Telstra is adamant but confusing
Telstra phone monkeys (also known as customer service officers) have developed a new style of connecting with the customer and making them feel they have received a good service. They do it by relating to you in down-to-earth, real-world language and giving you the assurance you need in language you can relate to (e.g. "This one is the fully cheapest of them all!")So let me tell you how my dealings with Telstra went after I was forced to transfer the home line to my name:Call No 1"Yeah, absolutely, we can do that, what name, uh huh. No problem. I'll do it for you right now. Oops, you have a pending ADSL broadband connection request, best to transfer afterwards. Why don't you call back next week after your broadband has been set up and they can do it for you no problem, we'll even call your ISP and have them transfer the ADSL over, no problem, you'll only have a half-hour disruption. If any other operator tells you they can't transfer the ADSL, ask to speak with their supervisor, cause I'm telling you we do it all for you."Call No 2"Uh huh. OK, well, firstly, you have to call your ISP yourself and see if they let you transfer, because some don't. Secondly, even if you're an 'authorised user' of the current account you're not allowed to disconnect the line and reconnect it in another name unless you're the actual lessee because we had some problems with that in the past. What's that? She told you what last time? No, I'm sure, the current lessee has to do it and you have to check with your ISP. Well I don't care if she told you we absolutely do it, I'm telling you we absolutely don't. Look, do you want to speak with someone from connections who can clarify? OK, hold please." <10> "G'day it's Paul here, how can I help. Uh huh, uh huh. OK, whatever Cindy told you is correct you can't do whatever you're trying to do. OK, glad to be of help."Call No 3I get a call from my ex-flatmate who I asked to make the damn call on my behalf as she is the blessed 'original lessee'. She tells me the woman was very nice and assures me since I'm an authorised user I can do the whole thing myself and actually, the original lessee can certainly close the current account but the new lessee would have to set up the new one anyway, so it makes sense for me to do the whole thing......So after I'd chewed through a couple of four by twos I called Telstra back.Call No 4"Uh huh, yep OK, let me do it for you... <5> ...OK all done. Wasn't that easy! We'll call your ISP and let them know, you should have a half-hour disruption. OK, bye."GGGGGrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!The next day my broadband is GONE. I call up my ISP and they say:"Woah! Dude, your connection is, like, gone! You changed the account! Woah! That disconnects the ADSL, man! Yeah, we can reconnect sure, usual fee. What's that? You don't think you should pay the fee? Far out! Hold please..." <fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck> "Dude! Good news, it's free! Telstra should have called us! Anyway, send an email to bonehead@stonerISP.dope and we'll reconnect. It should take, like, two days... umm.... Bye."I think I'll avoid technology for a while and hand write my next blog post directly onto the screen with a fountain pen.
Motorists face weeks of chaos - National - smh.com.au
Motorists face weeks of chaos - National - smh.com.au
Another bloody whinge about the cross city tunnel, this one even more unfounded than the last!
This one says there will be weeks or months of chaos as the rush hour traffic 'learns' the new congestion dynamics of the tunnel and although the tunnel is expected to carry 90,000 people daily, it will initially be carrying approximately 30,000. Oh lordy! Months or chaos!
A bit of perspective: The CCT belongs to CrossCity Motorway P/L for the next 33 years and then it belongs to NSW ad memorium. I think a few months of 'settling in' isn't something to freak out about.
Reporters are always so sensationalist and 'What's happening NOW?' I take the long view and as a member of the Generation X/Y cusp I'm proud to break the 'instatnt gratification' mold.
E-tags are another example of surveillance by stealth - Opinion - smh.com.au
E-tags are another example of surveillance by stealth - Opinion - smh.com.au
This link referrs to an article written by the ex-NSW Deputy Privacy Commissioner about the loss of privacy blah blah blah.
This time it's the cross city tunnel. The article doesn't really say anything new and focusses on the proposed NSW electronic health database and contains the disclaimer:
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we shouldn't have electronic health records...
It then continues on in a general "the dangers of any electronic population database" kind of way not really saying anything I haven't read a million times before by other ex-NSW-Deputy-Privacy-Commisioners-Gone-Columnist and the entire article was brought on by the evils of not being able to use the cross city tunnel anonymously (shock horror) when the entire Melbourne toll-way system has been that way for years.
I haven't reached a low in my career as of yet that would compel me to jump on this non-issue bandwagon.
And besides, with my E>Way tag, I'm sweet. CCT here I come!
Supercomputer Chips (French Onion or Salt 'n' Vinegar?)
I was reading an article about supercomputers and the race to create the first petaflop capable supercomputer. It's like a new space-race between USA, Japan and China. I guess we need one because the real new space-race – returning humans to the Moon by 2020 and on to Mars by 2030 – is going to be a mega-flop if NASA keeps breaking it’s little shuttle toys!
Anyway, the example that kept popping up in the supercomputer article was Procter&Gamble, who use supercomputer modelling in their Pringles potato chips factories. It appears they need aerodynamic modelling to stop the chips fluttering off the assembly lines, and engineering stress models to maximise the speed of the robotic packing procedures without crumbling the chips.
Wow. Next time I eat a Pringle, I’m going to take a minute to reflect on the technology that brought it to my hand un-fluttered and un-crumbled.
And I’m going to name my firstborn child ‘Petaflop’.
Scientists develop pee-powered battery - LiveScience - MSNBC.com
Airport Antics
You go and spend three months building relationships at the Manila ariport, then this happens!
When reading the news can be bad for your health
Dead rabbits: Sydney man charged with bestiality - National - smh.com.au
And I thought that sqealing on York Street last week was just car tyres. There are some weirdos out there. Looks like my friends and I will have to start a "Who can find the weirdest people right here in Sydney" competition.
Challenge On.
Con-Rail
I recently got a promotion at work (yay me!) and I now work in Australia's second oldest CBD - Parramatta. It's not such a bad place. However, the couple sitting two rows behind me on the train this morning certainly made the experience memorable.The couple sat chatting about work prospects and associated difficulties, and the man came out with this pearler:"The bloody parole officer says, 'you're doing a great job' and then writes me up behind my back!"
I kept my head down for the rest of the trip.
