Chase(ing)Status
Posted on June 10th, 2009
Filed under: General — Karl Olson @ 8:39 pm
So, like a ton of other people, I’m now banking with Chase since WaMu decided to loan money to any fool asking for it. As I anticipated, I finally had some problems as well, ones I was only able to remedy because I have a cellphone functional in Canada, a secure internet connection and enough drive to not let the first operator blow me off, and the problem only didn’t completely screw me over and make me look like a broke sleezeball was because I happened to be in the right places at the right times.
You see, even though I’ve traveled to Canada countless times in the past few years – something an analysis of my credit history would not only show, but that could be analyzed and tracked without human intervention (IE: it costs nothing and if anything saves people work.) Never once back in the WaMu days did I have an ounce of problems with this. I could use my card in Canada with the same ease as Washington, Oregon, California, Minnesota and so on. However, not only did Chase throw a fit and put my debit card on hold after a few vanilla transactions in Canada (buying snacks at a grocery store – that’s so fraud,) they managed to leave the wrong phone number to get back to them (my reception is sketchy here so I missed their call) and then I had to wander about their website for a good piece of time to find a valid phone number because they didn’t send me any emails or leave any messages in my Chase online banking account. Oh, and their web layout is mediocre.
All that would be stupid enough, but they leveled their game up by then being smart aleks on the phone who basically wanted to blow me off rather than refer me to fraud services as if I couldn’t or wouldn’t take my money to another bank or a credit union in a heartbeat the second I had to fight to get at my own money. I am a customer, and while, yes, as a former retail employee I know customers are not in fact always right, I know when my freakin’ debit card has been declined; I’m no clod or yokel, and I refuse to be treated like one. I may not be a Chase customer for much longer if that’s their attitude though.
Feel free to suggest some alternate banks or credit unions that act decent in the comments or via email.
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I/O Video
Posted on June 4th, 2009
Filed under: Videos — Karl Olson @ 1:20 pm
So, since Google hooked everyone up with video recording devices (I mean, cell phones with cameras,) I took the opportunity to shoot some video for the company. However, I’m in these videos, so it’s relevant here as well. Check out the videos at youtube.
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what anime cons can learn from i/o
Posted on May 29th, 2009
Filed under: General,Pictures — Karl Olson @ 2:54 pm
It’s not the ridiculous freebies (though working on the anime companies to get rid of their old single DVD backstock as a bag stuffer would be slick, just like how they got rid of their VHSes back in the day) it’s not the elements that blatantly crossover anyway (late-night parties with crazy dancing, great music, awesome sociable people, and the like are welcome at any nerdy con, and are in full effect whether you’re at I/O, PAX or any anime con,) no it’s more simple than that.
You see, the Google I/O badge had a little schedule guide w/ map jammed right in the back of the badge, and you could easily fold it over to the section of the schedule you were probably there for anyway (like Android panels or OpenSocial Panels.) Now, maybe you couldn’t quite do it the same way at a big anime con with scads of panels, but putting a simple script on the con’s website that’d allow proactive attendees to print a little list of all the panels they wanted to hit that they could jam in back of their pass would be super convenient.
Oh, and the self check-in option at would be neat to replicate as well. It could dramatically drop the wait time in lines for pre-registered guests at least, and at large cons like AX or Otakon, wouldn’t be much if any of a cost burden. If anything, you may be able to free up volunteers for more pressing business.
PS: Check out the first round of Google I/O media from me, namely photos.
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at IO/cutting it close
Posted on May 27th, 2009
Filed under: General — Karl Olson @ 4:35 pm
So, I’m at Google IO, tapping away on the company’s new android phone – an excellent development as it finally gives us not only a spare phone, but one running cupcake.
However, this morning was the closest I’ve ever come to missing a flight ever; I made it to the gate a mere 15 minutes before take off.
The 4am wake up would be taking its toll right now if were not for the free soda everywhere in the convention center.
Lastly, anime cons could learn a few things from IO, and I am not even talking about the free smartphones.
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pill takin / espresso makin / flight takin
Posted on May 26th, 2009
Filed under: General — Karl Olson @ 8:11 pm
So, my neck is still messed up, and I have an ear infection (which astute readers may notice is the trillionth ear infection I’ve gotten – I intend to see a specialist about this once my other maladies have calmed down) so added to my Soma and Advil are is that classic standby, Amoxicillin, some Prednisone (to aid the Advil in tamping down the muscle inflammation,) and Sudafed (the real kind, not that PE rubbish.) As they would say on Sealab 2021, “eat some more pills, pillhead.”
This the day before I fly down to San Francisco for Google I/O (I should be ok to fly as long as I hit the Advil and Sudafed up right before the flight, otherwise that’s going to hurt like all get out.) Still, I’m looking forward to my first real business conference/convention.
In undeniably positive news, the family has ended up with a top notch espresso machine with steam, so I’ve been enjoying some awesome, cheap coffee drinks. Almost gives me a reason to get up early in the mornings beyond work 😉
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twitterpated
Posted on May 21st, 2009
Filed under: General — Karl Olson @ 8:21 pm
As in i’ve got twitter. Figured i’d finally just give up and do it. Expect infrequent, largely sardonic updates:
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Neck troubles.
Posted on May 21st, 2009
Filed under: General — Karl Olson @ 4:54 pm
So, my life continues to be more “interesting” than I want. If my car’s radiator dying and getting a new job wasn’t interesting enough, I some how managed to strain my neck (specifically the left trapezius.) It wasn’t going away, so I went to the doctor, confirmed what it was. Now, I’m on Soma so the muscles can maybe relax, but that leaves pretty much useless for driving. I made a point to read up on the drug before taking my first dose, and well, it really does leave me a bit loopy as described (unlike Vicodin, which was prescribed for my smashed finger and my wisdom tooth extractions, and proved to be as useful as Advil.) I hope I’m good to go for Google I/O, but with my luck, I won’t be.
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Time to write another lament
Posted on May 19th, 2009
Filed under: General — Karl Olson @ 12:42 pm
So, a staple of the past 4 years of my life, Shojo Beat Magazine, is dead as of the upcoming July issue. Shojo Beat got me through some emotionally difficult times; it was also a monthly highlight that was a delight to pick up; it was a constant that I could buy and enjoy whether I was in Minnesota or California or British Columbia; and perhaps most importantly introduced me to some manga series I’d never have looked into independently. On that note, I never once skipped an issue. I’ve got the whole library in my room, and I’m happy to have it.
So long Shojo Beat Magazine. I’m going to miss it.
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Stereoscopic
Posted on May 11th, 2009
Filed under: General,Pictures,Videos — Karl Olson @ 8:12 pm
I wear my stunna glasses at Computer Stop, so I can, so I can, look at expensive 3D monitor effects in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, I am going to Google I/O in San Fran as I am an Android Developer, and the company is paying for it. One of these years, I won’t end up going to a con unexpectedly.
Oh, and someone did a video for an old song of mine that I should probably do fresh vocals on. NintendoNerr bevideoifies “He’s Homsar”.
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What my peers think of the Fourth Estate…
Posted on May 11th, 2009
Filed under: General,Music News — Karl Olson @ 12:37 am
Fellow Nerdcore compatriots Antisoc and Dr. MC Mystery have also done reviews. Both are positive on the record. As such, I’m 4 for 4 on that tip. Maybe I should send a copy to Pitchfork. A 0.0 would be delicious, and even with a horrid score, it’d probably be the first review of a Nerdcore album.
The interesting thing is the lack of song-to-song consensus on the record. It’s definitely struck people in very different ways on that basis, which is probably a sign I actually I succeeded in delivering on diversity, even though I did select towards more clubby beats for the most part. The flipside is that I didn’t expect the album to be so impenetrable lyrically. I thought I’d backed the references off relative to the previous albums (not intentionally either – I just noticed I wasn’t saying “[x] like [insert anime here]” as much when I was writing songs, and the raw number of references had subsided,) or that at the very least, they were coached in broader themes, thus at least still communicating the intended emotion. In fact, there were some songs that were much thicker with references that I omitted. Knowing the album’s dense to people who aren’t me is useful to know. It gives me a much better perspective on why I get the level of response I do my music – my lyrics really do result in an intensely limited audience, lauded production aside.
PS: The new Star Trek movie is fantastic; it delivers on action and on sci-fi. Hopefully, they keep it in Abrams’ hands for atleast another film or two. An alternate-universe Trek was long over due, and well, this was just about the best possible way of pulling it off.