So the deal with posting by mail is that sometimes there is a delay. Sometimes it's a pretty lengthy delay which can is confounding because I'm used to instantaneous response. As has been pointed out by people who are in a position to know, I am not the most patient of persons. But the convenience to less frequent posters should be worth it. I anticipate posts by phone soon.
posted by Kyle Beatty at 4:22 AM

Brunching Shuttlecocks take aim at blogging here
posted by Kyle Beatty at 4:28 AM

Sent an email to Tony Millionaire (he of Maakies) a link to a page that has an old poem by Ye Olde Girlfriend. They have not dissimilar themes.
posted by Kyle Beatty at 2:10 PM

Oops. Maneuvered the cam right off the pile of Rubbermaid containers that it was sitting on. Not so good. Beep. Beep. Beeeeeep. Beeeeeep.


posted by Kyle Beatty at 2:39 PM

These files are not as small as they could be. Patience.






posted by Kyle Beatty at 7:15 PM

The addition of the Internet Pro keyboard (with USB ports) has played
havoc with the webcam setup. Drivers are in a state of confusion.
Streaming is intermittent. A bit of a problem.
posted by Kyle Beatty at 4:19 AM

The post-by-email function worked flawlessly for the previous post. Hooray! One door closes and another shoe falls.
posted by Kyle Beatty at 4:21 AM

Oo! Now I have a function that allows me to add titles to each post. I hope that someday I can write headlines as well as the editors of the P-I.
posted by Kyle Beatty at 4:52 AM

Unable to get simple facts understood by the manager at Blockbuster, I chose to use the alternate route:

ME: What number should I call to talk to your boss?
HALFWIT: I already gave it to you. (true enough, but irrelevant. -ed.)
ME: What is the number?
HW: 568 2100.
ME: Who will I be speaking to?
HW: Christie.
ME: Christie who?
HW: I can't give you that information. We don't give it out.
ME: What is her last name?
HW: I know it, I'm just not going to tell you.
ME: And what office does she answer to?
HW: What?
ME: Who is your boss's boss?
HW: 748 0800
ME: And who is that?
HW: That's the number for the Regional Office. Andrew.
ME: So if I ask for Andrew, they will know who I need to talk to?
HW: It's an automated system.
ME: What's his last name?
HW and ME: I can't tell you that.
ME: So, I'm going to call Christie, no last name and Andrew, no last name.
HW: Thank you for the sarcasm.
ME: Good-bye.

I dialed the first number. A machine answers:
MACHINE: You have reached Christie Santana ...

I dialed the second number:
MACHINE: Hello, this is the voice message system for Andrew Steeles ...

MORAL:
It's one thing to be an evasive weasel, but it's altogether pathetic to be an evasive weasel about things that don't matter. It's easy to see why I don't trust the manager.

posted by Kyle Beatty at 2:04 PM

Blockbuster issue resolved by Higher Power. No, the manager wasn't hit by a bus (although that would be altogether acceptable), my girlfriend paid the store a visit. There were no problems after that.
posted by Kyle Beatty at 3:04 PM

The Lego Duplo toy, Goozle, walks among us now. Be very still children and Goozle may not do whatever it is that Goozle does. Equal parts Cthulhu and the Black Beast of Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh!


posted by Kyle Beatty at 6:23 PM

The first post mentioned The Chair. I think I was being unecessarily harsh. The chair is in my car now to be delivered to Alf's place when he finds it.
posted by Kyle Beatty at 2:56 PM

I have ponied up a few dollars to Blogger to activate some useful features. Primary of which is the ability to post by email. As I am doing now. There is also a handy button to upload files from one's host computer to one's webserver. Hosting those pics is one's own problem, though. Blogger: not an ISP. If it's pictures of Lego, Brickshelf will stow those pics for you. But Brickshelf does not support FTP. Anyway.
It'll be fun, I swear.
posted by Kyle Beatty at 5:09 PM

Posting by email apparently has bugs.
posted by Kyle Beatty at 5:09 PM

I was going to post a scathing and inflammatory rant about that no-headed abomination of Judas' loins, Blockbuster Video, but instead will just post the following. I posted it at www.moviemusic.com, www.filmscoremonthly.com, www.geekculture.com and at www.lugnet.com. Not because they are especially visible to the world or because the people there are any more likely to be sympathetic to my situation, but because I want them to have an opportunity to know that someone very much like them is being abused. Think meercats. I'm the meercat in the tree looking out for hyenas.

---

Blockbuster claims that I failed to return a DVD. They are in error. That's bad, but it happens. They are rude and inefficient, which is as avoidable as it is inexcusable.

I encourage you to get your videos from somewhere else than Blockbuster. I'll happily go across town to a good store.

If my complaint inspires you to cut up your Blockbuster card in front of an especially clueless clerk, please let me know. If you want to tell this particular store that you heard that they are circus clowns but not funny like circus clowns, their number is 206 522 0397. (Don't bother asking for the manager, he may not even exist.)

You can call Kristi at 206 568 2100. She's a middle level manager of some sort. You can also call 206 748 0800 and leave a message at their district office.

It would be swell if you could take a moment to pass this along to your video renting friends. Let's not encourage the corporate entity that has created this slackerly and cynical environment.

posted by Kyle Beatty at 6:49 PM