You can skip this post if you’re not from Kennett. If you are, and 50+, perhaps you can help me ID some of the people in this photograph. I can only get a handful. Front row (seated): Terry Reeder, Steve Mays. Second row: Karen McAlister (?), Larry Cowgill, Jim Henson, Unknown3, Gene Overall, Unknown4, Mike French. Third row: Unknown5, Unknown6, Unknown7, Mary Talbert, Buddy Shivley, Mike Neeley. You can help me fill in the blanks at stevemays@gmail.com
We’ve moved our call centers to Elbonia
Needed some help with a Linksys router last week and wound up talking to a lady in Punjab or Kandahar or some such place. I could live with the 5 second delay on the satellite/phone hook-up but her English was just slightly better than my Punjabie.
Gave up on the Linksys router and purchased one by Netgear. I found myself reading the back of the box to see if there was any mention of where their tech support folks are located. I think that would be a strong selling feature. I’d pay more for a product if I knew I’d be speaking to someone in the U.S.A.
Invite to beta test Gmail
As a long-time Blogger subscriber (going on three years), I got an invite to beta test Google’s new email service, Gmail. And they allowed me to invite two friends to try the service. One of whom pointed out that these accounts are selling for as much as $50 on eBay. Might be just because not everyone can get them yet… or the gig of storage. I’m not ready to drop Hotmail as my back-up (to work) email.
“In the 21st century, the secret police will have corporate IDs”
Source: Dr. David Weinberger
All TV online?
Later this month, the BBC will launch a pilot project that could lead to all television programs being made available on the Internet. Viewers will be able to scan an online guide and download any show.
Mase
While transcribing some of my mother’s notes in the family Bible, I noticed that great grandfather spelled his name “Mase.” My grandfather spelled his name, “Mays.” That branch of the family tree originated in upstate New York and I’m not sure how my grandfather came to live in Missouri. But why the name change? Religious or ethnic angle? Was he on the lamb? Never heard a word about this growing up. Wonder if there’s a good story behind the change. I really don’t want to get hooked on the family tree thing but this is kind of interesting. (Update)
Somebody else’s hair
Reply
“Nothing gives you the upper hand like knowing the other guy is wearing somebody else’s hair.”
— Lawrence Block’s The Burglar on the Prowl.
Sprint DSL
Two years ago I signed up for ADSL service with a local ISP. 512Kbps down/128Kbps up…for $50 a month. Yesterday I switched to Sprint and now have 1.5Mbps down/256Kbps up…for $60 month. I was really dreading the switch but it went smoothly. And the Sprint reps were amazing. My initial contact (“Dave”) called frequently with updates and early this morning to be sure everything was working properly. I ran into a little snag during set up and called Sprint tech support. “Rocky” was in North Carolina (not Pakistan). He spoke English and was very helpful. Had me going in 15 minutes.
I’m now surfing at twice the speed for just pennies a day more. Since the early modem days (300 baud!) I’ve dreamed of a fast connection. Oh, if I only had a T1 line! Imagine my surprise when I learned that my DSL line is the same speed as a T1. Next challenge: going wireless at home. To be continued.
When you work together too long
Kill Bill: Volume 2
You either like Quintin Tarantino movies or you don’t. I’m a fan. Especially the dialogue. His characters say things that sound perfectly natural within the context of the movie but would never be heard in real life (whatever that is). I thought the same thing when I first saw David Mamet’s House of Games. Tarantino would seem to be a fan of David Carradine but was only 9 years old when Kung Fu was on TV. Same for Michael Parks, who is wonderful in Volume 2. Tarantino would have been six years old in 1969 when Jim Bronson rode his motorcycle across the country in Then Came Bronson. And while I know less than zero about cinematography, there was a wonderful, surreal quality to the second Kill Bill. I won’t even try to describe it. Finally, if for no other reason, see the movie for the yummy Uma Thurman.