Happiness is…

Happiness is a 13+ minute phone call with your Grandmother. I highly reccommend it.

Today is the second day of my ‘weekend’. Then it’s working for 8 days straight. Then I get 7 days’ vacation. I think a trip to Ollala is in order to visit Grandma.

Finished reinstalling all my software on my computer today. The next time I decide to try Windows 8.1, remind me how much I hate it, and the next time I decide to play around with my computer, remind me how much of a pain in the ass it’ll be to put it back together…

So, it’s Easter today…

It was also my day off. $day-job was open today, but with a reduced schedule. I have no ego. If I need the specific day off, I’ll request it beforehand. Otherwise, if I’m scheduled I’ll just show up and work my 8 hours. At my previous location there was a concerted effort to make sure that my schedule was steady (and for almost a year, it was carved-in-stone fixed) in recognition of my Commute From Hell. But that went out the window when I transferred. But hey, when work is only a 20 minute walk you really need not worry about scheduling as much….

Today is Easter:

Now why would you think that I would not post the Holy Hand Grenade Scene? Anyway, being a diabetic, this is my answer to the Easter Bunny: Sacred Relics…

Updated the software on my phone. Ended flashing the ROM 4+ times before I realized that Googling it would help, and I was a simple setting that I needed to toggle. Anyway, My HTC 10 is running the latest Nougat ROM from Team Venom. Marshmallow was taken off for good. I am noticing that there were about 10 or so apps that I bought from the Spamazon Appstore that weren’t available yet. Copied them over from the HTC One M8, and attempted to sideload them. I got them installed, but they won’t work. I guess I just wait for update. Maybe some day, I’ll post about the the nightmare it was to acquire and activate the phone. I won’t be taking this up with Sprint anymore. Too many excuses, too much DoubleSpeak, and an offshore call center. They’re even worse than Comcast. At least when you escalate to social media on Comcast, they have their shit together. Not Sprint.

Made all my credit card payments yesterday. And I still have money left over….

Anyway, I gotta go. Day off is ending shortly, and I still have to binge-watch American Dad on Netflix…

New phone arrived today…

I thought I was past the frustrations from trying to upgrade my phone last week (balky websites & and agents who didn’t give a damn). I went through Worst Buy to order it, and unfortunately for Sprint, Best Buy was the only party involved who had their shit together….

So the phone arrived today at 1:30 in the afternoon. I put the memory card in, powered the phone on, and nothing happend. I was able to logon to my Wi-Fi, but the phone wouldn’t activate. I went to the Sprint website, and the website was ‘down for maintenence’. All day. Sprint support was really no help. Even the executive team told me to call them, which I couldn’t since I didn’t have access to a phone. And they told me to go chat with an agent, but abain the website redirected to the site maintenence. WIth all the issues I’ve had trying to get the phone, and actviate it, I’m seriously thinking that Sprint is doing this deliberately.

But nevertheless I got my HTC 10 and I got it activated. I had previously downloaded and prepared Marshmallow and Nougat ROMs for my phone. So I went and put some Sunshine on it. And once I was S-off, I flashed TWRP, and then I installed the Nougat ROM (I had previously dabbled with the Marshmallow ROM on the HTC One M8, and that ROM was based on the ROM for this phone, so I went with the new ROM). I’m still in the process of moving in, but I’m impressed with it so far. For the first time I have a working Andriod Pay (something I’ve never had due to issues with my phone being rooted), were it not for my cards not working with it, but that’s life. I will miss the IR blaster, so I guess that means I need to not lose the remote. The camera looks good, too. But we’ll save for another post. Work calls tomorrow….

Well, after last week’s fiasco.

After the fiasco last week, I was not amused. Probably I shouldn’t have asked for the head of the Sprint agent in Puyallup, but in an of itself trying to place the order was an epic fail on the part of Sprint. I would’ve cancelled my account on the spot were it not for the fact that we’re leasing my brother’s iPhone, and I’d be on the hook for remaining payments. So I was stuck with Sprint, and my phone was showing its age. But fortunately, Worst Buy is a Sprint reseller. And I was able to order an HTC 10. They didn’t have one in store, but they were available on line, and I was able to do in 10 minutes on bestbuy.com on my HTC One M8 what I couldn’t do for the life of me on Sprint.com on my computer.

So, fast forward to today. UPS has my phone, and it is out for delivery. I’ve already downloaded the Marshmallow and Nougat ROMs from Team Venom (I’ve been using their ROMs ever since my HTC One M7), and copied them to my memory card. And I also have everything ready to s-off and root my phone….

An open email to Sprint:

I just sent to this to Sprint. I had been attempting to upgrade, and it didn’t end well:

<Quote>

My account number is: xxxxxxxxx. This is in regards to my phone number: (253) xxx-xxxx. I recently paid off the phone, and decided it's time to upgrade to the HTC 10.

Lately, Ive been unable to login throught the Sprint Zone app. I always get an invalid password error. And God help me if I try to login online. If I try to logon through Firefox, it just keeps bouncing back to the logon page. If I logon through Google Chrome, I can get the validation text sent to me, but when I enter it, the page just displays a bunch javascript, and I don't logon.
But Friday I was able to finally log on, and I attempted three times to order the phone upgrade. Two times, when I went to pay for it, it was displayed that my newer debit card would be charged, but it came back with a 'declined', and then I get a text that the charge was made to my other card (an entirely different card number)! You were telling me you were charging one card but actually attempting to charge the other!

But I finally got that straightened out and I placed my online order (#ow-srso-xxxxxxxxx) to be picked up in Puyallup at 4227 S Meridian Ste B Meridian Plaza Shopping Center, Puyallup WA 98373. I got there early, and I was not impressed. One employee at the counter who was more interested in having a personal conversation with the two women (family members?) than he was about helping the three other people in the store, one of whom had an appointment, and the other two I overheard talking about buying three phones. At this time any sales droid capable of rubbing two neurons together would realize that that's the time to start doing your job. Not this person. I finally get up to the person, told him that I had an appointment to pick up my upgrade (I was early, but he wasn't helping anybody else either...). He then told me that he was shorthanded, and it was take at least 20 minutes. One of the ladies he was talking with when I came up then chimed in saying it would take more than 20 and snickered. That's when I walked out. Without my phone. He called after me, but if he isn't going to do his job to begin with, then he's not going to do it at all.

So I then called customer service. I jumped through all the hoops. Only to get an agent whose accent was sufficiently thick enough that I knew that I had reached an offshore call center. I hung up.

So, what needs to happen is:
1. Order #ow-srso-xxxxxxxxx needs to be cancelled forthright. And I need the $61.00 I paid Friday to start it refunded.
2. Your website needs to fixed so that I can login without repeated attempts.
3. Whoever was working at the Puyallup store at 11:15 this morning (4-2-2017) needs to be fired, and you need to publicly acknowledge this. Ignoring customers is never acceptable.

Then, I need an explanation as why this was all allowed to happen. Why am I being treated like garbage at every turn? Why is it so impossible to logon? Why is it so difficult to order an upgrade? And more importantly WHY DID I HAVE TO LEAVE THE SPRINT STORE WITHOUT MY ORDERED UPGRADE? But failing that, just tell me what obligations (ie contract, leases) I have left on my account and what I need to do to fulfill them and move to another carrier. Unlike you, I follow through on my promises.

<\Quote>

I’ve already gotten an acknowledgement back from the VP of customer service, but if it take that kind of escalation to get a human operator who know his/her shit then the battle has already been lost…

So my work schedule was posted today…

And I noticed a change upcoming. Not going into to much details now, as I don’t want to count my chickens until they’ve hatched. But the future is looking bright. Bright enough that I have to look for the sunglasses…

Like I said, I’m not going into details for the sake of discrestion. Unlike my second job at Mrs. Fields, I prefer to keep my primary employer and my position off the blog for now….

For the first time…

For the first time since I bought my computer, I’ve completely ‘moved in’ to it on Windows 8.1. Meaning I’ve installed all of my apps. Including my flight simulators. Previous attempts had ended when I installed Chome, and then decided that I wanted to go a different way. I could’ve gone with Windows 10, but I have problems with Microsoft and their privacy practices. I don’t need any more ads when I’m using my computer (in fact the fist thing I do when I reinstall my OS is to add the HOSTS file from MVPS.org.

About a month and half ago, I replaced my Lexmark printer. I had stopped using it, though it was on the Wi-Fi, so I kept the drivers installed. Eventually the ink dried out, and it was time to replace it. So I decided to get a laser printer. I got myself a Brother from Worst Buy. Yes, I’m replacing a multifunction printer with just a printer, but it’s a color laser printer, and it can print both sides. As for a scanner, I still have my HP multifunction printer, which I got from Mother (may she spend all eternity in The Beer Volcano and The Stripper Factory) when she couldn’t figure out how to replace the ink.

I upgraded my speakers a few week ago. Permanently retired my Boston Acoustics and my Insignia speakers, and got something with a subwoofer. Though I keep the volume turned way down, out of respect to the neighbours downstairs….

Lesson learned...

System Restore can be your best friend. But if you're going from Windows 8.1 to Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center, then prepare to have your system restore points wiped.

But I survived. And when I got back to the desktop, I created another point. I don't know what the issue is. I made sure my network/wifi driver was up to date. I'm not going with the current video driver (I went with a WHQL certified driver rather than a cutting edge one like I'd normally do). But we'll see. Personally, I think it's a recent driver issue...

BTW, I used Windows 10 for precisely 4 hours, and most of that was just downloading Windows 8.1 drivers...

Awe, screw it

I never thought it possible. My computer hates Windows 8.1. I guess it's time to bite the bullet and put Windows 10 back on. Good thing I took Microsoft up on that offer when it was a free upgrade, and I made an installer drive...

Lesson Learned For The Third Time

Ok, installing Win8.1 on my tower again. Pull out my DVD restore set (that I made when I first got my computer), and let it run. Then afterwards, I put my separately purchased Win8.1 Pro key, and make that upgrade. No Problem. Then I go in and remove all the bloatware (basically anything McCafee, WildTangent, or anything else I don't recognize). And I took the wrong thing off, resulting in an unbootable tower. Repeat same procedure again, and get the same result. This third time, I've realize which piece of bloatware is the one that I need to leave alone. I'm not going to concern myself with it calling home, as the first thing I do beofre anything else is to protect my system with the HOSTS file at MVPS.org. But so far no more problems. In fact the new WiFi card I put in last month works natively in Windows 8.1. A definite plus...

Here we go again, yet another time

Right now, I'm putting Windows 8.1 back on my tower. For only one reason: Linux... If I can get the bootloaders to play now with each other, then I'll use OpenSuSE as my daily driver.

Yes, I'm just a glutton for punishment...

Edit: It looks like all this trouble is due to a bad video driver. Currently in downloading the previous driver. Will see how this goes.

Lesson Learned….

The Windows configuration that I have now isn’t really compatible with dual-booting with Linux. Maybe when the Creator’s Update of Win10 hits, I’ll give it another shot.

Live and Learn…

Here we go again...

Trying to put Linux on my computer. I'm going with OpenSuSE 42.2. In passing this from my phone, as it's still downloading. So far, I can tell that my network card is compatible (as it connected to my WiFi to access the repository). I don't anticipate any issues, but I have updated my external backup drive just in case.

And yes, I have to work tomorrow....

It’s Friday today…

A couple of years ago, I post on Facebook that I wasn’t Irish. A cousin rebutted me on that. But while I may have some blarney in the branches of my family tree, I do not identify as being Irish. And I’m not Catholic. And I quit drinking over 3 years ago. So, on this St. Patrick’s Day, I bid you a happy Friday…

America is still great….

Right after the election, I took a vow to keep all my postings non-partisan untill 100 days after the innauguration. This includes this blog. So while much is being said about who did what, or what new law is being or what old law is being repealed, I will hold my peace. Not out of agreement or disagreement, but because irregardless of my political views, and/or whatever political differences we may have, I still want to withhold judgement until he’s had a chance to prove himself. To take that first step, so to speak.

Having said that I will say that wanting Donald Trump to fail is like wanting the pilot to crash the airplane while you’re flying in it…

Irregardless of who is the White House, America is still great….

So, what have I been up to these past few weeks…

Sorry I haven’t written anything of late. But something big came up:

I’ve had the Commute From Hell, especially given my preference for the opening shift at work. To be there at 6 to start, I’ve had to be up at 1:00-1:30 in the morning, and walked for 4 1/2+ miles to get to the bus stop. And I did it. And management was duly impressed. But there was another location only a 20 minute walk from my apartment. I first tried to attempt a transfer 3 years ago when I was still only part-time, and went nowhere. But I kept at it, and later that year, I was promoted to full-time (stuff like this happens when you show up on time). The next spring, I inquired again, and this time I was told to step down to part time before they’d even look at me. Needless to say, I stay where I was. Next year, I tried again, and this time the manager of the location came up to my workplace to specifically ask about me, and he stated that it was the right thing to do, but nothing came of it. But finally, this year, after the store manager, and the district HR manager went to bat, I got my transfer approved. And I start there tomorrow.

After 3 years of trying….

From Frustration, a plus…

Wiped my tower. This time, to partition my hard drive to make space for Linux. And I replaced my Wi-Fi card, this time to one with bluetooth, as well (the now-retired usb dongle has now been thrown out).

As aprt of the reinstallation, I went to reinstall and activate my CyberLink PowerDVD and Power2GO. And I got a rude messgae that I had hit the limit for allowed activiations. So I fired up the web browser, and sent a letter to tech support. And then I realized they had a special. I paid $200.00+ for my two programs last year. And CyberLink had a package deal where I could get the current versions for only a quarter of what I originally paid for them. So, I just bought the current versions. And secured the product keys in a safe place….

For some reason...

For some reason, I think today is a good day for cake. Not that I'm going to have any, for the obvious health reasons. It's just today seems kind of cakey....

Probably it's somebody's birthday today. Happy Birthday, if that is the case....

Here we go again, part II...

So, the Super Bowl had kicked off. And I'm watching it. For the commercials. And I've decided to go with another version of Windows. Though I've confirmed that my hardware is compatible with Linux, so this will be a dual boot configuration...

Here's to Tom Brady getting a well deserved beating today. And my laundry getting done today.

Here we go again…

While I’m waiting for the Super Bowl to kick off, I’m going to try my hand at Linux. Again. If all goes well, I’ll be dual-booting Windows 10 and OpenSuSE Linux. I’ve already downloaded and burned the Linux distro to DVD. And my back-up is sufficiently recent so if anything goes wrong, I won’t lose much…

Once more unto the breach, dear friends….