while i have the utmost respect and empathy for people who work in customer service and call centers, i must say this has been one of the most frustrating afternoons i've had in a long time. i spent just over two hours today on the phone with people at newegg, western digital, and ontrack trying to figure out just wtf is wrong with my new hard drive. ok, it's not that new, i've had it since christmas, and it's had its share of transfers so far . . . probably upwards of 800 GBs of movies, shows, music, and whatnot. at the end of almost every single one of these phone calls, right before they transferred me to someone else, something to the effect of "wow, that's wierd" "i've never even heard of this before" or "you must have done something wrong" was uttered by these so called customer service professionals. granted, i for some reason have the talent of coming up with computer problems that gill bates himself couldn't fix, but please dont try to make a joke about the 700+ gigs of entertainment that your drive miraculously lost and you have no utterly idea as to where it might have gone.
this brings me to the outrageous internet robbery that is data recovery. i was on the phone with bill at ontrack, who was quite polite, and spoke very good english, something i would normally consider a moot point except for the fact that my tally for the day was now 1/4. bill very plainly explained what might be wrong, the procedures that would take place, all the logistics of shipping and packaging, where they were located, where he lived, how long it would take to get it back to me, that they would run free diagnostics, his wife's name, you know, all the pertinent information for a data recovery case. then after all this, he dropped a number on me that hit like hiroshima. "with a drive your size and the fact that i haven't an idea of what might be wrong with it, i'm gonna put you in the $1500 - $2000 range" . . . i think i just pooped my pants a little bit.
now i'd always been told the importance of backing up your documents, which is why i bought my first external drive. so now that i'm on my third external drive and all i've lost are 700 gigs of movies music and tv shows, i suppose it's not the ugliest puppy in the litter, but i'm still a bit burnt on the fact that a glorified geek squad wants to charge me $2000 dollars to run a diagnostic program and perhaps do some spring cleaning on my hard drive in a dust-proof room looking like dustin hoffman in outbreak . . . or sphere. so i had to say to bill what i have been telling netflix, gamefly, and christie's cabaret, "i'm poor and i can't afford your services . . . no, not even on your finance plan".
so i've decided to drink a redbull or seven, have a few hotpockets at the ready, and begin re-downloading all my ghosted data. this means that apparently comcast and i will enter another 4 month battle as they throttle my bandwidth and i repeatedly call them telling them they are throttling me. of course this doesn't really get anybody anywhere considering they're normal response is "uhh everything looks fine on our end sir, perhaps your firewall settings are inhibiting proper port flow through you're router and/or modem" which i'm pretty sure is written down somewhere on a big poster at comcast because not only does that phrase come up a lot, it comes up from different people, in different counties, and most of them don't seem to know what half those words mean.
so here i sit, making a que of all the 400+ movies, 30+ concerts, 20+ install files, 15 audiobooks, and 70 seasons of shows that have been lost somewhere between two very tiny spinning disks of aluminum alloy.
3.19.2009
3.18.2009
signs
the above video is positively glorious (it may not actually be above, i may have moved it, but i promise it's somewhere on here). there's really nothing else i can say on the subject other than it makes my mind race. i'm not really sure any of them are complete thoughts, perhaps more questions than answers. let's see where we end up, shall we?
in a time when instantaneous worldwide communication can tell you what ninja warrior obstacle is the favorite of miss olivia munn, or exactly where to meet shaq for free tickets to tonight's game, a 12 minute video who's only interpersonal communication takes place on 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper is refreshing to say the least. this makes me think back to when i was sitting in my parent's basement doing homework and talking on aim. my dad implored me to give him a valid reason to be on the newfangled instant messanger. "to talk to people . . . ?" i said tentatively, to which he always responded "just call them on the phone and get it over with. but that's kind of the point isn't it? not to get it over with.
the constantly changing methods of interpersonal relationships are forging new paths for media to follow shortly thereafter, and that's why we do it, because it's new, it's cool, and just by using it, we're helping to form the infrastructure for the next wave in new media. these milestones such as the phonograph, the nickelodeon, the telephone, the video phone, instant messenger, cellular phone, podcasts, text messaging, video messaging, xbox live chat, twittering, every single one of them has made a step forward and allowed us to communicate faster and more efficiently with one another, and each across a more inclusive spectrum than before, narrowing the geographical gap between friends, colleagues, family members, and complete strangers.
but back to the video for now... the concept was put up by publicis mojo, a creative branch of the worldwide publicis group, these particular branches being located across australia. while i'm not really sure if this video was put up for a particular client, it certainly says a lot about a society that has limitless avenues of communication and allows people to go on being alone in a city of thousands.
this tragedy goes on for nearly 4 minutes showing how in every part of his day our hero is surrounded by people and still feels completely alone. such a common human feeling in a digital age, and one that is tackled by an unadorned, guileless and classic idea, pen and paper. this speaks volumes to me personally about how we are always going to be able to step back and have these personal relationships, and that no matter how digitized and instant our communication is, or how insensitive some people think it may be, we will always have the potential for these relationships, and those are the relationships that form friendships, partnerships, businesses, marriages, and all the things that make us human. so keep talking, keep twittering, keep texting, but remember that the avatar, screen name, or phone number you're talking to has a face, a brain, a mind, and a heart.
live well, love better, good night.
in a time when instantaneous worldwide communication can tell you what ninja warrior obstacle is the favorite of miss olivia munn, or exactly where to meet shaq for free tickets to tonight's game, a 12 minute video who's only interpersonal communication takes place on 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper is refreshing to say the least. this makes me think back to when i was sitting in my parent's basement doing homework and talking on aim. my dad implored me to give him a valid reason to be on the newfangled instant messanger. "to talk to people . . . ?" i said tentatively, to which he always responded "just call them on the phone and get it over with. but that's kind of the point isn't it? not to get it over with.
the constantly changing methods of interpersonal relationships are forging new paths for media to follow shortly thereafter, and that's why we do it, because it's new, it's cool, and just by using it, we're helping to form the infrastructure for the next wave in new media. these milestones such as the phonograph, the nickelodeon, the telephone, the video phone, instant messenger, cellular phone, podcasts, text messaging, video messaging, xbox live chat, twittering, every single one of them has made a step forward and allowed us to communicate faster and more efficiently with one another, and each across a more inclusive spectrum than before, narrowing the geographical gap between friends, colleagues, family members, and complete strangers.
but back to the video for now... the concept was put up by publicis mojo, a creative branch of the worldwide publicis group, these particular branches being located across australia. while i'm not really sure if this video was put up for a particular client, it certainly says a lot about a society that has limitless avenues of communication and allows people to go on being alone in a city of thousands.
this tragedy goes on for nearly 4 minutes showing how in every part of his day our hero is surrounded by people and still feels completely alone. such a common human feeling in a digital age, and one that is tackled by an unadorned, guileless and classic idea, pen and paper. this speaks volumes to me personally about how we are always going to be able to step back and have these personal relationships, and that no matter how digitized and instant our communication is, or how insensitive some people think it may be, we will always have the potential for these relationships, and those are the relationships that form friendships, partnerships, businesses, marriages, and all the things that make us human. so keep talking, keep twittering, keep texting, but remember that the avatar, screen name, or phone number you're talking to has a face, a brain, a mind, and a heart.
live well, love better, good night.
happy st. patty's day!
so my girlfriend and i walk in the door after a good night of st. pattying, i sit down to unwind with some TV the interwebz and a beer, and i look up at the clock and i realize it's not even 1 AM. first thought: holy crap i'm getting old. second thought: wait a second, i started my celebrating at 4 PM. this brings me to quite the conundrum. while i'm quite proud of myself for celebrating my irishness despite the fact there's not a bit of irish in me, i am pretty disappointed that on the drinking night of all drinking nights i can't muster a night that stretches more than 45 minutes into the AM. while it may be quite easy to point a finger and say i am getting older and therefore less cool, i blame this night on a lack of planning. my original plan was to run some random errands during the day, and hang out at the house with a few beers while i wait for plans to be made for me. at the time it seemed like a wonderful idea; you know, drink a little, get some things done, have the night planned out for you. only problem was, apparently everyone else had the same idea. this is when i came to a personal realization, it's one thing to be open minded and accept whatever the night brings you, but when everyone is playing the 'open minded' card, it's probably best just to buck up and do what you want to do. not that i had a bad time, i enjoyed my green beer quite well, especially when topped off with waffle house to finish off the night (always a pleasant ending point). but i've found more and more lately that people are being more conscious of their surroundings and the people with which they socialize, not only does that mean a more inclusive time for all, but it just might mean the most indecisive night for everyone as well. while most people never want to be 'that guy' that drags everyone around by their coat tails while secretly everyone wants to be at home watching grey's anatomy, if you're the only one playing tour guide, chances are you have everyone's undivided attention. some groups already have a 'tour guide' character in place, others may select a character depending on the particular night, but if you're group goes out with a purpose but no one waving the red flag of courage, be ready for an evening full of "what do you feel like" "oh i don't care" it doesn't matter to me" "i'm good with whatever". now i am completely aware that most socially interactive groups are composed of people in leadership roles and those in more of a follower role, and it would be quite selfish to assume that the same person should lead the charge all the time, however to allow everyone accountability, the situation must be made open for those who typically find themselves in following roles to feel comfortable taking the reigns for a bit. while i realize that this responsiblity may rely more heavily on those in the leadership roles, it will probably be worth it to actively pass on control to a less participatory friend than to passively wander aimlessly around downtown while everyone complains about how cold and wet it is outside. no real point to this one, just some personal thoughts taken down to remember later.
good night to all and a happy st. patty's day.
good night to all and a happy st. patty's day.
3.16.2009
some traditions are dumb . . .
while i sit here watching will farrell impersonate the dubya on HBO, which by the way is quite hilarious, i'm contemplating my next major purchase, a new laptop. i think it may just about be time for a new one considering my current dell latitude 9200 is about 5 years old, has been completely formatted 3 times, currently refuses to operate such programs as windows media player, internet explorer, adobe anything, along with several other problems that seem to fit no categorical heading. while i chalk most of these up to who knows, i still find it hard to let go of my pc ways. even though advertising as a whole is almost completely a mac dominated industry, the processing speed, battery life, and environmental consideration are all top notch, and pc's are becoming more and more unreliable, i still can't seem to . . . . oh wait.
yes it seems that my next laptop will be a new macbook pro, as a very tiny part of me dies inside. but that will probably only last until i get it home and realize that absolutely everything is smaller, faster, sleeker, and overall more efficient. man i'm stubborn sometimes . . .
yes it seems that my next laptop will be a new macbook pro, as a very tiny part of me dies inside. but that will probably only last until i get it home and realize that absolutely everything is smaller, faster, sleeker, and overall more efficient. man i'm stubborn sometimes . . .
what dreams are made of
let's just see where this goes . . .
i've been having some really wierd dreams lately. not wierd as in unexpected, in fact they're completely familiar to me. wierd in such a way that i haven't had them in years, and i used to have them all the time. now i know dream studies are all over the interwebz as far as what this means, what is a symbol for that, and all that nonsense, but if any of you have any input, i'd love to hear it, i've always thought dreams were a really interesting dive into the subconscious. i'll start by briefly describing these dreams.
the first one is pretty common and one i used to have all the time. you've all heard of the losing teeth dream where first it's one tooth, then two, and by the end you're spitting out your dental plan into your palm and screaming in otherwise inaudible vowels. this one is like that, only instead of my teeth falling out, they begin cracking. think about an iceberg beginning with one crack that just starts to run throughout the tooth, spreading to other surrounding teeth. before i know it, all i hear is cracking and my teeth begin to shatter something like this.
dream number B. slightly more wierd than the first, but still relatively calm and simple. like i said before, i used to have this one all the time, so for the most part in this dream i'm a little kid running around a fantastically large mansion . . . think beauty in the beast type of mansion. if i were an architect i'm sure i could quote you a decade and name the period, but i'm not, so let's stick with beauty and the beast. the only thing is, i'm not just running around this mansion, i'm being chased . . . by a lion. wtf? i know. anyway, this dream isn't just your average chase dream, i see the entire thing as if it were being watched from the security cameras in the top corners of these 30 foot tall rooms. nothing really happens, and i wake up wondering if there's a lion in my kitchen.
and last but certainly not least my third dream takes place in an old west train with several of my best friends. while the friends at any given time change in the dream, they're always recognizable to me, and there are always 4 or 5 of us. so we're decked out in your favorite jesse james outfit and we're fighting our way to the front of this train with guns-a-blazin. as we near the front of the train, a friend and i duck under a bar table to fire at our opressors. after we take out a few of the baddies, one of them busts through our blockade and shoots my buddy in the back as he lays next to me. the dream goes in to slow motion as i see him lower his gun to me. i see him pull the trigger and as the bullet enters the small of my back, my dream literally explodes into a barrage of colors, as if rainbow brite decided to take the pop rocks and coke challenge.
so those are the three dreams that i've been having recently, and it got me searching. psychologytoday.com had an article in 2007 that basically said dreams are rehearsals your brain puts you through as a sort of practice session for possible encounters. for instance, you're watching a good old fashioned action flick and it gets you thinking what you might do in a similar situation. when you go to sleep, you brain takes that thought and basically builds a situation for you, depicting not necessarily what you would do, but what you might do, allowing you to see a certain outcome. if it's an unfavorable outcome, you see what not to do, and if it's favorable, you see it as practice. that's the general idea of the article anyway, do check it out, it's a good read. while that is a very logical approach to dreams in a general sense, i feel like it leaves out dreams that are so completely fantastic and out of the question that there is no way they could represent or be linked to real-life situations. so with that said, apparently my brain is preparing me to be chased by lions, have my teeth shattered, and be shot up old west style while on a moving train; all amazing considerations, but at least i now know what i think of dreams.
i've been having some really wierd dreams lately. not wierd as in unexpected, in fact they're completely familiar to me. wierd in such a way that i haven't had them in years, and i used to have them all the time. now i know dream studies are all over the interwebz as far as what this means, what is a symbol for that, and all that nonsense, but if any of you have any input, i'd love to hear it, i've always thought dreams were a really interesting dive into the subconscious. i'll start by briefly describing these dreams.
the first one is pretty common and one i used to have all the time. you've all heard of the losing teeth dream where first it's one tooth, then two, and by the end you're spitting out your dental plan into your palm and screaming in otherwise inaudible vowels. this one is like that, only instead of my teeth falling out, they begin cracking. think about an iceberg beginning with one crack that just starts to run throughout the tooth, spreading to other surrounding teeth. before i know it, all i hear is cracking and my teeth begin to shatter something like this.
dream number B. slightly more wierd than the first, but still relatively calm and simple. like i said before, i used to have this one all the time, so for the most part in this dream i'm a little kid running around a fantastically large mansion . . . think beauty in the beast type of mansion. if i were an architect i'm sure i could quote you a decade and name the period, but i'm not, so let's stick with beauty and the beast. the only thing is, i'm not just running around this mansion, i'm being chased . . . by a lion. wtf? i know. anyway, this dream isn't just your average chase dream, i see the entire thing as if it were being watched from the security cameras in the top corners of these 30 foot tall rooms. nothing really happens, and i wake up wondering if there's a lion in my kitchen.
and last but certainly not least my third dream takes place in an old west train with several of my best friends. while the friends at any given time change in the dream, they're always recognizable to me, and there are always 4 or 5 of us. so we're decked out in your favorite jesse james outfit and we're fighting our way to the front of this train with guns-a-blazin. as we near the front of the train, a friend and i duck under a bar table to fire at our opressors. after we take out a few of the baddies, one of them busts through our blockade and shoots my buddy in the back as he lays next to me. the dream goes in to slow motion as i see him lower his gun to me. i see him pull the trigger and as the bullet enters the small of my back, my dream literally explodes into a barrage of colors, as if rainbow brite decided to take the pop rocks and coke challenge.
so those are the three dreams that i've been having recently, and it got me searching. psychologytoday.com had an article in 2007 that basically said dreams are rehearsals your brain puts you through as a sort of practice session for possible encounters. for instance, you're watching a good old fashioned action flick and it gets you thinking what you might do in a similar situation. when you go to sleep, you brain takes that thought and basically builds a situation for you, depicting not necessarily what you would do, but what you might do, allowing you to see a certain outcome. if it's an unfavorable outcome, you see what not to do, and if it's favorable, you see it as practice. that's the general idea of the article anyway, do check it out, it's a good read. while that is a very logical approach to dreams in a general sense, i feel like it leaves out dreams that are so completely fantastic and out of the question that there is no way they could represent or be linked to real-life situations. so with that said, apparently my brain is preparing me to be chased by lions, have my teeth shattered, and be shot up old west style while on a moving train; all amazing considerations, but at least i now know what i think of dreams.
some things are just necessary
so my countless hours at 'the office' have left me with plenty of parting thoughts over the last few months: why i need a new job, exactly how much drawn butter does it take to kill someone, yes i guess that really does happen in a restaurant, as well as several others. however, the most pressing thought on my mind last night as i left was important enough to actually stay on my mind long enough for me to look it up today.
as i sit here typing this, the other tab in my browser is indeed depicting the specifications, price, size, and order information for a residential soda fountain tower. apparently the years of working in restaurants with a variety of sugary beverages at my fingertips have rubbed off on me because lately i've been downing canned sodas like they were going out of style. not that i would install such a beautiful system in my current rented residence, but it satisfies me to know that for only $1,018 plus shipping and installation, i could have my very own dispenser tower with my two favorite flavors of carbonated goodness.
even more interesting and delicious is an apparent 'upgrade' that you can get which turns one of the dispenser outlets into a liquor dispenser. how could you not be the coolest guy on your block with a perfectly refrigerated countertop whiskey and coke machine??? the sheer possibility of this makes my head spin. anyway, my parting thoughts for the evening are those of one day spending four figures on a machine that will give me what i can already get from my refrigerator for absolutely no cost at all.
as i sit here typing this, the other tab in my browser is indeed depicting the specifications, price, size, and order information for a residential soda fountain tower. apparently the years of working in restaurants with a variety of sugary beverages at my fingertips have rubbed off on me because lately i've been downing canned sodas like they were going out of style. not that i would install such a beautiful system in my current rented residence, but it satisfies me to know that for only $1,018 plus shipping and installation, i could have my very own dispenser tower with my two favorite flavors of carbonated goodness.
even more interesting and delicious is an apparent 'upgrade' that you can get which turns one of the dispenser outlets into a liquor dispenser. how could you not be the coolest guy on your block with a perfectly refrigerated countertop whiskey and coke machine??? the sheer possibility of this makes my head spin. anyway, my parting thoughts for the evening are those of one day spending four figures on a machine that will give me what i can already get from my refrigerator for absolutely no cost at all.
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