Photos Taken at JUST the Right Angle

These fantastic photos were sent to me in an email. If anyone knows where they came from, I'd like to give the photographers proper credit! They are a lot of fun to view!

Frustrating Tech Support Help

Here is the transcript of an online "help" session that was anything but helpful. I just finished it and couldn't believe I had to explain to the rep terms that she should have known. I had to look up information on the sprint.com site and show her where she was wrong! I finally gave up.

04/09/2008 09:11:35PM
System: "Please hold and the next available agent will be with you shortly."

04/09/2008 09:13:12PM
Session Started with Agent (Tiganie)

04/09/2008 09:13:14PM
Agent (Tiganie): "Thank you for contacting Sprint. My name is Tiganie, how may I assist you today?"

04/09/2008 09:13:32PM
Joe Ganci: "Hi, I'm trying to get Internet Sharing to work on my PPC-6800"

04/09/2008 09:13:52PM
Joe Ganci: "It doesn't seem to like my username and password on my phone"

04/09/2008 09:14:05PM
Joe Ganci: "whenever i try, it doesn't connect"

04/09/2008 09:14:07PM
Agent (Tiganie): "One moment while I look that information up for you."

04/09/2008 09:14:21PM
Joe Ganci: "i want to be able to use my phone as a modem for my laptop when i travel"

04/09/2008 09:15:16PM
Agent (Tiganie): "What type of phone do you have."

04/09/2008 09:15:22PM
Joe Ganci: "PPC 6800"

04/09/2008 09:16:59PM
Joe Ganci: "It is a PocketPC, Model No. TITA100"

04/09/2008 09:17:08PM
Agent (Tiganie): "Thank you."

04/09/2008 09:17:56PM
Agent (Tiganie): "When you say Internet sharing, do you want to be able to share Internet on the phone?"

04/09/2008 09:18:06PM
Agent (Tiganie): "I apologize between phones?*"

04/09/2008 09:18:07PM
Joe Ganci: "i want to be able to use my phone as a modem for my laptop when i travel"

04/09/2008 09:18:12PM
Joe Ganci: "no"

04/09/2008 09:18:23PM
Joe Ganci: "i want to be able to use my phone as a modem for my laptop when i travel through the USB cable"

04/09/2008 09:18:45PM
Joe Ganci: "it is an option on the phone"

04/09/2008 09:18:48PM
Joe Ganci: "it's called Internet Sharing"

04/09/2008 09:19:41PM
Agent (Tiganie): "Thank you. I am viewing that information now."

04/09/2008 09:19:42PM
Joe Ganci: "it means when i don't have another way of connecting Internet on my laptop, I can do it by hooking up my phone to the laptop through the USB cable and then have it act as a wireless modem"

04/09/2008 09:21:22PM
Agent (Tiganie): "In order to do that you will have to have that on your plan which is $39.99."

04/09/2008 09:21:38PM
Joe Ganci: "i already pay for that"

04/09/2008 09:22:13PM
Agent (Tiganie): "I am looking that up for you now."

04/09/2008 09:25:39PM
Agent (Tiganie): "After viewing your account it does not show that you have that plan on your account."

04/09/2008 09:25:53PM
Joe Ganci: "where do you see that please?"

04/09/2008 09:26:23PM
Joe Ganci: "i already had that working on my PPC 6700, the model before this. it broke and they gave me a PPC 6800 free instead. now I have to pay for it when I didn't before??"

04/09/2008 09:26:25PM
Agent (Tiganie): "I am not on line. I am in our system that shows what exactly is on your account."

04/09/2008 09:26:33PM
Joe Ganci: "then please tell me"

04/09/2008 09:26:49PM
Joe Ganci: "what is in my account"

04/09/2008 09:27:05PM
Joe Ganci: "i am looking at my account on line right now"

04/09/2008 09:28:16PM
Agent (Tiganie): "You do have the sprint vision pack. But in order to access phone as a modem you will need that plan. Unfortunately, you cannot have the phone as a modem plan and the power vision pack at the same time."

04/09/2008 09:28:36PM
Joe Ganci: "that doesn't make sense. why not?"

04/09/2008 09:29:46PM
Agent (Tiganie): "Because for phone as a modem and power vision it has Internet coverage. Your Internet will have to be covered from 1 source. That is either from phone as a modem plan or the power vision plan."

04/09/2008 09:30:27PM
Joe Ganci: "i had powervision on my last phone too and i could use it that way too. perhaps i am misunderstanding what Internet Sharing means? On my PPC-6700 it was called something else"

04/09/2008 09:30:56PM
Joe Ganci: "i have not changed plans"

04/09/2008 09:31:27PM
Joe Ganci: "i am looking at the powervision manual on line right now"

04/09/2008 09:31:33PM
Joe Ganci: "as part of its features, it says"

04/09/2008 09:32:04PM
Agent (Tiganie): "What is the Internet browser you are using?"

04/09/2008 09:32:13PM
Joe Ganci: "Phone as Modem (page 9)
Your Sprint Power Vision Smart Device can be a high-speed Internet connection for your laptop computer anywhere on the Sprint Power Vision Network. Simply connect your device using a USB cable."

04/09/2008 09:32:51PM
Joe Ganci: "Using the phone as a modem is PART of the powervision plan. so you are incorrect, i'm afraid"

04/09/2008 09:33:09PM
Joe Ganci: "it doesn't matter what browser I'm using because I'm unable to make an Internet connection with the phone"

04/09/2008 09:33:19PM
Joe Ganci: "as i stated at the beginning, it doesn't like my user name and password"

04/09/2008 09:33:26PM
Joe Ganci: "i don't know what to use there"

04/09/2008 09:33:30PM
Joe Ganci: "i thought it was the one I set up on line"

04/09/2008 09:33:33PM
Joe Ganci: "but it doesn't seem to work"

04/09/2008 09:34:08PM
Joe Ganci: "on the phone, i can access the Internet directly but i am unable to use it as a modem for my laptop"

04/09/2008 09:34:34PM
Agent (Tiganie): "Did you plug the USB cable in?"

04/09/2008 09:34:41PM
Joe Ganci: "of course"

04/09/2008 09:35:34PM
Agent (Tiganie): "What is the message you are receiving?"

04/09/2008 09:35:44PM
Joe Ganci: "one moment please; i will try again"

04/09/2008 09:37:06PM
Joe Ganci: "Error Code: 67"

04/09/2008 09:37:11PM
Joe Ganci: "Registration Failure"

04/09/2008 09:37:25PM
Agent (Tiganie): "What browser are you using?"

04/09/2008 09:37:31PM
Joe Ganci: "Your PCS Vision username and/or password might be incorrect"

04/09/2008 09:37:58PM
Joe Ganci: "i don't understand why you are asking me about my browser. i am trying on my phone to connect through Internet Sharing"

04/09/2008 09:38:07PM
Joe Ganci: "i don't get the opportunity to try my browser"

04/09/2008 09:38:50PM
Agent (Tiganie): "The reason why I am asking is because some Internet browsers do not work well with Sprint.com"

04/09/2008 09:39:17PM
Joe Ganci: "I'm sorry; you don't understand. i give up. I'll try finding help from someone else. goodbye"

04/09/2008 09:39:23PM
Session Ended

BBC Funny April Fool's Joke

This is what the BBS did this year for April Fool's Day. It's hilarious. Watch it!!!

Italian Meetup

These were made with my phone camera because I forgot my real camera, so they're a bit blurry and rough. We welcomed Raju and his wife Annalisa and son Tomas to our meetup!

Click here for more photos from this meetup.

More of my sister's carved stone art

My sister carves art into stone. These are some of her latest works. She and mom live in Italy, where her works are highly prized. She's been interviewed on TV, been written up in magazines and newspapers, and is constantly being asked to exhibit her art around Europe, including in castles.

The first stone has Spanish written on it and was donated to a charity in Peru.

The others are practical but beautiful pencil and knife holders.

More Coffee Art from Artist Diana

Remember my entry on coffee art in Italy? My new friend Diana there made a smiley face in the coffee.

See that entry here.

My sister just sent me new artwork from Diana. That's her in the last pic. You can see her even better in my November entry.

Pretty cool, huh? Diana rules!