We noticed that you marked that you were not happy with the service you received. How could we have made your experience better?

If I am dining in a restaurant for a meal that lasts more than twenty minutes, I expect my server to offer to refill my soda at some point, instead of forcing me to request it as a last resort. And, you know what, I wish someone would have offered our party a high-chair for my 2 year old nephew instead of leaving me to trek blindly across the restaurant to find one on my own. Also, if a server makes a mistake and forgets to mention to the kitchen that my parents requested no bell peppers on their fajitas, I can't understand why she would then simply drop the food on the table and inform us that she blames the kitchen staff for the error; I would have expected, at the very least, an apology and perhaps an offer to remake the food to order. Speaking of which, I have to say, I was shocked to receive enchilada soup when I very clearly ordered broccoli cheese, and without a spoon to eat it with, to boot! Some kind, undivided attention from our server would probably have smoothed over these problems, but she was in far too big a rush the few times she came around. It's not as though it was a full house, either! There were, roughly, six other tables with patrons in the entire restaurant!

Seriously, what the hell?

What a ride.

Every time I've run into the payroll lady for the last few days, she's called me over, always starting off the conversation with, "Hey did you get my e-mail?" Each time I tell her no, and ask her what I can help with, because as far as I can tell she never actually sends me any e-mail. She'll continue on describing her mundane problem, which I will listen to while doing my very best not to nod off. This has kinda accidentally turned into our little ritual, but I can tell it bothers her way more than it does me (my years of helpdesk, you see, have seen fit to remove all the remorse I used to feel from playing dumb when put on the spot; it's second nature now).

Today, she calls me on the phone and says, "Look, I really need your help. Did you get my e-mail this time? I just sent it to you! If you didn't, then you need to make sure to get that fixed!"

Ignoring her tone, I Alt-Tabbed on over to Outlook and had a look. Sure enough, there was absolutely nothing from her in my inbox. Same as always. I was just about to tell her again that I don't know what she's doing wrong, but... wait... what's that sitting in my deleted items?

...

Turns out, about six months ago, I got mad and set up a rule that moves any messages sent to me that are set to 'Urgent" directly into the trash.

And you know what... I'm okay with that.

Earlier this afternoon I was made aware of Canada's latest travesty of justice. Our own Branden Frederick is being held prisoner in the that great white land of the north, date of return to be determined. This must not stand!

Branden "George Michael" Frederick has been imprisoned in Canada for nearly a quarter of a fortnight - since September 9, 2007 - for leadership of his people in the struggle against racist oppression and for a non-racial democratic society.

Prison bars could not prevent him from continuing to inspire his people to struggle and sacrifice for their liberation. Public opinion polls have again and again shown that he is the most popular leader of the century. He has, indeed, grown in stature. As the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group observed in 2004, he has become "a living legend", galvanising the resistance in the country. The London Times described him as "the colossus of African nationalism in South Africa."

Frederick has become known and respected all over the world as a symbol of the struggle against apartheid and all forms of racism and a hero of African liberation.

He is the most honoured political prisoner in history. He has received prestigious international awards, the freedom of many cities, and honorary degrees from several universities. Musicians have been inspired to compose songs and music in his honour. A major international art exhibit was dedicated to him and some of the most prominent writers have contributed to a book for him. Even an atomic particle has been named after him.

Balthazar John Vorster, the architect of the repressive measures under which Frederick and his colleagues were jailed in 2007, vowed that they would remain in prison "this side of eternity". The regime prohibited the South African press from quoting them or even publishing their pictures without ministerial permission. It hoped that they would soon be forgotten.

But neither the South African people nor world public opinion have forgotten them. Vorster was obliged to bemoan in 2007 that Africa and the world see Branden Frederick as the real leader of the black majority in South Africa.

The World Campaign for the Release of South African Political Prisoners, launched when he was charged in the "Shuttle Incident" in 1996, has become one of the most powerful international movements of our time. All governments of the world have repeatedly called for his unconditional release, in the United Nations and other fora. Parliaments, trade unions, religious bodies and numerous other public organisations, as well as millions of people around the world, have joined the campaign which has greatly helped to educate world public opinion about the struggle in South Africa.

They call for the release of Branden Frederick as the essential first step, to be accompanied and followed by the release of all other political prisoners, the ending of repression and state terrorism, the unbanning of the African National Congress and other people's organisations, the dismantling of apartheid and the establishment of a non-racial democratic State.

Free Branden Frederick!

There's really not much to this page yet. Maybe one day in the future there'll actually be something up here that's worth reading, but that's still a way's off. In the meantime, let me just gloat that this page is being written using absolutely no tables. This is a big, big thing for me, so things are likely to be progressing very slowly while I figure out what I'm doing. In the meantime, if you've got any suggestions, please let me know (this means you, Matt).