Idiotprogrammer: Texas Literary Blog

Category: Consumerism

  • My FS&G Ebook Spree

    About 24 hours ago I stumbled upon a major ebook sale — and I have no one to tell it too! Actually now I am really busy. Been slaving away on a publishing project due in 48 hours. But I take occasional breaks and noticed the mention of an ebook sale on reddit. Through playing…

  • New Web Address: Lennin Repizo Barber & Beauty Salon

    Announcing the new website for Katy hair salon Lennin Repizo (as of Jan 2022)

  • Amazon, affiliate program, goodbye!

    To my surprise and chagrin, I see that Amazon cancelled my participation in the Amazon Affiliate program (which I started a month ago). The email announcing the cancellation did not mention the reason, but after reading the terms, I see something: z) You will not display on your Site, or otherwise use, any Program Content…

  • Beware the auto-renewal beast!

    Call me a procrastinator. I plead guilty. (I have also been very busy with a move and a job search). For a while I have been meaning to transfer my domain hosting from greengeeks to a slightly more powerful hosting service to accommodate future  web projects. I kept delaying the decision for 2 years (costing…

  • How to Choose a Texas Electric Provider the Wrong Way

      Recently I read an analysis by Dr. Dan Wallach on Chuck Kuffner’s blog about how to find the best deal on electricity in Texas. Some areas in Texas allow consumers to choose the provider of electricity to their homes. (But not all – some cities – notably San Antonio and Austin – allow residents…

  • Random Ipad Links & Musings

    A commenter remarks: Apple has negotiated a product-placement deal with the fabric of reality itself. All this week, your friends are required to tweet about iPads, and comedians are required to work the iPad into bad jokes. Obama is going to tape his weekly video address while holding an iPad. Here are some things that…

  • The free market can be a time-sink

    There is an entertaining maxim about linux: “Linux is a great OS  as long as the value of your time is nil.” Of course, that is unfair; you do spend more time learning linux, but that is compensated by having a deep and intimate  relationship with system commands and window managers. What you miss in…

  • How to Complain (Random Tips)

    Consumerist has some fun thoughts about getting complaints resolved. One commenter suggests: bringing a lawnchair, a six pack, a novel and potato chips and camp out in front of the company’s  building. More seriously, an brilliant commenter recommends depersonalizing the problem and going out of your way not to blame the person you are complaining…

  • Walt Whitman & Levi’s Jeans

    Here’s an amazing TV commercial for Levi’s Jeans starring…. Walt Whitman! Yes, that’s his actual voice reading the 1888 poem America in this video poem/commercial.  Here’s another video poem for Whitman’s Pioneers from Leaves of Grass..this time read by actor Will Greer. (These pieces are directed by M. Blash of the ad agency Wieden &…

  • How to Handle a Dispute with a Credit Card Company or a collection agency

    By now I consider myself an expert on handling disputes with credit card companies. I recently had a dispute with HSBC and after some wrangling arrived with a settlement with the company that was fair and just. I’ve learned a lot. Here are two things you can do: File a complaint with the Consumer  Financial…

  • Escaping TV routines

    I have a HDTV and watch TV with an antenna (no cable), so of course I was happy when the switchover to DTV began. The only thing is, there is so little good on TV left to watch. Yes, there is PBS on (and don’t doubt that I watch as much of it as I…

  • April 11 Bank Protest Planned in Major US Cities

    I don’t know if you’ve heard about A New Way Forward Protest about the bank bailouts. I’m flirting with the idea of attending the protest in Houston . I feel passionately that the bank restructuring was handled incompetently and that lawmakers really don’t have a sense of what voters really want for it. It’s kind…

  • www.HSBCcreditcardsucks.com, a Consumer Gripe site

    Here’s www.HSBCcreditcardsucks.com , a consumer gripe site about HSBC Bank. Fun fact: they are the 2nd largest bank in the world.

  • Lots can change in a single weekend

    I was furious that the Senate stimulus bill was weakened by Republicans who cut funding on education, science research, arts funding and all these worthy things that would be especially worthy in such times. I was furious and I emailed my Senator and emailed my friends with my rage. But a funny thing happened. I…

  • Why Homebuyer Tax Break is a Bad Deal

    I frankly am appalled to hear that the Senate voted a $15,000 tax break for homebuyers (according to this article by David Herszenhorn). As usual the commenters have the most insight. See this amazing comment and this one.  It’s awful legislation (it cuts funding for the Arts, climate change research, etc) and it panders to…

  • We have a shortage of news analysts who are not millionaires

    Sunday I happened to turn on a Sunday talk show, something I tend not to do anymore. The show was Meet the Press.  The topic of the roundtable was the banking crisis. (Read the transcript).  It was one of those uninspired discussions mired in abstractions and financial cliches (“tax cuts” “need to cut spending” “need…