put it on hold

I'd planned on using this week's Waster to vent about recent escapades at the courthouse. Nope, still no resolutions...more delays and silliness. My venting is shelved until sometime this winter, then maybe I'll tell you all about it.

So instead of having a topic of discussion here, I'm just rambling. Dunno where the ramble will take me yet. I'm sure it'll be disjointed and boring.

On my mind recently: Verizon Wireless. We have a total of 5 phones, with a bunch of different call/text/data packages. For years and years, I've loved Verizon, and told anyone and everyone how awesome they are. They have a lot of my money already, and I was trying to give them a lot more (1 new droid + 2 new phones + 3x2 year contract extensions). Instead...

Fuck Verizon Wireless.

They've introduced a new contractual requirement for some of their phones: forced data plan purchase on mid-level phones. I'm not talking about smart-phones like droid or crackberry, but the regular call/text/games/music/ringtone type camera phones.

These phones can optionally connect to the web for things like facebook, VCast, or downloading more media files. Optionally is the key word. The phones do not NEED the data connection to operate. We have data comms blocked on all the kids' phones.

Those greedy Verizon bastards don't like the way we use our phones, so they force a data purchase now, even if you don't want/need/use it. If you phone simply HAS THE POTENTIAL to make a data connection, the charge is $10 per phone, per month. Some quick math:

(4 of our phones are not using data)
x($10 each)
$40 per month
x(24 month contract)
$960 !!!

Read that number out loud, slowly ... nine ... hundred ... sixty ... dollars.

Fuck Verizon Wireless.

Seriously, nearly $1000 in forced additional charges, for nothing. Even though we have data comms completely blocked, we're still required to pay up for any phone that we buy with the POTENTIAL to make a connection.

Can you imagine if other companies did this?
Have an HD TV? Oh, you're required to purchase HD cable now.
Drive a GM? We're making you purchase the OnStar service now.
Have a TomTom? You're forced to pay for monthly map updates.
And you have to subscribe to HBO, whether you like vampires or not.

I called my way up the customer support chain to no effect. The phone monkeys only know what they've been told, and they've been told that "These phones need a data connection to operate." Close. More accurately: "These phones need a data connection before Verizon will allow them to operate on their network."

As soon as this contract is over, we're gone. Eat my gummi nads, you greedy Verizon bastards.


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Robichai reminds me a little of the original Pitfall game.

Tron + LineRider + some old-school motorbike game = Neon Rider.

My favorite Mario game EVER!




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A different perspective.
(source, and cited references)


I miss you, Batman, the Animated Series


Butt-lift surgery gone wrong.


Daddy, I want a miniature giraffe, and I want it now!


I'm not scared of a lot of things. Some think I'm brave, some think I'm stupid, some think I'm reckless. I just enjoy the adrenaline jolts. That said, this video literally made my palms sweat and my heart race. Fuuuuuuuuck this tower-climbing job.


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