blog.noetech.com

Highway

I watched Highway last night and it was the weirdest thing. Different parts kept jogging my memory, as if I've seen it before, but the rest was completely new. The movie is not old enough for me to have seen it and forgotten it; my memory isn't that bad. My only guess is that one of my old roommates was watching it and I was coming in and out of the room. Though that doesn't really make sense either, because I would have just watched it...

Moving on, it was really good. Who doesn't love a good "on the road" movie?

AT&T Wireless

After getting home from the Powerhouse on Friday night I dropped my phone into some water. I'll let you guess where. I was a little drunk you see.

So today I went about acquiring a new phone. I've wanted a Sony Ericsson T610 to replace my T68i for awhile so I gave AT&T Wireless a call. What ensued is, in my opinion, a perfect example of how not to treat your customers. It started when I was quoted a price of $150 for the phone with a two year contract. This is $50 more than a new customer would pay. I understand the need to pull in new customers, but you would think that rewarding your loyal customers would be high on their list as well. At least to me, it seems crazy to charge customers that have been with you for two years more.

And now with the ability to take your numbers with you, it seems even more prudent to make sure your current subscribers get good deals. I could leave and go to T-Mobile with no changes and get the phone I want for less. Makes no sense.

So I asked to speak to someone else to relay my dismay and I was transfered to a "Resolution Specialist". I always make it a point to make sure that my complaints get through to someone at a company when I'm going to stop using their service. I like to think that it gets heard and maybe some changes will be made in the future. I'm optimistic you see.

So I'm explaining to the "Resolution Specialist" my point of view, and I swear I was doing it nicely, when she goes off on me. Screaming, she says:

Welcome to business.

and

We are a wireless provider, we are not in the business of supplying wireless phones.

Um...what? I'm pretty sure they sell phones.

You would think that would be it for me and AT&T, but I'm lazy. After looking around I realized that I would have to sign a contract with another provider to get the phone for $100, and I hate contracts. Since I've never had one with AT&T and I'm fairly happy with the quality of service, not customer service, I decided to just buy the phone outright through them and worry about switching companies later.

So la de da, I order the phone and they bill my account. Since I'm already on the phone with them, I figure it's time to get a local LA number. This is where it moves away from anger and turns incredibly funny.

It seems, in order to give you a new number they need to cancel your old account and open up a new one. The problem being that the plan I'm on and have been on for two years, is no longer available. I don't use my phone much so I've been happy with 600 anytime minutes and 3000 nights and weekends. The plan they offer now for the same price is just 400 minutes. That's it. Mind you I never had a contract with them, that was the plan they just offered. In order to get anywhere close to what I had, I now need to either pay $20 more a month and live with only 800 anytime minutes or sign a one year contract and get unlimited nights and weekends.

I wanted to switch companies, and now I'm stuck with them for a year. My laziness knows no bounds when it comes utilities.

Well next year I tell you, I'm switching.

Comment Registration

I've upgraded my templates to work with TypeKey, but it doesn't work at the moment. My MT install is hosted on a different domain than my weblog here and apparently there's some work that you need to do:

If you sign in to TypeKey from a comment page and are not recognized when you return, you may need to enable the DynamicComments option in your mt.cfg file. This applies to you if your Movable Type application is accessed under a different domain from your weblog. For example, if you access Movable Type at http://www.somehosting.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt.cgi but your weblog is viewed at http://www.myweblog.com/, then you will have the problem described above. In this case, you should simply add the line:

DynamicComments 1

to your mt.cfg configuration file. Note that you may also need to make changes to your default templates for this mode to be successfuly.

The key part here is the possible changes to the default templates. They don't tell you what they are, just letting you know they may need to be done. Nice. I'm sure I can find out the details in the forums, but they really should have the info here.

*UPDATE*

That was quick, it's fixed now. Just need to add plain old noetech.com to my TypeKey domain setup.

MT 3.0

Because of the 50% discount for beta testers I decided to upgrade to MT 3.0. Nothing too exciting, new interface and more commenting options. I'll be adding the ability to sign on using Typekey soon, but I still leave the comments open to unregistered users. I don't get many comments anyway. Unless you count my Overhaulin' post.

Hipster Bingo

Print it out and take it the next show. I would win in five minutes just hanging out at the 6 way in Wicker Park. You know, if I still lived in Chicago.

The Anti-Bush Game

You have to love Voltron

[via whatdoiknow.org]

Family Album

I added another album to my Gallery installation. This one is of some family photos that I used to have an iPhoto book made a little while ago. This was the first one and I'm pretty happy with it. I might just have some others made.

Speaking of family photo albums, I really need to get a hold of all our family photos so I can digitized them. Along with all my grandfather's slides. I should of done this when I worked at Columbia*, with the Imacons it would have been really nice. Hindsight I guess.

*They really need update that page. The 18 new Quicksilver g4s in 2001 just isn't that impressive anymore.

Color Change

Thanks to bordem, I bring you a small color change to the site. I'm not that happy with it, but I'm tired and don't want to fiddle any more.

You may have to refresh to see the changes, especially if you're using Safari.

Phone Booth

Last weekend I was walking with my visiting friends up Highland Ave, coming back from lunch, when we passed a ringing pay-phone. Of course I had to answer it. On the other end was a man who told me he had the money he owed me.

He asked me about how much I would need, see he just got paid and had all that I could need. We settled on two hundred. Then we proceeded to pick a day, time and place to meet for the transaction. Anyway, I couldn't take it anymore and had to hang up. It was way too funny.

Question is, was it a prank, scam or wrong number? Did he think I was someone else? I'm leaning towards scam, but it was pretty funny.

I almost felt like I was in some weird version of Phone Booth.

Gallery

I'm in love with Gallery, especially since I found iPhotoToGallery. It' couldn't be simpler to upload an Album now. Now I really need to get off my ass and figure out how to integrate into MT so I can list them here in the sidebar.

Here's my newest album, even if the pics where taken last summer.

Mena's Request

In response to Mena's "How are you using the tool?" request.

On my personal site, noetech.com, I use 8 weblogs and six users. I have three weblogs for my sisters, three for friends, though two of those haven't been updated in a long time, and I have two. One of which is private and used read only by me.

The $129 cost is too high for what I use it for. I would pay $60 but the features are just not there for much more. And of course I'm not going to kick my family off their blogs :-)

Living Without

I can't believe they didn't figure it out on their own. I mean, really, it just comes naturally. I'm talking about the couple who didn't know what sex was of course.

Visiting Friends

I installed Gallery at Lee's suggestion. I had used it awhile ago for a project, but I totally forgot about. This maybe the solution I'm looking for.

I through up an album of pics of this weekend with my friends visiting from Chicago. I wonder if there is a way for me to rig it so there is a side column with recent albums. I know I can do it by hand but rigging up a second blog and including it...

Weblog Options

So I'm really trying to decide what to do for my future blogging needs. What I really want is an easy way to do photo albums. I've contemplated building a photo blog with MT, but that's not what I'm really looking for. I want albums, the ability to upload multiple images at a a time and all that. I was hoping MT 3.0 would offer that, along with Typelists as well, but no such luck.

I did get a free copy of Expression Engine, and although feature rich, it's too much for my needs and the others that have blogs on my MT install. I will consider using it for future commercial projects though. It would have been great for the WOW Report. With MT's lack of sub-categories and I to use 11 weblogs to build the site.

But I digress, what to do for this site? So here's an option. TypePad. I'm resistant for several reasons, I already have a hosting account that I pay for and I use subdomains for the other weblogs on the system. If I made the switch it would only be for my weblog and it would need another domain, because I'm not going to use thomas.typepad.com and I can't move noetech. Now that's not such a bad thing, I don't like noetech.com, but all my permalinks will change. On the other hand, TypePad is making a lot of progress feature-wise.

So this is what I'm going to do, I'm going to activate my TypePad account, I get 3 months free anyway for being a beta tester, and start really playing with it. I'll see if I can live without the few plugins I use and no Kung-Tunes. If I decide that I like and can live with the limitations, I'll move this blog over. I'll leave the other hosted here though.

Using TypePad just for the photo albums is always a option too.

Movable Type 3.0

Six Apart has updated their licensing to help calm it down. They took care of some of the big things, but left one that will still keep me from using it, the price. With the new terms, the cost to run my setup did drop, but it's still going to cost $150, or $120 introductory price. This is still way too much for a blog tool with that many limits. It's just not competitive.

And $100 bucks to go from the free version to the lowest paid one? I also don't think their post was forthcoming enough, nor did it make it clear that they understand what the problems are.

MT 3.0

To tell you the truth, I feel lied to. When they said that Movable Type 3.0 would remain free and that there always would be a free version, I just assumed that I would be able to continue to use MT like I have been. I guess I did assume, but they really should have let everyone know that the free version would have major limits. Maybe I was naive, but I thought for sure they would keep the scheme where commercial pays, personal is free.

It's not like I'm cheap, I'll gladly pay a fair price for software I use, but this is too much. I can't even try out MT 3 on my machine without paying for it, or paying for a second database (well I guess I could use Berkley DB) because I'm over the limits in the free version.

To suddenly start charging this much with only adding one major feature? I just don't know what they were thinking. There is now way I'm going to pay $150 to keep using MT as I have been, with the only noticable improvements being comment management. And that's for my personal site.

For my company's site the cost just went from $150 to $600 minimum. In reality it probably would be more, as we have an internal blog with more than 20 users. You have to ask for a quote if you have more than 20 authors and 15 weblogs. Even though most people only have that many weblogs in order to work around missing features in MT, which version 3.0 didn't add.

The developer contest seems like a weak attempt to get real features in MT before the final release.

Of course Typepad is an option, but I hate using hosted services. I want complete control over my content. Not to mention my domain name and subdomains. I would also need an account for each of my friends and family that currently host on my domain. And I'm not so sure how much I trust Six Apart anymore.

Expression Engine is looking better everyday. At least they are adding features people are looking for. And if MT 3 is $150, what the hell are they going to charge for MT Pro if it ever makes it out?

UPDATE:

I read a comment on MT 3's new pricing structure somwhere, I can't remember where now, comparing it to when Blogger released Blogger Pro. It's not anywhere close to the same. When Blogger Pro came out, they added features to make it Pro, they didn't suddenly add limitations on to Blogger. Six Apart has taken their product and stripped off really important features to make the free version. They should have done what Blogger did, and add new features that are only available on the paid version... oh yeah, isn't that what MT Pro was supposed to be? What are they thinking?

And another thing, they say that they won't charge again until the next major upgrade. The problem is that they consider MT 3 a major upgrade even though it's missing almost every feature that I've heard people requesting for the last year, so who's to say what they'll charge for.

Puma.com

The Puma online store has to be the worst online shopping experience I've had, and I've been doing this for a while now. There is no list of categories, or styles of shoes. Instead on the bottom of the screen four random styles show up, out of Puma's hundreds. As far as I can tell there is now way to just get a list so I can pick which ones I want. I don't want one of the four the are pushing. I swear this has changed since the last time I bought shoes from them a few months ago.

Puma lost a sale tonight. If I can't find the style I want I can't buy 'em.

Oh yeah, and when you first go to puma.com, they resize your window to take up the full screen. I hate that, I hate that, I hate it! I should control my windows, not some site.

UPDATE
---
Take it back, the list just doesn't show up on Safari, works on Internet Explorer. Yuk.

But in Internet Explorer, on the first page of puma.com, the entire bottom of the page is missing. It just happens to be where all the links to the rest of the site are located. Nice.

The OC

If your into the OC you can find my feelings about last nights episode mixed in with others at the WOW Report. I should just write it here, but I'm lazy today.

The Best Week Ever blog pretty much covers my feelings as well.

Santa Sangre

It was recommended to me that I see Santa Sangre, a film about a armless women who's son followers her around acting as her arms. Apparently he stands behind her all day, sort of like all those little funny skits you did as a kid.

Netflix doesn't have it, so I probably won't end up seeing it, which is probably for the best. It looks creepy.

Lindsay Lohan

I think I'm over Lindsay Lohan. Just a day ago I was convinced of her ultimate hotness, but my mind was being warped by her age and particularly large breasts. She's cute for sure, and even hot, but the whole thing is getting out of hand. She's no Olsen.

I did see her in some magazine today that was really hot, I can't remember the name, but I'm still sticking to my overrated stance. She has her moments, but all and all, she's just another young hot actress.

Kissing

Because I have nothing witty, smart, or sexy to say, I'm giving you pigeons.

Where else would I want to be?

Bush: Prosperity depends on election

CNN

Peace and freedom depend upon this election. Prosperity for the people depend upon this election

Yeah, that makes sense. The man who started the war, saying only he will bring peace? The man who oversaw the largest deficit in American history is the only one that can bring prosperity?

The balls on this guy.

Oh yeah, if he keeps bring up record homeownership rates as proof that he has made progress on the economy, I'm going to lose my mind. Why doesn't he talk about how this record has driven homeownership out of the reach of the middle class in large cities. How on 50k a year, the only place your buying a home in a large city is the ghetto or, if you're lucky, a hour drive from your job.

New Tattoos

I'm looking to get some more work done and am in need of a good tattoo artist/ shop in or around Hollywood. Any one have suggestions? There's a whole strip of them on Hollywood Blvd, but I don't want to just walk in without any recommendations. Skin is pretty important after all.

Jennifer Garner

I didn't think it was possible to dislike her anymore than I already did. Jennifer Garner in InStyle Magazine.

Want some tubes?