Brain on random...

1. Feeling like fsck thanks to a a bit of a cough and cold. Been resting; hope to feel better tomorrow.

2. New phone arrived yesterday -- Sony Ericson z310a. Pretty nice phone, really, if the damned thing would work. I managed to get it charged, registered on the AT&T network, turned on, entered some phone numbers manually (it does not sync with iSync 2.x in Mac OS X . . . needs Windows and proprietary software), and shut it down for the night, never to turn on again.

Now the "fun" begins . . . Called AT&T's "customer service" people. Selected "other" from a voice menu, and got billing. "Tech support?" . Rep number 2 knew her onions. For once I decided to NOT say "I'm a tech, I know what I'm doing . . ." to someone doing tech support because I didn't want to come off sounding like an idiot if the issue was something I overlooked. After explaining my troubleshooting, the tech said "Yep, you've done everything" and transferred me to a long wait and someone with the typical accent heard from reps who live in a certain very large South Asian nation famed for total cluelessness in phone support. This rep told me I was in the wrong queue, and before I could start unloading my utter frustration onto her, was again transferred . . . to FSCKING SALES! By this time I was primed like a block of plastique and I went off, big time. I demanded to speak to a supervisor. She did what I'd do in her place and offer to help . . . which I declined after explaining why. I asked again. And, like I've done in her place, was warm transferred to another agent who, from her accent, resided in a large but sparsely populated North American nation. I calmly told my story of totally inferior service, that if I had not already put money on the books to activate the phone, I would have canceled already. At that point she said "pick a phone from the go-phone list you want." "OK, does it have to be the same phone and does it have to be the same price or less?" "No. I'm giving you a credit for a phone upgrade or accessories for your trouble." "OK, how about the Motorola RAZR v3?" The RAZR is the phone I really wanted two years ago. It has a camera, and Bluetooth. iSync 2.x and that phone do get along. In other words, my OS X Address Book and iCal will sync to the RAZR via either Bluetooth or USB without 3rd party crapware like The Pissing Stink, er, Missing Sync.

Now I'm getting a RAZR and not having to pay an upgrade price for it. This is my second Sony product that has been an extreme disappointment (the first was my Clie PDA). I'll avoid Sony anything in the future!

Not to mention that AT&T did a good job of addressing my dissatisfaction.

3. Finally, a Democratic presidential candidate who GETS IT!
And, "it" is the oath of office: " . . . support, defend and protect the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic . . .". As far as I'm concerned, the official acts of Shrub and Dead-eye Dick certainly qualify them as the latter foe.
The more I look at Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama, the better Senator Chris Dodd looks. While Obama and Hillary draw all the attention and the money, but from what I have seen, Dodd's the real deal. At a time when Congress seems to be engaged in a game of "Let's grab our ankles and grease up for Shrub!" Dodd is LEADING!


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Listening to: Pink Floyd - On the Turning Away
via FoxyTunes