5/30/2011

route 44 iced tea

flamingo SONIC.

5/29/2011

2 corn dogs for a buck on memorial day

latest TXT.
***
Monday 5/30 only. Two Corn Dogs for 99 cents All Day. Plz mention
txt when ordering. Have a SuperSonic Day!

limeade chiller with extra lime

sahara SONIC

just for the record: a limeade chiller has sprite in it and a lime creamslush does not.

Google Alert - SONIC drive-in

News1 new result for SONIC drive-in
Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Chamber Hosts Summer Cruise Nights
Patch.com
The first Cruise Night will be held on June 14 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at Oakridge Shopping Center in Algonquin in the parking area across from Sonic Drive-In. The Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce is ready to "rev" up the community with a ...
See all stories on this topic »

5/28/2011

sonic live radio is on the web -- kinda

what was formerly better known as "SONIC FM," can be found at SONICliveradio.com.  what's weird is you need a valid SONICdrivein.com or SONICpartnernet.com (sic) email address to listen online ... so you can make your request online but you can't listen to it.

uh.  i don't think i get it.

complete SONIC menu (with pricing)

this should answer all the "how much is a ____ at SONIC drive-in" questions.

SONIC as a company can't put up the prices because they vary by region and individual location (although with a little intelligent software they could make some damn good guesses).  the following list is from the flamingo SONIC -- those in your area will likely be different (probably a little higher?), but they'll definitely in the same ballpark.  if you want to know exact pricing at any given SONIC, call the store and ask ... if you can't find your store's number, call SONIC's 800 number and ask them for it.


breakfast items
jr. breakfast burrito: $1.00
breakfast burrito: 1.89
french toast sticks: 1.99
breakfast toaster: 2.39
croisSONIC breakfast sandwich: 2.59
superSONIC breakfast burrito: 2.89

burgers
jr. deluxe burger: 1.00
jr. double cheeseburger: 1.99
SONIC burger: 2.89
SONIC cheeseburger: 3.39
superSONIC cheeseburger: 3.99
SONIC bacon cheeseburger: 3.99
bacon cheeseburger toaster: 4.19

chicken
chicken strip sandwich: 1.29
JUMBO popcorn chicken: small 2.99, large 3.99
chicken wrap: 3.59
chicken sandwich: 3.99
chicken bacon ranch sandwich: 4.29
chicken club toaster: 4.39
grilled chicken salad: 4.59
crispy chicken salad: 4.59
chicken strip dinner: 4.79

hot dogs
corn dog: 1.00
premium beef hot dogs (new york, all-american, chili cheese coney, chicago): 1.99
footlong quarter pound coney: 3.19

main course upgrades
american cheese: 0.50
green chili: 0.50
hot chili: 0.50
spicy jalpenos: 0.50
crispy bacon: 0.70

drinks
add flavor to any drink: 0.20
SONIC boom espresso shot added to any drink: 0.50
apple juice: 0.99
iced tea*: small 1.00, medium 1.49, large 1.99, route 44 2.19
soft drinks*: 1.00, 1.49, 1.99, 2.19
"famous" slushes*: 1.00, 1.79, 1.99, 2.19
bottled water: 1.29
premium roast coffee: 1.49, 1.69
real fruit slushes: 1.49, 1.79, 1.99, 2.19
flavored teas*: 1.49, 1.79, 1.99, 2.19
limeades*: 1.49, 1.79, 1.99, 2.19
ocean water*: 1.49, 1.79, 1.99, 2.19
cranberry juice: 1.69, 1.99
orange juice:  1.69, 1.99
iced latte: 2.49, 2.99
fruit smoothie: 2.59, 3.19

ice cream concoctions
vanilla cone: 1.00
vanilla dish: 1.00
sundaes: 2.39
floats: 2.49, 2.99
creamslush: small 2.59, medium 2.99
java chiller: 2.59, 2.99
limeade chillers: 2.59, 2.99
shakes: 2.59, 2.99
SONIC blast: 2.99, 3.39
banana split: 3.59


sides and miscellaneous
fresh banana: 1.00
jr. fritos chili cheese wrap: 1.00
apple slices with caramel dipping sauce: 1.29
tots or fries plain: small 1.00, medium 1.49, large 1.89
tots or fries with cheese: 1.49, 1.89, 2.39
tots or fries with chili and cheese: 1.99, 2.49, 2.89
onion rings: 1.79, 1.99
bag of ice: 1.99
mozzarella sticks: 2.59
ched 'R' peppers: 2.69
fritos chili cheese wrap: 2.99
wacky pack** (burger, grilled cheese or corn dog): 3.19
wacky pack (chicken strips): 3.39

note: a medium combo (adding medium tots or fries and a medium drink to any sandwich) is roughly $2.20 more than the single item price; a large combo is about $2.80 more.


*this drink qualifies for half-off during happy hour.
**some regional SONICs have wacky packs for $1.49 on wednesdays from 5:00PM to 8:00PM.  occasionally these SONICs will add a $0.30 surcharge for chicken strip or grilled cheese main courses on wacky pack wednesday.

Google Alert - SONIC drive-in

News3 new results for SONIC drive-in
Pacific University names prize winner, Cornelius approves Sonic plans, and ...
OregonLive.com
By Kelly House, The Oregonian View full sizeCourtesy of Jess WetselAn architect's rendering of plans for a new Sonic Drive-In restaurant at the site of the former Basco's Burgers. After the city Planning Commission approved site plans, ...
See all stories on this topic »

OregonLive.com
Stroud may amend sign ordinance
Pocono Record
By Christina Tatu The car-side menu boards made popular by Sonic drive-in restaurants would be allowed under a proposed amendment to Stroud Township's sign ordinance. A draft copy of the amendment was distributed to the planning commission during ...
See all stories on this topic »
Back in Action
The Daily Advertiser
Ride tickets are 56 percent off at area Sonic Drive-In locations and will be sold until 5 pm today — that's a sheet of 22 tickets for $11. "Super Saver" $16 wristbands are on sale at the Cajundome box office while supplies last. ...
See all stories on this topic »

5/27/2011

SONIC nutrition calculator tweak

it used to be that you could select any item from the SONIC menu and throw it into the nutrition calculator.  for some reason, that capability has been removed from SONIC's website ... fortunately, the calculator still exists in its original spot.

happy hour

grilled chicken bacon ranch (GCBR) sandwich with cheddar cheese, medium
limeade with extra lime and a vanilla dish. flamingo SONIC.

experimenting in the menu again ... the GCBR is obscure enough that it doesn't actually show up in the SONIC menu, but it *is* on the nutrition guide.

the sandwich isn't bad. unfortunately this particular piece of chicken was overly dry, making it a bit tough to chew through ... especially on the "lower" grilled face ... the resulting eating pattern meant taking a bite and then kind-of shuttling chicken back into the bun after tearing through the surface ... sort of using my fingers and teeth in concert.  (don't give me a hard time, you know you've done that before too.)

the whole wheat bun is once again a winner here. the resulting taste
combo (chicken, bun, cheese, ranch and lettuce) is good, not great ...
like a lot of fast foods, the flavors blend together without really
standing up both individually *and* in unison.

it was a nice day -- i ate out on the landing. shortly after my food
arrived, a tray girl came by with a rack-full of condiments (something
i've never seen before). barbecue suddenly sounded like a good idea (as if it's
ever a bad idea), so i grabbed a serving and added it to the sandwich.  it actually made the taste soiree a bit better.

limeade was a great choice for the companion drink ... sugary and sour
to go with the savory meat.

route 44 iced tea

flamingo SONIC.

Google Alert - SONIC drive-in

News4 new results for SONIC drive-in
Lumberton Sonic robbed early Monday
Fayetteville Observer
It happened just after midnight at the Sonic Drive-In on Roberts Avenue, according to Capt. Johnny Barnes of the Lumberton Police Department. April Powell, the manager, and Christopher Walton worked the closing shift on Sunday, Barnes said. ...
See all stories on this topic »
News - Thursday 5/26 - Cornelius Planning Commission approves Sonic Drive-In plans
KUIK
Nearly every dotted line is signed to make Cornelius home to the Portland area's newest Sonic Drive-In restaurant. The Cornelius Planning Commission on Tuesday approved design plans for Sonic's planned purchase of the former Basco's Burgers building. ...
See all stories on this topic »
A family tradition returns
The Daily Advertiser
Good thing area Sonic Drive-In locations are selling discount tickets for rides until May 27 at 5 pm The Cajundome will also be selling discounted wristbands until 5 pm on Memorial Day. Parking for the event is $10 per vehicle. ...
See all stories on this topic »
Times Calendar: May 26 - June 1
The Daily Advertiser
Purchase advance discount ride tickets through May 27 at 5 pm at participating Sonic Drive-in locations. Cajundome & Convention Center. 444 Cajundome Blvd., Lafayette. 265-2100. Cookbook Sale. Savor more than 300 delicious recipes donated by local ...
See all stories on this topic »

5/26/2011

happy hour

medium lemon-berry slush with extra lemon. warm springs SONIC.

made a mistake and forgot to ask for "lemon wedges," so they doped it
with lemon flavoring.

-1/2 point for giving me a giftcard receipt, but *not* a sales receipt.

99c ched 'R' peppers during happy hour today

latest TXT.  (i love the fact that they're offering the discount only during the time when another discount is running.)

***

Today 5/26 @ Sonic 99 cent Ched 'R' Peppers during Happy Hour only. Plz
mention txt when ordering. Have a SuperSONIC Day!

fanmail from some flounder

msdrpepper has recently discovered my 'blog ... we had a back-and-forth email exchange, part of which i wanted to capture here.


If you're ever in Arkansas, there's a Sonic ohhh what town is it in?? it's on the beautiful mountainous road that goes north from Conway Arkansas (on my way to Branson, MO), and they had the BEST DrPepper! even won some sort of prize in a contest that DrPepper sponsors every year with the various Sonic locations...

oh well...

sounds like you mostly run between Calif. and Nevada. Myself - I didn't have a car when I lived in Pasadena once upon a time way back when, and I've never been to Nevada... but we'll check out Sonics most everywhere else in the midstates and southern states... (although I've not seen the Sonic with indoor seating, guess I need to spend more time in Fl & Ga next time I'm down that way.).



you just gotta love the dr. pepper focus ... her email also included a sig that i believe in whole-heartedly ...


* Watch your thoughts; they become words;*
* Watch your words; they become actions;*
* Watch your actions; they become habits;*
* Watch your habits; they become character;*
* Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.*

5/25/2011

the plastic cups at SONIC ...

... are WNA upscale disposable products.

the greatest drink token ever made

when i ordered my second wacky pack, the response was *so* slow that i
quit waiting and went through the drive-thru.

my vanilla dish was quick, but the wacky pack production was slow, slow,
slow. when the acting manager finally came to the window, he gave me
the pictured token as an apology for my wait: good for a free medium softdrink.

i've never seen one of these before, so they must be relatively new
(although the © says 2010).

it is just *AWESOME*. the chip itself is weighted and approaching pro-grade. the color is hilarious, a riff not only on the mints they give with your order at SONIC (it says "every customer is WORTH A MINT" on the reverse); but red is also commonly the lowest denomination of chips in a casino (okay, okay, it might just be a coincidence).

the fine print says it expires in 60 days, but there's no indication of
when it was actually given ... you could spend it for forever.

now, i'm one of the cheapest people who's ever lived ... in fact for the last 48 items i've received from SONIC i've paid a grand total of  $45 ... but
there's *no way* i'm ever cashing this chip ... it'll be my talisman until it's lost, stolen or i die ... and you better believe it'll be seeing more than a little action as a card protector.

it's gotta be a vegas only thing. hilarious, great and on the mark.

superb.

another wacky pack wednesday

jr. burger with whole wheat bun, tater tots, apple juice, a SONIC PRO
flyer and a vanilla dish. flamingo SONIC.

i was *hungry* so i ordered another wacky pack and gave away my tots.

wacky pack wednesday

jr. burger with whole wheat bun, apple slices with caramel dipping
sauce, powerade slush and a SONIC PRO flyer. flamingo SONIC.

Google Alert - SONIC drive-in

News1 new result for SONIC drive-in
The Cajun Heartland State Fair is here
Opelousas Daily World
Area Sonic Drive-In locations are selling discount tickets for a mere $11 until 5 pm Friday. The event is free and open to the public. However, parking is $10. The fair runs from Thursday to June 5. All the events and festivities will be open from 5 to ...
See all stories on this topic »

happy hour

medium limeade with extra lime wedges; cheyenne SONIC.

5/23/2011

5/21/2011

happy hour

small lemon slush with extra lemon; edgewater SONIC

5/20/2011

more SONIC spam

latest TXT.
i won't be trying any of the new burgers because they're over-hyping
them to me.  (remember?)
***
Hey Cruisers, hungry? Then drive in to your nearest SONIC Drive-in to
try our two new Loaded Burgers: The fiery Blazin' BBQ & the oniontastic
Ring Leader!

5/18/2011

route 44 cranberry iced tea

S ridgewood avenue SONIC; daytona beach, FL

5/17/2011

trivium of the moment

americans only redeem 3% of all coupons distributed.
source: "extreme couponing" TV show

5/16/2011

SONIC TXT spam

i wish they'd use this arm for discounts only and not announcements.
***
New Loaded Burgers @ Sonic Packed w/Flavor - The Ring Leader & the
Blazin' BBQ - Try One Today! LTO. Have a SuperSONIC Day.

5/14/2011

route 44 iced tea

the SONIC on apollo drive; melbourne, FL

5/13/2011

happy hour

route 44 half green & half regular iced tea. SONIC on iliff; aurora, CO

happy hour

medium lemon slush with extra lemon. SONIC on tamarac parkway, denver.

open letter to MHR bagwell

dear MHR bagwell,

your 'blog needs work.

sincerely,
b1

what is the deal with you guys?

the execution of my SONIC cards is farmed out to ...

... heritage solutions (formerly heritage print shoppe), in el reno, OK.

any problem you have using an existing card will most likely be referred to them (after passing through the SONIC 800 number).

(you can see a glancing reference to SONIC in inventory management.  and a SONIC testimony in the customers section [where a writer uses an incorrect definition and style of the word "gambit," no less].)

5/12/2011

happy hour

medium lemon-berry slush. SONIC on 64th and sheridan; arvada, CO

quote of the moment

this is a deeper look at the survey receipts ... from the SONC 2009 annual report

***

"To ensure that our service initiatives are
successful, we have implemented a customer
feedback tool known as FanTrak, which has helped
us identify what is important to our consumers and
deliver on those key areas. Their feedback gives us
the opportunity to refine our products and services
so as to increase the likelihood they will return,
deepen their loyalty to our brand and ultimately
spend more with us each time they return. Based
on their feedback, our service has improved
substantially this past year, but the improvements
won’t end there. We continue to look for ways to
take our service to a higher level, and surprise and
delight our customers as only Sonic can do."

5/11/2011

florida SONIC coupons

http://efloridacoupons.com/e_rest_sonic.htm

happy hour

medium limeade with extra lime, fish sandwich with shredded cheddar and
extra tarter sauce. SONIC at sheridan & 64th; arvada, CO.

the fish sandwich isn't on the menu here, but you can order it. it's
only okay, in that peculiar way that you can only get from deep frying a
frozen fish fillet. i made a mistake ... should have gotten that whole
wheat bun substitute ... that'd perk this thing up considerably.

route 44 green and regular iced tea mix

SONIC on 100th and wadsworth; westminster, CO

all the CO SONICs squeeze the lemons that they put in your drinks.
 
that's so right.

happy hour

small powerade mountain blast slush. federal & 95th; westminster, CO.

powerade slush is often my choice of drinks with a wacky pack.  the flavor is hideously artificial, but in a good way ... it doesn't even *pretend* to be something else.  i'm sure it has some sort of sports-drink overtones ... i have no idea what those are.

gotta love the sign that's timed for happy hour.

the deep fried grail

if you look at the nutrition guide, there's an item called "pickle-o's" (sic).

a little bit of web sniffing will tell you that they're deep fried pickles that were once on the SONIC menu and then returned (with consensus being that the new ones aren't as good).

i've never seen these on a menu anywhere, but the hunt is on.

oh yes.

5/10/2011

where the SONICs are

older article with an interesting (and still probably proportionally
relevant) map.

route 44 iced green and regular tea mix

SONIC at W alameda & youngfield; lakewood, CO

this SONIC is all but the one that time forgot ... it's actually behind
a retaining wall on alameda and makes driving the nautilus at places
like gilroy and woodland park look like elementary school when compared
to the advanced topological understanding it takes to even get in here.

mixing is the right answer to the sweet iced green tea problem.

this turned out to be the hard-SONICs-to-get-to-and-would-you-check-
out-those-stalls-with-no-roofs double day.

happy hour



medium lemon-berry slush and large fritos chili cheese pie. SONIC on S
golden road; west pleasant view, CO

talk about a SONIC that's hard to get to ... this one's off the pinwheel
of a roundabout ...

... but once you get here it's got the *coolest* SONIC feature ... two
of the "stalls" are actually just out in the open looking directly at
pike's peak.

king feddy wasn't aware of my SONIC obsession ... in the course of our
long telephone conversation (actually more of a monolog) today i was
lamenting that SONIC's drinks out-pace the quality of SONIC'S FOOD.

but that was only hours before i had the fritos chili cheese pie. it's
great. easily the best main course i've had at SONIC -- better, even,
than the chicago dog ...

... and you've gotta gotta GOTTA love the fact that they serve it in a
foot-long hot dog tray.

the lemon-berry slush was *heavy* on the strawberry ... an interesting
change of pace, but a little more sugary than what i was in the mood
for.

the most calorie heavy item on the SONIC menu ...

... is the superSONIC cheeseburger with mayonnaise at 1270 calories.  it would be 1340 if you added bacon.

a large (and truly awful) red velvet cheesecake blast was 1280 calories, but thankfully, those are no longer available.

5/09/2011

route 44 iced green tea

superior, CO SONIC

i'm pretty sure this isn't on the vegas menus ... it's definitely not on
the online menu.

only comes sweetened. i'm betting there's some calorie hit here.

{5/12 addendum: even though iced green tea isn't listed on the online menu, it is listed on the nutrition guide PDF.  a route 44 is 290 calories ... at only 75% of that in a coke it's still a bit much ... crossing this with a regular ice tea would be an interesting experiment.}

now known as "lemonberry"

big companies use style guides to describe the smallest of details and overlords beat on underlings for the tiniest (read: no one actually cares) mistakes.  working near people like this for a few years at apple has made me overly sensitive to the whole situation ...

and that's why i noticed a change in the spelling of what i'll call "the lemon berry concept."

if you look at a SONIC menu board, you'll see the phrase described as "lemon-berry," but the receipt sticker i got this afternoon said "lemonberry."  i like the new spelling ... kind of implies that SONIC may have invented a new fruit in their mad scientist laboratories ...

SONIC drink buddies explained

there's an ad at edgewater SONIC for drink buddies -- the first time
i've seen one.

the implication is there are five different critters: a monkey, a cat, a
dog, a prehensile-tailed lizard and something that i don't know what the
hell it is (it's the purple critter in the poster -- i'll call it "WTF" for short).  in addition to these there is the righteous standing-on-the-cup tot.

according to wacky pack packaging, all of those critters can be in
different states including transparent, "glitter" (which really seems
more pearlescent to me) and boring mom-i-need-another-wacky-pack
normal.

i've read in different places on the 'net that the tot is available in different colors as well, but the one that everyone wants is the legendary limited edition "golden tot."

i know i've seen two different WTFs, which are almost exactly the same
color of orange, but one is glittery. i've also seen two different color monkeys.

i'm guessing, and this is a pure guess, there's *at least* two colors of every critter and probably 3 states for each color. which means at the dead minimum there'd be (7*6) = 42 (the answer to the universe and everything, of course) different drink buddies. but this is chinese plastic mass manufacture -- it wouldn't surprise me if there are several hundred different variations.

(side trivium: you can ask for the book "tour the alphabet with tot" instead of getting drink buddies if that whole experience seems too intense for you.}

drink buddies are getting big search hits on this 'blog ... a
wondering/questioning public is dying to know ... and now you do.

{6/24 addendum: i now have a golden tot and have posted some updated information about all the drink buddies in a newer posting.}

happy hour

medium cherry limeade. edgewater, CO SONIC.

SONIC is probably best known (certainly among my fat friends) for its cherry limeades. what's funny is i've never actually had one 'til now.

it's pretty good, but that artificial cherry taste comes on strong at the end. i made a mistake -which i should've thought about this instead of getting enrapt in the menu differences between here and home- and that is i forgot to ask for extra lime wedges.

speaking of the menu, you can get fritos chili cheese pie here ... definitely have to get one of those before leaving town.

there are ads (that i've never seen before) for a fish sandwich and for "loaded burgers."

the shot i've included is from the eastern-most table on the landing, looking immediately across the street. that's a great view of sloan's lake, but sheridan is one hoppin' street, so there's a little too much traffic for it to be full-on zen enjoyable.

i've got the top down on my convertible and it's raining (as a friend says) "tree parts" inside my car. the SONIC FM could stand to be turned up a bit ... i can *just* make out what song's playing, but not really
hear it.

5/08/2011

route 44 iced tea

the SONIC on garden of the gods road, CO springs, CO.

reese's jr. candy sundae & snickers jr. candy sundae ...

... with no cherries and no whipped cream. woodland park, CO SONIC.

using the TXT offer, of course. the staff here puzzled over the
message, but readily honored it. (a lesson that could be learned by
gilroy SONIC.)

the snickers sundae isn't quite as good as the reese's, only because the candy doesn't behave quite as well when extremely cold ... it's just a little too hard and the pieces are small enough that you don't get a full snickers kick ... reese's frozen are always good, of course.

while we were parked i had SONIC FM play the beatles' "when i'm 64" for
my mom for mother's day ... which the DJ did, with a *great* dedication
and lead in.

you gotta love this pic ... that's pike's peak to the right of the
sign.

this was one of my very best SONIC stops of all time. (and my mom got a
kick out of it too.)

and and AND, that's right, a survey receipt.

50¢ jr. sundaes today from 5:00 - 8:00

latest TXT.
***
Celebrate Mother's Day @ Sonic w/50 cent Jr Candy Sundaes 5pm-8pm today
only. Have a SuperSonic Day!

happy hour

medium lemon slush. woodland park, CO SONIC.

this is a crazy ass SONIC. very much designed in a woody-quasi-ski-resort
look (not surprising since we're in the shadow of pike's peak). looks
good. i like it.

(and a survey receipt!)

5/07/2011

open letter to SONIC of creedmor

dear SONIC of creedmor,

your 'blog needs work.

sincerely,
b1

route 44 iced tea

rifle, CO SONIC

regular lime creamslush ...

... with extra lime. clifton, CO SONIC.

this using my coupon for registering my SONIC card.
tangy!

5/06/2011

route 44 cranberry iced tea

st. george, UT SONIC

happy hour

medium lemon-berry slush and superSONIC cheeseburger (#2) with whole wheat bun. st. george, UT SONIC

i've got a request in for something by the sweet to SONIC FM, but they
haven't played it yet.

nice day here in st. george. 90°+ and a bit breezy ... i'm out on the
landing.

got a superSONIC experience *just* as i was headed out of town (from
that double-lime charge complaint a few days ago). perfect timing .
the burger is *much* better with the whole wheat bun substitute. i'd
highly recommend that mod to any bun order.

forgetting that they have that nautilus drive-thru experience that i
don't like, this is a nice SONIC. they'd get full marks except i asked
for shredded cheddar instead of american on my burger and they missed it
...

off of I-15, the blue highway exit signs tout the in-n-out, the del taco,
and the red robin but *not* the SONIC.
that's just not right.

5/05/2011

limeades for learning

this sent to SONIC cruisers.
***
Limeades for Learning® is back again this fall.
Spread the word to help students.
SONIC® has partnered with DonorsChoose.org again to support public school classrooms. In the last two years, SONIC and its franchisees donated $1.3 million to help teachers across the country help their students learn. And this year, with your support, we look forward to helping even more.
So, do you know a public school teacher? Let them know they can now register a project to help their students learn.
And, get ready, because this fall you'll get a chance to vote on the teachers' projects you want SONIC to fund.
Forward this email to any teacher you know or head to LimeadesForLearning.com to learn more.

happy hour

route 44 limeade with extra lime. flamingo SONIC.

we're right at the change of season here -it's 85° today- which means we're also right at the edge of people going insane.

that probably explains why i asked for a medium limeade, was given a route 44, was told that i was only charged for a medium, but was actually charged for a route 44.

Google Alert - SONIC drive-in

News1 new result for SONIC drive-in
Police: No injuries in armed robbery
Russellville Courier
Russellville police are investigating an armed robbery that took place at a Sonic Drive-in on East Fourth Street late Tuesday. The man fled the scene before officers arrived. He is described as slender, standing about 5 feet, 11 inches tall, ...
See all stories on this topic »

{ed: i'm turning off the SONIC robo-news for several days so i can auto-post remotely.  i know, i know, it'll be hard not to hear about the latest robbery.  gird your loins.}

5/04/2011

shopathome vindicated

if you don't remember my late night diatribe against shopathome, you should go back and read it ... be sure to track on the comments as well.

i'm pulling their response up here so it can be more readily identifiable by search engines ... i'm also critiquing what they said in-line here because i'm bratty and i think it's both interesting and funny in that 13-year-old-kid-yelling-from-the-back-of-the-class-room-kind-of-way.


So glad we stumbled across your blog. 


let's be honest here ... they didn't stumble across my 'blog because they wanted to know something like "what's the number for SONIC FM?" ... they ran across it because some tattle-tale search engine (or outside research company) said i was bangin' on their door.


nevertheless, they didn't have to respond, and they didn't have to be nice about it.




Sonic is awesome! 


let's see ... is this the right approach to take with someone who is completely obsessed with SONIC?  i wonder.




It seems, however, that the Sonic Restaurant Coupons posted on our site were not so awesome. And we’re super sorry about that. We have removed every last one of them. 


front line winner.  from this point they could say probably anything, including, "we're burning down flamingo SONIC in your honor."



While ShopAtHome.com offers some fabulous coupons, deals and incredible Cash Back rebate offers, we realize that some of the content provided by our community members is not quite up to snuff


exactly right behavior.  say i'm right and then reiterate about how much of a genius i am.  nothing is more convincing to the psychology of people than intermittent reinforcement.  okay, sure, they said i was right just one sentence ago, but i may have lost track, right?  i mean, i answered two TXT messages in the time in took me to write the last two sentences ... 


and notice too how we get a little ad in there.  nothing like giving a kid a shot after they get the sucker.



The Sonic “coupons” that were previously listed on our site were provided as part of our community contribution program. We encourage our site members to post deals that we may have missed in order to benefit our members. And, we offer an incentive for doing so. That’s good, right?


of course that's good.


what else are you selling?  i'm buyin'!




Well, only when the posts are actually valuable to our members. We make every effort to monitor these posts and ensure they provide valid offers. Unfortunately, sometimes we miss a few. 


the truth of the matter is probably something closer to "we make a small effort to monitor posts until some jackass points out something they consider to be a 'crime' to some goddamn search engine ... at that point we turn the bacon-eaters out with well-written responses and pray to a merciful god that we can get the tigers of the enemy to fall asleep."




And we’re sure sorry that our oversight resulted in your time being wasted and has left you with a bad taste in your mouth for ShopAtHome.com.


hey, i'd almost forgotten about that.  you bastards!  you wasted my time.


oh, that's right, i'm not mad any more.  and that bad taste?  it's probably just the cooking grease being a bit off ... i don't blame you guys.


We don’t always get it right, but we do always make it right. 


oh, oh, oh.  jetblue could stand to learn this lesson.  morgan johnston, are you watching what's going on here?  have you considered this approach?


you will.




Thank you so much for taking the time to write about us and for keeping us honest. We sure prefer to see positive posts, but we appreciate the opportunity to improve our site, our service and our deals!


Annette Nueske, Customer Service Manager


you'd think this would be the end and everything would be "just fine" in the land of yick-yack.


but you'd be wrong.


i got a follow-up to the versatran mailbox and they're gifting me a card to restaurant.com.  (i sincerely hope it's something they get in bulk or pay less-than-face-value for or some such.)


no, thank YOU, shopathome.


BUT WAIT!  THERE'S MORE!


FORGET ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE AND READ ON!


i asked the woman involved here, "annette nueske" if she was of the famous bacon nueskes.


she is.


let's back up.  


Q: what's this 'blog about?


A: food.


Q: what kind of food?


A: crappy fast food and spectacular drinks.  which i like.


having a shirt-tail nueske talk to me is like writing a transportation 'blog, complaining about some ghetto kid having his feet on the seats and getting an apology from the illegitimate great great great great great grandson of thomas jefferson, who also just happens to run customer response for the chicago transit authority.


i mean, this is a big big deal.


SONIC could do very very well by talking to a nueske or two and getting their bacon in line.  in fact, if SONIC apologized for their bacon the way shopathome apologizes for their crap users, the whole world could be snackin' on cheddar 'n' nueske's tots RIGHT NOW, man!


"annette" claims that they're not close to the bacon side of the family ... that's WORSE than being a hunt and not being close to the oil side of the family.  


what you need to do, "annette," is talk to every damn person you possibly can and see if you can't arrange a family reunion on some easy day ... say, christmas ... and add, "hey, it'll be so so GREAT to finally meet you ... and don't worry about the food, we'll bring a crappy oscar mayer ham, so you don't have to bother with anything."


and your relatives will just cronenberg.


you'll end up with so much delectable meat products that you'll have to be followed home by a battery of EMTs.


i swear to you, you eat your relatives' bacon and you'll quit shopathome in a (what could be ultimately be your last) heartbeat, just to go work with the 'cuz.


what's that?  it's too much for you?  fine.  adopt me.  i will gladly be a nueske and forgo the greatness that is in my immediate family tree.  i'll do it and we both can reap the benefit ...


... and i just know that the huge feast would all wash down well with lemon slushes.  (those, of course, would be on me.  well, sorta.)