I then posted my sudden irritation on Twitter:

“Having to log-in to a website to “unsubscribe” from an email is lame. Turns out I don’t want Orbitz to notify me daily about vacations.”

A couple days later, I got an email from Orbitz, stating:

“Your comments posted on Tweeter regarding our promotional emails was forwarded to our attention for review. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.”

Now, aside from being a bit spooked and creeped out, I was laughing for a bit that they didn’t know the difference between “Twitter” and “Tweet”.

So, is there really someone at Orbitz employee searching the web for complaints, especially on Twitter, and looking to make amends? If so, that’s amazing and actually a very welcoming feature in my mind.

With every service based company, there are going to be loads of rants on the web, especially on Yelp.com, Epinions.com etc. But I just find it fascinating that Orbitz was on the hunt for them.

Apparently, garlic’s natural sulfur repels all kinds of insects, and farmers have been using products like this for generations. Hopefully it works! I just sprayed down our little yard and it reeks like 5 loaves of garlic bread beneath your nose.

Problem Could Be Fixed Easily

If you’re Verizon DSL modem starts blinking, which means that you don’t have internet access, there’s a good chance that it’s something simple that you have to fix. Maybe it’s just a Network Setting or a loose cable. The Verizon Team helps you realize your problem and you’re back and running!

Mac User? Get Ready For A Longer Call

If you use a Mac instead of a PC, my advice to you is to tell them right away. Otherwise, you will be going through a series Verizon hardware troubleshooting which you’ll have to do all over again if you tell them later on that you’re on a Mac.

Technician Date Booked? Take A Half Day

If you’ve gone through the motions with the Verizon Tech Support and they insist on sending a technician to your house, be prepared to take a half day off from work. They book in 9:00 a.m. – Noon hours, or Noon – 5:00…If you want to do it on a Saturday, it’s 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. How convenient.

Technicians Are Barely Tech Savvy

You figure that the technician would be “in the loop” of what your problem is. Unfortunately, they have no idea what they’re stepping into. They are not notified of “the issue”, and you’ll have to re-explain the whole nine yards.

You’ll have to do the whole circus of unplugging and plugging in cables with them. Some of these techs are strictly hardware guys as well, and don’t even know how to enter a web site address into a browser. (Seriously, this has happened.)

It’s definitely a hand-holding experience. If you think you can just kick back and watch some “A-Team” reruns while the tech works away, you’re in for a surprise. The techs also seem to know absolutely nothing about Macs as well, and they often end up calling Apple to go through the motions.

Problem Gets Mysteriously Resolved Before Tech Arrives?

This is where it gets really insane and you start realizing that you have a reoccurring problem that has nothing to do with your setup or even anything within your home or apartment. This is when you realize that it’s on Verizon’s end.

So, the blinking light went solid, and all was good in Internet land. But the tech was still booked to come over. So, I kept the appointment because there still was obviously a problem. I hadn’t changed anything. Maybe the tech had to go out and climb on a telephone pole and adjust something. But when the tech arrived, he said that the “issue was resolved”, closed the issue, and said that there was nothing he could do.

Issue Closed…The Blinking Light Emerges Again!

About a week later, the the blinking light scenario happened again. When I got a hold of Verizon, they started to make me go through all of the goofy non-sense, like restarting my Mac etc. I told them that I had an issue in for this already and that I think it is a reoccurring problem. They then went on to explain that all issues get DELETED 48 hours after they are resolved! It’s as if it never happened to them.

What’s A Good Call Back Number In Case We Get Disconnected?

Be prepared to repeat your cell phone number often. Every single time that I call Verizon and they go into my account, they ask this question. Hmmm, maybe it’s the same call back number I gave you the last 10 times that I called? Wouldn’t they “enter it into the system”? I started having visions of the Verizon Customer Account software looking like a ColecoVision game.

“Reoccurring” Is Not In Verizon’s Vocabulary

So, if you end up with a reoccurring problem, be prepared to enter a world of pain. I had tech support agents remember me by the sound of my voice. A few days ago, I really had just about had it and decided was ready to switch to Comcast. Then I got a call from Verizon by an excited man that was thrilled to tell me that the problem had been solved, that it had been on their end all along. I couldn’t believe it. When I got home, I was in shock to see a steady green ready light. It has been 3 days now, and I’m still in shock.

Melissa often needs to keep her laptop open for a while so that she can do some batches and rendering. It’s been nightmarish, though, at times. Once she leaves the room for a while, Santucci strikes. Finding him flat out laying on all the keys and taking in the heat of the laptop is no surprise anymore.

Fortunately, she found a solution with a plastic crate that fits perfectly over her iBook, and most other laptops. Santucci, as smart as he is, just can’t deal with it and has been walking away in pursuit of other warm electronics to lay out.

Melissa’s Cat Crate…Keep your cat at bay while you’re downloading BitTorrent stuff…which you shouldn’t be doing.

Melissa leans on her car and takes in the splendid expose of garbage. Yes, that is an empty egg carton by her feet. With spring just a couple weeks away, the garbage level seems to increase big time. And not only that, people leave entire half-meals laying around. A slice of pizza, entire popsicle, used condom, maggot-infested calzone — look, the options are limitless.

Nothing like pulling up in front of your house and having to run your tires over a liter bottle of Pepsi and having it blasted all over your sidewalk for ants to enjoy! Ahh, yes.

Below is a map of every county in the U.S.

Example…A couple weeks ago I decided to try out a new t-shirt that I had just bought. I had the shirt on for about 10 minutes, just sitting in the house, and then I took if off and put on another shirt. A few days later, I went to try on the new shirt and there were those dumb ass streak stains on it in 4 different spots.

Now, I know that I am truly an idiot at times, but this is really up there in the top 10 things that I have should have known. Thank the lord almighty for Google. I’d be a lost pup without it.

Since then, I’ve switched to Degree For Men, and haven’t had any problems. I even got some herbal deodorant lined up too. It was actually hard to find any deodorants that were free of antiperspirants. What a dork I am, and how many ruined shirts have been wasted to figure this all out…Wonk, wonk.

Here’s the main reasons I don’t like ATVs being used in Fishtown:

• Although they stand for "All Terrain Vehicles", driving around in circles in city blocks is just lame. Get some balls and at least break the Fishtown boundaries with those suckers.
• They’re way too fucking loud.
• The people that use them end up using them on the sidewalks as well, just as fast as using them on the street.
• They go through stop signs and don’t obey traffic signs at all.
• The people that use them like to just idle them.
• The cops just don’t seem to give a shit. I’ve seen them drive by a couple of ATV dorks and they just looked at them. Great. They are illegal, right? Yep.

OK, that’s my old man rant for today. I think a good way to compete with them is to get a band together on a flatbed truck and drive up and down the streets while creating an intense noise jam. I’m ready to plug in.

"Net Neutrality is the reason why the Internet has driven economic innovation, democratic participation, and free speech online. It protects the consumer’s right to use any equipment, content, application or service on a non-discriminatory basis without interference from the network provider."

To find out which Presidential candidates are for and against Net Neutrality, this site provides an excellent reference…for every other issue as well: 2008 Presidential Election Candidates on the Issues. The video below sums it up quite well in a humorous way.

Soon after, I found out on my own that I didn’t need a permit for erecting a fence, as long as the height was 6 feet or under. So, I was good, and my dad and I put it up.

Ten months letter I received a letter from the Department of L&I, giving me the go ahead to put up the fence for $25…Ummm, ten months? Thanks L&I. You guys are tip top.