Think about it, if it is about convenience how do I get slapped with a fee? What is the whole point of paying online or over the phone and trying to go paperless and save a 39 cents stamp if one is to be charged $3 or $10 for the convenience of trying to pay bills?
And some of the companies don’t even tell you till the very end that a convenience fee will be charged if one attempts to try and save some trees and spare the paper shredder.
It is not as if filling up online personal information database or talking to an automaton on the phone is very convenient.
I don’t consider myself a penny pincher, but there is something really wrong about having to pay extra on top of all the various penny and dime taxes added to the bills. (whine whine)
Of course I have a choice - to continue with the snail mail payment plans. But the point of convenience is to be convenient.
Imagine if all the fees were dropped, even more people would pay online or over the phones, the companies will have to send less paper to homes, think of all the trees that would save. How naïve of me to expect that!
The turn of the century must have proved disappointing for New York City alternative rockers French Kicks.
The title of the band’s latest album, “Two Thousand,” refers to “the feeling you get in the aftermath of something that was supposed to be a big deal but then wasn’t,” Kicks’ singer Nick Stumpf writes in an e-mail. “The sober morning where you are deprived of the distraction of gearing up for the thing and have to admit everything is the same mundane way it always was.”
The album’s air of melancholy matches that somber sentiment. “The songs were written in a trying period of time,” Stumpf writes without elaborating.
Long hours in the studio couldn’t have helped. “We actually got into 15, 16 and 18 [hour days] when we were mixing to make it in time, which is not something we recommend as the best way keep a level head and good perspective,” Stumpf writes.
The USA Network’s “Nashville Star” recently held auditions in Tampa.
We’re not sure if anyone from here made it.
But the country version of “American Idol” will return on its new night, Thursday, January 11 from 10-11pm with Grammy-nominated host Jewel.
Joining Jewel for the record-breaking fifth season will be season four co-host RAYBAW/Warner Bros. Record’s Cowboy Troy. The announcement was made today by Jeff Wachtel, executive vice president, original programming, USA Network.
With the popularity of the National Spelling Bee, the GSN network (formerly Game Show Network) has lauched the first-ever ‘NATIONAL VOCABULARY CHAMPIONSHIP’
The nationwide competition will give high school students a chance to test their vocabulary skills.
The Winner of Championship Receives $40,000 invested in a “529†Savings Plan
GSN has partnered with The Princeton Review and hopes to get high students, teachers and parents involved. The National Vocabulary Championship is open to eligible high school students in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
It will be promoted in schools and through a national “Win With Words†Public Service Announcement campaign. In addition, an interactive website (http://www.winwithwords.com) will offer a variety of free vocabulary-enhancing tools, word games and study materials.
Students are invited to enter the first round in one of two ways – by taking an online national qualifying exam or if the student attends a participating school, by taking an in-school qualifying exam to compete for an opportunity to advance to one of eight live citywide competitions.
Forty-two top scorers from the national qualifying competition and eight winners from the citywide competitions will receive a trip to New York City to participate in the nationally televised National Vocabulary Championship finale in February 2007.
The ultimate winner will receive $40,000 deposited in a higher education “529†savings plan. In total, GSN will award over $100,000 to top-performing students and their schools this year through the program.
Students who wish to participate in the national qualifying competition can register for the NVC online at http://www.winwithwords.com and choose from one of ten different times from October 27th through November 5th to take the qualifying exam.
Students who attend participating schools in Boston, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, St. Louis and Palm Beach County will have the opportunity to work with in-school “Vocabulary Coaches†in preparation for an in-school qualifying exam, from which approximately 100 students per city will advance to the live competition to be held in those cities.
For Official Rules and more information about the National Vocabulary Championship and the “Win With Words†Campaign, visit http://www.winwithwords.com.
Online National Qualifying Exam Dates
The dates and times that students can take the online national qualifying exams are as follows:
Friday, October 27th – 10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST
Saturday, October 28th – 12:00 pm EST/9:00 am PST
Sunday, October 29th – 10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST
Monday, October 30th – 11:00 pm EST/8:00 pm PST
Tuesday, October 31st – 11:30 pm EST/8:30 pm PST
Wednesday, November 1st – 7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
Thursday, November 2nd – 8:00 pm EST/5:00 pm PST
Friday, November 3rd –10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST
Saturday, November 4th – 5:00 pm EST/ 2:00 pm PST
Sunday, November 5th –9:00 pm EST/6:00 pm PST
We hear so much about Iraq and Afghanistan. But what about Africa?
CNN’s Anderson Cooper will anchor Anderson Cooper 360º for three nights from the Democratic Republic of the Congo from Tuesday, Oct. 3, through Thursday, Oct. 5, as part of the program’s weeklong emphasis on violence and political turmoil in several African nations.
Ethnic strife and a civil war in Congo have been responsible for the deaths of more than 3 million people since 1998. As many as 1,250 people there die every day, mostly from hunger and disease.
The program also will focus on the Darfur region of Sudan where violence continues to rage. Africa correspondent Jeff Koinange provides updates on the continuing genocide there as well as ethnic and political conflicts. In addition, CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta visits refugee camps along the border of Sudan and Chad to report on the medical conditions of refugees fleeing the brutal fighting between the two countries.
This Thanksgiving you can have turkey and penguins.
Less than a year after winning the Oscar for Best Documentary, the captivating “March of the Penguins” comes to cable television. And it will debut on Nov. 25 on the Hallmark Channel. I would have thought Animal Planet or Discovery would get this first.
The film, which is about the strong family bonds of penguins, is out on DVD. It was a hit even though it is a French film and many Americans haven’t been too fond of things made in France.
This reminds me of that Garrison Keillor joke: Two penguins are on an ice float. One says to the other: “You look like you’re weraring a tuxedo.” The other penguin says “What makes you think I’m not.”
Yeah, I don’t get it either.
I have enough trouble just watching all my favorites on broadcast TV.
What will I do when “Top Chef” returns to Bravo on Oct. 11?
The first episode will air at 11 p.m. that week. On Oct. 25, it will move to its regular slot at 10 p.m. Wednesdays.
The first “Top Chef” was a tough competition that was better than Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen.”
On the next round of ABC’s “The Bachelor” the single guy is a Prince.
Prince Lorenzo Borghese will begin searching for love or something like it on the ninth edition “The Bachelor: Rome,†that will debut with a two-hour special, MONDAY, OCTOBER 2 at 9 p.m.
Lorenzo is a 34-year-old cosmetics entrepreneur whose family background reaches back to the 1600s in Rome.
Segments will take place at Roman sites such as the historic Forum, Colosseum and Pantheon, the romantic Trevi Fountain and the lush Villa Borghese, the largest park in Rome, which bears his family’s name.
In the premiere episode, at a castlle the Prince’s cocktail party is interrupted when two stunning Italian women who crash the party and quickly plot to steal Lorenzo’s heart and attention.
The 25 jealous and already competitive American ladies step up their game to pull Lorenzo back into their fold, but the Italian beauties don’t give up. The tug-of-war over Prince Borghese continues through the evening.
Lorenzo must eliminate 15 of the 27 women (the 25 original women plus the two Italian newcomers), leaving 12 eligible to become Princess Borghese. It’s “arrivederci Roma†for over half the ladies.
The 25 American women are:
April, 23, model, who currently resides in Chicago, IL
Andrea, 28, hotel concierge, who currently resides in Cincinnati, OH
Brit, 28, beer chemist, who currently resides in Columbus, OH
Carissa, 25, attorney, who currently resides in Morristown, NJ
Claudia, 22, restaurateur, who currently resides in Boca Raton, FL
Desiree, 22, realtor, who currently resides in Salt Lake City, UT
Ellen, 30, realtor, who currently resides in New Haven, CT
Elyse, 27, physician, who currently resides in New York, NY
Erica, 23, socialite, who currently resides in Houston, TX
Gina, 28, ultrasound technician, who currently resides in Chicago, IL
Heather, 34, registered nurse, who currently resides in Aliquippa, PA
Jami, 27, event planner, who currently resides in Galveston, TX
Jeanette, 23, teacher, who currently resides in Bloomingdale, IL
Jennifer, 24, teacher, who currently resides in Pembroke Pines, FL
Jessica, 25, assistant buyer, who currently resides in Charlotte, NC
Kim, 27, interior designer, who currently resides in Long Beach, CA
Laura, 29, dolphin trainer, who currently resides in San Diego, CA
Lisa, 25, marketing manager, who currently resides in Portland, OR
Meri, 27, attorney, who currently resides in Biloxi, MI
Renee, 30, broadcast marketer, who currently resides in Baltimore, MD
Rita, 29, policy advisor, who currently resides in Richmond, VA
Rosella, 27, make-up artist, who currently resides in Chicago, IL
Sadie, 23, publicist, who currently resides in Carlsbad, CA
Sarah, 30, journalist, who currently resides in Nelson, British Columbia
Tara, 24, realtor, who currently resides in St. Augustine, FL
The identity of the two Italian beauties will remain a mystery to be uncovered on the premiere episode.
Today was a day of accidents.
I saw three ambulances on my way to work, one accident just before the intersection of Bruce B. Downs and 138th Street, one disabled truck on the side of northbound I-275 just after the Fowler exit.
Another accident close to the Sligh Avenue exit on the same route.
Nothing major, small incidents that clog the roadways. Nothing that can be used as an excuse to be late to work.
Drove to work at 20 mph on an interstate with the minimum speed limit of 40.
Took one hour to cover 16 miles.
Did I mention it is a Monday morning?
An article a few days ago said Tampa would soon have traffic like Atlanta (in the year 2010).
Is it 2010 already?
It starts slowly, but do read on.
Thursday:
I ventured with Dave to Kaleisia so that I might begin the night with a Mocha Matte (iced, lightly honey sweetened). We chatted briefly with the delightful people there and I grew a little hungry and feasted on spring rolls.
Upon leaving, Cole and I discussed bowling on the phone and we decided to head over to University Lanes. To pass the time (he and his lady were stuck in a rolling roadblock on 275), my mini-entourage wandered into the Copper Top Pub on the way for a few dark beers. I have passed it so many times without stopping in that curiosity finally killed the cat. I’d describe the place, but I’d rather reserve it for a future Friday Extra. We sipped our pints and discussed European hash bars.
Afterward, we rolled on to the bowling alley. I hadn’t been bowling in a decade or so and I fully expected to be rusty. We ordered a few pitchers of Miller (I don’t particularly like Miller, but it’s better than Bud or Coors - the other options) and bowled a ton of games. I won all but the last two (don’t be fooled - we were awful) and I developed some cute finger blisters on my delicate dandy digits.
My entourage grew weary, so we called it a night.
Friday:
Shannon and I accompanied Bob and Katie to the Bombshell Gallery to soak in a little party dedicated to “Blow” - some sort of zine-type thing devoted to “adult fiction”. I wound up with a bottle of champagne and the best parts of the event were seeing Gina finally well, the playful discussions over stunning 70’s Bowie footage and the food table (the hummous was excellent!).
Blow itself was a disappointment and the people involved didn’t leave much of an impression on me. Still, they seemed to have the makings of a good idea and with some time and development it could become… something.
We spent an hour making our way to the Globe after the Bombshell party ended. The Globe was rife with tender young weirdos (that the staff gently and kindly warned us of) and while outside smoking a #####, Bob witnessed a beyond-drunk woman (who was by herself) stumble in front of a moving car. He stopped the driver (so that she didn’t get completely run over and likely killed) and called 911. He made statements for the police as we sat inside, drinking delicious sangrias, nearly oblivious to Bob’s situation outside. We might have never known if it weren’t for the police lights through the window followed shortly after by Bob’s nonchalant depiction of the thing as it unfolded.
Once they closed, we decided to call it a night.
Saturday:
Shannon and I joined Bob, Nate and Sarah on another adventure - this time to Hyde Park. Some of us “loosened up” at Nate’s house before embarking on our nightlife adventure. Nate and Sarah had heard a rumor that Dubliner (a pub) was giving away free Guinness. We were all in disbelief, but decided to head out as such rumors should always be investigated!
As it turned out, they were giving away free Blue Moon for a half an hour at odd intervals. We found out about one at 11pm and, after a half hour of buying a few pints of the dark stuff, hit it like the pros we are. Bradley called and joined us just in time. For those who have never been to Dubliners, I’d describe it except that I intend to write about it for Fri Extra at some point and don’t want to spoil it for you.
I will say that none of the patrons have any business dressing themselves and many of them are rude, apish oafs (though some fellows were downright pleasant). For those who don’t know what Blue Moon is, I’ll put it this way: it’s a cheap, tasty-enough mockery of a decent Dutch beer. A million times better than Bud and the like, but nowhere near an authentic label from that part of the world, it made this a seemingly worthwhile excursion.
Nate parked his truck in a lot that had a “no parking” sign completely obscured by trees and while we were inside, it was towed. He was told that it would cost him 190$ to get his vehicle back and we suspect that the towing company was called/owned by the 7$ pay lots and not by the owners for the lot in which he parked. How criminally obscene! Thankfully, Bradley was with us and he gave us a ride to Nate’s house and spent some time with us playing the piano as well as sharing a league of laughs in our silly excesses.
From there, I took the wheel of Bob’s van as he was a little too inebriated to drive. We made our way to the Mema’s Alaskan Tacos in Ybor, but not before returning to Dubliners to fetch my tab card from the bar. Mema’s tacos are normally one of the best things about Ybor, but tonight they were out of half their ingredients, neglected to inform anyone when they were placing orders and simply excluded whatever was missing. Shannon grew irate with her “shells with a puddle of cheese” and demanded a refund. Mine were fine - I didn’t really mind not having the lettuce. Katie joined us for a few minutes and we met and spoke with a handful of very fun, interesting people - definitely the best crowd (outside of my entourages) of the night.
We weren’t finished snacking.
Next, the 24-hour bakery on Florida called out to us and we snaked some guava pastries.
We wound up on Bob’s futon, drinking Milwaukee’s best (like beer-flavored water, really), watching the Muppet Show on dvd and giggling in one final wheeze as the sun rose.
Tonight, I’d like to go the charity fundraiser at the Independent, but I have no idea which way fate is leaning. Heck, I’m not sure if The Seahorse Orchestra will have a rehearsal before the show this Friday (at the Bombshell Gallery - be there! You have nothing better to do!), but we’re good enough to rock you cold.
My life is a mess right now and I needed the drinks, but I have faith that everything will work out.
Microsoft released its Live Vision camera this week for Xbox 360 and I’ve come to an early conclusion: it’s great. It’s really just a webcam that plugs into one of the 360’s USB ports, but the picture quality exceeds expectations. There is little setup involved, except for the ability to tweak which setting best suits your room lighting. There are two packages ($39.99; $79.99), the cheaper one comes with a headset, a month of Xbox Live and a subscription code to download the game Uno from Xbox Live Arcade.
You need to have your 360 connected to the Internet in order to take advantage of the camera’s features. With Live Vision you can snap a picture to use as your gamertile online and show your face in games. However, the video chat has the most potential for coolness and/or controversy.
With the headset users can speak to and see one another in a private forum. Quality face-to-face conversations through the television have been sci-fi fodder for years, but the reality poses safety and security concerns that must be heeded. The potential for abuse is obvious, especially with children. There are security settings, so use them.
System: Microsoft Xbox 360
Coming soon for: Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PSP, Windows PC
Publisher: Atari
Reviewer’s rating: B+
ESRB rating: Everyone 10+
Game type: Driving
Kind of like: “Midtown Madness”
Best feature: You can literally run into online opponents at every turn.
Worst feature: At first there seems to be an intriguing story to tie the whole thing together; then it just disappears.
The bottom line: “Test Drive Unlimited” is at least the fifth auto racing title for the Xbox 360, and we’re certain it isn’t bringing up the rear.
Fortunately, this is that rare racing game that offers something the others don’t. It’s the closest thing we’ve seen yet to a massively multiplayer online racing game.
The action takes place on the lush tropical landscape of Oahu, Hawaii. As you speed around the island (be sure to watch out for the cops), you’ll discover street races, showrooms, mechanics, hitchhikers and more.
You’ll also come across other racers; not computer-controlled drivers, but real players from around the world who are also connected to Xbox Live. At any given time, you can pull up next to another gamer and issue a challenge. It’s awesome.
Of course, you can also stick to the single-player missions and work on filling up your garage(s): The game includes more than 125 licensed vehicles (everything from Fords and Volkswagens to Lamborghinis and Ferraris) - and you’ll be able to download more soon.
PBS may have the most terrifying Halloween night show on TV:
A new “Nova” episode at 8 p.m. that night is “Monster of the Milky Way.â€
According to a news release: “Astronomers are closing in on the proof they’ve sought for years that one of the most destructive objects in the universe — a supermassive black hole — is lurking right in the center of our own galaxy. Could it flare up and devour our entire galactic neighborhood? NOVA mounts a mind-bending investigation into one of the most bizarre corners of cosmological science: the truth about black holes. From supernova to event horizon, the dark secrets of supermassive black holes are revealed through stunning computer-generated imagery, including an extraordinary simulation of what it might look like to fall into the belly of such a beast. “
Now that is scary.
Robert Ludlum is a master of suspense thrillers involving international intrigue. It seems every other thriller has the word “master of” mentioned somewhere near the author’s name, but in this case it’s deserving. Ludlum is that good. His latest is “The Bancroft Strategy,” and it involves - surprise! - involves a special agent tracking down an arms dealer.
Couple of other coffee table books to mention. One is “Home Ground,” edited by Barry Lopez. The books features more than 850 definitions for landscape terms like kiss tank, cowbelly, bedrock and point bar. Lopez called on 45 writers to help provide the words and definitions. It’s the only book I know of that includes “alligator hole” (from Florida) and “eyebrow scarps” (Texas). Unusal book.
The other is also unusual, at least among baseball books. “The American Game” by Ira Rosen concentrates on minor league baseball, which as any true fan know is - especially these days - the best place to have that true “going to the ballpark” experience. The photos are beautiful and the sentiment correct. In fact, allow me a moment to make a plug for attending a Tampa Yankees game next year. It’s not only less expensive than a major league park, but the atmosphere is much closer to what I grew up believing was what you were supposed to experience when you went to the ballpark.
Did Roger Clemens forget to shave or did the Abominable Snowman decide to crash spring training? You write the caption!
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