online tech support

bell now has online tech support. not much different from on-the-phone tech support really. just "pass the problem to the next fool" seems be the theme with these people...

Tech Support
Greetings Jeff Lahey,

Thank you for choosing Bell, my name is Julie, how may I help you today?

Jeff
hello.. i seem to have an internet connection. msn messenger works, but webpages load very slowly using both firefox and internet explorer

Tech Support
I can help you with that.

Jeff
so.. what do you need to know?

Tech Support
I can only asssist you with Internet Explorer, and not Firefox as this is not supported

Jeff
sure thing

Tech Support
first, please unplug the power cable from your DSL modem, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in...tell me when you have done this first step

Jeff
funny, i just finished doing this about 5 minutes ago

Jeff
did you need me to do this again?

Tech Support
did you just do it again?

Jeff
so you do want me to do this again

Tech Support
yes please

Jeff
k
back
i unplugged the modem, and plugged it back in.

Tech Support
To optimize your Internet Explorer settings, complete the followi

ng steps:

1. Open Internet Explorer, click on Tools

2. Click on Internet Options

3. Click on the Delete Cookies button, then click OK

4. Click on the Delete Files button, select the Delete all offline content check box, then click OK

5. Click Clear History, then click OK

6. Click the Settings button and adjust the Amount of disk space to use to 10 MB, then click OK

7. Select the Security tab and click the Internet icon

8. Click the Default Level button if available and then click Apply

9. Select the Privacy tab, click the Default button if available, and then click Apply

10. Click the Edit button (if available, if not, please go to step 11). If sites appear under Managed Web sites in the Per Site Privacy Actions window, click Remove All, then click OK

11. Select the Connections tab and click LAN Settings

12. Clear all of the checkboxes and click OK

Jeff
done and done

Tech Support
ok..now are you able to open Internet Explorer faster then before? please try it out

Jeff
well, somewhat i suppose.. but it times out after a few seconds.. pages such as gmail, tsn.ca start to load, but then nothing
it basically times out.. leaving a blank page.. no error message

Tech Support
one moment please
how many PC's do you have?

Jeff
1, no network

Tech Support
I suggest following these steps:

1. Check the physical setup of the modem. There should not be any splitters, filters or extensions between the modem and the phone jack. The cable should not be longer than 2

meters (7 feet). Ensure the modem is plugged in and turned on (ensure power bar is plugged in and turned on).

2. Make sure the modem is at least 30 CM (1 foot) away from any electrical device including the computer.

3. Verify that filters are installed on every phone except the one plugged into the modem.

4. Ensure the filters on the other communication devices are connected properly. (use the images on the filter as a guide)

Jeff
been through that already
check, check, check, check

Tech Support
how long is the cable from your modem to the phone jack?

Jeff
about 60 cm, the one that came w/ the modem

Tech Support
one moment please

Jeff
yuppers

Tech Support
I would like to confirm that your message has been forwarded to our Network Department for review and resolution.
your trouble has been referred to one of our Bell Canada technicians. Someone will contact you to resolve your trouble within 84 hours.

Jeff
84 hours?

Tech Support
Is there anything else I can do for you?

Jeff
or am i dyslexic?
doesn't 84 hours seems like an odd time frame?

Tech Support
yes...it can take up to 3 business days to perform test on your line and see what your issue is...this is the given time frame from our Test Center

Jeff
alrighty then... thanks for your help, julie

Tech Support
Is there anything else I can do for you?

Jeff
no, i suppose not
are you gonna give me the standard "thanks for choosing bell line" now? lol

Tech Support
Please share with us your feedback and comments here:

https://activations.sympatico.ca/chatsurvey/netassistant.html

Thank you for choosing Bell and have yourself a great day.

Don't forget to visit the Customer Self Care web site by following this link: http://service.sympatico.ca

Jeff
haha

team magnus in edmonton

it's taken me a few days to absorb the experience i had in edmonton and turn it into words, but here goes...

day 2 saw 3 of 4 of the former "team magnus" members wake up to a beautiful alberta morning. the birds were chirping, the sun was glaring, and the homeless were searching for traces of food in the nearby dumpsters. matt's balcony faces the back of a strip mall, where the garbage bins are a flea market for the unfortunate people that live on the streets.

after breakfast, dave met up with a buddy from the u of a, and matt and i headed to the west edmonton mall where d would meet up with us later. simply put: this mall is fuckin' huge! it spans 48 city blocks, features over 800 stores and 100 restaurants (including 4 mcdonalds), and even has its own amusement park, water park, ice rink, shooting range, and pirate ship. yes, a pirate ship. its purpose is unknown, but it's quite the site to see a 400 foot pirate ship in the middle of a mall.

and this whole "no pst" thing is quite something for out-of-province shoppers like myself. i was able to buy a pair of jeans, 3 shirts (cuban soul revival baby!), and a belt for $100. bargain shopping at its finest.

after the mall, we hit up a safeway grocery store for some fine alberta steaks. now, i consider myself quite the bbq chef, but even my skill couldn't quite compare an everyday ontario piece of meat to the succulent steak we experienced that night. it melted in your mouth. like chocolate... mmm... alberta beef.saturday was game day. we got to rexall centre around 4:00 and shared in the parties that surrounded the arena. the media circus outside the arena caused quite the panic with the locals. i got my picture taken with cabbie (from the score's cabbie on the street program), and screamed out "carleton u for life" to cu's most famous grad (in my opinion), james duthie, of tsn.

after a couple beers, we headed to our seats. probably the most expensive nosebleed seats i've ever been in, but this is the stanley cup finals after all. i stood in awe as the crowd drowned out the anthem singer for not only o canada, but also the star spangled banner. what a show of respect. never had i been part of such a karaoke experience as this. good show, edmonton!

the game started and not a voice was spared throughout. "go oilers go" was followed by "we want the cup" and "caro-lina sucks". between pans of mark messier and billy ranford the crowd just never let up.

hell, at one point team magnus was treated to a very sexy cat fight. meow! let's just say a beer was thrown, my pants got wet, and one girl was put in handcuffs. very hot!

and oh yeah, the oilers won! almost a forgotten point with all the drama that surrounded this game.

after the game we hit up "the blue mile", or as some refer to it as "the copper mile". either way, it resembled mardi gras with all the flashes of skin we saw that evening. i wish we had pictures of this, but you can find some at bluemile.ca.

all in all, quite the visit. it's a shame it only lasted a weekend. me and d will be sure to visit mattie again sometime in the near future.

edmonton day 2 pics

edmonton day 1

well, we're here! dave and i flew in last night (connected in calgary), and mattie-boy picked us up around midnight local time... didn't take us long to pop a couple beers and catch up on current events.

matt's hottub / pool table wholesaling business must be doing well.. he's be on the phone constantly this morning, already selling 2 tubs today before noon.

we're off to check out the west edmonton mall now... biggest mall in north america! which means the highest population of teenie boppers in one area... i'm sure lindsay lohan cd sales are doing well here.

oilers and roloson go down, but maggie says there's still hope

"The Edmonton Oilers' bid to become the first Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup in 13 years is a longshot proposition now that goaltender Dwayne Roloson has been lost for the balance of the NHL's championship series.

Roloson suffered a knee injury with less than four minutes to play on Monday before backup goalie Ty Conklin entered a tie game and allowed the winning goal." - tsn. ca

yet we keep the faith as our beloved primate, maggie the monkey, has picked the oilers to take the stanley cup final anyway. since 2003, maggie has become a staple for the tsn post-season shows. she achieved international attention in '03 when she picked the anaheim mighty ducks to reach the cup finals. in '04 she picked both calgary and tampa bay to make the finals. all this by a simple spin of the tsn wheel of fortune.

so oilers fan.. er aghem.. canadian hockey fans... maggie reminds us to stay positive. chew on a banana, because this series is far from over!

to the blue mile!

and we're off to the stanley cup finals! on saturday townsend and i booked our flights to edmonton, leaving heartbroken senator-land this thursday, june 8th, on our way to catching game 3 of the stanley cup finals from the nosebleed section.

harrison just texted me... he's secured us some tickets for the game. $450 each... looks like we're having a hot tub sale!

more to follow...

it runs in the family

let me tell you just how proud i am of my little sis...

i feel i rarely get to tell her this, due in most part to my mother screaming in the background of my phone conversations with her.

two years ago julie finished her advertising program at the 'gonque. let me say that as a university student who passed on an opportunity to attend a college program, i have found a new respect for those pursuing a diploma, rather than a university degree. she worked her ass off. and while i was rhyming out 10 pages essays every now and then, she was constantly in the trenches, handing in assignment after assignment. it just seemed like she never rested.

many-a nights she called seeking advice, or an excuse to get away from her mac. i felt heartbroken listening to the tears as she paniced over which assignment she should be working on. and when all the other kids were enjoying their spring break, julie was busting her ass over an extra-credit assignment, or seeking a job placement for the summer. always on the go.

after graduation, she finally found a job placement in toronto, working in the advertising / marketing department of the prestigious movado group. the movado group or company produces some of the highest selling brands of watches in north america - movado, esq, tommy hilfiger, la coste, and hugo boss.

after 6 months of placement, movado signed her to a long-term contract with a raise. she even received a new job title: marketing assistant! and just last month she alone created the fall 2006 esq catalogue. this catalogue will be used by all retailers and distributors at the consumer level! oh yeah.. all over canada!

with her raise, she was finally able to secure a permanent residence. she shares a nice apartment in the t-dot. and she has her very first car. it visits the garage every second week, but her own car!

so anyway, i'm proud of her. and i love her too. go get 'em kiddo!

those are the breaks

in february i broke up with my girlfriend. ok well, i didn't instigate the break, but neither did she.. rather, we decided to break up.. yes, a mutual decision. it's definitely a lot more complicated that that, but yes a mutual break. for once, a very-adult like end to a relationship. after a year and a half of what i believed was a very promising relationship, things just started to unravel.

i find it difficult to explain exactly what happened. we simply fell out of love. isn't that the most ridiculous claim you've ever heard? how the hell do you fall "out" of love? i'm not really sure, but i am confident that this is what happened to us.

the beginning of most relationships is fairly exciting for most of us. after the thrilling courting period turns to exclusivity, most of us are in such a state of honeymoon syndrome we can't help but spend as much time with your other as possible. there's that smirky smile that appears on your face when that other person steps into the room, the awkward feeling in your stomach when your lips meet, and the excitement that overcomes you when you realize that person secretly shares some of the same thoughts and passions that you have. i don't know if this is love, but it feels so fuckin' great.

i thought our relationship had this, and so much more. never before had i planned my future around someone else's dreams. never had i the desire to share every single moment for the rest of my life with just this one other person. for someone as social and outgoing as myself, it was such a contrast that i wanted nothing more than to spend a evening dancing to frank sinatra in the candle-lit living room of our apartment... just with her. watching the dog run around the park, sharing an ice cream cone, and laughing! oh wow, did i ever enjoy laughing with her. and over stupid things too. an argument would turn to laughter, a french music video would turn to laughter, the dog and cat fighting would result in laughter. when you can share a smile with someone, that might just be the most intimate event you could ever experience. your soul shines through and meets theirs. all over an episode of family guy. (i know it's fuckin' corny, so i had to throw in the family guy reference)

but for some reason, the laughter turned to silence. i have no explanation why. i wish i did. but i don't. we both just knew that the future for us didn't involve us being together. or at least not in this capacity. so after a tormenting two months of suffering with the fear that we were not meant to be, we finally admitted to the end.

we spoke this afternoon. close to four months after that fateful day where it all went right. she's dating someone else now, and it makes me so happy for her. she deserves happiness. i deserve happiness. we both deserve happiness, but i guess not with each other.

shiggity shiggity shwa

they look so god damn like the same person. i would say "want ice cream cone?", they both say "yes!"

lost and found

well... well... well... it's been quite some time since i last updated this blog and well, the hate mail is pouring in! so here i am back again, and i suppose i should explain the reasons for not updating in nearly 6 months.

i haven't been online in nearly 2 months, due to moving out of my house in ottawa, and back into my parent's place. recently, i re-surfaced so the blogging will continue soon enough.

for the months prior to the last 2, well, let's just say i was pre-occupied with more stressing matters (more to follow)... and that's that.