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Matt
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Below are the 10 most recent journal entries recorded in the "Matt" journal:[<< Previous 10 entries]
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08:46 pm
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Obama, man of action
I had a brilliantly campy action-movie dream last night.
There was a traitor in the White House and a conspiracy to overthrow the government. President Obama had been shot, but he was recovering in the hospital and the plot had been foiled. The room was empty and we flash to the president's head of security outside the room, as he surreptitiously draws his gun.
He walks into the room saying, 'Well, Mr. President, you still haven't figured out who...'
The president was not in the bed. The head of security turns to see Obama sitting in a hospital chair, with a gun pointed straight at him.
BANG! BANG!
'I have an idea.'
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08:24 am
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On my side
So, a couple of weeks ago I was looking at my credit card bill and noticed a charge from 'Privacy Assist'. I immediately had flashes of some shady companies online that charge credit cards without you knowing and refusing refunds (I also heard they can also make charges to your phone number which have less consumer protections, sorry no links.) Anyway, their website clearly had the 'no refunds for services rendered' clause, but I was sticking by the 'I never ordered from you' line. I called the company first, internationally with skype on a wifi connection which added fun. They wanted to verify my identity, but I wasn't happy to give them too much information since I never wanted to do business with them in the first place and had no clue how legitimate they are. They suggested I get transferred through the credit card company to them.
So, I called the credit card company to request a chargeback (a wonderful consumer protection mechanism for disputing fraudulent charges - most sites online are about how to avoid getting chargebacks taken against you as a business owner). I requested this, and they contacted the company. It was great, because now I had a credit card representative on my side. A three way conference call ensued with the odds now in my favor. My favorite line:
Privacy Assist Rep: Okay we'll process your refund and it should be posted...
CC Rep: (with attitude) Ma'am, I've already removed the charge.
It's good to have someone on your side.
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09:13 pm
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New Blog
You can follow our adventures in Paris at
http://notrepetitemaison.wordpress.com/
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09:03 pm
[Link] | I just crossed 'Finish Thesis' off my todo list. Awesome.
Also, I got a fortune cookie fortune that says 'You will be rewarded for your hard work this past month.'
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01:47 pm
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Tell Dale North
I'm not sure how this has been missed over at Dinosaur Comics, but Wikipedia has announced the naming of a dinosaur called Australovenator which is an awesome name. I wish my name had "lovenator" in it.
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11:13 am
[Link] | Thank you, Alex, for pointing me to this wonderful craigslist post:
Mario Wanted
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11:16 pm
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Simple feelings
I'm happy because we now have a lovely place to live in Paris.
I'm sad because someone stole my bike.
Update: My bike was returned to its place under the stairwell,
unharmed. This ends its three day ordeal in the clutches of unknown
assailants. The bike is currently recuperating inside our apartment,
where it will be staying in the future for its own safety.
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04:57 am
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Stereotypes
When going to a foreign country, it's important to avoid believing the stereotypes. That way, when they do come true, you can have a big laugh. Case in point, riding the RER from Charles de Gaulle airport. I went to the station, got my ticket and went to the platform. I was trying to figure out if both trains went the direction I wanted to go (yes) and which would leave sooner. A man stood in the doorway to one train, and asked "Paris?" (pronouncing the 's') and when I nodded, waved me onto the train. It seemed like a very friendly thing to do, and I wondered if it was true altruism. Well, as soon as the doors closed, he slung his accordion over his neck, announced he was playing for money, and went to it.
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06:01 pm
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Bacon-Filled Waffles
Bacon-filled waffles aren't as awesome as they sound. They were only okay, and this is a sad thing to say about a use for bacon.
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05:21 pm
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Je voudrais un appart.
I made my first call about an apartment in Paris. It was exciting, I managed two whole lines of French and was understood. Of course, the second line involved me asking if we could speak English (the ad mentioned that he spoke English).
Also, hooray for Skype and paying only 2 cents a minute for the call (whose quality was just fine).
Current Mood: accomplished
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