Archive for August, 2010

WOW! Celebrates Summer

Each year, every WOW! location finds their own special way to celebrate the warm weather and joys of summer.  Often these events include our families.  Sometimes it’s so much fun we go back to the same venue again, but ALWAYS these events provide fun, food and great memories. 
At Michigan's Henry Ford Village employees and kids played with antique toys.

At Michigan's Henry Ford Village employees and kids played with antique toys.

Tom Williford and son take a stroll on stilts!

Tom Williford and son take a stroll on stilts!

Just standing still can be a challenge on stilts!

Just standing still can be a challenge on stilts!

This is what a bus looked like in the good old days!

This is what a bus looked like in the good old days!

There's no seatbelts or car seats on an antique train!

There's no seatbelts or car seats on an antique train!

Steve Ramsay and daugter take an old-fashioned carousel ride.

Steve Ramsay and daugter take an old-fashioned carousel ride.

Ricardo Galvan and wife on a Model-T ride.

Ricardo Galvan and wife on a Model-T ride.

Peter Yang demonstrates the best ride of all - a Daddy Ride!

Peter Yang demonstrates the best ride of all - a Daddy Ride!

Ohio Region 'does' Cedar Point!

Ohio Region 'does' Cedar Point!

Not-so-easy riders!

Not-so-easy riders!

Big park; big ride... gulp.

Big park; big ride... gulp.

Serving time for having TOO much fun!

Serving time for having TOO much fun!

Evansville's Terry Durre with daughter Megan

Evansville's Terry Durre with daughter Megan

Will Lewis and Lee Williams load their plates

Will Lewis and Lee Williams load their plates

Getting dunked for charity is well worth it!

Getting dunked for charity is well worth it!

CCC employees dress their burgers and dogs at barbeque.

CCC employees dress their burgers and dogs at barbeque.

CCC picnic includes fun in the sun!

CCC picnic includes fun in the sun!

CCC employees kickin' back under the big tent

CCC employees kickin' back under the big tent

One small section of Illinois' barbeque spread

One small section of Illinois' barbeque spread

We're gonna need a bigger grill...

We're gonna need a bigger grill...

Almost time to ring the dinner bell!

Almost time to ring the dinner bell!

The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards, Live August 29

To me, Sunday night is my Super Bowl night.  I’ve always loved TV, TV history, and watching the Emmys is one of my favorite award shows.  I can pass on the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the SAGs, etc.  Let me watch the award show for us true TV fans – the Emmys!

The Emmys will air this Sunday, August 29th on ABC.  Here’s where you can tune in:

Chicago City, Chicagoland and Michigan customers: Channel 7 for ABC; channel
200 for ABC HD
Cleveland customers: Channel 5 for ABC; channel 200 for ABC HD
Columbus customers: Channel 6 for ABC; channel 206 for ABC HD
Evansville customers: Channel 11 for ABC; Channel 811 for ABC HD

Here is just a quick glimpse of who’s up for nomination in some of the top categories.  For a full list of all of the nominees, click here.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory • CBS
Larry David as Himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO
Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester on Glee • FOX
Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk on Monk • USA
Steve Carell as Michael Scott on The Office • NBC
Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock • NBC

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Bryan Cranston as Walter White on Breaking Bad • AMC
Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan on Dexter • Showtime
Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights
Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House on House • FOX
Matthew Fox as Jack Shephard on Lost • ABC
Jon Hamm as Don Draper on Mad Men • AMC

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Lea Michele as Rachel Berry on Glee • FOX
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell on The New Adventures Of Old Christine • CBS
Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton on Nurse Jackie • Showtime
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope on Parks And Recreation • NBC
Tina Fey as Liz Lemon on 30 Rock • NBC
Toni Collette as Tara Gregson on United States Of Tara • Showtime

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson on The Closer • TNT
Glenn Close as Patty Hewes on Damages • FX Networks
Connie Britton as Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights
Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick on The Good Wife • CBS
Mariska Hargitay as Det. Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit • NBC
January Jones as Betty Draper on Mad Men • AMC

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel on Glee • FOX
Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother • CBS
Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell on Modern Family • ABC
Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker on Modern Family • ABC
Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family • ABC
Jon Cryer as Alan Harper on Two And A Half Men • CBS

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad • AMC
Martin Short as Leonard Winstone on Damages • FX Networks
Terry O’Quinn as John Locke on Lost • ABC
Michael Emerson as Ben Linus on Lost • ABC
John Slattery as Roger Sterling on Mad Men • AMC
Andre Braugher as Owen on Men Of A Certain Age • TNT

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester on Glee • FOX
Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy on Modern Family • ABC
Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on Modern Family • ABC
Kristen Wiig as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live • NBC
Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock • NBC
Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper on Two And A Half Men • CBS

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Sharon Gless as Madeline Westen on Burn Notice • USA
Rose Byrne as Ellen Parsons on Damages • FX Networks
Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma on The Good Wife • CBS
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart on The Good Wife • CBS
Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris on Mad Men • AMC
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson on Mad Men • AMC

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
Phil Keoghan as Host on The Amazing Race • CBS
Ryan Seacrest as Host on American Idol • FOX
Tom Bergeron as Host on Dancing With The Stars • ABC
Heidi Klum as Host on Project Runway • Lifetime
Jeff Probst as Host on Survivor • CBS

Outstanding Comedy Series
Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO
Glee • FOX
Modern Family • ABC
Nurse Jackie • Showtime
The Office • NBC
30 Rock • NBC

Outstanding Drama Series
Breaking Bad • AMC
Dexter • Showtime
The Good Wife • CBS
Lost • ABC
Mad Men • AMC
True Blood • HBO

Online Phone Features Available Now

With the new customer homepage that launched late last month, WOW Internet and Phone customers were given access to some really cool online phone features. Click here to go to the homepage.  When you login to your account from the homepage, you’ll see a new voicemail and phone manager tab.  From the voicemail tab, you can manage voicemail settings,  listen to voicemail messages, download or delete them.   From the phone manager tab, you can enable call features like selective call rejection, anonymous call rejection, and others.  One of the most exciting features is that you can set the number of rings before calls are sent to voicemail.  This is one you have been asking for, so now you have it!  If you need help navigating around  the site, please feel free to give us a call at 1-866-496-9669 and we’ll walk you through it.  And, in closing, I have an “inside scoop” for our blog readers.  I was at the employee summer event  yesterday afternoon (a talent show and barbecue) and I spoke with our Product Manager, Ray Rouleau.  Ray says there’s more cool features coming soon, so stay tuned.

We want to know what’s right for you

   Have you ever been sold something you really didn’t need? Or find out after you bought the item that you really couldn’t afford it but was told that you “had” to have it? Well, you won’t have those problems here at WOW!.

  The WOW! Sales staff understands that not ever customer’s needs are the same. They also understand that the economy has not been the best lately, as well. The WOW! sale staffs are not only trained on the product knowledge but also how to “Right-Size” the customer to what they need. If you are only using the High Speed Data for checking your email, you probably do not need the fastest speed of service. Or if your idea of watching TV consists of the local channels, then a premium package may not be for you.

  When you call in to order new service, or change your existing service, let the sale staff know what your needs are and they will make sure that services you buy are the “Right-Size” for you. A salesperson is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by calling: 866-496-9669

A fine fountain pen…

In this role as technology editor I have the opportunity to write about some of the neat, whiz-bang new technologies that make our lives better and more productive.  Technology is also part of our entertainment landscape as we are fully able to experience the art of cinema, music, theatre, and so forth.

In this latter category, the greater the contribution to the artistic experience by technology, the more valid it becomes.  Said another way, technology should enhance the artistic experience, and simply, should not “get in the way” of the aesthetic elements of the art.  Fortunately, this is generally the case, but occasionally we see “technology for technology’s sake”,  where it does nothing to enhance the art, and can even detract from the experience considerably.  Some of the recent 3D cinema releases fall in this category–too many of these and the public will tire of the technology to the point that even a movie where it may enhance the aesthetic experience will not be embraced.  Sort of a perverse “Cry Wolf!” syndrome.

Sometimes the best technology is very simple.  We all click away at keyboards daily in our work and even in our leisure.  But I personally still enjoy writing with a fine fountain pen.

One of the pens I have is a Rotring (Red Ring) fountain pen–made in Germany in the late part of the last decade–a marvelous example of good design, and “form follows function”.

The characteristics that make it so satisfying are also very simple–Proper heft and weight, a finely machined hexagonal barrel to prevent rolling off the desk, a “lava” finish that is cool to the touch and doesn’t slip in your hand, a refillable ink reservoir which is environmentally friendly (no disposable cartridges) and which allows the use of special purpose inks, a smooth writing stainless steel nib (no “for show” gold or platinum here), etc.IMG_2063

Unfortunately, these pens are no longer manufactured, having become the exclusive province of specialty stores and ebay in recent years-giving way to the mass produced inexpensive plastic pens that occupy most office supply closets.

The point is that just because a technology is newer (or cheaper) does not necessarily imply that it is better.  An electronic keyboard, while it has its place in music making as an instrument in its own right, should never aspire (as some do) to replace a concert grand piano.  Can’t be done, and shouldn’t be tried.

Technology selection is something we do almost every day, in one sense or another.  I’d like to hear from readers as to some specific technologies (old or new) that have been particularly satisfying to them which they would like to share with other readers.  We’ll post reader comments, and hopefully learn from each other on this one.

Until next time….