About Me

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Davie, FL, United States
Fun loving, laid back easy going girl, who just likes to work hard and play harder!!!! CUZ a girl has to LOVE LIFE!!!

Monday, March 15, 2010

The Cable Provider from Hell – the COMCAST nightmare continues….

So if you read my blogs, or have stumbled across them, you will know that I have had more than one negative experience with Comcast. I got Comcast just under a year ago (and believe me I am counting down the days until I can switch to Direct TV…or ANYTHING ELSE) and it  has just been one horrible experience, and you better believe I am NOT renewing my contract and I tell everyone I know DO NOT GET COMCAST!

My prior blogs Comcast Cable Installation Fiasco , Yet More Issues with Comcast and Comcast Fiasco PART 3!! YES PART 3!!! have all given a detailed overview of the issues I have had to deal with in the past. After 3 blogs one would think “There cannot possible be more” well wrong.

First, let me say that I am not the high strung on edge person that I was 10 years ago. I have actually calmed down as I have gotten older and realized that getting upset over spilled milk wont un-spill it (try telling teenage me that! HA)

But I am getting off topic –

Where do I begin this story? It all just wants to come pouring out at once and everything is wrapped up in itself.

I guess I should just start by saying that, I don’t get bills from Comcast. I did NOT opt out of getting a paper bill and I NEVER opted into their “going paperless” program. Although I hate the idea of wasting paper, I am the type of person that needs that paper bill every month to remind me that my bill is due. It is just good for me, I can then write the check, put the check number that I am sending to the company on to my bill for my own personal record, and write down the day that I mailed it out. Or if I pay it online, I write that date down on the bill.

But with Comcast I have honestly received 2 MAYBE 3 paper bills since I have been their customer and I have had them for 9 almost 10 months now. And the 2 months was when I first joined with them. When I signed up I gave them my address
BLAH BLAH BLAH, FL, 333—
Right and I gave them my email
So after month 2 I stopped getting a bill. Ok… BUT I did NOT get a bill notification to my email (that I provided them) as to when the bill was due either. So for the last 7 months I have basically been winging it. Just kinda saying oh, it is the second week of the month, I should pay my cable bill. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO WING IT!!! I am not going to spend my days logging into my Comcast account so I can check when it is due, when I log-in it is because I think to myself, OH I should pay my bill sometime. So inevitable - because 7 months of winging it one will eventual miss a due date – I did. Thanks to a stressful month! Which I know is not an excuse, and I need to be responsible, but that is why we get a paper bill in the mail or an email….it’s a reminder. We all need them sometimes when life gets a little busy.

About 3 maybe 4 month ago, I logged on for my monthly GUESS of when my bill was due and I couldn’t login. I try for about 2 weeks wondering what is wrong with the system…is it me…did I forget my passcode? So finally I think..I really need to pay this…I can’t send it the check…CUZ I DON’T GET a BILL! So I log onto the Chat thing. Which I must say I am actually amazed I found, because since then…I have had to actually type CHAT into the search bar to find it. There is NOT an easy to locate button on the main page that says “CHAT” I said to myself, this is ridiculous. Come to find out…something was up with the system…but what do I expect from Comcast really!?

So I get my bill paid and I mention to the guy on that CHAT that I haven’t gotten my bill and could they fix it. The guy says sure. So a few more months go by and guess what…I still haven’t gotten a bill. I spend the next few months WINGING it. Guessing when my bill is due and logging on randomly to pay it. And of course…with all these late fees that I am getting, because…just my luck…I randomly log in late.

So a few days, I came home from work and my TV didn’t work. I think…CRAP…did I pay the bill? Not like I had a notice from them or a letter reminding me, an email or anything saying Your bill is due….so I call up thinking maybe something is wrong in the area…NOPE I forgot to pay my bill so I pay it. I didn’t mean to…I wanted to…but you can only wing it so long before it bites you in the ass….right. What really frustrates me is the fact that NOW I have to pay something like $40 for re-connection charges…which I never would have had to pay if they would have just sent me a bill, or emailed me a bill or something.

So I contact them again…during business hours. And the lady tells me that I didn’t actually have to opt out of the paper bill, I had to opt into it, and after a few months it automatically stops sending me a paper bill unless I request it or something and that is why I was not getting a bill. WHAT! UMMMM…Last I knew you had to opt out of getting paper bills. WHY the FRICK would you stop sending someone a notification that their bill was due?! WHO DOES THAT!!! COMCAST DOES! (Gadda make that extra money by screwing over people in some twisted way) So I say…well what about my email. Comcast sent me emails to my personal email address for like 3 months (I filed them away in folders in my inbox for records, reminders, etc). She goes, oh well yes we have your email address but we actually forward your email to your Comcast email address. 

WHAT HOLD UP!!! I HAVE A COMCAST EMAIL ADDRESS! Apparently, when the girl came to my house the first time to set up my internet, she was suppose to log me into my Comcast email address and help me set it up, but because I guess she was too busy bringing her drug smoking boyfriend (he had a shirt covered in pot leafs so I think calling him drug smoking is pretty much right on and completely fair…or else why would he be wearing that shirt) who didn’t work for Comcast into my house so she could rush off with him after not hooking up my cable and leaving me to figure it out on my own was more important.

SIDE NOTE – Thank you to Belkin and TiVo for taking the 4+  HOURS to fix the mess that Comcast left!!!! I appreciate your help, patients and dedication to your customers and recommend you to EVERYONE!!!

So thanks to the frustration that I have had with Comcast right off the bat…I find out 2 MONTHS before my 1 year contract with them is up that this entire time my bill has been going to a Comcast account that I never knew I had. Had no idea how to access it or get to it! So I logged on and forwarded it to my regular email address….but really….how jacked is that! I already got my crap turned off, had to pay late fees and only have 2 months left!!!

DIRECT TV HERE I COME!! Hopefully your employees are more respectful and dedicated than Comcast,  because I feel that if it hadn’t been for that first horrible experience which led to another  and another, and another…my experience would have been much better…but it wasn’t and I will over every be frustrated, pissed off, and angry with Comcast! And when it comes down to it…I will always tell my story of my experience with Comcast to anyone who asks, will listen or anything and it is not a very good story at all!!!!

Trust me…the few details I have said in this blog are just one of the MANY issues that I have had with Comcast…and this is just the most recent. Please feel free to visit my other 3 blogs where I have vented about Comcast…read the full story and then decide if you want to risk have an experience like mine…..or even just dealing with one of the issues that I have had…is it really worth it…or is Direct TV looking a lot better. The prices are just as good and you get more channels….why go with Cable anymore!? It is 2010!!!

119 words not be said by reporters on WGN-AM (720)


So my best friend sends me emails during the day...she gets bored at work, and today she sent me this one and I found it rather amusing. 

CEO Randy Michaels sent out a memo to his employees listing 119 words and phrases they are no longer allowed to use. 

The real goal here is to avoid using words that make you sound like you’re reading, instead of talking. Apparently by not using ‘newsspeak,’ you enhance your reputation as a communicator.”

To be honest. I don't think I have ever heard a news show without a number of these words being used. I am not sure how well this is going to work for them...but good luck to'em!!
 
  • “Good” or “bad” news
  • “Flee” meaning “run away”
  • “Laud” meaning “praise”
  • “Seek” meaning “look for”
  • “Some” meaning “about”
  • “Two to one margin” . . . “Two to one” is a ratio, not a margin. A margin is measured in points. It’s not a ratio.
  • “Yesterday” in a lead sentence
  • “Youth” meaning “child”
  • 5 a.m. in the morning
  • After the break
  • After these commercial messages
  • Aftermath
  • All of you
  • Allegations
  • Alleged
  • Area residents
  • As expected
  • At risk
  • At this point in time
  • Authorities
  • Auto accident
  • Bare naked
  • Behind bars
  • Behind closed doors
  • Behind the podium (you mean lecturn) [sic]
  • Best kept secret
  • Campaign trail
  • Clash with police
  • Close proximity
  • Complete surprise
  • Completely destroyed, completely abolished, completely finished or any other completely redundant use
  • Death toll
  • Definitely possible
  • Diva
  • Down in (location)
  • Down there
  • Dubbaya when you mean double you
  • Everybody (when referring to the audience)
  • Eye Rack or Eye Ran
  • False pretenses
  • Famed
  • Fatal death
  • Fled on foot
  • Folks
  • Giving 110%
  • Going forward
  • Gunman, especially lone gunman
  • Guys
  • Hunnert when you mean hundred
  • Icon
  • In a surprise move
  • In harm’s way
  • In other news
  • In the wake of (unless it’s a boating story)
  • Incarcerated
  • Informed sources say . . .
  • Killing spree
  • Legendary
  • Lend a helping hand
  • Literally
  • Lucky to be alive
  • Manhunt
  • Marred
  • Medical hospital
  • Mother of all (anything)
  • Motorist
  • Mute point. (It’s moot point, but don’t say that either)
  • Near miss
  • No brainer
  • Officials
  • Our top story tonight
  • Out in (location)
  • Out there
  • Over in
  • Pedestrian
  • Perfect storm
  • Perished
  • Perpetrator
  • Plagued
  • Really
  • Reeling
  • Reportedly
  • Seek
  • Senseless murder
  • Shots rang out
  • Shower activity
  • Sketchy details
  • Some (meaning about)
  • Some of you
  • Sources say . . .
  • Speaking out
  • Stay tuned
  • The fact of the matter
  • Those of you
  • Thus
  • Time for a break
  • To be fair
  • Torrential rain
  • Touch base
  • Under fire
  • Under siege
  • Underwent surgery
  • Undisclosed
  • Undocumented alien
  • Unrest
  • Untimely death
  • Up in (location)
  • Up there
  • Utilize (you mean use)
  • Vehicle
  • We’ll be right back
  • Welcome back
  • Welcome back everybody
  • We’ll be back
  • Went terribly wrong
  • We’re back
  • White stuff
  • World class
  • You folks 

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Great Gatsby

I recently finished re-reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I read it back when I was 16 or so…but I figured you should read “classics” more than once right.

So the book takes place in the summer of 1922 in New York City. Nick is the one telling the story. He moves out to New York after spending time in World War I. To escape the west coast he travels to New York and reconnects with his distant cousin Daisy and her husband Tom. At Tom’s house, Nick meets a young professional golfer named Jordan, who he strikes up a relationship with. Nick takes a house next to a young, mysterious millionaire named Jay Gatsby who is always throwing parties. Nick and Gatsby soon become friends.

Nick soon learns that Tom is cheating on his wife when Tom and Nick decided to take the train into the city. Nick meets Myrtle and quickly realizes that Tom is living a serpeart life with his mistress and has a apartment with her in Manhattan. While in Manhattan, Tom and Myrtle act like a married couple, inviting friends over and having a party.

Nick learns through Jordan that Gatsby is in fact obsessed with his cousin Daisy and he had meet her and fallen deeply in love with her when he was a young officer in the military before he had made his millions.

Nick reluctantly re-introduces Daisy and Gatsby after some coxing from Jordan. But with the knowledge that Tom is already having an affair, he doesn’t feel so bad about it.

Daisy and Gatsby feel the old feelings they had for each other reawaken and are soon spending all of their time together in a flurry love affair. Daisy and Gatsby begin to make plans for their life together, including Daisy divorcing Tom. When Daisy invites Nick and Gatsby to her house on hot summer day Tom realizes what is going on between Daisy and Gatsby and reveals that Gatsby is in fact a bootlegger.

Daisy, now trapped and unsure of everything breaks down. Things from there just seem to roll down hill for everyone involved. And the plot…oh the plot is so simple, yet so good.

I really enjoyed this book and it is one that I will have to read again. I love how everything was nicely presented at the end.

From all the books I read, there is usually one quote that sticks out. In this book it was “The rich get richer and the poor get children”. That was true in 1922 and it is still true (for the most part) today.

If you have not read this book…you should read it. It is worth it!!!