My wife and I had finally had enough of our current telephone and internet provider, Windstream. A year or two ago, they bought out our local provider. Up to that point, I actually enjoyed the few talks I had with customer service and always felt that I was treated well by the company. Windstream bought them out and almost immediately, we started have connection issues with the internet. Then our phone lines started getting extremely fuzzy. It got so bad, that we could hardly hear the people we were talking to. Windstream said they detected no problems with the lines, so it must be inside the house. It also got to the point that we had to restart the modem at least 3 times a day to get internet access and often even that wouldn't help. Windstream told me that our connection was fine.
We switched to the cable company for everything. In order to do the switch, I needed a passcode to port my number. I called Windstream and got a code. A day later the cable company said the code was rejected. I called back and got a completely different number, which this time worked. I planned on shutting off the Windstream service a few days after the switch so I could get all of my email contacts switched to a new address when all of a sudden, I couldn't access my email anymore. I couldn't even get to a login screen. I called today to cancel Windstream and they had already cancelled when the phone number got ported. I asked why that would cut off my email and got some BS answer. Luckily I didn't use their webmail and have all of my old emails, otherwise, it would all be lost.
It's sad that a good, well-liked, local company that did it's job well was bought out by what clearly seems to be a large corporation that acts like a child when it doesn't like what you do. Good riddance to Windstream and I haven't had to restart a modem all week!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
I'm raising my daughter right
The girl has been going through a lot of maturation this past year. Kindergarten has pushed her levels of independence to previously unknown levels. She's taking showers and cleaning herself with minimal assistance. And, she even has taken to choosing her own clothes, with her own style. None of that is something I can take credit for. However, I think I have had some influence on her current push for an identity. She's been stating, ofter vociferously, that she loves rock-n-roll. She treats us daily to her dance interpretations of whatever music is playing. She's a big fan of Gogol Bordello. She's been going through my CD collection asking to hear different things. Last night was a watershed moment. For a while now, she's been saying how much she likes drums and guitars. Everything I put on, she said she wanted more drums and guitars and could I please turn it up. A light bulb went off, I put on a particular CD, and she actually started headbanging. It was Metallica, Master of Puppets.
I figured out that my 5-year-old daughter's particular taste in music may be metal.
The coolest thing is that she likes so many different things. I was worried for a while because she was gravitating to things like Lady Gaga and K$sha (some tracks of which are cunningly catchy), but I kept hope because she liked Gogol Bordello so much more. But after her repeated requests for more drums and more guitar, I can see that her musical tastes will be fine.
Rock on.
I figured out that my 5-year-old daughter's particular taste in music may be metal.
The coolest thing is that she likes so many different things. I was worried for a while because she was gravitating to things like Lady Gaga and K$sha (some tracks of which are cunningly catchy), but I kept hope because she liked Gogol Bordello so much more. But after her repeated requests for more drums and more guitar, I can see that her musical tastes will be fine.
Rock on.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Can we count on your $200 to defeat the worst president in history?
I got a call that came up as a private number and decided to take it. What's the worst that could happen? It was Dick Morris in a very moving speech that really didn't say anything outside of rhetorical devices. It asked me to stay on the line to participate in a survey of Tea Party supporters. I figured this could be as much fun as the call I took from the NRA a while ago.
I was informed that Mr. Morris just wrote a book on how to revolt against president Obama and his socialist agenda. Then I was asked which conservative I think led as the best example for us to follow today. I didn't want to let the person know my views yet, so I said Thomas Jefferson. She replied with "Oh, going back in history. I heard Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.
"I didn't say Abraham Lincoln. I only said Thomas Jefferson," I replied.
"Well, we certainly could use someone like him today," she said.
At this point I refrained from asking what about Thomas Jefferson led her to believe he'd support her side. Instead, I listened to hear how they were planning to take out a full page add in USA Today and if they could count on my $200 contribution to defeat Obama, again mentioning that not only is he the worst president since Carter, but the worst ever. I asked her what he's done to be the worst. She said the car bailouts, to which I asked why were they so bad. The companies are profitable and they paid back all the loans. Then she started talking about fighter pilots in Libya. I broke in and said that I wasn't saying anything about Libya, but why was the car manufacturers bailout bad when they worked.
I asked her what she thought about the bank bailouts by Bush. I asked if they had paid their money back. She said no. I asked what she thought about the bonuses their executives received. She had no reply. I asked her about all of the corporate tax breaks and she said the president had no business doing anything like that. I replied that it seemed like Congress was leading the way there. I was about to ask about all of the state governments selling themselves to business, but she started to thank me for my call and that we weren't going to agree on anything.
I asked her why she didn't want to have a discussion. Did she want it to be a case of I think this, you think that, and let's see who has more people? Isn't that a bit juvenile? She was trying every way she could think of to get off the phone with me without just hanging up. She kept repeating that she was glad I had my opinions. Then I asked how she got my name as a supporter of the Tea Party. She asked if I was so-and-so, who happens to be my brother. I replied, "No, I'm another so-and-so. That's my brother. I'm the owner of this house." Then I let her off the hook. Now I know why they had the name and number blocked. They don't want real discussion. They just want you to agree or not know of their existence.
It was an invigorating, but scary look into the psyche of a part of the American public and their leaders. With no information at all, with nothing but rhetorical devices and scare tactics politicians and lobbyists try and succeed to get vast amounts of money and support. Maybe the answer is to limit everyone to a single term in office. With no pressure to get re-elected, maybe politicians will start to represent people again and not special interests and corporations. I don't know. Our system is broken. I have no idea how to fix it.
I was informed that Mr. Morris just wrote a book on how to revolt against president Obama and his socialist agenda. Then I was asked which conservative I think led as the best example for us to follow today. I didn't want to let the person know my views yet, so I said Thomas Jefferson. She replied with "Oh, going back in history. I heard Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.
"I didn't say Abraham Lincoln. I only said Thomas Jefferson," I replied.
"Well, we certainly could use someone like him today," she said.
At this point I refrained from asking what about Thomas Jefferson led her to believe he'd support her side. Instead, I listened to hear how they were planning to take out a full page add in USA Today and if they could count on my $200 contribution to defeat Obama, again mentioning that not only is he the worst president since Carter, but the worst ever. I asked her what he's done to be the worst. She said the car bailouts, to which I asked why were they so bad. The companies are profitable and they paid back all the loans. Then she started talking about fighter pilots in Libya. I broke in and said that I wasn't saying anything about Libya, but why was the car manufacturers bailout bad when they worked.
I asked her what she thought about the bank bailouts by Bush. I asked if they had paid their money back. She said no. I asked what she thought about the bonuses their executives received. She had no reply. I asked her about all of the corporate tax breaks and she said the president had no business doing anything like that. I replied that it seemed like Congress was leading the way there. I was about to ask about all of the state governments selling themselves to business, but she started to thank me for my call and that we weren't going to agree on anything.
I asked her why she didn't want to have a discussion. Did she want it to be a case of I think this, you think that, and let's see who has more people? Isn't that a bit juvenile? She was trying every way she could think of to get off the phone with me without just hanging up. She kept repeating that she was glad I had my opinions. Then I asked how she got my name as a supporter of the Tea Party. She asked if I was so-and-so, who happens to be my brother. I replied, "No, I'm another so-and-so. That's my brother. I'm the owner of this house." Then I let her off the hook. Now I know why they had the name and number blocked. They don't want real discussion. They just want you to agree or not know of their existence.
It was an invigorating, but scary look into the psyche of a part of the American public and their leaders. With no information at all, with nothing but rhetorical devices and scare tactics politicians and lobbyists try and succeed to get vast amounts of money and support. Maybe the answer is to limit everyone to a single term in office. With no pressure to get re-elected, maybe politicians will start to represent people again and not special interests and corporations. I don't know. Our system is broken. I have no idea how to fix it.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Realtor Rant
If you schedule a visit at 1:30, a 15 minute buffer for me to get out of the house should be more than enough. Stop showing up early, without even calling with a warning. I have a 5-year-old, a 3-year-old, and a large dog that all have to get out of the house. Said creatures need to be cleaned-up after before we leave and I don't care how much you clean ahead of time, there will be magic clutter that appears where they exist, and as we all know from watching HGTV, it is impossible to sell a house with any visible clutter. I'm already conceding the fact that children live in the house, so I'm working at a disadvantage here. Don't make my live more difficult by showing up early, during nap time and wondering if I mind that you are early. I want to sell my house. You have somebody with you who wants to sell a house. At least apologize or even acknowledge the inconvenience.
Next time I sell a house, I'm writing into every document a deduction to the buyer's agent commission if they or anyone from their office brings somebody to my house more than 15 minutes before the scheduled time. In fact, I'm including a deduction for any showings that last less than 5 minutes or are scheduled after 6:00.
Next time I sell a house, I'm writing into every document a deduction to the buyer's agent commission if they or anyone from their office brings somebody to my house more than 15 minutes before the scheduled time. In fact, I'm including a deduction for any showings that last less than 5 minutes or are scheduled after 6:00.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Stabbed in the back by a little rogue
Earlier this school year I decided to try a Donor's Choose project. It's an awesome website that lets anybody partially or fully fund grants/projects that teachers put together to use with their students. We were starting a new anti-bullying program and I wanted to do some team building, so I thought it would be fun to get some GPS devices and do some geocaching-like activities with them. I was fortunate enough to get a project funded and got two units. Another generous friend donated one she had. This all came together in the middle of winter. Suffice to say, conditions were not right for that sort of activity until later in the spring.
Meanwhile, I was reorganizing some of the rooms in my house and moved all of my computer equipment. When I looked for the GPS's one of the new ones was missing. I figured I misplaced it and because it was a product of a grant funded by generous donors, I replaced it.
Finally, a couple of weeks ago, I was able to get everything organized, the weather was better, and testing was over (except for Keystones - sorry Algebra kids), so we got outside. My kids loved it. They had so much fun, even though the field was soggy, it was windy, the sun hid, and it even rained a bit. The most reticent and stubborn kids ran up to me after and asked when we would do it again. It was a success.
A few days ago, I was cleaning off my work area at school, and one of the GPS devices was missing again. The one I had just bought. I had hoped that I had merely misplaced the other one, but now I'm pretty certain. Somebody stole them from my classroom. It was also a malicious, intentional theft because they took the newer one each time, even though there were two there and they walked past a bag of 30 graphing calculators and had to go behind my desk to get them.
After all of the uncertainty and negative rhetoric thrown at teachers in the past months, this was the icing on the cake. It's hard to look at my classes and wonder who took it. It's hard because I know it was at most a couple of people who are souring my entire perspective and opinion of the other 80 students. It's hard because I feel betrayed. At this point, I guess I'll have to rely on somebody coming forward. Otherwise, I'm out of luck and $300 worth of GPS's. Thanks, losers.
Meanwhile, I was reorganizing some of the rooms in my house and moved all of my computer equipment. When I looked for the GPS's one of the new ones was missing. I figured I misplaced it and because it was a product of a grant funded by generous donors, I replaced it.
Finally, a couple of weeks ago, I was able to get everything organized, the weather was better, and testing was over (except for Keystones - sorry Algebra kids), so we got outside. My kids loved it. They had so much fun, even though the field was soggy, it was windy, the sun hid, and it even rained a bit. The most reticent and stubborn kids ran up to me after and asked when we would do it again. It was a success.
A few days ago, I was cleaning off my work area at school, and one of the GPS devices was missing again. The one I had just bought. I had hoped that I had merely misplaced the other one, but now I'm pretty certain. Somebody stole them from my classroom. It was also a malicious, intentional theft because they took the newer one each time, even though there were two there and they walked past a bag of 30 graphing calculators and had to go behind my desk to get them.
After all of the uncertainty and negative rhetoric thrown at teachers in the past months, this was the icing on the cake. It's hard to look at my classes and wonder who took it. It's hard because I know it was at most a couple of people who are souring my entire perspective and opinion of the other 80 students. It's hard because I feel betrayed. At this point, I guess I'll have to rely on somebody coming forward. Otherwise, I'm out of luck and $300 worth of GPS's. Thanks, losers.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Enough is enough
America is under attack. I am not speaking metaphorically. I am not using hyperbole. We are under attack. The opposition has been building up its forces, its munitions, and its other resources for many years now. It has been waging a propaganda war for quite some time now and has been softening us up without our even knowing it. The first shots have been fired. They have been strategic attacks aimed at our best and only defenses. They attack now with impunity secure in their beliefs that we have become so apathetic and helpless that there will be no resistance. They fight with words. They fight with ideas. They fight with money.
I've had enough. I am not content to let this happen. Wisconsin has shown us that resistance is not futile. We have numbers. We are the people and we should all be saying, "Enough is enough!" Sure we have differences, but we should be united by what we have in common, rather than divided by how we are different. Divide and conquer has been their mantra. We need to stop saying, "Why should that person get something when I don't?" We need to start saying, "What can I do so we can all have that?"
There is an orchestrated concerted effort on many new/ish Republican governors acting under the guise of fiscal conservatism. They are making a power grab. They are eliminating their competition. They are working to do the opposite of their traditional role of limiting government. The patterns are there across the country. Anywhere they can, they are increasing the influence of corporations and diminishing the rights of actual human beings. Michigan's governor is trying to pass legislation that would allow a corporation to swoop in during a "financial crisis" and actually dismiss elected officials. Who decides if it's a crisis? The governor. The Wisconsin governor has been trying to eliminate public unions' right to collective bargaining under the guise of a budget repair bill. Thanks to a prank phone call, we got proof that he is just a tool for corporate money.
It's time for elected officials to stop pandering to corporate interests. They represent us, not a company. They need our best interests in mind, not how they can raise more money for their campaigns. Across the nation, our "leaders" are attempting to push through legislation that limits people's rights. In the name of fiscal responsibility, education is being gutted with school vouchers to private/religious institutions as an alternative. Schools are being told that they need to increase performance, will be held accountable for students scores, and must do all of this with drastically reduced funding that will result in larger class sizes, fewer resources, and no respect. The Pennsylvania governor announced a budget that would no longer reward teachers for earning Master's Degree and would actually lower the requirements to become a teacher!
I'm sick of it. I'm sick of money ruling all. I'm sick of personal gain being a roadblock to societal success. Do we want to be a successful country, or do we want it to be easy for corporations to run their businesses? I'll leave you with one last question: Where do corporations go to make the most money? They go to countries with the laxest laws that let them do whatever they want to the workforce to mass produce products regardless of the cost to human welfare. Is that where we are going? (sorry, had to add another question.)
Please, contact any and all government officials that you can. Remind them that there are more of us than them. They call rile up the extremes of their party all they want, but all parties have reasonable people with common goals. People need to come first, not money.
I've had enough. I am not content to let this happen. Wisconsin has shown us that resistance is not futile. We have numbers. We are the people and we should all be saying, "Enough is enough!" Sure we have differences, but we should be united by what we have in common, rather than divided by how we are different. Divide and conquer has been their mantra. We need to stop saying, "Why should that person get something when I don't?" We need to start saying, "What can I do so we can all have that?"
There is an orchestrated concerted effort on many new/ish Republican governors acting under the guise of fiscal conservatism. They are making a power grab. They are eliminating their competition. They are working to do the opposite of their traditional role of limiting government. The patterns are there across the country. Anywhere they can, they are increasing the influence of corporations and diminishing the rights of actual human beings. Michigan's governor is trying to pass legislation that would allow a corporation to swoop in during a "financial crisis" and actually dismiss elected officials. Who decides if it's a crisis? The governor. The Wisconsin governor has been trying to eliminate public unions' right to collective bargaining under the guise of a budget repair bill. Thanks to a prank phone call, we got proof that he is just a tool for corporate money.
It's time for elected officials to stop pandering to corporate interests. They represent us, not a company. They need our best interests in mind, not how they can raise more money for their campaigns. Across the nation, our "leaders" are attempting to push through legislation that limits people's rights. In the name of fiscal responsibility, education is being gutted with school vouchers to private/religious institutions as an alternative. Schools are being told that they need to increase performance, will be held accountable for students scores, and must do all of this with drastically reduced funding that will result in larger class sizes, fewer resources, and no respect. The Pennsylvania governor announced a budget that would no longer reward teachers for earning Master's Degree and would actually lower the requirements to become a teacher!
I'm sick of it. I'm sick of money ruling all. I'm sick of personal gain being a roadblock to societal success. Do we want to be a successful country, or do we want it to be easy for corporations to run their businesses? I'll leave you with one last question: Where do corporations go to make the most money? They go to countries with the laxest laws that let them do whatever they want to the workforce to mass produce products regardless of the cost to human welfare. Is that where we are going? (sorry, had to add another question.)
Please, contact any and all government officials that you can. Remind them that there are more of us than them. They call rile up the extremes of their party all they want, but all parties have reasonable people with common goals. People need to come first, not money.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Letter from my state representative
Pennsylvania is considering a bill that will implement a voucher system. I contacted my state representatives to voice my concerns which include public money to religious institutions (many private schools), public money being used to fund education that is not held to any standards or accountability, and public money to institutions that get to pick and choose who gets in and who doesn't. That is only a very brief version of the problems I have with school voucher programs and was more detailed in my contact.
Today I got a letter from Lynda Schlegel Culver who is the representative from the 108th district, located in Sunbury and whose email is unashamedly partisan: lculver@pahousegop.com (please contact her with concerns). Her response ignored every single one of my concerns while thanking me for the time I took to share them. In fact, it highlighted the fact that Senate Bill 1 would expand a program that gives tax cuts to corporations that donate money to a scholarship that funds student tuition at NONPUBLIC schools - corporate tax cuts to fund possibly/probably religious institutions. I thought the letter was bad at that point.
In the closing paragraph, the letter read, "It is important to know that my constituents have concerns when it comes to the debate about increased educational options and parental choice...Rest assured that I will carefully consider the pros and cons of any legislation that reaches the House floor for a vote, and will make my decision based on what is most beneficial for my constituents." I am a constituent.
Is it just me, or does she not care what my concerns? Is she going to consider what her constituents want, or is she going to do what she thinks is best? This letter disgusted me. Other letters I've gotten have at least responded to at least once concern that I raised, but this one was such a form letter, it couldn't even be bothered to address any of my concerns and actually highlighted one of them as a benefit of the Bill.
Today I got a letter from Lynda Schlegel Culver who is the representative from the 108th district, located in Sunbury and whose email is unashamedly partisan: lculver@pahousegop.com (please contact her with concerns). Her response ignored every single one of my concerns while thanking me for the time I took to share them. In fact, it highlighted the fact that Senate Bill 1 would expand a program that gives tax cuts to corporations that donate money to a scholarship that funds student tuition at NONPUBLIC schools - corporate tax cuts to fund possibly/probably religious institutions. I thought the letter was bad at that point.
In the closing paragraph, the letter read, "It is important to know that my constituents have concerns when it comes to the debate about increased educational options and parental choice...Rest assured that I will carefully consider the pros and cons of any legislation that reaches the House floor for a vote, and will make my decision based on what is most beneficial for my constituents." I am a constituent.
Is it just me, or does she not care what my concerns? Is she going to consider what her constituents want, or is she going to do what she thinks is best? This letter disgusted me. Other letters I've gotten have at least responded to at least once concern that I raised, but this one was such a form letter, it couldn't even be bothered to address any of my concerns and actually highlighted one of them as a benefit of the Bill.
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