How your cell phone provider could screw you by making you happy July 21, 2008
Posted by Niels in : Personal , 1 comment so farA bunch of my friends just got new iPhones, and one of the perks of switching to a new cell phone provider is that you can change the number of minutes/megabytes/etc in your voice/data/whatever plan anytime within the first 30 days with no penalty.
That’s weak sauce. Here’s the strong stuff.
If I were a cell phone provider, every one of my customers would get unlimited minutes and data for the first month anytime they bought a new cell phone from me. Currently, I’ve got a pretty conservative cell plan and mostly only call during my cheap nights and weekend minutes. I don’t even have internet. But if I spent a month with unlimited daytime minutes and internet access, I’m sure that within 30 days I wouldn’t be able to imagine returning to my current conservative plan.
Give me one month of complete cell phone freedom and you could probably hook me for a plan that costs double my current one. And I bet there’s a lot of people in my same boat.
Your thoughts?Why I didn’t see the end of the Dark Knight movie July 19, 2008
Posted by Niels in : Personal , add a commentFun plans yesterday. Happy hour with friends, then an outdoor viewing of Batman Begins at Movies on the Pedestal at Rainier Square, then THE DARK KNIGHT at midnight. I’d been looking forward to the Dark Knight for a while (totally bought into the media hype), and despite my friend Fil’s admonishment that he’d never looked forward to a movie without being disappointed, I was excited about it. We actually had to leave Batman Begins early in order to get to the Dark Knight on time, but we ended up in an almost empty overflow theater and the movie was great. The part I saw, at least.
I was watching the movie, thinking, “this is great, finally a movie I looked forward to that didn’t disappoint me” when, in the middle of the climactic scene between Batman and the Joker, the reel caught fire. Thanks, Pacific Place. The manager said there was nothing he could do, the damage was too extensive, so we got some free movie passes and went home at 3am without seeing how the movie ended.
Aargh!
(Semi-happy ending: I caught the end of the next showing at 10am, saw the conclusion, and even got a refund on my ticket. Not a bad result to very frustrating evening.)
Your thoughts?Best sex education video ever: “Am I Normal? A Story About Male Puberty” July 17, 2008
Posted by Niels in : Links , 1 comment so farWhen I was in ninth grade, in health class, I watched the best sex ed video ever. It was called, “Am I Normal?” For the past decade, every now and then I’ve checked the internet and local libraries, trying to get a copy. Now, I’ve finally found it, and you can watch it too! Nothing I can write here can possibly do it justice. Parts 1-3 are below, about 20 minutes total. Click the “more” link to show/hide them, they mess up the formatting of my page.
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Job hunting again! July 15, 2008
Posted by Niels in : Personal , add a commentNow that my Biznik gig is over, I’m back on the hunt for a job. I’m thinking about going back into technology, but more on the marketing/business side. A product manager position at a software company sounds pretty appealing, and I’m weighing whether I want to join an established company or a startup. They both have their appeal - jumping into a new position, I’d appreciate the support structures and mentorship available in a big company, but I like feeling like I’m contributing directly to a small company’s success. I’ve already had a few job offers, but since I’m planning for this gig to last a while I want to make sure I end up in a role that really excites me.
In other news, I’m trying to make the most of my current unemployment. Last month there were trips to Victoria and Montana for wedding anniversaries and weddings, plus a float trip through Glacier national park. Last weekend included my first seaplane ride, hiking, surprise parties, going away parties, birthday parties, barbeques, and raspberry picking. Side note on the hiking: it is best to leave for day hikes sometime before 7pm. But if you do have to leave at 7pm, bring a headlamp because it’s super cool to watch bats dive bomb your head all the way back to your car to pick off the bugs flying around your light.
Your thoughts?Why you should never talk to the cops (in praise of the fifth amendment) July 14, 2008
Posted by Niels in : Personal , 3 commentsThis is one of the most interesting lectures I’ve heard in a long time. A law school professor and a police officer explain in painstaking detail why there are no situations where talking to the police can benefit you, and in fact there are many situations where, even if you’re innocent, and even if you only tell the truth and admit no crimes, your interview can get you convicted.
I suppose it’s really sad that the police system is set up to so strongly incentivize people not to talk to them. I realize police need to interview innocent people in order to solve crimes, but after hearing these lectures, I would be extremely reluctant to help.