Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Proving my point

Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Ted Berry gave 41-year-old Norman Holmes a 90-day jail sentence and a lecture Monday after Holmes' 109th misdemeanor conviction.

Holmes pleaded guilty to a theft charge but had no answer when the judge asked why he didn't become productive instead of stealing.


He doesn't care about becoming productive...that's why.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Bring it back to the basics.

When I was in Williamsburg we went to the capitol building. We learned that in colonial times, when someone was guilty of a crime they had punishment and were let loose. If they performed another crime they were executed. That's the way it should be! People aren't learning their lesson. There was a shooting in a Wal-Mart parking lot last week. A woman was shot because she didn't want to give a criminal her purse.

Look at the perps rap sheet:

Elijah was first imprisoned in 1984 following a conviction on charges of escape and petty theft. Paroled late in 1984, he committed burglary the following year and was sentenced in 1986 to five to 15 years.

"He was in and out on that case about 10 times" due to parole violations, Carson said. "He violated about every six months. It was in and out, in and out, in and out. Everything seems to be centered around drugs."

Elijah's 1986 sentence finally expired in 2006, but he was back that October through April 2007 on a drug possession conviction. He was readmitted to prison June 18, 2008, on charges of drug possession and breaking and entering, and was released last Thursday, Carson said.


He obviously doesn't care and is just going to do it again. STOP the stupidity in the courts! There should be a limit on how many times you go to jail before they kill you.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Why idiots shouldn't have guns

A father arrested after his 6-year-old daughter was fatally shot in their Washington state home allegedly told authorities he had been drinking double shots of vodka while cleaning his guns.

Court papers say Richard Peters told detectives he had asked his daughter, Stormy, to bring him the .45-caliber handgun Sunday. He said he must have pulled the trigger, and the girl fell to the floor. She was pronounced dead Monday.


Signs of an idiot:
Handling a weapon while intoxicated
Cleaning a loaded weapon
Ask a 6 year old to handle a loaded weapon

Bail for Peters, 42, was set Monday at $250,000. He has been arrested for investigation of first-degree manslaughter.


This was no accident. I have no sympathy for Peters at all whatsoever. It's amazing the girl didn't shoot herself.

This makes sane and responsible gun owners look bad.

Monday, November 17, 2008

The new Star Trek kills a Corvette

So I was watching the new Star Trek trailer (http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/startrek/large_trailer2.html) and I was utterly pissed that they killed a Corvette on it. I was ticked. It's a beautiful car, a classic. Why couldn't they have used a Toyota or some POS import? Then I realized..."wait a minute, it's the future". A Toyota or a POS import would have long since rusted and been put into compost. This proves the stamina of GM engineering and production. It survives centuries :)

Or...at least until Kirk drives it off a cliff.

Granted my brother Kirk has a good point. A car like that surviving that long would more than likely be in a museum.

Return address is the...post office?

Ok so someone bought the Xbox WiFi Adapter that I posted on Amazon (that was a rant in itself..the thing only works with factory xbox and you have to use a disk that only reads on a factory xbox to get the adapter configured). Anyway...I put my return address on it and the recipient in the USPS click and ship. I go to the post office in Alpha, Ohio (essentially Beavercreek) and the lady goes "if you used our zip code we'd get credit for shipping it". Now...am I just being ridiculously misinterpreting or does that totally NOT make sense? I mean, the recipient should have a proper return address on the package. I'm not going to lie. That zip code is not MY zip code nor a Xenia zip code. It would be like putting the post office as the return address which makes 0 sense. Who looks at the shipping from zip code at the post office? I've never had anyone beg for zip code "credit". How odd.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Google thinks I'm a virus

So I'm listening to http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fiA3cHk2Aas&feature=related and trying to get the name of the music in the background. I'm trying to search by the lyrics (and since I don't know Italian...I'm trying to guess how to spell). Anyway...after a certain amount of tries, it appears that I am a virus...

We're sorry...

... but your query looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application. To protect our users, we can't process your request right now.

We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, if you suspect that your computer or network has been infected, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover to make sure that your systems are free of viruses and other spurious software.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we'll see you again on Google.



Well I hope they like Yahoo because that's what I'm using now (at least until Google lets me search again).

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Throw Away in NOT a Throw Away. It's YOUR fault for making a monopoly!

Remember - the two-party system relies on the fact that people typically vote Dem or Rep. So if more people broadened their horizon it would be an equal playing field for everyone. Just because someone isn't Dem or Rep doesn't mean they can't win or be a big decision maker in who wins.

I think it's loony to vote for a lesser of a two evil when there is a perfectly good candidate that is in the 3rd largest party. If it's going to "spoil" then we should get rid of democracy all together. We have the freedom to choose who we want. If we didn't have that choice then it would be a throw away. It's loony to not vote at all. In the words of one reporter "The greatest power the people have is their vote, and in supporting the lesser of two evils each election, voters ensure eternal evil." I'm voting for the candidate I agree with the most. Even if it's not 100%, it's the best choice for me.

Then if you all complain if the US goes sour if a Rep or Dem takes it down, it's YOUR fault for allowing them a monopoly because you could have voted otherwise. Even in the local races, I vote for who I closest agree with. I don't care about party lines.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Throw Away Votes

So I'm not going to vote Republican or Democrat in this race. I'm going to vote Libertarian because Bob Barr is closest in view to Ron Paul who I was rooting for before the media narrowed it down to McCain/Obama.

People tell me it's throwing away my vote.

Why have the freedom of choice when people say you throw your vote away if you don't vote for a "main" candidate? That's like letting people drink but tell them they can only have one specific beer versus one specific wine and they'd rather have a cocktail.

There is a very interesting article about how third-party voting affects government here: http://www.nolanchart.com/article252.html

We just need to go back to the beginning!

I was reading Encarta on this topic and found this very interesting:
The framers of the United States Constitution made no provision in the governmental structure for the functioning of political parties because they believed that parties were a source of corruption and an impediment to the freedom of people to judge issues on their merits. James Madison argued in his The Federalist “No. 10” paper against a system in which “factions” (his word for parties) might be able to seize control of the government. George Washington, in accordance with the thinking of his fellow Founding Fathers, included in his Cabinet men of diverse political philosophies and policies, rather than narrow his choices to those of a single political outlook.


So...to those who thinking not voting R or D is a throw-away: in the words of Ron Paul motivators: "I'd rather throw away my vote than throw away my country".

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

A little extra money

Things like this just crack me up...like double digit thousands is pocket change. I was reading the DDN this afternoon about gold selling so well.

Gold was selling around $910 a troy ounce by midday and silver at $11.70.

ok...
Another, an older woman, bought 20 ounces of gold last week.

that's a lot of money...$18,200
"When she has some extra money, she buys," Eckman said.


WAIT WAIT WAIT....EXTRA MONEY? WHAT THE HELLL????

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Idiots...

This is all that needs to be said. Stupid people drive me crazy. Not the mentally handicapped ones...the ones that just don't have a brain at all.

See below:

Friday, August 29, 2008

The Anti-Rant for Today - Supernatural Diaper

Great story I found on the DDN. People look to scientific explanations for miracles. I don't.


Associated Press Writer
A disposable diaper has saved the life of an 18-month-old boy, breaking his fall from a third-floor apartment window, officials said Thursday.

Caua Felipe Massaneiro survived a 30-foot (10-meter) fall because his diaper snagged on a security spike embedded in the concrete wall around his apartment building in the northeastern Brazilian city of Recife.

The boy dangled from the spike for a moment, then "the diaper opened and the baby fell to the ground, but at a much slower speed," a police officer said. "The diaper obviously lessened the impact of the fall and saved the baby's life."

"It was a miracle," said the officer who declined to be identified because she was not authorized to speak to the press. "He could also have been killed by one of the spikes."

The child was treated for minor fractures at the Hospital Memorial Sao Jose, where spokesman Gilberto Tenorio said he was in stable condition.

Police have opened an investigation to determine how the toddler fell out the window and "if parental negligence was one of the causes," the police officer said.

The Folha de S. Paulo newspaper quoted Caua's father, 23-year-old Alexandre Cesar Massaneiro as saying that his son climbed onto a sofa underneath the window he fell from - "something he had never done before."

"It wasn't the diaper that saved him," Massaneiro told the newspaper. "It was God."

See the last line there? If only more people would believe that. I don't things happen just for nothing. Everything happens for a reason.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Websense Piece of Useless Crap

I'm writing this from home because apparently blogger is a personal site/social networking. Since our company did an upgrade it's now blocked. Also blocked is DeviantART which is very useful in the ways of Photoshop brushes and vector shapes and stock art. Also blocked is soundsnap.com where I get sound effects for things (which I prefer over Flashkit because it's more intuitive).

So yea, my boss is pissed and so are other people in the building. I mean seriously, as an artist I need my inspirations. If inspirations and resources are blocked it's very limiting. Also, I can VPN into my computer at home to view things but we have a firewall on our emails at work so if I were to email myself what I needed (excluding sound because I can't listen to sound remotely) it would take a whole day cause the IT guy quit and there isn't anyone to bump through emails.

Annoying as sin. On the bright side, my boss said if it starts to hinder my work I can work from home.

Yay.

In the meantime....if I start screaming you know why.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Affirmitive Action

We all know that even though people say equal-opportunity, they still have to abide with affirmative action which is a load of heinous crap. Even with employers, they have to provide a list of who applied for a job just so the govt can make sure no one was excluded by discrimination.

At least I'm a woman! The white male has it harder. This is an issue going on in the UK as well (I am pretty sure it's with immigration of Indian/Middle Easterns).

As Ron Paul has said so many times. You initiate racism when you define race. We can't be equal until everyone is treated equal with TRUE equal opportunities. We are all Americans. Why can't people be happy to leave it at that.

I am an Irish-English-German-American but I don't get offended when people call me white. The US needs to go back to it's roots when people were glad to just be called American. Those who are IN the country with the intention of staying SHOULD ASSIMILATE!!! If you plan on getting citizenship, CUT ALL TIES to your past allegiances. LEARN THE NATIVE LANGUAGE!

For pities sake...how many of you have watched COPS where the police officers (in the US) can't even speak English to criminals because they don't understand.

Save 6000 Jobs or Save People's Lives

I went to Kmart (which I don't do normally) to pay off our Sears card balance (I accidentally used the card rather than my debit card. They are the same color and all I think is gold and shiny rather than looking at the label. Anyway...this woman comes up to people asking them if they want to sign a petition to save 5000 jobs (I pulled an article on it and apparently it's 6000). She asked me after others shrugged her off and I told her to tell me more (and by the way...most likely these people have no idea REALLY what they are talking about). She said that it would make the payday loans and cash advance places have to lower their interest rates so they could (get this) STAY OPEN! I wonder if she works for one of those places. I started to try and tell her higher interest is a good deterrent so people don't go into debt and she basically tried to get me to shut up.

Why this made my rant blog is because so many people are so stupid when it comes to signing petitions. They don't hear the whole story. If the petitioner can't defend their stance then it's a worthless sign. Another reason this made my blog is because after I left the store the lady approached me again (she forgot I talked to her) and then I went to the fabric store and when I came back her partner in crime asked me too (and then the lady is like "oh don't ask her, I already did).

I would rather save people's lives than 6000 jobs. An article about this was posted (The Plain Dealer).

Payday lenders in Ohio--a mushrooming industry which grew into more than 1,500 storefronts statewide in a decade--had argued back that they were providing a desirable product. Besides, they said a 28 percent cap would be an industry death knell forcing storefronts to shutter and costing 6,000 jobs in Ohio.

However, Republican legislative leaders said Monday that any payday lending jobs that may be lost by the bill essentially aren't worth trying to keep. "We want to replace jobs that are taking advantage of people with jobs that help people," said Senate President Bill Harris, an Ashland Republican.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Thrown out on street with $750k??

I swear. These "Hollywish" (almost Hollywood but not quite...just moguls that have money) people drive me nuts. I was reading an article about a Broadway theater owner who divorced his wife (she posted a video insulting him on YouTube). According to the deal made before they got married, she has to leave within 30 days and he will pay her $750,000.

And you know what SHE says?

"I think it's disgusting," she said. "I'm really, really disappointed with the decision."

"basically throwing me out on the street."

Since when is $750,000 "on the street"? I am sure many homeless people (and divorcee's) would LOVE to have that much money. One of my friends had a husband that was cheating on her for most of her marriage and since Ohio is a no-fault state, she really wasn't entitled to much. She was more left on the street that the woman in New York trying to catch a pity party (her YouTube video got 3 million hits by the way).

She CAN move out of New York and $750k if used properly can last a long while. She doesn't need to spend it all on a house, car, and shoes.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Smokers, Aviation, and The Birdie

Smokers

Yes, I do realize you have every right to smoke outdoors. Yes, I do realize the Ohio ban is only indoor. But really, do you have to light up 5 cigarettes right next to me with the wind heading into my face over a 2-3 hour time frame? I was at the Dayton Air Show yesterday and I think that due to the nature of the show and the close proximity to other people, smoking should not be allowed. I was in the front row in the pavilion and there were to men to the left of me (upwind) that had overtaken an empty table and one man smoked at least 5 cigarettes during a span of 2-3 hours. Not only that, but as I said there was a strong wind and I was sitting downwind. I am very sensitive to smoke (even more so now that the smoking ban is in effect) and I had to use my shirt and hands to cover up my nose every time the person lit up. I was going to go back and complain to personnel but on my way I noticed 3 or 4 smokers and I realized it would be a lost cause. I wrote an email to the air show people to suggest making the event non-smoking for the courtesy of the rest of their patrons. People can wait to light up and certainly don't need to stuff MY lungs with half a pack. It's not like I could move as the tables are assigned. They shouldn't have even been sitting there in the first place.

Aviation Truck

Also, there was an Aviation truck that was parked in front of us (past the fence in the performing area) nearly all of the show and since we weren't allowed to stand near the fence, there were some parts of the show we missed completely. The people in the Aviation truck were not working...they were standing and taking photos which was very disruptive. Luckily for the F-22 display, there was someone that came and told them to move. The only thing keeping us there was the F-22, otherwise we wouldn't have come or stayed.

The Birdie

I understand some people aren't able to stay within the speed limits, but seriously, you don't need to stick out your middle finger to say I'm driving too slow. A couple of weeks ago I was doing the speed limit or a little over (speed limit was 55 and I was going 57ish) in a very highly monitored area by police (hence why I was on cruise). A car whizzes by, cuts me off, and the driver sticks out his finger. What on earth was his problem? Maybe he's just pissed that there are speed limits for a reason, because people like him create accidents (did I mention that there was a car on my right side he almost hit to cut in front of me?). URRGH

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Buy American....Save Lives

If you know me, you know how adamant I am about keeping money "in the family". In fact the lady at Enterprise Rent-A-Car gave me a weird look when I asked for an American made vehicle for a rental because I (and I quote), "didn't want to die". The way the US government has allowed so much outsourcing is sickening and obviously we import way too much.

For those of you who drive a Toyota, I hope you feel guilty because people died to make your car. Not in an accident. They died because they were overworked.

Labor bureau: Japanese man, 45, died of overwork


Associated Press Writer

A Japanese labor bureau has ruled that one of Toyota's top car engineers died from working too many hours, the latest in a string of such findings in a nation where extraordinarily long hours for some employees has long been the norm.

The man who died was aged 45 and had been under severe pressure as the lead engineer in developing a hybrid version of Toyota's blockbuster Camry line, said Mikio Mizuno, the lawyer representing his wife. The man's identity is being withheld at the request of his family, who continue to live in Toyota City where the company is based.

In the two months up to his death, the man averaged more than 80 hours of overtime per month, according to Mizuno.

He regularly worked nights and weekends, was frequently sent abroad and was grappling with shipping a model for the pivotal North American International Auto Show in Detroit when he died of ischemic heart disease in January 2006. The man's daughter found his body at their home the day before he was to leave for the United States.

The ruling was handed down June 30 and will allow his family to collect benefits from his work insurance, Mizuno said.

An officer at the Aichi Labor Bureau on Wednesday confirmed the ruling, but declined to comment on the record.

In a statement, Toyota Motor Corp. offered its condolences and said it would work to improve monitoring of the health of its workers.

There is an effort in Japan to cut down on deaths from overwork, known as "karoshi." Such deaths have steadily increased since the Health Ministry first recognized the phenomenon in 1987.

Last year, a court in central Japan ordered the government to pay compensation to Hiroko Uchino, the wife of a Toyota employee who collapsed at work and died at age 30 in 2002. She took the case to court after her application to the local labor bureau for compensation was rejected.

Think about that the next time you want to buy a foreign made vehicle. It sounds just a bit like slavery.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Chris Henry Needs My Money? WHHAAAT?

Despite making about $2.5 million since 2005 as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, Chris Henry is so broke he wants taxpayers to pay for a record of his trial.

"He's broke," said Perry Ancona, the former wide receiver's attorney said Tuesday, July 8. "He doesn't have any money to pay for a transcript."

I'm sorry but he made his bed and now he needs to sleep in it. He was the one who couldn't get his act straight. He was the one who failed to properly manage his money. Seriously. People like that drive me crazy. He wants US (the people who aren't criminals and know how to pay bills and not spend all our money on stupid crap) to pay for his trial. HAH. I don't think so.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Drive Me Crazy? This could kill me....and you...and the world!

Who is their right mind would do something that "could" essentially blow up the world?

Ah yes. Americans and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). See below.

Posted: May 23, 2008
11:40 pm Eastern

© 2008 WorldNetDaily

Could the upcoming launch of the world's biggest atomic particle smasher – nicknamed the Big Bang Machine – touch off a cataclysmic event that dooms our planet?

That's the fear of some critics of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, which is built to slam protons together at an unprecedented peak energy of 14 trillion electron volts – nearing levels scientists believe were reached in the first microseconds after the "big bang."

The critics have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government and the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva, known as CERN, as scientists prepare to bring the collider online in July.

Co-plaintiffs Walter Wagner and Luis Sancho fear that when the collider reaches full power, it could create black holes or strangelets that would grow and eventually consume the Earth.

A black hole is a region of space so dense that light cannot escape its gravitational pull. Scientists have not proved the existence of strangelets, a hypothetical cosmological object containing an exotic form of matter.

Physicists at CERN and similar research facilities dismiss the doomsday claim as nonsense. But Wagner, a former nuclear safety officer who says he's studied physics for more than 30 years, wants the project shelved for four months to allow time for further safety reviews.

Fermilab in Illinois, which has the lead U.S. role in the Large Hadron Collider, also is a defendant in the suit, along with the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, according to MSNBC.

The Justice Department says it will not comment on the case before it files a response next month.

Federal attorneys are not expected to focus on the black hole question. They have successfully handled previous lawsuits by Wagner by narrowing their defense to issues such as claims the government and government-funded scientists have complied with environmental guidelines.

Scientists at CERN hope to see the first low-power proton collisions later this summer or in the fall. The collider will not reach full power – the big bang energies – until next year. By that time the Justice Department hopes the legal issues will be resolved.


OH happy day.

Monday, June 23, 2008

People who can't type

I am a very helpful person when I want to be and today I felt like answering questions on Yahoo Answers. There was a person who had asked this question:

I want to know dat how much is starting package for BBA graduate ??

can anyone tell me dat is good to work aftr BBA or its good to do MBA...?? wat is approx pay given to any BBA graduate ?


Seriously...I can't believe they are graduating. So here was my reply:

For someone who has a lack of grammar proficiency...good luck just finding a job. I can't take you seriously and you aren't even defining what kind of job you want to get an idea of salary from.

DAT = Digital Audio Tape
AFTR = Air Force Training Record
WAT = Thai word for describing place of worship


Then I must have upset the person and she sent me a message which I could barely interpret. I actually almost laughed reading it.

Subject: Thankx 4 telling me abt my grammar...

Message: i want 2 knw abt marketing...!! aftr BBA gradution i want to work rather den doing MBA , so i just want to knw dat how much are we paid , in d field of marketing ??? if u knw den let me knw or else just shut up..!! dont comment on ma language ..!! its far better den urs...!!

It's like she's reverted to "I know you are, but what am I?" Seriously...people like this drive me crazy. It might be all right on IM to do shorthand, but not when you are trying to ask about something like this could one ever take a person like that seriously. It sounds like she is a tween.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Idiot Teens Girls (Teenyboppers)

A teenybopper (or tweenybopper) is a vernacular socially constructed term by marketing professionals and psychologists referring to the age-span before a child hits their adolescence, particularly girls, who follow teenage fashion in music, clothes, and culture.


That is the dictionary definition of a pre-teen. I call all teenagers this because really their brains haven't developed yet. Are you wondering why I say this?

Read this article pulled from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/20/pregnancy.pact.ap/index.html

STDs, creepiness, and all other things aside, this reminds me of the Ugly Betty show on ABC where Wilhelmina impregnates a woman (Christina) so she can use the "love child" to gain power and money. When Christina finds out she says she won't tell anyone as long as the child is actually loved and cared for as a human.

These teenyboppers actually made a pact to get pregnant because it would be "cool". What about the children? They are going to grow up with fathers they don't know (one was a homeless man) and to top that off they will probably end up as criminals.

This is just taking "go forth and multiply" to a sickening extreme.

CNN has a video that Planned Parenthood saying that the parents should take a step in and the host is saying (and I agree) that the government is pushing that information should be left in the hands of education and the schools. The lady running the daycare at the school says there should be a place for accountability, not shame. Without shame, there is no essence of right or wrong! Just take a look at the jails here. We punish them, but not like how was done in the past (public humiliation) and they go right back to do it again.

To these girls...good luck trying to get a husband when he finds out you are 20, work at McDonalds, have a 3 year old, and got knocked up by a homeless man you begged to get you pregnant.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

My Brain, the Goverment, and all those nice things

My Brain:
Ok so here is the problem I had...a couple a weeks ago I was sitting at my computer and I started to have problems focusing and then the room shifted and I had vertical double vision (opposite of what happens when you cross your eyes). I freaked out and saw the doctor the next day. He did a whole bunch of eye tests and determined that my eyes were very healthy. He suggested I get an MRI to rule out a brain tumor or MS (how happy!). I got an MRI two days later. Last night I had vertigo (inner ear problems where calcium build-up falls off and when you tilt your head certain ways...especially down the room starts to spin). I called the doctor today since it's been a week and a half since the MRI and I come to find out I just have MILD sinus "disease" (sinusitis). A simple decongestant will help. He also told me that vertigo can cause double vision so I'm assuming the two are related. I spent $50 at the doctor and probably at least $500 (this is why I am paying $150 a month for me for health insurance to get the low deductible) on the MRI to find out I have sinus problems...which I already know. At least my actual brain is fine!

The Government:
I was reading a post on the DDN site with this headline "Governments can't be sued for ice on roads". Apparently the fire department PUT water on a road in the winter for a controlled-burn exercise and a kid slid into a pole and died that night from it. The fire department was dismissed (and later overruled so they took it up with the feds who came up with that verdict). Isn't that so LIKE the government? I mean...that's definitely NOT an act of God right there. If WE shovel our sidewalk (well you, not me, because I don't have a sidewalk) and someone slips, they can sue us...why is the government getting off easy? Seriously...whose bright idea was it to put water on a TRAVELED road? If they want to do a controlled-burn they should do it in a controlled non-public area! Stupid government.

Job Posters for Designers:
I was looking at this job posting on Guru that just cracked me up - "I am designing a CD album cover and need a graphic designer". If you are designing it...why do you need a graphic designer? Oh YES...because the client likes assuming a role where they have a say in the design (like make it look worse because they like it ugly).

Monday, June 2, 2008

Year of Chaos

Is this the year of chaos for me or what? Seriously...I just got a notice in the mail from the IRS saying I owed money and they penalized me by about $10 because I was late. I did my taxes in March via HR Block and had an automatic withdrawal on 3/31. I tried about 4 different phone numbers to get a hold of a person and was transferred three times to get it fixed.

Guess what I found out after an hour on hold?

I had a 0 balance. Computer error.

ARRRGGHH.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Month-to-Month My Butt!

Ok so I was driving home after work the other day and noticed a sign for Urban Active (long story which I will explain presently). The sign said "New: Month-to-Month Memberships!" or something to that degree. Now I will start my rant on how NOT month-to-month that means.

So about 3 or 4 years ago (I forget exactly) we entered to win a 30 day gym membership via the little box thing at Quiznos. We "won" (I think everyone wins...reason being continued) and got a call to come in. We got a little sermon about getting in shape and then that we could use the 30 day free to convert to the initiation fee and then we would just pay "month-to-month". Well after a while we started to not use the gym anymore and they built Gold's Gym and I wanted to get rid of the membership. Turns out, the guy who looped us into it didn't tell us we had a THREE YEAR CONTRACT. We pay month-to-month but the contract is set in stone. I tell them I want to cancel and that is that.

Then Gold's Gym comes up and I think that would be better (it's got a pool, it's closer and bigger.) we go there and I ask if it's a month-to-month membership and the guy says yea and we have the rate locked in for two years and all that. Turns out it was a TWO YEAR CONTRACT. Month-to-month is a load of bull to get you looped into a contract. So read the fine print, all of it...and make them wait while you do.

I'm never going to join a gym in the future because of all the lying and suckering these people do. It's sickening.

To top of it: Gold's financial holding company decided to make OUR Gold's location an Urban Active so I can't go to any Gold's fitness areas in the country.

Pieces of crap...that's what they are. Their "free" trainers are bogus as well. At Gold's you have to pay for a personal trainer.

Monday, May 12, 2008

If I can't see your bumper, you are too close!

Seriously...when will people learn that 55 mph means 55 mph? I was driving on SR 35 into Xenia and I'm going the speed limit. I get passed by a beige SUV, and THEN and THEN a little P.O.S. car comes up on my right side and starts honking the horn! They pass me and then I notice the little Jesus fish on their bumper. Can you get any more hypocritical? Stuff like that just pisses me off.

This morning - 4 police cars on SR 35 pulling people over for speeding. I love it :) They need to do more in the evening. I want my just revenge :)

Earthlink - Another Charge?!?

Remember that charge for the internet protection that I didn't want, didn't ask for, and already have (I have Symantec)? I just got a bill today that has a $2.00 charge on it referencing my conversation on the 5th of May.

The CSR (after I tell her what I just said above) says "I see that you payment mode is check." Just what does THAT have to do with anything? I pay my cable bill through Time Warner, on their site...not by check. What on earth is going on? Will they ever get my account straightened out?

OHHH.. The CSR continues: "I see that there is no due amount on your account." Then how am I getting a bill in the mail for $2.00? Is it a computer error? How many computer errors could they have? How many people are paying $2.00 bills because they are tired of talking with Earthlink's customer service?

The CSR is removing the $2.00 bill. I have no idea how it got there because when they voided the $12.29 charge I saw on the account that there was a $0 balance.

URGH.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

What is a Stoplight?

Ok...seriously. This is one thing that has been bugging me for ages. You know they call it a stoplight, however you don't just stop. It ACTUALLY is supposed to be the little light on the back of people's cars when they stop. Some idiot from who knows where must have decided that it would be fun to confuse the hell out of people but changing the word from "traffic light" to "stoplight". I mean, with a stop sign you always have to stop...logic dictates a stoplight would indicate the same as well, much like the flashing red lights at stop signs...if stoplights are traffic lights then what are those called? Oh yes...so you don't get confused they are beacons. Now beacon by definition is a warning signal (seriously...just warning). Let me show you...

bea·con
–noun
1. a guiding or warning signal, as a light or fire, esp. one in an elevated position.
2. a tower or hill used for such purposes.
3. a lighthouse, signal buoy, etc., on a shore or at a dangerous area at sea to warn and guide vessels.
4. Navigation.
a. radio beacon.
b. a radar device at a fixed location that, upon receiving a radar pulse, transmits a reply pulse that enables the original sender to determine his or her position relative to the fixed location.
5. a person, act, or thing that warns or guides.
6. a person or thing that illuminates or inspires: The Bible has been our beacon during this trouble.
–verb (used with object)
7. to serve as a beacon to; warn or guide.
8. to furnish or mark with beacons: a ship assigned to beacon the shoals.
–verb (used without object)
9. to serve or shine as a beacon: A steady light beaconed from the shore.


See? Now do you see anything that would give you any indication that a beacon means "stop"? The traffic people who come up with this crap REALLY should be the ones responsible for all those intersection accidents we have. It's not our fault they can't name crap right. Mr. or Ms. Traffic Person, please get out a dictionary before you start naming things.

Monday, May 5, 2008

You call me up...and THEN

So...I don't know how many times I've gotten emails from people who want me to hire them for something or other. They apparently don't realize I'm not an advertising agency and I never have been. Maybe the whole "studio" word throws them off. Well Friday I got a call from some guy that asked for the CEO of Aibrean's Studio. Granted, that threw me off and I instantly thought something was fishy. Then he started talking about wanting to partner up for websites/e-commerce. I thought, "hey, this might be good...fine I'll talk." So he scheduled me up for a 4:00 today. I get a confirmation email and click on their website. They offer outsourcing solutions...

Fancy that.

That is the single most annoying thing EVER. Outsourcing solutions. I pride myself in being able to offer my clients everything and designed by ME. If I can't do it, I talk to people (local people that I *cough cough* can understand on a phone or any other communication method) and let my clients know the cost (and I do not mark up).

So for those little Indian smart butts running around undermining American (and possibly global) industry (and YES I blame you for the Earthlink situations since I can't understand your dialect and you apparently can't understand me)...I DON'T OUTSOURCE TO INDIA, I DON'T NEED CHEAP LABOR, and I CREATE MY OWN DESIGNS!!!

Can you tell I'm just still a little mad at Earthlink?

On the subject of cheap labor. I do say one thing. Indian products trump Chinese ones. I choose quality over price and in my experience, Chinese products are the lowest they come. If I had the option of a $15 can opener made in America over a $5 one made in China, I would buy the American one. I would by a $10 spoon made in Poland over a $2 Chinese one. and I have bought a $7 pair of salad tongs made in India over Chinese ones because I don't want to ingest lead. So here is the thing, I'm pretty much solid against anything Chinese made. I could care a less where it's made if it's outside China...because EVERYTHING seems to be made in China and it's making me sick. I went to a Celtic Isles store here and the guy said the Irish stuff is going overseas and people aren't buying because it isn't authentic anymore. Chinese production is killing the world.

Earthlink Lesson Review

So today I get a bill in the mail from Earthlink. It says I owe $12.29 for Norton Security. I was wondering where the hell this came from. So I chat with them (online rather than phone, reason being I was so pissed I could scream and that would be inappropriate and not polite given the CSR doesn't know me)...apparently I "asked for it" in March back when I also "asked" for my account to get fixed. I was very put off (yet again).

My exact words were:

"You want to know what happened in March? Your company upgraded my plan without my knowledge and I called to have it fixed. Maybe you decided to also make me pay for something else while you were at it. I've spent hours on the phone with you people trying to get my account resolved. This is the last thing I need, quite literally."

I have no idea what they were thinking...but at least the CSR gave me the credit...I hope. Even if I were to cancel, I still have to wait 30 days and thus pay any bill. But I learned my lesson...next time I need a cable provider, I'm going with people I can understand in English and don't have to jump through hoops for...and that means Time Warner.

Earthlink if you are reading, enjoy this FREE advertising.

Earthlink - Lesson 5 - Credit Me

So all you want is a measly credit now...you have endured many changes in your plan and many charges and you are wanting the whole issue resolved.

Hopefully you don't have to go through what I did. See, I only got part of the credit, I was supposed to have the service prorated initially for the jump from lite to standard and have those service charges removed (as it was their fault to begin with that they had to change plans). I called Earthlink yet again and they told me they would credit me and I should get it within 3-5 business days. This week I get the bill - no credit was issued (save a service charge from premium down to standard). I call up Time Warner, let them know the date I talked to Earthlink and they immediately credited the account.

Earthlink - Lesson 4 - Up the Ladder

In this lesson you might notice a increase in your bill. Earthlink doesn't tell you whenever you change you plan, you also get a "hidden" charge that is perfectly legal in their policies. What they have done in my case is perfectly ILLEGAL.

I called up Earthlink to complain (AGAIN) and the CSR was obviously confused and disoriented (must not happen often...HAHA). She couldn't exactly give me a credit for the confusion so she had to direct me to upper management. I talk to the person "in charge" at that point and SHE tells me that what happened was they had some technical glitch and couldn't update me to standard so they guy just decided to upgrade me to premium without my knowledge. She would give me a credit and it would be reflected on my bill. It was...to a degree.

Continue to Lesson 5 -Credit Me

Earthlink - Lesson 3 - When Speed's Don't Change

In this lesson you might notice your internet speed not increasing as planned, if so you might want to check with the cable provider. I called Time Warner and to my happiness the issue was quickly resolved as they needed to update the modem with the new data manually rather than automatically as it should do.

Now a new bill had come in the mail for me, I noticed that it was $89.69. Now what the freaking hell is going on? I have a Earthlink Premium charge there plus two service changes. I wanted them to put me on standard.

Continue with Lesson 4 - Up the Ladder

Earthlink - Lesson 2 - Troubleshooting

Lesson 2 is for those who have tried an online setup and have noticed their download/upload speed to be terribly slow. First you want to call your provider (I had to call Time Warner as they provide the actual service). I went through about five different technicians on Time Warner's side to figure out what the problem was then finally I was told that I hate Lite service, not the standard plan to which I originally thought. I was a bit put off and obviously frustrated and called Earthlink to change me to the plan I THOUGHT I had (and they obviously wouldn't give me the promo now so I was stuck PRESUMABLY paying $41.95 rather than the $29.95). So then all is well. Yea...RIGHT. A week later the speed hasn't changed so I called Earthlink yet again. Guess what? They had to submit a form to Time Warner to allow the plan change and they didn't do it before so now I have to wait ANOTHER WEEK. I wait and wait...no change.

Continue to Lesson 3 - When Speed's Don't Change.

Earthlink - Lesson 1 - Service Startup

So my little tale begins with your first lesson and thus free advertising for my current cable provider, Earthlink. Lesson 1 for those who are interested in Earthlink service is do NOT under ANY circumstances get the service through an online chat. I wanted the promotion of $29.95 for the first 6 months for their standard service. That is what I was told in the chat. That is not what I received. See Lesson 2 - Troubleshooting.