Best Buy sucks

CRAZY - CRAZY I TELL YA!   where do I begin.

I could begin at 6:30 this morning when our doorbell rings with contractors waiting but that would be too easy.  I think last Thursday would be more appropriate when a series of unfortunate events of FUBR retail sales and buffoonery started and will be culminating later today in our week of misery which is the penultimate moment for a basement finishing project.

It all started early last week when my buddy Elwoods computer died. We figured out a way to get a new computer that would be better then his last desk top.  His old one was his very first computer experience as he had never used a mouse before.  It was like 25 years ago when we got our first PCs for the State and no one knew what a "desk top" was.  When instructions said "put your mouse in the upper left hand corner of your desk top" people LITERALLY put their mouse in the upper left side of their DESK TOP.

Since I would be doing all the work on getting him a computer and because I was the "computer guy", which I truly am not, (I was a mainframe systems analyst and knew just enough to keep PCs running).  So I did some research and because IT'S EASY decided Best Buy would be where I could get a PC.

WELL - the one I wanted was not an "In-Store" product.  I needed a gaming PC with a huge video card for his golf course design and all the regular things like Excel. He was worried about having to get a new email address but I said that was not an issue (see what I'm dealing with?)  So while I was at Best Buy I ordered the computer I wanted along with Office 365 (or whatever it's called).

It was at this point when things got interesting and started to go south.

Ordered everything including Office which would need to be downloaded.  BUT WAIT - if I get it delivered to my HOME I could get it 4 days faster which made no sense.  The problem was they would have to cancel by "in-store pickup" and refund all of my money and start completely over.

seriously?

So we do it all over again including a NEW download for Office and yada yada yada.  Took forever as the guy did not know how to do a refund and as we all know Best Buy only has like 1 guy in the store for computers.

SO - I get the computer late Monday and am setting it up with a new monitor before I take it to Madison and all is good-ish.  The normal headaches like how does WiFi work (Next-generation wireless connectivity) until I see something that LOOKS exactly like a small flash drive. No "WiFi" or any words that I understand but I plug it into a USB port and I get WiFi.

SO - now I'm trying to download Office and am entering the 25 digit code . . .it does not work.  DJ tries it - NOPE.   I call Best Buy and they give me a number to contact Microsoft but IN REALITY it's a number for a call center for island vacations if I answer 3 easy questions.

Still thinking it's Microsoft (don't laugh) I answer the easy questions with the final question as a NO and am connected to a person who wants to sell me insurance.  We talk and I hang up and call the number again and it's 5 questions on a different subject.

I finally find out how to contact MS and get a message that will call me back in 1158 minutes.  Really?  1158 minutes?  is that how we are now?  I have a meeting in 1437 minutes?  So I calculate how long 1158 minutes are and  . . .well . . .they never did call.

So after that I'm now a little pissed off and am looking at the receipt I see my original OFFICE had a 30 digit code ending in 83 and my current one ends in 84.  They never gave me a new OFFICE download number.

SO - I go back to the computer and . . wait . . . the BACK SPACE on the new keyboard is broken.

Well, now I have to go to BB the next day - get a new OFFICE card and return the broken keyboard.

Tuesday I go to BB and explain the OFFICE issue and no problem. I explain the keyboard and NOW there is a problem.  I can't return ONLY the keyboard. I need to uninstall everything on the computer and bring the entire thing in, order a new one and wait a week.
             
WHAT?  because on one freaking key I need to send an entire computer back?  Yea - because they do not carry that keyboard.  I buy a cheap $12 keyboard just so I have something, go back home - the cheap keyboard is dead.  I try it on my computer - nothing.  Everything says "keyboard" is installed and working great . .EXCEPT FOR THE TYPING PART!!

My keyboard works great on both computers. So - I go back today and might get a little more louder.

You can do that when you are retired, it's weird. When you retire you feel you can do anything because you are retired.  I can embarrass myself over and over - who cares!! F U Best Buy. I will burn my bridges with glee!  So I'll take the cheap bad keyboard back, make a stink about the new broken keyboard and the stupid-ness of  having to bring an entire computer in because of one key on a keyboard (I refuse).

BUT WAIT!  This week is a huge week in our house as things are getting finished. AMS, electrical and cabinets are getting put in Friday and a counter top today and plumbing tomorrow.

Counter top people say between 7:30 and 8:30 with a call 1/2 hour before arriving Wednesday.

DING DONG - its 6:30 in the morning Wednesday  WHAT?????   Two dudes at the door.  OH - it's electric. I guess they are a few days early. AND IT'S 6:30AM

So - we lose our kitchen for 2 days because with a new counter top we have to have a new garbage disposal, Home Depot will not do any plumbing unless we have a new disposal (3/4 horsepower) and they want to counter top to settle for a day (I guess) before plumbing is reattached.  SIGH!

SO - the next few days we have people coming in and out. Gus has been good and now knows any stranger that comes to the door can come in as it's OK with mommy and daddy.  Great watch dog.

Bottom line - Best Buy sucks yet again.

BUT WAIT - someone is having a worse day - Dan Patrick on his sports talk show on TV is having issues.

His mic won't turn off and the other guys mics are dead along with their computers.  And they are LIVE! LOL 

************************************

In other news

New HUGE study - butter is actually good for you.  There is absolutely zero link between heart issues and butter and actually people that eat a lot of butter have less diabetes.  The guy said he would not classify butter as "health food" but it is certainly not bad for you. 

++++++++++++

The North Pole is in the middle of winter. From 1980 to 2010 the temperature went above freezing four times. In the last 5 years the temperature has gone above freezing 4 times.  What climate change?

**************

The American government  has it's lowest approval rating world wide ever.  30% of the world likes our government EXCEPT Kosovo who still loves America.  We took out Slobodan Milosevic.  The rest of the world except Russia are not fond of America.

In America 39.6% love our Government which blows my mind.

+++++++++++

Somebody. Known only as "Pine" has donated $53 million to charitable organizations.

++++++++++++t

Looks like the GOP will not do anything to save our children from mass murderers.

OH - they want o arm teachers which has to be one of the stupidest things I have ever heard.  Basically it's a way  for the GOP to move towards EVERYONE wearing a gun.  So if a mass murderer goes into a restaurant and shoots everyone then waitress can carry. Movie theater?  The dude selling popcorn can be packing. Sporting event?  The ushers are packing.  EVERYBODY can pack - you can pack and you can pack and you can pack and the NRA keeps selling guns.

Sickening

*********************

Nuff said - wish me luck



   

 







      

Briess fire

We had Home Brew Club last night and a couple lab rats from Breiss Malting were there to explain the malting process.  It was fascinating and I have never seen 40 beer drinking members stay so quiet for so long.  I now believe that the malting process is even more of a miracle then brewing.

A couple things of interest is that the top of the line malt goes to brewers and the "mistakes" get turned into food malt.  Something I never considered is that when they have 50,000 pounds of barley they want to malt they have to germinate it with 45 degree water.  The problem is how do you get 50,000 pounds of barley wet all at once.

If you start pouring the water into the bins the barley on the bottom will have contact with water MUCH longer then the top.  The Breiss dudes purchased some of their equipment from Bud and they said that while they are not fans of macro beer, how Bud malts is really REALLY awesome in those volumes.

But when I posted this photo on Facebook . . . . . .

  Jenny comments  . . "isn't that the place that is on fire in Waterloo?" 

WHAT????

Then I see that 25 departments are responding to a fire at Breiss and the fire is in the specialty malt room.  Nooooooooo!!

Luckily it's not the only place they make malt but as the guy said - even with the exact same techniques every malt house has it's on unique flavor.

Something else interesting.  Look at the image below.

  
That foam is the same exact color as the beer below it . . . it just contains air.  So you can ask a person, how many colors are in that glass.  It's only one but your eyes see more because of air.

But back to the fire.

Many people do not know that when there is a fire of this size it has a ripple effect all across Wisconsin.

When Columbus had to go to Waterloo last night somebody has to cover Columbus and whatever department is covering Columbus somebody has to be put on call to cover THAT department and so forth.  So with 25 departments at a fire in Waterloo there was a shift EVERYWHERE.

*******************

Curling - those rocks are 42 pounds. I have never watched so much curling in my life and now Super Mario from McFarland is going for the Gold tomorrow morning (about 3:00?)

Along with indoor rock climbing I would LOVE to try curling.

************************

This whole arming teachers thing is ludicrous.

First of all we don't pay teachers enough in the first place.  THEN we say, the government will give you a small bonus if you volunteer to be the FIRST to give your life.  Yea - here is an extra $50, that should cover it.  OH - yea - the residents will have to cover the HUGE insurance costs.

Since we see how a 30 year veteran Police officer responded I'm sure everything will work out just fine.  Do these people understand that if you are hired you are the one that will give up your life?  Yea - easy job until you have to put your life on the line.

What a bunch of freaking morons for coming up with this asinine idea.

*************************

Did you know Cambodia has 28 national Holidays?

Paul Manafort and his aide Rick Gates now had 32 indictments - the newest ones are for money laundering - the same stuff that will bring down Trump sooner or later, money laundering.  remember - most of Trumps money comes from and is in Russia.

++++
Mark Cuban was fined $600,000 for saying the word "tanking" when talking about bad NBA teams.  YET - the Chicago Bull, yesterday said "for the rest of the year we are only playing our 2nd stringers and young up and coming players . . . to see how good they are".

ummmmmm - that is called "tanking" in my book.

and of course there is Kylie Jenner who commented “sooo does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore? Or is it just me… ugh this is so sad.”  Snapchat immediately lost $1.3 BILLION and shares plummeted 6%

*****************

But the BIG news is that for the first time in 50 years Strat-o-matic upgraded their rubber bands.  It's almost been a joke as they always include 40 rubber bands which were the cheapest things you have ever seen.  This year?  BETTER!!!  THERE IS A GOD!!!

****************

Corporations are fleeing the NRA ( the American terrorist organization - they USED to be good but no longer, it's all about selling guns now). Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent a Car, and National Car Rental are all ending their bushiness dealings along with The First National Bank, Best Western and Wyndham Hotels.

Of course the NRA wants to put more guns in schools (to sell more guns?)  When someone says in order to prevent gun deaths you need to put guns in more hands . . it sounds like someone trying to sell more guns doesn't it?

Hertz and Avis still offer discounts to the NRA so f*ck those guys! 

**************

I'm reading 7 things old people learn too late in life.

One thing is almost football related and even Aaron Rodgers said it after winning the Superbowl.

Achievement will never be as fulfilling as the journey.

reminds me of the NFL and SuperBowl runs - the journey is always better then teh ending even if your team wins.  Nothing changes in MY life. 

*************

GUS the weather dog says

we could hit 50's a few days next week.  Weekend will be warmer but very windy. some rain Saturday night.  All precipitation in the next week will come as rain.

Cheers   

Gun control really works

The cards are here the cards are here - oh what joy!

**********************

So I feel like I'm hungover but I did not drink.  Probably staying up until 2:00 watching hockey.  I watched all but 6 minutes.  I seem to have a blank spot for that first 6 minutes of overtime where I closed my eyes just for one commercial.  I wake up and there is 14 minutes left in OT.

Then this morning I'm fast asleep when a 20 pound brown dog jumps on my bladder with all his weight as he surprises Sophie.  Of course I let out some sort of primal scream which he thinks is so so funny and paws my face when I yell out  NO!   and we are all awake as Gus is now trying to lick my nipple (to much information?).  Yea - having a dog is SO WONDERFUL.

OH OH - speaking of WONDERFUL dogs.  Gus LOVES the wide open basement SO MUCH every time we go down to look at it he gets so excited he starts humping our legs.  WHERE DID THAT COME FROM!! Not upstairs, just downstairs.

I told Elwood last Saturday that we needed a Zamboni to clean the floor.  He laughed. Since he is a professional mopper he said any floor is easy with the right mop.

WELL - he saw our wide open floor and said it was more like a bank lobby size and we really DO need a Zamboni to clean the floor.

*********************

The media is covering the latest mass shooting 3% more then in past mass shootings.

*********************

There are 431 woman running for the House of Rep this time around compared to 212 two years ago. 80% Democrats.  80 woman are running for gubernatorial  and twice as many woman are running for Congress.  I wonder why!

*******************

VOTE FOR THEILAN - for the first time in my life I have a yard sign. I feel so proud.

*****************

Correction - I forgot about the brewery in Waterloo - there will be 5 breweries within 20 miles of Columbus.  Still The Cercis Brewery looks like the biggest best.

************************

When a child hits another kid with a stick.  I don't blame the stick, but I still take it away.

*************************

Tried a Big Mac Junior - it was horrible. Will never try one again!  YUCK.

*****

From Business Insider

Gun control really works — here's the science to prove it

The talking points

Making it easier to carry concealed guns increases the number of gun homicides.

A spike in gun purchases after the Sandy Hook shooting led to a quantifiable, tragic increase in accidental gun deaths — especially among kids.

Banning domestic abusers from owning guns has a huge impact on gun deaths.

Laws that call for longer sentences for gun crimes also seem to help a little.

States with stricter gun-control laws that spend more money on education and mental health care have fewer school shootings.

After Congress let a 1994 ban on assault weapons expire in 2004, gun massacre deaths skyrocketed.
Reducing access to guns could reduce the number of suicides in the US.

Weapons buy-back programs have been successful.

Nuff said - I need a LOT more coffee