- Nintendo Wii for $200 shipped + $25 Gift Card @amazon: http://bit.ly/lmxYK @slickdeals: http://bit.ly/1rib8A #
- found out you're not suppose to put Pillsbury croissant dough into the freezer, or else you can't unroll the darn things. #
- Catch the Season 4 premiere of Dexter on Netflix On Demand (Watch Instantly): http://bit.ly/197CT3 (available till 10/12) (via @hdtrailers) #
- @bartonjs Do you get to make the similar condition about a pet peeve you have about here? in reply to bartonjs #
- Sign up for Costco Auto-Renewal via Amex and get 2 months free: http://bit.ly/10DajV #
- began watching εη©θͺ (Bakemonogatari – Ghost Story). Really fun, interesting, and atypical anime. I like it when Araragi's hair twitches. #
- @gootecks Are they making a sequel called Super Street Fighter IV? #
- My computer just beeped once every ~15 seconds for like 5 minutes. Then it stops. Annoying. Reminds me of http://bit.ly/13US6g #
- Does anyone know if The Beatles – All You Need Is Love will work in Rock Band 2? Or does it only work in The Beatles: Rock Band? #
- Is Microsoft breaking up Fable II into 5 parts, giving away "Episode" 1 for free, and charging for the remaining 4? http://bit.ly/440Q23 #
- @krunk4ever Destructoid reports that players who reach the end of an episode will be prompted in-game to purchase the next @ 800pts ($10). in reply to krunk4ever #
- @digadeesh Yep, there's been similar complaints about games on demand (~$30) being available in retail for $20 or less. in reply to digadeesh #
- I think I've officially given up on the Wii. Even at $149+tax (after Bing cashback), I'm still not jumping: http://bit.ly/PGKWU #
- @angelgrrl813 Booo… So it's not like Rock Band 1 and Rock Band 2 where DLC are interchangeable. in reply to angelgrrl813 #
- @hjo3 Are you even allowed to transport live animals via USPS? in reply to hjo3 #
- @hjo3 Interesting. It looks like they'll accept live animals that don't require delivery within 72hrs: http://bit.ly/wvB1S in reply to hjo3 #
- Following the OS-tan meme, it looks like someone created Afghanis-tan and Pakis-tan: http://bit.ly/4fC5ol http://bit.ly/nAMKh #
- It's always cool to find cash you didn't know you had. I just found $260 in a random envelope when I was searching for blank checks. #
- @jscott Reminds me of the lobster: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13898487/ in reply to jscott #
- @GuySrinivasan My friend sent me these images a few days ago: http://bit.ly/QGefw in reply to GuySrinivasan #
- Did you know that Bullet Bill from Super Mario Bros. had arms/hands? http://imgur.com/gPE89.gif #
- In Naruto, what would happen if 2 people who were fighting summoned the same type of creatures… #
- Sigh… ESPP just had to be the day before the grim economic report and rising unemployment rate. #
- @angelgrrl813 @ryandjohnson There's no minimum/maximum age requirement for good music. π in reply to angelgrrl813 #
- Inspector Megure to Conan: I always thought Mouri-kun was the God of Death, but actually it might you. Conan: Hahaha #
I ♥ Kirkland Signature
I ♥ Kirkland Signature!
From this month’s Costco Connection:
With Kirkland Signature, Costco can:
- Develop popular items with wide appeal to expand sales volume
- Control the quality of the product
- Drive down prices on national brands
- Control the packaging
- Achieve pallet efficiencies.
– Jim Sinegal, Costco CEO
The working rule followed by Costco buyers is that all Kirkland Signature products must be equal to or better than the national brands, and must offer a savings to our members.” – Dick DiCerchi, Costco COO
In the traditional marketplace, brands are build over the years with expensive advertising campaigns built around cornerstone produts. In contrast, the Kirkland Signature brand has grown by this formula: Offer high-quality products at great prices, and let the members decide. – Tim Talevich
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-09-27
- @ryandjohnson @bartonjs mentioned you guys had an Excel sheet for this. I usually just use Silicon Dust's mapping: http://bit.ly/18zdNK in reply to ryandjohnson #
- @ryandjohnson Ever since Comcast added a bunch of QAM channels, it's never been automatic since those new channels don't have any metadata. in reply to ryandjohnson #
- @ryandjohnson Must've been something new that happened after I switched to TV Pack. in reply to ryandjohnson #
- For Least I Could Do fans, you'll enjoy today's strip: http://bit.ly/OsGrA – It's about time, *******. #
- "The only thing more newsworthy would be if Jupiter crashed into the sun." http://tr.im/zlZ0 (via @bpump) #
- @angelgrrl813 Spider: Fricking humans, destroying my home every time I build a new one. I even try new places, but no, out comes the broom. in reply to angelgrrl813 #
- Did I just see House become Dexter in the previews? #
- When will the Lips microphone work with Rock Band 2? Apparently they work with The Beatles: Rock Band. http://bit.ly/PENYr #
- TUAW article is currently at 52 diggs, http://bit.ly/YSFkW *fingers crossed* that it gets enough to carry. π (Helping out @delconte) #
- @0xFCAF High heels? in reply to 0xFCAF #
- Did you know the Energizer Bunny idea was taken from the Duracell Bunny? http://bit.ly/QwNqs (available outside N.A.) http://bit.ly/JDwVr #
- @gootecks Have you considered http://www.wegame.com/ in reply to gootecks #
- @gootecks If you find a good non-shared web hosting service, let me know too. I'm getting sick of issues from @DreamHost and @1and1. in reply to gootecks #
- @ryandjohnson What's wrong with fast food joints at an airport terminal? in reply to ryandjohnson #
- Lips wireless microphone support for Rock Band 2 is finally here! http://bit.ly/1bWszq #
- @ellism That was never an issue for me since I purchase all my songs via the web. What I want is to be able to sort songs by purchase date. in reply to ellism #
- @ellism Ah, makes sense. in reply to ellism #
- @ryandjohnson http://bit.ly/27Jm3z – guessing he means rotary tiller. Otherwise I'd like to know why needs a tether propulsion apparatus. in reply to ryandjohnson #
- @krunk4ever Playing Rock Band 2 with a wireless mic is sweet! in reply to krunk4ever #
- If you're looking for a wireless router, Linksys WRT54G-TM (DD-WRT and Tomato capable) for $18 shipped is a great deal: http://bit.ly/13ZjkN #
- @angelgrrl813 Can I know the other 18 reasons? in reply to angelgrrl813 #
- The new ATI Catalyst software hides the overscan options in some obscure location: http://bit.ly/y0dnQ #
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-09-20
- completed Shadow Complex with 100% items. Only level 20 though. How do you reach Level 50?!?! #
- Pick up a Aliph Jawbone 2 (bluetooth headset) for $22.48 + tax shipped overnight: http://bit.ly/t4wIu #
- The little girl and the little panda finally reappears in Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood! #
- Earn Double Southwest Rapid Rewards for flying betwee 9/17 – 10/31: http://bit.ly/PNPTn #
- is sad that 3D Dot Game Heroes is a PS3 exclusive: http://bit.ly/s7g7V #
- Did anyone notice a bunch of people's Twitter picture get reverted back to a bird? #
- @krunk4ever Also for some reason, it's reporting I'm using Echofon when I'm really using Twitterfox. in reply to krunk4ever #
- @ryandjohnson Hey, you're a bird now! in reply to ryandjohnson #
- @ralphlee @ryandjohnson Ah… That makes sense. in reply to ralphlee #
- digging this song I've been hearing on TechnoBase.fm – Starsplash – Wonderful Days: http://bit.ly/bqS2I (maybe nsfw) #
- Get 4000 Xbox Live Points shipped from Dell for $40 + tax: http://bit.ly/5uG4h #
- @krunk4ever If you need points ASAP, try 9a9z.com: http://bit.ly/kQy55 – bought my 4000pts for ~$40. Code came within 15 minutes of paying. in reply to krunk4ever #
- RT: @hdtrailers: Just saw 9 tonight: http://www.hd-trailers.net/movie/_9/ Was a bit disappointed. Don't worry, I'll w… http://bit.ly/oUc7O #
- Yarrr, get yer free episode of Monkey Island, one day only: http://playlikeapirate.com/ #
- I'll leave you tonight with another neat song I heard on TechnoBase.fm: Lacuna – Celebrate the Summer: http://bit.ly/15E6eK #
- After being here for over 4 years, I got my first jury summon. #
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-09-13
- @@MsticAzn notified me that people using WordPress 2.8.3 or earlier should upgrade immediately due to a worm attack: http://bit.ly/1zUx6p #
- How I ended my day at DragonCon. #teslacoil http://yfrog.com/2c2ltj #
- @hjo3 Not sure if it was intentional, but you rated A Beautiful Mind twice. in reply to hjo3 #
- Back home in Seattle. Glad I have tomorrow off. The night is still young! π Thanks to Liam and Denise for being such great hosts! #
- @ralphlee Probably licensing issues. Just like how Green Day was just recently added. in reply to ralphlee #
- @hjo3 Yah, I was trying to figure out if bad+ == meh ;p in reply to hjo3 #
- switched from AVG to Avast today, as AVG is now bloated. However Outlook crashed 8x today already. Currently disabled the Outlook scanner. #
- @angelgrrl813 Antivir was my other option, but more people recommended Avast. I'll see if I can fix the issue. If not, Antivir it is π in reply to angelgrrl813 #
- What @googlereader needs is the ability to cache/store images when going into offline mode with @googlegears #
- @delconte Low profit margins? in reply to delconte #
- @bpump That would've been an awesome reply, but don't you think saying that's below him? in reply to bpump #
- @angelgrrl813 They're marking their territory, just to remind you. ;p in reply to angelgrrl813 #
- @rothgar Which #Digg RSS feed did you follow? I suggest following Top Links (7 days): http://digg.com/rss/toplinks7days.xml #
- @krunk4ever @rothgar They also have top links within 24 hours, 30 days, and 365 days. Take your pick on how much you can consume π in reply to krunk4ever #
- just realized I never started Pidgin after my last reboot. #
- @ryandjohnson How was the mapping done? mobile #? email? manually? in reply to ryandjohnson #
- @angelgrrl813 I prefer this one: http://www.pvpstuff.com/screma.html in reply to angelgrrl813 #
- Hilarious shit from @shitmydadsays: http://twitter.com/shitmydadsays #
- Free 1 Year ECA Membership and get unlimited 10% off any game: http://bit.ly/3SVCeR #
Trip to Atlanta, GA
So this labor day weekend, I finally went to visit Liam and Denise in Atlanta, GA. I’ve been meaning to visit them for years, but just never really got my act together. However, I decided I really needed a break from work and labor day turned out to be a good weekend to visit them.
My flight was at 7am, which meant I had to leave for the airport at 5am, my usual bed time. The trip was pretty smooth, but I had a hard time falling asleep. The ATL airport was HUGE. It literally took 30 minutes after landing to get to the gate. Even on the way back, it took about the same time after departing the gate to lift off. Compare this to the 5 minute from landing to gate in SEATAC. I don’t even remember LAX being that long. I later found out that ATL airport is one of the largest if not the largest airport in the United States. According to Wikipedia, it was ranked the busiest airport in the world.
After exiting the security gates, I finally met Liam and Denise. First day in Atlanta was pretty much settling down and checking out the city. They have this really neat condo with a rather great view. They took me to an awesome dessert place called Chocolate Pink which had awesome cakes and pastries. Apparently the chocolate is the awesome part, not so much the pink. ;p
Saturday, we want to check out the Georgia Aquarium, known as the largest aquarium in the world. It was pretty awesome. One of their tanks is as long as a football field (from end zone to end zone). They had some giant whale sharks which were really cool. I love sitting in the dimly light room in front of the giant glass display. It’s just so calm and soothing.
I didn’t really plan my trip to coincide with Dragon*Con 2009, but it just happened that way, and it was something else we checked out. We decided Sunday would be the best day to go. On previous nights, we worked on our costumes. Denise came up with the idea of dressing as MNU (Multi-National United) employees from District 9. I personally haven’t seen the movie yet, but was planning on it. I think our costumes turned out great in the end:
(Photos courtesy of Denise)
At Dragon*Con, I got to hear Leonard Nimoy speak. Bill Shatner even showed up at the latter half of the panel. Later, there was a Q&A with Patrick Stewart. Hearing that guy speak is always a treat. It was very similar to An Evening with Kevin Smith, but way too short. Then I got to check out some really cool cosplays and ended my night at the Mad Scientist party where they were playing music via Tesla coils, while having someone stuck inside a Faraday cage. It was really neat!
[Please visit blog post to view streaming video]
I apologize as I didn’t take that many photos, but whatever I took can be found at my Dragon*Con 2009 PhotoSleeve album.
On my last day, we had lunch at Chick-fil-A. Apparently Chick-fil-A is pronounced with a long A instead of a short A. I’ve heard of Chick-fil-(long A) before and always thought it was spelled Chick-Fillet and was different from Chick-Fila. Then they took me to Stone Mountain where we checked out some plantation, hung out on the top of the mountain, and played some mini golf. Before my flight, they took me to a barbecue joint, which is a must to complete my Georgia experience. I’ve got to say, the barbecue was excellent.
I got to try grits for the first time, and it was pretty good. I also learnt 2 new veggies on my trip: okras and collared greens.
The flight home was pretty uneventful. Wasn’t sleepy, so I caught up on some anime. Though when the flight attendant was going over the safety instructions, I heard, “No smacking is allowed on this flight. … Tampering with the smoke detector in the lavatory is a federal offense…” I’m not sure if I misheard or if that was a Southern accent, but I found it amusing.
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-09-06
- Quality of Service from China's biggest delivery company: http://bit.ly/3Yah6Z UPS' typical mishandling doesn't seem that bad anymore #
- @ryandjohnson @angelgrrl813 Apparently not good enough of a job. in reply to ryandjohnson #
- @angelgrrl813 Why didn't you file a chargeback on your credit card? in reply to angelgrrl813 #
- @angelgrrl813 Just figured out Squeenix refers to Square Enix in reply to angelgrrl813 #
- Ooooh! Giant Gummy Bear: http://bit.ly/UXzCS
12,600 calories. Scary… # - @hjo3 Pic? in reply to hjo3 #
- @hjo3 Awww. I wanted to see the giant eggs. in reply to hjo3 #
- Detective Conan OVA 9 – The Stranger From 10 Years Later made me really sad. #
- @hjo3 Cool! That shrimp's really good at camouflaging. in reply to hjo3 #
- Off to Georgia in a couple hrs. 7am flights are bad for me. I start feeling sleepy around 4am, but I know if I fall asleep, I won't wake up. #
- @ryandjohnson Monoprice? in reply to ryandjohnson #
- Get a free MP3 (any song priced $1.29 or below) from @amazon: http://bit.ly/3wbdy8 #
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-30
- Shadow Complex is really fun! Well worth the 1200pts ($15): http://bit.ly/oQdKP #
- Costco now sells Chocolate Gelato! http://yfrog.com/15u7tj #
- Robots! http://bit.ly/3SDwhW – They catch cell phones and dribble balls. (via @GuySrinivasan) #
- @hjo3 I think you'd enjoy this: http://bit.ly/67OMK
Team Fortress 2 – USK Mass Bots # - @ralphlee As I was reading that, my mind automatically filled the end of the sentence with "… getting any work done." in reply to ralphlee #
- @ralphlee *whistles* I'm pleading the 5th in reply to ralphlee #
- @ryandjohnson How'd you get SYFY HD? Are you paying for the premium package? in reply to ryandjohnson #
- @angelgrrl813 Which game? in reply to angelgrrl813 #
- I'm really digging this new song: Owl City – Fireflies: http://bit.ly/3EK7tx Currently free on Rhapsody: http://bit.ly/VJdqC #
- @digadeesh @gootecks SF4 FightStick for $43 shipped at Buy.com: http://bit.ly/tpx16 via @slickdeals: http://bit.ly/Jzln3 #
- Walt Mossberg Reviews Snow Leopard: http://bit.ly/Fdppo #
- Whoa, free $5 of Amazon MP3 credit for "buying" a free game? So easy. http://bit.ly/bjuD7 (via @hungtruong) #
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-23
- How convenient. I finish watching Season 2 of Dexter and Season 3 is released on Blu-ray this week. π #
- Comcast High Speed Internet with PowerBoost for $20/mo for 12 months: http://bit.ly/8rURy #
- http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/ (via @jscott) #
- @aChrisSmith Are we talking about a laptop or desktop? in reply to aChrisSmith #
- @aChrisSmith Some links you'll want to check out: http://bit.ly/3TSPR http://bit.ly/99bVf http://bit.ly/UbUdd in reply to aChrisSmith #
- @GuySrinivasan How do you know it's O3? Does ozone have a smell? in reply to GuySrinivasan #
- @ellism Haha, I was just reading Wikipedia: named it after the Greek verb ozein ("to smell"), from the peculiar odor in lightning storms. in reply to ellism #
- Did you know that Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade were all characters from Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari before Naruto? http://bit.ly/tIrDZ #
- This music video is epic! The Guild – Do You Wanna Date My Avatar FTW!! http://bit.ly/35jCYC #datemyavatar (via @Fathi_Haziq) #
- Did you know the name Zabuza (εδΈζ¬, – Haku's savior; Guy w/ Big Cleaver Sword) from Naruto literally translates to: Won't Cut/Slice Again #
- "Trying to have a conversation with you would be like arguing with a dining room table." http://bit.ly/5lDrP (via @GuySrinivasan) #
- Did you know karaoke (γ«γ©γͺγ± – η©Ίγͺγ±) literally translates to empty orchestra (oke – short for okesutora)? #
- Get a #free shaving starter kit from The Art of Shaving: http://bit.ly/m1APU They have a location at Bellevue Square. #
- @0xFCAF @ryandjohnson @aChrisSmith You guys need to convert this to a #songsincode: http://bit.ly/10liJo in reply to 0xFCAF #
- I want to watch Lion King now… http://bit.ly/42pMR6 Hakuna Matata #
- @hjo3 Ooooh. Blowtorch! in reply to hjo3 #
Netflix Customer Support
Yet another blog post?! My god…
When I first learnt that the only way to contact Netflix customer support was through phone support, I felt a bit annoyed. There’s plenty of things I would like to report/suggest via a short email or contact form, rather than wait on the phone and having to explain it in person.
So initially, I had tried to contact them through Twitter via @netflix and @Netflixhelps. Sometimes I’d get a reply within 24-48 hours. Other times my tweet would disappear into the oblivion. It wasn’t the most reliable way of contacting their support, but I wasn’t going to call just to make a suggestion.
Anyway, I made my first call to Netflix yesterday. I’m not sure what their peak hours are like, but when I called around 2-3am, the wait time was pretty much non-existent. As I mentioned yesterday, they had sent me the wrong DVD and I had reported it via their website. I also selected to have a replacement sent immediately. Unfortunately, I forgot Dexter season 3 was going to be released on Tuesday and personally would rather get Dexter first before Death Note part 1. I saw that the replacement wasn’t planned to be shipped out until Tuesday. I called in and got someone on the other end within 15 seconds. I asked him if he could cancel the replacement order as I’d like something else on my queue before it.
He said unfortunately the order’s been locked and is shipping directly from a different service center. I felt a bit disappointed, but that’s when he said, he’d give me a courtesy bonus DVD for my troubles. I said, “Awesome!” +1 for Netflix.
Tonight, after I found out that the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex feature films were just shortened versions of the TV series, I decided to watch Ghost In the Shell: Sold State Society. Unfortunately the audio/video was so out of sync, at least a few seconds. There’s been several reviews mentioning the audio/video sync issue already. Once again, the only way to report this issue was by calling in.
I called in again, once again in the middle of the night around 2am, so no waiting time involved. I mentioned the audio sync issue and the title of the film I was trying to watch and she mentions that it had been reported earlier and the technicians are already working on it. Unfortunately she couldn’t give me an ETA on when it would be fixed, but thanked me for reporting the issue.
All in all, I’m unexpectedly satisfied with Netflix customer service through the phone. The phone operators are well trained and there’s no automated phone system to navigate through. You call, enter your 6 digit code, and you get an operator. I’m a happy camper.