Elton John vows to make hip hop record - Yahoo! News

Elton John vows to make hip hop record - Yahoo! News

Please, no!

HP 0 - Me 1

On Monday I received a phonecall from a Hewlett Packard Case Manager offering me a fixed or refurbished iPod with a 3 month warranty. He profusely apologized and said that I was victim of the phone operators being unable to offer any kind of solution.

I asked him which letter sparked him receiving my case for reveiw (I sent three; one to the CEO, one to the Board of Directors, and one to the Better Business Bureau.) He said it was the CEOs letter that did the trick, although he was certain the Better Business Bureau letter will also come to their attention.

So my iPod is FedExing its way to HP for fix or (most likely) replacement and I don't have to shell out the 300 bones that I thought I would. If all goes well, my HP ban will be lifted.

It just goes to prove...don't underestimate the power of letter writing.

Ian

I've been Packard!

Pardon the interruption, but..

Since Monday, every hour outside of work has been spent trying to get my iPod to work. It is at this moment that I am starting to realize that my 18 month old piece of equipment that I use on a daily basis has died a premature death. This realization has made me sad. However, it has also made me angry. This is the anger that really gets me fuming. It is at the hands of a big company. And what does any good Martin do when a company pisses them off? Boycott them and send a letter to anyone who will listen.

So, I am using this blog to let the public know how I was completely screwed by Hewlett Packard. My iPod that was made by Hewlett Packard (which they no longer make) crapped out on me while sitting in its cradle. I am letting the world know not to trust an HP product because apparently they do not stand by their product. Below is the letter I submitted to the better Business Bureau. (For those who are keeping score, I also emailed the HP board of Directors and a personal email to the HP CEO.

I purchased an iPod by HP in December of 2004 from a Circuit City store. At that time I was told by the salesperson that I could buy a circuit city extended warranty plan, but the one from HP was a better value. He had a good experience and led me in that direction.

A couple of weeks after purchasing my iPod I contacted HP by phone inquiring about their extended warranty program. The representative informed me that with the model of iPod that I had a year to purchase the extended warranty, which would then cover the iPod from all defects.

Since I was told I had up to a year and finances were tight after the holiday season and I had just purchased a $300 iPod, I decided to wait to purchase the plan until I had more available cash.

Later in the year (I think it was August, but I can't be sure) I called HP to purchase the extended warranty. I was told at that point that they were no longer offering the warranty due to the partnership between Apple and HP dissolving and they were no longer producing the iPod by HP. I argued that I had been assured that I could purchase an extended warranty a year after the purchase date and that should be honored. The representative said that was not their policy. I spoke to the manager and he wouldn't budge.

The conversation terminated with HP contending they had no onus in providing me the opportunity to extend the warranty and I resolved to not purchase any more HP labeled products. After all, my iPod was still working and they have the reputation of lasting for more than 2 years anyway.

This week, after 18 months of ownership, my iPod ceases to work. I email HP tech support and after 3 days of back and forth with the support staf, it is determined that a repair or replacement in needed. I am quoted $269 for the repair or $229 for a refurbished model comparable to the one I own. Now I can by the most current one from Apple at $299 that has more storage and a warranty that I can count on. Because of this, neither solution makes much sense, especially considering HP refusal to warranty the iPods.

So now let see where this gets me. I will promise to update this site with any and all resolutions I get from HP. If they work to make this correct I will give them all the credit that is do.

Hopefully some lighter fare shortly.....

Ian

CSI: TACO BELL

There are four things that I usually have on my person at all times: My cell phone, IPod, wallet and keys. Whenever I set out on a new adventure, whether it be a major trip on an airplane, or heading out to lunch, I do my patented "four point self pat down". I slap each pocket that contains each item. If I locate all four items I am good to go. It is rare that in midjourney that the "self pat" registers a failure.

However last Thursday, just as I am leaving to go camping for a long weekend, the "self pat" only registered three items; my wallet was missing. Anxiety sets in...people are waiting for me in a hot car. I retrace my steps... computer desk... nothing... kitchen...nothing...car...nothing. I now realize when the last time I saw it... TACO BELL a few hours before.

So I jump in the car and head (ie. run) for the border. As I walk in, my phone rings. Preoccupied, I silence the ringer. I approach the counter.

"Has anyone turned in a wallet?", I ask the cashier.
"Keys?", she responds.
"No, a wallet", at which point I try signing wallet, which in my version of signing is putting the palms of your heels together and clap. This amazingly gets through.
"Oh, your the guy who lost his wallet", she exclaims with unexpected clarity.
"Yep, he be I", I said feeling like a schmuck.
"I have it right here."

Now before I continue, you need to know something about me. I store a lot of things in my wallet. Receipts, membership/frequent buyer cards, ID Cards, credit cards, etc. Really everything but money which, if I have any, is balled up in my front pocket. So my wallet is thick. It is George Costanza thick, if you get the reference.

So anyways, the cashier disappears in the back and returns with a plastic bag. She hands it to me and I realize that this is no ordinary plastic bag. It is a Taco Bell labeled evidence bag, complete with red sealing tape that I assume is for signing to prove no one else has opened the bag. In all, I am impressed at the level of security that my wallet has been guarded under. That is until she lobs it to me over the counter, without attempting to verify it was mine. The technology is there but the training has failed. I thank her and return to my car.

As I am driving away, I remember that I had silenced a call so I check my voicemail. I have a message from campus police saying that the manager of Taco Bell called and he has my wallet. He saw my work ID and business card and called the campus police of the college I work at. He is an alum of said college and indicated he would drop it off with campus police after his shifts ends. Again, excellent detective skills exhibited by the Taco Bell staff! Upon hearing this, I want to go back and thank the manager, but I have already delayed the departure and I didn't want to set up camp in the dark, so I left.

Now the question for you, dear readers (if I have any left!) is what would you do in my situation? I would like to thank the manager, but haven't settled on the right thing to do. Do I go in and just thank him? Write a letter to the corporate office and CC: him? Do I just leave it be?

Please leave any and all suggestions in the comment area.

YouTube - Autistic basketball player creates mayhem at game

And now the feel good story of the week...

YouTube - Autistic basketball player creates mayhem at game

Prolific Actor Darren McGavin Dies at 83 - Yahoo! News

Two Obits in one weekend, very sad.

Prolific Actor Darren McGavin Dies at 83 - Yahoo! News

A Christmas Story is my favorite holiday movie by far and a lot of that is due to Darren McGavin. From battling the furnace, chasing after the Bumpus hounds, or displaying his major award in the window (It must be from France..It says Fragile {frajeelay}, Mr. McGavin has been a part of my holidays since I can remember.

He was also Kolchak: The Night Stalker which I enjoyed thoroughly in reruns. This show paved the way for the X-Files. If you haven't seen it, check it out.

OK, that's two and these things come in threes.... Who's next?

Welcome to HiddenPassageway.com - There is no fantasy.

Neil Gaiman offered this link on his web page.

Welcome to HiddenPassageway.com - There is no fantasy.


I have always wanted a secret passageway, ever since I was a kid (maybe it was seeing Batman's secret passage to the bat cave, or the secret rooms in the Don Knotts classic The Ghost and Mr. Chicken). Well, now I know I can add a few hidden spaces when I strike it rich and build my dream house.

If only they could design something for my current apartment!

Emmy winner Don Knotts dead at 81 - Yahoo! News

Emmy winner Don Knotts dead at 81 - Yahoo! News

Don Knotts was one of my favorite comedians. Barney Fife is in my top ten of favorite TV characters. I still chuckle whenever I think of the bullet he kept in his pocket because nobody trusted Deputy Fife with a loaded gun.

Every year, in Mount Airy, North Carolina, the Mayberry Days festival is held and Don Knotts was a regular attendee. I wish I had taken the time to attend while I was living there in Wilmington. It would have been worth the 5 hour car ride to catch a glimpse of genius.

We have Hallmark to thank...

Happy Valentine's Day everybody! Or as it is known in my household "Black Tuesday".

Eats, shoots and leaves

In response to this article which quotes Scott McClellen of saying the following:

"The vice president spoke with Mrs. Katharine Armstrong, and they agreed that she should make that information public," McClellan said. "She was an eyewitness. She saw what occurred and she called her local paper to provide those facts."

I have written an open letter.


A letter to the White House:

When dealing with the day to day Vice Presidential indiscretions, whether it be a Haliburton "no bid" contract or a shooting of a major donor while quail hunting (Who hunts quail, by the way?), please take it from me, it is best to let it be spun from the White House. The public just doesn't get how to do a proper cover up that you are used to. When the truth is heard these days, it is somewhat unpalatable to the American Public. We would much rather hear that Mr. Whittington has ties to a terrorist organization and Mr. Cheney lured him with the promise of delicious quail to hunt (terrorists love quail!), only to shoot him on the spot in a grand display of Texas Justice (in the style of Chuck Norris).

Mr Cheney making Mrs. Armstrong your press liaison really infringed on your opportunity to spin. Sure Fox News will still have your back and before this is over, Mr. Cheney will be held as a champion for the NRA, but still this is a missed opportunity I think.

Thanks for your attention to this matter. I will now replace the wool over my eyes. There, that feels so much better.

Scarlett Mix

Here is my new favorite playlist. I created it for a friend and felt it needed to be shared. If you have Rhapsody, click on the link to give it a listen. Enjoy!

Ian

Scarlett Mix:
"1. Final Straw (MoveOn Mix) - R.E.M.
2. Tippecanoe and Tyler Too - They Might Be Giants
3. Careful - Guster
4. Comfortably Numb - Dar Williams
5. Uncle John's Band - Indigo Girls
6. This Side - Nickel Creek
7. Born To Hum - Erin McKeown
8. Into The Dark - Ben Lee
9. The Waitress - The Waifs
10. Anthony - Nickel Creek
11. The Guitar (LP Version) - They Might Be Giants
12. Catch My Disease - Ben Lee
13. We Are More - Erin McKeown
14. Portions For Foxes - Rilo Kiley
15. Where Does the Good Go - Tegan and Sara
16. Somebody More Like You - Nickel Creek
17. Beauty In Your Eyes - Chris Ardoin/Double Clutchin'"