OK, on to bigger and better things...
A hypothetical (you'll probably figure it out):

Let's say you're a business. You offer Product A and Product B. Both products require installation in the customer's home.

A customer calls and wants Product A, but isn't sure on Product B. You tell him, that's OK, you can order B later. He makes an appointment to have Product A installed. He calls back weeks later, saying he now also wants Product B and would like it installed the same day. You tell him that it is not possible to add on to a work order, and that he could cancel that work order and write up a new one, but there'd be no guarantee that you'd be able to install both Products on the original installation day. He then says, thank you, I will then not take Product B. You just lost $50 a month.

How fucking stupid is Comcast? I know many of you know this about Comcast, but really...that's what they told me above. They can't just add Internet installation to my work order, and they can't write up two separate work orders on the same account. That is so dumb, it's laughable. I'm not even mad...just baffled. Now, I didn't go to business school, but boy, if I have a customer wanting to buy a second product from me, no matter how small, I'm not turning him down. I'm FINDING a way to come through and get him that second service installed the day he wants, regardless.

I think maybe I'll write a letter. Not complaining, just telling them that, boy, that's a dumb business philosophy that maybe needs to be changed.

I'm so in...and check out the map...it's so awesome...I'm making it my desktop wallpaper. :) I'm now a Canadian. I urge you all to join me.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/local/10094849.htm

Posted on Thu, Nov. 04, 2004

O Canada, we plead to cede to thee
By HOWARD GENSLER


ADOPT US, O Canada!

As a blue-red split continues in the Divided States of America, we note that every blue state is contiguous to Canada or to a another blue state that is contiguous to Canada, except Hawaii - that's not contiguous to anything but a lot of blue water that's contiguous to Canada.

Therefore, we've got an idea. How about a sort of second American Revolution, Canada, in which you annex all the blue states, liberate us from King George, and thus become the world's sole superpower.

What Canada Gets:

 Higher education: All eight Ivy League universities, Stanford, U. Chicago and Northwestern all just lowered their admissions standards for the kids from Saskatchewan.

 Serious sports: Forget the Super Bowl. With the Eagles, Patriots, Steelers, Jets, Vikings and Packers, the Grey Cup is where it's at.

You get the Expos back as they're now in D.C. But who needs the Expos when you've got the Red Sox, Yankees, Twins, Mariners, Giants, Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Phillies and Pirates. The World Series is coming! The World Series is coming!

The Raptors are Canada's favorite basketball team? We don't think so.

What about Flyers-Maple Leafs? Flyers-Canadiens? Settle the strike and drop the puck.

 Warm-weather vacations: Sun yourselves whenever you want in Southern California or Hawaii at Canada's beautiful beaches.

 The cultural arts: Tourists will love Canada's museums including the Smithsonian, the Museum of Natural History and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Plus, in addition to Broadway, the Kennedy Center and top regional theater, we're throwing in our best orchestras - Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and L.A.

 The entertainment industry: You already love our movies and TV shows more than those red-staters and now when that rare production shoots in California or New York instead of Vancouver or Toronto, you still get credit for the jobs and the tax revenue.

 The automobile industry: Ohio can keep its Honda plant. GMs, Fords and Chryslers are made in Canada.

 The biotech industry: With many of the world's top biotech firms located in Massachusetts, New York, Washington and California (thanks to $6 billion in new stem cell research funding), it's likely that Canadian scientists will cure cancer and heart disease within the next 50 years.

 The computer industry: That's right, we keep Microsoft, Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Silicon Valley. "America" gets Dell.

 A burgeoning tourist industry: You've now got a lot more to sell than Toronto, the Cabot Trail and the glaciers in Banff. Even red-staters love to visit Atlantic City, the Liberty Bell, Maui, the Space needle and Disneyland (now Disney Canada).

 Fresher produce: Canada, the artichoke, garlic and strawberry capital of the world. And Canadian wines just got a whole lot tastier.

 Arnold Schwarzenegger: He can't be president but he'd make a swell Canadian premier.

What the Red-Staters get:

 Exactly what they want.

What Blue-Staters get:

 Canadian citizenship: And we don't even have to move.

 "O, Canada": A national anthem that's much easier to sing than "The Star Spangled Banner."

 Free flu shots. (Not to mention free health care.)

You don't like our "values," red-staters, you've got your wish - we're outta here.

But remember, the next time you want to see a Broadway show, visit wine country, Hawaii or the birthplace of liberty, don't just bring your Visa card, bring your visa.

You're in Canada now. And we're tightening our borders.
Don't delay, Canada. This offer expires in four years.

I don't think it matters, but I'm interested to know...

Right now, Bush has 249 and Kerry has 211 electoral votes. If Bush wins Ohio, he gets 20 votes, to put him at 269. If Kerry wins the rest (Nev, NM, Iowa, Minn, Wis, Mich, Hawaii), he gets 58 electoral votes, putting him also at 269.

What happens then? Anyone know? Find out...and let me know in the morning, regardless of the outcome. Here's hoping I wake up to a pleasant surprise in the morning.

How misplaced are these intentions?

From the AP: "Polling places experienced scattered problems early Tuesday as legions of lawyers, election-rights activists and computer scientists watched, particularly in battleground states, for any trouble that could disenfranchise voters. "

OK...so, if these people are all so concerned, why are these "lawyers, election-rights activists and computer scientists" watching the polling places instead of, say, volunteering to work at a polling place and have things work properly, since they seem to know the right way to do things?

Just wondered...

I know none of you have money, and neither do I. But I guess I'm posting this in the hopes that, because of Google's wonderful search fingers, some multimillionaire might discover it and donate someday. Who knows? This is the fund for my little cousin in Texas, the one who was diagnosed with cancer after they found a tumor on his brain. Well, to update you guys, he's recovering, of course, slowly. But he is making his way back...and that's the best thing. He starts chemo in the middle of this month, and it sounds as though he might leave the hospital soon. He's currently going through therapy and everything...but things are looking better...there are, as his parents have said, good days and bad days. So here's the info...

The Hunter Niedziejko Cancer Fund
Account #1039469
JSC Federal Credit Union
PO Box 58346
Houston, TX 77258
Wire transfers can use ABA No. 313083992
JSC will send you a receipt for your records and their phone number is 800-940-0708.

Like I said, I don't expect anyone to donate as far as my normal readership goes. I know none of you have money to do so...but who knows who might end up reading this...

The busy fun begins tonight...two weeks, four rooms and a hallway, several cans of paint, plenty of tape, and soon we'll have color in our condo. :)

But first, tonight I have to go to the paint store to get some paint, dropcloths and tape. Then I have to finally change the damned locks on the front and back doors. I also need to patch the holes and cracks in the walls, so the mud has plenty of time to dry.

If I have time, I'll tape up the living room to be painted probably starting tomorrow. I also need to measure the P-traps under the bathroom sinks and figure out how to remove the handle on the tub faucet for replacement. Plenty to do, no doubt about it. At least it's a crappy day outside, forcing me inside to do things like this. :)

My brother got engaged today to Gina's cousin. Wish him well if you know his email. :)

Gina, her parents and I spent much of yesterday cleaning the bathrooms, kitchen and walls and ceiling of the condo. And the walls and ceiling still aren't finished. But, the frontroom is cleaned, so we can start priming it maybe tomorrow or Tuesday and then paint.

As always happens, on closer inspection, we've found little things. There are some cracks in the wall emanating from the window in the 2nd bedroom. I'll have to patch those up...there's also one above the bathroom door. Also, the seal between the balcony door panes (they're 2-paned windows) is broken, so there's condensation and stains in between them. But not really bad.

Yesterday, we dropped $70 on some little things...new door locks for both doors, two new window-sash locks that needed to be replaced, a new furnace filter and assorted other little things. I'm sure we'll come across more as we go.

Today is my dad's birthday, so we're hanging out here at my parents' house to celebrate and then taking them up to the condo to show them, since they haven't seen it yet. Basically, I'll be watching football most of the day. :) Especially since the Bears are not on until later, in quite the stinker of a Sunday night game. Should be pure torture to watch and then on top of it listen to stupid Theismann, Maguire and Patrick (though he's really the best of the three).