TRUE Fitness Corp

I am in the process of evaluating the TRUE Fitness Corporation and the retailer, GymSource. So far, TRUE seems true to their excellent reputation. GymSource does not. It started a while back when the brand new machine froze.

I wrote and called the company and the store. I chatted online with the store customer service and was told they don't exchange, but they would come out and service the machine because it is under warranty. I made it very clear that I wanted a refund or a new machine. They said they can't do that, which is when I wrote to TRUE Corporate.

All that was last night.

Today I got a phone message from the Hollywood Florida headquarters of the store asking me to set up a service call. I called back tonight saying I don't want service on a brand new machine, I want a refund.

Then I checked email. No email response from the store, but the TRUE Corporate sent this:

Thank you for the information.

I just got off the phone with Gym Source. They are going to contact you to get you a replacement machine and take that one back. Joseph Papke from Gym Source should be reaching out to you. Once you get in contact with them they will handle the whole swap and we will deal with them about the machine that you currently have.

Maybe there are some ethical Corporations after all. I'll believe it when the new machine is here. :)

. . .

Weeks later, the story gets long from there. The store, GymSource, has been doing everything they can to try to convince me to agree to a repair instead of an exchange, even though the manufacturer agreed to an exchange. Gymsource has been deceptive, manipulative, and apparently hoping I am stupid enough to fall for their delay tactics. Joseph Papke never called. The calls I did get were talking about setting up a service call. They told me they don't do exchanges. Then, after pretending the True Corporation did not do what they said they did, after a few phone calls pretending they had no clue that an exchange was to be made, after a few phone calls transferring me to people who did not know what was going on, they finally acknowledged a replacement was the agreement.

Then, different delay tactics started. We don't have a replacement in stock... It could take a while to find another machine... blah blah blah. Finally, after wasting a lot of my time and getting another call from TRUE, I get a call that they will deliver the new machine Friday afternoon. So I move my appointments to the morning and plan for the afternoon off. On Thursday, they call and say they will be here between 10am and 11am. Not happening. They say it's the only time they can deliver, so they'll set up another date for next Friday.

Here's the whole conversation with TRUE online and a summary of phone calls with GymSource so far...

My First Message, 2/10, around midnight...

How many True ES700 owners have had to have their first service call after 17 days and 6 or 7 uses of less than 20 minutes on level 2? I haven't even made my first payment yet, and it's not going to be refurbished when I make it. Tonight, for the first time, I took it up past level 10 and extended the stride length. After fifteen minutes, brake error, frozen screen, failure to work. Are you serious? Trust in a True product is going to be hard to come by after this experience. I bought damaged goods, a lemon. Do you replace bad machines when they can't even make it until their first payment is due? That would bring us back to square one on the trust True possibility. Your move.

TRUE's First Response, 2/11, around 9:00am...

Thank you for contacting TRUE Fitness.

To better assist you we will need the serial number of the unit to get as much information as possible.

The serial number can be located on the base of the unit on white sticker.

My Second message, 2/11, around noon...

Thank you for the quick response. I called the store, in Orlando near the Millenia Mall area. The Manager, Rashad, was very informative and polite, though I am still waiting for the 1/2 mat that was promised. They said they would get back to me, but I have not heard from them yet. The label is attached. I unplugged the machine when the screen would not turn off with the brake motor error frozen on it. I have not plugged it back in again because I don't know if that would damage the motor or rotors.

This is the first time this has ever happened in many years of riding ellipticals. I am concerned it is a flaw in the mid-rotor design as I knew I was taking a chance on the new configuration. I want a machine that can handle 100% capacity, level 30, full stride. Wouldn't be on this one. This freeze came the first time I pushed it over level 10 after about 15 minutes. I was actually just testing the feel at a slow light pace. Only about the 6th time I used it. A machine a this price should not need service after six very short very light tests. I am hoping this was a lemon and a replacement will live up to the great reviews. Thank you.

TRUE's second response, 2/11, 40 minutes later...

Thank you for the information.

I just got off the phone with Gym Source. They are going to contact you to get you a replacement machine and take that one back. Joseph Papke from Gym Source should be reaching out to you. Once you get in contact with them they will handle the whole swap and we will deal with them about the machine that you currently have.

My reaction, 2/11, about 10pm...

Thank you very much. You just lived up to the hype about your company. I got a message from Gymsource and about setting up a service call. I couldn't get back to them until just now. I have a very busy week at work but I will do my best to answer if they call again tomorrow.

TRUE's response, 2/12, about 8am...

That is good to hear Ric. Glad we could get this sorted out for you. Let me know if you have any issues going forward and I can get into contact with Joseph again.

My update, 2/14, 3:39pm, after returning GymSource messages talking about setting up a service call...

I am not sure if the Florida Gymsource people actually got your message. I received a message about setting up an appointment for service. When I called back, the person who answered, James, had no clue about an exchange. He asked if I contacted Gymsource, and I did via two calls (left messages), email to two addresses, and a live chat on their website. So I called asking for Joseph Papke and he said I need to speak with James. I explained that I spoke with James and James said he would check with Rashad, the manager of the store where I bought the elliptical, and he would get back with me. He didn't get back with me, so I called Joseph. Joseph said he sees an exchange in the system, so he transferred me to James and I went straight to voicemail. I left a message. It feels like the run-around to me. If there is an exchange in the system, why didn't James see it when he looked? He didn't even know I contacted Gymsource or you. I can only hope this is a communication breakdown. I suppose I'll have to try to find time to call next week as I'll be out of town this weekend.

Just one more suspicious thing - I wrote a review on the Gymsource website, but they seem to be refusing to publish it. I wrote it before I heard from anyone, so it's just the facts and contacted the review service to ask if I can update it with the positive information you've provided, but the review service didn't respond. Seems Florida communications for your product is not nearly as good as your immediate clear reply. I'll stay hopeful.

TRUE's response, 2/14, 3:45pm (wow)

Ric, I will get into contact with Joseph again and STRONGLY advise him to get into contact with you about this.

When is the best time for them to get in contact with you?

My response to TRUE, 2/14, 6pm...

I don't like putting pressure on anyone who is providing service, like putting together an expensive and delicate machine. I also can be very hard to reach and James did call several times this week when I couldn't answer (due to work). That's why I was so surprised when he didn't seem to know why he was calling me. I'll be away at a softball tournament until Monday. I have an hour between 12-1 on Monday. I'm booked Tuesday and much of Wednesday, But Wednesday afternoon might open up. Thursday is free at the moment, but my work can pop up at any moment so it's seldom easy to predict without an appointment. Even then, I respond to accidents and emergencies and they change my schedule at any moment. I'd like to see if they call back, so even though I really want to get a working elliptical at home, hold off until Tuesday please. If they contact me Monday, I'll try to get here to update. I'd rather not make them feel like they are being forced. I hope you understand. Thank you.

TRUE's reply...

Sounds good. Just update me when you hear something.

My next update, 2/20, late evening...

I am trying to be patient. James called earlier this week and told me it would be a while before they could find another True ES700 for me. He offered me the repair again. I told him If it's going to take more than a week, I want the repair and the new machine, or we can start talking refund the total cost. He hesitated and said he'd call back. When he called back, he said he found an ES700 that could be delivered Friday. I told him I have a meeting in the morning but I'll take the afternoon off. He said he'd call Thursday to confirm. Today he called to say they'd be here between 10am and 11am. I reminded him I had a meeting and he offered next Friday. I told him that won't work for me. He said he'd call me back. Meanwhile, I'm stepping out of meetings for this shell game gamesmanship, which really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. He called back again and said how about Saturday. I said fine, I'll stay home Saturday, asking for a window of time. He said he'll call back tomorrow to set the time, but it'll probably be the afternoon. I said fine. Meanwhile, the 1/2 inch mat that I expected, that Rashad assured me would be as good as the 3/4 inch mat I asked about, never arrived. Maybe they'll surprise me with it Saturday. I won't be recommending Gymsource to anyone because of these attempts to manipulate me into disregarding the agreement you and I came to. If the machine comes Saturday, I'm done with them. If it doesn't, I want a refund and I'll buy another machine from a less manipulative store. Please do not contact Gymsource until I have the machine. I don't trust them and the turn of a screw in assembly could cost me a lot of money. I just wanted you to know the tricks they are trying to avoid the exchange you offered. Hopefully they are done and will deliver a well put together machine Saturday. I appreciate your consistency and follow up. I'll let you know what happens. For the record, the attached photo is why I won't plug the machine I have here in again. The screen when from my workout to the start screen, but nothing I did would close the error, so I unplugged it after a while. I'm still kind of queasy about the lack of history of reliability of mid-rotor machines, but I do appreciate the way True is standing behind the product in this case. Thank you.

That's where we are today...

Delta Airlines

At 8:12am on Saturday morning, the phone rings from a local number and being fast asleep, and I foolishly answer. It is a voice with an Indian accept calling from a busy call center (the unmistakable din of call center babble is clearly heard in the background) to tell me that my number won some contest for Delta airlines. I told then to take me off their list and do not call again and hung up. The voice was talking over me, but did not sound recorded. A little while later, I called the number back from my work phone and sure enough, it was a disconnected number.

Here is my advice to Delta and all corporations. Delta Airlines should investigate. In fact, instead of paying their executives multi-mullions, all corporations should use some of their ridiculously unethical profits to invest in computer software developers that can create programs that can investigate and stop SPAMMERS (not to mention feed the hungry and save the planet, but that's another story). To encourage corporate responsibility, Delta Airlines is off my list of airlines to fly.

Not your fault Delta? Too bad, do something about it. Delta, if you prove to me that you are actively investing in anti-SPAM measures, I'll consider taking you off my banned corporation list.

Torn Between Phones

So the iPhone died suddenly and there's nothing backed up or recoverable. The software just froze with the apple on it after a restart. The geniuses at the apple store couldn't figure it out. the phone rings and makes the text message sound, but the screen is frozen. The home button doesn't work, so a hard restart is not happening. Some company apple sent me to wants $800 - $2000 to attempt data recovery. Right.

So now I am torn between Android and Apple. The S9 is supposed to be good right now. A chinese phone is possibly better, but the big phone companies won't touch it because of rumors of the chinese government spying on phone users. Part of the lies our government is telling us these days or just another country/corporation spying on us? Like Facebook, for instance. Collecting and selling personal information is a trillion dollar business.

Then there's the iPhone. So many flaws, yet still, the hype sells.

Not being able to open it and do a battery reset is one of the deal breakers. A bigger deal breaker is not being able to back up the phone without the internet. But I am so used to it after two years, or is it three. Samsung's bloat is a deal breaker, but the phone is so much better that the iPhone on so many levels, including price, size, screen resolution, cameras, contacts, and the list goes on.

Undecided.

Windows 10

So far, the advertisements greeting me every time I open the laptop are turning me off to Windows 10 big time. I know it is a free operating system and Corporate Greed runs this country, but I do not want ads greeting me every time I turn on the computer. Just one more reason why Jackson switched to a Mac and why Mac users do not like Windows I suppose.

Once I click passed the unwanted advertising, we get to strike two. More advertising. Right on the MSN page they force on me, the top stories are click-bait for the kind of sites I try my best to avoid. Sites that download so much crap that they slow the computer. For these two reasons alone I am done with trying to enjoy Windows 10 and yet, I am stuck with it for now so I will spend time trying to figure out how to change the defaults so my computer can be my computer again.

Ok, so I seem to have maybe figured out how to stop the Office advertisements from appearing. We shall see the next time I restart. In System-Notifications & actions, I clocked "OFF" for Office notifications. Since I seldom use Office right now, why should I be notified about anything about a product I seldom use, right?

I accept that with every new operating system there is a lot to learn. I do not accept that any operating system should push advertisements in my face when I turn on my computer.

My initial experience with Edge, the replacement web browser for Internet Explorer, was similar though it may be faster and cleaner than Chrome or Firefox. That may be wishful thinking, however, as I have not used it to log into anything anywhere nor have I browser the web with it.

So I found the way to turn off auto-restart for Windows 10 auto-updates. Unfortunately, I found that out too late and lost writings and other stuff I was doing because I fell asleep without saving all of the files I was working in. User friendly my ass. Any OS that automatically closes any files without the user's permission is not only not user friendly, it's user disrespectful, user undermining, and user not-for-me. Microsoft, you did it again. You turned me off using your products or trusting your company.

I am also noticing Windows 10 and iphones are not compatible.

Sucks to be stuck in Windows.

Android vs. iPhone

A friend gave me an iPhone 5s when my HTC Inspire finally bit the dust. This 5s is my first iPhone and therefore my first chance to compare the two operating systems so this entry is intended to be a loose list of differences, pluses, and minuses I find as I explore the iPhone and either cheer something I could not do before or mourn the loss of something I took for granted. There's no science, testing, or formal comparison in this entry. Just ramblings of a user switching from Android to iPhone.

There are people who swear by Apple products and would not touch a Microsoft (Windows) or Google (Android) product if their life depended on it (well, maybe if their life depended on it, but they'd have serious doubts it would save them). There are people who never touched an Apple product simply because the opportunity never arose. I fall in the later category. I recently was gifted an iPhone 5s by a dear person (son of a friend) when my Android finally became too problematic after six years of reliable dedicated frequent use. I knew how to do everything I needed to do on my old Android and though it had limited memory and poor battery, I adjusted because it did what I wanted it to do.

Now I am learning the iPhone features and so far, the only one jumping out is the talk to text feature because that did not work all the time with my Android (it would not work when I was connected to WiFi for some reason... it was a cutting dge phone ahead of it's time six years ago, but definitely limited by 1Gb memory). Still, I miss the ease of use that came with familiarity. Not faulting the iPhone (yet) as I hope to learn to do most of what I did and am a little excited about learning new tricks my old Android could not do.

To this end (whatever end this may be), I am going to keep two lists in this blog entry. On the left will be the new things I can do that inspire my smile. On the right will be the missing and the flaws, things I used to be able to do that I no longer can do. Hopefully none will be deal breakers for the iPhone for me, but that is why I am keeping track. Part of me already wants to move back to Android. This list will help me see the benefits of the iPhone and let me measure them against the losses.

I think I will start each feature or flaw in the iPhone 5s simply because it is the phone I use at the moment. The Android had many flaws, though some may have been the age as it was at least four years old. Unfair, I know, but whoever said life was fair? :)

Flaws in the iPhone 5s

Serious flaw - No ability to save a draft text message. With Android I was used to tying out a text message anytime and saving it in draft for a more appropriate time for sending (like a late night text I would rather send in the morning or a text I'd rather send when someone got off work). In fact there was the ability to send a text on delay. No such feature in the iPhone.

Possible Dealbreaker - The inability to save a draft text is bad enough, but the suggestion I read online was to type out the text then close the phone. The trouble is, if another text message comes in, the temporarily saved message is gone. That is the first potential dealbreaker I've found in the iPhone 5s. I researched online and found Apple has no phone that saves draft text messages, so while the decision not carved in stone, I may go back to Android when I replace this phone.

to be continued (if I remember)...

Fila Slide Sandals

PRO: The best thing about these Fila Slide Sandals is the material. It is comfortazble and the material shrinks with heat to mold to your individual foot. I have several pairs and love them for the fit (especially after they are broken in), convenience of a slip on, and the price ($14.95 at Kohls). The footbed is textured and padded in three layers to add to comfort and grip. It is made of EVA so it is completely waterproof, great for any weather, showers, and pool wear. CON: These sandals will seem stiff at first, but the mold well. The worst thing about these sandals is they shrink, so they usually run small and you might find big differences in the same size even when new, even within pairs. I would not buy them without trying on both in the box. If you leave them in the sun or in the car in 90+ degree heat, they will shrink a couple of sizes. If you have kids that might not be too bad, but unless you know someone with smaller feet who will wear your shrunken sandals, don't leave them in the sun or hot places. If you live in a hot climate, they will eventually shrink and need to be replaced or handed down to a smaller foot. I will definitely buy these again and keep a couple of pair of these around.

Always Dailies Xtra-Protection

PRO: Very low cost, about a nickle a piece. Very lightweight. CON: They are small and thin, as advertised (the box says 20% thinner, 5x drier, though those claims always lead me to ask than what? as exactly what the product is being compared to is missing from the comparison). Heavy perspiration will soak them. The box does not reseal or reclose well and they are not invididually wrapped, nor are they in an airtight wrapper within the box, so the sanitary and dryness aspect comes into question and you must package them in your own plastic bag for storage and travel, especially after the box of 50 is opened. They have no wrapper for disposal. They will protect clothing, but only for a very short while.

legal addiction

I found a very odd name for a site comparing itself to medical marijuana and relaxation. From my perspective, it makes no sense to emphasize the law and substance abuse if you are trying to offer an alternative calming peaceful therapuetic experience to people. THis is one person's opinion of sound therapy, but the first five minutes felt like a reasonably calming sleep machine, but the wind down after five minutes felt like a let down, a slow fall, and then the lower tones after that felt like sitting in traffic on the highway culminating in an annoying alarm clock buzz in the last thirty seconds. Just because they call it marijuana does not mean it is...

inexpensive local buffet

A great local find for Orlando, The Wild Rice Asian Buffet at 843 Lee Rd. Orlando, FL 32810 has an excellent price to product ratio. Staff are friendly and attentive. The place is clean. A wide selection of Asian and American hot and cold foods is served on eight serving tables with a dozen dishes on each. There is a separate counter for choose-your-own-ingredients for hibachi, another for choose-your-own-ingredients for asian noodle soup, a not so impressive sushi counter, and a couple of cold dessert tables that include a soft ice cream machine and a hard ice cream freezer. All that for under $10 including a soft drink and tax for lunch. Just over $12 for dinner ($1 more fri/sat nights, $3.99 per pound more for steamed crab at dinner). Very fair discounts for children. Overall, excellent prices for the selection, the quality is above average, and the cleanliness is well above average. I found this place yesterday just cruising for an inexpensive lunch and I returned with five friends today and they liked the place too, so yay, two days in a row of yummy asian buffet that definitely reminded me how much i love buffets, especially asian buffets... yes, i like them enough to link them like this...

hope you had something yummy today too :)

Apple vs. Microsoft: Which is better at Planned Obsolescence?

As much as i enjoy supporting the underdog and for years have applauded the ad campaigns for the Apple Corporation that encourage the negative perspective of huge corporations like Microsoft, are they really any different? A fundamental screw-job for you and me as consumers that most manufacturers deploy is planned obsolescence. Some, usually those with an interest in business, might justify technological changes and suggest reports are just conspiracy theories, but are they? Ask yourself how many items have you purchased in the last decade are you still using? For instance, cell phones?

While the Microsoft Corporation have long been pros at wallet-milking, the Apple Corporation may be even better, seriously. The difference is that Apple is more creative at pointing the finger at Microsoft.

Politics, I mean, business as usual. And we get fooled again. But there is hope, we hope.

buy this... a lot

You get home from work and the sun goes down and you turn on the lights because you don't want to sit in the dark... what if you could turn on the lights without using any electricity?

Little Sun from Studio Olafur Eliasson on Vimeo.

and the next step?... is it so far fetched to believe that solar energy cells can power everything we need if we just invest in the technology to convert solar radiation into power for everything we need?... just a little over a hundred years ago people would have laughed at the idea of something replacing candles and gas lamps... if humanity wants to survive, we will... believe it... work for it... invest in it...

NFC

Now much of the world might think this is going to be about football, but noooooo, this is about near field communications - technology that turns your phone into your wallet and virtually does away with the need for credit cards or cash. If i had investment capital, I would be buying some stocks...

Companies like ISIS will provide software, though i can see many jumping on that bandwagon once the hardware companies get going. The question is, will you, Lucy and Ricky Consumer, buy in.

The new technology is for electronic payments but not with a credit or debit card, rather, with your phone... Convenient, sure, but how secure is the question. What if you lose your phone, can you call it from another phone, download all it's information securely by entering some code in your new phone, and then push a button on your new phone to make your old phone self destruct?. Kind of like mission:impossible, but will passwords be enough protection? How about a fingerprint scanner, that should be a simple and secure addition.

So you have a way to wave your phone like a magic wand and create an electronic transaction. The next question is will merchants do their part? Are they going to invest in the hardware and software needed?

Of course they will, eventually, and so will you, eventually, when everyone is as sure as we can be that it is as safe and secure as the current system of monetary transaction, the credit or bank card. The question is how long will that be and more, from an investment perspective, which company will emerge as the leader in hardware and software production for the new NFC world.

Something to ponder if you've got money to invest.

double a mc not (AAMCO)

i waited until all the emotion and opportunity for resolution passed to write this and don't feel any of the anger or hurt i originally felt last year when AAMCO of Sanford Florida provided the worst service i ever experienced at any auto mechanic business... i am certain now that i was lied to and they tried to rip me off beyond the poor work they did on my car and could have made them pay if i had the time and wanted to invest the money in hiring a lawyer... i've let it go and am writing this entry just to record the bad experience i had at AAMCO Sanford Florida...

simply, the $1600 transmission repair was faulty, i inquired about a tune up and was talked into a head gasket replacement i probably didn't need, and the repairs caused permanent damage to unrelated parts of the engine... part of that additional damage was repaired at for an additional $500 to repair at a much more reputable mechanic, Tibbits on University...

after leaving my car at AAMCO, Sanford Florida for two full days, the fact that it was not ready the third morning for my scheduled pick up should have been a red flag... i had explained that i was inconveniencing a friend to give me a ride and that is why i agreed to leave the car two full days... they acted as though i was imposing when i showed up at our scheduled time for pick up... running late for a meeting i did not insist on checking the repair work as much as i should have... they apparently rushed to put the engine back together which probably caused the damage that left the care getting 6 miles to the gallon on the highway (it was getting 30mpg highway when i brought it into AAMCO)... the engine started without a hitch, idled smoothly at 900 rpms and was rock solid never sputtering, stalling, or having any problems at all before i left it in the hands of AAMCO, Sanford Florida...

it sputtered, jerked into gear, lost acceleration, and had other engine issues (besides the 6mpg highway) upon driving out of AAMCO... the engine has never been the same...

Tibbits on University was able to identify the parts AAMCO broke and the car is running ok now, a year later, except for the hiccups in the new transmission AAMCO installed and diminished engine performance...

the worst part of the experience was the general manager's rude, aggressive, insulting language and attitude when i returned to have the car checked... i dealt with the owner for the repair and this was the first meeting of the general manager... i explained the car performance issues... he had a mechanic check the car and told me it was the fuel pump and they would repair it for around $600... i asked about the transmission and engine and he told me he didn't have time to discuss anything else... his words were "take it or leave it" as he stood up and showed me to the door...

i suspected this was not true and asked to speak with the owner who was the person i contracted with for the transmission and he got in my face and physically backed me out the door... i walked to the bay and called out to the mechanics that i requested to speak with the owner and would appreciate one of them letting the owner know... the general manager threatened to call the police... i then called the owner and the owner came out from a back area of the shop...

the general manager would not allow the owner to discuss my concern, repeatedly interrupting, calling me a liar, and again threatening to call the police if i did not leave the premises... he told the owner that i deliberately damaged the car... he insisted he was polite and professional, even as he was yelling that i was a liar and my complaints about the car were meaningless...

after stating to the owner that it is obvious he did not want to resolve my complain as he was allowing his employee to prevent us from having a conversation, i left... within 30 minutes the owner called to apologize, explained the general manager was hired just two weeks ago and was out of line, and he offered to do the gas pump job at his cost, no labor, for around $350... he gave me his private number and asked i did not call the office again... i told him i would think about it after getting a second opinion...

the reputable mechanic, Tibbits, told me my fuel pump was just fine and showed me the damaged fuel sensor part that needed replacing... the part was cracked, not worn out, and Tibbits said it likely occurred when the transmission and engine put back together, but there is no way to prove that...

i was done trying to negotiate with AAMCO Sanford Florida because they tried to rip me off for work that was not needed (fuel pump) instead of addressing the actual damage, not to mention the rudeness and intimidation tactics... unfortunately, the evidence of the damage done by the AAMCO of Sanford Florida shop was not concrete enough for my credit card company to stop full payment mostly because it was an old car, though they did withhold payment for six months while investigating and acknowledged a lack of responsibility and professionalism on the part of AAMCO...

the fuel pump is still fine a year later... the transmission and engine has permanent damage costing me a bit more in gas every week and proving less acceleration in traffic and on highways...

all i can tell you is that if you want to go to AAMCO for work on your car, steer clear of AAMCO of Sanford Florida not only because of shoddy work, but for unprofessional attempts to intimidate you into work you do not need... trust is an essential aspect of auto repair decisions and you do not want to trust AAMCO of Sanford Florida...

chemistry dot crap

this was a free weekend on chemistry dot com... so i visited and answered their questions and the site gave me ten profiles they called matches and not one matched my criteria and i did not match any of the ten (i mean way off on critical criteria, not even close) and after clicking them away, they didn't have any other profiles for me to see... so the free come on was bogus, so trusting the site with something as important as an introduction to my heart and mind is out of the question...

don't they get that? :}

ford fiesta and other failures

car buying sucks in many ways when money is an object (and remembering a time when money was almost no object brings a whistful smile, but that's another story for another horse of a different rider, or something like that), but car buying is much worse when there are no cars to choose from... take about a sellers market, sheeesh...

so i very well would have bought a ford fiesta se with auto and the 203a option package (just in case any ford dealers are savvy enough to be googling out there) and the blue with black/blue interior would likely have iced it, but there were none to be found in the country, apparently, and in their infinite wisdom to make the extra buck, the very few that were available were packaged for optimal profit for the car seller and not for the buyer...

research showed me that reliability aside (and while that would be a large set of dice to roll, i was ready to take that gamble), the new 2011 fiesta was the best bang for the buck in sub-compacts offering the best gas mileage and best options packages...

while honda and toyota may still have the best reliability and longevity ratings and resale value (though gm has the longest warranty), they've come down in stature in recent years and their cars themselves are no longer ranked in the top few of subcompacts... add to that the fact that their prices have risen above most of the other brands, especially when you compare the option packages... ford is the first manufacturer to offer the good options in the subcompact model and still brings the car in at a price under the bare bones models of the perennially most reliable foreign makers...

the 100,000 mile warranty gm offers almost had me going for the chevy aveo but it ranked fairly low on the scales i reviewed (for instance, using multiple other reports and this methodology) as did many other small cars that were at the top of the rankings for most of the last twenty years...

i decided there was no good reason to compromise on what i felt was the best car package for me for under $20,000 so i am tossing the $2000 i would have put as a down payment on the fiesta into the old cavalier which means no new car (read my lips) for at least a year or two or maybe few since the cavalier has just 82,000 miles on it and that means it should have another few years of low cost after these big repairs are done... as long as aamco does them right, that is...

maybe i'll actually clean and even paint the old flippantly casual automobile now :)

don't buy a car in orlando, fl

prices are way inflated when compared to other parts of the country... there is almost no selection, no selection if you are looking for a smaller economical car... and used cars are high mileage with prices that can get you a new car in other parts of the country...

that's just the way it is...

new toys

did i mmention the htc inspire?... if not, look again, i'm sure there's an entry somewhere about it, at least... meanwhile, i just ordered this... i will let you know about it when it arrives and i have the chance to play with it a bit...

meanwhile, the htc inspire is doing well :)

inspired

well, i certainly hope so... cuz i bought one, an HTC Inspire 4g, that is... i am not promoting AT&T here, cuz they've got lots of flaws and destroyed my main website without enough warning for me to save it after it had up for more than 10 years and their service is mediocre, but then, who expects more than mediocre from a phone company?... so with that said, i suppose i shouldn't expect much from HTC and so far, my expectations have not been exceeded...

i am on my fourth HTC Inspire 4G in 24 hours... yes, three exchanges in 24 hours... this last time they found a way to give me the phone for free, which is excellent service, so a bit of the sour taste that may never go away because eracing ten years of my website building and personal writing is a lot to forgive was lifted today, but i am still paying more for phone service than i would with any other carrier and the service is no longer the best because AT&T is way behind in the 4G race... Verizon's 4G LTE has the clear lead there, but i am loyal (or stupid) and follow the devil you know philosophy when it comes to phone companies...

the HTC Inspire 4G is an impressive phone, when it works... there is a clear battery issue in that they boosted all the power needs without upgrading the battery in order to keep the phone thin and not make it heavier than it is... outstanding screen, decent, but not wonderfully intuitive interface, and all the android apps for fun and whatever... the issue so far has been the phone operation (and maybe the point is that is not why people buy a smart phone after all)...

the first phone out of the box at radio shack who was charged half of what AT&T was charging could not read the SIM card... they created a new SIM card and nothing... they tried it with known working SIM cards from their own phones and nothing... the second phone out of the box, same thing... the third phone out of the box actually read the SIM card, whoopie... so after three hours of trial and error, i walked out of radio shack with a working phone and a whole lot to learn...

i only went into radio shack because AT&T did not have any accessories for the phone... irony... i called HTC customer support to let them know about my HTC buying experience, to ask them if they had any plans for upgrading the battery cuz it was definitely inadequate for the souped up phone, and to find out where to get the right accessories for the phone cuz they weren't even available on the HTC website...

the next day, which would be today, i find the phone suddenly (like from one call to another after a five minute break) stopped sending my voice to callers... three different callers could not hear me... so i called HTC customer support and they couldn't hear me either... microphone problems, i heard the csr say with advice to take the phone back for an exchange...

so i went back to radio shack and asked for a refund... they were not pleased and tried every trick in the book and then credited my credit card and i walked over to the AT&T store and explained that i needed a phone today and i didn't want to hear that it takes a few days to transfer the upgrade and when the store guy said there might not be anything i could do but wait a few days i said fine, cancel my AT&T service i'll walk a few doors down and get a different provider... the guy asked me to wait a minute while he goes into the back to see the manager and see what he could do...

when he came out he said they were able to get the ungrade reinstated immediately and they were giving me a $100 discount on any phone in the store (except the iPhone) so i got the fourth HTC Inspire 4G for free... heck, if it breaks again, it was free and i have 30 days to exchange...

the basic choices for me, after researching fror several hours, was the HTC, the Motorola Atrix 4G, and the iPhone 4... the latter is the most reliable based on track record, but $200 without accessories everywhere... the Atrix is $200 at AT&T and $149 at radio shack without accessories... and the Inspire is $99 at AT&T and $49 at radio shack... the Atrix is a monster, the first dual-processor phone and other major upgrades including a computer dock, but maybe too much too soon because all reports say it's buggy and overpriced... so i went with the Inspire because they major flaw is battery life and that just means get a spare battery ($10 at radio shack) and charge it nightly... and when i almost splurged on the iPhone after three strikes, the Inspire for free brought home a fourth try...

so, the HTC Inspire 4G... poor battery, but so far, i see potential for much fun and usefulness and great screen graphics (and 8MP camera)... as far as how good a phone it is for simply making and receiving calls, the jury is out...

moldy nuts

the 2 LBS 1 OZ container of Planters nuts was disappointing at first, probably because i am not used to eating halves and pieces, but when i got about a quarter of the way through i found the discoloration was mold... that sucks so much cuz i ate almost half a pound over the last few days...

i told them about it online, but there's not much they can do about the bad taste in my mouth about planters nuts... from not on i'll but the cans, not the clear plastic containters, and the smaller packages... and whole nuts, no more of the scraps from the bottom of the assembly line... and probably not planters...

most of all, i'll be inspecting the nuts before i put them in my mouth...

i love nuts...

not mold...

best middle eastern gyro

you can enjoy the best middle eastern gyro west (or east, for that matter) of the middle east mondays through saturdays at

The Mediterranean Deli
981 W. Fairbanks Ave
Orlando, FL 32804
(407)539-2650


i get hungry just thinking about this place... the friendliness and freebies just make the over-stuffed gyros taste even better... the food is fresh and prepared right in front of you... the rest of their menu is just as delicious... the prices are fantastic... you might drive up and not be impressed with the tiny strip mall store, but walk in and you will be welcomed as a friend... you can find the owner on myspace ...

myspace
yelp
chow down