Ok, so this is a long time past the Zidane head-butting incident during the World Cup finals, but this is just too hilarious not to share.

Technorati tags: World Cup, perspectives

After all the flak I've been giving Dell, I certainly hope the company doesn't suddenly decide to take revenge and spontaneously combust.

Considering I usually work with the laptop on my lap when I'm at home, the burns would not be pretty.

Technorati tags: Dell, laptop, explosions

And they're back, and they're back, and they're back!!!!!

Technorati tags: U2, vertigo tour, concert

Oh my goodness how fun is this?

Everything you've ever wanted to do to your computer but are sometimes afraid to.

Click on the same spot multiple times and see the amount of damage you can actually do!

Birthdays have ever only been special to me because my friends make it so. This year hasn't been an exception.

Since Kristin is getting married this Sunday, I hadn't actually really thought about my birthday much at all. There isn't even much time to celebrate it since we would be holding her hen's party this afternoon and dinner for her this evening. It's not something I really mind. As I've mentioned before, birthdays don't really mean much to me and my best friend is getting married after all!

But Daniel asked me out for breakfast with him this morning and his very valid reason of "seeing that breakfast seems to be the only spot free in your day" convinced me that sacrificing some sleep this morning would be fine.

He brought me to McDonald's ("ok Crowne Plaza Terrigal it ain't - but it'll be open and hopefully you can find something edible there!") and after we got our order, we walked off towards the seats.

He leads me to a corner of the restaurant and while looking around, my brain slowly registers that there were some people in the restaurant that I actually knew. Having not had much sleep the entire week, by the time it struck me that my friends were actually at the restaurant having breakfast, they had burst out with a loud "Surprise!!!!" and broke into song.

It was amazing. Daniel had actually organised a surprise "birthday party" for me and these people actually woke up at 6.30am or whatnot just to wish me a happy birthday!

It's nice to be reminded annually how special you are...

Technorati tags: birthday, surprise

Went for kickboxing classes last night and I...currently...can't...feel...my...arms...

Technorati tags: kickboxing, exercise

I am extremely unhappy with Dell at the moment.

Early last week, I placed two orders, one order for three monitors and another for three keyboards on behalf of my department. They were rather efficient with demanding payment, getting in contact with me within 24 hours.

However, after payment was made, we changed our minds about the order and decided to cancel the order for the three monitors, and reduce the other order from three keybords to two.

So I called Dell to do exactly so and after being put on hold for 45 minutes and being transferred all around the world, first to someone with an Australian accent, then an Indian accent, and then a Singaporean accent and finally an American accent.

The lady with the American accent spent an endless amount of time with me, trying to understand what I wanted. She repeated my requests to me and at the end of it, it really sounded like she knew exactly what I wanted.

At the end of the phonecall, I was fully assured that one of my orders was cancelled, while the other changed. She even said she would send me a confirmation email and I would be refunded for the orders.

Good customer service, I thought, despite being put on hold for a ridiculous amount of time.

Then I never received any confirmation emails. I sent an enquiry via email and never got a reply. It was as if the entire Dell got dropped into the black hole.

Today, my orders were delivered. Nothing was changed. I received three monitors and three keyboards. It was as if my phonecall to cancel the orders and change them never happened.

1.5 hours of my entire life wasted for nothing.

I'm on the phone to Dell again and all I get is cheesy elevator music. Every 10 minutes or so, someone picks up the phone and asks, "How can I direct your call?"

I tell them my problem and they tell me, "Regarding your order, I will have to direct your call to a customer care specialist."

After 10 more minutes of elevator music, I get the same question, "How can I direct your call?" and the whole saga starts again.

If you know where I'm supposed to be directed, why don't you just direct me there instead of giving me a full runaround and asking me time and again how to direct my call?

Is your memory that bad?

Or perhaps you're just so busy cheating honest people of their money that you don't actually have a customer care specialist because *gasp* YOU. DON'T. CARE?!

I am very very displeased right now. Where are my angry eyes?

Technorati tags: Dell

The latest that is happening to me at work and the world of communication for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific:

South Pacific Positioned for Total Communication
Wahroonga, New South Wales
Melody Tan

The church in the South Pacific will have a coordinated communication program speaking with one voice with the formation of the new Adventist Media Network. The network began on July 1 and brings together three media entities under one management team for improved coordination of media efforts in the 13 countries of the division.

“This is a golden moment for the church and over time will greatly benefit the church in this division,” says Pastor Laurie Evans, president of the SPD. “With the synergies created by Adventist Media Network, the church will now have a ‘one-stop shop’ that will cater for all its communication needs.”

The Adventist Media Network is the result of a merger of the Adventist Media Centre, the communication and public relations department of the SPD and Signs Publishing Company.

Situated at two locations, Warburton, Victoria (Signs Publishing Company) and Wahroonga, New South Wales (Adventist Media Network headquarters), the realisation that this would increase the effectiveness of communication and media activities has been discussed for a number of years.

Veteran communicator Dr Allen Steele who has most recently been the assistant to the president for advancement of Avondale College, has been appointed the chief executive officer of Adventist Media Network as well as the communication director for the SPD. Dr Steele first arrived in Australia in 2000 to coordinate Avondale College’s new communication degree program after working for Adventist World Radio for more than 20 years, most recently as a vice-president.

Adventist Media Network will now provide unions, missions and conferences with a complete communication strategy for their projects that will include media ministries, public relations, marketing, design, news dissemination and the production of resources such as books and DVDs. This is in contrast to previous practice where customers had to approach each entity independently, often missing out on many other potential possibilities and opportunities.

The organisational structure provided by Adventist Media Network will facilitate an integrated strategy and a cooperative effort when it comes to church communications, hence enhancing the image and profile of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the community.

“It is an exciting opportunity for the church to consolidate its communication thrust not only to church members but to the public as well,” says Dr Steele. “This move will also establish us in a better position to take advantage of emerging technologies such as the Internet and satellite television.”

Adventist Media Network has fulfilled the action voted by delegates in the SPD Session six years ago to “establish a Communication/Public Relations and Marketing Centre that would combine or utilise the resources and skills of trained and competent staff along with those of the Adventist Media Centre, Signs Publishing Company and other institutions as appropriate.”

While the new entity will officially began on 1 July 2006, it will take several months for internal systems and processes to be modified to take full advantage of the change. Even so, it is business as usual from the customers’ perspective.

We officially start functioning as Adventist Media Network today, although I don't move to my new office till next Monday since it's Christian Resources Exhibition week this week.

If anybody's at the Sydney Olympic Park vicinity this week, do drop by Stand E2 to say hi!

Technorati tags: Adventist, communication, mergers