up anywhere, so long as it wasn't Bellevue, Pittsburgh, or any city in Michigan. After that age 19, I started to appreciate just what it was that I grew up with, and how--not unique--but special, perhaps, that was.

In the past week some things have just really hit me hard. First is that, yes, I am moving to Egypt in six weeks. Cairo has well over 20 million people, Clyde might have 7,000 now. Stay tuned on that. In essence, in 4 short years, my life has radically changed.

In high school, I drove a sweet '98 Ford Escort at worked at Wendy's. Again, far from unique. With one of my paychecks in my pocket, I went to Wal-Mart and bought a new *CD Player* and hooked it up to the *cassette tape player* in my car. It's slightly disgusting, but I listened to some Clay Aiken (mostly covers), Billy Joel and Dashboard Confessional on that CD Player all the time. I also drove a lot--I don't now--so I actually new the songs and the words. I would sing along. My times changed, my music changed, but as I'm sure everyone has, there are moments and memories attacehd to nearly all of those songs, so when I hear one, I'm instantly taken back to Clyde.

45365 is a beautifully made film about Sidney, OH. Clearly not Clyde, but one would be forgiven for thinking it is. So, even though I saw none of the same people, none of the same landmarks, I had lived this movie. I had been at the football games, had been in the bars (though that's since I was 21, promise Peg!) knew people with issues, divorce, worked in the factory, been to the churches, hung out at the barbershop--all of that. It was one giant "don't forget about Clyde" moment for me.

My closest friends and relatives will tell you I will never forget about Clyde, and I largely agree with them. I read the Enterprise online every week, my family still lives there, etc. And as fond as the memories are, they're only that, memories. Continuing in that town--or, as I especially realized tonight, any town somewhat similar to it--will remind me of those memories I had growing up, but I never will create those same ones. I do not want to be reminded of what I once had and, realistically will never achieve again. I never will be 17 again, hopefully never work at Wendy's, allowing Dashboard Confessional to sing my heart's puppy love as I cruise down Route 20. My friends will never score the winning touchdown and I reward them with the sexiest tuba section playing the fight song that I can. I WANT those moments, we all want them, but it's terrible to chase them. It's beautiful to remember, illogical to relive--or, try to.

So, it's safe to say there's a multitude of reasons I'm going to Egypt. I enjoy the Arab culture and language. I'm realizing I have a passion for education. I want to see all the world. The selfish reason (not necessarily the main one, though) is that it's time to make new, unique memories, and not hold out for the ones I already have to return. I want to create an entire life of moments I love remembering, of nostalgic feelings about people, places, tastes, smells, music, pictures, and conversations. And I don't feel like that will happen in Ohio, at least not now.

We'll talk again in a decade. I'm sure things will be different then.

* Let me say something about this. This is strictly how I feel about where I grew up, and what my relationship is with the town now. I'm not trying to make a statement about everyone who is still in Clyde, or whatever small town they're from, because I know not everyone is trying to do that. This is simply how I feel when those possibilities cross my mind.

Also, read the Winesburg link, if you read no other, Interesting the names that are mentioned.

Religion, Politics, and Me.

I speak as a Christian--one whose commitment to democracy is very deep but whose Christian conviction are even deeper....I do not want to be numbered among those who sold their souls for a mess of pottage--who surrendered their democratic Christian identity for a comfortable place at the table of the American empire while, like Lazarus, the least of these cried out and I was too intoxicated with worldly power and might to hear, beckon and heed their cries. To be a Christian is to live dangerously, honestly, freely--to step in the name of love as if you may land on nothing, yet to keep stepping because the something that sustains you no empire can give you and no empire can take away. This is the kind of vision and courage required to enable the renewal of prophetic, democratic Christian identity in the age of the American empire.

The personal wealth of the 225 richest individuals is equal to the annual income of the poorest 47 percent of the entire world's population.

--Cornel West

If only I could write as he does. Way to speak my mind, Cornel.

Thanks to Anna for doing her homework in reading this book, for thinking of me, and mailing it down.

Also, does anyone else find it strange you can be a "fan" of God on Facebook? And that he is classified as an "other public figure"? I wonder who runs that site, anyways.

I hope this brings on the comments!

Creativity

If you've read the previous posts, you've read things people have said about this blog, along with thing I think they should be saying. While some were flattering (the ones I thought people should say), others were not (like The News and my mother.) But, the quality, or lack thereof, of this blog spurned me wondering about creativity. That, and I watched a show starring a writer and guest starring a guy who wrote a book called "The Artist Within." And then I wanted to write a book.

I'm sure if I came out right now and I was writing a book, everyone would pour encouragement upon me, save the two people mentioned above, and I would have mucho successo or something of that sort, depending on their language of choice (I prefer uchmay uccesssay. Note to Apple: Add Pig Latin as a language for Spell Check to recognize.) I have always wanted to be creative. I was terrible at art, still am terrible at artistic things, a terrible writer of music (save one song) no good at poetry. Damn was I good at math, though. And my LSAT scores were admirable given that I didn't really mind to much the outcome. I'm what they call "left-brained" and a critical thinker. Thus, (see! I did it right there! I can't even WRITE without drawing conclusions!) I am more of a "critical thinker" and less of the "artsy type." Whatever that means.

So, no, loyal Daily Stick readers, there will not be a Daily Stick book like some other bloggers are attempting. Instead, aside from the radio show I may or may not get, this blog is and will continue to be the pinnacle of creativity that oozes from my delicious mind grapes. Some of the greatest have slipped into unbelievable substance addictions. I've considered that but for my health, safety, job and relationship security, and a plethora of other reasons, I will stick with my Twitter and Facebook indulgencs.

But, what does it take to be "monumental"? So I haven't done a novel, or a song, or a major work of art like that Chapel or a television show. No. A masterpiece of creativity can be a blog with 12 people following it. Wait until history writes itself. We'll see whose blog is left standing.

I Hate The News

Seriously. Did anyone read his comment on my last post? He needs to stick to acoustic covers of Ignition. I swear he's going to drive me back to fascism.

And, I hate the real news, mainly because celebrities I do not care about keep passing away. Farah Fawcett, at least she was kinda old, and had had cancer. I found it difficult to care. Then Michael Jackson died. And I was thrilled. Puzzled? Consider the following:

I was born in 1987.

Michael Jackson, after 1987, was pretty much straight up weird. His skin changed color or something, he did the Super Bowl, and then he apparently may or may not have molested children at a "ranch" that was oh-so-creepily called "Neverland". Even I feel like a bad person thinking about it. So, I'm not heart broken, in fact nearly relieved, that MJ has passed away.

But then, the crushing news that Billy Mays had passed. I was heartbroken. Finally, a celebrity passes who I actually understand WHY they're a cultural icon.

What I've learned from all this is that, given enough time, we all will die eventually. I just hope mine is reported on CNN for whatever reason. Wish me luck!! Maybe I'll finally get a TV show....