Everyone is full of it

Is there a reason that the entire world tries to fluff their way through everything right now? I see this in ever facet of life right now, it's amazing.

New Bass

I got a killer new bass last night. It thunders. It's a Schecter Stiletto Studio 5 Diamond Series.

Movie Review - (No Country for Old Men)

Uh, what the heck was that? I got dumber watching this. If you want to deliver some message via your artistry you still have to say something.

Cell Phone Cameras

I used to think cameras on cell phones were stupid. I've learned this is mainly because I have never had one. Yesterday on my way to band practice I saw something that really lifted my spirits. I was tired and a little bummed out when I looked over and saw the image below. I apologize for the quality of the shot as I was a bit slow drawing the camera and firing, I am not used to having this technology available. I also apologize for the profuse amount of dog snot on the window, I will fix that tonight.

At least

It doesn't hurt anymore.

Movie Review (17 Again)

17 Again is a classic "If I could do it over" story with no real deviations from any previous iteration. That said, the movie is a riot and why mess with a proven formula. Matthew Perry is great and Zac Efron played his part well. The supporting actors were also quite superb. The sidekick character of Ned Gold, played by Thomas Lennon, was riotous. the movie is funny, but not without some foul language, teen pregnancy, and other "adult" circumstances. Overall, I loved it and thought it was pretty funny.

On a side note, about ten families walked into the place with 5-10 yr old kids. This movie was far too inappropriate for that age level. It's disappointing to see that type of parental behavior.

Have Kids?

Listen to this man:

http://hardinbaptist.org/download?id=5&download=1

America's Got Talent

Movie Review (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

We rented this, quite liberal, adaption of the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story last night. I have to say that despite the gratuitous sex and ignoring adultery that the story was masterfully adapted to the big screen. The acting wasn't a real stretch for any of the players, but the visual effects and story were spectacular. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett were good and the movie never seemed to drag. At points, I felt very sad for the characters as you see them wasting portions of their lives as young people often do. As is true in real life, the young people do not realize the frivolity until they are older and they regret some of the time they have wasted. I believe the movie should have had an R rating but I still recommend seeing it.

Follow my Tweets

http://twitter.com/Captain_Dude

Hilarious Business venture

Check this out:

http://www.moanmyweather.com/

Movie Review (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon)

I went to Blockbuster's 50% off sale and grabbed a copy of this movie for $3. I saw it once the year it came out but the quality was really poor. I watch it in the original mandarin with English subtitles and I think it's one of the most masterful movies ever made. Sure the story is Robin Hood/Romeo and Juliet, but it's intoxicating to watch the brilliant camera work. The martial arts scenes are the best I have ever seen also. Watch this movie.

Casting Crowns

Awesome:

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=a3ba03f1aedc8db12cdb

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=c0773c43715990c1c1eb

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=534ea2619ca03b5649af

Failure to Launch (reprise)

My initial review can be seen by clicking the link below:
http://captaindude.blogspot.com/2006/06/movie-review-failure-to-launch.html

I borrowed this DVD from a buddy and watched it Saturday night. Man, this movie is a riot! Definitely should have been rated R though.

Adam Lambert Lost Because He's Gay?

Who cares? That's what you get for thinking you can act however you want in front of the world.

Twitter (follow me)

I want to see how many followers I can get.

http://twitter.com/Captain_Dude

How many hits?

..can we generate?

Police Beatings and Tasers

So, five cops lost their jobs yesterday for "beating" a dude on video.

Read the article and watch the video here.

Let me clarify my position on this. forst, this was no beating, the dude gets hit about twice. Second, if you resist, run away, or do not comply with a lawful request from a cop I hope he throws you a sound beating. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind if they took tasers and PR-24s(nightsticks) away from cops and just let them put a round in your leg right away.

Michael Steele Calls Out Conservatives

The Chairman of the RNC pointed out that we suck. It's time to stop sucking.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/19/AR2009051903187.html

The "Educational" System

Why are we continuing to dumb down our society? Better yet, why are Christians ok with this?

"In far too many public schools throughout the country our children are being bombarded with secular reasoning, situational ethics and moral erosion.... I believe the primary responsibility for raising children is charged to parents. However, it is undeniable that the church is charged with training parents and working with them to ensure tender shoots survive when moved from the greenhouse to the harshness of the natural environment."

"The focus should not be to abandon public schools, but to be certain not to abandon our biblical responsibility to come alongside parents in training up a child in the way he should go. Can we ignore the enormity of this need any longer when our children so desperately need to be fortified with strong biblical precepts as well as history, grammar, literature, civics, math and science? In recent days, two questions have weighed heavily on my soul. If Southern Baptists don't do it, who will? If we don't do it now, do we risk forever losing the opportunity to build schools for God's glory and the future of our children, grandchildren and the land we love?"
Dr. Morris Chapman, Executive Director of the Southern Baptist Convention

Democratic Follies

The picture above shows President Obama signing an order to close Guantanamo Bay within one year. This link is to a CNN article talking about Mr. Obama taking it in the rear from the right and the left on not adequately planning to do something with the hordes of criminals that are there. I pretty mush says "Oh yeah, I forgot that place actually had a purpose. we'll have to find somewhere else to put them."

If you're just moving them somewhere else, why close Gitmo? the article also talks about the lefties being irritated that the President had to rescind the release of all those prisoner photos and videos too. I actually feel bad for him on that one since I am sure he thought it was a great idea before people in the intel community straightened him out. It should also be noted that the dude already appears ten years older, I hate that for these guys.

What's wrong with the world today?

President Obama's First 100 days

Unfortunately, fail.

Swine Flu

when did we start closing schools for a week because one kid has the flu? I can't remember ever getting out of school because of something like this and no one at any of the schools I attended ever died from this stuff. Check this link out. I went to the CDC's website and it looks like H1N1 was pretty prolific last year also.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2007-2008/07-08summary.htm

Shocking Video

Remember that as Christians we are supposed to have babies.

Gun "Control"

Legislators are clueless and need to leave guns alone.

A Challenge for Dads

What kind of example are we setting for our children these days? We almost constantly cave into what society tells us is normal instead of standing up for Biblical truth. None of us want to live our lives like we're supposed to, instant gratification is too easy to say no to. I'm as guilty as anyone else, but I want to do better for my children and my future grandchildren. This is a challenge for the dads, enjoy:


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3012630939062786693

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1863221767917599647

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2302074809002529791

This is the author of the book in this previous post:

http://captaindude.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-are-dads-doing.html

Here's a great site for encouragement too:

http://www.familymanweb.com/

Yard Work

I love yard work. I think enjoying it and getting it to look good requires the right equipment so today I bought a Stihl FS 55R string trimmer. 14 years ago I bought a string trimmer at HQ in Virginia Beach. It's been dying slowly for about three seasons.I also use a Stihl FC 55 stick edger.Nothing will make your yard look quite as sharp as one of these. Now I just need to find the right mower.

Global Warming

Is Global Warming, now called "climate change", total crap?

http://www.iceagenow.com/Growing_Glaciers.htm

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517035,00.html

Joke of the Week

That's right MLK Jr. was a Republican but that's not the joke.

I was talking to the 8 year-old daughter of a friend of mine, and she
said she wanted to be President some day. Both of her parents,
liberal Democrats, were standing there, so I asked her, "If you were
President what's the first thing you would do?"

She replied, "I'd give food and houses to all the homeless people."

"Wow - what a worthy goal," I told her. "But you don't have to wait
until you're President to do that. You can come over to my house
and mow the grass, pull weeds, and rake my yard, and I'll pay you $50. Then
I'll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give
him the $50 to use toward food or a new house."

She thought that over for a few seconds, because after all, she's only 8.
And while her Mom glared at me, she looked me straight in the eye and
asked, "Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work
himself, and you can just pay him the $50?"

And I said, "Welcome to the Republican Party."

Obama Trims Government Spending

Yeah right! $100 million from this monstrosity? I didn't even know how to articulate how worthless that is, luckily I found this:

"All across America, families are making hard choices, and it's time their government did the same." $100 Million from a $3.5 Trillion budget is equivalent to a $2.00 reduction in a $70,000 household budget. If he thinks the hard choices being made consist of whether to skip the morning Starbucks - ONCE - then this move shows real solidarity. Of course we are all supposed to be too busy counting our $1 a day to do the math and notice how meaningless this gesture truly is, when compared with the bloated budget. I would rather them keep the $400 tax rebate we are getting, so my kids could keep the $114,000 in interest payments they are on the hook for as a result of this waste.

Awesome!

Movie Review (Conspiracy)

Holy Left Wing Propaganda Batman!

This was on TV last night and I was bored. I'm so so sorry I watched it. It's total crap. I think Hollywood wants to say that people in Arizona want to kill illegal immigrants. If they weren't taking direct aim at Arizona's residents then it's white people in general.

Disrespectful Attitudes

Driving back from Michigan last week I caught the end of a talk show where some liberals were defending the President. Their opinions were skewed, but that's what makes this a great country. What I had a problem with was them referring to President Obama as "Barack." Certainly no one ever called President Clinton "Bill" and President Bush "George" when they referred to him. I did not appreciate the outright slander and lies told about President Bush; I am equally offended when people do not respect President Obama's position. Does that mean I like him, would vote for him, or agree with him? Not at all, bu the is the President of the United States and should be treated as such.

My President

It's been quite an interesting couple of weeks for President Obama. First, he prostrates himself in front of a forein king. Someone tell this guy he's the most powerful man in the world and we don't bow to others please. I heard someone on a talk show saying he was leaning over to talk to someone in a chair, but ummm there's no one in a chair. Maybe he dropped America's pride on the floor and was looking for it. Second, he realeases all these interrogation techniques to the world. That's unreal, please quit telling people how we extract intelligence. In the picture above, you can see someone getting waterboarded. You may find it odd that the dude is lilly white and not middle eastern. That's because anyone who administers waterboarding must first have experienced it themselves. This is not uncommon for most interrogation techniques. I understand that some people are against torture and various other intelligence extraction methods. That's why we don't tell you what we do, you're a wuss who thinks we can all just hug it out.

Comcast Finale

I finally got a field technician on the phone. He asked me what the filters, traps, look like outside. I told him there were three traps red, white, and blue. He stated that a couple of months ago technicians were instructed to no longer use the blue trap for limited cable package installs. He said to remove it and see what happens. Guess what happened; now I can see all my local channels in HD with NO CABLE BOX. I do have about 20 more channels I don't want also and wish those would go away but I will live with it for now.

The bottom line is that all "customer support" personnel are simply trying to sell you a newer (more expensive) package.

A Third Comcast Chat

Nothing was on TV and I couldn't help myself. If you don't feel liek reading the whole transcript Jo starts off telling me I can buy what I want and later says I need to wait until the digital transisiton is over. Please enjoy this like I did:

Problem : I cannot receive my local channels in HD.

Captain Dude > I cannot receive my local channels in HD.

Jo > Hello Captain Dude, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is Jo . Please give me one moment to review your information.

Captain Dude > Ok, Thanks

Jo > I will be glad to help you with that. Before we proceed, would you please provide the name, phone number, and service address listed on the account?

Captain Dude > Captain Dude

Captain Dude > 865-123-4567

Captain Dude > The Fortress of Not Much Solitude

Jo > Thank you for that information.

Jo > How long have you had this issue?

Captain Dude > Since I brought my HDTV home Saturday

Captain Dude > It's new

Jo > I see.

Jo > Will it be alright if I place you on hold for two minutes while I pull up your account?

Captain Dude > surely

Jo > Thank you. I will be back with you shortly.

Jo > Thank you for waiting.

Jo > How are you doing today Captain Dude?

Captain Dude > I'm great, how are you?

Jo > I am glad to hear that.

Jo > I am doing great too.

Jo > Would you check if the cables are securely connected and hand-tightened to the digital box?

Captain Dude > I have no cable box but the cables are all secure

Jo > Oh I see. thank you for that information.

Captain Dude > I was told that I cannot have a box because I subscribe to limited basic

Captain Dude > by a local support representative. A second local rep told me I could have one and sent me to get it but then they wouldn't let me have it at the office

Jo > If you don't mind, I will also run a health check on your system to check if everything is running the way it should.

Captain Dude > Feel free

Captain Dude > currently my TV is hooked to an antenna to receive HD off the air

Jo > We could actually upgrade your service today, if you want to.

Captain Dude > I don't want anymore channels

Jo > But first we have to make sure that there's no maintenance upgrade going on right now in the area. Let me check my references.

Captain Dude > What's the upgrade price? As I understand cable providers are required to transmit local channels to me via HD.

Jo > I am still on the account and I am still reviewing it.

Captain Dude > No problem

Jo > Thank you very much.

Jo > I was able to check on your account and it appears that you are still under the Basic Services. I would suggest that you upgrade to Digital Starter for you to view those digital channels because most of the channels now are being transferred to digital.

Jo > The digital Starter would only cost you $39.00 top $49.00.

Captain Dude > I don't want more channels. I only want local channels in HD.

Captain Dude > I also do not want a cable box

Jo > I see. What you have to need is the Digital Converter.

Captain Dude > Why do I need that?

Jo > For you to receive the local channels which are being transferred into digital already. But as you are our valued customer, I would suggest that in the meantime just sit back and relax until the upgrade is over.

Captain Dude > What happens when the upgrade is over?

Jo > Comcast has agreed to continue to carry broadcast network signals in analog format for a minimum of three years following the Feb. 2009 conversion deadline. This means that Comcast customers will still not need a converter box to still receive these signals, all you need to have is your TV connected to the Comcast cable network.

Captain Dude > I think there is a filter outside my home blocking the channels and that I don't need any sort of converter that isn't already built into my television.

Jo > I see. But for further information you could also visit this link www.Comcast.com/DTV.

Captain Dude > right, how does that get rid of the filter that's blocking my HD?

Jo > Make sure that the connection is properly connected. The cable from the wall in to your TV set should be well connected.

Captain Dude > This is the third time today I have asked this same question and you are giving me a third different answer.

Jo > We are not able to book a technician visit for you today as the upgrade is still on the process. My best suggestion is for you to wait a while because all our good technicians are already out to keep the connections in all area up and running as soon as possible.

Captain Dude > What upgrade?

Jo > The digital transition.

Captain Dude > You're telling me that comcast is 100% digital capable right now?

Jo > Not all, this upgrade is happening right now because Digital Transition is mandated by law, therefore, Comcast should act and take all the proper actions to make sure that once the transition is over, all Comcast customer could just sit back and relax.

Captain Dude > wow, awesome

Captain Dude > I'll relax then

Jo > It seems you have closed the chat window. I am unable to reopen the session, if you are in need of further assistance please recontact us or call 1800COMCAST at 1-877 870 4310.

Comcast Update

Not only have I been IM'ing with Comcast I have also tried to call and get answers. Additionally, I have posted in some online forums to receive more answers. On the phone I have had no less then five different stories from five different individuals. Most recently, I was told I was entitled to a free cable box which would perform the function I am after. I left work early and went to the Oak Ridge office where Joseph told me I couldn't have anything, and that even if he gave it to me nothing would change. I was not happy when he said to get ANY HD OR DIGITAL service it would cost $55.75/mo + $6.95/mo for the box/service upgrad and a $29.99 fee for the technician. Forget it, as stated previously I DON"T WANT MORE CHANNELS!

I called the customer service number one more time and got a youg man who took the time to learn the problem and seek out an answer FINALLY! He cam back and informed me his sales friend that used to sell the HD packages said I should have the channels now and told me the number the channel should be. I agreed that I should have it now but stated nothing was there. He then went his supervisor after I asked him to find someone who understood the clear QAM channels. HE came back stating his supervisor said the QAM tuner is for over-the-air broadcasts. I told him that is what the ATSC tuner is for and QAM is for digital cable not airwaves. Again, the young man was eager to learn and solve the problem. He wrote down the FCC reference I gave him, 76.630 and CFR title 47, 76.901(a), and sent "the boss" a detailed email with the promise to call me back. Since I won't hold my breath for that phone call, I decided to do some experimenting.

The cable feed for my home is in my front yard and the box is unlocked. I went and removed the cover and located my cable. This is fairly easy in my instance because I have three large cable traps, or filters, on my line. They are labeled DDR-CA/HA 045, DDR8-24/58, and DDR8-66(A)/76 in that order. These block the 50 some odd channels most folk are used to when they say "basic" cable and give you the "limited basic" package. My suspicion was that one of these traps was interfering with the HD broadcast of the local affiliates. Sure enough, I now have the local affiliates in HD. I dislike people who don't know their own job.

Unfortunately, I also have a ton more channels I don't want and I don't know what to do. If anyone out there knows which traps will effectively limit the superfluous channels yet allow the local HD I would be grateful for the information. I would do trial and error, but the channel scan takes and hour each time.

Comcast again

today I learned about the QAM tuner in my TV. I highly suggest reading this link, here is the relevant excerpt:

QAM-based HD programming of local stations is sometimes available to analog cable subscribers, without paying the additional fees for a digital cable box. The availability of QAM HD programming is rarely described or publicized in cable company product literature. If cable providers provide rebroadcasts of locally aired programming, they must also carry rebroadcasts of high-definition digital locally aired programming, in an unencrypted form, that does not require the customer to use leased equipment, per FCC Sec. 76.630 and CFR Title 47, §76.901(a). These usually include the local affiliates for CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, and FOX, and the cable providers comply by rebroadcasting them over QAM channels. The law does not require the cable provider to advertise their availability, and the cable customer service representatives are known to unequivocally (and incorrectly) insist to customers that a converter box is mandatory to view any HD channels.

Now, that doesn't say they can't charge for this service, but I was specifically told I had to get "the box." Armed with this new information I decided to have another online chat, see transcript below.

Problem : I need to find out why I cannot receive the clear QAM digital signals at my home.

Captain Dude > I need to find out why I cannot receive the clear QAM digital signals at my home.

May.36768 > Hello Captain Dude, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is May.36768. Please give me one moment to review your information.

May.36768 > Hi! How are you doing today?

Captain Dude > I'm super, how are you?

May.36768 > I am doing fine, thank you for asking.

May.36768 > I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

May.36768 > May I know how long have you been experiencing this problem?

Captain Dude > I bought my new TV saturday and noticed that all DTV cable signals are blocked.

May.36768 > I would be glad to pull up your account to have a better idea of what is going on.

May.36768 > For security purposes, I will need to verify your account information. Could you please provide me the last 4 digits of the social security number that is listed on the Comcast account.

Captain Dude > 1234

May.36768 > Thank you.

May.36768 > Is it alright if I put you on hold for two to three minutes while I access your information?

Captain Dude > absolutely

May.36768 > Thank you very much. I really appreciate your patience on this matter.

May.36768 > Thank you for patiently waiting.

May.36768 > After locating your account it seems that there is a service interruption in your local market at this time. I can certainly understand the inconvenience and frustration this has caused as I know how important your services and time are. We are currently working to have this corrected as soon as possible, however at this time we don't have an estimated fix time.

Captain Dude > This service interruption only affects QAM or all cable?

May.36768 > The effect of the service interruption depends on the extent of the damage.

May.36768 > In your area it could only affect some channels, in some part of the area it might affect the full cable service.

May.36768 > Comcast is working as quickly as possible to complete up loading the update. We appreciate your patience.

Captain Dude > I wanted to make sure there isn't a trap on my cable feed preventing the QAM broadcast from entering my home. I know that several traps are present becasue I onle have the limited basic service.

Captain Dude > Is QAM broadcast for free or is that an additional service?

May.36768 > I would be happy to check that for you.

May.36768 > Please hold for one more moment.

May.36768 > Thank you for patiently waiting.

May.36768 > I apologize for the wait.

May.36768 > It shows that QAM Channel is not available in your current package at this time.

May.36768 > I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Captain Dude > What is the charge to get QAM?

May.36768 > I was able to check my resources and at this time the channel that you are requesting is not available in your area.

May.36768 > Channel requests can be submitted in person at your local Comcast office, or by using our customer feedback form below. Please do not include any written correspondence about your channel lineup with your payment. Comcast continually seeks to improve the viewing and entertainment experience of our customers. Channel requests help us to make decisions about adding to or changing channel lineups. http://www.comcast.com/corporate/customers/contactus/feedback.html

Captain Dude > the FCC requires that you broadcast this, how can you say it isn't available?

Captain Dude > If cable providers provide rebroadcasts of locally aired programming, they must also carry rebroadcasts of high-definition digital locally aired programming, in an unencrypted form, that does not require the customer to use leased equipment, per FCC Sec. 76.630 and CFR Title 47, §76.901(a).

May.36768 > I understand where you are coming from an I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Captain Dude > Is there a local support number I can call?

May.36768 > It is best for you to contact the local office and address that channel.

May.36768 > Yes.

May.36768 > I would be glad to provide your local office information.

May.36768 > One moment, please.

May.36768 > Thank you for patiently waiting.

May.36768 > I apologize for the wait.

May.36768 > I would be very glad to get the Local Office information for you. Here it is:

May.36768 > Center Details

Center Name: Knoxville

Address: 5720 Asheville Hwy.

Knoxville TN 37924

Phone Number: 865-637-5411

Hours: M-F, 8am-7pm. Sat, 8am-5pm.

Captain Dude > Thanks.

May.36768 > You are very much welcome.

May.36768 > Is there anything else that I can help you with today? Please be informed that, you will receive a three question survey after this chat. Kindly take some time to fill it out as we value your feedback about our services. Thank you.

Captain Dude > Thanks, no fear. I like to feedback.

May.36768 > Thank you.

May.36768 > Thank you for contacting Comcast! We appreciate your business

If you need assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us through Live Chat or E-Mail (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Comcast also offers excellent FAQ and Help forums located at www.comcast.com to help you reach a resolution independently.

May.36768 > Have a great day!

May.36768 > Take care!

The Internet is wonderful.

Global Warming (This dude is funny)

Nonsense!

Finally!

That is a Samsung LN40A550 that I got two days ago quite cheaply. Mrs. Dude noticed the 37" model drop to $849 on Amazon earlier in the week. Further research showed that the 40" dropped to $799. I called HHGregg, because of how well they treated us during the washing machine episode, and they were still $999 when I called. I had decided to buy it from Amazon when I searched Best Buy's site and they were $799 there too. I decided to go look at them and notcied two things while shopping. First Samsung has released a line of LED televisions. If you have not seen one these are somewhat unreal. Secondly, sitting next to the Samsung I went to look at was a Toshiba of the same size fro $100 less. Knowing little about the Toshiba I went home to do some research and couldn't find a great deal of information as Toshiba publishes very little. I called the Powell HHGregg to ask about the difference and the manager said "...you don't want a Toshiba. In fact if you're buying tonight I will sell you that Samsung you're looking at for $695." SOLD! Consistently, in both local locations, HHGregg personnel have displayed extreme willingness to make the customer happy, AND make the sale. This is like the old style of salemanship before used cars and liars ruined it. These people know everything about the products they sell and want you to be happy and come back. The only thing that's weird about the whole deal is that I know they are 100% commission. How the integrity and professionalism is maintained is obviously through good corporate structure and training.

All that said, if you need any electronics go to HHGregg. If you're in Knoxville go to Powell and ask for Stanley.

Why Comcast Sucks (updated)

In keeping with my efforts to expose moronic business practices and customer service folks please review the following transcript. I certainly won't switch from $15 to $50 just because this guy says it's the only option.

Problem : Ask Comcast Escalation
Captain Dude > Ask Comcast Escalation
Aerole.38809 > Hello Captain Dude, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is Aerole.38809. Please give me one moment to review your information.
Aerole.38809 > I would be happy to assist you with your concern today.
Aerole.38809 > How are you doing today?
Captain Dude > Hi, I just bought an HDTV but only have limited analog service and the picture looks terrible. What do I need to do to take advantage of the TV's capability
Captain Dude > I'm doing well how are you?
Aerole.38809 > I am doing fine. Thank you for asking.
Aerole.38809 > I understand that you have an HDTV but your current package is only analog, is that correct?
Captain Dude > That's correct and I also do NOT have a cable box
Aerole.38809 > I see.
Aerole.38809 > To further assist you, may I please have your full name, billing address, and phone number?
Captain Dude > Captain Dude
Captain Dude > The Fotresss of Not Much Solitude
Captain Dude > 865-123-4567
Aerole.38809 > Thank you for that information.
Aerole.38809 > Thank you for that information.
Aerole.38809 > Captain Dude, in order for you to maximize the capabilities of your TV, you need to upgrade your service level.
Aerole.38809 > We need to upgrade it to digital.
Aerole.38809 > I will be more than happy to help you out with that.
Captain Dude > What's the cost associated with that?
Aerole.38809 > Let me check that for you.
Aerole.38809 > One moment, please.
Aerole.38809 > The monthly rate for the Digital Starter Package is $47.09.
Captain Dude > There is no alternative but to triple my monthly bill? Alternatively, won't the signal have to be digital on June 12, 2009?
Aerole.38809 > I can try to look for a Triple Play Package in your account.
Aerole.38809 > You still have to subscribe to a digital package for you to receive the digital signal.
Captain Dude > I am not interested in acquiring more channels, if I wait until June the picture will look better correct?
Aerole.38809 > The information for DTV transition is in the link that I will give you.
Aerole.38809 > www.dtvanswers.com
Aerole.38809 > The signal will not changed even if it is after June 12.
Captain Dude > To be clear though I cannot get my existing limited package broadcast digitally?
Captain Dude > I have to purchase more channels
Aerole.38809 > By that time Captain Dude, all signals are digital. So basically if you are using an analog service, the reception will not improve.
Aerole.38809 > In order for you to get a better picture quality, you really need to change the service package.
Captain Dude > I currently receive an analog signal, June 12 all signals have to be digital. So doesn't that mean you have to send my existing package via digital and not analog?
Aerole.38809 > We are going to send digital signal.
Aerole.38809 > But if you are still subscribed to an analog service, you will not be able to receive the digital signal.
Captain Dude > June 12th my service will go away?
Aerole.38809 > You will still have your service.
Captain Dude > If I get a cable box now does that improve anything?
Aerole.38809 > But as I have said Captain Dude, you will not be able to view the pictures in a digital format since you are still subscribed to analog service.
Captain Dude > My service has to be digital on June 12th too right?
Captain Dude > That's interesting
Captain Dude > It is not acceptable to require a customer to triple their monthly bill in order to view a quality signal. I will either terminate my service and use an antenna, or use a competitor's promotion. I appreciate your time and assistance.
Aerole.38809 > You are most welcome.
Aerole.38809 > For more information, Captain Dude. You can visit the site that i gave you awhile ago.
Aerole.38809 > Is there anything else that I can assist you with?
Captain Dude > Have a great day.
Aerole.38809 > I will appreciate your feedback about the service you experienced with me today. It is our priority to provide you the best customer service. Kindly answer the survey at the end of this chat so we will know how we can improve our service.I hope that I have been helpful in resolving your concern today.
Aerole.38809 > Thank you for contacting Comcast. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us again.
Aerole.38809 > If you need additional assistance you can find product support information on our Web site at http://www.comcast.com/Support/ http://www.comcast.com/Support/
Aerole.38809 > Have a good day!

Several people have written and explained to me how this will continue to suck after June 12th. I put this in the comments but thought I should stick it here as well. Comxast told me they will "retrograde" signals received after June 12th so they can continue to send analog broadcasts to people who don't pay for digital. As it stands now, I have more channels with an antenna than I had with their service so I am considering dumping cable altogether since I only wanted local channels and movies to look good.

President Obama's "plan"

I watched the Teleprompter-in-Chief talk about his "budget plan" last week and refrained from comment. One of my readers requested a post so here it is.
President Obama is exactly what he said he would be and what I expected. He has zero political experience, so everything is a framework or is told in very ambiguous terms. I thought that during his address he took both sides of the argument without a commitment to either. This is because he doesn't know what to do. He will let his staff formulate the actual plan from his ideas. This is why you should have to a Governor before you can be President. Anyway, he is continuing to print money in an attempt to kickstart the economy. I am sure he believes what he is doing will help the country even though it's plainly evident to "regular" folks that credit is what got us into this mess. The only thing that's really surprising me is that he continues down his unenlightened path with the UK parliament telling him he's doing it wrong and the President of th eEU telling him he's a moron. I thought this dude was supposed to give us some more street cred with the euros across the pond. They seem to be generally unimpressed with the guy thus far, but I can't really blame them. I'm hopeful that things will get headed in the right direction if dude will quit campaigning for his second term on Letterman and sit at his desk for awhile. The funniest thing he has done is send MORE troops overseas. Nice one buddy! I take that back, giving Hillary a job was the funniest thing.

For those of you who believe his budget retardation is just because he inherited a deficit, He has proposed a 34% spending increase and (if approved) will more than double the deficit over the next ten years. In a nutshell, he is going to make it worse. Politicians should just hire some regular CPA dude to do this stuff, that'd be way better.

New Furniture

Pictured above is the reason I can barely walk. A good friend gave me the piece of furniture in the top picture and it has served us well over the past four years. After the pantry project, we needed some additional storage and found the bottom piece of furniture on Craigslist. We got it for $100 which is good; it weighs over four hundred pounds which is (was) bad. I managed to move it with one other dude about my size but I'm now paying the real price. I have to go take some medication and try to sleep.

My New Ride

I've been wanting to upgrade from my 2000 Marin Alpine Trail for about a year, and here it is. I found a 2005 Santa Cruz Superlight in Red Bank Tennessee. It's got some cosmetic scratches but rides really well and I'm looking forward to trying it out soon. Unfortunately, I can hardly walk right now since my sciatica is really acting up after moving a beautiful new piece of furniture into the house. I will post about the furniture later.

What are Dads doing?

I'm certainly not the best example of a husband and father and have been trying much harder lately to live up to those roles. I am reading the above book after Mrs. Dude just completed it. This guy is awesome! He is really calling out parents, particularly fathers, to live up to their biblical roles. We have strayed so far from what we are called to do as men that this is truly a daunting task. We have let other people tell us what we should do, and pretty much let other people, and the government, raise our kids now. We are getting dangerously close to losing our families and the right to raise them the correct way. Check this link out:

NC Judge Forces Homeschool Children into Government school

The "socialization" argument is so ridiculous, I can't believe people even say that yet I hear it every time I mention that we homeschool. It always goes like this

" Yeah, we really thought about doing that but we were worried about them the social issues. Johnny really needs to interact with other kids."

I usually just say that my kids interact with several different peer groups, AND can speak to adults with respect. Look, you may not be able to homeschool, I totally understand that and don't think everyone should. I also think public education is vital and needs to be there for people who cannot educate their own children. With that said, quit acting like I am doing a dis-service to my children by homeschooling them.

I'm Bikeless

I found two bikes in town that would be significant upgrades to the mountain bike I have been riding for the past few years. Since I never spend money before I have it, I set a plan in motion to acquire the cash I needed to purchase one of the bikes. I sold my bowflex and my bike in one day(people must be getting their tax refunds) and made arrangements to look at both of my prospective machines. Long story short, both of my prospects sold before I could even look at them.

This sucks!

Small Kitchen Remodel

Sorry for the long absence, I know you all missed my brilliant insights. Last week we did a small kitchen remodel that has dramatically increased the space in our poorly designed kitchen.The desk in the bottom picture used to sit inside a little alcove that we had framed and turned into storage. This has been very nice over the past few days.

Awesome

I took this picture at work, it's just in case you're ever confused. I'm shocked it's only in one language.

Everything

Some of our youth performed this on Sunday. It was quite powerful and I was surprised to see that many of the senior members sprang to their feet and applauded at the end. I was on stage while it was performed but it looked really good.

Economic Crisis

Politicians suck.

My Weekend

Wow I had an interesting weekend. Saturday night we had four families over which totaled about 22 people in my 2000 sq. ft home. Crowds weird me out but I enjoy the company of several of these Fathers and Husbands that I met at a previous church. As is typical I did not have my cell phone with me during the portion of the evening when I was talking to guests or playing the guitar and all that host stuff. Additionally, I had planned to try and be at a different event later that night with a separate group of friends. For whatever reason I walked over to look at my cell phone, which I had forgotten to turn off, and saw a voice mail waiting from someone I don't get to talk to near enough anymore. I knew their family had been going through some tough times together, through my interesting grapevine, and the message was less than inspiring. I decided to abandon my guests, after telling Mrs. Dude, and returned his call. Two hours and fifteen minutes later I hung up devastated at what Satan was doing to their family. Man, that dude can really fool us if we aren't careful. I see this happen, and happening, to so many christian families and they act like it was overnight. This is not true:


We, Christians, have let the world in and oh so slowly we have conceded right and wrong or black and white to shades of gray. If you are a believer, I strongly encourage you and your spouse to do the books above TOGETHER. Read apart from one another you could inadvertently begin faulting your spouse for things unfairly. Read together they provide a tremendous opportunity to move your focus where it should be. That is not what your spouse does or how they act towards you, but rather are you living up to your obligations? Both books are awesome, The Christ Centered Marriage by Neil T. Anderson is a group study book but does have some intimate questions so be prepared. Night Light by Dr. James Dobson is a nightly devotional for couples and also will ask you some hard questions. While we don't often want to answer these difficult or intimate questions about our marriages and accountability I think it's time we did.

Crappy Super Bowl Commercials

What the heck was up with all the completely trashy Super Bowl commercials? My daughters wanted to watch the game and we had to turn it off when the commercials came. I mean really, do you need to see a woman in lingerie during a Doritos commercial? That doesn't make me want Doritos at all. We all expect Go Daddy to be inappropriate and they lived up to their lack of creativity by once again just talking about sex and showing boobs. But let me list some of the other stuff my kids got exposed to before I figured out I had to turn them all off.

The Fast and The Furious trailer showed two women kissing.
NBC Monday showed some sort of sexy lingerie bedroom scene for "Chuck."
TeleFlora had some talking flowers that told a woman that "no one wants to see you naked."

Some will say that these ads had the desired effect as I remember them. Really, I wrote them down after they happened. As usual E*Trade was great with the talking baby and I loved the "Shankopotamus" comment. I should know by now that the NFL is not interested in being a family-oriented show after having to turn off commercials for "The Unborn" during the season.

P.S. The Budweiser commercials were a big let down as well and they are usually terrific.

Awesome

Darius Rucker

Mrs. Dude surprised me with this CD. It's the best collection of music I have heard in a long time, Nice Job Darius.

President Obama's First Week

Today is "Sanctity of Life Sunday." I watched a beautiful video about babies being formed in the womb and cried while I thought about people who think life should be optional. I know this is a divisive subject but I hold it close to my heart especially after having my three beautiful babies.
So far this week, the President has held true to many of his campaign promises by reversing "Bush" policies. A lot of these policies date back to Reagan and go back and forth along party lines each time a designated representative gets elected. Tomorrow the President will reverse the "Mexico City Policy" allowing your tax money to fund abortions all over the world. My hope is that abortion "rights" stop there. I pray that late-term abortion will NEVER be legal and that minors can NEVER get abortions without their parents consent in any state. Our current President does not share my views on this but I am hopeful that his verbal commitment to bipartisanship will help. His repeated stance on abortion is beyond the average civil rights argument and is quite disgusting. Beyond the man's obvious moral ambiguity, he is also committed to crippling our intelligence community by telling them what they can no longer do. I find it odd that he is so comfortable telling these people how they can and can't interrogate personnel when he has never even served in the military. Apparently we will close the Guantanamo Bay facility with no plan for the incarcerated criminals there also.
Lastly, I am tired of hearing about the country's "love affair" and how he has "united" everyone. Fifty eight million people voted against this man and his principles. I agree that it was an historic moment for our country, but the media bias and crap is over the top.

Change We Can Believe In

Well, that's a nice start from the group that is supposed to be more environmentally aware. Pick up your dang trash people.

Whirlpool Customer Service

We ended up returning the washing machine mentioned in my "HDTV" post and continued shopping for soemthign a little larger. I was shocked at the amount of BS that goes into the production of washing machines these days. For example, there are two different way to measure the cubic feet of a modern washing machine. One uses basic math, LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT = CFT. The other is this new IEC bogus measuring standard which makes them appear larger than they really are.

Anyway, I found a nice machine that holds 4.5 cubic feet but the reviews online say the agitator has a weird design. I went to look, and sure enough there is some weird raised fin at the bottom that looks like it would eat anything with a strap or belt toop or drawstring. As this seemed to be a simple fix from the manufacturer I wrote the following email:

Dear Sir or Madam,

My wife and I recently attempted to purchase a new washing machine and were unable to find a suitable match for our needs. Front-load technology appears to be immature and the size restrictions are a problem. We did find the WTW6200VW model but it appears to have one basic flaw. The agitator has a raised fin at the bottom that many people claim damages clothing that has straps, or is thin. Are there any plans to place a standard agitator in this unit in the near future? If so,we would like to know ASAP as this appears to be what we are looking for. Thank you for your time.

Best Regards,

"Captain Dude"

I thought that was pretty nice and an easy question, no would have been fine.

Dear "Captain Dude":

Thank you for contacting Whirlpool with your new product shopping questions! We appreciate your interest in our home appliances.

Unfortunately, there are no plans in the near future to change the agitator in the WTW6200SW. There are several motor speeds to handle a great many different types of clothing. Some clothing is just not right to be washed. Some actually should be hand washed if that is what is on the tag. There have been no issues with this washer that would cause it to change design.

There are as many people that like this model as there are that don’t prefer it. Everyone has their preferences. As long as you wash what can be washed in the machine, it does it’s job, clean the clothes.

Please let us know if you have any further questions. You are a valued customer and we appreciate your business.

Thank you for contacting Whirlpool. If you are interested in purchasing a Whirlpool kitchen product, please feel free to call our toll-free number at (866) 698-2538. The Whirlpool Loyalty Team is available to assist you Monday through Friday from 8am-8pm EST. Whirlpool's web site at http://www.Whirlpool.com offers several on-line services, such as product information, owner's manuals, and installation guides, for our consumers 24 hours a day 7 days a week.


Thank you,


Susan W.
Whirlpool Customer Loyalty Team
Whirlpool Customer eXperience Center

Hey jackass, thanks for the condescending tone and telling me what your opinion of the machine is. FYI, here's what people think about your POS.


http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B000ZIMOJ2/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Whirlpool%20Cabrio%20WTW6200SW%20Washer:2002957313:page=user-reviews;_ylt=AnP6GyeZnaiuJ1yqy_ALEhgrDb4F

http://www.nextag.com/Whirlpool-Top-Loading-3-513766795/reviews-html

Next time a potential customer asks a question don't treat them like a toddler. Feel free to learn how to write as well.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Watching people's texting and email comments during today's inauguration, Mrs. Dude saw the following:

"...I wish he could be here wit us today."

How proud Dr. King would be to see that.

I am a little confused at why the people commenting are all saying things like, "Finally, we have a black President." As you will soon see, he will be little different than liberal presidents before him. I also wonder how Dr. King would feel about some of the liberal positions today's democrats take on things like abortion and social programs. He was an ordained Baptist minister and I would love to hear his commentary. My opinion is that Bill Cosby sounds more like Dr. King than any other so-called activist these days.

Farewell Mr. President

As Mr. Bush rides off into the sunset, I was struck by his farewell speech yesterday evening. It's no secret that I am a fan of the "everyman" President who is leaving office. I will concede he was not a gifted orator as some Presidents past have been. None will live up to Reagan's ability to stand and deliver words of his own choosing to a nation. President-elect Obama is certainly gifted in this area, but he has no political chops as of yet so he is largely just an elected marketing campaign right now. I digress, I want to laud some of the accomplishments that people want to overlook because they decided to knee-jerk judge this man. As shown above, the responsibilities of the office can certainly take their toll.

Bush fought AIDS like no man in history, covered millions with prescription medication and fought to educate our youth.

Consider also this point-of-view and try to look at how this man's actions will be judged over a longer span of history. I must admit I enjoyed seeing that from a European source. People should also remember that the Congress can, and could have, stopped the war(s) at anytime. They have always held this power and no one government position, i.e. The President, can start wars.

The President's speech also acknowledged that he would have done some things differently and that takes courage to say. Certainly no President in history, or any of us, can see we wouldn't change the way we did or said something during our lives. Please read the transcript and pay particular attention to this:

"I have often spoken to you about good and evil. This has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right. This nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense and to advance the cause of peace. "
- George W. Bush 01/15/2009

That was awesome. That's as close as he will ever come to fighting back against the natstiness his critics have leveled at him. with class and dignity he stood his ground and stood by what he believed was right regardless of how it would play out for him politically.

Lastly, the story of Dr. Bill Krissoff was mentioned. When it's time to stand up, be counted and do what is right we don't all live up to the image we may have of ourselves. Dr. Krissoff stood in to take his son's place when he fell. Amazing!

Obama to end "Don't Ask Don't Tell"

This article talks about the President-elect's plan to end the weirdo Clintonian policy that was enacted shortly after I joined the military. I remember a couple of gay guys kind of "outing" themselves immediately on my ship and how no one was really comfortable around them after that, especially in the showers. The only question I ever had was when can I start showering with the women if this is how it will be? I mean if gays are allowed to shower with the gender they are attracted to, why can't everyone?