Can you spot Jamie?
Monday, October 24, 2005
Monday, October 17, 2005
How business is done
Today was a true sweet and sour day.
Sweet, because we were able to get the rental house that we wanted. It's a nice two-bedroom, with lots of space downstairs and a relatively dry basement, and it was going to be sold as recently as two weeks ago. A call to a realtor, a potential buyer who backed out when her loan came in with a higher monthly payment, and one visited home later, Megan and I came away from a tour of the house impressed and excited. That was Saturday--we had to wait until Monday when the deadline for the frightened buyer came and went. Well, it appears as though the sale will fall through, which means that Megan and I will be in a new place come November.
Sour, because of various difficulties with all sorts of random things, from church to our current place to incorrect rebate information on a cell phone application. Little things can really push you over the top. Take this cell phone rebate. Not only do you have to send in the UPC from the original box, the form showing where you purchased the phone from, and a rebate application, but you have to send in a phone bill no less than 90 days but no more than 120 days after your application for service (!). I did all this, hoping and praying for my $50 rebate, only to get a terse e-mail saying that I had filled out my form incorrectly/incompletely (they didn't say which one) and that I could correct the information as long as it was within 120 days of my activation date. Guess what? The rebate company also takes the liberty of saying they will take from 8-10 weeks to process a claim, so I think I'm outside the 120 window they prescribed.
There's something that seems almost criminal about how this was done, and the worst part of it is, there's no face, no person to attack or feel slighted by. Rather, I feel like I was chewed up by the system, by a faceless, friendless corporation, which makes the loss of that $50 harder to take. I am glad in these situations that I am a Christian, that I believe that there is a real Right and Wrong in this world, and that eventually, all of the Wrongs will be made right, or at least called into account. Then there will be no systems, no faceless corporations, only people, and what those people did to themselves, to each other, and to God.
Sweet, because we were able to get the rental house that we wanted. It's a nice two-bedroom, with lots of space downstairs and a relatively dry basement, and it was going to be sold as recently as two weeks ago. A call to a realtor, a potential buyer who backed out when her loan came in with a higher monthly payment, and one visited home later, Megan and I came away from a tour of the house impressed and excited. That was Saturday--we had to wait until Monday when the deadline for the frightened buyer came and went. Well, it appears as though the sale will fall through, which means that Megan and I will be in a new place come November.
Sour, because of various difficulties with all sorts of random things, from church to our current place to incorrect rebate information on a cell phone application. Little things can really push you over the top. Take this cell phone rebate. Not only do you have to send in the UPC from the original box, the form showing where you purchased the phone from, and a rebate application, but you have to send in a phone bill no less than 90 days but no more than 120 days after your application for service (!). I did all this, hoping and praying for my $50 rebate, only to get a terse e-mail saying that I had filled out my form incorrectly/incompletely (they didn't say which one) and that I could correct the information as long as it was within 120 days of my activation date. Guess what? The rebate company also takes the liberty of saying they will take from 8-10 weeks to process a claim, so I think I'm outside the 120 window they prescribed.
There's something that seems almost criminal about how this was done, and the worst part of it is, there's no face, no person to attack or feel slighted by. Rather, I feel like I was chewed up by the system, by a faceless, friendless corporation, which makes the loss of that $50 harder to take. I am glad in these situations that I am a Christian, that I believe that there is a real Right and Wrong in this world, and that eventually, all of the Wrongs will be made right, or at least called into account. Then there will be no systems, no faceless corporations, only people, and what those people did to themselves, to each other, and to God.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Thoughts on Serenity
Well, it's good to get back to this blogging thing--I appreciate your comments and hope that you enjoy at least some of this. If not, I hope I can at least help pass the time a little bit more quickly.
More from the Thailand trip in a little bit, but first, some thoughts on Serenity, a movie I recently had the opportunity to watch with my in-laws and wife.
I'm glad that I knew that this was a TV show at one time--I guess the creator of the show had a falling-out with Fox TV, who originally aired it as Firefly, but chopped up the order of the series, as well as airing it in a different time slot every week. Knowing that it was a TV show helped excuse, for me, some of the somewhat wooden acting of the principals, particularly the captain. At one point, my wife leaned over and said, "He could use some charisma, huh?"
My thoughts exactly.
What stuck with me was not the story, or the characters, or even stilted acting (all thoughts in the intro aside), but the settings. The movie, for me, did a wonderful job of creating a sense of place and time that is or was different from my own. I think that was the allure of the movie, thinking about the different settings and worlds, imagining what other kinds of things could be happening in a setting like the one in the movie.
Some movies are about character--As Good As it Gets is a great example. That movie had nothing else going for it except the snappily written characters and the actors who brought them to life. Well, that and a cute little dog.
Some movies are about plot--Sahara is the best recent example I can think of that did this well. Sahara or The Mummy--these movies drive you along with them, making you think and wonder what will happen next, tying it all up in the expected way, and making you feel good about what you just saw and participated in, without a lot of committment, kind of like a game of Pac-Man or Crazy Eights.
Serenity was about setting--different worlds, different technologies, even a different way of speaking that, in some ways, helped create versimilitude (sp?) that affected my inner eye in a profound way. I've started to write a book (again) but this time, I'm trying to actually finish it before I start, rather than just writing a chapter and getting stuck. It's that sense of setting, that sense of place, that I'd like to try to convey in my book, even though it's a completely different place and time (it's going to be a high fantasy-type story, something like A Game of Thrones but less depressing). To that end, the movie was valuable and instructive.
I'll see if I can post some of the book here at the blog, if you're interested.
BillG
Currently reading: "A Swiftly Tilting Planet," Madeline L'Engle
More from the Thailand trip in a little bit, but first, some thoughts on Serenity, a movie I recently had the opportunity to watch with my in-laws and wife.
I'm glad that I knew that this was a TV show at one time--I guess the creator of the show had a falling-out with Fox TV, who originally aired it as Firefly, but chopped up the order of the series, as well as airing it in a different time slot every week. Knowing that it was a TV show helped excuse, for me, some of the somewhat wooden acting of the principals, particularly the captain. At one point, my wife leaned over and said, "He could use some charisma, huh?"
My thoughts exactly.
What stuck with me was not the story, or the characters, or even stilted acting (all thoughts in the intro aside), but the settings. The movie, for me, did a wonderful job of creating a sense of place and time that is or was different from my own. I think that was the allure of the movie, thinking about the different settings and worlds, imagining what other kinds of things could be happening in a setting like the one in the movie.
Some movies are about character--As Good As it Gets is a great example. That movie had nothing else going for it except the snappily written characters and the actors who brought them to life. Well, that and a cute little dog.
Some movies are about plot--Sahara is the best recent example I can think of that did this well. Sahara or The Mummy--these movies drive you along with them, making you think and wonder what will happen next, tying it all up in the expected way, and making you feel good about what you just saw and participated in, without a lot of committment, kind of like a game of Pac-Man or Crazy Eights.
Serenity was about setting--different worlds, different technologies, even a different way of speaking that, in some ways, helped create versimilitude (sp?) that affected my inner eye in a profound way. I've started to write a book (again) but this time, I'm trying to actually finish it before I start, rather than just writing a chapter and getting stuck. It's that sense of setting, that sense of place, that I'd like to try to convey in my book, even though it's a completely different place and time (it's going to be a high fantasy-type story, something like A Game of Thrones but less depressing). To that end, the movie was valuable and instructive.
I'll see if I can post some of the book here at the blog, if you're interested.
BillG
Currently reading: "A Swiftly Tilting Planet," Madeline L'Engle
Thursday, October 06, 2005
First day--khosan road
Here's an excerpt from my journal, written on a warm night in Bangkok, Thailand.
Today it is rainy. The time, according to a Thai clock--16:20. Joel and I have shoved off the sparkling sea of Osaka, shook the brown dust of Korea back on the road, and sit now in Thailand, "The land of smiles," where shiny brown men and women ply an innumerable number of trades and professions, most of them involving selling something or scamming someone. Oddly enough, the oddest thing about Thailand is the distinct lack of Thai people, at least in many of the areas we've been in. Backpackers infest this area like scruffy rodents, coming in every shape, size, race, age and color. They crowded our bus from the airport, Nihon-jin behind us, Australians in front. The Australians actually led us to a hotel the first night, though they weren't aware of it. We followed them as they bolted from our air-conditioned bus, darted left and across the street, and raced to the Sawadee guest house. We managed to secure a doublem which meant a fan, a balcony, and a really big bed--for the two of us. The bed and room were a relief after enduring a sleepless night in Osaka (for J anyway), slashing rain, rude Thai stewardesses who refused to fill drinks, and a cold that almost prevented me from packing, though it wouldn't have stopped me from going.
We wandered around Khosan Road, "backpackers mecca" and it was possible to feel the energy rippling through the place. Sidewalk vendors peddled all sorts of weird goods, from silk flowers to shruikens. Thai women with portable speakers wandered up and down the street, singing songs and shaking money cans. We sat at a restaurant, ordered drinks, and found ourselves drinking out of a coconut and cold bottle. . .
Today it is rainy. The time, according to a Thai clock--16:20. Joel and I have shoved off the sparkling sea of Osaka, shook the brown dust of Korea back on the road, and sit now in Thailand, "The land of smiles," where shiny brown men and women ply an innumerable number of trades and professions, most of them involving selling something or scamming someone. Oddly enough, the oddest thing about Thailand is the distinct lack of Thai people, at least in many of the areas we've been in. Backpackers infest this area like scruffy rodents, coming in every shape, size, race, age and color. They crowded our bus from the airport, Nihon-jin behind us, Australians in front. The Australians actually led us to a hotel the first night, though they weren't aware of it. We followed them as they bolted from our air-conditioned bus, darted left and across the street, and raced to the Sawadee guest house. We managed to secure a doublem which meant a fan, a balcony, and a really big bed--for the two of us. The bed and room were a relief after enduring a sleepless night in Osaka (for J anyway), slashing rain, rude Thai stewardesses who refused to fill drinks, and a cold that almost prevented me from packing, though it wouldn't have stopped me from going.
We wandered around Khosan Road, "backpackers mecca" and it was possible to feel the energy rippling through the place. Sidewalk vendors peddled all sorts of weird goods, from silk flowers to shruikens. Thai women with portable speakers wandered up and down the street, singing songs and shaking money cans. We sat at a restaurant, ordered drinks, and found ourselves drinking out of a coconut and cold bottle. . .
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Yeesh
I wish I had more to say about certain things, and less to say about others. I think that time spent writing in this blog seems awfully hard before I actually get into it, then when I start writing, things loosen up quite a bit. Apologies to all for my absence--if I can figure out how to load pictures here then you'll see some from our recent vacation to Arizona and the Grand Canyon with my side of the family.
We're currently looking to move into a bigger place. The two of us (soon to be three, and becoming more real every day!) will probably need a little bit more space than the current crammed office, crammed bedroom, etc. etc. Interesting how many rental properties are out there. Whenever I see or think about rental properties, I can't help but calculate up how much actual money these landlords are pulling in. Of course, there are probably all sorts of hidden costs in money and time, but on the whole of it, being a landlord or renting a place doesn't seem so bad--you just maintain what you've got, keep your tenants happy, and watch the checks roll in, month after month.
Of the places we've seen, a little rental home close to where we currently live seems the most promising. Interestingly enough, as we were going through it with the owner, she said that she had her first child in this house, then moved away six months later, which is odd because Megan and I may end up doing the same thing.
I'll type up some of my Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos notes for my next post, assuming I ever get around to it.
Oh, and I have a gmail account now, thanks to Josh Walton. If you put your e-mail addy in the comments seciton, I'll send you mail from there so you can have the new address.
We're currently looking to move into a bigger place. The two of us (soon to be three, and becoming more real every day!) will probably need a little bit more space than the current crammed office, crammed bedroom, etc. etc. Interesting how many rental properties are out there. Whenever I see or think about rental properties, I can't help but calculate up how much actual money these landlords are pulling in. Of course, there are probably all sorts of hidden costs in money and time, but on the whole of it, being a landlord or renting a place doesn't seem so bad--you just maintain what you've got, keep your tenants happy, and watch the checks roll in, month after month.
Of the places we've seen, a little rental home close to where we currently live seems the most promising. Interestingly enough, as we were going through it with the owner, she said that she had her first child in this house, then moved away six months later, which is odd because Megan and I may end up doing the same thing.
I'll type up some of my Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos notes for my next post, assuming I ever get around to it.
Oh, and I have a gmail account now, thanks to Josh Walton. If you put your e-mail addy in the comments seciton, I'll send you mail from there so you can have the new address.
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