Prop 8 and Same Sex Marriages
In general I'm against same sex marriage. It really serves no purpose. Why a same sex couple should be given same the same rights as a heterosexual couple doesn't register. Since time immemorial marriage consists of the union of a man and a woman. Why change now?
I'm not passing judgment on homosexuals or any kind of sexual being. The only sexual being I abhor is a sexual predator whether the predator is a rapist or pedophile. What consenting adults do in the privacy is their business.
In fact I think homosexuals should enjoy all freedoms conferred on all citizens. They should be allowed to live, work and associate where ever and with whoever they want. They should be afforded equal protection in all aspects of life.
So why do I draw the line at marriage? It's hard to explain but I believe very few things are intrinsic to human nature or survival. The partnership between man and woman is one of those few built in survival instincts man has. Biologically, historically and socially homosexuality serves no purpose. I'm not against same sex pairings. That's an individual choice but I see no reason why it should be given equal status as the marriage of a man and a woman.
Ground Zero Mosque
Since I'm weighing in on controversial subjects I might as well chime in on the Ground Zero Mosque.
As a Libertarian I have one position on the matter. The proposed mosque is on private property and they can do whatever they want with it.
Still I have to question the reason why Muslims chose such a controversial site for a mosque. The powers that made the decision had to know that the project would raise the ire of the American public. The majority of American Muslims stand with America in the war against radical Islamists. Muslims in America are left alone for the most part. So why provoke the public with choosing a site so close to an American tragedy? Aside from a few nut jobs, Americans accept Muslims in our community. Why endanger that support or tolerance? Whatever the reasoning behind the choice, there is no wisdom in it.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Effort To Preserve Texas State Records
In today's edition of the Houston Chronicle, I found an article about attempting to preserve old historical records of Texas. A Historical Court Records Task Force to survey the condition of various state district and county courts. The main purpose was to see what records still survive, what condition they are in and how they are being preserved.
The results were startling. While a lot of records were destroyed, stolen or lost, thousands still survive. The conditions of existing records vary from good to poor to disintegrating or eaten by rats.
The Task Force plans a more detailed survey. They will also look at ways to secure and preserve the state history.
I think it's amazing task and great job if they can pull it off. So many characters formed Texas...Judge Roy Bean, Sam Houston, Davey Crocket and Stephen F. Austin to name just a few. An amazing library can be digitized of all document they can find and then store them for save keeping.
On a personal note for me, record gathering and keeping helped my own family research immeasurably. Using census I traced one branch of the family back to South Carolina after the Revolutionary War. I followed a path they blazed from South Carolina to Mississippi before finally settling in Texas.
Although it had a personal reason for me, such records document the events and stories of the Great State of Texas. Private funds and grants need to come in to help pay to preserve and scan all the documents possible and provide for secure storage. All other options don't qualify for ideas or debate.
The results were startling. While a lot of records were destroyed, stolen or lost, thousands still survive. The conditions of existing records vary from good to poor to disintegrating or eaten by rats.
The Task Force plans a more detailed survey. They will also look at ways to secure and preserve the state history.
I think it's amazing task and great job if they can pull it off. So many characters formed Texas...Judge Roy Bean, Sam Houston, Davey Crocket and Stephen F. Austin to name just a few. An amazing library can be digitized of all document they can find and then store them for save keeping.
On a personal note for me, record gathering and keeping helped my own family research immeasurably. Using census I traced one branch of the family back to South Carolina after the Revolutionary War. I followed a path they blazed from South Carolina to Mississippi before finally settling in Texas.
Although it had a personal reason for me, such records document the events and stories of the Great State of Texas. Private funds and grants need to come in to help pay to preserve and scan all the documents possible and provide for secure storage. All other options don't qualify for ideas or debate.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Naomi Campbell's Soul-less Existence
The self absorbed, self centered, don't give a fuck attitude of some people boggles the mind. Some people have no regard for loss of life, mutilation and atrocities inflicted. The only thing that matters is the world revolving around them.
I'm talking about Naomi Campbell who is perhaps one of the ugliest so called "super models" ever to walk the earth. I'm not even talking about her physical appearance. I refer to the dark cold spot that resides where most people have hearts.
Campbell was forced to testify against her will in the trial of Liberian Charles Taylor who stands accused of crimes against humanity. Taylor allegedly trafficked in blood diamonds and proceeds were used to fund war in Sierra Leone.
Thousands were killed, displaced, raped, mutilated and separated from families in the war.
Campbell's cold empty place in her chest showed during her testimony. To quote her directly according to the Houston Chronicle article:
A big inconvenience for her? Just wants to get on with her life? Talk about self centered and thinking the world is only about yourself.
If it's a big inconvenience for her I wonder what it is for all the people displaced, hurt or killed on the war? She think there was a picnic going on in Sierra Leone? Poor thing just wants to get on with her life. Unfortunately there are many dead in Sierra Leone who can't say the same. Maybe someone should drag Campbell kicking and screaming to the war sites. Force her to visit with mutilated victims. See the children harmed and made orphans.
Someone should show Naomi Campbell the real world. The glamor ritzy life in only lived by the relatively few. I don't begrudge success. In fact I celebrate success. What I hate is the self centered egotistical idiots like Campbell. I really believe she thinks the whole deal is trivial. No Campbell, this isn't a trivial exercise. People died. Sorry your little life had to be shattered to try and help achieve justice.
I'm talking about Naomi Campbell who is perhaps one of the ugliest so called "super models" ever to walk the earth. I'm not even talking about her physical appearance. I refer to the dark cold spot that resides where most people have hearts.
Campbell was forced to testify against her will in the trial of Liberian Charles Taylor who stands accused of crimes against humanity. Taylor allegedly trafficked in blood diamonds and proceeds were used to fund war in Sierra Leone.
Thousands were killed, displaced, raped, mutilated and separated from families in the war.
Campbell's cold empty place in her chest showed during her testimony. To quote her directly according to the Houston Chronicle article:
I was made to be here. So obviously, I’m just, like, wanting to get this
over with and get on with my life,” Campbell said. “This is a big
inconvenience for me.
A big inconvenience for her? Just wants to get on with her life? Talk about self centered and thinking the world is only about yourself.
If it's a big inconvenience for her I wonder what it is for all the people displaced, hurt or killed on the war? She think there was a picnic going on in Sierra Leone? Poor thing just wants to get on with her life. Unfortunately there are many dead in Sierra Leone who can't say the same. Maybe someone should drag Campbell kicking and screaming to the war sites. Force her to visit with mutilated victims. See the children harmed and made orphans.
Someone should show Naomi Campbell the real world. The glamor ritzy life in only lived by the relatively few. I don't begrudge success. In fact I celebrate success. What I hate is the self centered egotistical idiots like Campbell. I really believe she thinks the whole deal is trivial. No Campbell, this isn't a trivial exercise. People died. Sorry your little life had to be shattered to try and help achieve justice.
Friday, August 6, 2010
AT&T Wireless Saga Part 2
Everything went smooth for a few months. Then I noticed I'd go a couple of days without a text message. I'd send my friends a test text asking for a reply. I'd never get one. I'd call AT&T and the usual power down, remove sim card and battery and put it back together routine. It would work for a while and then start over again. I'd call again and they'd do what little troubleshooting they could do over the phone. It was a cat and mouse game. Then the routine got old.
The whole problem reached an apex two weekends ago when I was in San Antonio. I wasn't getting text messages, phone calls or voicemails. I had to call AT&T three times and still I had lingering problems. One customer service rep tried to tell me it was because I wasn't in my home area. I call bullshit on that. They have all these commercials about nationwide coverage and they can't get me a message or call 200 miles away from my home? One of the reps was nice enough to credit my account $25. Another rep was just a dumbass. He could never quiet understand my problem. The third said to go into a store when I get back to Houston and they will replace my sim card.
I'm pissed off all weekend because I have friends I want to see and can't make plans cause I can't communicate with them.
The real pisser happened after I got home. Someone left me a voicemail on Saturday and it didn't show up in my voicemail inbox until Tuesday. I was extremely pissed off at that moment. I called AT&T immediately and told them what happened. Again they offered to replace the sim card.
I finally got the sim card replaced this week. I again went out of town. Between work and out of town I didn't have time to change it until two nights ago.
I got into the habit of calling AT&T every time something went wrong. I wanted to leave a phone record of all my complaints. At the very least, if they didn't document my exact problem someone could see I've repeatedly called. I told one rep that I didn't think the sim card replacement would work.
And the result with the new card? The same garbage. More missed text messages, text messages received in duplicate and sent in triplicate. One buddy told me to quit texting because everything was coming across three times.
I've about had it. AT&T has offered to replace the phone. As far as I'm concerned it's a last grasp hail mary. If this doesn't work I'm going to cancel my account whether or not I have to pay the disconnect fee.
Yesterday again I had trouble with text messages. I have seven verified messages sent by others that I didn't receive. So I called in today to once again make it know I was having issues. I asked the rep at what point does this become an exercise in futility? When does it become a point where I can cancel my contract without penalty? His reply was under the terms of contract I have to pay a penalty. I replied with a simple fact. I don't pay for my service my phone gets disconnected but if I don't get service I can't cancel my contract. Again he repeated his claim of contract terms don't allow it. I reminded him that their are two parties to a contract. I pay for services provided by AT&T and if I don't get the services then AT&T isn't living up to their end of the contract. I could tell I was frustrating him with simple logic. Finally he told me that if the new phone fails to talk to a manager and they have the power to waive the fee. I asked is it impossible to get a manager to do and he said it was pretty close to impossible. He said it would take an extreme case to get the fee waived.
Finally I asked the rep to please document the fact that I'm having problems again with the text messaging. He obliged and read back to me all that he wrote. I thanked him since I overwhelmed him with logic.
Tomorrow I'm going to try and get the new phone. Like the sim card replacement, I don't think a new phone will work either. This problem has happened over the course of two different phone models. I seriously doubt a third will be any different.
AT&T's service, for whatever reason, has turned into total garbage for me. The customer service was horrible with the LG-Vu until I threatened to cancel. This time around customer service has been more understanding and better but still equally worthless. If the third phone doesn't work I'll cancel service whether I have to pay early termination or not.
The whole problem reached an apex two weekends ago when I was in San Antonio. I wasn't getting text messages, phone calls or voicemails. I had to call AT&T three times and still I had lingering problems. One customer service rep tried to tell me it was because I wasn't in my home area. I call bullshit on that. They have all these commercials about nationwide coverage and they can't get me a message or call 200 miles away from my home? One of the reps was nice enough to credit my account $25. Another rep was just a dumbass. He could never quiet understand my problem. The third said to go into a store when I get back to Houston and they will replace my sim card.
I'm pissed off all weekend because I have friends I want to see and can't make plans cause I can't communicate with them.
The real pisser happened after I got home. Someone left me a voicemail on Saturday and it didn't show up in my voicemail inbox until Tuesday. I was extremely pissed off at that moment. I called AT&T immediately and told them what happened. Again they offered to replace the sim card.
I finally got the sim card replaced this week. I again went out of town. Between work and out of town I didn't have time to change it until two nights ago.
I got into the habit of calling AT&T every time something went wrong. I wanted to leave a phone record of all my complaints. At the very least, if they didn't document my exact problem someone could see I've repeatedly called. I told one rep that I didn't think the sim card replacement would work.
And the result with the new card? The same garbage. More missed text messages, text messages received in duplicate and sent in triplicate. One buddy told me to quit texting because everything was coming across three times.
I've about had it. AT&T has offered to replace the phone. As far as I'm concerned it's a last grasp hail mary. If this doesn't work I'm going to cancel my account whether or not I have to pay the disconnect fee.
Yesterday again I had trouble with text messages. I have seven verified messages sent by others that I didn't receive. So I called in today to once again make it know I was having issues. I asked the rep at what point does this become an exercise in futility? When does it become a point where I can cancel my contract without penalty? His reply was under the terms of contract I have to pay a penalty. I replied with a simple fact. I don't pay for my service my phone gets disconnected but if I don't get service I can't cancel my contract. Again he repeated his claim of contract terms don't allow it. I reminded him that their are two parties to a contract. I pay for services provided by AT&T and if I don't get the services then AT&T isn't living up to their end of the contract. I could tell I was frustrating him with simple logic. Finally he told me that if the new phone fails to talk to a manager and they have the power to waive the fee. I asked is it impossible to get a manager to do and he said it was pretty close to impossible. He said it would take an extreme case to get the fee waived.
Finally I asked the rep to please document the fact that I'm having problems again with the text messaging. He obliged and read back to me all that he wrote. I thanked him since I overwhelmed him with logic.
Tomorrow I'm going to try and get the new phone. Like the sim card replacement, I don't think a new phone will work either. This problem has happened over the course of two different phone models. I seriously doubt a third will be any different.
AT&T's service, for whatever reason, has turned into total garbage for me. The customer service was horrible with the LG-Vu until I threatened to cancel. This time around customer service has been more understanding and better but still equally worthless. If the third phone doesn't work I'll cancel service whether I have to pay early termination or not.
AT&T Wirless Saga Part 1
I've been with AT&T wireless since 1999. Until the last year or so I haven't had any long term problems with them. Until the last year or so.
To make a long story short. I had the LG-Vu because I added an old girlfriend to my account. It would be cheaper to be on the same account for both of us. The phone was in her budget and we each got $50 gift cards. Almost immediately she had problems with the phone. Mainly the screen would turn green. She replaced the phone three times and all three gave her the same problem. I cut her phone off for nonpayment of her half, no explanation to where she was and also using up ungodly amounts of minutes and pushing the limit. I didn't care about paying the early
termination fee. I just wanted her off my account and gone.
Around January of this year I start having my problems. Like her phone, the screen occasionally turned green or the touch screen keyboard would get all out of whack. Then I started having problems with text messaging. I wouldn't get any of texts from friends. Then calls started dropping off. I had to stand in a certain spot in my apartment to make or receive calls. Then I started having to go out on the deck to hear anything.
If I lived in the boondocks or middle of no where I might not have a big problem with it. But I don't. I live right in the middle of Houston. Literally. I'm between downtown and the museum district. AT&T customer service once admitted that I shouldn't be having the problem because the signal was so strong in my area.
I called AT&T for troubleshooting. AT&T's suggestion is to every problem is turn the phone off, take out the battery and sim card, wait 30 seconds and put it back together. Every time I called it was the same routine. Going into the store to complain did no good. They wouldn't offer any solutions. A waste of time.
I was due an upgrade. Or so I thought. My online account said I was due an upgrade so I figured I'd go in the store and choose my new phone. LG-Vu is a cheap piece of garbage anyway. I can afford better. Much better. I go into the store and they tell I don't have an upgrade. Why not? Because when I took my ex-female friend off the account that affected when I could upgrade. I tried and tried but they wouldn't budge from their stance. The said wait until May. Ok fine.
Unfortunately the dropped calls got worse and more texts were missed. I complained some more but they wouldn't do anything. Finally I decided to just suck it up and try to get a new phone again. I complained in person about how bad the service was. I want a new phone. Sure, at full cost plus a $50 upgrade fee. No thanks. I went to another store. I again explained the situation. Sure no problem said the salesman. He took me over to a low end phone. I said no thanks. I want to get rid of this garbage phone and you want to sell me another garbage phone. Oh and by the
way, he added the small detail that it would cost me $75 upgrade fee plus the full price of the phone. My exact words were,"That's bullshit." And I walked out the door.
I had it. I got online and looked up Verizon. I decided right then and there to cancel my AT&T line and move on. When I called customer service I told them to disconnect. I don't care about the early termination fee. Did that change their tune or what. She upgraded me to a $300 phone for $29. No I didn't leave off a zero...that's twenty nine dollars. I agreed to the new phone and it worked fine for a while.
Until the last few months....to be continued.
To make a long story short. I had the LG-Vu because I added an old girlfriend to my account. It would be cheaper to be on the same account for both of us. The phone was in her budget and we each got $50 gift cards. Almost immediately she had problems with the phone. Mainly the screen would turn green. She replaced the phone three times and all three gave her the same problem. I cut her phone off for nonpayment of her half, no explanation to where she was and also using up ungodly amounts of minutes and pushing the limit. I didn't care about paying the early
termination fee. I just wanted her off my account and gone.
Around January of this year I start having my problems. Like her phone, the screen occasionally turned green or the touch screen keyboard would get all out of whack. Then I started having problems with text messaging. I wouldn't get any of texts from friends. Then calls started dropping off. I had to stand in a certain spot in my apartment to make or receive calls. Then I started having to go out on the deck to hear anything.
If I lived in the boondocks or middle of no where I might not have a big problem with it. But I don't. I live right in the middle of Houston. Literally. I'm between downtown and the museum district. AT&T customer service once admitted that I shouldn't be having the problem because the signal was so strong in my area.
I called AT&T for troubleshooting. AT&T's suggestion is to every problem is turn the phone off, take out the battery and sim card, wait 30 seconds and put it back together. Every time I called it was the same routine. Going into the store to complain did no good. They wouldn't offer any solutions. A waste of time.
I was due an upgrade. Or so I thought. My online account said I was due an upgrade so I figured I'd go in the store and choose my new phone. LG-Vu is a cheap piece of garbage anyway. I can afford better. Much better. I go into the store and they tell I don't have an upgrade. Why not? Because when I took my ex-female friend off the account that affected when I could upgrade. I tried and tried but they wouldn't budge from their stance. The said wait until May. Ok fine.
Unfortunately the dropped calls got worse and more texts were missed. I complained some more but they wouldn't do anything. Finally I decided to just suck it up and try to get a new phone again. I complained in person about how bad the service was. I want a new phone. Sure, at full cost plus a $50 upgrade fee. No thanks. I went to another store. I again explained the situation. Sure no problem said the salesman. He took me over to a low end phone. I said no thanks. I want to get rid of this garbage phone and you want to sell me another garbage phone. Oh and by the
way, he added the small detail that it would cost me $75 upgrade fee plus the full price of the phone. My exact words were,"That's bullshit." And I walked out the door.
I had it. I got online and looked up Verizon. I decided right then and there to cancel my AT&T line and move on. When I called customer service I told them to disconnect. I don't care about the early termination fee. Did that change their tune or what. She upgraded me to a $300 phone for $29. No I didn't leave off a zero...that's twenty nine dollars. I agreed to the new phone and it worked fine for a while.
Until the last few months....to be continued.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
