Balance Protector - Protection Racket: <rant>Recently, I received a new 'Home Depot' credit card in the mail. Why? Well according to the 'customer service representative', the terms on the card have changed, and now I get 10% off... blah, blah, blah... I didn't need a new card for all that. They sent me a new card, because (in my opinion) they wanted to push a 'credit protection scheme' on me (and all other card holders).
The new cards (one for me, one for Kim) came attached to card stock informing me of all the great 'new' features, and 'Protection Products'. On the back was the real reason for the new cards (in my opinion). Apparently, "Balance Protector is an 'optional feature on the Home Depot credit card account". I don't like it. I didn't ask for it, I don't want it. Reading further on the backside of this card stock, one finds the following wording; under the 'How much does it cost?" heading: "Balance protector is provided to you at no cost for the first 30 days" So, what does it cost? Well, according to the 'Program Summary': "Following the 30 day free trial period, each month's protection costs $.99 per $100 of the New Balance, after deducting the Balance Protector fee from the New Balance." It's a 'protection racket'.
I took these statements (admittedly, I may have misinterpreted the statement (as I have concluded in hindsight)) to mean that I was automatically enrolled. I then read on to find the following statement: "You may cancel during the free trial and you will not be billed." What? This sounded to me like I was being automatically enrolled in this 'Balance Protector' protection scheme. I didn't like that so I called... According to the 'Program Summary': "You can cancel at any time simply by calling 1-888-290-8484. The first number I called was the 1-800 number on the front of the card. Yeah, the 'activation' number. That may have been a mistake. I got the impression, that calling that number means that I've 'accepted' the terms of the new card. In any case, I immediately got a hold of some sort of telemarketer. They thanked me for activating my card, then went into a sales pitch for the 'Balance Protector'. It started out as an offer, I listened all the way through, the person asked If I wanted to enroll - I said 'No', and the person immediately launched into the 'Balance Protector' sales pitch a second time. Reading verbatim from some script no doubt. Afterwards I said 'No' again, then I immediately started talking non-stop. I didn't want to let this person interrupt me until I'd said everything I wanted to say. I informed the person that I didn't want the 'Balance Protector' offer, but according to the 'Program Summary' included with my new card - It seemed as if I'd already been automatically enrolled. I want to cancel!
The card holder representative claimed that they couldn't cancel my participation in the plan. I would have to call a different number for that. The same 1-888 number mentioned on the 'Program Summary'. So I called the 1-888 number in order to "cancel at any time".
Upon calling the provided number. My first attempt ended after a few minutes. First of all they want to know my '16 digit account number'. It's the same as my Home Depot credit card number. I don't like that. Why should this 'separate' entity have my credit card number? Anyway, I give them the number (that's probably a mistake). They claim that they can't find me in their system. They want to 'put me on hold' in order to talk to the 'database administrator'... Yup, I got hung up on. So I have to call back and start over. Once again I'm asked for my 16 digit account number. When they can't find me 'in their system', I go on to explain how I just received the new card today, and I only activated the card a few minutes ago. 'Oh, in that case, it'll take up to two weeks before you'll show up in our system'. What? It says here (on the 'Program Summary') that I can 'Cancel at any time', and I want to cancel now. I'm once again told that I'm not in the system yet, so they can't cancel my account. Grrr. Now I'm getting angry. I ask to talk to a supervisor. The supervisor isn't much more help. She simply repeats the same information I've already received. That it will take up to two weeks before I appear in their system, then I can cancel. In the meantime, I shouldn't worry, because I won't incur any 'automatic charges' until the thirty day 'trial' period passes.
This entire situation makes me quite unhappy, and I tell the supervisor that this (It appears as if I've been automatically enrolled, and I can't cancel for two or more weeks. After which I'll start incurring fees for a service I don't want, didn't ask for and apparently can't 'cancel at any time') is unacceptable. After she explains that she can't do anything, I hang up and file a report with the FTC. This is garbage.
Approximately, one week later, I call the 'Balance Protector' number again. They ask for my 16 digit account number. Then they claim that I don't appear to be in their system. They try looking me up by my name and that doesn't work either. Why can't they simply ask how they can help me? After a short conversation, they assure me that I'm not enrolled. Really? Or is it that I'm 'too new' to show up in the system? In either case, I accept the explanation that I'm not enrolled - for now. I won't be surprised if I show up in the system a week later.
After talking to the 'Balance Protector' people, I call Home Depot to cancel my card. The automated menu selection procedures required me to enter the last four of my social security number! Argghh! I'm now completely burning up. I really despise this practice of using my social security number for something that has nothing to do with my social security number. I don't want this company having access to my SSN. Later, when I speak to a person, I have to give them all the same information I had to enter through the keypad. No - I won't give out the last four of my social security number. O.k. She seems to understand? I give her the 'security code' off the back of my credit card. What can I do for you Mr. Vaessen?
I want to cancel my card and close my account. Of course that's not good enough, I'm then asked why... So, I explain why I'm canceling. It's because of this 'Balance Protector' scheme. I didn't want it, didn't ask for it, and I'm not happy with the way I was 'automatically enrolled' (or so it seemed to me at the time). I tell them (Home Depot credit card representative) that I want to close my account, cancel my card and terminate this 'Balance Protector' racket. She indicates that canceling the card won't end any recurring payments I may owe to a second party. Seriously! I've gone round and round with this 'Balance Protector' scam long enough. They've told me multiple times that they can't find me in the system, but I won't be able to cancel until I show up in the system. Screw that! I'm canceling my card. If there's any recurring charges, for something I never authorized - Then we can deal with that in court. I'm not paying for something I didn't sign up for, and I don't want anything to do with a credit card that can't keep this kind of crap off my card.
The person I spoke to indicated that they would send a letter confirming my cancellation in 7-10 days. We'll see. I honestly expect them, someone, a disgruntled/dishonest employee at CitiBank, or Balance Protector, to screw me - They might decide to completely ignore my wishes, statements, and requests. I expect that I'll be signed up for the 'Balance Protector' scheme despite my wishes, billed for a service I don't want, didn't ask for, and never agreed to. My card may have a hold put on it, my outstanding credit (on my card) will probably disappear. My credit may even end up in the toilet. They hold all the power. I'm no one. I have no power, no advocate, and no expectation that the courts, the law, or the corporations who rule this country will do anything to help me.
My recommendation to other 'CitiBank - Home Deport card holders' - Examine your credit card terms very carefully. You may find that you're enrolled in some 'Balance Protector' scheme without your knowledge. Or you might find the following statement on your new credit card agreement: "For accounts in good standing, APRs up to 26.99%, Penalty APR up to 29.99% (rates may vary)." American's are getting screwed by these credit card companies every day, will you be the next victim?
Netflix 'Rental' DVDs get my goat: <rant>Lately, I've noticed that Netflix is receiving; and sending out, more of these 'Rental' DVDs (With the gray Netflix rental titles). They're disks produced specifically for Netflix (for use as a rental), and they're making me angry. These discs are 'sub-standard'. These single sided discs don't contain all the features that a standard retail disc might contain. There's no special features (Just 'Play' and 'Subtitles') and there isn't even a 'Chapter' menu. When I stop watching, and have to remove the disc, I appreciate the 'Chapter' option. It allows me to quickly find the spot where I left off. Oh yeah, one other thing. You can't 'skip' the multiple previews. I find it disgusting that Netflix has started using this practice widely. It puts the special features on a separate disc, so you have to rent a separate disc to get the special features. If you're watching a TV series, you can't fit as many episodes on a single-sided disc, once again forcing you to rent more discs than you'd have to with the standard (retail) versions of the discs. It's a dis-service to their customers, and I for one find the practice appalling.</rant>
Seagate BlackArmor 110 NAS:
Recently, I purchased a new hard drive. It's a replacement for a hard drive I had attached to my router. I had a Western Digital (500GB) hard drive attached to my Time Capsule. The drive was attached via USB, and it had some problems staying connected to the network. USB isn't the best choice for a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device. I was using the WD drive as a NAS, but it wasn't performing very well in that role. I decided to upgrade to a drive with Ethernet connectivity. The new drive is a Seagate BlackArmor 110 NAS. As previously mentioned, it connects via Ethernet (with max connection speed of 1GB), and the drive has a speed of 7200rpm; making it quite snappy as a server/storage device. It also has two USB 2.0 ports, so you can connect other devices (hook up a printer for shared printing, or another hard drive for server backup). In addition to it's storage capabilities. This drive comes with some software and server capabilities. The drive can be used to serve up files on your local network, and even allow access remotely (using a web based interface). Using the web based management software, I was even able to set up daily back-ups using the WD drive; which is now connected to the NAS via USB. I've moved all my iTunes files over to this server, and I've already added many videos, photos, and text files. Adding this drive bumps up my storage capacity to a new total of 4.28TB! This particular drive has received quite a few positive reviews, and so far I've been impressed. Installation and configuration took very little time, and so far I've got no complaints. With the addition of this new device, I've updated my computer page.
<http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/seagate-blackarmor-nas-110-1tb-nas-box/>
<https://www.robsworld.org/mycomputer.html>
June 23, 2010
Software favorites:
A couple more releases for one of my favorite software applications. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. As usual, developer has been busy updating this application. Here is one full release and a beta release for the product that's always getting better. More free updates for those who own a license. If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed.
GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) completed work on several updates over the past few weeks. This week I saw/downloaded the following beta update: 6.7.3b14. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/xd/public/content/index._cGlkPTE5Mw_.html>
With this software update, I've updated my Software Favorites page. It's primarily dedicated to web publishing for the Mac user. Not meant for the professional, It's my hope that home users and hobbyists will find it useful. It's a listing of applications that I find useful in publishing my web pages.
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>
Updates to the Tollgate Crossing Website: My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. A couple of those activities are the community support activities which I enjoy - Volunteering with our local neighborhood watch, and supporting our community by maintaining the Tollgate Crossing website and mailing lists. While it started out as a website focused primarily on our Neighborhood Watch (which was originally confined to the Tollgate Crossing community), it quickly grew to encompass the whole of our community, in the form of an expanded website and a variety of email mailing lists. Later, I spun the Neighborhood Watch portions off to form it's/their own website. Now the Tollgate Crossing website is focused on the Tollgate Crossing community, with links to the Neighborhood Watch website. Here are a few changes I made at our community website in the last few days:
* Welcome: The website's opener. A page containing an introduction to our community website. Here you'll find all the latest news and announcements. I did a lot of work on this page. I updated the banner for our community Independence Day celebration (July 4th). I updated the banner for our next Metro District meeting - 27 July. In addition to this regular meeting, I also added a banner for a Special Metro District Meeting - 13 July. The meeting coincides with our upcoming HOA meeting on the 13th. They're being held simultaneously. See the Events page for more detail. I added a banner for the 2010 Arapahoe County Fair - 21-25 July. Finally, I posted a banner for an upcoming free night (for Tollgate Crossing residents) at the Plains Conservatory.
* Events: A detailed listing of upcoming and recurring events in and around Tollgate Crossing. Here is more detailed information regarding some of the events you may have read about on the 'Welcome' page. It's also a place to look for long term/recurring events. I updated paragraphs for our next Special and Regular Metro District meetings. I updated the paragraph for our Independence Day celebration (yes - on the 4th of July). I added a paragraph for the upcoming City of Aurora, LIght Up The Night/Independence Day celebration - July 4th. Finally, I added a paragraph for the Arapahoe County Fair, held 21 - 25 July. Just in case you didn't know; the County Fairgrounds are adjacent to Tollgate Crossing.
If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' (in Aurora, Colorado), you might want to check out the website. It's loaded with information about our community and you can even sign up for some of the email mailing lists that serve our community. If you're a fan of "Rob's World!" you'll want to check out the web page, just to see what can be done with Apple's iWeb software. The web page turned out very nicely, and I hope it serves our community well.
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>
<http://www.apple.com/ilife/iweb/>
D&D updates:
We played our last D&D session on the 29th of May. We skipped a meeting on the 15th (Kim and I were on vacation). Here are couple of the updates from that meeting. With the conclusion of our 8 August meeting, the players have moved into an entirely new phase of the game. Gone are the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. - Existing now as a group of non-player characters. The player characters are now members of an entirely new group. The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights. This new group of adventurers is poised to strike out from Whillip. In search of glory, fame, and justice, they seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name both feared (by evil) and revered by the (good) citizens of these realms.
Note from the DM As of 20 February, 2010, one of the players (Mark) has taken over the duties of DM. Mark and I have been planning this change for some time. It's something I like to do, when possible. Unfortunately, the opportunity doesn't present itself too often. Once the campaign has been established, and the players familiar with "Rob's World", I like to encourage full participation by sharing the duties of DM. Mark has written the adventure that the characters are currently engaged in, and I will relinquish DM duties while Mark makes all the big decisions. With Mark behind the podium, I'll do my best to enjoy the mystery, and keep Solmar alive. So, Mark and I have switched places. He'll be running the show, and I'll be playing Solmar. What fun! I'm certainly looking forward to the change of pace, the opportunity for adventure and the mystery of Deepwood. - Robert
The Adventurers journal: The tale of our adventurers. A series of journal entries from various party members. This document contains details of their encounters. Victory, defeat, desire and glory. Here is the tale of The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights, a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. The meeting on the 29th of May sees the party out on the road. On their way to the next adventure. It's going to be a long overland journey, and there will be many more days just like this one. This entry features inputs from Mutteran. It's the beginning of another battle. An altercation with an Orcish war band. We leave off in the midst of battle. Thanks to Lee for his continued input and support. Hopefully we can see some journal entries from Kim, Kevin, Micheal or Todd in the future.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#may29 2010>
Character Updates:
Typically, the updates to this document usually revolve around the characters or the players. In this instance, it's some updates as a result of changes in our player roster. In April, Joe left our campaign, and we picked up two new players in June. With these changes, I've updated some details regarding Belt and Jusarian. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>
Players in our campaign: In the wake of Joe's recent departure from our group, I sent out a call for players to fill his spot. We got two responses. Todd and Micheal (former players in our campaign) both responded. After a bit of discussion, Lars has also decided to leave the group in order to make room for two players. Lars needs the time for domestic reasons, but he'll be following the adventures by way of email and our web pages. So now we have Todd playing Belt and Micheal playing Jusarian. With all these changes I had to update the character annotations beneath our players photo. A group of crazy characters constitute the players in our campaign. Many players have graced my gaming table over the years, some are old friends, some are new, but in the end - friends are what I call them. The players page contains a photo of our group (yes, I know it's out of date) and a short listing of who we are.
<https://www.robsworld.org/players.html>
Monsters encountered: On the road - As the party takes to the open road, they find themselves to be the target for numerous hungry, belligerent, and simply curious creatures. During our most recent gaming sessions, the party learned about a new monster. Something they haven't encountered yet, but the Bulette sounds a bit dangerous. As a result of that information, I created an entry for the monster; and added some info relayed by Mutteran. The monsters page is a listing of monsters that the party has encountered, read about, or heard of.
<https://www.robsworld.org/monsters.html>
Here there be Heroes:
With all the character and player updates of late, I took the time to update the "Hero's Gallery". I updated the entries for Jusarian and Belt. The Hero's Gallery is a list of characters from my campaign. Past and present, the characters listed represent a fraction of those who have called Rob's World! home. Some of the players are long forgotten, but many of the characters live long in our memory. Who can forget their heroic feats, the daring deeds, and tragic endings? Let's heft our mugs, sing their praises, and salute those hero's of lore!
<https://www.robsworld.org/gallery.html>
These updates follow our meeting on the 29th of May. This session, and the previous ones (this year) represent the early days of a new adventure. The eighth adventure for our group. In search of glory, fame, and justice, the H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name feared by evil and revered by the good citizens of these realms. Departing on the 1st of Mavis, the party has decided to help the citizens of Deepwood in their quest to vanquish a Blue Dragon from their backyard. After picking up supplies, horses, and some information in Westgate, the party has taken to the open road. The road has proven dangerous and long. The party has fought many foes along the way, lost one of their own, and recruited a new companion to strengthen their numbers. With Gregor departed and Pyrceval enjoined, the party is back on the road again - Fighting Air Elementals, Chimeras, Tall Mouthers, and Gamorette the renegade Orc. Barely out of danger from a recent encounter, the party is once again embroiled in heated combat with Orcish fighters. The fight is on, so don't miss our next session.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>
iPhone 4.0 Software update:
The long awaited update has finally dropped. iPhone owners have waited exactly one year for this update. With more than 100 new features and a slew of security updates, iOS4 brings us an update that once again moves the iPhone into the category of 'Will anyone ever be able to top the iPhone?' If you'd like to check out some of the new features, check out the article over Apple.com. Some of the more notable features:
Multitasking - Finally!
Folders to organize all those apps; and there are a lot of apps!
Improved email with unified inbox, message threading and attachment activated access to third party apps.
iBooks and the iBook Store.
Create and edit playlists on the phone.
5x digital zoom.
Tap to focus digital video.
Home screen wallpaper.
That's not all, there are plenty more features, and you can find them all at the Apple website. Some of these updates are only applicable to the new iPhone. That's right - Just in case you were sleeping, here's some additional news. Apple is releasing an entirely new iPhone. You can pre-order now, and the new phone should be available sometime this month. While the iPhone OS 3.0 polished the phones internals, and this OS update follows that trend by adding many missing features and tweaking some of the existing apps. Far more than a cell-phone, the iPhone truly is a portable computing platform. Games, communications, music, movies, GPS and an application store unlike any other. If you've already got an iPhone, you'll want this update - Get it Now! If you haven't got your iPhone yet... What are you waiting for?
<http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/>
<http://www.apple.com/kb/HT4225>
GoDaddy order confirmation - Not!
Spammers think we're stupid. They think that you and I are dense, dull, dummies, dimwits. They think that we're idiots. I for one don't fall prey very easily. I do use GoDaddy.com to register and manage my internet domains (see below), but I know what I've ordered, and how much I paid. When email arrives telling me that I made a $357.00 bulk domain purchase, I know that something screwy is going on.
Recently (fourth week of Jun, 2010), I received numerous emails claiming to come from GoDaddy.com. These messages are far more sophisticated than your typical phishing scams (see image of email here). It doesn't contain any of the typical misspelled words, odd message header and addressing, improper message composition, etc. The email indicates that I've ordered something I haven't, and I know I haven't. So what's the point, why would a spammer think that they can trick me into thinking I've ordered something when I know I haven't? Well, they know I'm not that stupid. They're hoping I'm just stupid enough to click on one of the links in an effort to 'figure out' what's going on.
It almost fooled me, as I have a number of domains registered at GoDaddy and the occasional renewal email is not unexpected. As a matter of fact, I recently renewed some of my domains. But the domains and amounts were way off - so much so that they induced a bit of panic, which almost made me click one of the links. Almost! I reported these messages as spam using my favorite reporting service: SpamCop.net.
If you receive one of these GoDaddy spams, don't load the images (that you can't see automatically). That only confirms your email address as a valid/live email address, and you'll get more spam as the spammer sells your address as 'verified'. Don't click on the links because there's a good chance that they'll take you to a website containing malicious scripts, trojans, and other nasty surprises. Finally, don't 'Unsubscribe' from the 'newsletter'. It's a scam, it's spam and they're not going to remove you from their 'mailing list'.
I fear the Dentist, but this one's pretty good: <rave>The other day (17 Jun, 2010) I had to have a dental crown installed on one of my chompers. A molar on the bottom right side of my mouth. The tooth was cracked, and the crown was necessary to prevent the tooth from completely coming apart. Thankfully, I didn't need any root canal, and the cracked tooth wasn't causing me any pain; at the moment. It was earlier in the year, but it wasn't recently. About a week ago, my dentist installed a temporary crown. We waited a week or so for the permanent crown to arrive. They had sent away to have the crown custom made. After it arrived, I went in to have the temporary removed, and the permanent crown installed.
I despise these visits to the dentist. I like to be in control of my life at all times, and someone else with their hands inside my mouth is a huge violation of my personal space. I get really tense and anxious. I really should take some sort of tranquilizer prior to any dental work. I really stress out before hand, and while I'm in the chair it's really bad.
<rant>Not too long ago (in Nov, of 2008) I had a filling replaced on that molar. At that time, the dentist informed me that I would eventually need a crown on the molar. That tooth had some fairly significant cracks, and the filling would only weakening the tooth further. The dentist put a silver amalgam filling in the molar. However, when the silver amalgam expands, it spreads the crack further apart. This private insurance thing sucks. If my insurance would have authorized the composite instead of amalgam, I probably wouldn't have needed a crown for some time. A composite filling would bind the tooth together instead of acting as an expanding plug. A composite filling would save me money in the long run, but the insurance industry can't see past the present, so I end up shouldering the cost if I decide to go against their pre-approved authorization. The medical insurance industry in my country sucks! All they care about is short term profit. Quarter to quarter gains. They don't give a damn about me.</rant>
As it is, the tooth started bothering me about a year ago. It started as temperature sensitivity, and eventually became a constant pain. A few months ago, the pain subsided, but who knows how long that would last? It was time. I scheduled the procedure, and here we are...
Thankfully, my dentist knows what he's doing. On the return visit - to have the temporary removed and permanent crown installed, he was able to remove the temporary with relatively little effort. At first, he started the procedure without anesthetic, but I quickly balked. I can't handle the pain, so he numbed me up. A few minutes later, he went back to work. With a little effort he was able to crack the temporary, and it came off in very large pieces. No need to chisel and chop at the thing. The rest of the procedure. went relatively smoothly. While there wasn't much pain, there was a lot of pressure. Prying, pushing, compressing. That crown isn't coming off any time soon, and the bite is perfect. Unlike the temporary, this permanent crown doesn't feel tender at all, and I'm back to chomping and chewing with my usual vigor. This doctor: Dr. Brian Langenfeld of Main Street Dental - really does a good job. I'm glad I found him.</rave>
<http://www.southlandsdentistry.com/>
The Census - An illustration of government waste/Re-visited/Again!: For those of you unfamiliar with 'the Census' - As required by the United States Constitution, the US census has been conducted every 10 years since 1790. <rant>I have nothing against 'the Census', but this years census (the first year that I've been counted - They've never counted me in the past. Because I was living outside the U.S., but I was still paying federal and state taxes!) was an excellent occasion to illustrate some of the inherent problems with the way our government goes about doing things. So earlier this year there was a big push in the media; Adds on T.V., radio, newspapers, magazines - regarding the 2010 census. My local government reminded me (through various different outlets/forums) that the census is coming, and they certainly didn't ignore me this year.
To the point. The government, in it's infinite wisdom, has spent a considerable amount of time, effort, and I'm sure - Money, making sure they counted me. Here are some of the Herculean efforts they undertook, just to make sure that they counted me
They decided that it would be a good idea to send me a reminder - in the mail - that they were going to send me a census form. Are you serious? They sent me a letter - through the post office - that basically said "About one week from now, you will receive a 2010 Census form in the mail." - Really? About a week later, I received two copies of the census form. Not one for our household, but two. One of them was sent to my address, and one to my address +1. Yes, my address plus a single line with the number 1 on it. As if there were sub-units attached to my single-family home. How much did it cost the government to send out all those 'notices'? Why didn't they simply skip the 'notice' and simply send me the census without the 'notice'?
After completing the survey and sending it back, I received two postcards. The postcards reminded me; "A few days ago, you should have received a request to participate in the 2010 Census". Great, it's another shining example of waste in government.
About a week later someone showed up at our door. A census worker. Kim talked to the census worker; she had to answer all the questions that were on the form. The same form we mailed in. They were 'following up' on our address. Double checking, or something to that extent.
About a week later, I found a 'sorry we missed you' notification on the ground by the gate to my back-yard. It didn't have an address on it, so I wasn't sure who's door it blew off of. I didn't think much of it, until...
A week or so later, I found another 'sorry we missed you' notification. This one was securely taped to my front door. Apparently, some census worker had come back for another visit. I called the phone number provided and asked why another census worker had stopped by my house. I didn't get any 'real' answers. The person I spoke to apologized several times, and excused the issue by claiming that "this is the government we're talking about". As if 'The Government' is somehow to blame. I gave them a number and name from the form. I indicated that I had already answered all the census questions on more than one occasion, and no I wasn't going to waste any more of my time and answer the questions again.
About two weeks later, another census worker shows up at my front door - Really? What the F*ck! at this point, I have no idea what's going on. I asked to see some identification. The ID looked like those I've seen online, and the worker was polite enough, but I wasn't interested in answering any more questions. I've already answered all the questions. I answered the one question which is 'legally' required. The answer is 'Two'. Two people live at this address. I even went so far as confirming our names. No, I'm not going to give you my phone number. It's in the phone book, if you want it that bad. After that she apologized some more and left.
This is totally out of control. Are they going to send another person to my front door? How many times do I need to answer the census questions? How much money was spent counting my wife and I? How exactly does one report this sort of problem to the Inspector General's office? It's virtually impossible to eliminate this kind of waste in government. You can report 'Fraud' (at the website of the Government Accountability Office), but there seems to be no way to report 'Waste'. Great... Oh, yeah, one other thing. They wasted double the postage (on three occasions) by sending the 'notice' letter, a census to a non-existent address, and the 'reminder' postcards.</rant>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_United_States_Census>
<http://2010.census.gov/2010census/>
Software favorites:
Just a one-up increment to my favorite file transfer agent.
Transmit: An FTP tool that does it all. Anyone who publishes web pages eventually needs a way to upload their pages to a web site. I've found that stand alone FTP tools are the best for this task. Transmit has a clean and easy to use interface, and some really nifty features, like the ability to resume a transfer that's been interrupted, advanced site synchronization capabilities (with simulation mode and reporting capabilities), iDisk and Amazon S3 integration, drag-to-dock sending, creation / use of transfer droplets, column views, quick navigation side-bar, multi-connection transfers, built in compression, a built in text editor, remote file editing using local editors, and secure transfer (in various different flavors) capabilities. This latest version (4.0.5) packs in 69 improvements, enhancements, corrections and fixes.
<http://www.panic.com/transmit/index.html>
With these software updates, I've updated my Software Favorites page. It's primarily dedicated to web publishing for the Mac user. Not meant for the professional, It's my hope that home users and hobbyists will find it useful. It's a listing of applications that I find useful in publishing my web pages and cataloguing my collections.
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>
Netflix throws a bonus disc my way: <rave>One of my favorite services. Netflix is simply awesome.I recommend it to all my movie watching friends. Recently (17 Jun 2010), Netflix provided me with a bonus disc. Why? No reason, they're just awesome; that's all. For my bonus selection, I picked Whip It - Directed by Drew Barrymore, starring Ellen Page. The bonus disc arrives on Friday.</rave>
Mac OS 10.6.4 update / Security update 2010-04:
Apple is hard at work, making sure that Snow Leopard is running on all cylinders (in my case 8 - or 16 if you count the virtual threads). Finding security flaws, patching annoying bugs, improving the user experience. These particular updates brings a slew of improvements, corrections and updates. It includes recent security updates, as well as updates and bug fixes to the following applications and services: CUPS (x3), Desktop Services, Flash Player plug-in, Folder Manager, Help Viewer, iChat, ImageIO (x2), kerberos (x2), libcurl, Network Authorization (x2), Open Directory, Printer Setup, Printing, Ruby, SMB file server, SquirrelMail, Wiki Server, Safari 5, Keyboard and trackpad improvements, CS3 compatibility, VPN connections, iPhoto full screen editing, Braille displays, and more.
You can read all about these upgrades, bug fixes, security updates, and more by following the links I've provided below. I upgraded to Snow Leopard during August of 2009, and I have to say, the tweaking, enhancements and multi-core refinements have resulted in considerable speed improvements on my machine.
Cloughs Conquer Colorado - 2010: Their first visit to our humble abode, Kim's sister and family (Kary, Mark, Sam & Emma) came out west to visit us during the month of June (10 - 15 Jun, 2010). We just finished our Grand Canyon vacation in May, and now we're off on another great adventure. The Cloughs arrived late Thursday night, their plane was delayed, but we got a quick start on things Friday.
It's another whirlwind tour of our favorite place - Colorado (Aurora, Denver, Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Buena Vista and a few other places). We packed up the Volvo and headed off on our adventure. We managed to make it back to Aurora every night but one. During the trip, we took a lot of photos, and Emma helped me document the trip with some brief journal entries. Here's Emma's brief synopsis of our latest vacation.
10 Jun 2010:
Cloughs arrived late. 10:30pm. Went back to the house. Had wine, cheese, and crackers.
11 Jun 2010:
11:30 Downtown Denver. Eating food. 16th street mall. Lunch at Earl's. It started to rain then hail in the afternoon
19:30 Gunther Toody's - 50s type diner. For appetizer 'Elvis' gravy fries with sausage, gravy, smothered in cheese. Our large egg shaped waiter was "Flat Top". He wore a button that read "I'm in shape... Round is a shape".
12 Jun 2010:
06:30 Early morning wake up call for departure to the Royal Gorge train and park.
09:13 We arrived at the Royal Gorge train depot, Canon City. Popcorn and soda for snack. Still raining. Lots of pictures and laughing while on train.
12:30 For lunch after train ride - Big Daddy's diner. It's a 50s style diner decorated with Elvis and Marilyn Monroe pictures.
On our way to the Royal Gorge bridge we stopped and took LOTS of pictures!
Just walked up a mountain. We had to stay low or we would get blown off by wind. Drove on Skyline drive. While driving along Skyline Drive, we saw big dinosaur fossils poking through the rock.
After getting to the Royal Gorge Bridge, we took many pictures and then went to the souvenir shop. After the souvenir shop, we boarded the Royal Gorge aerial tram. The tram takes you across the river. After departing the tram we walked a nature trail. While walking the trail there were plants and a zoo! We soon made our way back to the bridge and walked it. The wind and cars made the bridge sway back and fourth. Our last activity of the day was the Incline Railway. That takes you down by the river under the towering mountains, in a cage. Once we were back on the ground, we got to take pictures and enjoy the rushing water of the river.
17:06 The ending of our adventurous day concludes with a long two hour and thirty minute car ride home... It's still raining and were still laughing!
13 Jun 2010
Due to the poor weather, we were unable to go hot air ballooning. Instead we got to sleep in!
10:30 After sleeping in we got up, had breakfast, and packed up all or stuff for the bed and breakfast later that night.
With a departure of 12:00 we headed for Pikes Peak. On the way the sun started to poke through! With a bathroom break and snack stop we were good to go for our trip,
We arrived at the Pikes Peak railroad depot 30 minutes early and chilled at some picnic tables. Once we were on the train everybody had to drink lots of water and chew gum because your ears could pop or headaches could occur. On the train ride up the mountains the landscape was beautiful. It was a smooth ride up.
When we reached the summit of Pikes Peak the elevation was 14,110 ft. It was freezing! There was a thick blanket of snow. After taking many pictures of the summit and mountains, we headed inside the Summit House to get some hot cocoa and take our last bathroom break.
The train ride back to the railroad depot was much bumpier than the ride up. The co-captain of the train came around and sold Pikes Peak books and DVDs. The last 10 to 15 minutes of the train were tough, with both Emma and Sam having to go to the bathroom. When we got back to the train depot everyone took a bathroom break and we headed for dinner.
Phantom Canyon Brewing Company was the name of the restaurant. It had excellent food! Everyone loved their their dinner.
The night ends with a two hour car trip to a bed and breakfast named 'Sawatch Vistas'. And guess what? It's still raining!
14 Jun 2010
Waking up in the bed and breakfast was really cool, because everybody knew that today was the rafting day. The people who owned the B&B were Dana and Becky. They were really nice.
07:10 In the morning we woke up about 7:10am. We had to wait about 40 minutes then we were called up for breakfast. Breakfast consisted of a quiche pie, strawberries, two pieces of bacon, and an excellent pecan coffee cake. When breakfast was finished, we packed up our stuff, took a few last bathroom breaks, and headed for rafting.
When we first got to Wilderness Aware (the rafting company), we were instructed to check in. The people at the front desk recommended a wet suit, splash jacket, and water booties. Everybody had booties so all we needed was the wet suit and splash jacket. After everybody had their gear on we had to sit in a circle and take in safety rules. When we were comfortable with the safety guidelines we hopped in a van and road to the river.
At the river we had to learn how to steer the raft. Our guide was Josh; he was very nice. When we all figured out how to work together and steer the raft, we headed off down the river! Before lunch, the rapids were smaller but they were getting us ready for the after lunch rapids in the canyon.
The lunch was sandwiches, chips, vegetables, crackers, and peanut butter and jelly.
After lunch we started out right away. Right at the start, the rapids were really big. All of the big rapids were named, and for some reason they were all related to death. The biggest rapid was so big we had to get out and see how we were gonna raft across it!
When rafting was over we got snacks in the van. It was so nice to get out of our wet clothes! When we got into the car to ride home everybody was super tired! So on the two hour ride home most people slept.
When we got back to Aurora, Kim ordered pizza and everybody relaxed and settled in for the night. And guess what it's not raining! IT'S SUNNY!
15 Jun 2010
07:00 We got up, packed up, and headed for the airport for a departure of 7:50am. This was the best vacation ever! And now it's SUNNY!
Thanks aunt Kim and uncle Robert..... You rock!
Five days (six with arrival and departure) driving around Colorado. We had a great time, and I'm sure the Cloughs did too. Another tourist vacation of central Colorado. Prepared by Kim. We didn't get to do the Hot Air Balloon ride, but the rafting made up for that. Too bad the weather didn't cooperate. Who would have thought that the middle of June would have been so gloomy! We even saw a little snow at the Royal Gorge and during our drive through South Park. During the vacation we took a lot of photos. Three of us (Me, Emma and Mark) had digital cameras, and I collected all the photos. With 851 photos to sort through, it took me quite some time to narrow it down to a suitable selection. I'd also like to thank Emma for helping me with the journal (see above) of our adventure. She did a great job!
Warner disc won't play in my Samsung Blu-Ray player: <rant>Sometimes technology makes things difficult. Here's another tale of technology that took two hours of my life. Not long ago (30 Mar 2010), I purchased a copy of Sherlock Holmes (the 2009 remake). Recently (12 Jun 2010), I went to watch the Blu-Ray disc. I put the disc in my player - A Samsung BD-P3600 Blu-Ray player. A somewhat newer model (released in 2008?) with all the bells and whistles (full 720p and Blu-Ray version 2.0). It's even got internet connectivity and Netflix streaming. As a matter of fact, I just (May 31st) completed a firmware update (to version 2.09) the other day. So, there shouldn't be any problems watching a Non-3D Blu-Ray disc, right? Wrong!
The previews play without a hitch. Of course the disc and title menus don't work; they're disabled - but that's a different rant. After the previews are done, the player tries to access the title feature. A spinning disc icon appears onscreen. It spins, and it spins. I can hear the disc being accessed/read. There's a lot of read attempts happening. My ethernet splitter (The BD-P3600 is connected to the internet via ethernet) blinks a bit, as if it's trying to access some content online. Perhaps it's phoning home? That's when the spinning disc icon stops spinning. It locks up. It locks up hard. Nothing I do will allow me to access or view the title feature. I have to turn off the Blu-Ray player, then turn it back on in order to eject the disc. Yup, it's another blu-ray disc that I can't watch.
The worst part of all? There's no way to tell where the problem lays. In the old days you had three or four options. The disc (look for physical defects), the DVD player or the remote. On rare occasion your TV might be the culprit. Now I've got eleven (possibly twelve) possibilities. The disc, the remote, the blu-ray player, the ethernet splitter, my router, my modem, my Internet provider, the HDMI cable to the A/V system, the A/V system itself, the HDMI cable to the TV, the TV and possibly an authentication server. So, who do you call? Where do you complain?
After spending an hour trying to get this thing to play, I give up and pop in the DVD. It's a good thing that this box set came with a DVD copy (no special features), or I wouldn't be able to watch this disc at all. The weird part? I've watched the blu-ray disc in the past. I can clearly remember watching the special features on the blu-ray disc. There are no cracks, scratches or other defects on the disc. I tried disabling the BD-Live connection (set to 'Prohibit'), Could the blu-ray player update be the cause of my problems? Why would the disc need to access the internet if I'm not accessing any of that silly Warner BD-Live stuff? Is this disc checking some server for 'authorization'? I certainly hope not. That would really suck. What's next? At this point I'd be surprised if I was able to watch another purchased blu-ray disc.</rant>
June 9, 2010
Updates to the Tollgate Crossing Website: My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. A couple of those activities are the community support activities which I enjoy - Volunteering with our local neighborhood watch, and supporting our community by maintaining the Tollgate Crossing website and mailing lists. While it started out as a website focused primarily on our Neighborhood Watch (which was originally confined to the Tollgate Crossing community), it quickly grew to encompass the whole of our community, in the form of an expanded website and a variety of email mailing lists. Later, I spun the Neighborhood Watch portions off to form it's/their own website. Now the Tollgate Crossing website is focused on the Tollgate Crossing community, with links to the Neighborhood Watch website. Here are a few changes I made at our community website in the last few days:
* Welcome: The website's opener. A page containing an introduction to our community website. Here you'll find all the latest news and announcements. I did a lot of work on this page. I added a new image/photo - FYI: The pool is open!. I removed a couple of banners - The one about the Metro District elections and the one about our community garage sale. I updated two banners - Our next Metro District meeting will be held 22 June, and our next HOA meeting will occur on the 13th of July. I added two new banners - One for an upcoming Free Concert in our community park (on the 26th of June), another for the upcoming 4th of July celebration at our clubhouse/pool (on the 4th of July).
* Events: A detailed listing of upcoming and recurring events in and around Tollgate Crossing. Here is more detailed information regarding some of the events you may have read about on the 'Welcome' page. It's also a place to look for long term/recurring events. I updated paragraphs for our next HOA and MD meetings. I added two new paragraphs - One for a Free Concert (26 June), and one for our Independence Day celebration (yes - on the 4th of July). Finally, I removed a paragraph regarding Neighborhood Watch meetings. For information on our Neighborhood Watch, please visit the new 'Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch' website.
* Info: A page of links, phone numbers, email addresses and other information pertinent to the residents/community of Tollgate Crossing. I updated the available Metro District minutes. Thanks to our MD management company, I'm able to make these meeting minutes available to all our residents. So, even if you can't make the time to attend our MD meetings, you can still stay up to date by reading the minutes. I added two new months of minutes (March and April of 2010).
If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' (in Aurora, Colorado), you might want to check out the website. It's loaded with information about our community and you can even sign up for some of the email mailing lists that serve our community. If you're a fan of "Rob's World!" you'll want to check out the web page, just to see what can be done with Apple's iWeb software. The web page turned out very nicely, and I hope it serves our community well.
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>
<http://www.apple.com/ilife/iweb/>
Software favorites:
GraphicConverter moves ever forward with another batch of beta releases (I caught one of them). As usual, developer has been busy updating this application. Here are a couple more releases for the product that's always getting better. More free upgrades for those who own a license. If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed. In addition to the GC updates, I also had a Safari update as a result of a recent Apple security update.
GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released another beta and a full release this week. I saw/downloaded the following update: 6.7.3b6 GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/xd/public/content/index._cGlkPTE5Mw_.html>
Safari:
Apple's default web browser for OS X (also available for Windows!), is way ahead of the pack. Apple's browser contains a plethora of incredibly powerful features (over 150 features), and this release moves the browser forward for everyone (there's even a Windows version! - Microsoft stops developing IE for Mac, and Apple makes a Windows version of Safari?). I'm currently running Safari Version 5.0 (6533.16).
Battle of the browsers. Internet Explorer vs FireFox. Those are your choices right? Wrong! Think different! Think Mac! Choose Safari, the new kid on the block. A fast (The fastest available for Mac) but full featured browser, which performs like a pro. The full release version is a powerful workhorse - Featuring tabbed browsing, URL snap-back, a powerful but elegant bookmark implementation (with built-in import capability), Google, Yahoo and Bing search integration, built-in pop-up blocker, multiple standards (HTML 4.01, HTML 5, XML, XPath, XSLT, XHTML, DOM, CSS, RSS, ECMA Script, Proxy Support, SSL, TLS, JavaScript, Java, plus QuickTime, Flash and Shockwave plug-ins), and a host of other features. The beta boast a bevy of new features that will certainly enhance future versions of the browser. New features: Top sites - A visual representation of your top visited sites. Cover Flow - A fantastic new way to visualize your bookmarks. Safari Reader mode - banish all those annoying sidebars and adds. Expanded support for HTML 5. Nitro Engine - Makes Safari the fastest in the pack. That's just a small taste of Safari's features. Check out the website for more info. Safari is just one more reason to Switch! It's won a place as my default browser, give it a chance and it'll soon be yours.
With these software updates, I've updated my Software Favorites page. It's primarily dedicated to web publishing for the Mac user. Not meant for the professional, It's my hope that home users and hobbyists will find it useful. It's a listing of applications that I find useful in publishing my web pages.
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>
Disney disc won't play in my Samsung Blu-Ray player: <rant>Sometimes technology makes things difficult. Here's a tale of technology that took two hours of my life. Recently (June of '10) I received a DVD in the mail. I subscribe to Netflix on a 'four out at a time' plan, so I see plenty of movies. Every now and then, I have 'problems' - Thankfully, Netflix never treats me like a criminal. They never accuse me of stealing, intentionally damaging their discs, etc. (Just another reason to get out of the BlockBuster). Anyway, on with the story. So, the disc arrives. It's a title I'd been looking forward to. The Tim Burton remake of 'Alice in Wonderland'. The pairing of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp is a combination I appreciate. I've enjoyed their movies in the past, and the previews looked good.
That evening, I put the disc in my player - A Samsung BD-P3600 Blu-Ray player. A somewhat newer model (released in 2008?) with all the bells and whistles (full 720p and Blu-Ray version 2.0). It's even got internet connectivity and Netflix streaming. As a matter of fact, I just (May 31st) completed a firmware update (to version 2.09) the other day. So, there shouldn't be any problems watch a Non-3D DVD, right? Wrong! Disc goes in, spins around a bit, and the player spits it out. Without so much as an error message or balking beep, the disc tray ejects the disc, and I'm a bit irritated. I check the disc. Not so much as a smudge, blemish or defect disgraces the smooth surface of this DVD. It must be brand new. As a matter of fact, it looks suspiciously pristine. As if it's not encoded. It looks like a blank disc. I 'clean' it? Put it back in, and the player spits it right back out. O.k. Power cycle to player (not sure why I did that), and try again. Same thing. At this point, I've had enough. I mark the disc (online) as "Disc won't play" in my Netflix queue, and wait for a replacement.
The replacement arrives a couple of days later, and I sit down to watch the movie with my evening meal. I check the disc first. Looks like a relatively new disc, and it probably is. Alice in Wonderland (this remake), hasn't been available for more than a week (on DVD). I put it in the player, and just as I'd feared, the player spits it back out. Grrr, this isn't going well. I try a couple more times, with the same results. That's when I'm forced to leave my dinner behind and make a trip to the bedroom. Let's see if the Panasonic DVD player (purchased back in Dec '03 for $75.00) can handle the disc. Guess what? The Panasonic player has no problems with the disc. That's also when I find out that this disc has some fancy Disney encoding/formatting called 'Fast Play' - Trust me, that's an entirely separate conversation. I take the disc back to the living room, and pop it into the PS2. Hey, that works too - Sort of... I get video but no audio. No matter what I do, the PS2 just won't produce audio for this disc. The PS2 did produce some audio, during boot-up, but it wouldn't play the discs audio.
O.k. By now I've wasted approximately two hours troubleshooting this problem (not counting this Rant), and it's time that I can never get back. My dinner is cold, and I'm thoroughly disgusted. I guess I'm just not destined to watch this movie. If I try to watch it in the bedroom, I'll probably end up sleeping in under ten minutes. I just can't handle movies on that tiny 27" picture tube, in a dark room, with the lights turned down low (to reduce glare), from 20' away, while I'm laying down. I really need a bigger, brighter display in the bedroom. So, I seal it up and send it back. I wonder if it was any good?
Massive updates - Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website: My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. A couple of those activities are the community support activities which I enjoy - Volunteering with our local neighborhood watch, maintaining the Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website and mailing lists. Here are the numerous changes I made at our Neighborhood Watch website in the last few days:
* Welcome: The website's opener. A page containing an introduction to the Neighborhood Watch program and it's volunteers. Updated eMail lists paragraph at the bottom of the page. Added email links to photos of Officer Cassell and HAC Van Meter.
* eMail lists: A web page containing details about our mailing lists. The Neighborhood Watch runs numerous email mailing lists, and this page contains details regarding all of those lists. I created two new mailing lists. Mailing lists that serve two of the communities in our Neighborhood Watch area. These two lists: The
"Beacon Point - Alerts" list, and the "Tallyn's Reach - Alerts" list. These lists will be used by the Area Coordinators in each community. The lists will be used to send safety and security updates to residents of those communities. They're a bit more focused than the overall "Neighborhood Watch" mailing list. The Beacon Point mailing list is up and running, and 135 residents are currently subscribed. The Tallyn's Reach mailing list is up and running, but we haven't fully activated the list yet. Residents are still receiving email the old fashioned way; via direct email (using the Bcc: field).
* Current: A web page dedicated to the most recent news, announcements and information. Added three new banners and a video. Announcement about our 2nd Annual Neighborhood Watch Picnic. That was held 15 May. If you missed it, don't fret. Here are links to photos and a slideshow may be coming. The second banner announces the two new mailing lists (see eMail lists above). The third banner contains details regarding your garage. Just how secure is that garage door? Check out the banner and associated video - You'll be amazed!
* Events: A listing of upcoming and recurring events in you Southeast Aurora Neighborhood. Events sponsored by or relevant to our Neighborhood Watch. I added four new paragraphs/events. Starting on the 16th of June, our Neighborhood Watch will begin a series of Summer Safety walks throughout the communities of Southeast Aurora. See the 'Events' page for details. National Night Out is 3 August, 2010, and our Neighborhood Watch is planning an event. Check out the 'Events' page for details. Our Neighborhood Watch has set the dates for some upcoming meetings. Neighborhood Watch meetings will be held on the following dates: 7 Oct 2010, 2 Dec 2010, 3 Feb 2011, 7 Apr 2011. We're not sure where these meetings will be held, but now we have dates! Watch the 'Events' page for details. Finally, our 3rd annual picnic will be held in May of 2011. Here's a very early announcement, with links to photos from past picnics.
* Volunteer: On this page we list various volunteer opportunities for civic minded members of our community. Please consider a donation of your time to help keep your community safe and secure. I added two new paragraphs requesting volunteers. With the NNO celebration (on the 3rd of August, 2010), our NW will need some volunteers to help plan and execute events. I also added a paragraph for our 2011 picnic (our 3rd annual Neighborhood Watch picnic will be held in May of 2011). It's never too early to get organized. Sign up today!
* Info: A page of links and information pertinent to the safety and security of our communities. I updated some of the contact info for the Beacon Point and Tallyn's Reach communities. I added links to the 'Alerts' mailing lists for those communities.
If you are a resident of Southeast Aurora, you might want to check out our Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website (Serving the following communities: Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, The Wheatlands, Beacon Point, Southshore, Tallyn’s Reach, Saddle Rock - North, Serenity Ridge, Black Stone, Heritage Eagle Bend and Rocking Horse). If you're concerned about the safety and security of our community, you might want to join our group, or subscribe to one of our mailing lists to receive periodic alerts, updates and information.
<http://www.southeastaurora-neighborhoodwatch.org/Welcome.html>
June 3, 2010
Epson's All-In-One printer won't fax: <rant>So, the other day, I needed to send a fax. My last computer had a built in modem, and it was capable of sending faxes. Unfortunately, this new computer doesn't have a modem. Why should it need one? I bought a multi-function printer, scanner, fax machine. An Epson Artisan 800 has the capability to send faxes. Yup, it's got a modem, and it'll send faxes. So what's the problem? The software. Epson didn't bother to figure out how to send faxes using the Mac's built in fax from print menu functionality. Instead of coding it into their drivers (for Mac's), they force you to purchase a 'Bluetooth modem' if you want to send the faxes from your computer's desktop (via the Mac's print dialog). You can send the faxes from the printer's LCD control panel (the panel on the front of the printer). However, if you want to send a fax from your desktop (as far as I can tell), you must purchase the $39.00 bluetooth photo print adapter. What? You can transfer the files from desktop to printer (in order to print the files), and the printer has a modem, but if you want to fax from the print menu, you have to buy another modem? That's not only wrong - you greedy bastards - it just doesn't make sense - The printer already has a modem for faxing
In the end, I was able to send the faxes. I sent them directly from the printer. I put all 20 documents in the document feeder tray, then I used the built in fax functionality. It wasn't very difficult. Using the controls on the LCD panel. wasn't all that difficult. So what's the big deal? I had to print 20 pages of documents in order to send the faxes. The documents were already on my computer, why couldn't I use the Mac OS built in fax functionality? Because Epson couldn't figure out how to code their drivers to use the built in functionality.</rant>
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3669>
June's eMusic downloads:
Here's a list of some of the music I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? I find a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites (Pandora, 3hive.com, musicalfamilytree.org) and several other music blogs (Analog Giant, Brooklyn Vegan, Fluxblog, Gorilla vs. Bear, etc) out there, and listening to a few different music podcasts (iTunes new music tuesdays, discovery download, and indiefeed). Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it. The major labels want you to pay for their product - letting you hear it for free is contrary to their business model. Well, guess what? I won't buy it unless I can listen to it first. The major labels are killing themselves with their restrictive distribution and dissemination policies. If you like new music, you can do a google search to find your favorite artists web site, a new music web site, or an archive of free music. Free music is available - Legally! Don't believe the major labels propaganda - Not all free music is illegal. You can legally download music for free. I download music from websites, newsgroups (when I already own rights to the music), and a couple of commercial sources (iTunes and eMusic). Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded - and in most cases - paid for!
eMusic monthly downloads: Every month I download 50+ tracks (50 download credits) from eMusic.com. This month (June of 2010) I managed to download 61 tracks (due to their 'download deals', free samplers and a loyalty bonus!). Unlike some music outlets, eMusic doesn't have any DRM and they don't insert unique track id's into the ID3 tags. Their terms of service are consumer friendly; eMusic allows you to burn as many CDs as you like and copy downloads to an unlimited number of your computers and portable MP3 players, including the iPod and Zune (really?). At less than $.40 a track (I'm paying $19.99 for 50 downloads/month), it's a really good value. iTunes and Amazon still charge more. eMusic offers more music for your money, and the variable bit rate recordings make for exceptionally high quality recordings.
* Work - Shout Out Louds: (12 songs) I first heard this Swedish band in Feb of '08. On their second album and two of their EPs) they had the sound, the lyrics and the instrumentals of Robert Smith's band - The Cure. They sounded nearly identical. In my book, that's a good thing. In their favor, they're not quite as dark as the Cure. On this album (their third) they set themselves apart from the Cure. Now that you're paying attention, they've shifted the focus some. It's a bit more sophisticated, more sincere. I'm not done yet. I'm still digging the new 'Shout Out Louds'. Discovered through an eMusic newsletter.
* Devo - Greatest Hits: (16 songs) The companion piece to last month's download (Greatest Misses).
A band I loved back in the 80s. Unfortunately, they didn't last long past the 80s (disbanding in 1990). Thankfully, these compilations satiate a long held desire for these spud heads.
* CSS - Cansei De Ser Sexy: (9+2 songs) Filling in the gaps, I've downloaded
this pop-punk, brilliant, Brazilian, blitz on the pleasure centers of my brain. I originally downloaded two tracks back in 2006. It's taken quite some time, but the music has finally infiltrated my brain to the point where I had no choice. Groove it, move it, dance to it.
* Hootenanny [Expanded Edition] - The Replacements: (19 songs) Another band I loved back in the 80s. Here's one of their earlier albums. Just before their rocket to success with 'Let it Be' and 'Tim'. Paul Westerberg, Chris Mars and others formed a garage-punk band that influenced American rock, grunge and punk.
* Mhh EP - Elefant: (4 songs) I've heard a few Elefant singles, and the groovin', jammin' beat is best represented by this really long four song EP. Great electronic riffs with long looping layers. Rinse and repeat for a pulse pounding beat.
* Old Enough - The Raconteurs: (single) A single release by one of my favorite bands. This single features Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe. As you can imagine, with that line-up, it's a little bit country. Well, truth be told. It's all country. The instrumentals are outstanding.
These are some of the items I added to my music collection during the last month. Since revamping my music collection back in September of 2005, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating the collection. If you have a comment, question or correction regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email. Please keep in mind that my collection isn't for sale, and I'm not interested in giving you any copyrighted materials. I'd rather not go to jail for music piracy. :-)
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>
<http://www.emusic.com/>