JANUARY
      11,
      2005
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      @
      15
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kimberley
      Johnston
     
     
      Reporter
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Well,
      the
      Great
      North
      Atlantic
     
     
      Fruitcake
      exchange
      has
      drawn
      to
      an
      end
     
     
      and
      those
      who
      did
      not
      participate
      in
      the
     
     
      relentless
      swapping
      of
      baked
      goods
      this
     
     
      year
      may
      have
      overindulged
      in
      other
     
     
      ways.
      My
      crystal
      ball
      says
      they
      are
     
     
      many
      people
      out
      there
      making
      enemies
     
     
      of
      their
      bathroom
      scales
      in
      an
      attempt
     
     
      to
      flatten
      the
      spare
      tire
      formed
      around
     
    
   
   
    
     
      their
      midsections
      during
      the
      most
      festive
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      holidays.
     
    

    
     
      Is
      it
      just
      my
      imagination,
      or
      are
     
     
      people
      getting
      a
      little
      less
      festive
      over
     
     
      the
      holidays
      and
      a
      little
      more
      full
      of
      the
     
    

    
     
      -bah-humbug
      mentality?
      It
      could
      just
      be
     
     
      my
      own
      experience
      in
      the
      customer
     
     
      service
      industry
      and
      my
      annual
      plight
     
     
      to
      find
      heartfelt
      gifts
      on
      a
      shoestring
     
     
      budget
      while
      trying
      to
      avoid
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      assistance
      of
      my
      trusty
      friend,
      Mr.
      Visa.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      While
      I
      was
      forced
      to
     
     
      “downsize”
      the
      number
      of
      receivers
      on
     
     
      my
      list
      this
      year,
      I
      was
      still
      able
      to
      be
     
     
      merry
      and
      bright
      during
      the
      holidays
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      though
      it
      is
      my
      expressed
      opinion
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      individuals
      should
      treat
      others
      with
     
     
      respect
      all
      year
      round.
     
    

    
     
      It’s
      just
      odd
      that
      the
      time
      of
      year
     
     
      where
      people
      are
      supposed
      to
      be
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “extra
      nice”
      to
      each
      other
      and
      good
      will
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      should
      flow
      like
      free
      rum
      and
      eggnog,
     
     
      most
      of
      the
      customer
      service
      workers
     
     
      I’ve
      spoken
      to
      found
      it
      difficult
      to
     
     
      spread
      merriment
      after
      dealing
      with
     
     
      impatient
      and
      cranky
      customers.
     
    

    
     
      _
      Perhaps
      someone
      should
      tell
     
     
      certain
      individuals
      that
      the
      supposed
     
    
   
   
    
     
      merriment
      of
      the
      holidays
      extends
      to
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cashiers
      and
      sales
      associates
      as
      well.
      It
     
     
      would
      be
      a
      pity
      for
      them
      to
      miss
      that
     
     
      festive
      memo.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “attempt
      to
      avoid
      them.
      I
      was
      very
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      toacashier
      who
      had
      the
      charisma
      ofa
     
    
   
   
    
     
      While
      lines
      are
      long
      and
      tempers
     
     
      become
      shorter
      with
      every
      passing
      price
     
     
      check,
      consumers
      should
      realize
      that
     
     
      long
      lines
      have
      become
      an
      expected
     
     
      part
      of
      Christmas
      -
      and
      if
      you
      don’t
     
     
      want
      to
      deal
      with
      them,
      perhaps
      you
     
     
      should
      start
      shopping
      earlier
      in
      an
     
    
   
   
    
     
      careful
      to
      avoid
      the
      long
      lineups
      this
      year
     
     
      and
      only
      partook
      when
      I
      was
      keeping
     
     
      my
      guy
      company
      with
      his
      yuletide
     
     
      shopping
      spree.
      It
      was
      a
      bit
      more
     
     
      bearable
      knowing
      I
      was
      not
      the
      one
     
     
      who
      would
      have
      to
      shell-out
      all
      that
      coin.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      speed
      bump
      -
      poor
      thing.
      I
      was
      just
     
     
      taking
      up
      space.
     
    

    
     
      So,
      [hope
      you
      all
      had
      a
      happier
      holiday
     
     
      than
      some
      of
      the
      people
      I’ve
      spoken
     
     
      too
      -
      and
      if
      you
      didn’t
      ...
      well...
      there’s
     
     
      always
      next
      year.
      ~
     
    

    
     
      All
      the
      best
      in
      2005!
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      international
      Project
      Management
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wry
      dagnee
      cant
      change
      the
      weeld.
     
     
      Call
      APE,
      ext
      NEAT
      or
      esa
     
    

    
     
      hagkeatthaden
      Av
      iter
      igtireasion,
     
     
      Apt
      fr
      it
      Panincn
      Sivas!
      reigns
      at
      he
     
     
      DUAS
      webulte~
      weeeiriligeear
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Take
      your
      de
      towel
      of
      success.
     
     
      Lowe
      inummege
      ieternationd
      deecbpment
      pomisemrems,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      at
      Project
      Management
      b
      the
      only
     
     
      postgrdante
      program
      in
      Conds
      that
      shows
      you
     
    
   
   
    
     
      OPINION
      &
      COMMENTARY
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sex
      and
      The
      ‘Sity:
     
     
      Merry
      Frickin’
      Christmas
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Come
      see
      what
      your
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Steele
      Campbell
     
     
      Contributor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Future
      Shop
      is
      one
      of
      those
      few
      places
     
     
      that
      you
      will
      always
      feel
      welcome
      —a
     
     
      feeling
      that
      is
      certainly
      lacking
      in
      today’s
     
     
      distant,
      large-franchise
      market.
     
    

    
     
      While
      some
      may
      raise
      an
     
     
      eyebrow
      at
      such
      a
      bold
      statement,
      the
     
     
      fact
      of
      the
      matter
      is
      it
      is
      true.
      Allow
      me
     
     
      to
      expand:
      whenever
      I
      pass
      through
      the
     
     
      threshold
      guarded
      by
      those
      automatic
     
     
      doors
      (that,
      in
      such
      an
      energy
      efficient
     
     
      manner,
      kindly
      do
      not
      open
      until
      my
     
     
      nose
      is
      leaving
      grease
      on
      the
      glass)
      I
     
     
      am
      greeted
      by
      literally
      tens
      of
      sales
     
     
      associates
      all
      asking
      me
      different
     
     
      variations
      of
      “can
      I
      help
      you
      with
     
     
      something?”
      It
      is
      refreshing
      to
      feel
      so
     
     
      wanted;
      Wal-Mart’s
      employees
      won’t
     
     
      lift
      a
      finger
      to
      help
      me.
      Future
      Shop
     
     
      however,
      is
      more
      than
      willing
      to
      remove
     
     
      the
      burden
      from
      my
      back
      and
      the
      bulge
     
     
      in
      my
      wallet.
     
    

    
     
      OT
      course;
      =
      bettie
      =the
     
     
      consummate
      gentleman
      that
      I
      am,
      I
     
    
   
   
    
     
      =H
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      future
      has
      in
      store.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      kindly
      dismiss
      them,
      not
      wanting
      to
     
     
      distract
      them
      from
      their
      valuable
      work
     
     
      with
      the
      young
      couple
      looking
      at
      the
     
     
      plasma
      screen
      TV
      on
      display.
      In
      a
      truly
     
     
      friendly
      manner
      though,
      it
      seems
      like
      I
     
     
      always
      have
      a
      little
      guardian
      Future
     
     
      Shop
      employee
      looming
      over
      my
     
     
      shoulder.
     
    

    
     
      That
      isn’t
      the
      end
      of
      Future
     
     
      Shop’s
      amazing
      service.
      They
      also
      seem
     
     
      to
      send
      every
      one
      of
      their
      employees
     
     
      on
      an
      intensive
      training
      course
      covering
     
     
      everything
      they
      sell,
      for
      when
      I
      ask
      one
     
     
      of
      those
      guardian
      angels
      perched
      on
      my
     
     
      shoulder:
     
    

    
     
      “Do
      you
      carry
      any
      copies
      of
     
     
      Mandrake,
      RedHat,
      or
      Debian
     
    

    
     
      They
      sagely
      point
      me
      to
      the
     
     
      software
      section
      and
      tell
      me:
      “no
      but
     
     
      we
      have
      copies
      of
      Windows
      XP
      and
     
     
      it
      is
      so
      much
      better
      than
      Mandrake!”
     
     
      Ahh,
      I
      see
      why
      all
      their
      technicians
      are
     
     
      Microsoft
      A+
      Certified.
     
    

    
     
      But
      the
      wisdom
      of
      their
      sales
     
     
      tactics
      does
      not
      end
      there.
      For
      they
     
     
      also
      foresee
      that
      I
      am
      an
      oafish
      lout
      (I
     
     
      ama
      male
      after
      all)
      and
      upon
      purchasing
     
     
      anything,
      whether
      it
      be
      a
      printer,
      a
      pair
     
     
      of
      speakers,
      or
      a
      JVC
      digital
      camera,
      I
     
    
   
   
    
     
      am
      offered
      the
      “unique
      opportunity”
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      include
      an
      extended
      sales
      warranty
      for
     
     
      only
      a
      few
      (hundred)
      dollars
      more.
      In
     
     
      the
      event
      something
      happens
      to
      it,
      I
      can
     
     
      return
      it
      and
      exchange
      it
      for
      a
      new
      one!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      Such
      perspicacity!
      What
      foresight!
      How
     
    
   
   
    
     
      kind!
     
    

    
     
      '
      In
      today’s
      cold,
      detached,
      big-
     
     
      budget
      corporations
      it
      is
      truly
      refreshing
     
     
      to
      see
      a
      company
      that
      truly
      cares
      for
     
     
      its(elf)
      customers.
      Whether
      it
      is
      through
     
     
      attentive
      sales
      tactics,
      informed
      sales
     
     
      advice,
      or
      intuitive
      warranty
      programs,
     
     
      Future
      Shop
      is
      a
      company
      that
      cares!