Sales Guy VS IT/Web Guy/Support
I swear to god I work with a guy who sounds just like the Sales Guy [I know this is long, but for anyone in IT or Customer Support you will enjoy it]:
posted by TheWino @ 4:10 PM
1 comments
Bottom Of The Barrel
Monday, June 30, 2008
If you want 1 hour and 50 minutes of high action, sprinkled with a few laughs and a simple plot, then Wanted is your film. James McAvoy is the young gun new to the group, Angelina Jolie is the mentor/trainer [aptly named Fox] and Morgan Freeman is the stoic leader of the band of merry assassins. The movie is loosely based on the comic book miniseries of the same name by Mark Millar and it delivers a full on comic book experience. Car chases, load of gun play and slick slow motion "bullet time" sequences. And if there was ever a role perfect for Angelina's plethora of tattoo's this is it - not to mention the full length shot of Fox leaving a warm bath and putting on her robe. So if your looking for a good old fashion popcorn flick, Wanted has got you covered.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Recently there has been grumblings about the Pink Hat in and around fenway. Some die hard "fans" believe you should only wear the true colors of the team [for the Sox that's Red, White and Blue] and not hats or shirts made from colors which are not on the team pallet. I guess I'm going to have to return my Black Throw Back Patriots Hat because it is not the current team logo or my Kelly Green St. Patrick's Day Dustin Pedroia Jersey because it is not an official color of the team.
[I won't even mention how the San Diego Padres wear camouflage uniforms on Memorial Day or how the New York Yankees played a game against the Virgina Tech team this spring or how mlb teams go pink on Mother's Day]
For me, I'm going to trade in my Silver and Red cars for two black ones, after all Henry Ford only made black Model T's back in the day any why would we want a world with selection, stlye, personality or choice?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The show follows FBI Agent Agent Olivia Dunham [Anna Torv] who is now part of a super top secret government group investigating the unexplainable. Dunham will work closely with Dr. Walter Bishop [John Noble] to deal with all of the "Fringe Science" as it is called in the pilot. Dr. Bishop can only stay out of jail if his ultra-genius son Peter Bishop [Joshua Jackson] remains as his guardian. Rounding out the group of FBI types are Special Agent Phillip Broyles [Lance Reddick] who is in charge of the super group and Agent Charlie Francis [Kirk Acevedo] who appears to be one of Agent Dunham's superiors [for now].
Like other Abrams' shows, Fringe will have an overall mythology which looks to be centered on Dr. Bishop's work in the early 70's and his former partner William Bell, who is now CEO of a global company called Massive Dynamics - $50 billion-dollar organisation responsible for research, development and production in a variety of different areas include but are not limited to weapons testing, robotics, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. In the pilot they call the mythology The Pattern. In one scene Broyles explains to Dunham the kinds of incidents include missing children return 10 years later without aging, plane omits sound and an hour later an earthquake erupts in that location, or coma patient wakes up to write down the exact locations of battle cruiser around the globe. This is what the show is calling The Pattern. A worldwide experiment. The question is who is running the Pattern and why. I'm guessing Massive Dynamics will play a major part in all of it.
The pilot was estimated at a cost of $10 million to make and some of the effects are pretty good and I really liked the mind meld sequence, which included a hint of Lost-like whispers. I also like the 3D location names layered on the scenes and the fact that hey sprinkle in a few scientific sounding terms like Pearl Autopilot System and Kelvin Genetics. A big plus for the pilot being based in Boston featuring Logan, Harvard, Southie and a reference to the Boston Marathon.
Given that this show will have lead-in's like House [in the fall] and American Idol [in the spring], I don't think ratings will be a problem. So if you are a fan of The X-Files, Lost, or Twin Peaks you might just like this show. Now if Agent Dunham and Dr. Bishop can just explain with the Smoke Monster is on the island we might get somewhere.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Based on the first season only - just 13 episodes - I am going to predict the end of the series:
Episode 60 - Nate drops to the floor from a stroke caused by his arteriovenous malformation. In an attempt to save him, Brenda drives recklessly to the hospital to save him but accidentally hits her brother, who was biking, and crashes into a gas truck exploding into a fiery ball. Ironically, there in nothing left to bury.
Episode 61:
David dies from a freak suffocation when he is accidentally pinned under a 300 pound corpse which falls on top of him while being prepped for a viewing. If only Nate hadn't dies the day before he would have been there to save him. Keith overcome with sorrow decides to turn straight and become a deacon his local Church.
Episode 62:
Ruth has had a long forming love affair with both Nikolai and Hiram which tragically ends when she has an extacy flashback and and stabs them both during their very first threesome. Overcome with guilt she sets fire to the funeral home and it burns to the ground. Now there is nothing left of the home, Ruth or David, who was on the slab in the basement.
Episode 63:
Claire and Frederico decide to become partners and rebuild the business, from the ground up. Frederico is happy that he has finally become a partner but sad over the deep losses his "family" has had. Claire continues to abuse drugs and Frederico over the rebuilding process and in their final argument over which name is listed first on the business' sign, Claire pushes Frederico from the unfinished second floor all the way into the basement however he grabs her leg on the way down and they both fall 3 floors and die instantly.
Just then Nathaniel Sr. sits up suddenly in bed and we realize the whole thing was a dream and that he is alive, he still has the room, Nate is still in Seattle, David is still in the closet, Ruth is still the wall flower wife, and Claire is still sucking guys toes in her very own avocado green hearse.
Roll credits.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Their new plan is to re-institute tolls in western Massachusetts and at West Newton. Seems like the Big Dig continues to dig deep into the Western Mass residents. I want to renew my objection to new or higher tolls in the western suburbs to pay for a downtown road project. Why should the residents who live, work and drive the pike 100 miles away pay for the $12 billion dollars the project went over budget? Why not build tolls in the areas that most benefit this engineering marvel? I think a $3 toll in Somerville and Dorchester would raise $100 million in no time.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Back in April, I wrote how open Boston Celtics Co-Owner Wycliffe "Wyc" Grousbeck was to communication that he published his email address in a Globe Magazine article. After the Celtics won the championship, I thought I would test my comments and I dropped Wyc a short email congratulating him, the management, coaches and players on winning # 17. Two days later I got a short reply of thanks, which goes to prove he is a man of his word and until further notice, professional sports owner of the year!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Last night the pride was back on Causeway Street. The new Big 3 delivered not just a win in game 6 but a complete demolition of the much hated Lakers. Looking back on the box score today, the thing that jumps out at me is how much of a team effort last night's game was. Garnet, Pierce, Allen and Rondo combined for 90 points, 24 assists, 28 rebounds, and 14 steals while the bench chipped in the other 41 points. This game gives us the best example of the teams season long philosophy of Ubuntu - an African ideal that each person is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed. Ok that was way over stated but there maybe no better way to describe the word we use to describe the simple word TEAM.
Congratulations to the players, coaches and management for collecting your 17th world championship and showing the world that there really should be ubuntu in every winning team.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Click here for more information on the Rick Roll phemonmenom!
Monday, June 16, 2008
I tried again to upgrade my phone this weekend but unfortunately I was again turned away by your retain outlets. This time the problem is not that my name and number has purchase ability but rather I am the second phone number on our family plan. So the sales representative told me that I could not utilize the $50 credit the account has for a phone upgrade but I could pay $20 transfer fee and purchase a new phone if I wanted to. Hmm let me think about that... Nope, thanks.
Yup, that's an 0-for-2 trip to the Verizon retain store.
So after returning home, I called their 800 service line and I was told that upgrading my phone using our account credit is not a problem and she promptly ordered me a new red juke phone which should arrive mid-week. The service rep actually commented that I have no need to go to their physical location unless I need to look and touch a new phone, otherwise everything can be done online or over the phone. Thanks for the tip, so now I will never need to return to one of those -oh-so-unhelpful locations as long as I remain a Verizon customer. Maybe we will start seeing less and less retail stores if this trend of anti-service continues.
Which at this point, is fine with me.
Verizon Customer 123456789
[because we are all just numbers to Corporate America]
Saturday, June 14, 2008
In a show of solidarity with my fellow bloggers, I am going to give a quick review of each of Metallica's 8 studio albums, all fully available to anyone who wishes to buy a copy:
1983: Kill 'Em All - I find this album to be unpolished trash rock, where several songs actaully have the same beat and very similar riff's. Honestly not a single redeeming rack on the album.
1984: Ride the Lightning - Most of their second effort follow's the debut formula - washed out and echoed vocals over driving beat with a simple and poor guitar riff. The exceptions are the tracks For Whom The Bell Tolls and Fade To Black, which are good and the only ones worth listening to.
1986: Master of Puppets - With the 3rd album, you can start to hear how the band is beginning to understand production value in music. Although the music is better than the first two albums, no single track is worth buying.
1988: ...And Justice for All - Although this recond contains my favorite song, One, I again find mane of the songs to sound very similar. On a positive note, the title track is also a good listen.
1991: Metallica - Also known as the black album, here is the bands biggest selling record to date [22 million copies worldwide] and hight of their popularity. The album spurned 5 hit singles: Enter Sandman, Sad but True, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, and Nothing Else Matters. If you were going to buy just one Metallica album, this is the one.
1996: Load - Trying to follow in the same style of the wildly popular 4th album, the band produced a very long record [14 tracks running almost 79 minutes]. Unfortunately they one created a fw good songs like Until It Sleeps, King Nothing, and Hero Of The Day.
1997: ReLoad - Originally planned as a double release with Load, the group's 7th album didn't give us anything remarkibly new but did provide another 3 good tracks in Fuel, The Memory Remains, and The Unforgiven II.
2003: St. Anger - On their 8th album, the band infused some newer sounds like ping snare beats with their old school punk riffs to produce a really angry sounded record. I'll pass on all 11 angry tracks.
With each track available on Amazon for $0.99, I would be out a total of $14.85 for my very own 15 track Best Of album. Might be a better choice then there new album due in September, which doesn't seem like it will be ready for prime time [or maybe any good either].
Friday, June 13, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
227 immigrants raised their right hand today and took the Oath of Citizenship at the John F. Kennedy Library in Dorchester. One man literally stood out among them - Boston Red Sox, and former Dominican Republic native, star designated hitter David Ortiz is now an American Citizen.
A new twist on the old fashion smash-and-grab, thieves broke into Attleboro, MA jewelry maker EA Dion, Inc. and stole approximately $2 million dollars worth of jewelry and metals were stolen, which included Super Bowl rings for the Giants. Police say thieves disabled the alarm system at E.A. Dion’s building, cut a hole in the roof and made off with a safe that weighed at least 1,000 pounds and containing gold, gems and the rings.
Did they use a crane to pull that safe through the roof? I mean I saw the Italian Job and at least those guys let it fall into the river, which looked cooler that it probably really is. Plus where are these guys going to fence a bunch of Superbowl rings? Ebay? I can see the posting now... 2008 Giant's Superbowl Ring, never worn, slightly charded from cutting the safe open, action starts at $100.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Last week, California state Senate passed Bill 1499 which would ban helium-filled foil balloons and make it a crime to sell them. [The bill now goes to the state Assembly] For a state that is facing a $15-billion deficit, overcrowded and under performing school systems and a crumbling transportation system, this seems like a excellent use of the states resources. For a Massachusetts native, I'm glad to see other state's doing some, um, interesting legislating.
So for now, California's get your balloons now before they float away into the abyss of your state government.
Monday, June 09, 2008
I stopped into one of your branches today to upgrade my phone to a newer model via your $50-new-phone-every-two-years promotion and to sign up for 2 more years of service. After driving over on a very hot day and walking across the mall to your store, your sales representative informed me that since my wife's name in the account manager, I was not able to use the promotion, get a phone or a new service plan unless she was there to sign the paperwork. As I began to leave he also mentioned she could just call and add me as a full account user as well.
Note: I don't think it's good business to turn away customers who show up to hand you money, just my 2 cents.
So much for actually trying help your customer in getting this very simple issue resolved, he let me walk out without the customer service number or offering to help in anyway. After walking halfway down the mall, I turned around and went back to get the magic service number, which he had on a card at his desk. I guess the first time around it was too much effort to reach up and hand it to me. At that point he also mentioned in passing that my name had to be added as some particular type - which I didn't catch because I was done with him.
After driving back to my office it turns out a 2 minute phone call from my wife to customer service got me added properly. I guess he couldn't had tried to facilitate that action while I was looking at new phones. From now on, I think companies like this should no longer be allowed to use the word customer in Customer Service.
If it wasn't for having the best reception in the northeast, I would no longer be a Verizon customer today. So thank you very little Verizon mall guy for providing the wort service of the day.
Verizon Customer 123456789
[because we are all just numbers to Corporate America]
Friday, June 06, 2008
This also will be very helpful when the FCC finally gets around to ruling on their previously unannounced traffic throttling. They could claim is was an Alpha stage of their new revenue model [since they basically got caught doing something they shouldn't have been doing in the first place]. Yeah that's it - we were just seeing if we could do for the future. Yeah that's the ticket!
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Scenes for Bruce Willis' new movie, "The Surrogates," a sci-fi thriller, will be filmed at the Draper mill complex in Hopedale, MA later this month. A set is currently being constructed behind the mill's Hopedale Street wing and there are also several used Boston Police cruisers in and around the site.
According to the movie's IMDB page, it is set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop (Willis) is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order to investigate the murders of others’ surrogates.
Hopefully I can get down to the set during filming and see some of the action and the stars while they are briefly in the area.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
In cooperation with the DEA, Kaczur made 3 transactions of 100 pills each with a alleged dealer Daniel Ekasala for $3,900. 39 bucks a pill. That's quite a mark-up from the roughly $6 per pill pharmacy cost or even your $40 co-pay for 30 pills.
These recorded deals took place on May 1st, May 6th and May 13th in Foxborough, North Attleborough and Sharon Massachusetts. That means Ekasala didn't find it odd that Kaczur was taking roughly 16 pills a day and that Ekasala deals from all over the the route 95 beltway.
Hopefully Kaczur is getting help for his pain medication issue and Ekasala can help the DEA with the continue flow of prescription medication into the streets.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Now the downside:
While the law may seem good in theory, I'm not sure fining people who may not want or can not afford insurance is the answer. Although, adding a new dollar-per-pack cigarette tax might be a interesting solution. Also we will see if smokers will pay over $6 for a pack or not. I think they will.
It should be noted that the report was paid for by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the Commonwealth Fund and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. So much for unbiased reporting.
Monday, June 02, 2008
The throwing of octopi onto the ice at Red Wings games has been a very long tradition. Back on April 15, 1952 two Detroit brothers, Pete and Jerry Cusimano - store owner's in Detroit's Eastern Market - threw the eight-legged cephalopod on the ice at Olympia Stadium, former home of the Detroit Red Wings. Each tentacle of the octopus was symbolic of a win in the playoffs. [Back then, the NHL boasted only six teams, and eight wins were needed to win the Stanley Cup.] The Red Wings swept the series that year, and the Octopus has come to be the good luck charm ever since. Usually the person who hurls any object, whether inanimate by nature or inanimate by boiling, is typically asked to leave the event. Unless you are like guy:
Avid Red Wings fan Zach Smith, 19, of Cleveland, who bought an octopus at Superior Fish Co. in Royal Oak, MI last Friday and stored it in a cooler for the drive to Pittsburgh. Saturday night, Smith wrapped the uncooked beast in a plastic bag and taped it to his stomach, under his shirt. Per the octoquette, Smith made his way down to the ice and tossed his well traveled prize onto the ice just after the national anthem at which time Mellon Arena security asked him to leave and not return or face a trespassing arrest. Prepared for this situation, Smith exited the building slipped on a Red Wings jersey, returned to the entrance with a spare ticket purchased locally from a Re-selling Engineer on the street and reunited with his friends.
Hockey Playoff Ticket: $77
Genuine Darren McCarty Home Jersey: $170
Additional Ticket: $300
Being able to watch the game and throw an octopus on the ice: Priceless
Oh right, a sheep skin pad, that is a relief.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Manny Ramirez becomes just the 24th player to hit 500 home runs and he joins a list of players that includes the likes of Reggie Jackson, Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams. If he can hit 100 more he will probably become just the 8th player to accomplish that feat.
For anyone who wants to revisit every single home run for Manny, The Boston Globe has put together a nice interactive site for this very purpose. Sorry Jamie Moyer, I now know you have given up the most to Manny - 10 - in his career.
Wanted - 1 Popcorn Flick
If you want 1 hour and 50 minutes of high action, sprinkled with a few laughs and a simple plot, then Wanted is your film. James McAvoy is the young gun new to the group, Angelina Jolie is the mentor/trainer [aptly named Fox] and Morgan Freeman is the stoic leader of the band of merry assassins. The movie is loosely based on the comic book miniseries of the same name by Mark Millar and it delivers a full on comic book experience. Car chases, load of gun play and slick slow motion "bullet time" sequences. And if there was ever a role perfect for Angelina's plethora of tattoo's this is it - not to mention the full length shot of Fox leaving a warm bath and putting on her robe. So if your looking for a good old fashion popcorn flick, Wanted has got you covered.Labels: Movies
posted by TheWino @ 10:01 AM
0 comments
Be a real man and don't dis on pink
Recently there has been grumblings about the Pink Hat in and around fenway. Some die hard "fans" believe you should only wear the true colors of the team [for the Sox that's Red, White and Blue] and not hats or shirts made from colors which are not on the team pallet. I guess I'm going to have to return my Black Throw Back Patriots Hat because it is not the current team logo or my Kelly Green St. Patrick's Day Dustin Pedroia Jersey because it is not an official color of the team.[I won't even mention how the San Diego Padres wear camouflage uniforms on Memorial Day or how the New York Yankees played a game against the Virgina Tech team this spring or how mlb teams go pink on Mother's Day]
For me, I'm going to trade in my Silver and Red cars for two black ones, after all Henry Ford only made black Model T's back in the day any why would we want a world with selection, stlye, personality or choice?
posted by TheWino @ 8:22 AM
0 comments
Fringe - The Leak
Fringe, the new show from J.J. Abrams [Lost, Cloverfield, Star Trek] was "leaked" onto the net last week. Now knowing that Abrams doesn't do anything by accident, I am guessing this was done on purpose to help build the buzz regarding his new show, which will premiere on Fox on September 9th.The show follows FBI Agent Agent Olivia Dunham [Anna Torv] who is now part of a super top secret government group investigating the unexplainable. Dunham will work closely with Dr. Walter Bishop [John Noble] to deal with all of the "Fringe Science" as it is called in the pilot. Dr. Bishop can only stay out of jail if his ultra-genius son Peter Bishop [Joshua Jackson] remains as his guardian. Rounding out the group of FBI types are Special Agent Phillip Broyles [Lance Reddick] who is in charge of the super group and Agent Charlie Francis [Kirk Acevedo] who appears to be one of Agent Dunham's superiors [for now].
Like other Abrams' shows, Fringe will have an overall mythology which looks to be centered on Dr. Bishop's work in the early 70's and his former partner William Bell, who is now CEO of a global company called Massive Dynamics - $50 billion-dollar organisation responsible for research, development and production in a variety of different areas include but are not limited to weapons testing, robotics, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. In the pilot they call the mythology The Pattern. In one scene Broyles explains to Dunham the kinds of incidents include missing children return 10 years later without aging, plane omits sound and an hour later an earthquake erupts in that location, or coma patient wakes up to write down the exact locations of battle cruiser around the globe. This is what the show is calling The Pattern. A worldwide experiment. The question is who is running the Pattern and why. I'm guessing Massive Dynamics will play a major part in all of it.
The pilot was estimated at a cost of $10 million to make and some of the effects are pretty good and I really liked the mind meld sequence, which included a hint of Lost-like whispers. I also like the 3D location names layered on the scenes and the fact that hey sprinkle in a few scientific sounding terms like Pearl Autopilot System and Kelvin Genetics. A big plus for the pilot being based in Boston featuring Logan, Harvard, Southie and a reference to the Boston Marathon.
Given that this show will have lead-in's like House [in the fall] and American Idol [in the spring], I don't think ratings will be a problem. So if you are a fan of The X-Files, Lost, or Twin Peaks you might just like this show. Now if Agent Dunham and Dr. Bishop can just explain with the Smoke Monster is on the island we might get somewhere.
posted by TheWino @ 7:18 AM
1 comments
Six Feet Under - The Projection
Having just finished season 1 of Six Feet Under on DVD [I know I am about 7 years behind on this but in my defense I didn't have HBO 7 years ago] and I really like this series. If you have not seen the show, go out and give it a try. The humor is dry, the language is raw and the sex is abundant. It mixes life and death well and other than coming to enjoy Michael C. Hall as David, which was difficult if you know him as Dexter, the characters are all very much characters.Based on the first season only - just 13 episodes - I am going to predict the end of the series:
Episode 60 - Nate drops to the floor from a stroke caused by his arteriovenous malformation. In an attempt to save him, Brenda drives recklessly to the hospital to save him but accidentally hits her brother, who was biking, and crashes into a gas truck exploding into a fiery ball. Ironically, there in nothing left to bury.
Episode 61:
David dies from a freak suffocation when he is accidentally pinned under a 300 pound corpse which falls on top of him while being prepped for a viewing. If only Nate hadn't dies the day before he would have been there to save him. Keith overcome with sorrow decides to turn straight and become a deacon his local Church.
Episode 62:
Ruth has had a long forming love affair with both Nikolai and Hiram which tragically ends when she has an extacy flashback and and stabs them both during their very first threesome. Overcome with guilt she sets fire to the funeral home and it burns to the ground. Now there is nothing left of the home, Ruth or David, who was on the slab in the basement.
Episode 63:
Claire and Frederico decide to become partners and rebuild the business, from the ground up. Frederico is happy that he has finally become a partner but sad over the deep losses his "family" has had. Claire continues to abuse drugs and Frederico over the rebuilding process and in their final argument over which name is listed first on the business' sign, Claire pushes Frederico from the unfinished second floor all the way into the basement however he grabs her leg on the way down and they both fall 3 floors and die instantly.
Just then Nathaniel Sr. sits up suddenly in bed and we realize the whole thing was a dream and that he is alive, he still has the room, Nate is still in Seattle, David is still in the closet, Ruth is still the wall flower wife, and Claire is still sucking guys toes in her very own avocado green hearse.
Roll credits.
posted by TheWino @ 9:24 AM
1 comments
Stop digging into our pockets
The Cash Pike was to be toll less once the original load was repaid and then in 2006 the Turnpike Authority voted to finally eliminate tools completely by the end of last year. Both of these things have not happened yet but instead the Turnpike Authority is looking at implementing a $100 million toll hike to deal with budget deficits and overwhelming Big Dig-related debt.Their new plan is to re-institute tolls in western Massachusetts and at West Newton. Seems like the Big Dig continues to dig deep into the Western Mass residents. I want to renew my objection to new or higher tolls in the western suburbs to pay for a downtown road project. Why should the residents who live, work and drive the pike 100 miles away pay for the $12 billion dollars the project went over budget? Why not build tolls in the areas that most benefit this engineering marvel? I think a $3 toll in Somerville and Dorchester would raise $100 million in no time.
Labels: Massachusetts
posted by TheWino @ 6:50 AM
2 comments
George "Father of Seven Words" Carlin - RIP
NSFW | Ground Breaking | Will Be Missed
posted by TheWino @ 9:05 AM
1 comments
Wyc Update
Back in April, I wrote how open Boston Celtics Co-Owner Wycliffe "Wyc" Grousbeck was to communication that he published his email address in a Globe Magazine article. After the Celtics won the championship, I thought I would test my comments and I dropped Wyc a short email congratulating him, the management, coaches and players on winning # 17. Two days later I got a short reply of thanks, which goes to prove he is a man of his word and until further notice, professional sports owner of the year!
posted by TheWino @ 9:50 AM
1 comments
Green 17
Back on January 27th, I was reading the Sunday Globe and saw an ad in the sports section [which was heavily dedicated to the impending Superbowl and the Patriots] which featured a picture of Kevin Garnet with the tag line We Got Next! The message of the green and black colored advertisement was that after the Patriots win the Superbowl [which was supposed to be the city's 2 straight championship following the Red Sox 2007 World Series win], The Celtics were next to bring the glory back to Boston.Last night the pride was back on Causeway Street. The new Big 3 delivered not just a win in game 6 but a complete demolition of the much hated Lakers. Looking back on the box score today, the thing that jumps out at me is how much of a team effort last night's game was. Garnet, Pierce, Allen and Rondo combined for 90 points, 24 assists, 28 rebounds, and 14 steals while the bench chipped in the other 41 points. This game gives us the best example of the teams season long philosophy of Ubuntu - an African ideal that each person is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed. Ok that was way over stated but there maybe no better way to describe the word we use to describe the simple word TEAM.
Congratulations to the players, coaches and management for collecting your 17th world championship and showing the world that there really should be ubuntu in every winning team.
posted by TheWino @ 9:51 AM
2 comments
WWE Rick Rolled
Click here for more information on the Rick Roll phemonmenom!
posted by TheWino @ 10:58 AM
0 comments
Verizon Customer Service, Part 2
Dear Verizon,I tried again to upgrade my phone this weekend but unfortunately I was again turned away by your retain outlets. This time the problem is not that my name and number has purchase ability but rather I am the second phone number on our family plan. So the sales representative told me that I could not utilize the $50 credit the account has for a phone upgrade but I could pay $20 transfer fee and purchase a new phone if I wanted to. Hmm let me think about that... Nope, thanks.
Yup, that's an 0-for-2 trip to the Verizon retain store.
So after returning home, I called their 800 service line and I was told that upgrading my phone using our account credit is not a problem and she promptly ordered me a new red juke phone which should arrive mid-week. The service rep actually commented that I have no need to go to their physical location unless I need to look and touch a new phone, otherwise everything can be done online or over the phone. Thanks for the tip, so now I will never need to return to one of those -oh-so-unhelpful locations as long as I remain a Verizon customer. Maybe we will start seeing less and less retail stores if this trend of anti-service continues.
Which at this point, is fine with me.
Verizon Customer 123456789
[because we are all just numbers to Corporate America]
Labels: Business, Going out of business, Internet
posted by TheWino @ 10:53 AM
1 comments
What is Metallica's Mission?
According to reports, Metallica -- in a show of good faith -- invited some music bloggers into the studio to let them listen to six tracks off the band's new album. After listening, the critics wrote up reviews based on what they heard which did not violate any non-disclosure agreements since there weren't any [nor were any specific directions given to them regarding what they could and could not write about]. After the reviews were posted, the bloggers received word from the band's management instructing them to remove the reviews from the site or face legal action because Metallica's management claimed that the songs were rough mixes and had no place in reviews that assumed they were finished products. This is an odd statement since they invited people to listen to these songs who a. review music for a living and use a medium for instant gratification. My guess is the management were simply displeased with the reviews, thus did not want the rest of the cd consuming world to read these kind of early reviews.In a show of solidarity with my fellow bloggers, I am going to give a quick review of each of Metallica's 8 studio albums, all fully available to anyone who wishes to buy a copy:
1983: Kill 'Em All - I find this album to be unpolished trash rock, where several songs actaully have the same beat and very similar riff's. Honestly not a single redeeming rack on the album.
1984: Ride the Lightning - Most of their second effort follow's the debut formula - washed out and echoed vocals over driving beat with a simple and poor guitar riff. The exceptions are the tracks For Whom The Bell Tolls and Fade To Black, which are good and the only ones worth listening to.
1986: Master of Puppets - With the 3rd album, you can start to hear how the band is beginning to understand production value in music. Although the music is better than the first two albums, no single track is worth buying.
1988: ...And Justice for All - Although this recond contains my favorite song, One, I again find mane of the songs to sound very similar. On a positive note, the title track is also a good listen.
1991: Metallica - Also known as the black album, here is the bands biggest selling record to date [22 million copies worldwide] and hight of their popularity. The album spurned 5 hit singles: Enter Sandman, Sad but True, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, and Nothing Else Matters. If you were going to buy just one Metallica album, this is the one.
1996: Load - Trying to follow in the same style of the wildly popular 4th album, the band produced a very long record [14 tracks running almost 79 minutes]. Unfortunately they one created a fw good songs like Until It Sleeps, King Nothing, and Hero Of The Day.
1997: ReLoad - Originally planned as a double release with Load, the group's 7th album didn't give us anything remarkibly new but did provide another 3 good tracks in Fuel, The Memory Remains, and The Unforgiven II.
2003: St. Anger - On their 8th album, the band infused some newer sounds like ping snare beats with their old school punk riffs to produce a really angry sounded record. I'll pass on all 11 angry tracks.
With each track available on Amazon for $0.99, I would be out a total of $14.85 for my very own 15 track Best Of album. Might be a better choice then there new album due in September, which doesn't seem like it will be ready for prime time [or maybe any good either].
Labels: Music
posted by TheWino @ 10:49 AM
0 comments
It's finally done
Our circa 1971 kitchen and fireplace room last December
Six Months and 1 Day Later
I am sooooooo glad it is done!
Labels: Home Improvement, Kitchen
posted by TheWino @ 8:57 AM
0 comments
Welcome, Mr. Ortiz
227 immigrants raised their right hand today and took the Oath of Citizenship at the John F. Kennedy Library in Dorchester. One man literally stood out among them - Boston Red Sox, and former Dominican Republic native, star designated hitter David Ortiz is now an American Citizen.
Labels: Red Sox
posted by TheWino @ 4:14 PM
0 comments
Smash and get a crane
A new twist on the old fashion smash-and-grab, thieves broke into Attleboro, MA jewelry maker EA Dion, Inc. and stole approximately $2 million dollars worth of jewelry and metals were stolen, which included Super Bowl rings for the Giants. Police say thieves disabled the alarm system at E.A. Dion’s building, cut a hole in the roof and made off with a safe that weighed at least 1,000 pounds and containing gold, gems and the rings.Did they use a crane to pull that safe through the roof? I mean I saw the Italian Job and at least those guys let it fall into the river, which looked cooler that it probably really is. Plus where are these guys going to fence a bunch of Superbowl rings? Ebay? I can see the posting now... 2008 Giant's Superbowl Ring, never worn, slightly charded from cutting the safe open, action starts at $100.
posted by TheWino @ 11:00 AM
0 comments
Watch out for those dangerious helium-filled foil balloons
Last week, California state Senate passed Bill 1499 which would ban helium-filled foil balloons and make it a crime to sell them. [The bill now goes to the state Assembly] For a state that is facing a $15-billion deficit, overcrowded and under performing school systems and a crumbling transportation system, this seems like a excellent use of the states resources. For a Massachusetts native, I'm glad to see other state's doing some, um, interesting legislating.So for now, California's get your balloons now before they float away into the abyss of your state government.
Labels: Government
posted by TheWino @ 10:50 AM
1 comments
Why don't they put the customer in service?
Dear Verizon,I stopped into one of your branches today to upgrade my phone to a newer model via your $50-new-phone-every-two-years promotion and to sign up for 2 more years of service. After driving over on a very hot day and walking across the mall to your store, your sales representative informed me that since my wife's name in the account manager, I was not able to use the promotion, get a phone or a new service plan unless she was there to sign the paperwork. As I began to leave he also mentioned she could just call and add me as a full account user as well.
Note: I don't think it's good business to turn away customers who show up to hand you money, just my 2 cents.
So much for actually trying help your customer in getting this very simple issue resolved, he let me walk out without the customer service number or offering to help in anyway. After walking halfway down the mall, I turned around and went back to get the magic service number, which he had on a card at his desk. I guess the first time around it was too much effort to reach up and hand it to me. At that point he also mentioned in passing that my name had to be added as some particular type - which I didn't catch because I was done with him.
After driving back to my office it turns out a 2 minute phone call from my wife to customer service got me added properly. I guess he couldn't had tried to facilitate that action while I was looking at new phones. From now on, I think companies like this should no longer be allowed to use the word customer in Customer Service.
If it wasn't for having the best reception in the northeast, I would no longer be a Verizon customer today. So thank you very little Verizon mall guy for providing the wort service of the day.
Verizon Customer 123456789
[because we are all just numbers to Corporate America]
Labels: Business
posted by TheWino @ 1:55 PM
0 comments
It's Comtastic, unless you use a lot of bandwidth
Comcast says it is now looking at metered billing as a way to maintain bandwidth for all users. This was announced as Comcast begins to test new network management techniques which no longer target specific protocols and applications like San Francisco's P2P file-sharing provider BitTorrent. Now, Comcast is taking a wider look at its users' traffic patterns and throttling the speeds of heavy users at peak times of network congestion. The test areas are Chambersburg, PA and Warrenton, VA, so if you live there and are bandwidth hogs, you may see you speeds drop some. On an interesting side note, after first denying they were using internet shaping techniques, Comcast is now working with BitTorrent, Pando and others to easily identify their traffic and work on management techniques.This also will be very helpful when the FCC finally gets around to ruling on their previously unannounced traffic throttling. They could claim is was an Alpha stage of their new revenue model [since they basically got caught doing something they shouldn't have been doing in the first place]. Yeah that's it - we were just seeing if we could do for the future. Yeah that's the ticket!
Labels: Technology
posted by TheWino @ 2:23 PM
0 comments
John "Yippie-kay-yay" McClane is coming to town
Scenes for Bruce Willis' new movie, "The Surrogates," a sci-fi thriller, will be filmed at the Draper mill complex in Hopedale, MA later this month. A set is currently being constructed behind the mill's Hopedale Street wing and there are also several used Boston Police cruisers in and around the site. According to the movie's IMDB page, it is set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop (Willis) is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order to investigate the murders of others’ surrogates.
Hopefully I can get down to the set during filming and see some of the action and the stars while they are briefly in the area.
Labels: Movies
posted by TheWino @ 12:17 PM
0 comments
DEA Tackles Dealer
Back on April 27, New York State Police stopped starting New England Patriots offensive lineman Nicholas Kaczur for speeding [76 MPH in a 65 MPH zone] on the New York State Thruway in Whitestown, NY. While Kaczur was pulled over, officers noticed a "small amount of controlled substance for which he did not have a prescription" - this substance was later identified as oxycodone.In cooperation with the DEA, Kaczur made 3 transactions of 100 pills each with a alleged dealer Daniel Ekasala for $3,900. 39 bucks a pill. That's quite a mark-up from the roughly $6 per pill pharmacy cost or even your $40 co-pay for 30 pills.These recorded deals took place on May 1st, May 6th and May 13th in Foxborough, North Attleborough and Sharon Massachusetts. That means Ekasala didn't find it odd that Kaczur was taking roughly 16 pills a day and that Ekasala deals from all over the the route 95 beltway.
Hopefully Kaczur is getting help for his pain medication issue and Ekasala can help the DEA with the continue flow of prescription medication into the streets.
posted by TheWino @ 11:56 AM
0 comments
We have insurance but are we healthier?
On April 12, 2006, then Governor Mitt Romney signed a law that mandates all citizens have health insurance by July of 2007, for those who secured a waiver proving they couldn't afford insurance. As we approach the deadline, current Governor Deval Patrick said the fact that 95 percent of filers were insured shows the 2006 law is making progress, based on the first major survey of the health care law. Some of the highlights of the report include:- Nearly 350,000 residents have gained insurance
- Cost savings of:
- Adults reporting out-of-pocket expenses of more than $500 dropped by 4 percent
- Low-income adults reporting out-of-pocket expenses of more than $3,000 fell 8 percent
- 71 percent of working-age adults expressed support for the law
Now the downside:
- In 2006, $725 million in the fiscal year starting in July
- Patrick set aside $869 million [and it may cost even more]
- 97,000 were forced to forfeit their personal exemption — worth $219 — after it was determined they could have afforded health care
- Monthly penalties for those who can afford health care but refuse will jump and could total as much as $912 for individuals by December
- A total of $9.7 million in fines was deposited into a trust fund to help cover the cost of the law
While the law may seem good in theory, I'm not sure fining people who may not want or can not afford insurance is the answer. Although, adding a new dollar-per-pack cigarette tax might be a interesting solution. Also we will see if smokers will pay over $6 for a pack or not. I think they will.
It should be noted that the report was paid for by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the Commonwealth Fund and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. So much for unbiased reporting.
Labels: Government
posted by TheWino @ 10:21 AM
0 comments
Who say's the economy is bad???
The throwing of octopi onto the ice at Red Wings games has been a very long tradition. Back on April 15, 1952 two Detroit brothers, Pete and Jerry Cusimano - store owner's in Detroit's Eastern Market - threw the eight-legged cephalopod on the ice at Olympia Stadium, former home of the Detroit Red Wings. Each tentacle of the octopus was symbolic of a win in the playoffs. [Back then, the NHL boasted only six teams, and eight wins were needed to win the Stanley Cup.] The Red Wings swept the series that year, and the Octopus has come to be the good luck charm ever since. Usually the person who hurls any object, whether inanimate by nature or inanimate by boiling, is typically asked to leave the event. Unless you are like guy:Avid Red Wings fan Zach Smith, 19, of Cleveland, who bought an octopus at Superior Fish Co. in Royal Oak, MI last Friday and stored it in a cooler for the drive to Pittsburgh. Saturday night, Smith wrapped the uncooked beast in a plastic bag and taped it to his stomach, under his shirt. Per the octoquette, Smith made his way down to the ice and tossed his well traveled prize onto the ice just after the national anthem at which time Mellon Arena security asked him to leave and not return or face a trespassing arrest. Prepared for this situation, Smith exited the building slipped on a Red Wings jersey, returned to the entrance with a spare ticket purchased locally from a Re-selling Engineer on the street and reunited with his friends.
Hockey Playoff Ticket: $77
Genuine Darren McCarty Home Jersey: $170
Additional Ticket: $300
Being able to watch the game and throw an octopus on the ice: Priceless
Labels: Sports
posted by TheWino @ 3:56 PM
0 comments
It's spelled N-U-M-B-N-U-T
Oh right, a sheep skin pad, that is a relief.
posted by TheWino @ 10:31 AM
0 comments
Manny being Manny [for the 500th time]
Manny steps to the plate in to the top of the 7th to face submariner Chad Bradford. On Chad's first pitch to #24, well just take a look below:Manny Ramirez becomes just the 24th player to hit 500 home runs and he joins a list of players that includes the likes of Reggie Jackson, Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams. If he can hit 100 more he will probably become just the 8th player to accomplish that feat.
For anyone who wants to revisit every single home run for Manny, The Boston Globe has put together a nice interactive site for this very purpose. Sorry Jamie Moyer, I now know you have given up the most to Manny - 10 - in his career.
posted by TheWino @ 9:32 AM
0 comments
TheWino's personal thoughts about wine, women and song.. oh yeah and life too.
About Me
Name: TheWino
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