I did and do cursive poorly.  Except for an illegible signature, everything got printed by my hand over the years.  It was decried by many purists who referenced the beauty and elegance of the past.  Time brought about computers, email and more for the purist to complain about.

The complaint transitioned into our becoming a new breed — maybe Homo Momentus. We were accused of having the attention span of an ant.  Some said that was excessively denigrating to ants.  The Internet was the source of all ills, they claimed.

Their accusations seem to be getting more defensible.  Blogging has descended from paragraph to tweet.  Shakespeare might not have gotten great press either if he’d been limited to 120 character or whatever.

I’ll give you an example.  There was this Otis guy.  Damn fine writer.  He’d sneak into Brad’s house and write these blog thingies.  He and the New York Times Style Guide could really kick sand in my blogging face.  In blogging terms he was a regular and offered a point of view that was often different from mine.  That was good.  I was richer for it.

What happened?  This:

_otis_Brad Willis

The Honda Pilot “Crazy Train” commercial may have convinced me to buy another one. Pruis take note: No more PEOPLE PUPPETS.

15 hours ago

2 Oct

When I try to follow those tweeters, I understand what the dyslexic must go through.  My mind becomes disjointed.  It sees the moment superseding flow and elegance. It is like they are writing in a secret code and I don’t have a decoder ring.  I wonder where that Otis guy went.  Makes me sad.  I think that Brad guy must have started locking the back door.

No related posts.

If you’ve followed things around here — and who wouldn’t  — you’ll see that I am posting.  OK, I may come across as a Libertarian nut case but I found something to talk about.   Seeing that an ancient hermit can post, there has to be something far more interesting that you can share.

DrizztDJ get a hall pass because he close to finals and has ___holes for professors.  If you can’t meet that guideline or beat it, start typing.  You don’t want me PO’d.   In too short a time I fear, I will be available for hauntings.  You don’t want to become a SyFy channel special.

I’mmmmmmm countinggggggg!

Related posts:

1. People from Illinois are Idiots

It is interesting when science argues religion.  If they’d let them run on a bit, they might have settled evolution vs intelligent design for us.

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1. Shaggy? Not sure…
2. Shaggy Dogs and Rabbits

99

What’s 99?  The number of times I wanted to pull a Waffles. It was tempting.  I am pretty good at shots and there were a ton of opening.  Not doing so left me on the moral high ground.  So, when I got the email from the person who’d done me favors and showed follow through in the process, I sent her both online sessions where I remained a gentlemen.

I am not saying, I won’t blast away like a Bostonian somewhere down the road.  And, enjoy the process.

But this time being Mr. Nice worked out.

Good morning Mr. Prevo,

I would like to apologize for the inconvenience you went through. I am checking with the refund department to make sure you receive your refund.  I also reviewed your account and its showing that you are paying $ 21.99 for cable and $19.99 for internet. Once the promotion for the internet ends, I will extend it for an additional six months and give you a $10.00 off your cable service. This is the least we can do for your inconvenience and frustration.

Good guys +1

P.S.  If you are a Comcast customer, write down that email address I put in the other post.

Related posts:

1. Yesterday
2. Comcast Resolved?
3. I am from _________

After posting all that stuff on DSLReports, I got the following response:

I’d already provided that info to their database when I signed up.  I provided it to the person who gave me the reference number I used in the title to the post.  I’d also given it to every Comcast employee along the way.  You don’t need to be a time study expert to realize that such inefficiency multiplied so many times impacts cost in a serious way with the millions of interactions that take place.

You may be wondering just why ComcastSteve needed my phone number with our conversation being over the Internet. Maybe not.  I discounted it at the time.  But ComcastSteve is a sneaky devil — or Comcast without Steve is.   I’m guessing the latter.   Why? besides my having info you don’t have yet. Everybody wanting that same info probably wasn’t for including in their Facebook friends page. In ComcastSteve land, it seemed normal.  Stop and think horror movie.

OK, here is where the scary music start to play and you know there a crescendo where you jerk in your movie seat.  My electronic interaction via DSLReports with good old ComcastSteve branched to a new path.  My cell phone rang and it was a guy who didn’t say he was Steve but did say he was Comcast, “Mr. Prevo, this is Comcast. I wanted to let you know that you should have your refund in five to seven days.”  Me: “Thanks”  Him: “Glad we could be of service.”  Me: “Bye.”  That call lasted about 10-seconds or so.

You see the nefarious component don’t you?  Nothing in writing.   Customer service?  [Insert laugh track; roll credits]

ADDENDUM:

I see why Comcast needs to charge whorehouse prices. It is a poorly run company.  It can be because of the local monopolies it enjoys.  You can be abusive, stupid, and inefficient when you are the only game in town.  It doesn’t take a Harvard case study to validate this premise.  Comcast broadcasts it in their every action.

When DSL was the only broadband around, the government required it to open its lines to competition.  Verizon was the local carrier but I used Earthlink.  The telcos have crippled it a bit but it is still possible.  Government never gave us that opportunity with cable.  Do you wonder why?  Silly Goose.  Take a look at their political contributions.

Related posts:

1. Resolved
2. I am from _________

I won’t go into what exactly I think happened.  The result was a stupid situation brought on by never getting a Comcast bill that was the same amount.  I may/probably switched $55.96 to $550 and two days later paid $55.96.   There may be something to this beyond my stupidity.  And, I’ll shortly be back on the support merry-go-round over the amounts.

So, I wanted my $550 back.  I went to their chat and the tech transferred me and then the new person said they had to talk to me and would call in the next day or so.  That didn’t happen and the next week I’m back to chat and it worked out well — or so it seemed. (Text will be in the ADDENDUM:)  The refund was promised.  Hurrah!

Then this fellow over Mumbai way sent me an email:

Dear Mr. Prevo,
Good Day!
This is in connection to the ticket we received regarding the refund
request where you would like the $500.00 credit on your account to be
refunded back to yourbank account. I do apologize for the inconvenience
this issue has caused you.
Please be informed that in order for the refund to be processed, there
is a need for you to fax  the front and back copy of your check within
48 hours from the receipt of this notice. Our Billing Department's Fax
Number is 847-391-8754. Kindly include this reference number: 002802808
on the fax you are sending.
Once the needed documentation is faxed withint 48 hours from the receipt
of this notice, the estimated resolve date of this issue will be on
Tuesday, August 2, 2011.
Should we be of further assistance, please call at 1-800-934-6489. You
can also chat with one of our online representatives at
http://www.comcastsupport.com/chat
Thank you for choosing Comcast.
Sincerely,
Rudelyn B
Comcast Customer Care Specialist
**************************************************
The response contained in this message is intended for the addressee
only and may vary from other responses depending on geography,
promotional campaigns or other factors.  If you are not the intended
recipient of this response, please delete this message. Any unauthorized
use or dissemination of the information contained in this message is
prohibited.
**************************************************

What is the problem here?  Well, there was no check it was an EFT from the ACH.  The thing to take away from the letter collection is there is no check or check number.  The fellow in Mumbai was demanding something that never existed.   To add silliness, who has a fax machine these days?  It been a good 10 years here.

So, I went to DSLreports.com.  That was the place I trashed Frontier and got a comment here from ComcastMark.  He gave me an email address that’d take care of me and they did without hassle and it all ended with me a happy camper thanks to Edith O.

What could Comcast learn here?  That they Mumbai operation isn’t a cost saving and it alienates customers.  I went through 2 sessions with them and that carries a cost.  It was further handled by a third individual that screwed it up.   So, a more costly support person at DSLReports — ComcastSteve — had to resolve it.  Their procedures and limits on support personnel didn’t resolve the problem.  Their training is poor or their policies are.  That isn’t cost effective or a good path to retention.

You should note that no support person approached the issue in the standardized manner you would assume was a function of level one support. It is Comcast roulette.

OK, that’s the news.  Now to get my blood pressure back to what passes for normal.

P.S. If you have Comcast and an issue, bypass level one help and go to dslreports.com or use the email address ComcastMark gave me We_can_helpATcable.comcast.com.   And, yes, I should have done that from the start.  Thanks for pointing that out.

ADDENDUM: xxxx substituted for some data

analyst Edraly has entered room

EdralyBBBL: Hello James, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is Edraly. Please give me one moment to review your information.

James: My Issue: I was supposed to be contacted on Monday about a refund on a $550 overpayment. This did not occur.

EdralyBBBL: Thank you for contacting Comcast Chat Support. It is my pleasure to have you on this chat.

EdralyBBBL: James, I understand that your inquiry is on the $550.00 overpayment on the account, correct?

James: yes

EdralyBBBL: Okay, I see. We understand that James.

EdralyBBBL: No worries, I will be more that glad to help you with your inquiries today, James. Let me pull up your account here.

EdralyBBBL: Thank you for providing your account information. Would you please verify the information I received is correct. First name James Last name Prevo Phone Number 219763xxxx Street Address xxxx Plaza AV Zip Code xxxxx

James: yes

EdralyBBBL: Great. Comcast takes your security & privacy very seriously. May you please provide the last four of your SSN?

James: 8763

EdralyBBBL: Wonderful! Thank you for the information, James. Please give me 2-3 minutes to pull up and review your account.

James: ok

EdralyBBBL: While waiting, let me share with you one of our FREE services. Comcast CustomerCentral. It is one place for customers to pay your bill, manage your account settings, and get help and support for all Comcast products. You can easily access Comcast CustomerCentral from this link: http://customer.comcast.com

EdralyBBBL: Thank you for waiting, James. I have checked on your account here.

EdralyBBBL: Balance on the account is -$516.35

EdralyBBBL: The credit was applied to the account.

James: i am retired and this dragging out is not appreciated. I would like $500 refunded.

EdralyBBBL: It is applied to the account as a credit James.

James: refund the credit!!!!

James: it will take 2 years to recover your way

EdralyBBBL: However, I am submitting a ticket for you so for the amount to be credited back to your bank.

EdralyBBBL: I am still typing James. I would appreciate your patience to wait, thanks.

James: thank you. when and how will this be confirmed

EdralyBBBL: May I have your best contact number and email address please?

James: 219-763-xxxx kenprevoATgmail.com

EdralyBBBL: The ticket is checked within 48 to 72 business hours (9days). You will be contacted through phone or email once resolved.

EdralyBBBL: Thank you, James !

EdralyBBBL: Stay online, please!

James: that is what you said last week. that’s more than 6-9 days.

EdralyBBBL: Our goal is to provide you with a consistently superior customer experience – that’s our guarantee. Learn more about the Comcast Customer Guarantee at http://www.comcast.com/corporate/Customers/CustomerGuarantee.html?fss=customer%20guarantee

EdralyBBBL: Submitting the ticket right now. Stay online please. Thank you!

EdralyBBBL: Done here. Reference number is 110722-000137.

James: THANK YOU!

EdralyBBBL: You may take note of this number, James

EdralyBBBL: Sure dear. You are welcome!

EdralyBBBL: Before we finish up I’d like to just take a minute to review what we have done for you today: we submitted a ticket for the money to be refunded back to your bank. I am happy you have contacted Comcast today. Will there be anything else that I may assist you with?

James: NO THANK YOU

Related posts:

1. The Times
2. Yesterday
3. Comcast Resolved?

I am returning a defective purchase.  I just did the stuff I needed to do to accomplish that and got an email which said I could follow the return. You’ll see it at the bottom.  It says it is already in transit.  The sucker is laying on my bed.  Amazon is pretty good about shipping/billing compared to most but a lot of it involves smoke and mirrors.

Amazon used to almost preform like the computer infers.  Buy it today and on the road tonight.  Other places say they shipped but good ol’ UPS only shows a notification after a couple of more days.  But, my credit card has already contributed to their cash flow.

My complaint about Amazon is not for the cheating but the sloth.   It really isn’t sloth; it is cost control.  Except for this order going back and a situation that is getting more common.  The item was in stock.  It didn’t even have one of those “Only 5 left. Order Soon!” notices.  I ordered it a week ago yesterday; shipped yesterday; got it today.  Why the week and why do they keep telling me that if I join the club I can have it in two days?

Another thing, they are getting as bad at pricing as the local grocery.  The item I ordered was in the search list for $33.00 and when I went to the page it was $35.99.  And that search option is also broke in another way.  Look for a Framitz and then sort on price.  You’re likely not to see a Framitz for 2 or 3 pages and the low priced junk they let sneak into the sort show up and takes over.

Computer games show up in the darnedest places.

Information about Return Shipment

Ship Carrier: UPS Tracking Number: 1Z05A10F2665333859 Status: In transit

Return Authorization: DDT8X7P9RRMA Destination: LEXINGTON, KY, U

Track your package

Related posts:

1. Join me in a Amazon Review
2. Amazon Stuff

What’s Danny Durbin up to now?  Same old same old.  He never seen a dollar in some citizen’s hand that he didn’t want to spend.  He has never met a tax he didn’t like.   He’s never seen an entitlement he wouldn’t support.

He’s going to introduce a new tax.  He wants Internet businesses taxed.  The first problem is there are more than 7500 taxing entities.  That is a big hit at the cost of doing business.  He also attacking job creation giants.  According to a Google search, Amazon employees 13,900 people.   He’s probably inspired by his home state.  They instituted taxing on the Internet that has already moved Internet business across state line.  That was a recent lead in their local news.

He is also the first up to the microphone to bemoan those rich bitches that are getting another unfair tax break.  Now the fact is that the top ten percent of those earners pay ninety-five percent of the taxes now.  Do they get unfair tax breaks?  Darn right and many of those came with the support of Senator Durbin.

He is always on the local TV with another sound bite about another wondrous idea originating from his fertile mind.  He is so fertile that he should be constrained in a man-size condom. Better yet; his father should have been given a box.

The only guy over there dumber is their Governor.  You wouldn’t believe that guy so I better quit before I ask Lightning who he voted for — not that there was a reasonable choice.

Addendum:

Poker is all about probability.  We are fairly sophisticated in evaluating it.  It would be nice if politician played a bit of poker to understand it better.

No related posts.

But yesterday (Friday) was as horrid as all my interaction with Frontier support was and it was a lot closer to home

• My replacement computer from Dell arrived
• I set up an account with Comcast

That didn’t contribute to my well being.   Resolving one problem is enough.  You can isolate on a single issue.  With two it seemed, at times, insurmountable.

I started off getting Comcast running.  I’d sent an email to the guy that showed up offering help from Comcast.  The email address he gave me was actually to corporate support so I skipped about three levels of support and figured I was golden.  I got a phone call and went through what I wanted.  I got a callback!   It was all set up.  But, they wanted $50 to come out and do the install.  I said I could do that myself.  So, when I installed the modem and called the number I was given, I was back to level 1 support — not good.  My decision to do the install myself had been entered into the system as a cancel order for everything.  So I lost the promised discounts but, after being transferred to the third person it was running.

On the good side, I was able to send a two sentence email to Frontier, “Cancel my account.  Issue a refund for the unused time.”   That gave me a lot of enjoyment.   Of course they’ll probably screw that up and keep billing.

I set it up with just the modem attached to my laptop.  That went well after two reboots.  I then attached it to the temporary desktop and that would not attach.  About that time the Dell replacement arrived.  I got it running and it attached fine using the router.  So I was sort of back to running.  I still need to attach the old computer that hold files I want to transfer but the worst is behind me.

My computer skills are pretty dated.  I always hated setting up networks of those days.  I have a lot of sympathy for those with something less in the skills department and wonder how they manage.   The fact that so many people are using the Internet is amazing when you factor in everything.

Related posts:

1. Yesterday and Today

Frontier Communications, who missed making estimates last quarter, will sink lower next because on Friday I will reinstall Comcast.  Today, has been horrid.  I have unplugged the modem to resync with them at least a half dozen times.   It will be so enjoyable to stop their bill.

Comcast dropped my basic cable bill a ten-spot and have a 6-month offer for $19.95.  So, it is looking like I now get a half year of, “Yes, supersize it!” or a fair chunk of the payment to the local health club.  Nahh, I’m going with the giant fries.

ADDENDUM:

I mentioned betterworldbooks.com and sent in another order.   I thought I’d share the shipping notice.  After being annoyed by the corporates, it is so pleasant to get something from someone with as distorted a sense of humor as Josie me.

(Your book(s) asked to write you a personal note – it seemed unusual, but who are we to say no?)

Holy canasta! It’s me… it’s me! I can’t believe it is actually me! You could have picked any of over 2 million books but you picked me! I’ve got to get packed! How is the weather where you live? Will I need a dust jacket? I can’t believe I’m leaving Mishawaka, Indiana already – the friendly people, the Hummer plant, the Linebacker Lounge – so many memories. I don’t have much time to say goodbye to everyone, but it’s time to see the world!

I can’t wait to meet you! You sound like such a well read person. Although, I have to say, it sure has taken you a while! I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but how would you like to spend five months sandwiched between Jane Eyre (drama queen) and Fundamentals of Thermodynamics (pyromaniac)? At least Jane was an upgrade from that stupid book on brewing beer. How many times did the ol’ brewmaster have one too many and topple off our shelf at 2am?

I know the trip to meet you will be long and fraught with peril, but after the close calls I’ve had, I’m ready for anything (besides, some of my best friends are suspense novels). Just five months ago, I thought I was a goner. My owner was moving and couldn’t take me with her. I was sure I was landfill bait until I ended up in a Better World Books book drive bin. Thanks to your socially conscious book shopping, I’ve found a new home. Even better, your book buying dollars are helping kids read from Brazil to Botswana.

P.S. That’s a $3,98 book.  The overpriced Kindle version is $7.19 and their paper one is like 16 and change.

Related posts:

1. Nook Update
2. UB Update