Comcast SUCKS!

If you want to know how a company is doing in terms of customer service, do a Google search for "[Company Name] Sucks". No surprise that you'll get close to 830,000 pages!

I had the misfortune of having to call Comcast Customer Service, a misnomer if ever there was one, last week. I was calling to see if my recently increased bill could be made a bit more palpable. It went from $20 to $43 a month for cable internet. That's a bit much for just some at home browsing. The CSR told me specifically to cancel my existing service and go sign up for the current $20/month special. Now keep in mind, this is a Comcast employee telling me a workaround to some promotional pricing plan they have. Seems the CSR can't make the change from the call center, but customers are told to do this on their own.

So I signed up. It takes you to some Live Chat after you order, but the window stayed open for an hour and NO ONE showed up. I just closed it, assuming my order would go through.

I called again today to confirm and of course, my order never got processed. Seems talking to a Live Chat representative was a key part of the ordering process. So I talked to two more idiots at Comcast's call centers. One actually had the audacity to tell me I had the wrong number!?! Uh, isn't this Comcast? (Yes.) And you handle cable internet questions? (Yes.) Then why do you think I have the wrong number? (Because I didn't hear you.) Duh!

I called for the fourth or fifth time and asked to speak to a Manager directly. Turns out his reps weren't doing the right thing (No way...) and it was bad advice to disconnect service.

So I had it turned back on. But when we move, we'll go with ANY other product that gives us a decent connection. Comcast SUCKS!

-Angry VNese Guy

Another year, another new bike?

So my birthday has come and gone and my lovely wife and son suggest that I go ahead and get whatever I want for myself this year. Seems they think I have earned it somehow by being such a good Dad! I've already got a nice lugged steel roadie and a nicer modern carbon speed racer for the asphalt. I just finished building up the classic steel hardtail which I promised myself I would get back in college! So the only logical bike to add to the quiver would be a full suspension mountain bike.

I coulda kicked myself in the nuts for missing out on a Maverick ML7 auction on eBay. That one still hurts. It ended $20 UNDER my self imposed budget. DMAN!

Man, 2008 is going to be a great year for bikes! I was looking at some closeout Specialized bikes but in researching them I found out the 2008's are completely redone. The new Stumpy FSR is now a linkage bike with the shock by the seat tube like Turner and Trek and almost everyone else. The curvy frame is pretty nice too, I dig how the top tube lines up with the seat stays.

So I wanted a new Stumpy.

Then I went to the Cannondale forum on MTBR.com and everyone's talking about the new '08 Cannies. Well, the Scalpel is completely new as well! 100mm of rear PIVOTLESS travel. Sick. 22.5lb XC racing machine. Now I want one of those. But they'll be like $6000. Ouch.

Then I see a post by Scott Nicol, Mr. Chuck Ibis himself. The new '08 MojoSL has a handful of changes that makes it under 5lbs for a large frame. This is for 5.5 inches of DW-link travel! Complete bike under 22lbs.!?!?!!! Probably like $10k or something stupid. Okay, so it's actually $6400 with the wicked funny "WTF" group. Hmm, seems almost a bargain compared to the big bike companies ($6500 S-works, $6500 Scalpel Team).

Now I want a(nother) Mojo!

Of course, I go back and put a correct sized MTB stem (NOS Control Tech 1" baby!) on the Bonty instead of the 130mm negative 17degree road stem that was on it. SICK. This bike is 10yrs old but it just feels SO good.

We'll see what I end up with. I need to make more money. :)

-Hong