Merry Christmas
Friday, December 25, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Is Comcast the Spawn of Satan?
I’m in the process of getting cable TV installed. I know, I know ~ I may be the only woman in the suburbs who doesn't have cable TV but it seems like such a colossal waste of money, I just can’t do it. Since I'm renting out rooms (hey, there's recession on), I provide WiFi but not TV. So, last week, the conversation was had about getting cable TV and splitting the costs.
I called Comcast, my Internet cable provider. It was a good thing I was sitting down and had taken my heart medicine. Every time I have to deal with big companies, I'm reminded that I sound like a communist, but the truth is ~ I hate Comcast. Oh, the customer service rep was very nice but as she was chipperly going over all the costs to install the cable and the monthly costs and how great cable is, I felt crankier and crankier especially since, as we all know, there is nothing on TV except reruns of NCIS and House and Real Housewives of Washington, DC. Sure, Mark Harmon and Hugh Laurie are complete dishes but . . .
So, I asked what specials they had. All the “specials” are for new customers only. Ah, I see. Exactly, how did Comcast get to be the 500 pound gorilla of media when it forgets the first law of business ~ “it’s cheaper to keep an existing customer then to get a new one?” So, I explained again. "All I want is basic cable ~ no HBO, no NFL season package, no Bravo, no STARZ; just plain vanilla. Any specials?" Just for new customers. Merde. Grudgingly, I made an installation appointment for next week.
When I was talking with a friend who also has Comcast and complaining about my $71.00 Internet bill, she said she pays $45.00.Whaaaat? I knew it. I’ve been convinced all along that these numbers are made up. Now, there is evidence. All across the US, Comcast is using made up numbers so they can buy NBC. Why is it that they get the airwaves for free (in the public interest) and we have to pay to use them? Oh, that’s right. They are represented in Congress and we’re not. How do you spell "rip-off"? Have I ranted enough?
I’m canceling my installation on Tuesday and looking into Clearwire WiMax for Internet and phone. That gets rid of Comcast and Qwest (another spawn of Satan). I’ll keep you posted. Right now, I’m researching TV providers. As we know, they may provide 256 channels but I'm still afraid the only thing that’s on is a weekend marathon showing reruns of Buffy.
Is this a great country or what?
I called Comcast, my Internet cable provider. It was a good thing I was sitting down and had taken my heart medicine. Every time I have to deal with big companies, I'm reminded that I sound like a communist, but the truth is ~ I hate Comcast. Oh, the customer service rep was very nice but as she was chipperly going over all the costs to install the cable and the monthly costs and how great cable is, I felt crankier and crankier especially since, as we all know, there is nothing on TV except reruns of NCIS and House and Real Housewives of Washington, DC. Sure, Mark Harmon and Hugh Laurie are complete dishes but . . .
So, I asked what specials they had. All the “specials” are for new customers only. Ah, I see. Exactly, how did Comcast get to be the 500 pound gorilla of media when it forgets the first law of business ~ “it’s cheaper to keep an existing customer then to get a new one?” So, I explained again. "All I want is basic cable ~ no HBO, no NFL season package, no Bravo, no STARZ; just plain vanilla. Any specials?" Just for new customers. Merde. Grudgingly, I made an installation appointment for next week.
When I was talking with a friend who also has Comcast and complaining about my $71.00 Internet bill, she said she pays $45.00.Whaaaat? I knew it. I’ve been convinced all along that these numbers are made up. Now, there is evidence. All across the US, Comcast is using made up numbers so they can buy NBC. Why is it that they get the airwaves for free (in the public interest) and we have to pay to use them? Oh, that’s right. They are represented in Congress and we’re not. How do you spell "rip-off"? Have I ranted enough?
I’m canceling my installation on Tuesday and looking into Clearwire WiMax for Internet and phone. That gets rid of Comcast and Qwest (another spawn of Satan). I’ll keep you posted. Right now, I’m researching TV providers. As we know, they may provide 256 channels but I'm still afraid the only thing that’s on is a weekend marathon showing reruns of Buffy.
Is this a great country or what?
Holding Hope in My Arms
Last Tuesday, as the president was getting ready to speak to the cadets at West Point, I was sitting in a store waiting for my one hour photos to be developed. Sitting next to me was a woman with a brand new baby.
“That’s a new lovely one,” I said. “How old is she?”
“She’s ten days old.”
As people do with strangers, we chatted about children and grandchildren. She said she had four other grandchildren but this would be her last. Her daughter was caring for her husband who was badly brain damaged in the war in Afghanistan. And, she was caring for her son ~ changing his diapers after he suffered a catastrophic brain injury in the war.
What do you say, I thought? What I said was, “I’m so very sorry,” as tears filled my eyes. “I hate this war.”
“So, do I,” she whispered, “I have no more tears left.”
We sat together hand in hand for a moment when she said, “Would you like to hold her?”
“Oh, yes, that would be lovely. I can tell you’re the gramma. She looks just like you.” I counted her little fingers and traced the curve of her perfect down-covered ear as she slept unaware.
As I handed her back, I was struck by the thought ~ here was a woman holding hope in her arms and dealing daily with death and destruction.
This appalling war is an agony. I wish the president would declare victory and bring all our troops home. I want our president to put our people first and give Afghanistan back to the Afghans. I'm sick to death of heroic rhetoric about the glories of war. General Sherman was right ~ War is hell.
“That’s a new lovely one,” I said. “How old is she?”
“She’s ten days old.”
As people do with strangers, we chatted about children and grandchildren. She said she had four other grandchildren but this would be her last. Her daughter was caring for her husband who was badly brain damaged in the war in Afghanistan. And, she was caring for her son ~ changing his diapers after he suffered a catastrophic brain injury in the war.
What do you say, I thought? What I said was, “I’m so very sorry,” as tears filled my eyes. “I hate this war.”
“So, do I,” she whispered, “I have no more tears left.”
We sat together hand in hand for a moment when she said, “Would you like to hold her?”
“Oh, yes, that would be lovely. I can tell you’re the gramma. She looks just like you.” I counted her little fingers and traced the curve of her perfect down-covered ear as she slept unaware.
As I handed her back, I was struck by the thought ~ here was a woman holding hope in her arms and dealing daily with death and destruction.
This appalling war is an agony. I wish the president would declare victory and bring all our troops home. I want our president to put our people first and give Afghanistan back to the Afghans. I'm sick to death of heroic rhetoric about the glories of war. General Sherman was right ~ War is hell.
The View from the Trenches and The Mea Maxima Culpa email
Greetings all ~
The last few years have been an exercise in making a dollar act like ten. Sometimes, I've been successful; sometimes, not. The past year has been especially fascinating (code for crappy). I'm always interested to read that the recession was over in June of this year. Really? Mmmmm ~ maybe it is for those who get paid every two weeks but for those us lying on the bottom of the trench looking up? Not so much.
Last week, I was forced to send out a mass email to friends I've not spoken with for ages. Nothing like a mass email to convey that personal touch. The gist was:
First, like Chelsea Clinton said today in her engagement email, please forgive the mass email. Unlike Chelsea, I’m not engaged (I think you need to go out to get engaged) but I’ve got so many people to beg forgiveness from that this seems the best plan. Sending out a thousand emails would take too long and the reason for my email is that I’ve been so crazy busy trying to keep my head above water that sending out a thousand emails seems counterproductive.
So, here’s the deal, please forgive me.
My life for the last year has very been difficult. The melt-down in the financial markets killed all my projects last year and sent me scrambling. My hair may not have been on fire but it was definitely smoldering. As the year wore on, I felt utterly overwhelmed. I couldn’t put one more thing on my plate. Didn’t open mail, answer phone calls or emails. Couldn’t even read them or listen to my messages. Quit Rotary. Put my head down and worked. Can’t explain it better than that.
What was going on? Well, the short story is that my Donald Trump property extravaganza on the other side of the state was in danger of exploding in flames. What kinds of things were happening? Oh, things like the roof blowing off the Victorian, my tenants deciding not to pay me so I had to evict them and sue them for back rent, the duplex at my dad’s sitting empty and costing me money every month, spending the last 8 months begging, borrowing and trading to get the duplex done so I can get renters in there and save it, oh and, my heart was beating 165 beats a minute and there was the whole three trips to the emergency room and hospital stay. Whaddahyah think? Stress? And, that doesn’t even count the things that were happening here at home which while not as bad were certainly attention getting.
The good thing is the boys are happy and healthy. The grands are both lovely, healthy and happy. The world's best dog is healthy and happy. Billy the cat did die suddenly in October but Clark the cat who had been gone for five months came back weighing 20 pounds so I guess he’s been healthy and happy as well.
So, I’m sorry I’ve been such a bad friend and hard to get in touch with. Please forgive me. I’m hoping the New Year will be less frantic and I’m able to hob and nob with you. I hope you will forgive me this year and we can begin again.
The last few years have been an exercise in making a dollar act like ten. Sometimes, I've been successful; sometimes, not. The past year has been especially fascinating (code for crappy). I'm always interested to read that the recession was over in June of this year. Really? Mmmmm ~ maybe it is for those who get paid every two weeks but for those us lying on the bottom of the trench looking up? Not so much.
Last week, I was forced to send out a mass email to friends I've not spoken with for ages. Nothing like a mass email to convey that personal touch. The gist was:
First, like Chelsea Clinton said today in her engagement email, please forgive the mass email. Unlike Chelsea, I’m not engaged (I think you need to go out to get engaged) but I’ve got so many people to beg forgiveness from that this seems the best plan. Sending out a thousand emails would take too long and the reason for my email is that I’ve been so crazy busy trying to keep my head above water that sending out a thousand emails seems counterproductive.
So, here’s the deal, please forgive me.
My life for the last year has very been difficult. The melt-down in the financial markets killed all my projects last year and sent me scrambling. My hair may not have been on fire but it was definitely smoldering. As the year wore on, I felt utterly overwhelmed. I couldn’t put one more thing on my plate. Didn’t open mail, answer phone calls or emails. Couldn’t even read them or listen to my messages. Quit Rotary. Put my head down and worked. Can’t explain it better than that.
What was going on? Well, the short story is that my Donald Trump property extravaganza on the other side of the state was in danger of exploding in flames. What kinds of things were happening? Oh, things like the roof blowing off the Victorian, my tenants deciding not to pay me so I had to evict them and sue them for back rent, the duplex at my dad’s sitting empty and costing me money every month, spending the last 8 months begging, borrowing and trading to get the duplex done so I can get renters in there and save it, oh and, my heart was beating 165 beats a minute and there was the whole three trips to the emergency room and hospital stay. Whaddahyah think? Stress? And, that doesn’t even count the things that were happening here at home which while not as bad were certainly attention getting.
The good thing is the boys are happy and healthy. The grands are both lovely, healthy and happy. The world's best dog is healthy and happy. Billy the cat did die suddenly in October but Clark the cat who had been gone for five months came back weighing 20 pounds so I guess he’s been healthy and happy as well.
So, I’m sorry I’ve been such a bad friend and hard to get in touch with. Please forgive me. I’m hoping the New Year will be less frantic and I’m able to hob and nob with you. I hope you will forgive me this year and we can begin again.
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