Scam

I started using Craigslist as a buyer within the previous year. However, this past month marked my first foray into selling items on Craigslist. I have received a few responses to the items I have for sale, but the below is the most interesting e-mail I have received. Enjoy.



Hello

How are you doing today? Well i really thanks for your mail and i love the description of the item i wish to come and view the item and pay for it in cash but I'm very busy to do that right now.I'll like you to remove the advert from web and consider this item sold, I'll be paying via cashier check in US dollar.You will not be responsible for shipping or pick up of the item. where the shipper agent will come for the pick up at your location upon your confirmation of receiving my check after you have cash it in your Bank .I need your name to be on the check:

Physical Address:

State:

city,: and Zip Code along with yours

phone number to overnight mail the check to you without any delay.

Thanks and waiting for your urgent reply today.


Best Regard

Eny.

Facebook controversy

It looks like they caved to the pressure. This was posted at the top of my page this morning. Funny, they didn't post the modification to their TOS two weeks back. Amazing what bad publicity can do for you.

"Terms of Use Update
Over the past few days, we have received a lot of feedback about the new terms we posted two weeks ago. Because of this response, we have decided to return to our previous Terms of Use while we resolve the issues that people have raised. For more information, visit the Facebook Blog.

If you want to share your thoughts on what should be in the new terms, check out our group Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities."

I've been cheating on you...

...Blogger. Now that I have met Facebook, things just aren't the same. I'm sure you realize that, too.

I tend to hold on to my long diatribes for Blogger and my quick hits for Facebook, but it's become harder and harder to care about writing a (comparatively) long dissertation on my blog instead of using FB. I'm sure I'll come back around. I have a whopping two (two!) followers here, but over 120 on FB. So, in the long run, who reads these posts anyhow?

Happy 1st Birthday

No, not to my child but rather to my blog. It was one year ago today I started this blog. Oh how time flies.

Comcast, part 7

Why part seven, you ask? I was too frustrated to write about the five visits between the first and the last and wanted to wait till I had resolution to comment with hind-sight... Anyhow, I finally have two single-stream CableCards(tm) working in my HD TiVo. Let's recap the visits:

1 (Wednesday) - CC's brought, but none worked. Rescheduled for Thursday.
2 (Thursday) - No CC's brought because the dispatcher did not include it on the list even though I clearly said my CC's are not working. Luis must have felt compelled to do something, so he checked my signal strength and removed splitters he deemed "bad". Rescheduled for Friday.
3 (Friday) - Reg was helpful, he got one multistream card to work, but it would only tune my local channels; very odd. Rescheduled for Saturday; told dispatcher to have tech bring 10 CC's to try to get this to work.
4 (Saturday) - Luis arrived for the second time with CC's and got one to work, but the second one did not work. So, I can tune one HD cable channel at this time. Not bad, but want two... Rescheduled for Monday.
5 (Monday) - Tech 5048 arrived with CC's but none of them worked. He did notice that I was not getting all my channels - Encore to be specific. He fixed that for me. Bonus. Rescheduled for Tuesday.
6 (Tuesday) - Mike arrived (best-spoken tech so far, I must have been escalated), but did not have CC's with him. I did not let him in the house. He explained that the warehouse was exhausted of them and they were burning them today so they would be available tomorrow. He asked if I wanted a digital cable box in case I was not getting any feeds at all. I told him that it would be a parallel move since I can tune one digital channel at the moment. I simply want to be able to tune two. I rescheduled for Wednesday, my first day back at work.
7 (Wednesday) - Tech 5048 again, he also wanted to check my signal strength before even attempting to insert a CC; he didn't like the look of a splitter in my basement. Man, these guys push to accomplish SOMETHING when there is no work to be done. They must be told to "tidy up" in the event that they cannot actually complete the work they were dispatched to do. He also had an apprentice with him; a young fella that spoke only when spoken to and was basically there to be a statue. Maybe I was frightening and he brought muscle with him for defense. I don't know. All this signal-checking made me nervous as I arrived home from work; it is usually an indicator they are not able to accomplish what I want them to do. In the end, the second card was activated and all was right with the world.

Could you imagine the amount of lost time and money I would have incurred if I were not working from home on as a new father? Let's just say it would be huge.

Comcast, part 1

I had this bright idea; upgrade to an HDTV, get a new HD TiVo and then upgrade cable to get high definition... Which one of the three previous statements was difficult to do? You go it - Comcast.

HD TiVo uses CableCARDs(tm) which is a technology that's been around for years now, but seldom adopted. Comcast techs know very little about them and (after reading up on message boards) they don't work very well. Sometimes they work for a day, then poop out. Or, like my experience, they don't work at all out of the box.

I had an appointment for a visit yesterday. The tech came, inserted the card, the TiVo recognized it as a MultiStream CableCARD(tm) and began to download "something". It was taking a long time to download whatever these segments were so I told the technician that if I had any issues, I would call. He gave me his cell phone number and off he went.

The card did not successfully authorize, initialize or whatever. I called the tech, but it was 3pm by this point and he was probably out drinking some fine Russian vodka and smoking cigarettes by then. Either way, he didn't answer. So, I scheduled an appointment for today noting that my CableCARDs(tm) were not working. I called Comcast to see if they could "hit" or restart my card, but they see the card as looking good on their end of the world so they cannot help much. I remember having cable modem issues in the past and tech support could go in and touch the cable modem easily. I guess CableCARDs(tm) are not that savvy.

The tech today came thinking I had a signal issue; he was not told to bring cards with him and so I have yet another visit for 10am tomorrow. Good thing I'm home with a newborn or this would get frustrating in a hurry. I called Comcast support several times trying to find a way that I could drive to a store to exchange the card on my own. No such luck. Since I live outside of Chicago, there are no brick and mortars where that can be done. It must be a tech visit. So, I'll cross my fingers and continue to watch crappy analog cable on my 52" HD set.

HD is mine

52" of glory...

HD update

I've received clearance from the tower to purchase an HDTV. Luckily, Best Buy is offering a no-interest purchase option - you don't have to pay until January of 2011. Very nice. I'm looking at a Sony; been a Sony guy most of my days and their Bravia XBR lineup gets the best reviews:
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/sony-kdl-46xbr4/4505-6482_7-32468193.html?tag=pdtl-list

I'm looking at their model# KDL-52XBR4
Sony - BRAVIA XBR 52" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

If it's good enough for Payton Manning, it's good enough for me.

HDTV

Is in my sights...