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I couldn’t be happier, so I filled out the application, and with my fingers crossed, I’m sending it in. Oh joy if I happen to get picked, Suddenlink will pay for increasing my cable internet costs.

Microsft released updates this last Tuesday, compelling, serious updates.
I didn’t get mine until Saturday, which is more than enough time for any hacker to disassemble a Microsoft patch, then release it’s goods on me.

So I’m watching some of my Rescue Me DVD’s, when a little bugger pops up letting me know my computer is almost done updating. (Great job putting a ‘don’t bug me again’ notification)
Then that horrible problem hit me again that it keeps bugging you until you reboot.
When such a good company is having such horrible problems getting patches out, why have automatic updates on? Worse yet, is what’s going to happen in 5 years when the number of computers are even higher, all needing updates? Is it going to take a month to get those updates?

So it’s been a while since I last updated about my progress, being off Chantix and all for quite a while now. I’m still clean, it’s been 4 months since I last smoked and it’s still Chantix that I give the nod to about getting me off it.

So it’s no secret to all my friends and people I do business with that I think Vonage is a big steaming piece of crap. It’s not enough that they charge for replacements voice terminals (and won’t unlock them), or will call you a liar to the BBB when you file a complaint about them charging you -after- your phone number had ported 100% over to packet8.

Noooo, they have to make sure your phone number doesn’t work for 6 months from any Vonage phone (even if vonage customers complain), then to rub it in, they assign your number to a subscriber of theirs, and finally announce that it’s their number -again-.

Btw, i’m not Carol, and thankfully she called to let me know about the problem, since most people couldn’t call me anyway due to Vonage’s heavy hand. Be careful, from what I can tell you’ll piss them off and they’ll wait 15 days after your complaint with the BBB expires, then apparently try to steal your phone number.

From : Vonage Customer Care <customercare@vonage.com>
Sent : Friday, December 8, 2006 2:11 PM
To : xxx@msn.com
Subject : Vonage Order Confirmation

| | | Inbox

Account Number:

Dear Carol ,

Please review your account information below.

Your new Vonage Telephone Number and temporary VoiceMail PIN are:

Vonage Number Voicemail PIN Voicemail Access
1-(954)-281-XXXX (VIRTUAL) NA NA

To access your Vonage Voicemail, simply dial *123 from your Vonage phone. Or
visit our website for local Voicemail Access Numbers at:
http://www.vonage.com/features.php?feature=voicemail to check your Voicemail
from any phone.

My problems with Vonage started back in February, during a party where a glass of wine ended up ruining my VT. Vonage, which apparently doesn’t keep track of phone calls, then seemingly invalidates ticket numbers at will, told me it would be more than a month’s fee for service to replace the phone. I try not to be a hard person to deal with, but with 3 years of loyalty they could send me another phone. It’s not like I can unlock the damn thing unless they give me the password, it’s a common one, or I crack it.

So I let it sit and fester for 2-3 months, which I am that of person. I then decided to with Packet8, who was more than happy to port the number and by 6/1/06 I had my phone setup with Packet8. I canceled my service with Vonage that day, considered the matter closed and went on. Several months later I noticed charges still going through on my credit card so I called to get then refunded and see what the hell was going on.

Lo and behold, they didn’t hear from me to cancel. What? My number was ported on 6/1/06 and didn’t work for incoming calls, and my 1800 number wasn’t working either from 6/1 but they kept billing me full price for all services. I was furious, but even more important was the common sense that you can’t bill for something you can’t use. I told them no phone company would do that, and their answer being “We’re not a phone company”. They weren’t kidding.

So I filed a complaint with the BBB, since Vonage wouldn’t refund a dime. I got nowhere, was called a liar all while Vonage filled up responses with more lies. Lies stating I had used the service, receiving calls, using the phone and such. I rebutted that I’d be happy to send in the wine covered phone to get 3/4 of my money refunded since apparently I could make outgoing calls, but couldn’t receive calls on the 800 number or the 954 number.

Nope, Vonage couldn’t have any of that. The service worked 1/4 of how it was supposed to, so full price, no refunds, no pro rating. They have records that are perfect, and can be trusted.

Oh is that so? I wonder how you could make such a mistake and take my phone number back, and give it to someone else since those records are so damn reliable. Take heed America, Vonage wants your money, and will seemingly retaliate if you fight back, right at the service they provide.

I’m a big college football fan.  I love the game.  I love the tradition.  I hate the BCS with a passion.  I pull for the Mountaineers.  And as a WVU fan, I had the hell scared out of me by Alabama’s offer to our coach, Rich Rodriguez.

This is the age where it is impossible to have too much money, even if you’re Bill Gates or Mark Cuban.  (By the way, Mark, I read your blog, and it seems some basic grammar review is in order…particularly the use of contractions.) 

With a school like ‘Bama offering $12 million over 6 years, nearly double what Rich makes at WVU, I had already prepared myself to a) deal with the feelings of disgust as another already-too-rich coach bails out on his commitment, and b) accept the fact that WVU was heading for the bad old days when .500 was a good year.

Imagine my delight today when Rich Rodriguez decided that home and alma mater were more important than money (which he already has a nice pile of).  Although WVU had to commit to improving team facilities as a whole and extend the coach’s contract two more years, they kept their coach and his winning ways at home where he belongs.

I’ve watched as a lot of coaches made promises, played coy, and then dumped their jobs and deserted their teams.  I figured Rich was going to take the money and run too, but I was wrong.  Sorry, Coach.  Finally, I’m a believer.  Cheers.

Panman, signing off…

Aqua teen hunger force is wrong? It seems they state in a new episode that there is 50 billion people on the planet, but a United States forecast states like 7 billion on this planet
I don’t get my news from ATHF, but it does upset me when any bad information is put out there.

Today someone said something interesting to me, which I knew a slight answer to in my head, but some of the mechanics were a bit fuzzy. The gist of the conversation was about smoking, the damage it causes, and that modern science has been wrong about so many things. It could be hypothesized that since research is at times stood on it’s head and proven wrong many years later… could they be wrong about smoking?

What the biggest thing to fault about smoking that causes cancer? It’s well established that smoking causes many cancers, but the most prevalent (almost the most deadly) is lung cancer

Was Chantix fully responsible for me seeing the light on this one, that smoking - does- cause lung cancer?

I can’t help it, google docs has done it all, cured cancer, solved world hunger and now it’s solved the food problem in my home. It’s hard to stick with but do it and two people can put heads together to solve the pantry problem and knowing how much to spend on food.

How much do you spend on food?
It’s a good question and one that most people could cringe at trying to keep track of over time, but one that google docs can help you create a collaborative spreadsheet to share with  your spouse. If you have the time, do it and you’ll know where to spend.

The helpful hint would be making sure to keep track of what you’ve used in each meal and how much it costs. Wonderful