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I’m forever losing my phone. Sometimes it’s in my coat pocket. Or it’s slipped between the couch cushions. Or some other random place. I’m constantly asking boyrobot to call my phone so I can find it. No more!

I introduce you to Where’s My Cell Phone! A website that you can use to call your phone.

Just enter in your phone number and the website will call your phone. Pretty simple, but useful!

I really need a new web host. Any recommendations???

I used to LOVE my hosting service….jet net hosting. If you read reviews about them, people were always talking about what great customer service they had and I totally agreed. Whenever I had a problem, I would submit a problem ticket and it would get solved in a matter of minutes. They really seemed like they cared about their customers and keeping them happy. The owner of the company even once gave me a customer appreciation gift of extra disk space! I’ve been using them for a few years now and whenever people asked me for a web hosting recommendation I would wholeheartedly suggest them. I’ve also used them for the other websites I’ve been running in the past year.

In the past month, the company has done a 180 for me. It all started when their server got hacked and a bunch of websites, including mine, were down for a whole weekend. I didn’t mind too much because I understand that sometimes these things happen. There were a few more outages, but again….I let it pass because they have been so great in the past.

Earlier this month, I decided to cancel one of my websites because I just did not have the time to upkeep it and I wanted to concentrate more on building up girlrobot.net. I sent in the ticket to have it canceled and promptly received confirmation that it was canceled. This was the day before payment was due. Unfortunately, my paypal subscription for the web hosting still went through and so I ended up paying for the canceled service. No big deal, right? After I got the payment receipt I immediately emailed the billing department at Jetnet hosting to explain my situation. I waited a few days and got no response.

Strange. So I decided I’ll just open up a ticket since you can open up problem tickets for billing issues as well. I figured since I have always gotten quick responses through their ticket system this would be the same. Again, I explained my situation and sent off my ticket. I got confirmation that they had received my ticket and waited a few more days. After waiting several days again, I decided to click on the ticket link to see if maybe I had missed their response. When I clicked on the link, it said that the ticket did not exist. My ticket was deleted???

I thought maybe it was just something screwy with their system so I opened up ANOTHER ticket. I wait a few days and I get an email that says something to the effect of “This is a notification to let you know that we are changing the status of your ticket #499199 to Closed as we have not received a response from you in over 24 hours.” A response?? I haven’t even gotten a reply from them….how am I supposed to respond? So I shoot them another email and say exactly that. What am I supposed to be responding to? I FINALLY get a response but guess what it ends up saying?

hello, why did you want to cancel? Just reload your site and everything will be great

W.T.F. I was like what is he talking about. I explain to him again that I have already canceled and that I just want my money back. BTW, the amount I am owed is just $25!!! I think maybe he thinks since the amount is so little that maybe I’ll just forget about it. DUDE. I’m asian. And besides, it’s the principle of it all. In my response, I also spell out my situation again. As if I am talking to a 3rd grader. So he will understand me. And I wait for his response.

Of course I don’t get one for a couple of days, but when I do…guess what it says:

This is a notification to let you know that we are changing the status of your ticket #499199 to Closed as we have not received a response from you in over 24 hours.

I reply again that I have not gotten a response to reply to (this opens the ticket again) and proceed to do this about 3 more times. I also email their main email address with which the owner usually sends out his emails from and I have always had better luck with the owner who has always seemed like the nicest guy. I also opened a ticket with the technical support system hoping I would get somebody, anybody to respond to me. But of course I get no response.

So over this past weekend, on one of my replies to their attempts of closing my ticket, I finally got another response! When I read this one, I was half crying/laughing at the ridiculous of it all:

please calm down, we are here but we werent here over weekend for sales and billing

Sometimes don’t you wish you could reach through the internet and strangle someone??? By the way, all of these exchanges are with the same idiot: Nathan O. I guess they have fired all of their other support people. I don’t know. I tried every avenue possible and he is always the one that responds. I’ve tried different hours of the day and still nothing! ARAGAOIHGAOSIDFJAOISJDFOASIJFD.

Anyways, I respond to him and tell him that up until now I WAS calm and actually very patient. But his last message put me over the edge because seriously….he is telling me to calm down….and that they can’t respond to my msges over the weekend BUT HE JUST RESPONDED TO ME. AND I HAVE BEEN EMAILING THEM FOR WEEKS. HAS THEIR SALES AND BILLING BEEN DOWN FOR THE WHOLE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER?!?!?!?!?!??!!?

Ok, I was much more calm than that. But do you get what I’m saying? What do you guys think? Should I calm down? And of course, since sending that last message I of course haven’t received a response. Even though it’s MONDAY AND THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN OPEN ALL DAY TO RESPOND TO TICKETS.

Oh and their phone support has been disconnected. Bad sign, right?

So yes. Now I am looking for a new webhost. Thank god girlrobot.net’s contract is expiring in November. And don’t worry, I have made backups of my website in case Nathan O reads this. I’m not 100% sure he knows how to read though so I’m not very worried.

For now, I think I am going to keep responding to my ticket so they can’t say they haven’t heard from me every 24 hrs and CLOSE IT. I can’t wait to see what Nathan is going to say to me next,

This website is such a great idea: ePassport Photos

You upload your own digital photo and then crop and resize the picture using their tools. They take your photo and arrange it into 6 shots on a 4×6 jpg which you can print yourself or get printed at your local store (My preference is Costco). All for free!

The website also has tools and guidelines to make sure you are complying with passport rules. If you don’t trust yourself, you can also pay $6.95 and have them inspect it, print it, and have it ready for pick up at Walgreens the next day. It sure beats standing in line!

Top 50 greatest trailers of all time (according to IFC) – I love trailers.
Speaking of movies….Cody Diablo to adapt the Sweet Valley High movie – o-m-g. I am SO excited about this. When I was a little girl I would read a SVH book a day practically. I loved those twins!!!!!
People of walmart – This reminds me of home (I’m from Oklahoma)
Really bad engagement photos – I loved this link. It’s almost as good as the gallery of roller coaster souvenir photos from last week!
The deal with disability – the blog of a person with cerebral palsy. Pretty interesting read…it made me look at disabled people in a new light.
Fancy fast food – makeovers of fast food items into gourmet meals!

Fake 3D crater designed to slow down London cyclers

Did you know it’s better to do certain things at certain times? According to this MSN article, the best time to:

Wake up….is 20 minutes later than you intended. It will make you feel more rested for the rest of the day. – Uhh this seems a bit obvious but I agree with it wholeheartedly!! :)

Weigh yourself….is right when you wake up. It will give you the most accurate reading.

Put on sunscreen….is 30 minutes before you step outside. It takes that long for the stuff to soak in.

Get your daily dose of sun….is in the morning. It will signal your body to stop producing melatonin (which will make you more awake) and increase production of Vitamin D

Eat breakfast…is within 15 to 30 minutes of waking up and no later than 8am. Whaaa?? I don’t even wake up until after 8am!

Take a power nap….is in the afternoon. You will feel more rested, refreshed, and alert. Hmmm shall I forward this article to work??

Exercise…is between 5-6pm. Your body will be at its maximum efficiency!

Drink a glass of cranberry juice…is at night so it can hang out in the bladder and fight off bacteria until the morning

Apply antiperspirant…is at night since your body’s temperature lowers allowing the antiperspirant to fully absorb by the next day. This was surprising to me.

Scheduling a surgery….is before noon. Studies have shown there are less complications then.

Scheduling a root canal….is between 1 and 3pm. Local anesthesia lasts 3 times as long in the afternoon.

And here is an interesting excerpt about the women’s monthly schedule. Guys…you can skip this one :)

Hormones fluctuate wildly over the course of the month, creating great — and not-so-great — opportunities for a variety of health moves. Day 1 of your menstrual cycle is the day your period starts, so schedule these actions accordingly:

Before your period – DAYS 23-28:
Stay out of pain. Avoid procedures like a root canal or a bikini wax: They’ll hurt more now. “Endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine” — all natural feel-good chemicals — “typically plummet right before your period,” says Rebecca Booth, M.D., author of The Venus Week. Reschedule them for ovulation time (days 13-15), when, according to a University of Michigan study, we produce the most endorphins to offset pain.

During your period – DAYS 1-3:
Get busy. It may not be the most convenient time, but orgasms — always great — are even greater during your period. That’s because they cause a spike in serotonin, which is naturally running low just before and during the first three or so days of menstruation. Some women even enjoy a heightened libido just before their period, thanks to a drop in estrogen and a rise in testosterone.

After your period – DAYS 3-13:
Do a breast self-exam (BSE). A post-period rise in estrogen returns your swollen, tender breasts to their most supple state, making it the perfect time to check them for unusual lumps and bumps. Although experts don’t insist on a monthly BSE anymore, when you do feel your breasts for changes, do it at this time of the month — differences will be more detectable.

After ovulation – DAYS 14-23:
Plan to quit smoking. Women who try to kick the habit now, after ovulation, may be less likely to succeed — possibly because they have worse withdrawal symptoms, according to a recent study from the Medical University of South Carolina. So set a quit date during the first half of your cycle (days 1-13), and use these next two weeks to get psyched and gather the support you need to stop smoking for good.

Have you ever shopped at Amazon and been short a few bucks for that free shipping? (The minimum you have to spend is $25). Rather than shell out the $7 to pay for the shipping, why not get something for it! With this site, Amazon Filler Item Finder, it’s easy to find something cheap and useful so that you qualify for the free shipping.

You just enter in how much more money you need to spend and the category you want to shop in and it spits out items that fit your criteria.

Freebieville is also another good site to check out. They have a preset list of cheap fillers from .02 to $6.

It’s been awhile since I had my roundup of random tips….

How to fold a fitted sheet – this has always bugged me! looks simple enough though

Tips for raising your FICO credit score – this is something I should be doing now that I am shopping for a home

How to naturally reset your sleep schedule overnight – this would be great for traveling. I wonder if it really works?

10 ways to look good in photos

Label party drink glasses with window markers

How to soften new sheets – I need to buy new sheets to try this out

Insider’s secret weapon for wine stains: oxyclean

How to remove refrigerator odor – this is also supposed to work for smelly trash cans

Keep mosquitoes away with beer bottles

Buy your prescriptions from Costco – and save!

Just got back from my Mexico cruise. It was pretty fun. I feel like I’ve gained 20 pounds though.

While on the cruise, I found out our ship’s crew is ranked #2 in the industry. My first cruise was also on this ship and the crew was just as fun and friendly as the first time. I really don’t know how they stay so happy and chipper even though they are on a boat for 6-9 months out of the year. It’s amazing how good customer service can make your vacation that much better.

Us during the safety drill.

It was a short one…just 3 days with 1 stop in Ensenada, which I’m not particularly fond of but I love how everything is so cheap!

Wish I had taken more pictures!

From this msnbc study they’ve deduced the 12 things that people who live to 100 usually have in common.

1. You’re the life of the party
2. You run for 40 minutes a day
3. You like raspberries in your oatmeal
4. You feel 13 years younger than you are
5. You embrace techie trends
6. You started menopause after age 52
7. You make every calorie count
8. You had a baby later in life
9. Your pulse beats 15 times in 15 seconds
10. You don’t snore
11. You have a relatively flat belly after menopause
12. You get your blood tested for vitamin D levels

I think I’m looking pretty good so far. Except for the whole running thing. ugh…I need to start exercising again!

You can read more details about these here.

Gallery of Roller Coaster Souvenir Photos – If you have some time this gallery is totally worth sifting through. Some hilarious photos!
People V. Jackson – The whole child molester thing is like a distant memory to me. If you had any thoughts that maybe he was one, this wikipedia article should clear it up.
MonaVie Scam? – I’m linking to this article by Lazy Man and His Money because he’s been getting a cease and desist letter from MonaVie and because I think it is in a way a scam.
How a guy infested himself with hookworm to cure his asthma – wow, this story is c r a z y!
How to increase the chances of someone returning your lost wallet – baby pictures
A Foodie’s Take On Cheesecake Factory – Yes, CF remains one of my favorite chain restaurants! Try the shrimp scampi…sooooo good.

This picture is SO cute.