So we recently switched from Shaw Direct Satellite TV to Bell Satellite TV.

So far, the programming is better, the picture is equal, the guide is far superior, and the PVR makes skipping commercials awesome. We record all our shows and watch them after, fast forwarding the commercials – an hour of Lost now takes half the time in front of the TV.

BUT it seems we have ended up with a bit of a dud for our PVR.  In the end it’s all good as Bell is shipping us a new one, but still a hassle.

I will summarize what our problem is in a moment, but first I want to talk about the agent I spoke with last night.

First I want to start by saying he was a very friendly and nice guy. Very polite, but I have to wonder if  it was his first day at the job, and perhaps also his first day using a computer. Here is a snippet form our conversation (as close as I recall it):

Bell Tech: “What is your email address?”
Scott: “scott@..” <interrupted by bell>
Bell Tech:”What do you mean “at”?”
Scott: <confused pause> “um…  didn’t you ask me for my email”?
Bell: “Oh you mean “at” as in email?”
Scott: “um… yes”

This blew me away, here he was asking me for my email, and he had no clue what an “@” was.  Come on people get a clue, this must be the easiest part of your job.

The next was where to send the PVR.  The town I live in is small, and there is no door to door mail service, unless sent via courier. As a result we always put both our street address and PO Box on all bills, mail etc, to ensure that everything gets to us.  This rep had no clue how to include both! He had to ask his supervisor! Now I don’t know about you, but every time I have had to fill in an address form there are two lines for the address. I put the street address on the first line, and the PO box on the second. Its not that hard.

Oh well, what can you do.  Perhaps its time to sell the TV, cut off the electricity, and move to the woods to live as a hermit.

Okay here is my rant for the day.

I am sick and tired of calling businesses and having the automated system ask me for an account number, phone number, or any other piece of information, only to finally reach a real person and have them ask me for the same thing. If your automated system asks me for it, that should be it. Why are you asking me twice? If the live agent can’t see the info I enter into the automated system, WHY DOES IT ASK ME FOR IT?

Yesterday I had to call both Bell and a government office. Both systems asked me for info (one was my phone number, the other my social insurance number) and in both cases, I had to repeat the info to the live agent.

I told my wife that I was going to bitch about this in my blog today and her comment to me was:

“I don’t even bother, I just hit ’star, star, pound, star, zero, star, pound’ till I eventually get a real person.”

I think I will have to take up that technique cause it seems to work for her.

There are some companies out there who do the job a bit better though. For instance, when I call Mazda to book my car in for servicing, their call display pulls up my account info before they answer the phone.  They usually answer “Hi Scott, calling to schedule servicing?” or some other comment relevant to my account. I like that, makes believe that they remember me and care (even if it is an illusion).

Beer contains female hormones! Yes, that’s right, FEMALE hormones!

Last month, Sydney University and scientists released the results of a recent analysis that revealed the presence of female hormones in beer..

Men should take a concerned look at their beer consumption.

The theory is that beer contains female hormones(hops contain Phytoestrogens) and
that by drinking enough beer, men turn into women.

To test the theory, 100 men each drank 8 schooners of beer within a one (1) hour period..

It was then observed that 100% of the test subjects, yes, 100% of all these men:-

1) Argued over nothing.

2) Refused to apologize when obviously wrong.

3) Gained weight.

4) Talked excessively without making sense.

5) Became overly emotional

6) Couldn’t drive.

7) Failed to think rationally, and

Had to sit down while urinating.

No further testing was considered necessary!!

This is wrong. So So So wrong. Its wrong on many many levels.

And yet, it is still very very funny. Well, at least I thought it was funny…

So funny. If you like making fun of Vince, the Sham Wow and Slap Chop guy, then you’ll like this. Very funny.

Not really sure what to say about this one. Not sure what to think about it either. Its kinda funny, you might get a kick out of it. If you don’t, well, sorry, I will try harder next time I post something.

My wife and I started watching the latest season of Amazing Race a little late, with yesterdays second episode of the season.

One thing that I picked up rather quickly is the frequency of the cowboys and the use of the phrase “Oh My Gravy”. I think this would make for a great drinking game.

From now on whenever you hear the cowboys says “Oh My Gravy” Take a shot of whiskey. I dare you…. If you do, though, be warned, you may have to call in sick (or hungover) to work for Monday morning.

Pee Wee Herman get’s an iPad! Very funny stuff…

My friend Bill sent me this joke this morning, I got a kick out of it – hope you do too.

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A young Chinese couple gets married.. She’s a virgin. Truth be told, he is a virgin too, but she doesn’t know that. On their wedding night, she cowers naked under the sheets as her husband undresses in the darkness.

He climbs into bed next to her and tries to be reassuring. ‘My darring,’ he whispers, ‘I know dis you firss time and you berry flighten. I plomise you, I give you anyting you want, I do anyting – juss anyting you want. You juss ask. Whatchu want’ he says, trying to sound experienced and worldly, which he hopes will impress her.

A thoughtful silence follows and he waits patiently (and eagerly) for her request. She eventually shyly whispers back, ‘I want to try something I have hear about from odda girls… Numbaa 69.’

More thoughtful silence, this time from him. Eventually, in a puzzled tone he asks her….

You want………Garlic Chicken wif snow peas?

Keep checking back, here are the up-to-date official medal counts for the 2010 Winter Olympics.