Verizon is a Piece of Crap

I'm trying to get an MP3 ringtone working on my RAZR V3M and Verizon cripples their phones like no one's business.

When I create a sound file on my MicroSD card by recording it on the phone*, and then take out the MicroSD card**, replace it with an MP3 of the same filename and put the card back in the phone, it won't allow me to set that sound as a ringtone.

So I tried something simpler: recording a sound file, transferring it to the MicroSD card, then transferring it back to the phone. Voila -- can't set the sound file as a ringtone because it was tainted by the evils of the MicroSD card.

So there we have it -- another example of how Verizon is crappy.

I'm never going to buy a ringtone from Verizon so they're not making any money off of me. I should be allowed to have an MP3 ringtone if I want one.

Oh, and a word of advice to other Verizon customers: don't waste your time/money on VCast. If you want to watch commercials, watch them on TV -- it has a higher resolution and either you're already paying for it or it's free. Four and a half minute clips of the Daily Show or The Colbert Report (the most entertaining thing on VCast and they don't even offer a whole segment from the show; interviews are cut short, etc.) aren't worth $10/month when you can watch the same clips at a higher resolution on YouTube (or TV). Don't fall for the hype -- there are no full TV shows on VCast. Just crappy clips of crap.

*shudders at the memory of JTTV* ***

Anyway, at least I only paid $4.99 for this MicroSD card. I figured it wouldn't work anyway and I have no need for anything big so it's only 128MB from Circuit City (online only). And it's "nice" that I can put MP3s on it and play them on my phone, but... I have an iPod... and that "feature" is pretty much useless. They probably just forgot to cripple it. Or it was tasked to the same guy who was supposed to change "MiniSD" to "MicroSD" in the Verizon interface.

* Seriously, who wants to have a self-recorded ringtone on their phone? I can think of instances where it'd be cool, but for this to be the *only* option to get a "personalized" ringtone is insane. And greedy.

** Inaccurately referred to by the phone as a MiniSD card, which the RAZR doesn't support -- nice job guys.

And just to be helpful to anyone who might get here from a search engine, my firmware version is the most current version to date: NEWC_01.09.02. Don't get your hopes up. The email "trick" for MP3 ringtones no longer works either.

*** JT = Justin Timberlake; and try as he may, he is not a fashion guru (See: JTTV). He's a Michael Jackson clone (who's not as talented as 1980's Michael Jackson) and don't let him fool you.

So it's been forever...

...since I've posted here. Or anywhere. My son's hair is so long now that my profile picture makes it look like he's in the military. You know, like, if they drafted one year olds.

I really should be sleeping since I have calculus in the morning, but I just feel like I should update. I know my blog has taken a very non-personal tone as of late, and I miss actually posting stuff even though it never was terribly personal.

We've taken the first steps towards putting my daughter into school. We're strongly considering homeschooling. We do not want our kids put into the public education system, but the only thing is that private school takes money. So we're doing what we can. We've been living off of my salary alone for the last two years but my wife has a job now so things are a little easier financially.

I still find myself missing the past. I gained thirty pounds after my son was born and it hasn't gone anywhere. I have cravings to play floor hockey but I have no idea where people would play here. I got excited about a roller skating rink posting about their hockey league, but I did some research and found out the players have to be in full gear to play and skates are necessary. I'm not a fan of skating... or falling. I like to run around (read: cherry pick) and pop the puck into the goal once in a while when it's passed to me. I am not hardcore, but it was fun for the years that I did it at church.

Anyway, yeah. Time for bed.

Which File Extension Are You?

Which File Extension Are You?

Funny Kitty

The How to Grow a Band

The How to Grow a Band

Link: The How to Grow a Band

Birthday Extravaganza

Hoo boy, November is a busy month. Both kids' birthdays are at the beginning of the month, along with my brother's, my wife's uncle's, and two of our kids' friends.

We just got back from a birthday party and now I'm watching both kids and making macaroni and cheese.

Life has gotten out of control lately, so I've been keeping a list of things that I need to do and so far it has made me more productive, but not as much as I should be. I still have some work to do.

Unfortunately, "Play World of Warcraft" is not on that list. I'm sure I'll find time for that, though.

The US Torture Bill as C Code - Debug This, Please

It occurs to me now that the whole 94-page bill really amounts to a common, one-character programming error.

if (person = terrorist) {
punish_severely();
} else {
exit(-1);
}

Can you spot the error? (Solution).

(This entry stolen from Boing Boing)

He Still Has It