Off the grid

First, The News: I've suffered multiple catastrophic hardware failures, and am uncertain when I will be able to resume quasi-regular posting. I hope it'll be in a week or so when a friend is able to let me borrow an (old, antique) laptop, but no promises express or implied.

Since my last post, however, I've had the adventure of making one of my infrequent (and very reluctant) forays into Wal*Mars. While there, I was tooling down one of the aisles when a couple of standard hippo-hipped Wal*Martians pulled out in front of me and opted to simply STOP in the aisle so they could exchange weight-gaining tips. I, trying to be polite, said "Excuse me...", only to be ignored. A second, louder, attempt got one of them to turn her head and suggest "Why don't you just go around?"

Annoyed, I responded with "Going around that ass of yours would put me in a different time zone, and it's too much trouble to adjust my watch..."

That earned me a Hateful Look (hurt my feelings terribly), and an outraged snort (I swear I could feel the air move) before the two of them lumbered down a sub-aisle. As I went by, one of them muttered something about rude assholes. Must've been talking to herself, I guess....

Of, By, and For the people - RESOLVED

I got an email from a city official this morning, saying that he wanted to speak with me directly - either in person or by phone.

I called, and was advised that I was welcome to the GIS data, that I could select any or all of the list of GIS layers that I would be emailed, and an apology for the frustrations of the last couple of days.

I politely thanked him, and that was the end of the conversation.

Judging by the level of officialdom that I spoke with, I'm fairly confident that it will happen just that way.

UPDATE Friday, 29 Jan:
Received this email late this afternoon...

Dear Mr. Merriman,

As per your request, I am sending you an Excel spreadsheet that provides you with a list of the GIS related data that we have available. There are several tabs on the spreadsheet with different types of GIS information. Below is an overview of what is in each tab:


1) SDE_Data is the ArcSDE geodatabase (GDB) containing many of our primary base map data layers. This includes data imported from Yellowstone County and the State of Montana.

2) Geodatabases_MDB is a list of personal geodatabases which uses Microsoft Access format. Many of these are working or draft datasets, and may or may not have resulted in the output of a final version, but we keep them for reference.

3) PW_ROWAssets contains Public Works non-utility right-of-way assets such as curbs and gutters, sidewalks, signs, streetlights, traffic signals, storm drains, etc. Storm drains are a work in progress and are not ready for export, except for a high level view. This data has been provided to consultants working with the City.

4) PW_Utilities is the utilities infrastructure. This is a work in progress, though the sanitary sewer data is mostly complete. The water system is nearing completion. In addition to underground pipe are manholes, pumping stations, reservoirs, physical plant sites, intake and discharge points, lift stations, pumps, electrical vaults, transformers, force mains, and a wide variety of other features.

As Assistant City Administrator McCandless explained to you, this is the first large scale request we have had for our GIS data. Please review the list of GIS data on the enclosed spreadsheet and hopefully this will help you to identify the GIS data that you are interested in obtaining from the City of Billings. We look forward to receiving your request and providing you with the information. Having said this, I must tell you that we have not fully reviewed the list to determine if any of the GIS data does NOT qualify as public record due to privacy, security, and public safety issues. We will be doing this review soon. We will be sure to prioritize the review of the data you request so that we can fulfill your request as quickly as we can.

Thank-you for your patience while we work through the process of providing you with the information that you are requesting.

Caturday 20090613

"Everybody knows" that kittens are harmless... except this puppy!

Blitzkrieg

As promised/threatened, this morning I made my call to Qwest to address the "issues" that came up over the weekend.

It took nearly 45 minutes and 3 phone calls, but Qwest and I have reached an understanding: Qwest will give me proper technical support; in return, I won't leave any more of their employees walking around with only 1 ass cheek and feeling like they could pass a watermelon without noticing.

I remained calm, polite, and courteous. I also remained obstinate, insistent, and adamant. Along the way, I gave a couple of Authority Figures the trouble ticket numbers that I'd been issued, so that they could see what all had transpired. I also offered a couple of genuinely helpful suggestions -- one of them being that if a caller says they're running Linux or MacOS, immediately bump them to level 2 tech support so that they aren't jerked around by the front-line script-reading dolts.

I just mentioned that I had to make three phone calls. The first got me some tech support weasel that was as willfully ignorant and unhelpful as the bundle of boobs I had to deal with this past weekend. The second phone finally got me someone with the willingness to actually address the underlying problem of Qwest's lack of support for Linux (and Macs, I expect) -- and resulted in me being forwarded to someone with the horsepower to actually issue me a replacement modem. Sadly, that person didn't quite grasp the concept that because I initially called the problem in on Saturday, I considered that to be the start of the promised 3rd day arrival of the modem. Since that person's supervisor hadn't arrived at work yet, I ended the conversation and made my third, and final, call. I was able to get the person on the other end to understand that I was not merely unhappy, but thoroughly disgusted with Qwest. I suspect that my comment that I was blogging about the process and perfectly willing to terminate any services through Qwest in favor of digital telephone and Internet with the local cable company (Bresnan) may have influenced them.

The bottom line is that I will (theoretically, anyway) have a replacement modem in hand tomorrow (it's supposed to be shipped Overnight), at no cost to me.

Why, yes, I can be an asshole -- but only for the forces of Good, I assure you.

No trips to Nigeria for me...

I still get the occasional bullshit Nigerian 409 letter, or some other bogus "I got money for you" crap from some asshole. I don't mind, really -- it gives me the chance to let the weasel at the other end know what I think of him/her and pretty much guarantee that I won't get anything else from them. To wit:

On Wednesday 29 April 2009 14:27:05 richy molt wrote:
> 29th April 2009
>
> Good Day
>
> Following the approval of your payment, I have gone through your payment
> file and I have discovered all you have been passed through trying to
> receive your funds. Your days of agony are gone. Are you ready to receive
> your fund? If you are ready then do contact me back as I am newly
> appointed as the Payment Co-coordinator of all delay contract/inheritance
> payments.
>
> I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is hitch free
> and that you should not entertain any atom of fears all required
> arrangements have been made for the transfer .You should contact me
> immediately as you receive this letter with the below information's.
>
> NAME......................................
> AGE......................................
> STATE/COUNTRY.............................
> BANK/ACCOUNT.............................
> TELE/FAX NUMBERS...........................
>
> I am personally sorry for the delay and you are here by given a code for
> security reason (#922) while contacting me.
>
> Trusting to hear from you immediately.
>
> Regards
> Dr. Richard Molton

Your mother has sexual relations with animals - because she LIKES it.

--
Encrypted email encouraged and PREFERRED
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 @ 1431
** Patience is a virtue, it's just not one of my better virtues. **

Only once did I get a second email from such a sender; (s)he accused me of being racist -- which hurt my feelings terribly, I assure you.

Solution found!

You know those inconsiderate jackasses that like to park so that their vehicle takes up two parking spaces? Here's one possible solution:



You know, I really like this idea...

A Clue for Detroit

I think this little commentary pretty much sums it up.

My favorite part? Easy:

We are living through the inevitable outcome of the actions of the Unites States auto industry for decades.

Time to pay for your sins, Detroit.

Go read the whole thing, and see if the man isn't right.