Fuck the cable company

In the eye. I got cable (YIPPPPPPEEEEEEE!!!!) I was so happy. Everything was beautiful. I was setting up the programs I wanted to record. I was enjoying programs I normally couldn't watch. Shiny.

Until less than 36 hrs after the install the DVR decided to no longer work properly. Since this device doubles as the overall converter I was annoyed, but then, this might be a common problem, and listed in a troubleshooting guide somewhere. The materials they gave me were chock full of self configuration models so clearly this should be something they would provide materials to address. NOPE. no dice. I tried unplugging everything, resetting it, powering up according to their instructions. No dice. I checked online for support (funny the internet connection (also cable) still working perfectly) - there is none, not really. The is FAQs, there is online chat for internet problems/support (which is bloody retarded if your internet connection is the problem). And it took 5 mins to get a phone number to call to talk to tech support. I called it. 20 mins on hold later it disconnected me. I tried again: 27 mins on hold later it disconnected me. I'm in the midst of trying a 3rd time. and I am 10 mins into the hold time. By the time I do talk to a rep I will prolly be a little foaming at the mouth ready to kill. & mostly that is brought on my the little hold muzak from hell and the fact that every 30 secs or so a little voice cuts in and says things like "thank you for holding a representative will be with you soon" and "thank you for holding, we are lookign forward to talking to you soon, please hold the line and we will be right with you" and "Thank you for holding the next available operator will be speaking to you shortly, this call may be recorded for train purposes". And each time these little voices (all different - 2 different chicks and a guy) come on the line - it blanks for a sec, like someone is picking up.

I hate COX COMMUNICATIONS.
FUCK THEM IN THEIR EYE.

At 18 mins into the hold time a very nice young lady named Amy picked up. I explained the situation. I explained the hold times and being disconnected. I was kind and polite. She tried to suss out what had happened. She tried to help, and sent some signals to the box (so apparently I was still showing up on their grid (which she couldn't seem to get that I understood the difference tween showing up and a reading on their end saying I was disconnected)). She had me unplug the box for 10 mins and then (without her on the line of course) plug it back in and see if it reboots. She couldn't understand when I tried to tell her that having a technician come out to fix it this week was damned near pointless 2º to the fact that I am at work the whenever appts are available. So I have a guy scheduled to come out on Monday morning - I am hoping maybe I could leave work really quick and come home and deal w/ it and go back to work. or I'm gonna have to RS to Tuesday afternoon - or I'm gonna start stalking the guys where they hang out at the park not even a 5 mins walk from my house - I see the vans there every day. She also apologized like a dozen times for the experience. Then it clicked - she had to be like the only operator there all alone. She had to have seen the hold times and disconnected me by hand each time. I did the same thing when I worked at an ans service, when the times were too long and I knew the caller would be pissed if you disconnected them they would call back in and you could answer them right away and blame it on the system. Hell yes I'm calling in to complain on Monday morning. Hell yes they are getting a good raking over the white hot coals of my rage. And now my 10 mins are up - time to try again. She actually tried to tell me that the DVR is "like a computer - you have to give it time to reboot" - no shit Sherlock, ya think? I just the thought the hard drive in there was for show.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr