Voice Recognition Automated Hell, or Give Me A RLHB

Called DirecTv today to check on my installation appointment which was from 12 to 4pm and since it is almost 3:30 and I live in BFE, and it may get dark on my roof installing a new HD satellite dish, I thought I would see if there was a problem. First problem is that you never get a chance to speak to a living, breathing, human being anymore. You get this upbeat female voice who tells you your wait may be longer than you wish, and you might want to go to their website instead. Now, if their website could tell me WTF my installer was, I would probably have gone there and not called their number.

Then, you have to listen to all their options, none of which is checking on my installation. Then of course it tells me that all I have to do is say a simple phrase and they can help me. So, stupidly I say ‘installation’ and---we’re off and running! For some reason, the Voice Recognition Automated Customer Service Voice (VRACSV) immediately knows that I must have the blue screen of death and tells me to unplug my DirecTv box, check my cables and plug it back in. Hey, this would be great if I had anything actually wrong with my DirecTv box.

Then, (I suppose she thinks I have actually done this) she says, “OK!, Now, you need to blah, blah, blah, blah, blah” while I am repeating the word OPERATOR over and over and over. Finally I hit the O on my phone and blessedly I am told to hold while I am transferred to an operator. Victory!!

Well, not quite. Now I am regaled with a NASCAR pitch while I am held captive in this automated hell. I am afraid to push another button on my phone because who the hell knows if it won’t purchase a year’s worth of NASCAR programming, a pay-per-view, sign me up for a pit crew contest in South Carolina or whatever…so I am frozen to my phone, hoping to speak with a real live human being (RLHB). Anyone! Just let me talk to a person. I don’t care if they are in India (AAMOF, I am getting quite good at understanding the accent thank you very much) and that’s because my ISP is also HughesNet, which is part of …. You guessed it…. DirecTv.

I was finally connected to a RLHB and she checked on my appointment. She did have to put me on hold twice but she was able to confirm that I do have an installer coming today. And, right after we hung up I got a call from him. He is running late but he’ll be here. Now, that’s what I call service!

My New Toy!

Well I did it! I have finally joined the HiDefinition Generation and it's about time! With Superbowl XLII coming up next weekend I thought that would be a good time to go HD for the game. More and more of my clients are producing their commercials in HD and I need to be able to view them on the air.

I bought the LG 42" Plasma 1080p. Business wise, I have to be up on all the HD formats (720P, 1080I) and each tape format as well. Then there is letterbox, pillar-box, center-cut protection. Sheesh! We've come a long way since I started in television and went from the old 2" quad machines to 1". But then, I started back when we weren't even broadcasting everything in color. God, I'm OLD!

Chyna & Paul

Brother Chuck brought his new Olympus digital camera this weekend and shot some phots around the place. Here he captured Paul taking Chyna outside for her bathroom break. The only problem is that when Uncle Chuck is around all Chyna wants to do is play with him! (Notice her staring at him!)

This morning when Chyna got up she looked all over for Chuck. She sniffed the couch where he sat and watched the playoff games yesterday. Both his teams lost. Sorry Chuck! Anyway, she misses him. He's her favorite when he's here. I come in third. Chuck first. Then Paul. Then me. Sniff!!!

Chyna Jade

Chyna Jade turned 9 months old on January 8th, and we are finally making headway on the potty training!

Pugs are notoriously hard to potty train, so I knew that going in. For the past two days when I catch her starting to do circles on the rug next to the sliding glass door and I get her attention and ask her if she needs to go potty outside, she will sit down, stare at me, then run to me and put her paws on the couch, push off, and run back to the door!


This is real progress, but at the same time, it makes me sad because that is the exact same thing my sweet Jade would do when she needed to go potty.

On another note, I have been really enjoying another "pet" blog, but it's unlike any other. Enjoy!

She's Two!

Adie at Disneyland

My little diva, Adeline turned two on Saturday. Heather has yearly passes to Disneyland so they spent the day there.

Papa said Adie hit the "terrible twos" when she was about 4 months old. LOL! Here she is showing her inner Princess.