Old Weird Ward
Unless otherwise noted, that which is posted here is opinion, which is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. If you don't like my opinions, go somewhere else. Nobody is forcing you to actually read this drivel.
The presumption exists that you can read at all.
That may be a large assumption.
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Friday, February 20, 2004
- - - - - The Cable Company I Dare Not Name - - - - -
WELL!
TCCIDNN (The Cable Company I Dare Not Name) sent us a bill for our initial hook-up. After scratching my head for a while, I figured it out.
We're getting dinged $90 for "OTL Connect", whatever that is.
Plus, the $75 check I wrote at installation time has somehow become $72, AND is not credited on the bill.
Plus, when I called to set up the service, they swore up and down that internet access via cable modem was available to us here in the Wilds of Semi-Rural Jawja. Which, come to find out, it's not.
Plus, their co-ax cable, instead of being buried, is still, after two weeks, laying across my driveway.
Plus, one of the channels I wanted, the Bravo channel, isn't available here.
Plus, the remote they left in the beginning worked for about a week, then died. The brandy-new one they left doesn't work properly either.
Scrooom. They're toast. The satellite guy is coming out tomorrow to install the dish, three controller/decoder/whatever boxes, and a DVR.
All for a monthly fee that's a bit less than what TCCIDNN charges.
Why call themn TCCIDNN? These guys have a.... reputation for not dealing well with criticism. Lawyers are nice guys, I guess, but I loathe dealing with them on official business.
And now, I'm on hold. I just want them to cancel the service, pick up their equipment, and go away.
Hmm...only 15 minutes on hold. And they're coming to get their gear. And the bill has been adjusted.
The satellite guy will be out shortly, and the cable crap will go away.
Good.
- - - - - Iraq, the rest of the Islamic World, and the Forever War - - - - -
In an article entitled "The Soldiering Ethos" Michael Vlahos makes a telling point or two about the future of the US Armed Forces, with an historical perspective that is lacking in today's media reports. See the article HERE.
Personally, I'm not sure that a large professional Army is a good thing. The US tradition is on civilian control of the military. A large professional army might be inclined to meddle in politics even more than they do now. On the other hand, sending reservists off to far away places for extended periods isn't a good thing either.
Read the whole article. Vlahos has some interesting and thought-provoking observations and ideas in there.
An excerpt:
An "all-fighting force" is a military where everyone is a fighting soldier, sailor, or airman. Today's peacetime military, in contrast, has been a class-based society, where until now only the first-class fight. There are only a tiny number of "Jedi Knights" among the 5000-plus sailors on a carrier. Only a handful of men get to paint their faces and kill the enemy face-to-face
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