Tuesday, September 30, 2008

ARGH...

So Busy and stressed!

So much work to do at work and at home... I feel like I'm never getting ahead of all I have to do. I need a vacation!

I've been neglecting my blog and it's making me sad... I want to talk about shoes during my nights, not user interactions..

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Excitement at Work

The other day at work there was a car crash.. and a car flipped..

Caused quite a stir in the office.

The white truck tried to cut someone off to take the left, but obviously misjudged how fast the oncoming car was going (blue car). The white truck then spun around, hit the gold car and flipped.



Thursday, September 18, 2008

even more annoying than barking dogsI

Is the crazy guy - who's outside my house walking back and forth screaming 'fucking fuck' at people as they walk down the street and following them.

NICE.

We had a few day reprieve from him. I was hopeful.... now, not so much.

chihuahuas

Chihuahua's have to be the most annoying and paranoid dogs ever!!!

My neighbor next door has two chihuahuas and then another dog that appears to be a pit bull mix. I have to say I LOVE the pit mix and can't stand the stupid chihuahuas!!!

Why?
The chihuahuas bark at every noise, movement, atmospheric pressure change.. you name it - these freaking dogs are barking like maniacs at it. See their own shadow they are barking.... They also think at 10lbs each (maybe a little more) that they are really tough. Who are they kidding? Sure they are actually kind of cute, but they are freaking ANNOYING.

Now take the pit mix - he's gorgeous and pretty huge AND he rarely barks. He seems like a great dog. When does he bark? When he's been out there all day and getting lonely for some attention - and even then he only lets out a few 'hey don't forget about me barks'. Other than that I don't hear him barking very often. Maybe a few times here or there when someone comes into his lawn. He's pretty chill.

Some of my windows face the fenced in area they hang out in all day. So I like to say hello. the pit looks up and wags his tail and seems pretty happy someone is talking to him. The freaking rug rats bark like maniacs - and the pit just looks down at them like what is the problem - Shut up.

Today I'm working from home and the big guy is just chilling as usual, but the rats are going nuts because there are roofers on the neighbors house. They aren't even in their yard or all that close to it. HOW LARGE do the chihuahuas think their territory is? The pit mix doesn't seem to give a hoot what the roofers are doing.

What makes me laugh even more - one time the fence was either left open accidentally, or became open somehow and the BAD ASS chihuahuas just went up to the back door of their house and barked to be let in. They didn't even run away.. OR bark at the people walking by on the street that they could have gone after since they were actually finally free. Real tough.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Blink Tags!?

There's almost nothing I hate more than the Blink tag. Why would you make things blink on the screen? It's annoying to users and, like, soooo 1995.

Luckily most sites no longer use such offensive HTML on their sites, so you can imagine my shock and horror to find it today on the the MA Voter Registration form. UGH why why why why? I moved, so I need to update my location for my voter registration - I found a link to request a form online. Granted they wanted to make it clear that my voter registration update wouldn't be final until I mail in the form. But instead of the irritating blink tag taking away my attention from the action I'm trying to perform, why not use a different color text, like red to call my attention, make the text bold (they did that), and make it a slightly larger font size?

But don't believe me... check it for yourself: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elestu/stuidx.htm

Friday, September 12, 2008

How to Piss of your Customers / Users

I decided to set up Poland Spring water delivery service to my home. I drink a ton of water, it's nice to have the dispenser that gives hot and cold, I use less (if any) small water bottles, and I don't have to go to the store and get it. All good stuff.

But try to figure out your friggin bill. Good luck! Here's what the screen looks like with my billing information:



It appears to me that my bill each month will be $31.96. But I look at my credit card and I've been charged $58.70 - UM WTF is going on?

I call and get a representative that tells me - for your first delivery there is a $20 deposit, there is tax on each delivery, and a $2.00 a month rental fee for the water cooler. Ok fine I say, but you should really be more clear on your website. There is NO WAY for me to find out the information what my bill will REALLY cost me. She says yes that information can ONLY be found in the email we send when we first confirm you as a customer. HUH so the only way I can EVER know my full bill is to search and find this email. Wicked helpful. Thanks.

I mean if it's more each month include that on the page with my billing info! Why only show me part of my bill? Then I realized upon further reading (clicking the click here for details) in the pop-up window that there's also a fuel surcharge - which from calculating the charge on my credit card and subtracting the other fees is about $5. The woman on the phone didn't mention anything about a fuel surcharge for each delivery.

Then she kept explaining that there was a $2.00 fee for the cooler and tax. I GET THAT - REALLY I DO. What I am trying to tell you folks at Poland Spring - your site is ineffective. You do not clearly show the user what their bill will be each month. Clicking the more details just says there are fees, but doesn't tell me what they are for my bill.

Wouldn't it be so much easier for me as a customer and user of your website to say here's your monthly bill:
Water $31.96,
Tax $0.10,
Water Cooler $2.00,
Fuel Surcharge $5.00.
For a total of: $39.06.

I mean cuz that would be... um.. USABLE???

Oh and one may think 'hey I will just click on that My Billing link there, that's going to show me my real bill'. If you thought that - you would be wrong. This is what I got when I clicked that link:



I've never actually been able to get my real billing info by clicking that link. All I ever get is an error. Don't know if it never works, or only when I want to see my billing info?

Also BTW I should add the woman on the phone either wasn't aware of the fuel surcharge, or somehow can't figure out exactly what my monthly bill will be (if that is true why is it so variable!??) because she said my bill would be about $35 a month. But by my calculations of the bill I just got for the first one that's incorrect it's going to be $39.06. And why can they only say around, why can't I get an accurate quote of my bill? And I get if I add something to my order one month it goes up, but if I don't and I get my standard order - can't they give me the exact amount it will cost me?

I then log out and go to the website to see if I were to create a new account - would this information all be clear to me? This is what I get - still different amounts than what I was charged - although they do point out tax, deposit, and fuel surcharge.



So then I think where the hell is this first bill that I got in an email explaining all this? I have to search for it because they only send that once. The email to let me know I have a delivery is just that - no billing info is contained in it. So I find it... and shock #2 - apparently it's also a 24 month service contract. That's not on their site ANYWHERE when you sign up... well anywhere one is actually looking for the information!



I found the information at the bottom of the screen, then had to click a pop-up to figure out how long the service agreement is (seriously WHY wouldn't you put this information right where I'm reviewing my order in the same font size!?????) Maybe because you know I may rethink that order if I knew I was locked in for 2 years? I hate those service commitments! However the website says it's only a 12 month commitment!!!! Not 24 like the email says. So which is it!? I want the 12 of course.



I mean I like the convenience of the water delivery and all, but don't make me a detective to figure out what my bill is going to be each month and how long my service contract is!!!

Monday, September 8, 2008

Winter Boots

Yey It's boot time again (well I hate snow, I just like wearing an array of boots!)

I'm scoping out the best pairs and I don't know which to get yet...

Loving these Stuart Weitzman's:



Tried on these Lamb shoes today, gotta say leather isn't as nice as the Weitzman's:



Sorry Lamb I wanted to like you but I don't... not as comfy and I don't like the leather as much.

Fall Shoes

Ahhh shoe shopping again. Hey its a new season, that means new shoes!

I'm still on the look out for those Vipers, but Nordstrom didn't have them. Bummer. I did however get these today:



Only catch they didn't have my size I tried on a larger size - liked them so I had to order them. Now I need to wait 3-5 business days. UGH I HATE waiting... I want them now! </whine>

Um Yea

So our football season began and ended in the same quarter. Waahhh.

I am so incredibly sad Brady is out for the season and nothing against Cassel - he's just no Brady.

There's talk that Pollard made a cheap shot, but it's so hard to tell. It's going to be an interesting game next week against the Jets...

nothing deflating our hopes in the first 7 minutes of the first game.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

getting political for a minute..

So normally I don't talk politics on my blog - as I would rather focus on Fashion, Football, and Somerville... but I just can't help myself today.

I'm a pretty moderate person - there's things I like about both parties. My problem I hate hypocrites.

I don't want to be highly taxed - I personally think taxes should factor how much you make and WHERE in the country you live. Because making 100K in the middle of Oklahoma is REALLY different from making that same salary in NYC, Boston, or San Francisco - the cost of life is so much more expensive in those cites. I think society has an obligation to help people, but don't think people should abuse that help and if they do I think there should be repercussions. I think parents shouldn't look to schools to raise their kids for them. I think people should start stepping up and taking ownership and responsibility for their actions.

I like that republicans don't want lots of big government interfering in people lives. Well rather in theory it's a good idea not to interfere. But in reality they want to tell me who I can marry, and what I can do with my own body. To me that IS big government interfering with my life and telling me how to live it! To me government has no right to interfere with those two things. And it's not because I want to go get an abortion if I got pregnant I wouldn't, but I don't know everyone's situations. Who am I (or anyone) to decide and judge them on that? Who am I to decide who someone can love and marry? Aren't there more important things to worry about?

What also makes no sense to me is this whole pro life, but pro death penalty. How can a person be pro life, but then pro death at the same time? To me that just doesn't add up. Because if you truly think that everyone deserves life - doesn't that really include EVERYONE?

And this whole gun thing.. surely folks that are responsible gun owners and hunters should be able to have a gun and hunt. Do I like hunting? Not at all, but if someone hunts for their food and eats it - who the hell am I to judge? I don't like it if people are just doing it for sport and not using the animal for food. And I find it pretty hypocritical if someone is super pro life but then shoots and animal for the hell of it and sticks it's head on their wall- what about the animal's right to life? People have to see that having a gun in Alaska is VERY different from walking around with one in the middle of a city! And it's also clear to me not everyone is a responsible adult, or has good intentions - so you need some rules around guns for the good of society. Otherwise it's just chaos.

Folks always quote the constitution and the right to bear arms, but that was written over 200 years ago - the world was different then. Then the world was much more rural, people probably hunted more for their food. People had to protect their property from large animals and probably other people (especially during a war!) But in today's world can you imagine if every single person living in a large apartment complex in the middle of a city had a gun? It that really necessary or a good idea? It all depends where you live - the farmer in Montana living on hundreds of acres of land is quite different from me living in a Condo in Somerville where my neighbors are on top of me. I don't need a gun - he probably does.

But what I mostly don't like about this election - the twisting of words. I hate backstabbing and mud slinging. Stick to what YOU are going to do - don't tell me how much the other person sucks. That is just ridiculous and not helpful. If anything it makes me less likely to vote for you. These republican strategists have somehow gotten it into many people's heads Obama isn't like them. He grew up with a single mom - how is that really elite? How is he really so different? They say he doesn't have small town values, but then when asked in a poll at the RNC what small town values were - no one could answer it!! NOT ONE PERSON!

I mean if you are going to say someone doesn't have small town values - you should be able to define what that means and why they don't have it. One woman said 'it's sitting around the kitchen table talking'. Does she REALLY FREAKING believe that Obama has never sat around his kitchen table talking with his family??? REALLY?????? Are you fucking kidding me? To me small town values means that I should treat others how I would like to be treated - which means I am not going to judge people or want to put discrimination into our constitution or society. But clearly their word twisting propaganda has worked - yesterday I was out and heard someone talking politics and how Obama is: an elitist, a muslim, was going to raise everyone's taxes and more. He's not a muslim (and really it shouldn't matter if he is - he's an AMERICAN - that's what matters!!!!!) but those words have been put out there enough there are people that believe it! I can't even believe there are, but there are - I heard it with my own ears!!!!

And really that is just sad. I want to know all the information I can possibly know. I want to make a decision I feel comfortable with and be able to explain why I made that decision. I watch NBC, CNN, Fox, and more to make sure I see all sides. Each network has a different slant and from that I hope I can take away the truth. How can people not be interested in trying to find out all the information? It's out there - you just have to look for it. Why be ignorant?

Monday, September 1, 2008

Dogtown

Yesterday we decided to go for a hike with friends. They had some kind of hiking/trail guide that listed Dogtown as a strenuous hike - rated 7. Sounded fun. It was listed as 8 miles long.

We get there - all seems hopeful. They have sheets of paper with a map of the trails. But the trails are listed by name, not by color.

I don't know how or when we went wrong but none of the trails were labeled by name, only by color - and we had no idea which color mapped to what trail. So we just decided to follow the red. Seems simple until you realize wherever we were walking was the most poorly labeled trail we'd ever been on. We wandered all over. We barely found markings on the trees and could not figure out where we were on the map.

I finally gathered the 7 rating was the frustration level one feels trying to find the actual path.

After wandering for a few hours we found our way out and left. We then went to this random bar/restaurant in Peabody known to have the best steak tips on the north shore. And I gotta say - they were pretty damn tasty.

The highlight of this day of hiking:
leaving the restaurant one of our friends goes to open his trunk and drops his one and only set of keys down a sewer grate!! Luckily the sewer was not that deep and the guys managed to move the grate. After a few failed attempts of using the snow scrapper to get the keys, one of the guys went into the nasty looking and smelling sewer and fished them out! EWWWWWW poor guy!