Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[Winslow]

"The most unbelievable part of comic books isn't 'nuclear waste gave him laser eyes' or whatever, it's the notion that people that powerful would be good."
— @drewmorgancomedy

Recommended viewing, along similar lines: Chronicle (film) - Wikipedia

 

[gtmalone]

They usually offer a promotion to get everyone to switch, they don’t want to maintain the old network any longer than they have to. With the fiber comes a new router to plug the light pipe into. If you have a land line, it goes into the router as well. You mentioned the computer, then there’s the new TV that connects to the router via wi-fi.

We still have a landline and plan to keep it. IP phones won't work in a power failure. We both have cell phones so that may not be that big of deal unless the outage is wide spread and takes out the cell service. Nah, that would never happen in TX, in winter, with poor planning.

 

[SoulReflection]

Quincy was just being Quincy, he wanted to generate press for himself by making outlandish comments.

Not unlike many others in today's world...

 

[beans-on-toast]

We still have a landline and plan to keep it. IP phones won't work in a power failure. We both have cell phones so that may not be that big of deal unless the outage is wide spread and takes out the cell service. Nah, that would never happen in TX, in winter, with poor planning.

Most of these routers have a long life lithium battery backup in a compartment within the unit that keeps them working when the power goes out. I didn’t install one in mine because of having the cell phones. The distribution units out on the street have backup power.

People with large places may require repeater units to cover the whole home with the router.

 

[gtmalone]

Went out to top off the washer fluid in the Honda. Hadn't cleaned the engine compartment in a while so got out the Simple Green and the hose then noticed the start of a rats nest on top of the battery. Geez. Thanks to people in the neighborhood that leave pet food outside then wonder why they have a RATT problem (see what I did there?). Removed the battery and tray from the car, cleaned up the mess, then finish cleaning the engine. Didn't see any sign of chewed up stuff. I guess this will become periodic maintenance.

This Accord is smarter than the last one. Disconnecting the battery does not loose the radio presets or seat position memory. Very happy with this car!

 

[Deeper Texan]

Well, I thought about what happened yesterday and what it means to be a GOF and why we are who we are.

The story is two-fold.

Back in the '90's, way before I was a GOF (actually, I was 40), I ordered a sub-woofer for my truck at Circuit City. The procedure was, you ordered it in the Audio Department and then proceeded to Customer Service to pick it up. The "kid" behind the counter took my receipt and presented me with the box. In the process, he ask "Is this for you?". I said "Yes, why do you ask?". He said, "Well, we usually sell these to much younger people". I frowned and went on my way, not surprised when they went belly-up a short time later.

Fast-forward to yesterday, 33 years later. I am at BestBuy getting a new stereo installed in a new/used truck. While discussing radio reception with the "young" installer, I told him I wasn't that interested in radio because of the lack of good music and too many commercials. I told him I preferred Apple CarPlay and the ability to play my own music from my iPhone.

He responded, "Most elderly people still prefer loading CD's and can't be bothered to convert them to their iPhones", to which I bit my tongue and said, "I am not one of your elderly people and have over 7 hours of my good music on my iPhone".

I don't know why there are youngsters out there who think older people cannot adapt. Most of us are wondering why they can't (grump, grump).

My Maternal Grandmother lived to be 101. She passed away in 2012. Until her health prevented it, she loved using her computer. She used it to create Word documents, for the Sunday school class she taught at her assisted living facility. She used Excel for her financial spread sheets. E-mailed family members, and friends, paid bills on-line, etc.
The funniest conversations I heard, were when she called tech support for assistance. They could not believe that a 97 year old woman was as tech savvy as she was. She still had her GOF moments, and enjoyed listening to music on her 1970's stereo system, instead of digital music.
Miss you Nana!

 

[Charlie Tango]

They usually offer a promotion to get everyone to switch, they don’t want to maintain the old network any longer than they have to. With the fiber comes a new router to plug the light pipe into. If you have a land line, it goes into the router as well. You mentioned the computer, then there’s the new TV that connects to the router via wi-fi.

All of which -- strictly for your convenience, of course -- they will happily "bundle" for you in a bewildering, incomprehensible array of packages comprised of service (HA!) tiers for one low (ROFL) monthly bill. Which they would prefer to send to you electronically, of course.

 

[beans-on-toast]

How about this for a phone company ripoff.

I cancelled my TV service on July 2.
My billing date is July 4.
They cut the service on the morning of the 4th. It’s all computer automated.
They issued the bill today, July 7.

All my old charges are there because I had a partial day into the next billing period. Rather than adjust the bill, they want me to pay for an extra month, then they will reimburse me a month later for the month less a day. Basically they set it up to get a month worth of interest out of my money.

They do this because they are the phone company and they can do what they want.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Recommended viewing, along similar lines: Chronicle (film) - Wikipedia

Looks interesting. I see that AppleTV rents or sells it.

 

[Winslow]

Looks interesting. I see that AppleTV rents or sells it.

It's actually rather well done, and better than one might expect.

 

[gtmalone]

Watched this on TCM. Pretty cool short story and humorous at the end.

Return to Glennascaul - Wikipedia

 

[Deleted member 268085]

How about this for a phone company ripoff.

I cancelled my TV service on July 2.
My billing date is July 4.
They cut the service on the morning of the 4th. It’s all computer automated.
They issued the bill today, July 7.

All my old charges are there because I had a partial day into the next billing period. Rather than adjust the bill, they want me to pay for an extra month, then they will reimburse me a month later for the month less a day. Basically they set it up to get a month worth of interest out of my money.

They do this because they are the phone company and they can do what they want.

You got through to someone who actually cancelled your TV service?

Not Centurylink. Not Suddenlink.

Both send you to "retention". If you can get through. Once you tell the automated system that you want to cancel ANYTHING, it sends you to call center hell.

I spent 5 months trying to close my Centurylink account. Hours on hold. Each time it sounded like I was coming off of elevator music and being transferred, the line dropped. Never once even got through to retention. Of course, they kept adding monthly charges to the bill that I had no intention of paying. During a move within Centurylink's service area, I needed to have their modem authorized for the new area. The online tech who was doing the work bricked the modem. "We'll send you a replacement." Then they charged me for the modem! Didn't pay that either.

Credit report ding.

I spent 1.5 years trying to cancel the TV part of my Suddenlink account. Never got through to retention. I paid for the f'ing service the whole time. Bastidges. When I went to close my account (moving out of Suddenlink's service area), it took hours to get through to retention. I finally got someone who I asked to have my account closed on a certain date. Never happened. I called back and finally, once again, got through to retention. I reached a young lady who inadvertently told my why nothing ever gets done. Call center reps in retention get dinged money-wise if they fail to retain a customer, even one moving out of the service area. She told me that most reps agree to do what you ask, but never enter your request in the system. No ding. That final rep took my order...and did f'ing NOTHING. Exactly what she told me everyone else did. No way I'm paying for that.

Another credit report ding. Down from 830 to 760 just for that.

Good thing French banking doesn't use the stupid American credit reporting system. Not nearly as much debt outstanding as in the U.S. Many stores don't take credit cards. Cash or a bank card (debit).

Got no money? Wait. Not such a bad way of doing things.

 

[GwenOnBass]

I was asked if I had no money when presenting a credit card in Switzerland.

 

[beans-on-toast]

You got through to someone who actually cancelled your TV service?

Not Centurylink. Not Suddenlink.

Both send you to "retention". If you can get through. Once you tell the automated system that you want to cancel ANYTHING, it sends you to call center hell.

I spent 5 months trying to close my Centurylink account. Hours on hold. Each time it sounded like I was coming off of elevator music and being transferred, the line dropped. Never once even got through to retention. Of course, they kept adding monthly charges to the bill that I had no intention of paying. During a move within Centurylink's service area, I needed to have their modem authorized for the new area. The online tech who was doing the work bricked the modem. "We'll send you a replacement." Then they charged me for the modem! Didn't pay that either.

Credit report ding.

I spent 1.5 years trying to cancel the TV part of my Suddenlink account. Never got through to retention. I paid for the f'ing service the whole time. Bastidges. When I went to close my account (moving out of Suddenlink's service area), it took hours to get through to retention. I finally got someone who I asked to have my account closed on a certain date. Never happened. I called back and finally, once again, got through to retention. I reached a young lady who inadvertently told my why nothing ever gets done. Call center reps in retention get dinged money-wise if they fail to retain a customer, even one moving out of the service area. She told me that most reps agree to do what you ask, but never enter your request in the system. No ding. That final rep took my order...and did f'ing NOTHING. Exactly what she told me everyone else did. No way I'm paying for that.

Another credit report ding. Down from 830 to 760 just for that.

Good thing French banking doesn't use the stupid American credit reporting system. Not nearly as much debt outstanding as in the U.S. Many stores don't take credit cards. Cash or a bank card (debit).

Got no money? Wait. Not such a bad way of doing things.

That’s absolutely nuts!

 

[beans-on-toast]

I was asked if I had no money when presenting a credit card in Switzerland.

In Japan some restaurants take credit but most deal only in cash. For such a technically advanced country, they are going kicking and screaming into the digital economy.

 

[SoulReflection]

In Japan some restaurants take credit but most deal only in cash. For such a technically advanced country, they are going kicking and screaming into the digital economy.

Like so many here in North America, they are wondering why they should pay 2.5%+ to the credit card companies for their customers to have the privilege to pay with credit card rather than cash.

I am looking at many vendors in the US who are passing that fee back on to the consumers who use credit cards. This includes government agencies like the CA. DMV who just did that to me.

Used to be that the credit card companies didn't allow that but I guess that has all changed now. Even the gas stations are charging more for credit card purchases rather than cash. As if none of them can't afford to pay the 2.5%+!

Guess we all have to pay for the extra gas to go and get cash from the ATM...grump, grump.

 

[Deleted member 268085]

I was asked if I had no money when presenting a credit card in Switzerland.

On the French or German side? Both are capable.

I never picked up much Swiss German (Schwiezer Doutsch). But one word that I did learn was "egge" for "ecke" in high German. It means "corner", like a street corner.

A new breakfast and lunch place opened a couple of blocks east of Michigan Ave in Chicago moons ago. They named it "West Egg". I walked in and asked the owner if he was Swiss. He was. Told me I was the only one who figured out he wasn't referring to eggs, but to the fact that he was on the southwest corner. The Swiss would often shorten it to "west egg'" for "west corner" when giving directions.

He did well, business-wise, but was stuck serving that express elevator to the bottom of my stomach British/American breakfast of:

Eggs and sausage and a side of toast
Coffee and a roll, hash browns over easy
Chile in a bowl with burgers and fries
What kind of pie?

 

[GwenOnBass]

On the French or German side? Both are capable.

I never picked up much Swiss German (Schwiezer Doutsch). But one word that I did learn was "egge" for "ecke" in high German. It means "corner", like a street corner.

A new breakfast and lunch place opened a couple of blocks east of Michigan Ave in Chicago moons ago. They named it "West Egg". I walked in and asked the owner if he was Swiss. He was. Told me I was the only one who figured out the wasn't referring to eggs, but to the fact that he was on the southwest corner. The Swiss would often shorten it to "west egg'" for "west corner" when giving directions.

He did well, business-wise, but was stuck serving that express elevator to the bottom of my stomach British/American breakfast of:

Eggs and sausage and a side of toast
Coffee and a roll, hash browns over easy
Chile in a bowl with burgers and fries
What kind of pie?

French side.

And while I may yet hold some capacity to understand Bavarian German, Swiss German is

 

[beans-on-toast]

Egg places never fail to surprise me. Every single one of them that I come across have lineups out the door.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Like so many here in North America, they are wondering why they should pay 2.5%+ to the credit card companies for their customers to have the privilege to pay with credit card rather than cash.

I am looking at many vendors in the US who are passing that fee back on to the consumers who use credit cards. This includes government agencies like the CA. DMV who just did that to me.

Used to be that the credit card companies didn't allow that but I guess that has all changed now. Even the gas stations are charging more for credit card purchases rather than cash. As if none of them can't afford to pay the 2.5%+!

Guess we all have to pay for the extra gas to go and get cash from the ATM...grump, grump.

There’s always debit.