The ATT guys have been workign in our neghborhood for the past couple weeks getting us ready for Uverse... I can't wait to join the fiber world. 4 Tuner DVR would solve all my TV scheduling headaches and it'll be much cheaper than what I currently pay and mayve even cheaper than most fiber uses as I may be in one of the few areas where Verizon and ATT are competing with fiber services.

I can't wait!

They're putting it into my neighborhood as well.  I saw an article in the local paper that was about a bunch of neighbors bitching about them putting the big boxes in the easements by their houses.  I was "Bitch away, just don't get in my way of getting better speed!"

To make its U-verse services available to customers, AT&T needs to install VRADs in the areas they will service. The VRADs are quite large, around 150 cm wide, 122 cm tall, and 66 cm deep, which has drawn complaints from homeowners. The utility boxes are also a target for graffiti. One of AT&T's competitors, Comcast, has run ads in the Chicago area against U-verse, based on the size and unsightly appearance of AT&T's VRADs. This has cause AT&T to file suit against Comcast.

Four VRADs have exploded due to faulty batteries, at least one causing shrapnel to hurl "fifty feet throughout the neighborhood." The batteries were manufactured by Avestor, a now bankrupt company. AT&T has elected to replace all 17,000 Avestor batteries currently used by it's VRADs. As of July 24, 2008, AT&T has replaced all Avestor batteries with Alcatel SAFT Ni-Cad batteries. SAFT batteries have a 10 year life and are safer to maintain.

Sounds like he may be passive-agressive over a past issue or is aware of his issue and doesn't want to smelt what he dealt.

I would avoid number 4, as you risk an escalation over the issue.  I would certainly recommend number 5 to see if they're willing to assist.   1 risks an altercation that could backfire on you.  2 isn't going to work in the least.  3 might gain some info, but unless management has buy-in and is willing to act, nothing's going to change.

I would recommend bringing the situation to either your superior (with a walkthrough if necessary) or HR.  Keep names out of it until you know that they are willing to back your play.  To go feudal, always get your lord's buy-in before starting a border war with the neighboring feifdom.

The ATT guys have been workign in our neghborhood for the past couple weeks getting us ready for Uverse... I can't wait to join the fiber world. 4 Tuner DVR would solve all my TV scheduling headaches and it'll be much cheaper than what I currently pay and mayve even cheaper than most fiber uses as I may be in one of the few areas where Verizon and ATT are competing with fiber services.

I can't wait!

UVerse is most likely not going to be fiber to the premise (FTTP) unless it was built into a new development.

The customer's premises are served primarily by VDSL from large fiber fed neighborhood boxes, known as VRADs. In newer developments, U-verse may also be deployed over FTTP. The network was designed for speeds of 20-25 megabits down, 1 to 3 megabits up, with the majority of the bandwidth devoted to the TV programming.   These speeds are generally reliable within 3,000 feet (900 m) from the neighborhood gateway, though AT&T has announced they will bond two wires to extend those speeds to 5,000 feet (1,500 m).[citation needed] Homes closer than that can receive higher speeds downstream, possibly 40-50 megabits up to 1,500 feet (500 m).[citation needed] AT&T has local facilities (cross connects) within 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) of most homes, some of which already are fed by fiber.[citation needed] Inside the customer's home the new services are carried over Ethernet or a HomePNA home CATV network.

It's a IP-based technology that means they don't have to keep ripping up neighborhoods every few years for fatter pipes by only delivering the channels you request over the same feed rather than trying to push all the cable channels through the wire at the same time. 

It's been 43 years.  They're due. 

In all seriousness, they have some work to do to make it to/through the playoffs.  But the easy road through the NFC West will give them plenty of time to hone the edge while getting some wins. 

So that's good for, what, the first shot before the sight picture goes to hell, yes?

heh heh yeah its useless....goddamn Marine humor.

Its like putting a bayonet on a RPG

My father (USAF) went to the latrine one day and sneezed so hard that he cracked his head on the urinal and opened up a cut.  The next day, members of his maintenance crew had hung a crash helmet over the urinal for his future use.

Can't you get them to fly you home via Skyhook?

[Jets]

I don't see Arizona getting past the Giants in week 4.

Arizona plays the New York Jets in week 4. They don't play the Giants until week 12.

Them either.

So would arrays be "I haz a bukkit," or would that be reserved for object oriented programming?

The league is under way.  Game 1 was a rousing game in the rain and an 18 mph wind in Buffalo (me) against the New Jersey :wink: Giants (IkeVandergraaf).  Buffalo ceded the early lead to the Giants, holding them to a field goal, then answering with one of their own.  On a later drive, Buffalo imploded by giving up two sacks, driving them out of field goal range, having to punt into the wind, and compounding a bad punt with a 15 yard punt interference call.  These factors compounded to allow the Giants to drive for a touchdown.  Buffalo finished off the first half at the Giants 2 and failing at a fake field goal attempt, trying for the tie rather than the easy points.  10-3 at the half.

In the second half, Buffalo came out and drove the field to score twice, making the score to 17-10 with 4:17 to go in the game.  The Giants came out firing, driving the field slowly, eating up the clock.  With less than a minute remaining, Manning fired to the corner of the end zone, looking for the tie.  The defense had keyed on Toomer and managed their only pick of the game to preserve the lead for Buffalo.  As the Giants had all three time outs remaining, Buffalo went to the ground game to good effect, getting two first downs to run out the clock. 

The game went down to the wire.  The passing game was a circus due to the high winds, with a number of leaping catches. 

[was]

And I think the constant replay of his mistake on every sports and news program across the United States, not to mention that it took place on Monday Night Football, I would be surprised to see a repeat of this offense, at least while Jackson is still wearing Eagles green.

Pete, his mistake was a repeat offense.  That being said,I hope the Eagles can rein him in.  Assuming that's the height of his indiscretions, more power to you. 

Other than that, I agree with you.  I would be just as happy with my team losing in that fashion as I am with Buffalo winning in theirs this week.  McNabb still has to get used to being healthy.  I think the Eagles have the ability to make some adjustments and run the table on the rest of the division from here on out.  The Dallas rematch won't be a cakewalk by any means, but Philly has the potential to pull it together.  Any other team I have seen highlights from so far would have been crushed under their onslaught. 

I don't see Arizona getting past the Giants in week 4.

Buff to 3 and oh?

BUF to FIVE and oh, sir.

Raiders, Rams, Cards, in order, into the bye week.

So that's good for, what, the first shot before the sight picture goes to hell, yes?

That rules!

Wow, are we getting an early start....

ATL over KC
WAS over ARI
TB over CHI
NE over MIA
NYG over CIN
TEN over HOU
CAR over MIN
BUF over OAK
S F over DET (somebody has to win...)
DEN over N O
SEA over STL
BAL over CLE (not that I care, I hate them both)
IND over JAX
PHI over PIT
DAL over G B
S D over NYJ

As for the elephant pic, it was originally posted in Russian.  That's why I went for the translation before I posted it.  I wanted to make sure that it wasn't captioned about a dead animal.

You go Army, you're going to have to change all your nicks and sigs.  That Semper Fi stuff don't fly with the regular Army.  Too bad they won't let you go green to blue.

On a serious note, glad to hear you're getting back up to speed. 

I read Xenocide.  It was interesting, but weird.  I wasn't crazy about it.  It seems he put a lot of theory in there, and towards the end, it just goes totally off the rails.

Sounds like "IT" by King. 

It's all fine until the Intergalactic Space Turtle shows up...

[completely]

Enders game was one of the most depressing books I've ever read. Hard reading a book where nobody is ever happy.

Try reading the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. You'll just LOVE that series.

Man, I hated those books.  I know Covenant was intended to be an anti-hero, but it was taken to such an extreme, and the character was such a colossal douchebag that it completely turned me off.

I actually bought the book from the SF Book Club and I tried twice to get through it.  I never got more than halfway through it.

I'm up for some Band action.  I have been managing some good work on the guitar on Hard.

What is your XBox Live Tag?

Hadron Smasher

They've played San Francisco and Miami for their 2-0 start.  While I do believe in Any Given Sunday (Miami's win last year, for instance), I fail to see anything that gives me pause.  Now if they take down the Giants in week 4, I might rethink things. 

Another snippit of information is that cosmic rays aren't really rays at all.

Cosmic rays are energetic particles originating from space that impinge on Earth's atmosphere. Almost 90% of all the incoming cosmic ray particles are protons, about 9% are helium nuclei (alpha particles) and about 1% are electrons (beta minus particles). The term "ray" is a misnomer, as cosmic particles arrive individually, not in the form of a ray or beam of particles.

[Lost]

By the way, all ths shows you like were imagined by Tommy Westphall.



I can get from Lost to Murphy Brown in six moves

[Jericho]

Poor D.B. Sweeny. So unappreciated.

I actually love watching him work.  I just happen to know that he is the kiss of death for any TV series that he appears on.  Once I saw him appear on Jericho, I knew its days were numbered.  I've been a fan of his ever since Strange Luck, through C-16 and Harsh Realm.

Starz is launching a "Crash" tv series.  Don Cheadle will produce the series. 

The Crash series, set to debut sometime this year and roll out 13 one-hour episodes, will be the cable channel's first original drama series.

And efore anyone gets too attached to the idea, let me warn you:  D. B. Sweeney is attached to the first episode.

I was up and down on it.  The ending 20 minutes hooked me to come back, but parts of the middle were pretty weak.  If it can improve, I'll keep watching it until Fox moves its time slot three times before cancelling it.  I wonder what week they have D. B. Sweeney slated for a guest spot?

NE might coast into the playoffs on the easiest schedule (at 18-1 how the fuck does that work?). 

The NFL rotational scheduling which places the AFC East against the NFC West this year. 

Buffalo could easily come out of their bye week at 5-0, as they have Oakland, St. Louis, and Arizona in the coming weeks. 

After further review, there appears to be no such thing as a "start" to the league.  For all who are in, please feel free to begin scheduling games against your opponents.  You will play everyone else in the league once.  I do not know how starting games will affect the ability of others to join (assuming anyone still does), but again, this will be a good test run to see how well these work.

I'm up for some Band action.  I have been managing some good work on the guitar on Hard.

When one company does it, it's "price gouging."  When every company does it, it's "market forces."

I deleted a post last night. Brought it to its knees again.

Ditto this morning.

I'm going to impose a hard deadline of 9 p.m. CST on Sunday, 9/14 to get this league initiated.  We stand at 9 teams at the moment.  Reminders were sent to all who expressed interest previously as stated on 9/10. 

This will give everyone eight games, one each against each opponent before rolling into a playoff, which I assume will be 4 teams.

Anyone else who is interested is free to join regardless of not being on the list previously. If you know of anyone else that is interested, have them review the list of available teams and join up.

I'm hoping Buffalo will continue to surprise people and take down Jacksonville.

Some fun with the NOAA Weather Radio feeds...

Turn Around, Don't Drown

Certain Death

And 14 minutes of the Houston feed where the quotes are from if anyone feels like mining for any more sound bites.

Babelfish tells me that the last picture is a "Newly born snout beetle"

My condolences.  By all means be there for your family, but remember to take the time you need to deal with it for yourself.  I can't imagine that I would be much use to anyone if I were in your shoes.

awesome.  especially about the death sequence.

I got tired of that in the demo

I remember having to get up to change the channel.  On a knob.   

We had the first color computer on the block.  The first color Apple released. 

My father had an Odyssey video entertainment system. 

I received the first portable CD player of all of my friends.  When CDs were new and in limited release. 

My family had a Betamax VCR.  And I had the movie Rad on Beta.   

I was my father's remote for years.  We got a BetaMax with a wired remote.

Messages sent out through XBL, not as Madden league invites, to all who haven't joined it yet.

Abbreviation: OOGT
Password: outlander

The front line rep was either not motivated or not empowered to assist with this issue.  Either way, it sounds like she got you to the right steps to at least get you to someone who was better able/willing to assist with the issue.  As a former Customer Care manager, taking ownership and tackling a problem from alternate angles was always something I stressed.  I hope that's the last that you have to address this with them. 

Remember, always keep the escalation to a manager in your back pocket.  If those go to actual managers, they are usually much more willing to find alternate steps available to address an issue.