Archive for August, 2008

Those of you who are big fans of ABC’s Lost will have a chance to get a part on the show, since the producers are looking for local talent to fill in some spots on the show.  If interested, make sure you head over to Ala Wai Elementary (next to Iolani High School) on Saturday for an open call for interested actors.  They don’t require anything, and everyone is open to try-out.

There is no experience needed, and all ages and ethnic backgrounds are welcome to attend.  So how much will you be compensated if you get the part?  They will pay you $759 a day for your part in the show.  That’s good money, plus you get some sort of national exposure.

So again, make sure you head down tomorrow to audition for Lost and maybe have an opportunity to star in ABC’s hottest show!

If you ever driven on South Street in Kakaako, you’ve probably seen the only Gold’s Gym on the island.  Sadly, they will be leaving the island by the end of the month.  No real reason has been stated why Gold’s Gym closed, but I would be willing to bet that their competition, 24 Hour Fitness, has stripped them of most of their membership.  And that 24 has many locations around the island, this definitely gives 24 the edge with grabbing customers from all over.

Luckily, the workers at Gold’s don’t have to fret.  They will all be relocated to the Powerhouse Gym, which has about 2000 members.  That gym is located on Keawe St, behind the now defunct CompUSA about a block away.

Funny how there was more Gold’s on the island that 24′s, but now that 24 has grown into popularity here on the island, Gold’s is no more.  Let’s hope Powerhouse Gym doesn’t suffer the same fate.

Personally, this isn’t surprising to me.  According to the Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaiian Tel, Hawaii’s largest telephone company, has reported a $30.5 million loss during the second quarter.  They cite that Hawaiian Tel is losing customers due to wireless companies and other providers.  Perhaps this is the case, but I would attribute the loss of customers to the most horrible customer service I’ve ever experienced.  First of all, when the internet would go down, they wouldn’t really prorate you for your inconvenience, and they definitely did not show any sympathy.  And let me tell you, their DSL service when I had it was really iffy, with the service going in and out.

Secondly, when I finally decided I had enough with the DSL, I wanted to cancel my service because I was going to sign up with Oceanic’s Roadrunner cable internet.  This is when the horror began.  I called to cancel my services and was hold for 1 hour.  Once I finally reached a representative, he was very “blah” when he recieved the call, and was told to hold on after telling him I wanted to cancel my subscription to DSL.  Instead of putting me on hold, he hung me up.  If that wasn’t enough, I called back immediately, to be put on hold for another 45 minutes, to which the EXACT same thing happened…hung up.  I was sooooo furious, that I called again, waited about 30 minutes, and told them to MAKE SURE that I did not get disconnected, because I called in twice and during both times, I got hung up.  This time, not only did he put me on hold, he checked back to make sure I was still on line.  Finally, after another 20 minutes on hold, a nice lady took my call (the only nice person probably working there).  She helped me cancel my services, but still tried to keep me, but did not offer any incentive to stay.

I’m sure there are far worse horror stories with Hawaiian Tel, and I’m betting that their customer service is the main reason why they are losing money.  Get your act together, and maybe you’ll have customers coming back.