Sunday, August 13, 2006

Pissed

I am so unbelievably pissed, it's unreal.

The stupid thing, I'm pissed that Apple has made me out to be a fool.

Bratworse bought a MacBook Pro when they first came out. Sure enough, she was happy as a lark until, our wireless started dropping it... but not only was it dropping it, the wireless was dropping the PC (Gateway) too. Just my trusty little iBook G4 kept trudging.

And then one morning, she woke up to the apple symbol with a big red circle and slash through it. We brought it in the Mac Store. Ah, but the hard drive is still there, just reload the system says the tech. So we did that; as a result, it started running slowly. And a few weeks later, there was a clicking sound from the left side of the laptop. And a blank screen.

Bratworse is LIVID! She's thinking (rightly so, given this experience) what, I gave up PCs for this?

And me? I'm the one who recommended this piece of shite. How the hell do you think I feel?

I have been a loyal Mac customer since Mac Plus days. I've owned a Mac Plus, an SE (had an external hard drive), an LC, a Power Computing PowerPC, an iMac (Lime Green) and now am so happy with my little iBook G4.

This is the thanks I get for convincing a PC user to a Mac?

We take the computer into the Apple store, and they tell us 10-12 days because the hard drive died. Today is the 14th day. And is it close to being done? No. Applecare tells her it'll be another week. She and I fight (because I'M STUPIDLY DEFENDING APPLE and I'm taking it personally that this beautiful piece of equipment that I would give an eye and my left breast for, Bratworse is calling a piece of shite).

So I get in the car, and drive over to Apple, and give them a piece of my mind. Colin, the tech guy, is trying to be reasonable with me, but I'm seeing red. How dare Apple make me look like a fool! After DECADES of loyal service as well as ACTIVELY pushing the Mac platform on PC users, they are doing this?

We don't have a promise of tomorrow. We only have a promise that her machine will be the next one worked on. Hopefully we will get it back tomorrow.

When we get that MacBook Pro back, I've got to give up this little baby here to Bratworse. Hope she will enjoy it as much as I loved using it. And hopefully the MacBook Pro will hold up. Because I am NOT a gentle user. This poor little iBook has keys askew, the lid askew and various other little things cause I've kicked it, dropped it and other stuff.

We shall see. In the meantime, I will be putting up this post every day (duplicates) until Apple calls up Bratworse, apologizes to Bratworse for her experience, and gives her something to make all of this awful experience better.

Oh, the OTHER thing she's pissed of at Apple about? We paid $2500 for the MacBook Pro, and it didn't come with a word processing program. Never mind that it came with Garage Band and all this other multi-media programs that she'd have to pay HUNDREDS of dollars for on the PC platform. She's pissed cause she had to dish out $125 for a word processing program. Of all things to leave out, to leave out a WORD-PROCESSING program was a really dumb move, Apple.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Sounds of Silence


Yeah I know neither of us has posted in a while. Work got hectic for me, school got hectic for Bratworse, and also two words: new games.

Besides, the only thing I'm really observing and paying attention to, are posts about Plamegate. So I'm reading Firedoglake and Americablog religiously several times a day. But to feed this new addiction I've had to cut back on others like Talking Points Memo, The News Blog, and T-Bogg. I still check in on them daily. Just not several times a day like I used to. The readings from Firedoglake usually are long and in-depth which is what I like since Flamegate has so many players and twists and turns.

If Plamegate really does bring Fitzmas around early, there will be such a celebration aboard the Monarch of the Seas this weekend. Bratworse and I are going on a gay cruise (our first real vacation!) and we're going with my best friend and his lover. Can you imagine the festivities aboard this ship as the men who stoked up anti-gay sentiments get indicted? Whoooo-yah!

And then, to top off the trip, DISNEYLAND! Those of you who've known me for years, knows there's a very real disconnect in my head about Disney and Disneyland. Disney at times represents the evil empire to me, yet Disneyland will always be the happiest place on earth for me. Something magical happens to me there. I manage to live in the present and actually be happy. Bratworse can tell you, me and happy doesn't quite go together. Don't get me wrong. I laugh a lot. But if my brain starts to analyze, the happiness dissipates to be replaced by intellectual curiosity.

Let's put it this way. My friend RangerRobb would hit a jackpot on the slots and be giddy for hours, maybe days. Me? I'd hit a jackpot and instantly try to remember all the combinations prior, so I could recognize when the next jackpot might hit. Yah yah, I was never known for my brains.

Anyway, there might be more Sounds of Silence coming up from Cholotto. Again, Nanowrimo is kicking off November 1st. 50,000 words in a novel before November 30th. That just might hamper my writing efforts here, or it might stimulate it. Time will tell.

Filed under Reveries & Paranoias.

Thursday, August 18, 2005

sports

Sports talk... well, okay... mostly football talk... well alright! I'll admit it! It's 90% Raider talk! Sheesh. Like there's any other football team worth writing about:

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Reviews

Reviews! Getcha red-hot reviews here!

Game reviews:



Movie reviews:

  • RedBeard dated 2005/August 17 by r.i. 7 out of 10 rating


Book reviews:



TV reviews:

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Politics

Here are all of our posts on politics and all that b.s.: (Greyed out ones are time-relevant so unless you want to see what the heat of the moment arguments, don't bother)
Abandon Ship!2004/09/01r.i.
And Those Twins!2004/09/17r.i.
Answers, Please2004/09/23r.i.
Are You Calling Me a Liar?2005/01/18r.i.
As Pols Spin2004/09/07r.i.
Being Right Brings No Joy2005/05/11r.i.
Bush's Stinginess2004/12/30r.i.
Celebration of Mediocrity2005/01/20r.i.
Charlatans and How to Catch 'Em2005/05/10r.i.
A Cheap and Tawdry Trick2004/10/14r.i.
CNN's Offbeat Pictures2005/05/27r.i.
Confusion in Perspectives2005/04/20r.i.
Debt Society2005/03/08r.i.
The Death of My Father2005//03/30r.i.
Defining Blogging - Journalism?2005/03/04r.i.
Division, Subtraction Just Doesn't Add Up2004/08/10r.i.
Enough! I Want My Money Back!2005/03/23r.i.
Enough With the Snark!2005/02/09r.i.
Equal Opportunity2005/02/23r.i.
Fairness2005/08/16r.i.
First Impressions of the Presidential Debate2004/09/30r.i.
Flip-Flopping Away2004/09/01r.i.
A Football Metaphor2004/09/22r.i.
For Those of You Still Thinking about Privatizing Social Security...2005/05/19r.i.
[Forgot to title this]2005/02/18r.i.
The G.I. Jane of Journalists2005/04/13r.i.
Govenator or Governator2004/09/15r.i.
Happy 1st Day of Vacation, George!2005/08/02r.i.
Happy 2nd Day of Vacation, George!2005/08/03r.i.
Happy 3rd Day of Vacation, George!2005/08/04r.i.
Happy 4th Day of Vacation, George!2005/08/05r.i.
Happy 7th Day of Vacation, George!2005/08/08r.i.
Happy 8th Day of Vacation, George!2005/08/09r.i.
Happy 9th Day of Vacation, George!2005/08/10r.i.
Happy 10th Day of Vacation, George!2005/08/11r.i.
Happy 11th Day of Vacation, George!2005/08/12r.i.
Happy 14th Day of Vacation, George!2005/08/15r.i.
Happy 15th Day of Vacation, George!2005/08/16r.i.
Happy 16th Day of Vacation, George aka Precedent Setting President2005/08/17r.i.
Happy 17th Day of Vacation, George!2005/08/18r.i.
Happy 18th Day of Vacation, George!2005/08/19r.i.
Hawaii to the Forefront2004/08/26r.i.
How's the View from Up Here? Cynical, Thank You Very Much2004/10/07r.i.
How Texas Supports Troops2005/08/18r.i.
Hmm... Could it Be?2005/03/31r.i.
I am Gay But Not a Hooker2005/02/25r.i.
Idealism by Another Name2004/08/05r.i.
If You See CIA Heading Your Way2004/09/10r.i.
I Love It 32005/03/10r.i.
I'm Still Trying to Wrap My Head Around What Happened...2004/11/03r.i.
Insomnia2004/11/03r.i.
Is It My Imagination or?2005/02/02r.i.
It's Sad2004/11/12r.i.
It's So Great to be an American2005/02/16r.i.
It's time to Play2005/02/16r.i.
Its What We're Doing, Not What We Are2004/11/23r.i.
It Wasn't About Values2005/01/19r.i.
Job Searching2005/07/28bw
Kicking a Gift Horse in the Mouth2005/05/26r.i.
Kindness - Bwahahahaha2005/03/17r.i.
Left Behind2005/07/13r.i.
Lesson to Andy Card2005/07/26r.i.
Liberal Pansies2004/12/09r.i.
Meetings with Secret Service2005/03/30r.i.
Mind Tricks of the Familial Kind2005/06/21r.i.
Month Long Vacation2005/07/21r.i.
Musings2004/08/05r.i.
Name Dropping Inanity2004/08/31r.i.
No Need to Shout2004/09/16r.i.
Not Pressure, Indignation!2004/08/27r.i.
One Thin Wafer2005/05/17r.i.
Phantom Accounts2005/05/03r.i.
Playing Right into Their Hands2005/05/03r.i.
Playing Telephone - A Demonstration by the Press2004/08/26r.i.
Polimagicians2004/11/30r.i.
Poll I'd Really Like to See2004/08/18r.i.
Poor, No Insurance, Out of Work, But Don't Let Those Gays Marry2004/10/29r.i.
Possibilities2004/08/30r.i.
Powell and Rove2005/07/08r.i.
Princeton Principles2005/04/28r.i.
Private Accounts in Easy Words2005/03/08r.i.
Prove It to Me2005/08/02r.i.
Punching Back2004/09/16r.i.
Quick Impressions2004/08/24r.i.
Reading Live Talk with Dan Froomkin2005/03/09r.i.
Reality Meet Distortion2005/03/01r.i.
Recycling Puzzlements2005/01/14r.i.
Repartee & Witticisms2004/08/24r.i.
Responsible but Not Culpable2004/08/25r.i.
Rumsfeld's Responses - Good Enough For Congress & Public...2005/02/17r.i.
Shooting Oneself in the Foot2005/08/19r.i.
Signs of the Times2004/09/27r.i.
Social Security Magic2004/12/07r.i.
Solution!2005/04/20r.i.
The Stupidity of Pundits2004/10/08r.i.
Suggestion for Garrett2005/03/02r.i.
Thank You Chris Bowers2005/02/10r.i.
There's a Reason...2004/09/01r.i.
Torture and the American People2005/04/05r.i.
Torture and Dick Durbin2005/06/23r.i.
Two Excellent Posts2004/11/30r.i.
Under Threat2004/10/14r.i.
Unintentional Funny2005/08/12r.i.
Urbanite v. Ruralist2004/11/15r.i.
War's Coming, Get Ready for Gay Bashing2004/11/08r.i.
What It Says About Us2005/01/17r.i.
What? No Royal We?2004/09/21r.i.
What Should be Taught in Journalism2005/03/09r.i.
When to Come in Out of the Rain2005/07/06r.i.
White House Press Corp = Pro Bowl?2005/03/14r.i.
Who Benefits2004/12/22r.i.
Why Watch it?2004/09/27r.i.

Gaming

Here are all of our posts on Gaming-Obsess Much?:

Relatives

Here are all of our posts about our relatives:

Gay

Here are all of our posts about Scary Gay Stuff (and yes, that includes Lesbian stuff):

Art

Discussions about the many facets of art:

Cool

Here are all of our posts about Cool Shit:

Thoughts

Here are our Reveries & Paranoias:

Bwahahahaha

I decided to post all of Cholotto's filing system here.

bwahahahahaha's posted here, because sometimes, a braying guffaw says it all.


Ms. Cell Annie

I decided to post Cholotto's filing system here.

Here are all of our posts on Ms. Cell Annie:

Air Ports, Air Planes, and Air Delays 2005/07/06bw
Blogher, I Don't Even Know Her!2005/08/10r.i.
Blow bubbles not smoke2005/06/27r.i.
Calling All Inventors2005/05/12r.i.
Distorted Dreams2005/07/04r.i.
Dreadlogging 2005/07/11bw
Fog2005/08/27bw
Good Vibrations2005/08/03r.i.
Huh?2005/04/12 r.i.
Liar Liar2005/08/01r.i.
The Lieing Cycle2005/07/08bw
More Requests and Refusals2005/07/18r.i.
New One2005/07/26r.i.
Pheonix Union 2005/07/11bw
Postal Anyone?2005/04/14r.i.
Question for the Ages2005/01/14r.i.
Recycling Puzzlements2005/07/18r.i.
Requests and Refusals2005/07/11r.i.
Tables on Blogger2005/08/19bw
Voting2004/11/02 r.i.
The Weather Report2005/08/16bw
What We Look Like Together2005/07/06r.i.

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Moving and cross-referencing

Hi there

I know there's about 5 of you regularly checking in, tho you're awfully silent. I hope I've made you laugh or think or scream or something... :)

My lover and I decided to get a website together and thus we're blogging together. So, I'm now posting on Cholotto. We've also set up an indexing system there so I'll be slowly going through my old posts and filing them under the appropriate headings.

I might still post here. I love the title Distorted Dreams since it seems so apt for today's environment and, I've been a dreamer since I could name what dreaming was.

We worked on the site over the weekend and have set up a filing system on the new blog so if you want to find out about all my neuroses about my family per se, you'll be able to find all my posts in one place.

Oh, and we'll be throwing up some graphics up there as well. So instead of just words, you'll get words and pictures... what a concept. Hmm wonder if we can make books out of merging words and pictures... nah, no one wants to read. (sorry, old comics in-joke here)

Anyway, see you at the new spot!

Filed under thoughts.

Friday, June 24, 2005

Standards and Measures

One day, someone smart and forceful will say, whenever things are measured, the standardization will be global. I'm not just talking the metric system and the old English system either. (Which btw, should've given the world a clue about U.S. arrogance and stubborness).

Case in point: Co-worker turns to me and asks, what is a billion.

My response? "I can't answer that. I've been confused all my life about that question."

So then I look it up on Dictionary.com and therein lies the quandry I've found myself in these past 30 years. In America, a billion = a thousand million, that is, 1 with 9 zeros after it. I grew up in Singapore, a commonwealth country. There, we were taught that a billion = a million million, that is, 1 with 12 zeros after it.

So, my question to you all is: #1 - so does China have 4,000,000,000 or 4,000,000,000,000? 2) is Bill Gates worth $40,000,000,000 or $40,000,000,000,000? and the same goes for our federal deficit.

Cause you know, those 3 zeros? They mean quite a lot.

Filed under thoughts.