I’m Sorry

Yesterday I accused Netflix of throttling me because my latest movie was going to take three days to get to me. The movie arrived today and now I realize the delay was my fault. By picking such an obscure movie it had to come from Netflix’s mountain vault in Reno, NV.

I rented “Written in the Wind” at the suggestion of my soon to be retired manager who said he saw it in college. He couldn’t exactly remember what the movie was about, but he thought is was pretty good. What he did remember vividly was the opening sequence where Robert Stark is bombing around the deserted street of a western town in a flashy two seat Allard J2.

It was a little over the top, which apparently all the critics love, but we hated, so we turned it off after about 10 minutes…

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 35

Throttled Already

Since rejoining Netflix on New Years’ weekend I have viewed and returned 6 discs. Every time I have mailed one back it has been received the very next day. The same day they have received a returned disc they have mailed one back to me. Four of the six have arrived in my mail box the very next day. The other 2 spanned a weekend, one of which was a 3-day holiday, which made the disc’s arrival a little late.

Movie #7 is another story, the sixth disc got back them the next day, a Wednesday, but the email informing me my next selection was shipped didn’t come until the next day, Thursday. The email informed me that I should expect my movie on or about Monday, not the expected Friday. So has Netflix started throttling me already?

In my quick research tonight on the subject, it seems that most people are experiencing this “smoothing” in relation to New Releases. That is definitely not the case with my next selection, Written on the Wind from 1956. But I also read that Netflix was aiming at keeping it’s subscribers cost to rent at around $2 a disc. The throttling is well documented, with the internet publishing of a customer service rep’s reply to a subscriber and the class action suit settlement. The $2 limit is hearsay for now, but seeing as I’m on the $10 a month plan, it appears that this slowdown for disc#7 is about right to keep me at that magic number.

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 35

Win a 2006 MX-5 II

Here is another chance to win a new 2006 MX-5 and this one won’t cost you anything. Road & Track have teamed up with Mazda to give away a car and a weekend at Laguna Seca raceway to watch the U.S. Sports Car Invitational May 5-7th.

One entry per customer: Enter Here

Can’t wait until then, here is link to a free 2006 MX-5, some assembly required…

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 35

So Long Sawbuck

A couple weeks ago I bought a mouse for the laptop. A touchpad is OK, but if you canget a spot to run a mouse it is much easier all around. I did a bunch of research on the internet, my criteria were small, cordless, USB and have a scroll wheel.

I finally settled on buying a Logitech Cordless Mini Optical Mouse from Buy.com. Logitech must have over estimated the demand for this mouse in blue because they were offering a $10 rebate on that color. I probably would have bought the black or silver, but I could live with mis-matched colors for that ten bucks back.

I ordered the mouse. I printed out the rebate form. I filled out the form. I printed an envelope with the mailto and return addresses on it. I put the stuff right next to the desktop’s monitor awaiting the arrival of the mouse with the last piece of the puzzle, the UPC code.

Last night while tidying up on the compter table I came across the rebate stuff that had been missing from my conciousness since minutes after I placed another piece of paper over it, probably less than 2 days after filling out the form. Trouble is that while the rebate paperwork was out of sight and consequently out of mind, the mouse arrived. So you know what happened. That’s right, the mouse worked, so I tossed the package it came in out into the trash.

Too bad too, because that sawbuck would have covered the cost of the little ear bud headphones I bought tonight so that when I using the laptop in the living room I can listen to internet radio without disturbing Donna’s TV sound…

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 35

The Loud Thud You Heard

Was me crashing down from 40,000′ just like Oceanic Flight 815 (Sidney to LA.)

Last night was a new episode of TDTVS and true to my decision, I didn’t watch it. I was going to wait until September and watch the DVD of Season 2 in it’s entirety. Donna, who has less will power, watched it in the other room, while I wasted time on the internet with Radio Paradise playing softly in the background to mask any dialog leakage.

I’m not saying I’ve been a saint all this time either, I have pumped co-workers for a few details of what has been happening and I have peeked at a few screen captures from Season2 on some fan sites.

After talking with one friend/fan at work during break this afternoon, I fell off the wagon. I spent the next 45 minutes reading the synopsis of the first 12 episodes of Season 2 on the official ABC site.

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 35

It’s The Taste Stupid

First we added bread sticks. Then it was stuffed crust pizza. Then two crusts with one on top. We’ve had Thin, thick and deep dish. Square shapes. Four separate pizzas in the same box. Two for Two. Three for three. Five for five. They keep inventing new gimmicks to get you to keep ordering their pizzas. The latest, unveiled using a Super Bowl commercial is break free cheese stuffed bits of bread around the edge.

They just don’t get it, make a good tasting pizza and people will come back without having to resort to trickery.

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 35

Two For Tuesday

Tonight Donna and I went out for a scoop of ice cream. We went to a place on the south side of town, J. Flanagan’s, that used to be somebody’s home, but has been converted into a business like 90% of the places along this former residential street that has become a byway between two major commercial roads.

I got a cup of my usual, some sort of coffee flavored treat while Donna picked something slightly different than her normal. While waiting to be served I was magically transported back to high school by the music playing in the background. Tuned to one of the several local “classic rock” stations, the radio was playing the stoner national anthem, Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven.”

When we got our ice cream and sat down I heard “Stairway To Heaven” end and “Misty Morning Hop” start. I usually don’t pay attention to which day of the week I’m on at any given moment (except for Friday afternoon), but right away I knew it was Tuesday.

Started up, stil up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 35