Matt Ebert

Just a boy with a dream….of pirates and moon ships

Monthly Archives: November 2005

Top 10 things I miss about Seattle…

{editors note: I published this in my journal Set. 16, 2004. With current thoughts going through my head, these resound just as strong today}

So I was going through my head thinking about the things from my everyday life that I miss about living in Seattle. I have compiled a Top 10 list:

10. The first solid rainstorm of fall.
9. Issaquah Salmon Days – two words: Elephant Ears
8. Spuds Fish & Chips (West Seattle, not the bastardizations in Greenlake & Juanita)
7. The view of the Seattle skyline traveling southbound on I-5 just as you cross the Ship Canal bridge.
6. The filet mignon and potato pancakes at Jax.
5. Early morning breakfast at Lowell’s in the Pike Place Market watching the ferries cross Elliot Bay. (BEST punkin muffins anywere)
4. Late night movies with my brothers.
3. Nordies on the first day of the Anniversary Sale. (just not the same outside of Seattle)
2. Dick’s Deluxe with fries and a large Coke. (Gotta say no to the chocolate shakes, they make my tum-tum feel unhappy)
1. My friends Scott & Heidi (and their 6-month old JD). I would (and have) ditch the rest of it all to be able to see them.

Honarable mention: Eggnog Latte’s in November and December from the Nordstrom Coffee Bar. Fuck Starbucks.

The Netflix Settlement Sucks: Opt-Out

So it appears that the lawyers are at it again and have their target on a big payday.

This week’s target: Netflix
The complaint: Netflix failed to provide “unlimited” DVD rentals and “one day delivery” as promised in its marketing materials.
The settlement: Subscribers who were customers before January 15, 2005 will get one month of free upgraded service. That is, if you can have three discs out at a time, you get upgraded to four, for free, for one month. Subscribers who were customers before January 15, 2005, but are no longer customers, will receive a free one-month membership.

What you miss in the fine print: If you accept the upgraded account, you will be put on that upgraded plan at the end of your free month and your bill will increase unless you cancel! It seems to me that the number of subscribers who fail to cancel, forget, or just plain don’t understand will likely make Netflix more money as a result of this settlement.

The kicker: The lawyers get $2,528,000

However, there is still a way around all of this. Opt-out!
If more than 5% of the eligible class ‘opts-out’ then the settlement is void and theoretically the lawyers get nothing.

How to ‘opt-out’: Detailed instructions on how to opt-out can be found at http://www.netflixsettlementsucks.com/

Update: Some good coverage here by MSNBC.

A bit about me

Why is it that one day a survey looks fun to do, and the next it feels like hot pokers in the eyes. Today is one of the ‘fun’ days.:

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Myself and Princess Mraw Mraw
WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING NOW: The DaVinci Code
FAVORITE GAME: Monopoly
FAVORITE SMELLS: ocean breeze, first rain of the fall, a beautiful woman, obsession for women
FAVORITE MAGAZINE: Business 2.0, PC Magazine
FAVORITE SOUNDS: My office voicemail prompt saying: You have no new messages
WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD: seeing someone dear in pain and not being able to help
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING: Damn that Ann Curry has a sexy voice!
A PERFECT DAY: really depends on my mood, no good answer right now….check back later
HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE: caller id
FUTURE DAUGHTER’S NAME: Madeline Alicia
FAVORITE FOODS: sushi w/ frosting
CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA: nilla
DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE FAST: define ‘fast’
DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL: only Princess Mraw Mraw after a late-night serving of Tender Vittles
STORMS: Louder the better, when curled up beneath the sheets
WHAT TYPE WAS YOUR FIRST CAR: 1975 VW Super Beetle (color: radioactive guacamole)
FAVORITE NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINK: chai tea
WHAT IS YOUR ZODIAC SIGN: capricorn – the horny goat
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB YOU WANTED WHAT WOULD IT BE: Technology Advisor to the Rich & Infamous
IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR: such the possibilities
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE: I hope not, at least not yet.
FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE: It’s A Wonderful Life
ARE YOU A LEFTY OR A RIGHTY: right
FAVORITE COLOR: evergreen
FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH: Foxy Boxing