letting down the Funky Bunch
I’m working from home today to get some work done. There’s nothing like some silence to get some progress on a big mound of code waiting to be written/fixed. I think I’ll take a run at lunch on my new favorite route through Camp Ocky and over the new Beach Drive bridge.
I’m only a week or so away from seeing Van and Viv. God I miss them. I talked to both of them on the phone last night. Bubs told me he’s been getting his green tickets (signifies being good). Viv told me about her first day in daycare, she cried a little bit – but she’s a great kid, she’ll be OK. I’m going to the Phillies game tomorrow night with my folks and buddy Doug, I’m planning on getting Bubs some gear, definitely a Ryan Howard shirt.
So I called my credit card company (Citibank) to let them know my online scheduled autopay had expired and wanted to make a payment over the phone. They then tell me that there is a$15 over the phone payment charge. I ask why. They say that’s policy. I point out that they would be getting their money sooner if we did it over the phone, why charge me. I started to launch into a diatribe (albeit a polite one) about the time value of money, but she wasn’t interested in economics and hung up on me! I really can’t wait to get this debt paid off and not have to worry about this crap.
I fixed an OS Commerce bug on the curtain rods site and then just took it easy (which was much needed). Along with the normal day job duties, I’m going to do a little more PHP/MySQL work on the project I’m finishing up with Marty. I’m very happy with the code and I’m really happy that I found some tools to leverage to come in way under the estimate.
I watched Blades of Glory last night and it was OK. A notch below Talladega Nights, but Will Ferrell is funny and not laughing at him is a challenge. I am still confused why Ben Stiller wasn’t in the movie. I thought he was required to be in all films of this ilk. My favorite quote was “Not only did we embarrass Marky Mark, we let down the Funky Bunch.”
- Multiplication Bug in Excel 2007
- Not a Box…Not a Lamp
- World’s Stupidest Conspiracy Theories
- Microsoft quietly unveils a Vista to XP downgrade – or you could upgrade to a Mac
September 25th, 2007 at 9:51 am
Yippee – only a week until you see the babies! Happy dance.
Do you have student loans? They are like your Chase people. If you pay them, they are less flexible and nastier than if you don’t pay them. I think it’s unbelievable. Outside of my credit rating? There is no incentive to pay off the student loans. While I realize they make more money if I don’t pay them off, it’s still unbelievable.
September 25th, 2007 at 10:36 am
I’d have called the bitch back and asked to speak to her supervisor. It’s unacceptable to hang up on a customer, even one on a polite rant.
September 25th, 2007 at 11:41 am
You want to know why they charge you to pay your bill over the phone? Here you go… (since I used to work in that industry):
1) It does cost them to take checks by phone b/c they all use a 3rd party.
2) They don’t want to take a payment not because:
the sooner you pay, the less interest they make
if you can’t pay instantly, you run more of a risk of being late and incurring a late fee (a large % of profits come from fees, not interest)
they figure if you’re calling, you’re desperate, so they can charge you and you’ll say ‘thank you sir, can I have another?
How’s that for an answer?
September 25th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Doh! my list didn’t work…
September 25th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Wow, that is some fee! I actually have a card with them; I’ll have to make sure never to call to make a payment. I’m even more stunned she hung up on you — she could be fired for that, or at least that was the case in the call center where I worked several years ago.
I got an e-mail from a coworker this morning about the multiplication bug in Excel. I am absolutely stunned. It’s incredible that that kind of bug made it into a software release. It made my morning, in a strange way.
September 25th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Love the lamps, we just watched Blades of Glory the other night and were amused.
“As if figure skating wasn’t gay enough!”
and the visual from the deli guy, too funny,
“Does that look right to you?”
September 25th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Hung up on you?! I would’ve called back and complained to her supervisor.
September 25th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Maybe Garry Templeton will be there. He loves a good pennant race more than you’ll ever know. Have fun at the game. I ought to head to the ballpark again.
I like Napolean Dynamite though. Ben Stiller players the same fumbling guy in every movie.
September 26th, 2007 at 5:26 am
I started watching part of Blades and it seemed ok, but never got a chance to watch the rest. I used to be so great at watching movies and TV, whatever happened to me?
I bet you and the kids are going to have a blast!
September 27th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
CitiBank sucks ass….I hate dealing with them too. They wouldn’t let me make a payment on an account that was in my hubby’s name only….what difference does it make who’s name is on the account, both our names were on the checking account….I’m glad to be done with them.