Cut it off

I love technology. From the cutting edge to emerging trend, nothing brings me greater satisfaction than trolling the usual culprits so that I can stuff my brain with useless information about the newest goodies around the bend. After the years of eager anticipation and months of fevered speculation today's announcement of the Ipad was a bit underwhelming to say the least. I have to admit i'm a staunch supporter of Apple though all we own are a few iTouches but I have been juiced for the latest and greatest from Cupertino and well... it's a giant iTouch. I'm sure with all the fan boys out there the iPad will do some brisk business and line some pockets for the VIP's at Apple, but as for me and my household (and by household I mean me because Brynn couldn't care less as to what the newest gadget coming out is) we'll wait for the next big thing.
The Verizon saga has ended with Brynn's dissolution of her relationship with them and a very snarky dealing with the customer rep at the store. On the whole when we went in there they acted very polite, the manager trying to do his job and convince us to stay and promising to talk to the employee who failed to mention that she would be changing our plan and tacking on a nice little $10.00 a month fee for internet that Brynn would never have used. It went all smoothly because we consciously went in with the thought not to be angry at the employees (they just work there) but as we were tying things up the lady who had been helping us left us with a nice little parting shot, a chuckle. A chuckle right after, "Good luck at T-Mobile". Now I do realize that while Verizon offers the best coverage in the state and they are making enough boatloads of dinero that two customers leaving (well one and a player to be named later) doesn't hurt their bottom line but when the employees drink the Kool-Aid and give us crap it makes me regret trying not to involve them in our personal struggle with their bosses. It makes me want to act like a jerk. And that's not something I want to treat others. In any case we are (somewhat) free from their grasp, Brynn is getting an iPhone, jumping on T-Mobile, and will stay at the same number. I hate Verizon and can't wait for these next 19 months to fly by and free me from their oppressive grip... ahhh technology.

Why in the heck would Brynn want to surf the internet on an EnV Touch? So can someone explain to me why without telling us about the REQUIRED monthly fee to pay for internet for a "multimedia" phone did Verizon push on us this big steaming pile of poop. This is the last straw, after talking to no less than three different Verizon representatives we have found out the only way out of this is by returning the phone but on the bright side it looks like at the time of her upgrade Brynn was out of contract and this could in fact drop the service as soon as they roll back the contract. She'll be heading to T-Mobile which at least offers a month to month service which is appealing to a couple of joes who got yanked around. There are companies on my bad list (HP being another notable one along with all the cell phone companies) and there are companies in my good list (AAA, best service ever). Guess which one you just made Verizon.

The company man

Yesterday I checked my inbox only to find an invitation to join Google voice. It's a service that basically assign you a new phone number which will ring your existing phone number(s) all the while giving you access to snazzy features such as transcribing your voice mails to text and sending a copy of I through email and onto your cell by text message. Really neat service and yet another in a growing list of products that I depend on them for. Add email, maps, contacts, calendar, blogger, YouTube, search, and my desire for an Android phone, I'm into them big time. Funny thing is I haven't paid red penny to use any of these things but as one of the biggest advertising companies on the web I give them the most valuable commodities in the business, information about their customer, and as the saying goes knowledge is power. But what does this mean for the regular Joe who signs up for an gmail account are they selling their souls to the big G? Will I see my electric bill bearing a return address to California soon? What does it matter because they have proven that they are capable of turning out fantastic products that are serviceable and accessible which all my price quota of FREE!? What's interesting will be how the next ten years treat Google as they begin to mature as a company will they face the same fire from government agencies that Microsoft weathered for the past decade. Until that I will stay hooked up to the machine dripping sweet Internet juice into my veins.

- Clifford "I love Google" Eiffler

They are just cracked out!

It's amazing at what the cell phone companies DON'T get it. No matter how cool the phone I DO NOT want to pay for data plan on a phone. It's not really worth the thirty bucks a month (a 30% increase in our plan) to squint down at the screen to check my email. I admit there are other features and apps that are more rewarding in their use of the internet but when a device has wifi built in and I can grab it for free in a lot of places it makes shelling out that much money less attractive by the minute. And it's too bad because there are a number of times (and whole lot more coming this holiday season) that I would have happily forked over the money needed to upgrade a new phone before my contract ends. The world of smartphones and their consumers are changing and the phone companies need to get real with it. I guarantee you that if they would make their plans more attractive (ala T-Mobile is right now with Project Black) that I would have something that told me the time, made phone calls, and played a few games in my pocket right now. And they would have my dough but instead I will reward companies who work for my dollar with my hard earned cash... or save money for school, whatever comes first.

Good to be back

Got our laptop back... FINALLY! It was a bit of a surprise since it shipped the 21st we were counting on it getting here the 27th but we're not complaining. The computer still is carrying the little "consider replacing your battery" which merits concern (and a phone call on Monday) but one thing they seemed to repair was the jet engine that had become the exhaust fan. This thing ran so hot and blew so hard it must have been overheating but since I had seen laptop coolers for sale and had heard from others about HP's running hot I thought it was the norm. It's been an interesting experience buying my first laptop because i've always subscribed to the desktop power club but now that laptops have really closed the gap I thought it was time. Will I buy another HP? I don't know. Was not impressed with the customer service (especially since it was in India), I had a difficult time really communicating though we were speaking the same language.

They treated me as though I knew nothing and I had to call them out before repeating the same exercises over again (really doesn't anyone take notes there?)
We're going to a Haunted House tonight....so excited!

Quick hits

While our laptop is vacationing in California we are stuck using Brynn's iPod to pump out a few tasty morsels here and there.

We've spent the past week parading around Portland as Brynn and I
 have had time together. Our intention was to go on a gallery tour this Monday and see what priceless works of art that are adorning this city
but it was no sooner than our first real store (we had been in a few before this one but it's the kind of place that sells seventy five dollar pillows, Owen Wilson serves as a picture frame's model, and old ladies who shop there drives a Mercedes that look like the Batmobile) than we had in hand our first pieces of art. That's right, we own art crazy! But let me tell you about service, if we are buying something for a significant amount of dough I expect someone to be there immediately. For such a high end place (they sell little "handmade" pumpkin pins that look as though a kindergartener had painted them for a whooping eighteen bucks) they ought to have at least a little bell. Yeeesh.
I also kidnapped Brynn and drove her off to IKEA where apparently dreams are made out of. I have to admit that going in I remained convinced that it was all some plot by the Swedish to brainwash our women by selling the trendy furniture but they may be onto something over there. Granted the room by room thing is cool at first (gets old by the second) i really dig the prices. Even has Wally World beat in some cases which is always a bonus. Not to mention they won me over with their cheap hot dog meal. Two bucks, two dogs, drink and chips... Who could ask for more?
Been spending the better part of twentn four hours Deaf for as part of research I need to do for a paper. Been a very interesting day with a few important details that have stuck out. One is the loss of communication with others and primarily with Brynn. It's hard because our interactions today have been limited to simple gestures and "I love you" signs. Any more than that and the process becomes laborious and stressful. I am eager to communicate but I can see between fingerspelling and teaching simple signs the strain that is put on Brynn. At times I've wanted to call it quits because all i want to is connect with her and then I can see on some level what my dad may feel like. Where there may not already sophiticated language in place simple feelings, ideas, and meanings get lost in translation. Lucky for me in eleven hours it's all over with but i cannot help but think of those who can't just simply remove their earplugs and again listen to the radio or share about your day. Maybe when I have time i will post the paper.
Got a job at Soccerplex which I'm really jazzed about. They called after in landed the job as a sandwich artisté at Subway (who convniently forgot to call me for over a week, making it easier on my concious to bolt) and it looks like I will in part help build a program. Hopefully this will give valuable skills for the future not to mention getting me back into the game i love so much.