Annoyance Calls

For the past few weeks we haven’t just been getting car warranty calls. Another annoying situation has established itself where we’ll get a hang-up call at 9:15 PM on Sunday evenings, followed by one about 6 minutes later. Then, at 4:25 AM on Monday morning the phone will ring again and – just like the other calls – there will be nothing but a dial tone.

I’ve since configured Asterisk to block these calls so they will no longer get through. Even so, I plan to see how good the crackerjacks at AT&T are at tracking them down by filing a complaint with them. Back in my BBS sysop’ing days, I had a phone number to the phone company group that could track any number. I’m sure I can find the AT&T equivalent with a little effort.

This has gone on for weeks now and its time to fight back.

Tasering rule of thumb

After reading about another tasering incident, this time on an irate Best Buy customer in Florida, I’ve decided that the problem I have with the incidents I’ve seen is that in none of the cases do the officers make any attempts to detain the suspects before they go for the phasers. Officers should never unholster a taser unless they at least first attempt to place a suspect under arrest. If you don’t have probable cause to arrest someone, you certainly don’t have cause to taser them.

Mouthing off to a cop is one thing, resisting arrest is another. Causing a commotion in Best Buy is no excuse to shock someone.

The Story of Stuff

Matt sent this to me this morning. It’s a 20-minute-long Flash movie explaining how your stuff gets to you and why that process is not sustainable. Living near the North Wake Landfill as I do, I can’t help but wonder how much of that big pile of garbage could’ve been avoided.

Check out the Story of Stuff and begin thinking of ways we can be living a little more responsibly on our planet (hint: vote with your wallet).

SR-71 Blackbird

SR-71 Blackbird

Last night I was talking with someone familiar with our country’s premier spy plane, the legendary SR-71 Blackbird. He sent me a link to this exciting account of a mission over Libya in 1986.

Intelligence agencies hate to give up capabilities. The rule in intelligence is that no system is ever retired unless something has taken its place. There is no known aircraft that can match the Blackbird’s performance. The “sled,” as it was known to its pilots, has been retired. Just imagine what we must have now.
Continue reading →

Off the hook!

I called AT&T Small Business Services today to check on the status of my long-standing unpaid-bill dispute (as well as my short-standing new bill dispute). After dealing with an initially confused rep by the name of Daniel, I got confirmation that I’m no longer listed as the responsible party for these accounts. Hallelujah!

I called the NC Attorney General’s office to update my file with this information. The specialist working the case asked me if AT&T was going to contact her with an update, to which I laughed. Huge corporations have little time to trifle with such things as the law, you know (thank goodness the telecom immunity bill has been shelved, for now at least).

Two steps forward, one back?

Just when I thought I was out of the woods with AT&T, I returned the second call I got yesterday, the one from Barbara Blatt. Ms. Blatt works at AT&T’s collection agency. I half-way listened to her spiel until her mention of the amount due brought me back from my daydreaming.

“Whoa, there,” I said. “This one’s $161.23? Is this something new?”
Continue reading →

Filter changing time

If your home’s air filters are so clogged that they’re actually whistling when your heater runs, it may be time to change them.

Of course, mine weren’t that bad, you know. I’m talking theoretically.

Ahem. Hey, look at the ponies!