Now on to select options…

What’s this? A box is prechecked and I can’t uncheck it…

WTF Sprint? When I select “Everything Data” I thought it meant EVERYTHING! Their explanation – “The Premium Data add-on charge is required for smartphones… because smartphone users use 10 times more data than customers with basic or feature phones.” No kidding. Really? A smartphone uses more data than a phone that can only make phone calls? WTF would a person with a phone that can only make phone calls need data for anyway? And by the way, 3G isn’t exactly “premium data”.

the nationschoice for mortgage scams

Here is what it’s like to work with these turdburglars if you want to (try to) refinance your house:

Sign all the initial applications. Send over all the normal (full) documentation. Verify rate is locked. Sign GFE and a whole bunch more documents confirming your rate, fees, costs, etc. Pay for your appraisal. Schedule your appraisal. Day before the appraisal receive a call saying they aren’t making enough money on your loan so they need to raise the rate a quarter point – then try to convince you that you are still getting a good deal. When you point out that rates have dropped since you started the whole process they make up a lie about the treasury rates (which takes two seconds to look-up and verify the lie if you are by a computer). Then they get an attitude when you point out the bait and switch b.s. they are trying to pull. Then they still try to convince you (while giving you an attitude) that you are getting a great deal. Then tell you what’s the big deal – it’s only an extra $30/month. I’ll tell you what the big deal is – that $30 multiplied by the 360 payments is $10,800 you jackass. Oh yeah, and we signed a contract a quarter point lower. WTF nationschoice (aka fisher financial group)?! It’s really sad that you are still trying to pull this type of crap. The even sadder thing is that it must be working because you are still in business. And the mortgage industry wonders why it has a bad reputation!

But don’t take my word for it, see what others have to say:
NationsChoice Mortgage Complaints
NationsChoice Fraud
Or the 49 complaints at the BBB.

Mo-updates?

Holy crap, you can’t see anything on the menu. The new theme is complete garbage. I’ve been using thunderbird for 8 years and for the first time I want actually considered switching. WTF is with switching to some aero theme by default with the latest upgrade? At least I’m not the only person who hates the new thunderbird theme, so hopefully the devs will fix it. I think I need to remember an old saying – If it ain’t broke, don’t update it.

And while I’m complaining about Mozilla products – wtf is with this rapid [and buggy] release schedule. I really can do without updates and restarts every few days. I don’t need new features/redesigned layouts/new themes every two weeks. I would love a browser that is stable and that follows web standards. Is that too much to ask? And with all of these updates, how are add-on devs supposed to keep up?

I’ve supported Firefox and Thunderbird for years, but the last few months are making me start to question my loyalty.

——————————-

UPDATE: I added this as a comment, but figured I’d add to the post too. How I made thunderbird useable again (see full instructions in the comment) – update userChrome.css to include the following:
/* disable Aero transparency for toolbar and menubar */
window, page, dialog, wizard, prefwindow {
background-color: -moz-Dialog !important;
}

#toolbar-menubar {
-moz-appearance: -moz-win-browsertabbar-toolbox !important;
}

At least I still have my PS3 – oh wait, the PSN is a complete disaster and I don’t have any games for it.

Oh well, I guess there are better uses of my time anyway. Happy Memorial Weekend everyone!

the product of top consultants

I have the feeling that some people can’t take a dump without hiring a consultant to tell them how. WTF? Make a damn decision.

Funny thing is I’m sure some consultant douchebag would actually take the assignment seriously. I can picture them creating a ridiculous process chart to map out how one takes a dump (see pic).

Well, there was a guy named George Hotz who did care and lucky for PS3 owners he happened to be skilled with technology. He restored full functionality to his PS3 and then told others how to do it on his website. After all we did pay a couple hundred dollars for the hardware and we should at least be able to use the full feature set we were sold, if not be free to use the hardware how we like (since we did buy it). Not so says Sony. Not only do they not agree, they will sick an army of lawyers and the federal court system on you should you try. That is just what they did to George Hotz. Rather than embrace the hacker community to see just how far it could take their system, Sony decided to make an example of Hotz. For a second I have to pause to commend Microsoft for going the other route with Kinect by offering an SDK (although they almost went the Sony route initially). It is really interesting to see how people are already coming up with innovative new ways of using the Kinect hardware.

Anyway, back to Sony. So they have been using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and other laws to try to bleed Hotz dry. In an interesting turn (at least to me) Sony isn’t content to stop with Hotz. Wired is reporting that federal magistrate Joseph Spero is granting Sony’s subpoenas for all kinds of information about the people who accessed information about the PS3 jailbreak on Hotz’s website, his YouTube channel, his Blogger site or his Twitter account. The subpoenas are ridiculously broad. For example, the YouTube subpoena demands data to identify who watched Hotz’s videos and “documents reproducing all records or usernames and IP addresses that have posted or published comments in response to the video.” WTF is wrong with Sony? (I guess people don’t just want to copy Apple’s products, they also want emulate their heavy handed legal tactics)

Even though the functionality isn’t a big deal to me, Sony’s crappy attitude about the situation is. Like I said, I own the PS3. I also own one of their XBR series TVs. I’ve been completely happy with both. I happen to be in the market for another TV. Will I consider buying another Sony — not even for a second. Some day I hope they learn that treating their customers like their adversaries has consequences to the bottom line.

image from mike pellegrini

You see, Safeco doesn’t see it as part of their business to process or honor claims. Which leads me to ask, wtf do I pay them over $1,000 a year for?
They also don’t like to return calls or follow up on emails. They are however good at making meaningless excuses and making people jump through hoops for nothing.

I’m too tired tonight to write details about my ongoing experience dealing with them, but let’s just say police reports and witness statements aren’t enough proof for them.

At least I’m not the only one wondering wtf Safeco’s problem is:

• Safeco unfair denial of claim
• Beware! Fraud! Safeco Insurance Property Insurance: Fraud! and lots of comments seem to agree
• Safeco insurance sucks – and if you like wtflist, you will probably like other posts on Pellegrini’s blog
• a blog dedicated to safeco sucking and the time they steal from your life fighting them.

dmv wants to be your friend. accept?

me: just what I always wanted to do – follow the dmv on f$%#ing twitter.
friend: seriously?
friend: wtf
me: yes.
me: and watch the dmv on youtube.
me: i would rather remove a testicle with a spork from KFC.
friend: but probably not the best thing they could do to fix their shit atm
me: holy f$%# – can i please like them on facebook.
friend: lol
me: 1,119 like this
me: all state employees probably.
friend: probably heh
me: what an exciting post – It is very dangerous & unlawful if you pass a vehicle on a two lane highway without sufficient clearance.
me: oh, and there is a link to the state vehicle code. doesn’t get much cooler than that.

SERIOUSLY – California is going to have a $25 billion shortfall and the state is paying someone to do social media for the DMV?! WTF! Of all the things the California DMV needs to do to improve its image, I really don’t think “connecting” is one of them.

"My emotions don't like to be played with"

Dear IRS,
Ok, it isn’t bad enough that you have been requesting additional documents for almost a year for the homebuyer credit.
It isn’t enough that when I called and waited on hold for what seemed like an eternity it was only to speak with a 50+ year old man who sounded like he was fresh off the fry station at McDonald’s.
Can it be worse than when I had an accountant call and you basically told him you are understaffed and really have no idea what is going on or where you misplaced my documents, but you can confirm you received them.
Or the time you mailed me a letter saying that you were denying my claim in its entirety and wanted me to sign two documents saying that I agreed with the decision. And then in a follow up phone call said it was just an automated letter because you were behind on your paperwork.

That was frustrating and annoying. I mean what else can an individual do when IRS makes a decision, even a wrong one. It’s not like you can lock the IRS up in prison for failing to pay out a refund (kind of funny that they can lock you up though for failing to file). It’s not like it is worth it to get a lawyer because a lawyer’s fee will quickly eat up whatever potential return you are expecting.

But now I know you are just f—ing with me. WTF is going on over there? Not only did my credit magically appear in my bank account. It was 3 times the amount it should have been! I’m sure you made yet another mistake. I’m sure I will have to pay you back. I’m sure it is my fault somehow and I will owe interest. But seriously IRS, it really isn’t funny to tempt people with thousands of dollars they can’t touch even though it is in their account. Glad you think my bank account is a place where you can stash cash. To quote Big Worm, “Playing with my money is like playing with my emotions,” and my emotions don’t like being played with. He also said, “First of all, don’t be callin’ here like you some straight up G, cause I’ll cut ya balls off and hand ‘em to ya, patna. I had to warn you too many times about my money, Smokey. You see, it’s the principal. There’s principalities in the whole thing.” Unfortunately, I think that is what the IRS will be telling me when they want their money back.