Science, Religion, Politics and in the pursuit of truth – HappyPsychotic

Chinese Customer Service

// August 1st, 2009 // 1 Comment » // GlenncloseAuthor: Glenn Name: Glenn C
Email: happypsychotic@gmail.com
Site: http://www.happypsychotic.com
About: Glenn is 36 years old and now lives in a small town in Northern Ontario with his wife of 13 years and 2 kids. He has been a foster parent for 10 years in 3 different cities. He graduated from Radio College of Canada (Toronto) in 1993 as an Electronic Engineering Technologist and has been working in the electronics industry ever since with companies like Nortel. Glenn does a good amount of reading, studying and thinking about such topics as philosophy, psychology, physics (Quantum Mechanics), religion and science. Glenn does have an I.Q. of > 140 (as does Chris) which is categorized as genius but hasn't bothered joining any I.Q. type clubs. He is very logical and analytical and always looking for a way to make a better world - primarily through self-improvement and in helping others to improve themselves. Most importantly, he constantly re-evaluates his priorities and ensures his time is spent wisely - like working on this site.See Authors Posts (92)

Here is a copy of the transcript of my interaction with a company based in China with which I purchased a USB Flash Memory stick…it didn’t go well…the company is called Focal Price and can be found at www.focalprice.com.

Michelle 5/11/2009 10:42:41 PM

Dear customer,
I am sorry for our mistake,this item is 4GB.
Would you please accept it with 2USD discount ?
Waiting for your reply
Regards
Sincerely
Michelle

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glenn_xxxx@hotmail.com 5/12/2009 8:37:45 PM

No, please send me a working 8GB Flash drive.
Thanks.

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Michelle 5/12/2009 8:49:19 PM

Dear customer,
We are sorry for our mistake,so we would like to refund you 2USD to cover our mistake.
But the $ 12.4 is the correct price for 4GB.
However,if you really do not want it any more,you may send it back for full refund.
Regards
Sincerely
Michelle

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glenn_xxxx@hotmail.com 5/14/2009 9:01:19 AM

OK. I will send it back for a full refund. Will you be sending me a postage paid envelope so I can send it back to you?
Thanks.

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Cherry 5/14/2009 10:07:41 AM

Dear customer,
We are so sorry for the trouble. But we are afraid that we won’t pay for the returned shipping cost.
Sorry for any inconvenience.
Sincerely,
Cherry

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glenn_xxxx@hotmail.com 5/14/2009 3:04:05 PM

I’m sorry too, but I must insist that you give me some sort of reimbursement for my shipping costs. You sent me the wrong item and it is defective… and now you tell me I have to pay more money to send it back?
How about if you just reimburse me my payment and I throw this broken Flash Drive in the garbage?
Thanks.

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Zoe 5/14/2009 8:34:50 PM

Dear customer,
How about refund you $4 as a discount?
We’re afraid it’s the best we can offer.
If you’re not satisfied with it, pls send it back for a full refundment.
Thanks for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Zoe

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glenn_xxxx@hotmail.com 5/15/2009 8:40:23 AM

I am not willing to accept a $4 discount on a defective (and wrong size) product. I will send it back for a full refund.
I am very displeased with your sales, and service and will be telling everyone I know never to purchase anything from you.
What is your address that I need to return the product to?

******************************************

Cherry 5/15/2009 10:28:50 AM

glenn_xxxx@hotmail.com 5/21/2009 7:01:31 AM

Hi,
I have sent back the defective (and wrong size) product. Please give me a full refund. DO NOT send me a replacement!
Thanks.

******************************************

Zoe 5/21/2009 7:36:22 AM

Dear customer,
We’ll refund you as soon as get the returned item.
Sincerely,
Zoe

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glenn_xxxx@hotmail.com 6/13/2009 11:00:10 AM

Hi,
Have you received my return yet?

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Zoe 6/14/2009 8:10:43 PM

Dear customer,
After double-checked, we don’t get returned item yet.
While pls rest assured that we’ll let you know and arrange a refundment once get it.
Sincerely,
Zoe

******************************************

glenn_xxxx@hotmail.com 7/14/2009 4:55:30 AM

Hi,
Please confirm that you have refunded my money.
Thanks.

******************************************

Zoe 7/14/2009 8:44:46 PM

Dear customer,
We don”t get #xxx in order #xxxx  back yet.
Is there any tracking info for checking?
Wish you happy shopping experience!
Sincerely yours”
Zoe

******************************************

glenn_xxxx@hotmail.com 7/16/2009 2:31:29 PM

No,
I don”t have a tracking number.  I didn”t want to waste any more of my money paying for expensive shipping.  I sent it using regular mail.
I”m starting to wonder if you are not being truthful about receiving this return, as you have not been truthful about anything else regarding this order so far.

******************************************

Michelle 7/16/2009 7:42:19 PM

Dear customer,
But we have not received it yet.
Would you please let us know the sender’’s name ?
We want to check it again.
Wish you happy shopping experience!
Sincerely yours”
Michelle

******************************************

Zoe 7/16/2009 7:49:28 PM

Dear customer,
As a company of reputation, we won”t cheat you such a little money.
We promise we”ll refund or resend a replacement once get returned item.
It’’s up to you.
Sincerely yours”
Zoe

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glenn_xxxx@hotmail.com 7/20/2009 5:12:34 PM

Well, since I returned this item over a month ago, and you say you still haven”t received it, I guess you”re never going to receive it.  The sender’’s name is my name which is Glenn xxxx.
You say you are a company of reputation but you sent me an item that I did not order, and that didn”t work, and now I can”t even get my money back.  That is NOT a company of reputation!

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Zoe 7/20/2009 11:08:12 PM

Dear customer,
Sorry that we sent your wrong item.
And we”d like to take the responsibility.
Once get the returned parcel, we”d like to arrange a refund,which is $12.40.
You know that you shipped parcel back without tracking No., we even can”t check parcel status.
If you were us, how do you think of it? ( if we send item to you without tracking No., you don”t get it,what will you do? )
Sincerely yours”
Zoe

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glenn_xxxx@hotmail.com 7/22/2009 5:21:07 PM

What would I do you ask?
I would make sure my company did not wrongly advertise my products and send incorrect items.  I would make sure that I sell quality products that work.  If my company sent a wrong item I would make it EASY for my customer to get his refund (like maybe sending a postage paid package to safely return the item).  This would make my customers happy and give me more business.
The way your company is run, you are angering your customers and causing them to never do business with you again, and causing them to tell all their friends never to do business with you.  (yes, that’’s what I”m doing).

******************************************

Zoe 7/26/2009 9:56:26 AM

Dear customer,
Sorry we don”t mean to offense you.
How about we do like this?
Refund you $6 firstly, when get the returned parcel, we”ll refund the balance?
Sincerely yours”
Zoe

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glenn_xxxx@hotmail.com 7/27/2009 1:53:33 PM

OK…sounds good.
Thanks.

******************************************

Louis 7/29/2009 12:13:20 AM

Dear customer,
Refund will be processed within 48 hours. Pls help check your account.
Wish you happy shopping experience!
Sincerely yours”
Louis

Heaven – who needs it?

// October 9th, 2007 // No Comments » // ChriscloseAuthor: Chris Name: Chris Chartrand
Email: happy99999@hotdogs.com
Site: http://www.27Software.com
About: Chris is 34 years old and prone to angry rants and outbursts about all sorts of things. Often this is misinterpreted as 'just another loud stupid guy' but in this case, he actually has some skills to back it up. Don't hate me because I am smart. I hate extended formal education as it is a mind numbing and mind dumbing experience - where else can you go these days and pay to be told how to think? Having said that, I am addicted to learning, and the introduction I got at University in Physics, Math and Computer science was just enough to start me on a journey to actually learn something of relevance and possibly even importance. I make my living off of doing senior level software development, design, teaching and all that jazz because it pays the bills so well. If I were financially independent tomorrow, I would still do the same thing, but not for the same people or on the same projects.See Authors Posts (19)

When I was a kid – as with all kids – I was pretty stupid, and as with stupid people things tended to make a lot more sense.

Now I am not saying I am not stupid anymore, but I can assure you that things certainly don’t make sense to me anymore.

Take heaven for instance. I was discussing comically the other day about how when we are in heaven; the streets will be paved with gold! Wonderful – until you start thinking about that – here are some things I considered right off the bat:

1. I assume this implies pure gold – this is heaven after all
2. Pure gold is quite soft, soft enough to sink into given enough weight, and I have enough weight…
3. If we have streets, do we have vehicles as well?

   Hey Fred, some pick me up in your new styling heaven mobile!

4. Do we all have the same vehicle? If not, I might get jealous…
5. Do the vehicles pollute?

   Watch out Jesus hasn’t had him emissions test done this millennium yet on his godscooter…

So that is just some starter logistics. More importantly, who am I there with? As a kid this was not a problem – I liked my parents, my siblings, family etc. Now, can you seriously say there is anyone you would/could spend eternity with? It’s like:

Hey Dad! Good to see you in heaven you child molesting, raping, scheming drunk bastard! Glad I get to spend eternity sleeping in the next room to you!

Or how about all the people who get divorced and married multiple times? What are those sleeping arrangements? Note, if you are thinking easy, the last spouse! Well, from my limited experience in the matters of multiple divorces, given enough time there will ALWAYS be another separation

Anyhow, just something pleasant I have been thinking about lately, sign me up!

Dear Jesus, thank you for boobies…

// September 11th, 2007 // 1 Comment » // ChriscloseAuthor: Chris Name: Chris Chartrand
Email: happy99999@hotdogs.com
Site: http://www.27Software.com
About: Chris is 34 years old and prone to angry rants and outbursts about all sorts of things. Often this is misinterpreted as 'just another loud stupid guy' but in this case, he actually has some skills to back it up. Don't hate me because I am smart. I hate extended formal education as it is a mind numbing and mind dumbing experience - where else can you go these days and pay to be told how to think? Having said that, I am addicted to learning, and the introduction I got at University in Physics, Math and Computer science was just enough to start me on a journey to actually learn something of relevance and possibly even importance. I make my living off of doing senior level software development, design, teaching and all that jazz because it pays the bills so well. If I were financially independent tomorrow, I would still do the same thing, but not for the same people or on the same projects.See Authors Posts (19)

I was raised to attend church on a regular basis, and I think for the large part this was a positive experience. Sure there were problems but in any cultish/brainwashing/self motivated system created by humans this is going to be true.

Now I have kids and the great experiment is on, this time for real. How should I raise my kids with respect to church attendance? Let’s be clear, I do believe in God, I think there is overwhelming evidence for this, more than almost anything else in this gigantic closed system we call the universe.

Having said that, I also believe each of us, including or kids, wives, etc should be able to come to that conclusion on their own accord. Present the evidence and if the argument is sound, then the logical conclusion regarding God, spirituality, etc should be reached. Too often it seems that religious leaders are terrified to take this approach and instead invoke feelings of fear, or better yet “Satanic conspiracies” to control their parishioners; I can only assume this is because they either think this evidence does not exist, or they are too lazy to investigate it and present it in a manner that is traditionally acceptable.

How does church help or harm with this? Well for starters it offers a place to here what other people think about a similar subject, far too often this is where it ends as there is little or no actual discussion about the matter in a church. Somewhere along the line it became acceptable to turn off your brain when you enter a place of worship, I do not subscribe to this belief. More to the point, I think it would piss God off to know that he had a bunch of zombies going through the motions week after week and thinking that they were somehow learning more about Him and His purposes for us on this very special hunk of rock. I have to believe (just in my gut) that God is happier with the individual who questions EVERYTHING, especially regarding religious matters, and does not stretch things too far just because of traditional beliefs.

So back to the kiddies. So I have found that learning and investigation does not happen at church, score one for sleeping in on Sunday mornings, however it would be nice to have some more friends and get some free food, score one for getting up early and fighting with the kids to brush their hair on Sunday mornings…

There is an alternative that I think is a better option: Home churches. This removes all the “church” crap from church (think religion) and replaces it with a back to basics, lets talk about this stuff and see what really makes sense, as I am pretty sure God is not out to trick us or to believe something that all evidence points to as preposterous, like a 24 hour creation – sorry folks, the universe is old, and the earth is old as well, this is not even up for debate ever since the wheel was discovered.

At this point, we could open up with prayer like “Dear Jesus, thank you SO MUCH for boobies…”, seriously why not? I am thankful for the female form, God clearly gave me these feelings, and just ask my wife, I appreciate it at every opportunity. The list goes on. Quantum physics, biology, chemistry, evolution, even some mathematics (Godel in particular) should all not only be discussed in the context of a church setting, but be presented as highly important topics in the greater search for God and what he has given us in this great place we call the universe.

This is obviously a VERY brief discussion on this topic, and in fact I am strongly considering this as a topic for a book I may write in the future, until then, say a silent prayer right now and thank God for the appendage you are most thankful for…

It’s the “PITS”

// December 28th, 2006 // No Comments » // GlenncloseAuthor: Glenn Name: Glenn C
Email: happypsychotic@gmail.com
Site: http://www.happypsychotic.com
About: Glenn is 36 years old and now lives in a small town in Northern Ontario with his wife of 13 years and 2 kids. He has been a foster parent for 10 years in 3 different cities. He graduated from Radio College of Canada (Toronto) in 1993 as an Electronic Engineering Technologist and has been working in the electronics industry ever since with companies like Nortel. Glenn does a good amount of reading, studying and thinking about such topics as philosophy, psychology, physics (Quantum Mechanics), religion and science. Glenn does have an I.Q. of > 140 (as does Chris) which is categorized as genius but hasn't bothered joining any I.Q. type clubs. He is very logical and analytical and always looking for a way to make a better world - primarily through self-improvement and in helping others to improve themselves. Most importantly, he constantly re-evaluates his priorities and ensures his time is spent wisely - like working on this site.See Authors Posts (92)

Originally written December 28, 2006.

I have an exciting new business opportunity for all you readers out there! If you act now, you can get in on the ground floor! I call it my “Pie in the Sky” opportunity (PITS). Here’s how it works…

You agree to sponser me for the meager fee of $50K/yr for 3 years ($150K total) and I spend that time philosophizing. Every idea that I record during that time is yours to take and make money with. Most likely, I would come up with ideas that the world has never seen before and would be extremely enlightening. These ideas could be assembled into books, movies, Broadway musicals or whatever!

Now, I should mention that since the winters here in Canada sometimes seem to drag on and get a little depressing, I may also require to expense some small side trips to warm sunny beaches somewhere. Possibly a private island of some sort as I’m certain that would make my creative juices flow more strongly.

Anyways, just contact me if you’d like to sign up. You could also find 150,000 friends who’d like to pitch in $1 if that’s easier for you, I’m OK with either scenario. Just remember, it’s the “PITS”!

Don’t Worry, I’m Biblically Based

// June 7th, 2006 // No Comments » // GlenncloseAuthor: Glenn Name: Glenn C
Email: happypsychotic@gmail.com
Site: http://www.happypsychotic.com
About: Glenn is 36 years old and now lives in a small town in Northern Ontario with his wife of 13 years and 2 kids. He has been a foster parent for 10 years in 3 different cities. He graduated from Radio College of Canada (Toronto) in 1993 as an Electronic Engineering Technologist and has been working in the electronics industry ever since with companies like Nortel. Glenn does a good amount of reading, studying and thinking about such topics as philosophy, psychology, physics (Quantum Mechanics), religion and science. Glenn does have an I.Q. of > 140 (as does Chris) which is categorized as genius but hasn't bothered joining any I.Q. type clubs. He is very logical and analytical and always looking for a way to make a better world - primarily through self-improvement and in helping others to improve themselves. Most importantly, he constantly re-evaluates his priorities and ensures his time is spent wisely - like working on this site.See Authors Posts (92)

Originally written June 7, 2006.

Hi all,

It seems lately that often when I talk to fellow Christians and mention that I have some viewpoints that are controversial to traditional, conservative Christian beliefs, they say “That’s fine as long as they are Biblically based”. So, to all my friends who have given this advice, I offer this proof of my Biblical basis…

Last Sunday at church I was quite active helping people out. It started when I handed out head coverings to all the women in the church and lovingly chided one young man for letting his hair grow past his collar which was quite out of control. (1Cor 11: Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered dishonors his Head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled dishonors her head; for that is even the same as if she were shaved. For if the woman is not veiled, let her also be shorn. But if it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be veiled. For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man. Judge among yourselves: is it right that a woman pray to God unveiled? Does not even nature itself teach you that if man has long hair, it is a shame to him?)

Then, during the service a nice lady stood up to offer a testimony during our sharing time – I quickly stood up and kindly ensured that she didn’t actually talk out loud in the service. That would have been terrible! (1Cor 14:34,35 Let your women be silent in the churches; for it is not permitted to them to speak, but to be in subjection, as the Law also says. And if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home; for it is a shame for a woman to speak in a church.)

After the service, I was happy to be able to give council to another poor women to stay with her husband even though he had beaten her so badly the previous week that she ended up in the hospital again. We pray often that her children will learn how to deal with such a violent and abusive home. (Mat 5:31,32 It was also said, Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you that whoever shall put away his wife, except for the cause of fornication, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever shall marry her who is put away commits adultery.)

I then overheard a young teenager jokingly call his friend a “fool”! I’m sorry to type such strong language here but I need to make a point about this terrible language of this younger generation. I kindly rebuked him. (Mat 5:22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be liable to the judgment. And whoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be liable to the sanhedrin; but whoever shall say, Fool! shall be liable to be thrown into the fire of hell.)

And please forgive me if I’ve missed some spelling or made grammatical errors today as I’m still getting used to seeing with one eye as I plucked the other out recently. You see, as I passed the beach I noticed a young lady in a bikini and well…(Mat 18:9 And if your eye offends you, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.)

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OK, that’s enough of my story. I’m hoping my point is clear enough without having to spell it out. Please notice that I used all New Testament references and that if I used Old Testament passages I could write for hours. Of course, many Old Testament laws were changed in the New Testament but which ones exactly? And many of the New Testament rules (like some I have written above) are no longer practiced because the times have changed – but again, which ones exactly?