| Chicago Time |
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| Kuching Time |
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| Monkey Music |
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| Project Malaysia |
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| Extreme blog makeover... |
| Thursday, December 11, 2008 |
Welcome to my new blog layout. I power-jammed on the colors and top banner to completely change the look. This is one of my oldest blogs, and it has changed names & style a couple times already. I tried a Malaysia (Kuching) look and theme, but I don't live there (wish I did), and I found it hard to think of things to write about that would be relevant.
I changed the name of the blog to "monkey madness" quite some time ago, so it only made sense to change the look. I hope you like it.
I still have my other blogs, one of which is based on my appreciation of Malaysia. I don't post to it much, and I might make some changes to it also. I like the header picture (Kuala Lumpur), but other than a plane change at KLIA, I really have not been to KL. I am trying to think of a way to work in a nice Kuching picture. If I get the blog redesigned soon, I may actually use it to post pictures, and info about my trip to Kuching in 2005.
There is also my new blog Windy City Blogger, which I have slacked off on posting (big surprise). The blog design on that site has stalled, and I am looking for things to build into it. Once I get more accessories designed into it, I will use the blog more. All in due time.
Anyway.... enjoy the new Monkey Madness.... |
posted by Robert @ 5:27 AM  |
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| I have a new blog... |
| Wednesday, October 29, 2008 |
That's right.... I have a new blog. Another blog....
Yep... another blog you probably think I won't write to.
You might be right, but... then again... it's my first private website blog (like Shin's), and I am having fun working on the design so I spend a lot of time on it. I might even switch Shin's blog to wordpress like mine at some point, but I would enable it so she can have the same post listed on blogger, and her private site. The hard part is design... but I can figure that out.
Ok ok... the link to the new blog, here ya go:
http://www.windycityblogger.com
This blog has a very different look to it...
also... I will leave this blog up, and post to it now and then.
Anyway... feel free to have a look :) |
| posted by Robert @ 11:54 PM |
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| Its my "semi-annual get off my ass and post" post |
| Thursday, December 06, 2007 |
That's right everybody, I'm alive!
We just got our first real shot of winter here by Chicago, no pics yet, maybe tomorrow... cuz.... ITS GONNA SNOW AGAIN! Right now it's 2 degrees outside, but wait... for you celsius users out there, that is -16c! HOLY SH** THATS COLD!
I am a human popcicle here! Ok, that sounds bad, I'll stop there.
All I can say to that is: I am in the wrong country.... HELP!
Is anyone in Malaysia hiring? Seriously! I'm not kidding. You will not find a more dedicated slave employee than me! It's warm there, and I can be with my honey. That would make me  !
I'll fix your computer for free! Just hire me to do some office or technical job... get me a work permit... I will come over.... make you laugh often... I'll even invite you to my wedding. Ok ok.... I'll move on to other stuff...
Semi-current news about me: I got a different car !... but someone cracked my tail light  .... and I'd like to  the people who did it, but I calmed down. Spending time with Shin made me ! again.
It's winter here again as you know (cuz I told you), and I am still at the pizza place despite my desire not to be. My grand ambitions of becoming the almighty rapidfire point of sale software/hardware system master have gone away, cuz the big boss just won't make up his mind to upgrade or not. I have bugged him ALL YEAR. I am selling off all my extra parts that I own for the system, as one of many subtle steps to get my ass out of there permanently.
Home life is ok I suppose. My father has been relatively healthy for a while now (after surviving 2 runs of cancer in roughly 2 years). Mom is ok, could be better, those who know me, also know why she isn't better. enough said.
My relationship with Shin couldn't be better... well it could be... if we were together it would be better... but its going great, and its good to be loved by her. Even though she does kick my ass in every single game I have ever showed her how to play online. "hi honey"
Once again I am trying to build-rebuild-redo-make my www.spiritualrevolution.net site again. No sooner than I got started, I am having trouble with the script I used. There is a flaw, and the person who designed it doesn't seem interested in fixing it. I can't find the cause either. But hey... I will keep working at it.
Shin's blog is looking good as always, and her curly hair post is funny (see the last pic on the post).
Just so you know, I will try to post more often here (I know I know... its the 100th time I said that.... well that can't be right, I don't have 100 posts).
Ok, that is enough mindless junk to spill onto the screen for one day...
Goodnight. |
| posted by Robert @ 5:10 AM |
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| One reason NOT to be a pizza delivery driver... |
| Monday, July 16, 2007 |
I'm not going to rip on this occupation in general, but I do need to vent about one particular customer I dealt with this week.
I live in the Chicagoland area, fairly well known for pizza, pasta, and so on. I took an order to an expensive hotel, which included a pizza and a pasta. The order cost $39, and these big spenders gave me $40 bucks and said 'keep the change', like they were doing me a favor. How proud they must have been, giving that 2.5% tip. I'd only have to take 2500 orders to these people to pay for the car I just bought.
As I am walking back into the pizza place, the customer is on the phone. No, I didn't do anything wrong. There was meat in their pasta sauce, and they expected it to be meatless. This is the Chicagoland area, and I'm pretty sure most places put meat into just about everything. IHOP would put meat in their pancakes if they could. This customer thinks most of the pasta eating world goes meatless, and requests meat to be added. Ummmm.... nope.
The boss offers to make the pasta again (meatless, cuz we can do that by request), but they choose a store credit. Then, an hour later, they call back wanting that meatless pasta. Guess who gets to deliver that free pasta (me). The boss deducts most of the cost, leaving $2 on there for me (a deliver charge, which is normally $3). I get to the hotel, and the lady gives me $10 and says 'keep the change'. NOW were talking my kind of tip. I ask 3 (three) times 'are you sure you don't want some change'. She says no, and I leave.
As I am walking back into the pizza place (sound familiar?), the customer in on the phone again. They didn't know the new pasta was free (you know, the store credit the boss told them they had one hour earlier, and the total owed of $2 they were told on the phone). They want the driver (me) to come back to the hotel AGAIN, to give back some money. They wanted $7 back (oooo... $2 for delivery, and another $1 tip).
So, in all, I made 3 trips to the same hotel, for the same order (while missing out on other orders that could have made me some money). I got a total of $5 for delivery fees (when I should have gotten $9 for 3 trips), and $2 in total tip (a whopping 5%). I missed out on 2 other deliveries ($6 in delivery charges), and lets say about $4 in tip ($2 each).
Time for the math: I made $7 on the hotel customer, when I should have made $13 ($9 in delivery charges, and $4 at a %10 tip). I lost at least $10 on the 2 orders I missed out on while making the hotel customer happy. So, instead of making $23 for an hour of work, I made $7, a net loss of $16.
Now, the boss felt bad about it all. At the end of the night, he made it up to me. He gave me another $3 for a delivery fee, I made a mini pizza for myself, and a free 'pasta' for my mom. Normally I am allowed to make myself food anyway, but at least it made the night less painful. I started the day with two big orders, and they tipped average (10%), so I had an ok day overall.
So, if you are thinking about delivering pizza for extra money... just be ready to have days like this. I've taken $300 orders and gotten a $5 tip (1.67%), and taken $20 orders and gotten a $5 tip (25%). It does all average out in the end, but it shouldn't have to. Good tippers would like to think their tip made it a great night for the driver, and not a balancing point making up for horrible tippers.
Here is a message to all those who order out for delivery... gas isn't free, and in the last few years it has nearly doubled in cost. Most drivers would be reasonably satisfied if every customer tipped a minimum of 10%. Most people tip 15-18% at restaurants, and the server does not drive their car to your table.
The 10% minimum tip is regardless of whether they drive a company car, or personal car. Those who drive a company car are usually paid a little less by the store. A 10% minimum tip is fair for all delivery drivers, whether paid by the hour, or by a delivery charge. You wanna make a driver happy, tip 15%, if you wanna see a really happy driver, tip anything above 15%. Most drivers only make money on tips. Any base pay or delivery charge almost always goes for gas and car maintenance. The difference between a good night and a great night could be your tip, and trust me, drivers remember good tippers.
One last thing before I finish up. If there is a mistake on your order, or you get the wrong food, or its missing something, try to remember the driver doesn't make the order... they just deliver it. That is the fault of the inside staff. That driver will likely have to re-deliver your corrected order for free (a few restaurants will compensate drivers, most don't). Please don't short the driver on tip if the store makes a mistake.
Have a great day, and remember... tip your server/driver... they have bills to pay too. |
| posted by Robert @ 12:08 AM |
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| I got a new phone... |
| Thursday, May 24, 2007 |
The long story made short... I had a nice Nokia phone in late 2005(brand new), and it didn't work right. I sent it in twice, and the second time I didn't get it back. I went to war with Nokia, and it took over a year to work it out... but they sent me a new phone. While I still feel it took way too long to settle the matter, Nokia did make it up to me.
This is a nokia 6100 series phone (6101, 6102, 6102i, 6103). It's a flip phone, with some nice features. It was very easy to figure out and use. Trust me, anything is better than what I used as a backup phone for that year (a nokia 3595 that survived a trip in the washing machine).
Top Phone Features
Instant messaging: AOL®, Yahoo!® and ICQ®*
Voice messages
Text messaging*
Camera
Video capture/playback
FM radio
MegaTones®, Wallpaper, HiFi Ringers®, & Games*
 Labels: 6101, 6102, 6103, cell phone, nokia |
| posted by Robert @ 12:09 AM |
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| Hey Malaysia.... promote your blog here... |
| Wednesday, May 23, 2007 |
If you are from Malaysia, and have a personal/professional blog you would like to promote... send me an email. Tell me your name, the blog web address, and what your blog is about. Every now and then I will create a post and list your blogs. This will cause search engines to index your blog in more search results, and hopefully increase traffic/exposure of your site. I look forward to your email.
 Labels: blog, blogger, blogs, malaysia, seo |
| posted by Robert @ 11:20 PM |
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| Welcome to Monkey Madness |
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Name: Robert
Home: IL, United States
About Me: I live near Chicago.
See my complete profile
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