Stuff I've been following: Time Warner, gay stuff, dentist
Mood: busy
Posted on 2009-04-10 10:03:00
Tags: health activism gay links
Words: 480

Time Warner

After my somewhat indignant email, I called Time Warner Austin customer service (800-418-8848) to express my displeasure. Had to wait on hold for around 10 minutes and when it went through, I just talked for a few sentences. It wasn't particularly eloquent, but I said what I wanted to say, namely that if they did this tiered bandwidth cap thing I was going to leave. I could hear the rep not taking me very seriously, but oh well.

More information: destoyerj found this article showing just how expensive the plans will be per GB (very). Here's Time Warner's latest statement - basically they're increasing the caps (slightly), adding a 1 GB cap tier (the only plan, I believe, that's cheaper than the current one), and delaying the start of the trials in Austin and San Antonio until October. And here's a kinda long response to the letter, point by point.

Since apparently a house just across Metric has AT&T U-Verse but we can't get it here yet (grumble grumble), I'm hoping it's available before October. I'd really like to switch away for cable as well, but AT&T doesn't have CableCards which would make our TiVo very sad.

Gay stuff

With last week's Supreme Court ruling in Iowa and this week's dramatic governor's override to allow same-sex marriage in Vermont, it's been a pretty good 10 days or so. Unsurprisingly, there has been some negative reaction.

Here's a ad from the National Organization for Marriage. Storm clouds aside, the three stories that are told are:
- A California doctor cannot refuse to treat a lesbian based on religious belief. Cry me a river.
- A New Jersey church group had a pavilion that was open to the general public for events but refused access for civil union ceremonies. Here I kinda sympathize with the church group - although it's kind of a dick mode, I think they should be allowed to deny people the use of their pavilion. Of course, this isn't a huge infringement on their rights...it's just a pavilion.
- A Massachusetts parent complaining that the public schools teach her child about same-sex couples. Well, she certainly has the right to disagree at home, but not teaching something in school (that happens to be the law in their state) because somewhat might object is just the sort of political correctness that conservatives are always complaining about.

Less importantly, the National Review came out with a truly homophobic editorial. Andrew Sullivan does the breakdown.

Dentist

My tooth still hurts from the filling I had done last week. Why?? Is this normal? I'm tired of this crap and think I might switch dentists.

Finally, some links

Actually, just one link, but it's a good one: The Road to Area 51, featuring actual interviews with people who worked there talking about what they worked on. (some programs were recently declassified) The truth is out there!

7 comments

Comment from fartingmonkey:
2009-04-10T11:00:50+00:00
We will introduce a 100 GB Road Runner Turbo package for $75 per month (offering speeds of 10 MB/1 MB). Overage charges will be $1 per GB per month.

• Overage charges will be capped at $75 per month. That means that for $150 per month customers could have virtually unlimited usage at Turbo speeds.


So let me get this straight. I am paying 46 dollars a month for 22M down/2up 'Turbo' RR. After the caps I will be half the speed, pay almost twice as much, and have a cap which I can get rid of for 3 times as much money...but still half the speed.

I thought I was paying more for better service...instead I'll be paying more for worse service and restrictions. I love America.

Comment from tehfanboi:
2009-04-10T11:52:50+00:00
Note to self, have Shawn call TWC on our behalf.

Also on the filling thing, your tooth is going throug a trauma so some pain a week later isn't terribly unusual. I have had plenty of fillings done (don't neglect your teeth kids!) and a week was normal but it always went away pretty quick after that. If you do decide to switch dentists I like mine. Dr Harger of Shoal Creek dental.

Comment from jenfrazer:
2009-04-10T14:35:44+00:00
And if after a week the pain hasn't stopped, it may be that your bite needs a minor adjustment. It's normal, and the dentist should do that for free.

I had five filings over two days. The left side didn't hurt at all, but the right side did. The hot/cold sensitivity was the worst. A week after the adjustment, everything was fine.

Comment from gregstoll:
2009-04-10T15:10:26+00:00
Good to know - thanks to you both!

Comment from omega697:
2009-04-10T19:23:15+00:00
AT&T doesn't have CableCards

I was under the impression that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 makes them legally required to have CableCards.

Comment from gregstoll:
2009-04-10T20:11:23+00:00
According to some random stuff I read online, no. Something about it being IPTV means they're exempt for some stupid reason.

Comment from omega697:
2009-04-10T20:19:33+00:00
Verizon does my IPTV and they have to have Cablecards.

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