It's Sort of Like Karate

Sometimes I really enjoy the power of the Internet

Recently I was forced to start paying for broadband access at home to fulfill my need of the Internet....anytime, anywhere. Which is fine in these tight economic times we all have to give and take if we want to keep our jobs and somewhat parallel lifestyles. I could speak volumes on that but I'll pass. So I received my first months bill from Comcast last week. As I browsed the bill I noticed they were charging me for the full service fee. My company offered us a group rate to subsidize the bill. It was suppose to be $30 not $55.

This AM I decided I was going to send an email asking for the correction instead of calling. I despise calling companies to wait on hold. Here is my email:

I was recently switched from a commercial bill (-----) to an individual
bill. We were suppose to receive a group discount rate for broadband
service. When I received my bill I noticed I''ve been charged the
complete $55 fee. This was suppose to be $30 a month. I would like
this resolved as soon as possible so I can pay your bill.

Response from Comcast:
Dear Zack,

Thank you for contacting us regarding your Comcast High Speed Internet
service.

I am happy to direct you to the closest payment center in your area to
correct your bill. Since it is likely there are several payment centers
near you, you can determine which one is most convenient to you by
following this link:

http://www.comcast.com/customers/contactus/paymentcenter/locatePaymentCenter.ashx

Once you access the site, enter your address and ZIP Code, and then
click "Submit." If the system cannot determine your payment center
location by your address, you may be asked for more information to
clarify your location. When you locate the center nearest to you,
verify they offer services for High-Speed Internet.

If you are presented only with a general mailing address, please click
the View Map link to bring up a list of payment centers in your area.

To assure the proper tracking of this issue, we have created the
following customer service ticket: 129717051

Please refer to this number should you contact us regarding this same
issue.

Thank you for choosing Comcast. We appreciate your business.

Sincerely,

Roderic
Comcast Online Customer Support

So this 'tard named Roderic thinks i'm going to actually go to a payment center to get this resolved????? Isn't this the point of sending a freaking email? I know cable companies probably live in the failed ratings for customer service but this is sad.

Isn't customer service suppose to make our lives easier. Aren't they the ones that are suppose to help contribute to the experience of using their services? Learn Comcast. Get a clue and remember one bad experience translates to how others view your sorry service....and by the way your broadband is slow in midtown.

Place your orders now!

In the near future it is believed we will be able to embed emotions, thoughts, essence of our souls into robots/ software. The thought is when you die you could capture your soul and transfer it to the new robot of your dreams giving you a sort of legacy to carry on the insanity.

The cool thing is I use myself or could potentially go on the eBay of the future and buy someone's essence. Let's see I'd prefer a mix if possible. Vanilla Ice, Jimmy Stewart, Burt Reynolds, Lee Majors, Thom Yorke, Tedd Roosevelt, and Roy Lichtenstein.

So if you want to capture my essence I'll begin taking orders starting now! 100 payments of $49.99 and my essence is yours! I take cash, credit, NO CODs. You get creativity, seeing the future, dancing at juke joints, an awesome appreciation for music, deep thoughts about life, laughter, probably some drinkin, and appreciation for God's beautiful world.

Maybe I should raise the price.....

Optical Nerves are like dissappearing coin behind the ear funny!

Lately I've been extremely mentally bored. Maybe it's the lack of being challenged intellectually or the recognition I need to relax and not worry about the chaos I create for myself in managing my life. Regardless, I'm working on creating a new editorial comment here at zackperry.com. It's going to focus on funny things about the future. I wrote the other day about programmable personality robots. That sort of kicked off a thought about this topic. I read a ton about a lot of coming things and lets face it the future to the average person is almost mind blowing. Unfortunately, I'm so accustomed to these thoughts I'm hardly shocked anymore.

BUT don't worry. I'm going to start breakin' it down for you on what's the funny application to your life.

Today we'll focus on optical nerves. Optical nerves display what we all see in the world. Scientists are now experimenting with how do we tap into this where the potential is that through some sort of way we'll be able to have overlays or screens that could display information.

So that got me thinking about the funny nature of this. Let's assume we've our watches or devices become more relay devices that our optical implants are all connect to. You've got tons of applications and data at the "blink of an eye" you could grab and create things on the fly. Ha! That's fun stuff right there.

The funny stuff is what could i do with this. What if i could access optical photoshop so I could be walking down the street drawing goatees on people, devil horns, glasses, funny objects, mustaches (OMG what if everyone had a mustache!!!!!), or buckteeth. I would totally be walking around laughing the whole time. I would also draw conversation bubbles and write out funny things about this person or what I think they are talking about. Gosh I could totally entertain myself.

What would you do?

Cha cha changes

Wow, somebody in Memphis is finally getting it. I've proposed this idea to a couple of local nonprofits who sort of looked at me with a blank stare. Maybe things are changing.

http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/Content?oid=44543

My robot raps

I was thinking this am about how by the mid to late 2020s we will more than likely have personal robot assistants. The recent advancements in AI and robotics are leading many futurists to predict huge breakthroughs in the next 10 years setting us up for this reality.

So I was thinking, I wonder if we will be able to program our 'bots? Or will we just get a standard issue bot that is completely monofaced? If I could program mine I think i'd like KITT from Knight Rider, HAL, the robot from the movie Flight of the Navigator, and bits of my personality when I was in my younger 20s. It should be able to harass me in a joking way almost to the point of being a smart ass, tell me good job on things when I need to hear it, keep me on track task wise and keep the organization of my life in check. I long for these days. I wonder if the bot could drive me as well? Of course if the automated cars of the future become a reality then that wouldn't be needed.

Just randomness.

New spam has arrived in my inbox. YES!!!!!

Greetings!

I have been waiting for you to contact me eversince for your
Certified Bank Draft of 650.000.00 USD that you won
from the Online Draw, but I did not hear from you. Then I
went and deposited the Draft with FEDEX COURIER SERVICE,
West Africa. I am out of the country for the past four weeks
on a 4 month course and i will not be back till end of September.

What you have to do now, is to contact FEDEX COURIER
as soon as possible to enable them deliver your package to
you because of the expiring date.For your information, I have paid for
the delivering Charge, Insurance premium and Clearance Certificate
Fee of the Cheque showing that it is not a Drug Money or meant to
sponsor Terrorist attack in your Country.

The only money you will send to the FEDEX COURIER to deliver
your Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is (320.00USD)
only being Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far.Again,
don't be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except 320.00USD.

Contact Person: Mr. Daniel J. Cole.
Email Address: fedexcourier092@hotmail.com
Telephone: +2347037001785

I do hope you received this mail of mine.

Yours Faithfully,
Mr. George Philip.

REM Setlist - June 11, 2008

Absolutely an amazing show. Here is the setlist from last night:

1. Finest Worksong 2. Living Well Is the Best Revenge 3. Bad Day 4. What's the Frequency, Kenneth? 5. Drive 6. Ignoreland 7. Man-Sized Wreath 8. Little America 9. Hollow Man 10. Walk Unafraid. 11. Houston 12. Electrolite 13. (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville 14. Pop Song 89 15. Horse to Water 16. The One I Love 17. Driver 8 18. Until The Day Is Done 19. Let Me In 20. These Days 21. Orange Crush 22. I'm Gonna DJ

Encore:

23. Supernatural Superserious 24. Losing My Religion 25. Mr. Richards 26. Fall On Me 27. Man On The Moon

Highlights for me was Bad Day, Electrolite, Rockville, Pop Song, Orange Crush, Fall on Me. The amazing visuals behind the band were incredible. They used a lot of LED lights with motion overlays of live video. Technically an art masterpiece. I'll have some pictures from the grass up soon.

I'm challenging myself

So this week I filled up to the tune of $55. By far the most expensive tank of gas I've ever purchased. Recently ghetto gary and I were chatting about his big rig SUV and some of the tricks he has been doing to avoid massive burn rates of gas.

To combat the prices I've instituted a crackdown on myself.

Rules:
1. no more treating my subaru like it did me wrong. i have a tendency to drive a car like a go kart.
2. no more heavy accelerations
3. no going over 70mph on the expressway. i was doing 85, but that is not an guilt admission
4. be smarter and use my bike and messenger bag for short trips to the market
5. making a list at the beginning of the week to align "chores" for less trips

I read recently that last month the US was down 9M barrels in consumption. We are a smart country we just need to transfer our talk into action. Peas out, have a fun weekend.

Maybe the best quote of the day

"Sean John is fashion Viagra. I’ve had 40 year-old men tell me that once they started wearing Sean Jean, everything changed for them, [including] their sex life."

- Diddy told the CBS News Sunday Morning

Easy sustainable things

I thought this was a pretty good thing. I received an email from a industry rep today about potential business. Nothing new there as these typically fly through my inbox to the delete folder. But today I noticed this dood had on his contact info to "please save the environment and don't print this email." Not a bad move dood.