Wednesday, May 30
Pork Choppin'
We've got an outside company in this week, helping us write business contingency plans. So we took them out to lunch at Perry's Grille, for their incredible lunch pork chop special.
Look at this thing, it is really as big as the picture makes it look!
Look at this thing, it is really as big as the picture makes it look!
Labels: dining, meetings, work
Found a cool new tool.
After getting another oddball hang-up on my cell phone today, I found this site, Who Called, and tracked the number to American General, and someone I do not want to call back. It is pretty cool, you can list a #, who it was, when the called, and your comments. And you can see the results of other folks with calls from the same phone numbers.
whocalled.us
whocalled.us
Saturday, May 26
They Might Be Giants
Here is a video from last Friday night's concert at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Las Vegas.
Labels: hotel, music, travel, vacation
Friday, May 25
Alienware - An Update
Update 5-29-2007:
Got a message from Alienware late today:
Please be informed that we checked our website and we found that it in fact says that the M5550 comes with a remote control, but it does not specify that the remote control is only included when a Media Center operating system is selected. After finding out about this, we forwarded this information to the respective department so they can take the necessary measurements to solve this. We would like to let you know that Alienware does not have a compensation policy. As well, we have a disclaimer on our website, which you can check on the link below:
http://www.alienware.com/sub_pages/website_disclaimer.aspx
We really appreciate you as one of our customers and we sincerely regret your dissatisfaction. We are going to send you a $25 Coupon for you to spend on Amazon.com for the inconveniences you have experienced.
So, they were unclear on their features, and can't send me the remote, and even though they don't have to do a thing for me, they are sending me a $25 Coupon for Amazon. Ok, sounds good to me then, better than most folks customer service these days anyway.
Original Post:
As I mentioned recently, I ordered a new Alienwre PC a few weeks ago. It finally came Tuesday while I was out of town at a training, so I didn't get to play with it till last night.
While the system is great, it is lacking the Infrared Remote Control that they listed as a "Feature" of the product.
When I called their support, they told me that this is not included unless you specifically ordered the remote, and the only way to order the remote is by upgrading the system to Windows Vista Home Premium for $50, then you can get the remote for $30. You can also get the remote by upgrading to Vista Home Ultimate for even more money.
Something that costs $80 extra is not a feature. This is an option. Everything else listed on the features page came with the system. They insisted that the computer would not function without the rest of the items listed there, I however believe that an External DVI Connector, Battery Control, Wireless Networking, an On/Off button for the touchpad and External Volume contorls are all not essential for a PC to function.
I really just want them to provide me what they said was featured with the PC that I ordered, or some credit for not including the advertised item. I don't believe that this is an unreasonable request.
Their stand is that I did not pay for the item as it was not listed as a separate line item on the invoice. Neither were the other things listed on that page, but I got them for no extra charge.
So beware if you order an Alienware computer, some of the features they list might actually be an otpion that costs money, and you won't see it unless you consier an upgrade of another component. Here is a print of their web page:
Got a message from Alienware late today:
Please be informed that we checked our website and we found that it in fact says that the M5550 comes with a remote control, but it does not specify that the remote control is only included when a Media Center operating system is selected. After finding out about this, we forwarded this information to the respective department so they can take the necessary measurements to solve this. We would like to let you know that Alienware does not have a compensation policy. As well, we have a disclaimer on our website, which you can check on the link below:
http://www.alienware.com/sub_pages/website_disclaimer.aspx
We really appreciate you as one of our customers and we sincerely regret your dissatisfaction. We are going to send you a $25 Coupon for you to spend on Amazon.com for the inconveniences you have experienced.
So, they were unclear on their features, and can't send me the remote, and even though they don't have to do a thing for me, they are sending me a $25 Coupon for Amazon. Ok, sounds good to me then, better than most folks customer service these days anyway.
Original Post:
As I mentioned recently, I ordered a new Alienwre PC a few weeks ago. It finally came Tuesday while I was out of town at a training, so I didn't get to play with it till last night.
While the system is great, it is lacking the Infrared Remote Control that they listed as a "Feature" of the product.
When I called their support, they told me that this is not included unless you specifically ordered the remote, and the only way to order the remote is by upgrading the system to Windows Vista Home Premium for $50, then you can get the remote for $30. You can also get the remote by upgrading to Vista Home Ultimate for even more money.
Something that costs $80 extra is not a feature. This is an option. Everything else listed on the features page came with the system. They insisted that the computer would not function without the rest of the items listed there, I however believe that an External DVI Connector, Battery Control, Wireless Networking, an On/Off button for the touchpad and External Volume contorls are all not essential for a PC to function.
I really just want them to provide me what they said was featured with the PC that I ordered, or some credit for not including the advertised item. I don't believe that this is an unreasonable request.
Their stand is that I did not pay for the item as it was not listed as a separate line item on the invoice. Neither were the other things listed on that page, but I got them for no extra charge.
So beware if you order an Alienware computer, some of the features they list might actually be an otpion that costs money, and you won't see it unless you consier an upgrade of another component. Here is a print of their web page:
Labels: alienware, bad support, laptop
Tuesday, May 22
Concert Review
Ok, like I've said, we were in Las Vegas last weekend. I get regular mailings from They Might Be Giants, and after I got my trip set, we got a newsletter saying they would be playing at Area 108's The Gathering, along with The Bravery, Plain White T's, Shiny Toy Guns and Silversun Pickups.
The concert was originally at the Orleans Arena, and we secured great front row tickets for one of the center sections. Just before the trip, we got an e-mail that the concert had been moved to the Joint, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Sounded cool, we love the Hard Rock, it is a pain in the ass to get to, so we usually don't go there without a reason, now we have a reason this trip.
So, on with the review:
Venue - The Joint - F - I was disapointed to find out that this was not the concert hall that you see on the HRC live music specials. This is realy just a large room with four tiers of floor and some handrails. There was a balcony with seats, but you had to be a VIP to get up there. Typical Vegas High Roller shit. We ordered two drinks from one of the bars, it was $18 for two well drinks. WTF? I know it is a tourist trap, vacation hot spot, but come on, $9 for well drinks?
It was also apparent to me from the process entering the venue, to trying to go to the john durnig one of the breaks, that the Hard Rock Hotel was in no way properly prepared for the deluge of people that came to this show. The people working security and crowd control were impolite, rude and relatively unhelpful.
First Band - Plain White T's - B- - Ok, we had never heard of this band, but we decided to go with an open mind for all the bands with which we were not familiar. As far as sound goes, I think that the band's raodies didn't understand the difference between a somewhat large arena, and a small room. The instruments were overamplified and too loud, somewhat distorted. Conversely, the vocals were too low and washed out by the overamplified instruments. We liked the band, their songs were good, but didn't really stand out for us in any particular fashion or style.
Second Band - Shiny Toy Guns - A+ - Again, another band that we were not familiar with, but we went in to see what we might find good this night. This band suffered from the same disproportionate amplification problems of the first band. But we really liked this band, in fact, I'm listening to thier album, "We Are Pilots" right now as I write this review. This band uses dual lead singers, one male, the other female, and the band also takes turns playing different instruments. The female lead reminded me of Terri Nunn from the band Berlin in the early 80s. The music is great, I especailly liked the second song of the set, "Le Disko". I bought their CD, and I'm looking forward to them doing some more albums.
Third Band - Silversun Pickups - F freaking Minus - Again, another new band. Again, the same amplification problems. But with a bonus, the lead singer screamed his way through the first song, sounding like Donald Duck. To top that off, the band seemed more focused on feedback than actually playing their instruments in some musical fashion. To top it all off, this band does not have any real maturity as songwriters, and their 'songs' go on for 10 minutes or longer and just sound progressively worse. This is absolutely the worst band I have ever seen live. I've made it a point to memorize their name, so that if I hear a song of theirs is upcoming on the radio I will know to change the channel.
Fourth Band - They Might Be Giants - A+ - Ok, this is the meat and potatoes, what we came to see. First, the amplification was correct, instruments sounded right, were not overwhelming, and the vocals were loud and clear. This is part of a warm up album for TMBG's soon to be released album "The Else". They led of with "Not the boss of me", and proceeded to play a ton of old favorites, then some of the stuff off the new album, and all too soon it was over.
Fifth Band - The Bravery - No Grade - By the time TMBG was done it was 11 PM Vegas time, 1 AM home time. We were dead tired and had been up for about 19 hours. We had not had dinner yet, and had been in the venue for about 5 hours. So we left. We had seen the Bravery in 2005 when they opened for Depeche Mode, and they were an enjoyable band then. But ot memorable enough to stay for another hour plus to see this band.
We had a great time, found one new band to enjoy, and got overcharged for weak drinks. All in all a great evening. We ended up eating pizza slices on the strip at the food court between Harrah's and Casino Royale. Don't eat there.
The concert was originally at the Orleans Arena, and we secured great front row tickets for one of the center sections. Just before the trip, we got an e-mail that the concert had been moved to the Joint, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Sounded cool, we love the Hard Rock, it is a pain in the ass to get to, so we usually don't go there without a reason, now we have a reason this trip.
So, on with the review:
Venue - The Joint - F - I was disapointed to find out that this was not the concert hall that you see on the HRC live music specials. This is realy just a large room with four tiers of floor and some handrails. There was a balcony with seats, but you had to be a VIP to get up there. Typical Vegas High Roller shit. We ordered two drinks from one of the bars, it was $18 for two well drinks. WTF? I know it is a tourist trap, vacation hot spot, but come on, $9 for well drinks?
It was also apparent to me from the process entering the venue, to trying to go to the john durnig one of the breaks, that the Hard Rock Hotel was in no way properly prepared for the deluge of people that came to this show. The people working security and crowd control were impolite, rude and relatively unhelpful.
First Band - Plain White T's - B- - Ok, we had never heard of this band, but we decided to go with an open mind for all the bands with which we were not familiar. As far as sound goes, I think that the band's raodies didn't understand the difference between a somewhat large arena, and a small room. The instruments were overamplified and too loud, somewhat distorted. Conversely, the vocals were too low and washed out by the overamplified instruments. We liked the band, their songs were good, but didn't really stand out for us in any particular fashion or style.
Second Band - Shiny Toy Guns - A+ - Again, another band that we were not familiar with, but we went in to see what we might find good this night. This band suffered from the same disproportionate amplification problems of the first band. But we really liked this band, in fact, I'm listening to thier album, "We Are Pilots" right now as I write this review. This band uses dual lead singers, one male, the other female, and the band also takes turns playing different instruments. The female lead reminded me of Terri Nunn from the band Berlin in the early 80s. The music is great, I especailly liked the second song of the set, "Le Disko". I bought their CD, and I'm looking forward to them doing some more albums.
Third Band - Silversun Pickups - F freaking Minus - Again, another new band. Again, the same amplification problems. But with a bonus, the lead singer screamed his way through the first song, sounding like Donald Duck. To top that off, the band seemed more focused on feedback than actually playing their instruments in some musical fashion. To top it all off, this band does not have any real maturity as songwriters, and their 'songs' go on for 10 minutes or longer and just sound progressively worse. This is absolutely the worst band I have ever seen live. I've made it a point to memorize their name, so that if I hear a song of theirs is upcoming on the radio I will know to change the channel.
Fourth Band - They Might Be Giants - A+ - Ok, this is the meat and potatoes, what we came to see. First, the amplification was correct, instruments sounded right, were not overwhelming, and the vocals were loud and clear. This is part of a warm up album for TMBG's soon to be released album "The Else". They led of with "Not the boss of me", and proceeded to play a ton of old favorites, then some of the stuff off the new album, and all too soon it was over.
Fifth Band - The Bravery - No Grade - By the time TMBG was done it was 11 PM Vegas time, 1 AM home time. We were dead tired and had been up for about 19 hours. We had not had dinner yet, and had been in the venue for about 5 hours. So we left. We had seen the Bravery in 2005 when they opened for Depeche Mode, and they were an enjoyable band then. But ot memorable enough to stay for another hour plus to see this band.
We had a great time, found one new band to enjoy, and got overcharged for weak drinks. All in all a great evening. We ended up eating pizza slices on the strip at the food court between Harrah's and Casino Royale. Don't eat there.
Labels: best buy, review, travel, vacation, vegas
Goddam Southwest Airlines!
Yesterday, on my flight from Las Vegas to Houston, Southwest Airlines lost one of my suitcases. They were very nice, brought the bag to my house at about 2 AM this morning. So I repacked it, I had to head out to San Antonio for work tonight. Got of the plane, went to the baggage caurosel, watied, waited, waited some more, and came to discover...
Southwest lost my fucking bag again! So I'm at the hotel, contemplating a trip to Target for underwear and socks. Haven't called Southwest again yet, I'm too pissed off at this point.
UPDATE:
Wednesday, 7:30 AM
Called SWA about 10 PM last night, they say my bag arrived around 8 PM, and has up to four hours to arrive at my hotel. Midnight - went to front desk, no bag. Got my 7 AM wake up call, went to the front desk - no bag. Called the local number, but no one answers the phone. Called 800-IFLYSWA - they told me the local office didn't open till 7AM. I pointed out that it was about 7:30, so that was no excuse, so now I'm on perma-hold while they try to track down my wayward luggage.
UPDATE:
Wednesday, 10:30 AM
Luggage has finally arrived. The bag is crushed, and one of the stands is broken off the suitcase. So I called Southwest, they told me to man up and pull out the dent, and they weren't responsible for any other damage to my luggage. Good customer services. Here is what remains of my suitcase:
Southwest lost my fucking bag again! So I'm at the hotel, contemplating a trip to Target for underwear and socks. Haven't called Southwest again yet, I'm too pissed off at this point.
UPDATE:
Wednesday, 7:30 AM
Called SWA about 10 PM last night, they say my bag arrived around 8 PM, and has up to four hours to arrive at my hotel. Midnight - went to front desk, no bag. Got my 7 AM wake up call, went to the front desk - no bag. Called the local number, but no one answers the phone. Called 800-IFLYSWA - they told me the local office didn't open till 7AM. I pointed out that it was about 7:30, so that was no excuse, so now I'm on perma-hold while they try to track down my wayward luggage.
UPDATE:
Wednesday, 10:30 AM
Luggage has finally arrived. The bag is crushed, and one of the stands is broken off the suitcase. So I called Southwest, they told me to man up and pull out the dent, and they weren't responsible for any other damage to my luggage. Good customer services. Here is what remains of my suitcase:
Labels: bad support, SWA, travel, work
Monday, May 21
Viva! Las Vegas!
The wife and I got away to Las Vegas this weekend, and a lot of stuff that happened in Vegas will stay in Vegas. But here are a few photos from the camera phone that I can quickly share tonight.
Took this photo for my sister in law. Evidently she is a fan, and I thought she had good taste. Oh well...
And here is what it looks like after I consumed this stuff.
Labels: dining, georgia on my mind, shopping, travel, vacation
Wednesday, May 16
Waiting for BES to download...
I'm waiting on Blackberry Enterprise Server and all of it's related stuff to download. At least Dilbert and my NoHoHon are having a good time...
Sunday, May 13
Hectic Month
I haven't been posting much here, not for the lack of things to post about, but just from being so busy I'm never sure if I am coming or going most of the time.
Kids are doing great, twins are over 10 months old and close to walking, and saying dada, mama, baba, ball, very simple stuff. I recently took my three year old to his first Astros baseball game. We had to sit in the cheap seats, but he had a great time. His favorite part of the game was the train that runs along the top of the outfiled fence when the 'stros hit a homer. Only problem is he really wanted to ride the train. My father in law went along on that day, and we all had a good time.
Meanwhile my lovely wife was spending the weekend in New York City with her sister and mom. Her sister lives there now and really seems to be doing well, so we're all very happy for her.
At work things are going well, I got a raise, then a couple of weeks later was promoted to Information Security Officer. Now I'm a bank officer, I got stock options, and lots more responsibility. Yeah! I'm still doing my old Network Analyst job till we find a replacement, I need someone like Jake for this job, but we aren't finding anyone right now. I hope we find someone soon, I'm gettting worn way out doing two jobs.
I went to a funeral for a friend's 21 year old son that was killed in a horrible car accident. Between the time I was 16 and 22, I had 8 friends die, and went to lots of funerals, so while this experience wasn't so new, it was the first time since I've been a parent. I'm also 39 now, and the sense of just what this young person had missed out on is very different from when it was my friends I was burying. All in all a very sad week.
I'm finally retiring the laptop I've had for almost 6 years. It was great when I purchased it, but it is starting to show it's age. I'm getting an Alienware Area 51 m5550 with an upgraded processor and DVD burner. I'm really psyched, it will be nice to have a modern, fast computer. It also comes with Vista, which I will try out, but expect to replace with XP Pro pretty quickly. Maybe for fun I will also load Office 2007. Never know.
Going to hit the road and go to Vegas next weekend. I need a vacation, can't wait to loose some hard earned cash in a slot machine. We also have tickets for They Might Be Giants at the Hard Rock Hotel and Spamalot at the Wynn hotel. Should be a great weekend.
Kids are doing great, twins are over 10 months old and close to walking, and saying dada, mama, baba, ball, very simple stuff. I recently took my three year old to his first Astros baseball game. We had to sit in the cheap seats, but he had a great time. His favorite part of the game was the train that runs along the top of the outfiled fence when the 'stros hit a homer. Only problem is he really wanted to ride the train. My father in law went along on that day, and we all had a good time.
Meanwhile my lovely wife was spending the weekend in New York City with her sister and mom. Her sister lives there now and really seems to be doing well, so we're all very happy for her.
At work things are going well, I got a raise, then a couple of weeks later was promoted to Information Security Officer. Now I'm a bank officer, I got stock options, and lots more responsibility. Yeah! I'm still doing my old Network Analyst job till we find a replacement, I need someone like Jake for this job, but we aren't finding anyone right now. I hope we find someone soon, I'm gettting worn way out doing two jobs.
I went to a funeral for a friend's 21 year old son that was killed in a horrible car accident. Between the time I was 16 and 22, I had 8 friends die, and went to lots of funerals, so while this experience wasn't so new, it was the first time since I've been a parent. I'm also 39 now, and the sense of just what this young person had missed out on is very different from when it was my friends I was burying. All in all a very sad week.
I'm finally retiring the laptop I've had for almost 6 years. It was great when I purchased it, but it is starting to show it's age. I'm getting an Alienware Area 51 m5550 with an upgraded processor and DVD burner. I'm really psyched, it will be nice to have a modern, fast computer. It also comes with Vista, which I will try out, but expect to replace with XP Pro pretty quickly. Maybe for fun I will also load Office 2007. Never know.
Going to hit the road and go to Vegas next weekend. I need a vacation, can't wait to loose some hard earned cash in a slot machine. We also have tickets for They Might Be Giants at the Hard Rock Hotel and Spamalot at the Wynn hotel. Should be a great weekend.
Labels: entertainment, funeral, in-laws, laptop, review, travel, vacation, work
Wednesday, May 9
Power Management Via GPO
We're trying to do some power manaagement on our network as our crappy Samsung LCDs are burning in our network login screen. And before you e-mail me and tell me that LCDs are not supposed to burn in, I am aware of this fact and that is why I preceeded Samsung with the adjetive 'crappy'. In the meantime, I found this free GPO software from the Government, so I figured, hey, my taxes paid for this, we ougt to look into applying it to the network. Go Energy Star!
Power Management EZ GPO software : ENERGY STAR
Power Management EZ GPO software : ENERGY STAR
Labels: active directory, freebie, gpo, microsoft, tech, work
Saturday, May 5
Pig, it's whats for diner!
My father-in-law is having his birthday party tonight. He said come over, we're having pork. Man, he was not kidding! Oh, he got me a six pack of Miller High Life Tallboys. He is a great father-in-law!
Labels: beer, birthday, dining, in-laws
Tuesday, May 1
Illegal Immigrants Rally Day Again
Illegal Immigrants' rallies to call for immigration reform | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
It hardly seems like a year ago that I got trapped by Illegal Aliens in Houston's Memorial Park. This year I work on the other end of town, so I won't have that issue. But thought it would be fun to repost the vidoes from last year to remind everyone that there are still millions of illegal aliens in our country that should be deported or shot, or shot, then deported, either one.
Here is last year's post again:
Calling an Illegal Alien an Undocumented Immigrant is like calling a Burglar an Uninvited House Guest.
Today I had the misfortune of driving through Memorial Park in Houston, as several thousand Illegal Aliens held a rally to show how we cannot live without them. I'd like to point out that today, while the Illegal Aliens were on strike, I had no delay at: Exxon, Walgreens, Antone's Po' Boys, and traffic around town was the same as usually, with the exception of Memorial park, it was much worse there than normal.
Check out the photos and videos I managed to get while stuck in traffic.
Lots of Illegal aliens, holding both their Mexican and American flags. Proper flag etiquette - No flag is to fly at the same height or higher than the American flag in this country. This is why state flags are always on shorter, adjacent polls, or under the American flag.
You can just make out these shirts. "Today we march. Tomorrow we vote." It is illegal for an illegal alien to vote. Oh, yeah, forgot, if they will break one law, they will break another. They are already voting, even though they are not citizens.
Sign says, "I have a dream - the Green Card". I have a dream too, you dead or deported.
If you read the white sign, the black letters on the other side reads "We are workers, not criminals, not terrorists." Fact of the matter is that if you are here without a work Visa, you are a criminal, guilty of breaking our immigration law. You are a criminal, and an invader. We should shoot invaders.
Here is an illegal alien too stupid to properly display the American flag she is pretending to love. However, as flying an American flag upside down is considered a sign of distress, I now consider this appropriate, and will begin to fly my flag upside down as well. We have been invaded, and until we fight back an repel this invasion, we are in distress.
Even a jackhole from El Salvador showed up. You know, El Salvador, the folks who brought us the MS-13 gang that is killing folks all across the country now that they have invaded.
Too stupid to wear a helmet. Also breaking the law in Texas unless they have special insurance to cover their stupid behavior.
Video 1 - Here you can see the Illegal Immigrants crossing against the traffic light. Then again, once you've crossed the Rio Grande illegally, what's crossing the street illegally?
Video 2 - Here you can see the Illegal Immigrants are well disciplined and not at all rowdy or causing an obstruction to traffic.
It hardly seems like a year ago that I got trapped by Illegal Aliens in Houston's Memorial Park. This year I work on the other end of town, so I won't have that issue. But thought it would be fun to repost the vidoes from last year to remind everyone that there are still millions of illegal aliens in our country that should be deported or shot, or shot, then deported, either one.
Here is last year's post again:
Calling an Illegal Alien an Undocumented Immigrant is like calling a Burglar an Uninvited House Guest.
Today I had the misfortune of driving through Memorial Park in Houston, as several thousand Illegal Aliens held a rally to show how we cannot live without them. I'd like to point out that today, while the Illegal Aliens were on strike, I had no delay at: Exxon, Walgreens, Antone's Po' Boys, and traffic around town was the same as usually, with the exception of Memorial park, it was much worse there than normal.
Check out the photos and videos I managed to get while stuck in traffic.
Lots of Illegal aliens, holding both their Mexican and American flags. Proper flag etiquette - No flag is to fly at the same height or higher than the American flag in this country. This is why state flags are always on shorter, adjacent polls, or under the American flag.
You can just make out these shirts. "Today we march. Tomorrow we vote." It is illegal for an illegal alien to vote. Oh, yeah, forgot, if they will break one law, they will break another. They are already voting, even though they are not citizens.
Sign says, "I have a dream - the Green Card". I have a dream too, you dead or deported.
If you read the white sign, the black letters on the other side reads "We are workers, not criminals, not terrorists." Fact of the matter is that if you are here without a work Visa, you are a criminal, guilty of breaking our immigration law. You are a criminal, and an invader. We should shoot invaders.
Here is an illegal alien too stupid to properly display the American flag she is pretending to love. However, as flying an American flag upside down is considered a sign of distress, I now consider this appropriate, and will begin to fly my flag upside down as well. We have been invaded, and until we fight back an repel this invasion, we are in distress.
Even a jackhole from El Salvador showed up. You know, El Salvador, the folks who brought us the MS-13 gang that is killing folks all across the country now that they have invaded.
Too stupid to wear a helmet. Also breaking the law in Texas unless they have special insurance to cover their stupid behavior.
Video 1 - Here you can see the Illegal Immigrants crossing against the traffic light. Then again, once you've crossed the Rio Grande illegally, what's crossing the street illegally?
Video 2 - Here you can see the Illegal Immigrants are well disciplined and not at all rowdy or causing an obstruction to traffic.
Labels: illegal immigrant
Number of people who will never get their time back from reading this page:
