Thursday, December 30, 2010
It rained cocaine last night.
Actually the night before. But theres still some on the ground today. And with the could temperature outside, it'll stay with us. At least it's not as bad as the week of Thanksgiving, when it stayed, and got icy. The state DOT is really diligent about plowing Pacific Avenue, but not as much about the sidewalks... It's a lovely site to behold, but a nightmare to drive through....
Location : Address not available
Once again, do not panic...
Location : I am here...
Edit: the gps ability is great, but I'm not ready to post my address to the internet....
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
It is pitch black
Who’s up for another music video?:
You know, this nerdcore genre isn’t that bad at all….
Of course, I happen to think MC Frontalot doesn’t better job at this live:
You’ve just walked into the slavering jaws of a grue…
Ok, it’s time to crawl back out of the hole…
Sorry, I know you missed me. But I’ve been sick for the past month or so (nothing serious, but there was a sufficient nuisance factor involved that I just didn’t feel like posting).
I missed the Godless Pagan Holiday (Winter). Oh well. So sacrifice two Christians during Easter.
Damn, I even missed Festivus. Oh, well. If it was that big of a deal to you, then you can let me know. During The Airing of Grievances next year.
Man, I had to deal with a monster cold. I was at my doctor for a routine check-up, and I was just coming down with it, and she told me to stay away from Nyquil because of the alcohol. Then she tells me the best remedy is Theraflu and whiskey. Go figure. Three weeks later, I was so hoarse that I could’ve easily filled in for Brian Johnson. Too bad my Brian Johnson voice is only 1/3 a step away from no voice. I was so sick that I finally called my doctor’s office for an appointment to get this looked at (I have no insurance. It’s serious when I call my doctor, knowing full well it’s coming all out of my own pocket….). Of course, as soon as I make the appointment, I suddenly get better, and in this case I cancelled it later. I just got my voice pack on Christmas.
Christmas came and Christmas went. A the big Bryant family reunion, in order to keeps costs down, there is a strict $10.00 limit on Christmas gifts, and they’re esssentially distributed via lottery. So, of course, a lot of gag gifts are given, much to the delight of the crowd. I usually give a Target or Wally World gift card. It’s quick and painless, and let’s face it, they aren’t going to return it…. This year, I got one of the gag gifts, a beaker which is currently holding the dozen or so candy canes my cousin gave me (btw, she does know I’m the only type I diabetic in the extended family). The next day we gathered at my sister’s house for a closer family gathering. The rule was to shop for the nieces and nephews (well that’s what my brother told me when I asked him what he wanted). I decided not to worry about those 5 and under (mainly due to me being perpetually broke). Which basically left me with one sister’s kids. I called my sis up and asked her what the kids needed, and that her oldest had asked for an iTunes gift card. She suggested that for all of her kids, as they all had mp3 players. So they all got iTunes gift cards, with special intructions to get someting my sister didn’t approve of. My brother in law gave me a multi-tool and a pocket-knife. I like the pocket-knife. It has a locking blade and an open design. Although somebody should’ve told him I already have a Fieldmaster and a Cybertool already… But, he has done a lot to make me feel like one of his ‘buds’, and they say it’s the thought that counts more. They shall be treasured.
A couple of weeks prior to this, I happened to be at my mom’s apartment when dad showed up so they could do their Christmas shopping. 3 days before, our microwave broke, and my brother had posted about to Facebook. So, while we were in Wally World, we happened upon the housewares section, where my father told me to pick out a microwave. They didn’t even bother wrapping it….
Well, I guess catches you up on the holiday mayhem this year….
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Finally
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Ok enough already!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
RIP Frank Drebin
Leslie Neilson has passed away.
Here he is dealing with terrorists:
You may have also known him from Airplane!. I certainly remember him as Francis Marion on The Swamp Fox, though it wasn’t until tonight that I knew it was him.
Enjoy the Beer Volcano and Stripper Factory…
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Making the switch
OK, I’ve figured it out. With the release of Windows Phone 7, pretty much the users of WinMO 6.5 and lower are fucked. The HTC HD2 and the HD& are essentially the same phone with different stickers on the buttons. But it’s still too difficult to cook Windows Phone 7 for the HD2, and I’m not going to take the risk. And besides from what I’ve heard, The Anti-Christ has basically shot itself in the foot (the most popular app is in fact just a shortcut to the YouTube Mobile site).
All the WinMO users are basically left out in the dark. I’ve noticed today that some writers of apps for the older version of windows mobile are now abandoning there projects (et tu, SkyFire? Turning your back on the one market segment that established your cred?).
So that leave one viable option: Android. The advantage with this is that I no longer have to deal with activesync, since Android syncs through your Google account. Though it means I now have to migrate my contacts and my schedule to Google. But I got it all done, and from now on, my phone will be Andriod first, Windows Mobile second.
For those of you who own an HD2, and want to try something new, go to XDA Developers. If you insist on using windows still, I’d go with an Energy ROM.
For those of you who feel screwed over by Skyfire, try Uzard. It’s from a Korean company, and it performs very well in video sites (it did stall in DailyMotion when I tried it). There’s also Opera Mobile and Opera Mini.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
So, what were they on?
Actually, I kinda like Franz Ferdinand. I just want to know what kind of pharmaceutical enhancement inspired this:
Yes. I post videos. Because I can. Although this one a little catchy, too. Which isn’t bad…
As bad as they are….
The Seahawks are still leading the NFC West. With a winning record. I’m happy with that. Note to the Arizona Cardinals: next time, leave the mitres and choir dress at home….
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
And Lo!
The Noodly Appendage has reached forth and The Flying Spaghetti Monster has called home the voice of the Mariners, Dave Neihaus. May he frolic forever in The Beer Volcano and The Stripper Factory. Ramen.
Among his highlights were the first pitch at Safeco Field, which is the best venue for The New World Order (Mind-Control Division). I remember my first interest in baseball, growing in the late ‘80s, back when the Mariners sucked (which they still do….) miserably, listening to his voice on the radio. Although at the time I was more inpressed with Rick Risz and his ‘Goodbye Baseball’ tagline, rather than Dave’s ‘My, oh my’. When I did get to go see the games and the Kingdome, I always brought my Walkman along, so I could listen to his play-by-play, and know who at bat.
RIP Dave…
Just because I haven’t posted one lately,,,
I’m taking about music videos:
Although someone should get Eric Singer some metamucil. Yes, I know I’ve taken the Boulder Pledge on KISS, and they are currently a bunch of overly merchandised clowns, but this is from a time when they were relevant.
Sunday, November 07, 2010
What a lovely weekend….
Normally I work Saturday and Sunday. SO i usually miss all the football (with the exception of Monday Night Football…). My tradition was to take one Sunday off during football season, to get my football fix. There were a few unexpected changes in my schedule the past week, and my boss offered me today off. So I took it. Yesterday the Huskies and the Cougars got massacred. Not much disappointment there.
I wake up this morning and fire up the boob tube. The Seahawks gave up 28 points in the first quarter. There were probably some bad calls, but for the most part the penalties were our fault. On the bright side, we’re still .500, no small feat considering the previous seasons we’ve had.
Som I’m now watching the Sounders FC vs the LA Galaxy. They have to score 4 goals in the next 45 minutes to continue. Let’s be realisitic. It was a good season (I mean making the post-season both times in your first two years is no small feat).
Edit: the Sounders FC have finally scored a goal in the 86th minute. Now they need 2 more in the next 5 minutes to tie, 3 more to win…
Oh, well there’s always the Monday Night game tomorrow….
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Monday, November 01, 2010
This says it best…
I am abstaining from voting this year. I like to vote on issues, and a candidate’s position on them, not on what said candidate says about his/her opponents. This year especially, there has been nothing but attack ads, special interest money, and smoke & mirrors from all the candidates. I can see your bull-shitting me. And so is your opponent. Hey, guess what. I’m not voting for either of you.
So, this year, my absentee ballot will go unmarked and unvoted. I will vote my conscience when I feel compelled to do so, but in this election, my conscience tells me that neither Patty Murray nor Dino Rossi deserve my vote.
If you can’t say anything nice about your opponent, then please shut your fucking pie-hole.
Some things have never changed….
Brett Favre’s Pants
So Wrangler has a new product that Brett Favre is endorsing:
So I got to pull candy detail yesterday…
Being a full-blown, type I diabetic, I relish the opportunity to make sure as many other children share my suffering, too. I had to work yesterday, but my employer decided to participate in the distribution of candy, and I was given the detail. It was worth it, even though I had to give it all of my Sunday football (even the Sounders FC…). Boss went to Costco, and I thought an adequate supply was purchased (and not too shabby, either. We had standard dum-dums, full size tootsie rolls, mini tootsie rolls, tootsie pops, and a few others). I was given strict orders of only one piece of candy per child. Period.
And we still ran out of candy within a half hour…
I saw a few Marios, 2 Luigis, only 3 of The Chosen People, and 4 kids dressed up as Al Lewis…
Giants win it….
The San Francisco Giants have won the World Series in The New World Order (Mind-Control Division). This is the first time they’ve won it all since they moved well before I was born… Baseball is such a boring game. Instead I’m watching Peyton and some immature horses beat up a bunch of Texans…
So long Randy. Moss is getting shit-canned. Can’t perform, expect the axe. Though, I feel this is more because of attitude than performance… You should stop and think if you’re being released less than a month after being traded for…
Note to Washington: Don’t bench your starter on the final drive. Don’t bench your starter in favor of Rex Grossman. Or you’ll end up losing to a team that can’t even maul Christians… I don’t care how fat your coach thinks Donovan McNabb is.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Another reason to love Android
Not that I'm knocking Windows Mobile. As criticized as it is, it is still relevant. It's as thought while world is just going to up and ditch their Rhodiums, Blackstones, Raphaels, and Pheobuses overnight.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Yet another journal entry type post
Rebuilt my computer the first part of September. Just now got around to configuring Windows Live Writer, one of the few good things The Anti-Christ put out (that and the MechWarrior 4 franchise, which is now available for free, FLight Simulator X, Flight Simulator 2004, the Whole Combat Flight Simulator series….).
It has been said the The HTC HD2 will not get an official Windows Phone 7 upgrade. Which means Igwanarob might get a Windows Phone 7 before I do (AT&T is one of the launch customers for it). The operating term is “official”. The only difference between the currrent HD2 and the forthcoming HD7 (to be offered by T-Mobile) are a few button stickers. That’s it. They’ll both have the same processor, same camera, same 4.3 inch 800 x 480 display… If they can port Android over to it, then they can port Windows Phone 7 too (in fact, it has been done already, though the ROM hasn’t benn publicly released. Yet).
Speaking of Android on my HD2, I’ve noticed that there’s a mobile version of FIrefox out. I’m still playing with it, but so far, I’m sufficiently impressed. When I use Windows Mobile, I’m now an Opera 10 person. Mainly because it’s slightly easier than Internet Exploder. Too bad they killed Fennec. Windows Mobile is still a viable platform (as stigmatized as it is), and I don’t think the masses are going to jump to the new 7 en masse…
The main reason why this blog is so neglected nowadays is that I’m on Facebook more often than not. No, this blog won’t be taken down anytime soon. Facebook is good for embarrasing your boss and posting humiliating pictures of your family. But even with most of my postings going on Facebook, I still need my soapbox in the internet. And this is perfect. Having said that, Facebook recently changed the server interface, for want of a better way of saying it. The Android and iPhone apps were written by Facebook, iirc, and so they were able to deal with it (or they were upgraded). Not the WinMo version. Since it’s published my MicroSoft, it didn’t get the memo, and now the only way to make it work is to log out, and log back in every time you use it. They have said something about a forthcoming update, but I don’t believe it. Instead, I’d suggest the XDA Developers’ Edition…
The Sounders FC are in the playoffs. Again. Not too shabby for your second season. And with the new MLS teams in Portland and Vancouver, the rivalries are sure to become interesting.
And the Seahawks now have something they haven’t had in over two years: a winning record. And they’re on top the division, too. Pete Caroll has changed a lot personel since he came, and it appears to be working. Shit-canning the man-divas on the team and replacing them with players who actually play will do wonders for results. It’s one thing to have the talent. It’s another thing to produce the results. Any idiot can have a mouth, but actions speak louder than words…
Did I mention I like Football as much, if not even more than I like football?
The rain is now picking up again. This weekend we had the first real storm pass through the area. It woke me up at about 5 in morning Sunday. From the sound of the rain hitting the window, I figured it was coming straight against that side of the building. My brother sleeps right underneath his window. And he his window was open… (I learned that lesson a few weeks ago when another storm passed through, though it wasn’t as bad…) With the weather peoples saying that this will be a La Niña year, I’m pretty sure winter will be interesting, to say the least.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Oldest are still goodies...
Monday, October 18, 2010
Do not panic. Yet again.
Friday, October 08, 2010
Happy Birthday Ditty!
Oh, Ernie's tonsure is a little dull. Could you polish it up a little bit?
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Avast me hearties!
Failing that, there's the Manning Bowl tonight on Sunday Night Football. Who will Archie Manning be rooting for. Or will both landlubbers be keel-hauled to Davy Jones' locker with a Tom Brady Well Deserved Beating?
Thursday, September 09, 2010
It’s full 90 time… And a few other things
I just watch the Vikings get raped and pillaged by the Saints. Brett Favre received a Tom Brady Well-Deserved Beating. I guess he needs more Geritol. He kept his depends on, though…
It’s 52 minutes and change into the Sounders FC match with Real Salt Lake. And it’s a scoreless tie. Among the highlights tonight have been Casey Keller stopping a penalty kick, and only one yellow card so far. There should’ve been another penalty kick at the other end of the pitch, but that’s the one thing nearly all sports officials have in common: they’re blind. That’s the only reason why I can explain no-calls…
A couple of months ago, I upgraded my keyboard/mouse set to another wireless set. I’ve always used a PS/2 keyboard/mouse set (mainly becaue at the time, I was still playing with Win9x), and my new set was USB. My problem was it never worked until the OS loaded to a gui (which isn’t a problem until you need to boot to recovery console, or you need to format/partition your drive). It wasn’t until I Google’d it that I realized I should probably enable ‘legacy usb support’ in my BIOS.
My HTC HD2 has enough ‘shoulders’ to run WinME. Though I dance in the street because there are several version of Android that work with it. Perfectly. With my Rhodium, there are a couple of version of Andriod avaialable, but there are still several issues with it. too bad, IgwanaRob…
After having way too many late night hypoglycemic episodes, the dietician my provider referred me to agreed with my suggestion that I take my Lantus shot in the morning instead of at bedtime. The other significant change was switching me from NovolinR to Humalog. Apparently though, I was supposed to get the pen, but the pharmacist didn’t read the prescription, and I got the vial instead. Oh well.
82 minutes and still tied…
Sunday, September 05, 2010
A week to go...
Elsewhere, I've heard that say least two Hiesman winners are now among the unemployed. The Dogs went to Provo, and were beat by the Quarterback Factory. The Cougars just got massacred. And that was before they even got into the stadium...
There may be hope for the Detroit Lions. They actually mauled a Christian....
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Hawks vs. Vikings
Sunday, August 15, 2010
So I'm watching some pre-season football
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Hey Igwanarob!
Leo vs. Rhodium
But a tiny part of me misses the stylus and the physical keyboard, but I can deal with that...
Monday, August 09, 2010
So Long, Don
Don Wakamatsu just got shit-canned today. The Mariners still suck. The Sounders FC, on the other hand, have clawed their way back to .500. Are you giving it your full 90?
The next sacrificial lamb in Seattle is Daren Brown, who comes to from AAA Tacoma, which unlike it’s affiliate up north can actually win games. Let’s hope he can bring that experience to the laughing stock of The New World Order (Mind-Control Division)… Who am I kidding? The Mariners suck. Your career is now officially over, Daren…
Thursday, August 05, 2010
It’s back
Training camp started Saturday. I’m personally curious to see of the Seahawks can be better than they were last year, though that shouldn’t take too much effort.
Due to a new person at the day-job, and an ensuing change in my schedule, I won’t have to work sunup'\sundown every sunday. Which means hopefully I can get home for the Sunday Night game now (which is the Marquis NFL game now). I’ll still have Mondays off, so I can also watch the Monday Night game as well…
Go Hawks. Though I hear the Detroit Lions were actually able to finally maul a Christian the other day. There could be hope for them as well…
MySpace mating calls…
Back when MySpace was still just barely relevant, I created a MySpace page. I updated it almost daily. Then, a few weeks later, I realized Facebook was where it was at, at that’s where I do my Social networking now.
But since my MySpace page is open to the public (just like this blog), I’ve noticed on occasion, I’ll get messages from total strangers (all of them from the female persuasion). And they’re seeking to be more than friends. And they’re all out of state. I know better than to reply to them or to even acknowledge that I’ve read their messages. Besides, most of them are from the other side of the country (though I also take what I see in the profiles with a grain of salt. This is the same Internet that would have me beleiving that Belgium really exists, and Elvis is dead…).
It never fails. I logon to MySpace, and I get a mating call. Don’t waste your breath. I’m not a fool.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Halftime
Are you giving your full 90? The Sounders FC are leading Colorado 2-1. Very Entertaining game. First goal came in the first few minutes. And the best way to respond to getting scored against is to score your own. Preferably in the next 30 seconds or less…
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
KISS on Leno
You're right. I'm not that big of a KISS fan...
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Cleaning things up
As of Monday morning, I had 6 printers in my room. I bought one (and it did work at one time). The rest were given to me from various & sundry relatives. None of them actually worked, though one I installed on my computer because it was a multi-function printer, and the flat-bed scanner still worked. And I still had what was left of my previous computer lying about.
My father, in addition to surprising me with the brand-new printer, offered to drop all my stuff off for recycling. Now I actually have space in my closet now. Everything went, with the exception of the expansion cards from my old computer (they can fit in my junk drawer, and they may come in useful in the future) and my old hard drives (I am physically destroying those to ensure the data doesn’t fall in the wrong hands)…
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
George Snuffs it
George Steinbrenner has died. I’m sure he will be sorely missed in The New World Order (Mind-Control Division). But I will remember him for all the World Series rings. And the payroll. Seriously, A-Rod and Derek Jeeter’s salaries are greater than some nations’ GDP…
The way baseball is played will never be the same. And the same could be said for how it is managed…
Monday, July 12, 2010
So I'm on the bus to work...
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The mother of all catch up posts. Well, maybe not…
Yes, I know I haven’t been posting that much as of late. I kept thinking it was because I just had one monitor. Then I added another monitor when I got my cheap, twin-headed video card. And I still kept slacking off. Then I thought I’d post more from my phone (you can tell those posts, as I no longer bother to tag those posts). Maybe it’s because just post to Facebook now. But don’t despair. I may not post as often as one would want, but I haven’t forgotten it completely. Anyway, in no particular order, here’s what’s up:
- I finally got a decent TV tuner in my computer. It’s still an ATI based chipset, but there are differences. For instance, no more ATI multimedia center (there were always at least three different programs and restarts involved to set up my old ATI TV wonder pro, which on one occasion was worth a post in it’s own right). The new card, just put the cd-rom in, and you’re good to go. It even has Windoze 7 drivers (from The Anti-Christ). But the one thing that has one me over is the fact that I can run my TV tuner in my second monitor, and not have the computer crash on me. Right now, I have the Sounders game on, and I’m giving my full 90 while writing this.
- I was at Best Buy a couple of week ago, buying a hard drive (yes, I filled up a 250 gig drive. Easily). I just wanted to get a 500 gig drive, and the Best Buy employee went to upsell me to a 1 tb drive. And all he did was point out that they were the same price (same brand, same model). So I got a 1tb hard drive. BTW, I also replaced my DVD burner (went all SATA, and I thought my original one going south on me…). I can now make major computer changes now with unplugging and dismantling the tower (however, I must add a serious do not try that at home, unless you like frying really expensive electronic components….)
- Also getting replaced was my printer. I ran out of ink a time ago, and I stopped using it (it eventually got pulled and put in the closet). I bought new ink for it recently, and discovered that it was broken. My mom upgraded her printer, and gave me her old one. It could still print, and it had ink, but I had to feed each individual sheet into it. Until my father surprised me with this.
- Cliff Lee got traded. Being a pitching ace is no guarantee in The New World Order (Mind-Control Division). I care more the Sounders FC than the Mariners…
- Miguel Montano just got a red card. Not a smart move for your first start…
- The summer weather has finally arrived. By tradition, the sunshine didn’t come until July 5. It was a little bit cooler today, but I think the summer weather will stick around until right before Labor Day weekend, when it will switch back to rain. Oh, and will rain on SeaFair weekend…
- I heard somewhere that 1 in 4 Americans don’t know who we declared independence from. I’ll fill you in on the truth: we declared independence from Mongolia when George Washington and Abraham Lincoln teamed to defeated Rodan.
- New Twilight is out. I’m still neither Team Edward nor Team Jacob. I’m still Team Grandpa Munster.
- Steve Caroll has a new flick out. It should be good. This was after all Gary from The Ambiguously Gay Dou…
- The Sounders are still getting some good chances. Shorthanded…
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Its the fourth today...
Monday, June 21, 2010
So I just left the doctors office...
BTW, doctors, when you start patients on a new medication, it would help to tell so. I can't take it if I don't know I'm on it...
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Only in Parkland...
BTW, happy Fathers Day. In years past the tradition was to get my dad a really tacky tie. And he actually wore some of them. O still know what I'm going to do this year for him...
Thursday, June 17, 2010
So I'm watching Game 7...
The Lakers can't shoot worth suit from the free-throw line.
FWIW, I'm rooting for Boston...
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Are you ready for some Futbol!!!
Yet again I go to work...
Today, I'm scheduled to work an ??ber-long shift. Enjoy your sunshine...: Click Here for Location (via @zhiing)
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Griffey is gone....
Good Riddance to you, Ken Griffey Jr. And don't let the door hit you on the way out...
Friday, May 28, 2010
RIP Arnold...
Another child star I grew up watching on TV has gone. And what scares me is that he was not much older than I am. Life is fragile. Death doesn't care about your celebrity status. In fact, there are several well-known cases where ones celebrity status and the ensuing access to controlled substances has been a direct contributing factor to ones demise (or they will be).
So long Arnold...
Friday, May 14, 2010
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Happy Mothers' Day
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Screw you Chase
I’ve had an account with Chase since February. There was an issue with my then current financial institution, and I decided to have a back-up checking account. Bank Of America was out, for the obvious reasons. So I researched, and thought Cahse was the best option. My first clue that there was something rotten in Denmark was my first deposit. They sat on it for almost a week. Then there was the $25 fee for my debit card. They said it was for a ‘rewards’ program, but never really let me look at the terms and conditions. As for ‘rewards’: Not Really Worth It. I don’t need to spend $500+ just to get a $5 Starbucks card. And the points would’ve expired before I could accumulate enough to get anything worthwhile.
Yesterday was the last straw. I needed to pay the rent, and I had to deposit my paycheck (no Chase branch near my store). My roommate gave me his rent money in cash. I deposit the items then asked for a money order. And the teller said the check wouldn’t be available until tomorrow morning. That was it. I decided to closed the account (they reversed the deposit), and then gave me some bullshit about it being the normal policy for all banks to sit on your deposit. I told her that I never had that issue with BofA (basically she lied to me). Then I was told there will be a $25 fee to close my account. Fine. I’ll eat my loss. Don’t ever expect me to recommend you to my friends.
I won’t mention the spam I’ve recieved from them either. By now, invoking the Boulder Pledge on them is kind of redundent.
Chase: I don’t need your fees, I don’t need your lies, and I don’t need your attitude. And you don’t need my business….
Sunday, May 02, 2010
So I'm on my way to work...
Surprisingly, its overcast now.Usually its bight and sunny on my way to work. And I keep hearing rumors of it raining while I'm at work...
Its now official. I do more emailing from my phone than my computer. In fact, this post was written my phone...: Click Here for Location (via @zhiing)
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Only in Washington State
Friday, April 23, 2010
To follow up…
A few weeks ago, I posted a recent (at the time) experience about the Orca Card and bus service in general. You weren’t the only one to see it. I kinda sorta borrowed a page from The Consumerist and deployed an Executive Email Carpet Bomb. Going to the Peirce Transit web site, I found their Board of Commisioners, took down all their email addresses, and let it loose (along with a copy to main@soundtranist.org and contactus@orcacard.com). This was bound to get results, since among the members are the Pierce County Executive, the mayors of Tacoma and Puyallup, and the CEO of Pierce Transit. I immediately noticed hits to my blog from Seattle (headquarters of SoundTransit) and Lakewood (headquarters of Pierce Transit). This lasted for about three days (I sent it on a Wednesday night). And on Tuesday, I received an email from a Peirce Transit who was responsible for the implementation of the Orca Card). The formal letter of apology was in a PDF attachment. And they mailed it to me. Via certified mail. And I haven’t had a problem with being overcharged by the driver since then.
I’m sure they didn’t want to hear it this way, but when you’re customer service reps are condescending, rude, and incompetent, then you’re going to have to deal with customers like me…
Sometimes people do read their mail, though….
My Next Act of Stupidity….
I joined Twitter. Along with Facebook, and MySpace. I don’t update to MySpace that much anymore, but I’m still on it. I’m more likely to be on Facebook these days (especially since my phone can almost integrate my facebook into my address book). This blog will will still be my Internet Soapbox where I can air my grievances at the world. Twitter I think will be a place to post my GPS updates when I want the Internet to know where I’m at (though I can post that here, too)…
Edit: I decided to delete Twitter. Everything I can do on Twitter, I can do here. And I’m already established here…
Thursday, April 22, 2010
And Lo!
The Noodly Appendage did reach forth, and The Flying Spaghetti Monster has called home Harry Wappler, so Wayne Cody can have a decent weather forecast while they both frolic among The Beer Volcanoes and Stripper Factories. Ramen…
I really didn’t watch KIRO TV growing up, but I do remember Wayne Cody and Harry Wappler. There was another show, Almost Live (a local equivalent of Saturday Night Live), and Wayne Cody was on occasion a target, owing to his size… Harry Wappler, IIRC was the first weather forecaster that I remember being called a meteorologist. I mainly got my local news fix from King 5, but I remember watching KIro on occaision.
RIP, Harry.
PS, for those of you who don’t know about Almost Live, here’s a little bit of what you missed. This was always my favorite sketch:
Always remember to behave yourself…
Nothing to see here. Don't panic.
IgwanaRob, the SWYPE onscreen keyboard kicks ass... : Click Here for Location (via @zhiing)
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
A way to irritate my brother….
As you may know from reading my previous entries, aside from the fact that IgwanaRob has very much definitely voided the warranty on his phone (see the first comment…) is yes, I got a HTC Rhodium, aka the T-Mobile Touch Pro 2. My brother, who bought my BlackBerry when I went back to the Shadow, was intrigued by it. He actually said that I finally got something cool. At the time, he was looking for an upgrade for his phone. Apparetnly this was the phone he wanted, and I got it first. SO he sent me out to find him and HD2. Wasn’t going to happen. So he finally settled on a Touch Pro 2, as well. I think he’ll manage…
Friday, April 16, 2010
Spring must be in the air...
I'll enjoy while it lasts. Jeff Renner will eventually sober up...
Monday, April 12, 2010
It must've been my day off.
Some things never change...
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
It’s been al little bit over a week
Since I got my HTC Touch Pro 2. The Shadow has been retired for all intents and purposes. ANd really don’t regret it…
The second day after I got it, I flashed the ROM. Went from Windows Mobile 6.1 to Windows Mobile 6.5 (and actually the first time that I had a 6.5 device without voiding the warranty…) (and while we’re at it, this is the first time, I’ve flashed a phone’s ROM and still had it under warranty…).
Some of the new features I like with this phone:
- The 3G. At my definitely non-IT day-job, we just had DSL installed very recently, and I commented to my boss that my phone still has a faster connection. Though knowing how ‘thrifty’ some employers can be, perhaps even the EDGE network of my previous phone might still be faster. BTW, there’s now WI-FI at work… And it’s really great to watch youtube without it having to buffer…
- The GPS. If your phone has a data plan, chances are you can get a pseudo-gps by triangulating the signal from the cell towers. Sometimes it’ll work, if you just need accuracy to the nearest ZIP code. WIth GPS however, I can fire up Google Maps, and follow my bus ride in real time (and theere are apps available that will track you speed and distance).
- The touch-screen. There’s something to be said about being able to scroll by merely flicking your screen. On the BlackBerry, the track-ball has died, and my brother is stuck until he buys his new phone). And the on-screen keyboard ain’t too shabby, either… Which brings me to:
- The keyboard. A five row qwerty keyboard. The Shadow has what can best be described as a SureType keyboard. It got the job done, and it was easier than a normal cell phone key pad, but there were still moments when I texted gibberish because the system didn’t understand what I was saying. It’s a godsend for entering usernames and passwords…
- The memory. I hated the BlackBerry because of the piss-poor memory. I think I could only install 5 or six apps from the BlackBerry app store before I ran out of memory. The Shadow had a lot more memory, and also had the option of installing to the memory card. The Touch Pro has a whole shit-load more (and if necessary, I can also install to the memory card, too).
- The speed. The BlackBerry was about average. It could handle everything you threw at it. The Shadow when I was running the original ROM could keep up with it, but when I went to 6.5, I had to start overclocking the processor. This one has the jiuce to spare…
- The battery. With the Shadow, two batteries were the norm, and even then I still had to watch what I was doing (or keep a charger with me). I have yet to run the battery down with this one to worry about it…
All and all, I’d say I like the new phone. I’m not going to cook the ROM yet, but there is a well-developed community for software develpoment for when the warranty expires (or I just decide to say fark it and hack the phone anyway).
Now Igwanarob and I have one more thing in common.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Burp!...
Monday, March 29, 2010
Nothing to see here. Move along. Again.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Rob McKenna
Why can't republicans just understand that there is a reason that they're the minority party now?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
It’s Alive!
My mother had a laptop. An HP Pavilion dv 2000. One of these. Yes, it had issues. Since, I’m her tech support desk, I spent a good deal of time trying to fix it. Finally, it just died. I tried to restore it, and the display kept going dark, and we were both getting fustrated with it. And she decided to finally replace it. Got a new desktop with Windows 7. And she gave me the laptop. I tried the restore DVDs. And I got them to work. After a half dozen attempts (it kept hanging on me, or it would just die).
So I now have a semi-functioning laptop. With a bunch of known issues and an expired warranty. But a free yet crappy laptop is still a free one. Know I just have to tame Vista… I just don’t trust The Anti-Christ. They shit-canned the one group that didn’t put out crap (and that was the fine people behind the Flight Simulator)…
EDIT: It died today. Attempts at resuscitation have been unsuccessful so far…
Monday, March 22, 2010
A step…
Sometimes a step in the wrong direction is better than no step at all. The House Of Representatives has passed the health care reform bill. A lot of people are up in arms over this, and I may even disagree with the bill as it is passed….
But the status quo is unacceptable. Take my case. I have type I diabetes. When I first suspected it and went to the doctor to get tested for it, I had health insurance through my employer. Within 24 hours (literally) of my boss finding out I most likely had diabetes, I was fired and out of health insurance. Tad bit on the unethical and possibly illegal side, but that’s what happens. Now this is normally considered a ‘pre-existing’ condition, which means that under the current system, I will never be able to get good health insurance again (let’s think realistically here). The system needs to be reformed.
You can step to the left, or you can step to the right. But you have to step. Just standing there doing nothing and filibustering isn’t going to get things done. Regardless of your respective views, something has to be done.
And it looks like President Obama has finally done it…
Friday, March 19, 2010
UFO sighted!!!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
OK….
I think we may see the Nobel Committee may Jump The Shark. Last year, President Obama won it, IMO more for his campaign (he was nominated less than a month into office). Al Gore has also won it (I think it was for his quest to protect us from ManBearPig)…
And now this, year, one of Al Gore’s creations is being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. If it happens, then I hear next year Ted McGinley and cousin Oliver will get it, too…
Jeff Renner has found his stash!
Jeff Renner has found his stash again. Usually the modus operandi of a weather forecaster in the great Pacific NorthWet is to simply say rain every five minutes. Especially when it’s my day off (he’s in cahoots with my boss. I know it). But we got snow this week. After a couple of weeks of wonderful, sunny weather, too.
I don’t usually mind whatever Jeff is one. But aside form the obvious legal technicalities, I do have one issue: Why isn’t he sharing?
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
ORCA card = FRAUD!
A little set up. The ORCA card is an electronic, rfid card that Pierce Transit, SoundTransit, King County Metro, and a few other local agencies now use for their passes. On SoundTransit, if you want a transfer now (or if you want to transfer between different bus systems, i.e. Metro or Pierce Transit), you have to use the ORCA card. You can put various products on the ORCA card:
- a regional pass (i.e. the PugetPass)
- an E-purse, which makes it a stored value card (like the bastard child of a debit card).
- Or, you can put both on, which is what I do. I have a monthly Puget Pass at a $1.75 ride value (which is what Pierce Transit’s fare is), and I usually have an E-Purse to cover the occasions when I need to take a bus that charges a higher fare (like the ST Express and/or King County Metro).
Now how it’s supposed to work is when you board your buss, you tap the card on the reader (I don’t even have to take it all of my wallet), and if your pass value is equal or exceeds the fare value, you’re good to go. If the value of the fare exceeds you pass value, then the difference is taken from your E-Purse, or if you don’t have one, you have to make up the difference.
That’s where I have problems. I have an E-Purse with my pass on my card. Whenever I take the ST Express and tap my card, it shows up on the reader as “PASS + .75” (if I take the 574), or if I take the Seattle Express (route 590, 591, 594, etc) it shows up as “PASS + 1.25”, and I see the corresponding reduction on the E-Purse. And yet, I’m still challenged by the drivers on almost a daily basis to pay the difference in cash, even though I’ve already paid this electronically. Sometimes I win the argument, sometimes I pay, and then there’s the time I got kicked off the bus):
It happened February 17th. I attempted to board the 594 (coach 9706) @ the 512 park & ride. I knew I had enough on my ORCA card's e-purse to cover the fare, and I saw it deducted from my balance. The driver still insisted that I owed money, and he refused to let me board. See the proof, a screenshot from my card’s transaction history: Clearly, you can see that the remaining balance on my E-Purse was sufficient to cover the difference, and in fact it was deducted from the card.
Clearly, you can see that the remaining balance on my E-Purse was sufficient to cover the difference, and in fact it was deducted from the card. I immediately called Pierce Transit’s customer service line, and to say I was blown off would be an understatement. Pierce Transit really should put something on their website and/or in their literature about how rude and condescending their telephone representatives are. Anyway rather than referring me to management, I was told to call ORCA (the only person I didn’t need to call since the equipment works). I called ORCA, and explained it to their representative, and he tried to contact Pierce Transit himself, and I guess they blew him off. He did say that I was right, and that he would be sending me a free ride voucher, though. That may had settled the matter, had I actually got it (in hindsight, he probably lied to me to get me off my case). I also direct-dialed one of the senior supervisors/assistant managers at Peirce Transit and left a voicemail. I then emailed SoundTransit (the agency that subcontracts Pierce Transit to do this route), and I got essentially the same answer back:
<quote>
Thank you for contacting Sound Transit about your trip on the ST 594 on February 17, 2010 using your ORCA card.
The ST 594 is operated by Pierce Transit on behalf of Sound Transit. Your ORCA account has been verified and had sufficient funds to ride this trip without paying any additional cash fares. I apologize for the inconvenience. This will be reported to Pierce Transit for further investigation. I will be mailing you a complimentary free ride bus ticket for your next trip on a Sound Transit express bus. We appreciate you riding Sound Transit and
</quote>
Three hours later, a secretary called me, and we conversed on this matter. She looked at my ride history and again said I shouldn’t have been charged extra and referred this to management. The next day I got a call from ‘Jerry’, who said he talked to the driver, and the driver lied to him and said I still owed money. NOTWITHSTANDING THE EVIDENCE ALREADY SHOWN TO ORCA, SOUNDTRANSIT, AND POSTED HERE! I offered to give my card number so he could look it up himself, but he said he doesn’t do that kind of stuff and basically said he believed the driver more than me. Essentially he has no fucking clue what’s going on, and no idea how the ORCA card reader is supposed to work. And this stupidity is the senior management at Pierce Transit!
Through all of this, two of the parties said they would be sending free ride tickets. It’s been two weeks since this happened, and I’ve never received them. Even though they have my address…
Fast forward to this past Saturday. I had to take the 574 to Federal Way. That very morning I had reloaded my ORCA card with the March PugetPass and E-Purse. I boarded the bus, tapped my card, and the driver grabbed my elbow as if to assault me or throw me off the bus. I told him I had an E-purse and he let me go. That was the last time I rode ST Express. I still need to go up to Seattle to look at a computer system that my boss has directed me to set up, but I don’t want to have to fight another losing battle with illiterate bus driver, and I’m now concerned for my safety. I don’t want to be physically accosted, compelled to pay extra or get off the bus. I just want to go to my destination…
The ORCA Card is a crock and a fraud. I’ve had more trouble with it than it’s worth, but I’m forced to use it. I’m sure it’s a valid concept, but when liars and incompetent clods are the ones implementing it, all bets are off.
You can see the sun again…
Because the US Airways pilot with the brass balls that could block the sun is retiring. We have way too few heroes. Although I’d prefer that he not wear his shorts on the outside…
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Why yes, it is possible...
So I just the cable guy come out.
Previous repair calls from Comcast have usually been less than satisfactory. Nine times out of ten I ended up fixing problems myself after the cable guy says there’s nothing he can do.
Today it was slightly different. Friday I noticed the box in my room stopped functioning. I tired a different box. No results. So I called Comcrap. He got no response over the phone to either box. SO the tech had to come out. It turns out my outlet had not signal, and in fact it had actually been disconnected (and my account was/still is in good standing). Not good for Comcast (for not checking before arbitrarily disconnecting), but good for them for reconnecting it…
This did not affect my internet access, as the cable modem is now on the living room outlet (courtesy of wi-fi)…
Monday, February 15, 2010
Coke with BSOD
I was at a local mall recently, and noticed this at a nearby coke machine. I've heard of all sorts of bonuses that may come with Coca- Cola, but I'll pass on the Blue Screen Of Death with mine. Maybe The Anti-Christ bought out Coca-Cola…
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Just when I think I've got it right.
Back to square 1...
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Sorry Doctor Evil….
You may have your secret moon base and your clone 1/8 your size. But the Air Force now has “lasers”, too. And darn, good ones, too. Maybe you should try your “tractor beam”…
At last some people have found work…
All the has-beens and never-was’s in the NFL now can have work again. The NFL Network is going to air Arena Football. It’s nice to know that people are going back to work…
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
One of the advantages of two monitors…
Is that I can watch a DVD in one monitor (in this case Episode 1 of Cosmos) in one monitor, and blog about it in the other monitor. And surf the web. And to other things…
Yes I have to say I have two monitors, and I’m a fan of Carl Sagan….
Bon Voyage, Phil…
Phil Harris, the captain of the Cornelia Marie has died. I never watched Deadliest Catch on Discovery Channel that much. I’m more into Dirty Jobs, Mythbuster, and anything else that featured Adam Savage in pain or Mike Rowe soiling himself. Although Mike Rowe does the voice over work for Deadliest Catch…
In a totally unrelated story, I got Cosmos from the library again today. Let’s see how may times I can watch it….
You know all those fancy thingamagigs we keep sending to Mars?
It turns out some of them had cameras on them. And they can take some pretty awesome pictures.
Just goes to show one that you can find some good pistures on the Internet that aren’t pr0n…
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
So I backed up my system last night...
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
If you’re wondering
Whether or not a HTC Phoebus (aka the T-Mobile Shadow 2007) can support a memory card greater than 4 gigabytes (which is what T-Mobile advertised), it can. I just put an 8 gig one in my phone today, and am currently filling it up with heavy metal music. Who needs an iPhone?…
Thursday, January 28, 2010
All we need is a secret moon-base…
And a clone 1/8 our size. A one megajoule “laser” has been demonstrated. Allegedly this is for research into nuclear fusion, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the “lasers” showed up attached to sharks’ heads, or if America started getting extortion notes demanding a million dollars…
Sunday, January 24, 2010
mp3 players in the morning.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Airbus A320 for sale…
The miracle on the Hudson flight plane is for sale. Some slight water damage. It’s being sold ‘as-is’, and the engines aren’t included. Neither is the pilot with the big brass balls who can land without engines…
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Well it took only about 17 years….
But The Anti-Christ appears to have now published the patch that China was using in their attack on Google. I wonder what the hurry was for….
Anyway, Microsoft’s approach to safe web borowsing and avoiding spoofed websites is simple: “Stop using Firefox and use Internet Explorer 8.”
BTW, Firefox 3.6 is out. Off to go update….
Thursday, January 14, 2010
I have absolutely no comment…
Other than to say it is possible to gift-wrap a cat:
Yes, Ditty. I did steal this from your Facebook post…
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
One nut job deserves another….
Sarah Palin (you know, the Born-Again Bimbo was the VP candidate in the ‘08 election) has a new job. She’s going to be a commentator on Fox News apparently.
BTW, here’s what you can expect:
It’s a good thing I get my news from google. Usually.
He admits it!
Everyone knew it. And now Mark McGwire has admitted to being on the juice. I don’t think that The New World Order (Mind-Control Division) will really be able to do anything to him (steroids weren’t technically banned by MLB until after he retired. However he could be on the hook for lying about it….
Friday, January 08, 2010
Good Riddance….
Jim Mora got shit-canned. Good Riddance to him. True, this was his first season, but only going 5-11, with losing the last four games of the season isn’t acceptable. Even the Lions are better. Well, not exactly, but still, we had the talent, and we were let down.
If it were up to me, the entire team would be shit-canned. Especially the starters. You make the big bucks, you deliver the goods. You can say something about injuries, but that responsibility still lies with the players. You make the big bucks, you’re responsible for keeping yourself healthy.
No excuses. Only results….
Wood, Bones, and no porn…..
Italian scientists have found a way to make a bone substitute out of wood. No pornography involved….
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Yet another day off
This is my second day off of 2010. I know I missed the first one, but I was too busy cleaning (when you get two single sharing an apartment, sometimes, it gets a little bit dirty…). And today was laundry day. But all the cleaning’s now done. Now on to more important stuff, like putting the new ROM on my phone….
Friday, January 01, 2010
So, It's 2010…
Anyway Happy New Year People.