The Daily Ping

Shhhhhh!

nospam@example.com (Ryan) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As a kid, I remember going into the library and as soon as I crossed through the doors, it was whispering-only. If someone spoke in a regular voice, it sounded like someone was shouting.

Nowawdays, though, people may speak in slightly hushed tones in a library, but it's really rare to hear anyone whispering anymore. Has anyone else noticed this? Is it a bad change or does it not matter anymore?

I Give Up on Facebook Ads

nospam@example.com (Paul) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

I was perusing Facebook today, as I do almost every day, and noticed an ad in the sidebar with this copy:

"Join the NATIONAL HOME GARDENING CLUB. Product testing, garden projects, expert tips & seed swaps. FREE issue of Gardening How-To."

That's fine and good and all. But there was an image accompanying this ad... and it was a shirtless man with his fly open and jeans unbuttoned.

Oh! But wait! He's wearing gardening gloves. That makes it all okay!

Yet Another Family Ties Fun Fact

nospam@example.com (Ryan) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Getting tired of talk about Family Ties yet? Sorry, but it's comprised the bulk of my TV watching of late, so that's what you're getting.

Remember Ellen, the freshman artist Alex started dating at the beginning of his sophomore year at college? Did you know that he ended up marrying her in real life after having met her through the show? And that she's Michael "The Omnivore's Dilemma" Pollan's sister?

Neat!

No Receipt II

nospam@example.com (Paul) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Several years back I talked about the trend of not getting a receipt by default at some stores. This still happens to me, largely at coffee shops, but I wanted to mention a place where it actually works out well: the Apple Store.

The truth of the matter is that having a receipt of some sort is a part of my financial workflow. The Wife and I track our purchases in a budget program (Budget) and adding purchases on a daily or weekly basis requires receipts. Some are actual paper receipts and some are electronic, but having an actual person do the input adds a nice check-and-balance to the system versus trusting Quicken, Mint, etc. to the data.

But if I have the option for an electronic receipt... that's pretty nice. And that's what Apple does.

The whole system is really about what you would expect from Apple: high tech enough and maybe a little flashy. The Apple Store doesn't have a cashier station anymore; individuals have handheld devices that allow them to take debit/credit cards and do receipts on demand. But when checking out one has the option of getting an email receipt.

This, I like. It means I'll still get the proof of purchase from the retailer, and I don't have to worry about waiting for it to show up on my online banking record... and not a shard of paper is wasted.

It'd be ideal if this were an option everywhere. And just think, marketeers: you're getting my email address! For free! How can it be bad?

Another Side to the Tape

nospam@example.com (Ryan) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

If you haven't read it already, be sure to check out a 13-year-old's review of an original Sony Walkman, a device that debuted 30 years ago. For perspective, this kid was four when the first mp3 players hit the market, so iPods and the ability to carry your whole collection of music with you is just the way life is for him. The idea of only carrying around 90 minutes of music at a time is an absurd thought to him.

Some of my favorite parts from the piece:

It took me three days to figure out that there was another side to the tape. That was not the only naive mistake that I made; I mistook the metal/normal switch on the Walkman for a genre-specific equaliser, but later I discovered that it was in fact used to switch between two different types of cassette.

...

Did my dad, Alan, really ever think this was a credible piece of technology?

I used a Walkman as recently as 1998 on a trip to Vietnam. I made copies of the tapes I wanted to have with me for the trip, because I didn't want to bring originals with me. My Walkman was also sorta busted, and I got it fixed for 50 cents in Vietnam. I doubt that one could do that with an iPod today.

I enjoy articles like this and am likewise reminded in my own home sometimes about how I'm now part of a totally different era. Rasine knows all about YouTube ("watch monsters on daddy's 'puter!") and how to operate the CD player and how it's different than the DVD player, but the other day she pulled out a VHS tape and asked, "Daddy, what's this?" as she tried to pop open the protective tape shield. (At least she's also well versed in vinyl.)

Flossing

nospam@example.com (Paul) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

To touch back on my Ping from a year ago, you know, dentists aren't kidding when they say floss is useful and good. Really.

My dental history is not stellar. For various reasons, regular dental visits weren't typical in my household; it was strictly on an as needed basis, and cleanings every now and then. Once I got a job after college I decided that enough was enough and I'd deal with my teeth. And I did: in 2000 I had to get two fillings and have a slew of cavities filled.

But since then my oral hygiene has improved. No cavities in nine years, which is swell. Even though I was flossing back when I wrote that Ping in 01, though, I fell off the flossing wagon. I mean, really. It deteriorated from once a day to once every few days to, "Eh, it's floss, I'll do it the next time I remember to do it."

The downside is that this had a real impact on my gums. So much so that my current dentist said, "Hey pal, if your gums don't improve we might have to get some medicated mouthwash going." That sounded... delightful... so I hunkered down and decided to floss daily, for real. No excuses. No exceptions.

The result? My gums are in really good shape! Is it a surprise? Not really. But it's nice to know that some dentists really aren't just trying to sell you something.

HATER'S!

nospam@example.com (Ryan) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Today, I just wanted to share a comment from a blog entry that was written about Roger Ebert's skewering of the new Transformers movie:

It really pisses me off when people diss Transformers. I know people say "It's their opinion" but seriously whatever I get into (ex. Transformers) I get really PO when people diss it... So to all you hater's out there "SHUT THE %$#& UP, Transformers Revenge Of The Fallen Is %$#&ing Amazing!"

What do you say we go recruit this guy/gal as a regular Ping commenter? I think they'd fit right in.

Nicor's Customer Service: Awful.

nospam@example.com (Paul) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Last Thursday the wife and I came home to hear (and smell!) a very large natural gas leak outside our house. We quickly got the dog out and called Nicor, our natural gas company.

They sent out a technician who arrived within 40 minutes. He went to work for a while and soon told us that he could do a temporary fix in order for us to get our gas back on, but a bigger crew would need to come out and do an honest-to-gosh fix the next day, Friday. This sounded fine to us. Unfortunately, Nicor's computers disagreed.

The next day we got a blue tag on our front door, which indicates that our gas is off (duh) and needs to be turned back on. Called Nicor as requested and was told that "everything was done" according to The System and a tech could come out and turn everything back on. This was fine to me except for the fact that there was a 3' deep hole in the ground next to our gas meter (filled with water thanks to storms), a construction cone was on our lawn, and our gas meter was no longer attached to our house. The tech on the phone indicated that the person they sent out would be able to fix this. No one came out by lunchtime.

In the evening we called Nicor again, and explained the whole deal. This time they sent out a tech - giving us a lovely 2 hour block of time to wait for him - and he was actually very helpful. "That job's not done!" he said. "I know!" I explained how the office folks were convinced everything was done because The System said it was. He assured me he would tell his boss that it wasn't done and to expedite it. Great, I thought - the guy was nice, friendly, and competent.

Monday came along. No one came out. Multiple phone calls, and The System says everything is hunky-dorey. Oh, but they'll get someone out Tuesday.

Tuesday comes. No one. Called them up and confirmed that we were supposed to have someone come out that day. And someone... did! At 4pm. Which is fine because as I later learned, Nicor works until 12. Instead though, the tech told me that this job was "an all day job" and "too big" to start on so late in the day. So they did a little marking of the lawn, did no work, and left about an hour later.

Wednesday... nothing. Phone calls were fruitless. We're noticing more earwigs in our house, which we're attributing to the giant, 3' deep water hole next to our home's foundation.

Thursday came along. Multiple phone calls again. Was once told we needed to be home for the service folks, and later told we didn't need to be home. But The System said we were "ready", which indicated that we would be next on the appointment list. This would be fine except for the fact that it was just about 5pm at this point. The phone tech informed me everyone worked until midnight... which jives beautifully with Tuesday's story, when 8 hours wasn't enough time, apparently. The crew never came, surprise surprise.

That leads me to today. I called Nicor on the walk to work, spoke with five different people, was disconnected three times, and finally got through to The Department who can apparently really tell me what in the world is going on in The System. As I called too early (!), I left a voicemail after being assured I'd get a call back today. Surprise surprise, it hasn't happened.

Seriously, folks, in this economy companies should be more like Neuton, actually trying to keep their customers happy. I hit a breaking point with Nicor just because I'd been promised basically every day that someone would be out, and no one is. Look for my "Nicor sucks" Facebook group soon.

Family Ties Editing

nospam@example.com (Ryan) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

So I've been watching an awful lot of Family Ties recently on FamilyNet, home of the terrible, terrible (though aptly named) show Wretched. I noticed that every so often, the audio would drop out during a character's dialogue, as if they were using profanity. This got me to thinking: what could they have possibly been saying on a prime time sitcom in the 1980s that was inappropriate for a cable channel in 2009?

The answer: "God." Anytime someone says, "Oh God" or "Oh my God," they drop the audio.

So, there you go.

A List of Things I Don't Care About Today

nospam@example.com (Paul) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Steve Jobs's liver transplant.

I mean, for goodness sake people, the guy underwent an operation to replace his liver. I fail to see why this is newsworthy outside of small circles of Apple investors and business folks. But no; we seem to have an insatiable appetite for finding out all the little details. What hospital was he at? Did he bump anyone off the waiting list? Why did he go to Tennessee? Was his hospital gown really a black turtleneck?

It's unfortunate, really. On the flipside, I care deeply about how Ryan likes his new Neuton lawnmower!

Neuton Mowers: That's How You Do It

nospam@example.com (Ryan) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

I made the mistake of jinxing myself when I commented how well our Toro rechargeable electric mower had worked. After nine years, it never needed service and I had only to replace the battery once and the blade a few times. Then, stuff happened, it had to go in for service, and I was told the engine would need to be replaced and that it wasn't worth doing because of the cost.

During my search for a new mower, Paul suggested I look at the Neuton rechargeable mower. It was a tad pricy, but with a 1 year trial, a 2 year warranty, and a really nice looking, good performing, quiet mower, I decided to go ahead and buy a refurbished Neuton 5.2 for $375 (with free shipping).

A few days later, a friend e-mailed me. "Hey, look at Woot," he said. I did. There was my mower. I was a little annoyed, but it was only a $20 savings, so I didn't sweat it too much.

Until I looked again and realized that, oops: it was a $120 less than I had paid for the exact same mower just days before. On a $375 mower, that's a big deal.

I tried to figure my next course of action, because I can't leave something like that be. I've gotta do something. I thought: well, it's a one-year trial. I can use the mower until the next one comes up on Woot, then I'll return mine to Neuton and order a new one. A pain, but the effort would be worth it.

First, though, I decided to drop a nice note to Neuton. Not specifically asking them for anything, but using my dad's tried and true technique of asking "Can you help me out?" The following day, they wrote back and told me they'd refunded $120 to my credit card. No further questions asked.

So now, I have my mower, I got a good price, and I didn't have to do any crazy returning and re-buying. Neuton, that is how you do business. And I thank you.

Cars of the Newscasters

nospam@example.com (Paul) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Checking out the answers to this universal question on Ask MetaFilter reminded me of a small activity I used to undertake: guessing what kinds of cars local newscasters drove.

It started with a particularly boring newscast. In Chicago that means the weather stinks, people were shot (sadly), and at least one pro sports team lost miserably. And I started drifting off to wondering, "What kind of car does Warner Saunders drive?" I think the answer is a Chrysler 300C. I can just see that.

His anchor partner at the time, Allison Rosati? Clearly a Ford Explorer. (She would drive a minivan if not for the stigma.)

Bob Sirott, who just left NBC Chicago? Volvo convertible all the way. Sensible but still fun. And the sportscasters? They carpool in a Prius. I know! Surprised me too!

It's just an angle of others' lives we don't really think about often, if ever. But these people had to get there somehow.

Dharma Metal

nospam@example.com (Ryan) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Just as another example of how everything exists on the Internet: a list of metal albums with Buddhist-themed covers. Bands include a personal favorite (really!), the vegan-centric Cattle Decapitation.

Seen It Twice

nospam@example.com (Paul) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This evening the wife and I saw Star Trek in the theater. This is perhaps not remarkable except for the fact that I saw it last weekend in the theater with my pal Karl.

It's really, really rare for me to see a movie twice on the big screen. Oh, sure, seeing it on the big screen and then at home... that happens a lot.

So how rare is it? It's so rare that the last movie I saw twice in the theater was... The Matrix, 10 years ago. And even that was split between a first-run theater and a second-run one.

And yes, I thought Trek was that good.

Last Minute Father's Day Idea

nospam@example.com (Ryan) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

My favorite part of this is the guy who says, "Being a big guy certainly has its advantages. AND ITS DISADVANTAGES." I tell you truthfully: I can't even imagine what's on this list. The statement just seems so out of context.

Quick, order now and get a free Dawn Power Brush!