brianreeder.com - I do what I want!

I hate them. Pretty passionately. Far too many hours of my life have been spent dealing with their customer service, to little or no avail. One such instance happened like this…

I was scheduled to receive the professional installation of Comcast cable internet on a certain day. The workman arrived on said day, 2 hours late, and I had to leave because I was already late for class.  I ran to class, and got back later in the day to find the box with the modem, etc. still in cellophane sitting on my desk in front of my computer.  After trying to install it for an hour unsuccessfully, I called customer service to solve the problem.  After an hour on the phone, the operator told me “I don’t think your computer can access the internet.” - This is after I’d had their service at two previous locations with the same machine.  Upon telling him this, he said he didn’t know what to tell me.  After repeatedly asking him to have someone come out and help, he told me they would have to charge me $100 and it would be the following week.  I told him no, this was their problem and they were going to solve it- now, and for free.  Someone came out two days later, it turned out the previous workman hadn’t even connected out house to the internet.  After connecting the house, the guy poked his head in the door and told me I was set, then left.  I tried to set up the modem again, to no avail.  So I called again.  Again, an hour later, after being told it was my fault repeatedly, another work order was scheduled.  And again, I was told I was being charged $100 for the visit, and it would be two weeks.  And after protesting (again), someone came out two days later.  This time, the workman said our entire connection was shoddy and should have been replaced.  Luckily this was a nice guy (the only in the company) or their would have been a murder that day.  After repairing the connection box, actually installing the modem I had paid Comcast to install, and apologizing, the workman left.

Then my bill came.

With $300 in work orders, and the professional install fees.  On top of that, Comcast had the nerve to charge me for the week I didn’t have internet. It took two and a half additional hours on the phone to get the charges taken off, after threats of violence, pain, and family harm to those I spoke with.

In all, Comcast is an evil empire that was (for me) a monopoly and my only choice for internet in the town.  I know many others have been reduced to this same fate, and I feel their pain.

Now Comcast has a whole new level of evil they’ve reduced themselves to: hacking their own customers.  Read the Wired article to learn more about Comcast’s Malicious Customer Hacking.

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I will be the first to admit I am a fast driver.  But also a safe driver.  The people in Portland are either one or the other, but not both.  In the last week, I have seen my life flash before my eyes at least once a day - never being my fault.  Here is my reasoning:

1. when it rains, it pours
2. i drive a lot for work - at least an hour a day
3. people in northest portland drive like a semi-blinded dustin hoffman from rainman.
4. the # of people on the roads has increased
5. its the holidays

An image better illustrates my point.  This is traffic on a Wednesday, in Portland.

I get so riled up when people don’t drive well.  Not when there’s traffic- I’ve sat in traffic for hours with no problem.  It’s when people make poor decisions on the road that endanger themselves and others that I get upset.   I’ve had people try to merge into me on the freeway, cut me off (then flip me off) on the streets (I had to drive on the sidewalk for one of them), and almost hit me as I was helping push a friend’s car off the road.  This week.

I love google maps for traffic stuff, I know there are other sites out there but its my go-to.

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The Westboro Baptist Church, famous for slogans such as “God Hates Fags” is being sued. The church has taken to protesting at fallen military’s funerals, and someone is finally fighting back. Albert Snyder, of York, Pennsylvania, is suing Fred Phelps, the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church. The charges: invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress.

My thought: This isn’t enough. It’s unfortunate you can’t sue someone for being a complete waste of space. What the people at that church do isn’t just wrong, its sick. They have there heads shoved so far up there asses that they actually believe some bullshit drivel from some maniac who claims its “God’s will”. This guy knows about as much about god’s will as he does nuclear fission. The scariest part is that there are people just as retarded as him that actually believe + follow.

I just hope Albert wins, and this guy is taken for everything he has.

A great NYT article about it.

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Before you think one way or the other, hear me out.
Understandably, he does have a lot of responsibility.
Something is wrong, though, when
He starts doing what ever he wants.

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Checks and balances are the backbone of our government.
However, that backbone has buckled under the strain of
Every awful decision made by an administration that doesn’t think it
Needs anything from anyone - it just takes as it sees fit.
Either 99.2% world is mistaken, or this president has done
Yale apparently can’t impart too much knowledge to a

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Coked out dipshit with a taste for trouble and a
Real talent for making an
Ass of himself. The only display of
Zealotry in the entire administration comes when their true
Yearnings emerge…

How many wars can this guy start?

My thought: its harder to sign a declaration of war with a straight-jacket on.

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Recently I had the opportunity to watch the performance of Up With People’s “Cast B” while they were in Portland.  It was interesting, entertaining, and the amount of work and time involved was easily observed.  I went to this performance because my brother works for the company, I was giving him wallets (to be given to the cast), and traffic was backed up getting home I’m glad I stayed; I had a good time and enjoyed hearing about Up With People- to an extent.

But I didn’t like all I heard.  I support my brother 100%.  But I felt like the performance was more of an advertisement and tribute than it was educational or motivational.  I was asked my opinion of the show afterwards, and must admit I fibbed a bit.  It seemed like Up With People was saying; “Look, aren’t we fucking great! Now give us money.”  This didn’t sit well with me.  I understand recruiting is a huge deal in this type of industry (non-profit), but tactfully and down-played.  And, when they ask alumni to get up and sing the song and a full HALF of the crowd runs enthusiastically to the stage, things became much clearer to me.  Money may make the world go round, but I don’t think it should be the not-so-subtle undertone in a performance that’s supposed to be educational and motivating.  This is absolutely NOT against the students- they did an amazing job and put on a good show.

That being said, I really enjoy the blog “Cast B” has.  I like the student contributions, as well as the amount of content they have to go through.  Check it out!

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