New layout

While working on a new post that will be available tonight, I got bored of my old layout from 2006.  You may have noticed the new look and feel.  It isn’t much, really.  I only tweaked a WordPress themes layout a little and made a header from an image I took last summer.

I am off to do some domestics (cleaning, homework.) The I started on this afternoon will be up soon.

Brian McManus

Would you like to join the Baby and Pet club?

At the checkout of Smith’s last night, as the clerk entered my Smith’s rewards number, I was asked if I would like to join the Baby and Pet’s club. It caught me off guard.  She then continued to rattle off all the rewards I get, I would get $10 back for every $xxx of baby food.

Many of my astute readers know I do not have any children so you are probably wondering why a Smith’s clerk would try and enroll me in a Baby buyers club……

Well I was buying baby food and Smith’s must have noticed this was the second time I was buying baby food in a week…. only the Baby food is for my picky eating Chihuahua (Boog) who hasn’t been eating since he vomited for 24 hours Monday night.  If Smith’s thinks he’s a baby, maybe the IRS would give him a Social Security Number so I can get him insurance to pay for his $100+ vet visits when he eats something he shouldn’t…LOL

More on Magic Valley Bank

If you haven’t read my previous post, read it first.

Magic Valley Bank, as expected, got back with me regarding my experience with them.  They added more salt to the wound, really.

My name was misspelled,  and of course he didn’t provide me with any information as to how they were rectifying the problems I experienced, how they would make it up to me (for example, letting me know I could still open an account), and they didn’t spell out if in fact the policy Stephanie stated is a business policy of theres, or if she had it wrong.

Read for yourself–

From: Jerry Smith <removed>
To: Brian McManus <bmcmanus@gmail.com>
CC: Curt Hecker <removed>, Robert Clancy
<removed>
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:32:07 -0700

Brain,
Thank you for your email. I have tried to contact you via phone, but have n=
ot been successful.  Your letter points to better training in attitude, kno=
wledge, and business practices is what makes or breaks successful businesse=
s is right on, and actually mirrors our customer experience strategy.  I am=
sorry we have lost your account, but gratified that we were able to assist=
you by bringing an awareness to you of the clerical error made by your pri=
or bank and that that error was removed from your records.   Thank you agai=
n for taking the time to write us and  let us know of your concern and poin=
ting out very good customer experience issues we learn from and train on.
Sincerely Yours,
Jerry
Bank President

Concerning Magic Valley Bank

  Today, Magic Valley Bank, located in downtown Twin Falls Idaho lost a potential new customer, me. Which is really sad, I really really enjoyed my first visit to Magic Valley Bank.  The peppy girl seated right by the main door that got off around noon last Friday was fun, bubbly and personable…  So what was the problem? Let me explain my horrendous story regarding my second visit, and you can decide.

If you don’t know who Magic Valley Bank is, they are a local community oriented bank located in Twin Falls, Idaho.  It was originally started in October of 1996 by a group of partners, and bought out by “Panhandle State Bank,” a banking group owned by the “Intermountain Community Bancorp” sometime in 2004 I believe.  They market locally as a community oriented bank, and they have a great marketing tagline on billboards that states they are “unbig, on purpose.”

So here’s the problem.

I went in today around1:00PM MST today, August 25th.  I had my new businesses EIN documentation from the IRS, my State of Idaho C-corp incorporation documents, and a check to deposit.  Stephanie began to assist me.  I told her that I needed a business banking account.  So she looked over my EIN and incorporation documents.  After about five minutes of it being dead quiet besides the keyboard tippity tappiting, and her flipping through a smaller book she pulled out of her drawer, she let me know she was looking up the incorporation documents online and that it will be a few minutes.  She also verified my legal state identification, which was my license.  It was awkwardly quiet, but I didn’t mind, it’s banking, how fun can it get? I was a little irritated she hadn’t evaluted my needs or went over the styles of checking accounts available to me, but I assumed that would come in a few minutes.  Unfortunately, I was about to find out that the needs of the bank superceded my needs, and that how I would use my bank account of was no importance.  This was communicated to me not by a verbal statement, by how they handled my account over the next few minutes.

Stephanie proceeded to pull out a form for me to fill out and I did so.  It was a standard bank account application form.  It needed to know the signatories addresses, legal mailing addresses, my personal social security information and a signature acknowledging that I am who I say I am. I filled it out and when I was about half-way down the page she said “ohhh no, is your social security number xxx-xx-xxxx?” which startled me, because I had not given her this information yet, she had simply read it from my unsigned application, she was asking me to verify because she was reading my form upside down.  I shrugged it off as she was being efficient, which is always a good thing.  I didn’t realize till later that I hadn’t authorized her to use that information just yet.  In fact I never authorized Magic Valley Bank to use this information, as I still had the half-filled out application in my possession when I left.

Anyways, I would come to find out later, that due to a clerical error of an ex-employee at First Federal Savings Bank, my personal bank I use for checking and savings, that I was listed as having a negative balance in a system called ‘chexsystems.’  Stephanie at Magic Valley Bank told me she couldn’t open an account.  I told her I knew for a fact that my account at First Federal was in good standing and that I would go get it resolved with First Federal immediately and come back.  Stephanie told me NOT to come back, that once my name is in Magic Valley Bank’s computers as being listed negative in the  ‘chexsystems’ database, that they [Magic Valley Bank] couldn’t open my account for another three years and that maybe I should let First Federal take my business.

What?!  This statement had me floored. I wasn’t rude, I knew that it was not Stephanie’s fault, that this must be some bank policy.  But they didn’t want my money?  They Didn’t want my business?

So I went to First Federal.  I talked to Katie, an account manager at First Federal and she was just as confused as I was.  She pulled my account up.  It was and is in good standing.  I had a positive balance in checkings, and savings, and I had maintained this positive balance for several years now.  After several minutes of trying things, she checked chexsystems by pretending to open a new account and Katie saw the same exact thing, a supposed negative balance with First Federal.  Apparently, because of a clerical error, an ex-employee of First Federal had me in the chexsystems database.  Oops, mistakes happen with humans and technology, and I understand that.  Someone Katie called and removed my name from that system.  Katie at First Federal let me know she could write a letter, print off a history of my bank account, and provide a business card so someone at Magic Valley Bank could call her and she could explain the clerical error.  She said Magic Valley Bank would open the account now that I wasn’t listed in the chexsystems database, and with the new information that this was an error.

I told her that wouldn’t be necessary, and that obviously Magic Valley Bank was lacking.  Magic Valley Bank is obviously lacking a flexibile business policy that accounts for an error, or misrepresentation in a computer like I just experienced, and if it is not MVB’s business policy to deny someone a bank account for three years because of a clerical error, they are lacking the training and education for an account representative to understand the difference.

First Federal quickly won my account for my business banking .  I know, it was originally their mistake, but Katie was fun, and outgoing, and I really couldn’t stomach someone telling me I couldn’t come back for another three years.  I couldn’t stomach a bank that denied me a bank account, probably illegally under the fair credit reporting act, and ran my information not having my approval yet. So much for being so ‘unbig’ that Magic Valley Bank didn’t even want to talk to me again.

It has been my philosophy that now, more then ever, it is important for any businesses to train and educate your employees located at the forefront of your business.  For example, their tellers should be the most energetic, and the most trained in all of the businesses areas.  The banking professional seated before a prospective customer opening the banking account should be peppy, make you feel welcome, and explain all of the business processes to you.  They should also explain in detail any problems that may occur.

These tellers and banking professionals  are literally the face of your company at that moment.  They can satisfy a customer, or quickly end a relationship. They can make a meeting go quickly and easy, or turn it in to an absolute mess.

It’s probably equally, if not MORE important to also audit your business practices.  Mistakes happen, and computers sometimes have the wrong information.

These many faces of your business can make or break your local reputation, as well as negate, or promote a potential lawsuit.  As for  Magic Valley Bank’s reputation, I will never EVER recommend them again, and I’m letting the blogging community know about my experience.  That’s the power of the new millenial generation.  We don’t put up with being disrespected, and we communicate it at, literally, the speed of light.

Brian McManus

Twin Falls, ID

[These statements are opinions and experiences solely of my own --Brian McManus]

Open Source Middleware for IPTV

<pimp project>

I would to invite any video geeks, telecom, open source IPTV geeks to join the project Toroid, an open source middleware for IPTV systems.

There is literally hundreds of commercial, and personal uses for Toroid..  People can use it to do digital signage within their company.  You can stream video and audio to TV’s in your offices, customer service desks, etc.  You can use it at a school to provide educational channels, and at your home as a hobbyist to stream multiple video sources and channels to your TV.

Telecoms will use it to provide a great user experience to cable tv (IPTV)  subscribers, at a less expensive cost!

So check it out, download it, and subscribe to the mailing lists!

</pimp project>

Things sure have changed, living in a new generation

I’m not going to spew the usual catch phrases and mantra about “It’s a new generation,” or say horrible things like “It’s an iGeneration.”  I’m late to the game, but I’m just so excited for Google Docs, and more specifically their live form service for spreadsheets.

Playing around today, I created the “Brians Friends and Family Birthday Registry.”  Give it a whirl, and try out your own Google Docs form!

CCNA 640-802

I’m a hardcore network guy, with apparently very few skills.

Till today, I’ve never failed a Cisco Certification test. In the past I’ve certfied as a Cisco CCNA, CCDA and CCNP. I passed my Network+ ions ago. In December, I decided I was ready to recertify the skillsets I have previously certified on, and to learn the new ones in the CCNA. I failed. I got a 762/1000, where a passing score is a 825/1000. I feel ridiculous. Why?

I’m in charge of a lot of Cisco equipment. I’ve implemented LARGE layer 3 routed networks that use OSPF, EIGRP, VTP and other INSERT YOUR FAVORITE ACRONYMS HERE. I’m even getting good with MPLS…. I’ve done 64kb PPP links in to “outerspace” for international datacenters (to satellites, really.). If the technology is on the CCNA test I’ve implemented it. The company I work for now has a large ONS 15454 network, with stacked 3750’s as layer 3 routers on the other end. I manage a 6509 running OSPF, EIGRP, and EBGP.

I didn’t get asked one “What is the default administrative distance for EIGRP, IBGP, EBGP, etc?” I got a bunch of router simulation and questions that made me think ”Well that just depends….” I think I confuse myself MORE by trying to look at the bigger picture sometimes. I continuously thought “They just aren’t providing enough information for this scenario.”
So two things happened in my test, 1, I received an odd topology simulator, which I was dragging and dropping crossover cables, routers, and switches on to. I thought I had it write but my subnet math wasn’t adding up, and the devices weren’t pinging. I ended up spending way too much time on this question, in my mind I think I was solving a real business problem and I had to make it work. This was a BIG mistake. I was actually answering a question and I got most of it right, like setting passwords on the VTY, Console, and password, getting ethernet and serial links. The selecting of IP’s, etc was marking me down in the ip addressing and enterprise wan management sections only.. Shoulda skipped them so I had time to get others right… and 2…. I started getting frustrated. Oh actually there is a third thing that I remember distinctly, I selected a radio button, and when I pressed next, the one below it was selected, and on the 640-802 you can’t go back.

Btw, Cisco, when you wants a privileged password entered in your router sim does the 640-802 want an enable secret or enable password? Assholes. I’m assuming ‘enable password’ after reading much of your site. If I enter both am I wrong? Besides, you never asked me about radius, tacacs, or login local, which are all much better ways then having an obscure password all users use, and with them you can use dynamic access lists, which are hella cool.

Also other potential test takers need to note that the service password-encryption feature encrypts all passwords on the router, even enable password…

I remember my first CCNA it tested on acute and precise skills: Take this ip 148.79.1.92, and this ip 148.79.2.240 both with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.248 (or it would state the CIDR.) Can they talk? and then the next question would be, What is the network mask, usable addresses, and broadcast address for each… You’d check boxes and provide the right information.

Apparently some assholes used to screen cap these answers and Cisco has decided you now need to drag and drop straight-through cables, crossover cables, serial cables, on to a topology. After that, address the network. Ping end to end, and here’s a curveball here and there. That’s fine, I think it makes for less paper certified weenies, BUT, 52 questions quickly turns in to 100+ actual “tests,” and really, I just don’t think in this manner.
The 640-802 tests the same skills. Just in a touch feely way. Instead of bluntly asking this. They throw four or five addresses up there in a box, and have you drag drop them to interfaces until you have the right answer. The first thing I should have done is calculate network address, and broadcast for each of the right answers and I would have saved time. But I didn’t know what they were really asking… Damned visualists, I’m kinesthetic leave me the f*** alone.

Oh, and CSI I very much appreciate my paystubs, and I know you have a solid network, but VUE TESTS ARE DREADFULLY SLOW. Is this VUE or you? I’ve read online you should take these CCNA exams at prometric testing centers so router simulations aren’t so slow..

I’m going to be in a cave studying. Nothing annoys me more then not being *REALLY REALLY REALLY RIDCULOUSLY GREAT* when it comes to networking.

Dear Blog Readers you are invited on a new journey

My blog is going to take a bit of a different direction.  Often times I blogged for others, or for myself but not very often.  I would whine or complain.  This morning I am changing this tool to something more useful– a notebook.   A journal of ideas, a lot of silly jots and rants.  So every few nights I will take my random thoughts through out the day.  Most of these are thought of, and then I elaborate on them later if I can recall them.  The largest trouble I have is recalling thoughts like these, I have mild memory imparement.

Keep in mind that at first these rants and details running through my mind might not seem to be fluid, well written, grammatically correct or spelled well.  That’s because they are fluid thoughts.  My writing expertise will improve and I will master this skill.
Without any further adieu–

Earlier in the day — 09JUL07

Idealist, realists.. Opportunists… and how this applies to business.

Managers often times adopt an idealist attitude — “Lets have goal x,” understanding less critical details than that of an employee (or technician in my case.)

Employees quickly become realists doing the every day mundane tasks, constantly working with every detail and day to day road blocks and problems that arise.  This is because they deal with minute details, not seeing the overall “grand” picture, perhaps a budget, a bad market, or the fact that the company may be facing very hard times if it does not migrate it’s business objective..

Neither are wrong (managers or employees), it’s just two seperate idealogies and perspectives.  The most common problem is that this may allow for a lot of miscommunication.

A symptom of this miscommunication may be that subordinates feel disempowered.  Espescially if they don’t feel part of a common goal.  To bring up morale and increase communication managers need to allow ideas to feel welcome, even if they seem incongruent with the common goals, or their perceptions.  At the same time, boundaries must be politely enforced, for example: “Every idea is a great idea… and I appreciate your passion regarding this subject but your suggestion has a better fit when working with ….x….”  But employees must not feel disvalued or as if the idea had no worth.

–Separate thought about miscommunication across company divisions because of intelligence differences?  although i’ve seen some idiots manage others.  “large corporations” may see this more and more as their hiring practices may be extremely critical and degree based, like Google for example and having mathematical doctorates as vice presidents.  I often don’t put a lot of weight on degrees (I think they are valuable, however, I see a lot of useless people having them.  Useless meaning they have no value to me or my path or my journey… I absolutely believe everyone has value.)

Tue 10 Jul 2007 12:57:44 AM MDT  ~ sitting outside thinking

I believe God’s existence is.  When he came to know himself he had to divide himself, once to see himself, and a third time to see how two parts of him look.  All three parts allowing themselves to autonomously see one another.  I’ve been formulating in my mind how we as physical beings do this … but I have been hung up on the third one (the first two were easy, being…)….and a potential thought came to me…

The third dimension to triangulating our “being” (mind, body, spirit) or seeing ourselves  besides reality (yourself, you, how you see yourself…seeing yourself in a mirror(which is seeing yourself through yourself)), and introspection (seeing yourself with your mind) is a third opinion– or outside data, how something else see’s you. so one way to put this maybe… “how you really are, how you see yourself, how something else see’s you.”  although that doesn’t quite seem right, i think i will find better verbiage for this.

I often see third opinions being derived from within yourself through the use of chemical modifications… Something else seeing you, a drug for example.  An alcoholic see’s himself through something else, another experience, a modification, a high.  A drug user can see himself through someone else using a drug.  This possibly isn’t reality, but seeing yourself through introspection and thought isn’t the reality someone else see’s, or the reality that REALLY is your being or existance.

I suppose most obonoxiously seeing yourself through something else  is commonly  through others (and this is perhaps even more parasitic).  this is how society is so acidic and cruel– we see ourselves through others.  “You’re fat, You’re ugly, you’re gay, you’re stupid…  don’t be so stupid…” etc.   when we could see our being through ourselves, or different means.

–Random thought: this thought or belief system that came to mind is espescially true if this “essence of being” or “i exist therefore i am” belief is adopted.

Horrible quotes from Jerry Falwell

When I saw on the Fox News Network that Falwell had passed, cashed in his chips, conked, parished, bought the farm, dropped dead, and given up the bucket, I was estatic.  (And yes, they play only Fox at my office.  I’m surrounded by republicans.)  But not only was I estatic I only had one song in my head for the next few days…

Let the joyous news be spread
The wicked, old witch at last is dead

(Munchkins)
Ding-dong the witch is dead
Which old witch? The wicked witch
Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead
Wake up you sleepyhead
Rub your eyes, get out of bed
Wake up the wicked witch is dead
She’s gone where the goblins go
Below – below – below
Yo-ho, let’s open up and sing and ring the bells out
Ding Dong’ the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low
Let them know the Wicked Witch is dead

At any rate, Morford, a columnist that I read regularly, had this to say ” It’s bad form to speak ill of the dead, Good thing this man’s own vile words speak for themselves.”  He then provided a dozen entertaining quotes found on sites like wikiquote.org:

“AIDS is not just God’s punishment for homosexuals; it is God’s punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals.”

“The abortionists have got to bear some burden for [the attacks of Sept. 11] because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way — all of them who have tried to secularize America — I point the finger in their face and say, ‘You helped this happen.’”

“If you’re not a born-again Christian, you’re a failure as a human being.”

“Christians, like slaves and soldiers, ask no questions.”

“I listen to feminists and all these radical gals — most of them are failures. They’ve blown it. Some of them have been married, but they married some Casper Milquetoast who asked permission to go to the bathroom. These women just need a man in the house. That’s all they need. Most of the feminists need a man to tell them what time of day it is and to lead them home. And they blew it and they’re mad at all men. Feminists hate men. They’re sexist. They hate men — that’s their problem.”

“When you have a godly husband, a godly wife, children who respect their parents and who are loved by their parents, who provide for those children their physical and spiritual and material needs, lovingly, you have the ideal unit.”

“The ACLU is to Christians what the American Nazi party is to Jews.”

“I am saying pornography hurts anyone who reads it — garbage in, garbage out.”

“I am such a strong admirer and supporter of George W. Bush that if he suggested eliminating the income tax or doubling it, I would vote yes on first blush.”

“I believe that global warming is a myth. And so, therefore, I have no conscience problems at all and I’m going to buy a Suburban next time.”

“It is God’s planet — and he’s taking care of it. And I don’t believe that anything we do will raise or lower the temperature one point.”

“I truly cannot imagine men with men, women with women, doing what they were not physically created to do, without abnormal stress and misbehavior.”

“It appears that America’s anti-Biblical feminist movement is at last dying, thank God, and is possibly being replaced by a Christ-centered men’s movement which may become the foundation for a desperately needed national spiritual awakening.”

“There’s been a concerted effort to steal Christmas.”

“I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won’t have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be!”

“The First Amendment is not without limits.”

“Someone must not be afraid to say, ‘moral perversion is wrong.’ If we do not act now, homosexuals will ‘own’ America! If you and I do not speak up now, this homosexual steamroller will literally crush all decent men, women, and children who get in its way … and our nation will pay a terrible price!”

“If he’s going to be the counterfeit of Christ, [the Antichrist] has to be Jewish. The only thing we know is he must be male and Jewish.”

“The argument that making contraceptives available to young people would prevent teen pregnancies is ridiculous. That’s like offering a cookbook as a cure to people who are trying to lose weight.”

“The whole global warming thing is created to destroy America’s free enterprise system and our economic stability.”

“You’ll be riding along in an automobile. You’ll be the driver perhaps. You’re a Christian. There’ll be several people in the automobile with you, maybe someone who is not a Christian. When the trumpet sounds you and the other born-again believers in that automobile will be instantly caught away — you will disappear, leaving behind only your clothes and physical things that cannot inherit eternal life. That unsaved person or persons in the automobile will suddenly be startled to find the car suddenly somewhere crashes. … Other cars on the highway driven by believers will suddenly be out of control and stark pandemonium will occur on … every highway in the world where Christians are caught away from the drivers wheel.” (from Falwell’s pamphlet “Nuclear War and the Second Coming of Christ”)

“God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.”

“You know when I see somebody burning the flag, I’m a Baptist preacher I’m not a Mennonite, I feel it’s my obligation to whip him. In the name of the Lord, of course. I feel it’s my obligation to whip him, and if I can’t do it then I look up some of my athletes to help me. But, as long as at 72 I can handle most of the jobs I do it myself, and I don’t think it’s un-spiritual. When I, when I, when I hear somebody talking about our military and ridiculing and saying terrible things about our President, I’m thinking you know just a little bit of that and I believe the Lord would forgive me if I popped him.”

“The Bible is the inerrant … word of the living God. It is absolutely infallible, without error in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as well as in areas such as geography, science, history, etcetera.”

“The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the National Order of Witches.”

“God doesn’t listen to Jews.”

“Tinky Winky is gay.” (but as mike said, he really is *laugh*)

B

A letter to Mike Simpson

This morning I took a few minutes to scold my congressman Mike Simpson. I wish it was socially acceptable to say something like “I hope one of your gay sons or nephews gets beat up in school, and maybe loses an eye.” or “I work in the same city you grew up in, if you visit, I hope the majority beat s you to a bloody pulp, and they aren’t held liable nor are they able to help you because of your vote” At any rate I was blunt, and politically correct for a Tuesday morning without coffee…

Dear Mr. Simpson:

As your constituent, I am disappointed by your vote in opposition to the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. You turned your back on Americans attacked simply because of who they are. You turned your back on 230 law enforcement, civil rights, civic and religious organizations that endorsed this bill, including the National Sheriffs Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 26 state attorneys general and the National District Attorneys Association. Over 73% of Americans support legislation like this, yet you opposed it – why?

Each year, thousands of Americans are violently attacked just because they are black, female, Christian or gay. According to the FBI, 25 Americans each day are victims of hate crimes – that means approximately one hate crime is committed every hour. One in six hate crimes are motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation.

I hope that in the future, you’ll do the right thing and vote against hate and against discrimination in all its forms.