Black Friday deals I see so far

Well, once again I'm having to deal with car problems in November, but if I didn't have to worry about that, I'd be out and about going after these deals, which if I'm lucky, maybe the people I know will get some of these for me...

OFFICEMAX - 100 stack of VERBATIM +R DVD media - $19.99 per stack. I'm always needing Verbatim Media. If it's the Life Series, all the better.  If I was going out, I'd buy 2 stacks since Officemax just keeps raising the price on Verbatim media for no reason. I'll see if it's available online from them with free shipping...

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
(looks and comes back) OK NEVER MIND. Looks like the ad price is available online and with orders over $20, SHIPPING IS FREE. But if you still want to give me a 50 disk DVD+R Verbatim stack, I'm not going to stop you!

You might be wondering why I specify +R media. It's due to compatibility. -R media isn't guaranteed, while I've never had a problem with Verbatim +R. And why Verbatim? I've had consistently good results, and the only thing that would cause a bad burn would be scratches during manufacturing.

Moving on.... 

FLASH aka THUMB DRIVES. There are LOTS OF DEALS abounding almost everywhere!!

BIG LOTS has KODAK brand 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drives for $5.88
WalMart has a SANDISK 16GB for $6.97 and is one of the brands I actually recommend.

OFFICEMAX will not be outdone as they have several offerings.
Though I recommend LEXAR devices along with SanDisk.

PNY and Dane Elec are two to completely AVOID. I bought a PNY memory card for Mom's Kodak camera and it died after only a couple of months of use!

If you don't own a few external storage devices and you use computers for lots of things, SHAME ON YOU. Burn CDs at least!!!

I did see one deal for an external USB 3.0 hard drive. I didn't look at the details much.

I do need another flat screen monitor though. I wish I had bought 2 of the Acer monitors a few years back when I had a chance, instead of the 1 I did get.

I see not too many places still offering Winx Club dolls. I guess that was a summer flash in the pan thing? However, if I could just find the Monster High werecat twins... 

Of course, aside from my car working like it's supposed to again, a trip to Japan is always high on my list. Mainly because the one thing I really want is one thing I can't get.

I guess it's time

I need all the thinking heads I can get, all the help I can get - because I've decided I have to get out from under Mom's 1998 Kia Sephia. After the repeated failures earlier this year, and the recent shifting oddities I've been experiencing for the past few days (off and on), I want to be able to drive a car that won't cause me so much anxiety about it leaving me dead on the road away from home. I can't take that stress any more.

Now, I realize the trade in value for my car may barely be $1,100 on a good day. I'd like to consider a car that's $3K if I can get that much, otherwise $2K if not.

Or if anyone can help me negotiate a better price (like $2,500 for the $3K car) please speak up about being able and wanting to help me. I will finance this with a credit card. I could use a 0% interest credit card check, but I have one card that has a rate under 9%.

I really hate having to do this, but as my computer services business is still trying to get started, I need a newer car. I think at this point, Mom would agree. It's time.

Do not hesitate to get involved with this process. I'd love to have it done within the next week. Tomorrow if things go right. I'll be looking for my title to the car and we'll have to clean it out.

I'm sick and tired of the problems and would prefer not putting any more money in the Sephia.

And I just put $16.50 of gas in it today... DAMMIT.
  

Wow, what a complete lack of CLASS, Time Warner!!

So, today I get the latest Road Runner bill via Time Warner. Instead of the customary bump in rate, which hasn't happened for about a year (well, how about that??), I see a notification that Time Warner is now going to CHARGE USERS A "LEASE FEE" OF $3.95 for the cable modem that they provided for us to be able to use Road Runner.

WHAT THE FREAKING HELL, TIME WARNER?

CHARGING US TO USE YOUR EQUIPMENT ON TOP OF THE FEE FOR THE SERVICE? A FEE THAT YOU NEVER CHARGED BEFORE???

OK, so whatever anyway. They do provide a list of devices that I could buy and use without that fee, and in the long run sounds like a good idea. I'd rather tell Time Warner to fuck themselves, but the options for high speed internet are limited. Frontier's high speed service isn't an option because 1) It's not available, 2) it's unreliable, and 3) it has no data.

And by all rights, if this sort of arrangement isn't in the original agreement that was signed when the service began all the way back in 2007 (I think) when Road Runner light was only $14.95 a month, then they can't just change this arrangement, right?

I need to get the service in my name, then bitch them out over this.

TIME WARNER CABLE IS JUST A BUNCH OF FUCKING THIEVES.

 
 

One says there's a mistake, the other is doing what they are told

The fingers don't know what the toes are doing. It's a saying that I made up that attempts to explain the flaws in the system.

When things go wrong, they really go F_ing WRONG

So today I decided I would get an answer to what happened to my lost $80 USPS money order.

I found a toll free number and called that. That person got me the number for the USPS General Accounting office. And here's where that person got my answer.

I filed my missing money order claim August 24. The refund was issued August 29. HOWEVER, the address on the slip WAS THE WRONG ONE. It should have been MY ADDRESS, NOT THE PERSON I TRIED TO SEND IT TO. 

AND THEN !!!!!!! IT WAS CASHED BY THAT OTHER PERSON SEPTEMBER 12. Now I TOLD her originally if that first money order ever arrived, do not cash it. DON'T CASH IT. I looked up her phone number and called it. She didn't answer, but some other guy did. I left the young woman whom I transacted with back in June (and into July) emails on one board and on Yahoo. The guy I spoke to and left a message with even says she acknowledge she got this envelope but forgot what it was about and went right ahead and cashed it!

I FIND IT DISTRESSING AND ANNOYING SHE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE AMOUNT OF THE REFUNDED MONEY ORDER WAS THE SAME AS THE LOST ONE.

I've left her emails giving her a chance to make things right. Either we work out a deal, or you send me Cas$h via Certified Mail.

IF I HAVE TO TAKE HER TO COURT, WHERE WOULD I FILE THIS? IN OHIO OR WHERE THIS PERSON LIVES????

So now--- The USPS is off the hook for this. They messed up, they refunded. Now I want my goddamn $80 back in some form.

And then the refilled ink cartridges that I got this week - the color one works, the black one prints with streaks...

And then I have to re-do one DVD project as it came out all messed up and the wrong audio on stuff. GRRRRRRRRRR... I still haven't cashed that $3.93 Classmates lawsuit check. I wonder how to report that?

How freaking long is it supposed to take???

This is going to be an insane rant posting.

BACK IN JUNE, I got into some online dealing with a girl in Rhode Island selling something. We came to an agreement on price. The first deal came to $80. What I was buying isn't important here. 

June 25, 2012 I bought a United States Postal Money Order for that amount and sent it off. In the envelope was a letter with details of what I was buying from her and as a bonus I included a sheet of laser etched stickers that I had no desire to keep anymore. I printed stuff on the envelope (mainly addresses) and a little square image of a character, somewhat in keeping with what I was buying from her.

2 weeks go by and she's not received the envelope. I mailed it directly from inside my local post office. It's really odd how the envelope managed to be lost by the postal people when it was mailed from inside their facilities. During that time, though, we came to an agreement on a 2nd purchase. Because of the 1st envelope's failure to arrive, I get irritated and buy a 2nd USPS money order and sent it Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation. That arrived in 2 DAYS.

Now, let's fill in a few details. A USPS Money Order for Domestic Use is not refunded or reissused for a minimum of 60 days after purchase. I knew that and was willing to go along with that. Thank goodness I saved the purchaser's stub for this document, like I do for every money order. While I got that 2nd money order at a different post office, the clerk gave me a Money Order Trace form to help me in the process to get an idea where the 1st one is.

IN JULY, I go in to the local post office with my filled out form. Oddly, the clerk who looked at my form remarked they hadn't seen it before. I replied that I hadn't had a USPS Money Order lost before. (To the credit of the USPS, this was my 2nd ever lost envelope that I sent. I had a Free 12-pack Coke coupon not arrive for some reason a while back.) So she does a free status check by calling some phone number and entering the money order serial number. I get told there's no status on it which is good. It's not been cashed.

So I wait another month.

AUGUST 25, I go in to finally file the trace and pay the fee. I have no idea what's supposed to happen after this. 

SEPTEMBER, I finally get to thinking "Where the hell's my resolution letter or whatnot for that money order?" So I get on the USPS website, type in the money order serial number, and I get the message "Refunded." OH WELL THAT'S NICE. Thing is, I didn't have any idea this happened. I HAVE NO LETTER TELLING ME THIS. I HAVE NO REFUND. THE MONEY IS STILL NOT IN MY HANDS.

So earlier in OCTOBER, I go in to find out what's going to happen next. It must have been old info on a webpage, but I'm supposed to get some sort of Resolution Letter that tells me what happened to that lost money order. I don't even have that. So I go in to ask what's up. I want my re-issued money order. The info I found says if you don't have anything, go in to find out what's up. The website says it's been refunded, where's my refund?

I GET TOLD: They don't re-issue them at the post office. They assured me I would get something in the mail, likely a money order made out in my name.

IT'S BEEN 4 FUCKING MONTHS, AND I STILL DO NOT HAVE MY $80 BACK.

HOW LONG IS THIS SUPPOSED TO TAKE? WHERE IS MY GODDAMNED MONEY, USPS? WHO DO I HAVE TO CONTACT?

I did find the address for the USPS Consumer Advocate, and I may send off a letter about this ridiculous crap and hope to get some resolution. I feel like Michael Banks from Mary Poppins in wanting his tuppence back.

What a morning!

Woke up to 2 things I don't need. Constipated cat and the power out.

boku no ofuro

Dekimashita nyo!

aggravations

So this is the first post now that Google forced the new user interface design on everyone. I don't see the need to change anything because I could already get things done. I don't understand how this makes it better. It's much like a cat food product changing the design on the bag, which the cats eating the food won't give 2 shits about. It doesn't need to be changed.

ANYWAY...

While working on the Black Lady resin kit, she has these earrings pieces that were formed on a piece or square of resin. I do not have the skills to release parts like that off the resin as they were cast. I tried to slice one earring off only to have the blade slip and cut it into 2 pieces which were quickly lost. So with the other earring, I finally have a plan, once I found it again. I had been cleaning up trying to find it, and here it was safe all this time.

The plan of action - using sticky tape, I form walls around the edge of the resin piece the remaining earring is on. I light a candle and get some wax melted in liquid form, and once I get enough, fill up the form over the resin piece - thereby creating a wax mold!

Now, I've already tried using filler putty to fill in one mold (I can create as many as I have to), but it did the odd thing of not wanting to actually fill it in as I've already experienced. Apparently it's more for contours and not filling. So I tried some Elmer's glue and it almost worked. What I need is resin.

I'm not sure what supplies exist around here for making a resin casting such as the kind I'm trying, so I resorted to using the resin in Fix a Windshield. The only limitation is that it needs to cure in direct sunlight... But at least I'll have something!!

 ALSO: When I chose the printer and computer I wanted for my business, I forgot that I did not choose a monitor. I could use something that can do at least 1024x768, but if anyone has a spare 18.5" LCD monitor, let me know.

This might save me time

I ran into an AVI that didn't want to render as a DVD file right as it came out looking corrupted when it wasn't, so after reprocessing in VirtualDub, I have an optimized file. The thing I'm trying is if I can process it like the rest of the original DVD (same bit rate and all), and after it's set up with its set of DVD files (IFO, BUP, etc), can I just rename it, insert it over the bad files and have a new fixed DVD without having to re-generate the entire disk. If this works, it may save me a lot of time in the future, provided I haven't created another project before playing the one I need to fix.

Additional: I found out that I should not copy the IFO or BUP files, just the VOBs. At least that's what I'll try next time.