Please let this be real.
The 100th edition of the Australian Open tennis tournament is currently underway in Melbourne. Players from all over the world have been competing in the heat of the Australian summer, hoping for a win — this year’s singles champions will take home $2.4 million dollars (U.S.). Matches are progressing today into the semifinals, with the final matches to be played on January 29. Collected here are some colorful glimpses of the 2012 Australian Open.
Above: Roger Federer of Switzerland serves to Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina during their men’s singles quarter-finals match on January 24, 2012. (Reuters/Mark Blinch)
See more at The Atlantic
Some really startling photography if you click through.
And if this isn’t the prime of Mr. Roger Federer at age 30, it’s damn close to it. His Round of 16 and Quarterfinal matches were virtual clinics. Next up: Rafa Nadal in the semis. Pass the popcorn.
The Highest Resolution Image of Earth Ever
This composite image uses a number of swaths of the Earth’s surface taken on January 4, 2012.
Photo courtesy of NASA/NOAA/GSFC/Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Norman Kuring
Ed note: Perfect for your desktop background. Click the photo for the 8000x8000 image
h/t Gizmodo
I must have accidentally deleted this from my Tumblr, so now I’m putting it back. Long live the Oxford comma.
Illustration credit: Anne Ferguson
Behold! What the Stop SOPA blackout managed to accomplish in 24 hours.
Power to the people. Right on.
Google Science Fair champions Lauren Hodge, Naomi Shah, and Shree Bose appear at Ted Talk and explain their award-winning research. If these three brilliant, passionate young women are any indication of the youth of America today, our nation can look forward to a beautiful future.
How Guys Use Chat at Work
New colleague: Got a minute?
Me: Yes
New colleague: OK if I swing by?
Me: Yes
New colleague: Where do you sit?
Me: Second floor on the row with the northeast-facing windows
New colleague: Be right there
Sixty seconds later, he showed up at my desk. He had two minor issues that needed to be resolved, which took all of two minutes. Badda-bing, badda-boom.
I think this guy’s gonna be OK.
![How to Save Money on Your Phone, Cable, Satellite, or Internet Bill
During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, the Wall Street Journal ran this article that basically says something we’ve heard over and over again: Just about everything is negotiable.
I showed the article to Mo, who said something like, “Good. We’re paying too much for satellite and Internet. Knock yourself out.” And with that she handed me the bills and the phone numbers for each provider.
I reread the article and called each provider. Bottom line: I ended up saving $203.85 over the next six months simply because I asked. Here are a few things I learned:
1. Be nice. You may remember one of your elders saying, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” It’s true. Think of it this way: The person on the other end of the phone is working just as hard or harder than you do. You have nothing to gain by pissing them off. Treat your customer service reps like human beings and simply explain what you hope to accomplish. In most cases, this approach will seem like a breath of fresh air, and your rep will be much more likely to work with you.
2. Be prepared to wait on hold for a while. I probably spent a total of two hours navigating though the menu choices, calling back during “regular business hours,” or waiting my turn. But with a total savings of over $200, that means I earned over $100 an hour for my trouble. My regular job should pay so well.
3. Say the magic words. When you finally get through to a real person (hitting zero repeatedly like a cranky old man sometimes works, despite your provider’s claims to the contrary), the first question is usually something like “How can I help you?” Your answer should be, “I’d like to lower my monthly bill.”
At this point, your rep. may offer to decrease your level of service (e.g., less bandwidth, fewer channels) or offer you a bundling deal (e.g., phone, internet, and cable at one low low price!). State firmly but politely that you are interested in keeping your level of service but that you’d simply like to lower your monthly bill. And then stop talking. Endure the awkward silence.
At the end of the awkward silence, if your rep appears to be at a loss as to how to help you, it’s time to utter the next set of magic words: “Are you running a current promotion that I might take advantage of?” This gives your rep an out—a way to save face, if you will. It’s easy for them to hook you up with a promotion (I got one for 50% off my bill for the next six months). They’re authorized to do this, and they don’t need to call in a supervisor. If necessary, you may want to mention that you have recently been contacted by [insert competitor’s name here] and they are offering the same service at a considerably lower cost.
Also mention that you have always been satisfied with the service you have gotten from [insert provider’s name here], it’s just that you need to lower that monthly payment.
Recapping the magic words: I’d like to lower my monthly bill Is there a promotion? Your competitor has contacted me
That’s it. Bear in mind that you’ll need to keep track of when the promotions run out. As for me, I’ll be back on the phone in late May, working my side gig for what I hope will be another $100/hr. payday.](http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxjkyxR0Tq1qa1nx7o1_400.gif)
How to Save Money on Your Phone, Cable, Satellite, or Internet Bill
During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, the Wall Street Journal ran this article that basically says something we’ve heard over and over again: Just about everything is negotiable.
I showed the article to Mo, who said something like, “Good. We’re paying too much for satellite and Internet. Knock yourself out.” And with that she handed me the bills and the phone numbers for each provider.
I reread the article and called each provider. Bottom line: I ended up saving $203.85 over the next six months simply because I asked. Here are a few things I learned:
1. Be nice. You may remember one of your elders saying, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” It’s true. Think of it this way: The person on the other end of the phone is working just as hard or harder than you do. You have nothing to gain by pissing them off. Treat your customer service reps like human beings and simply explain what you hope to accomplish. In most cases, this approach will seem like a breath of fresh air, and your rep will be much more likely to work with you.
2. Be prepared to wait on hold for a while. I probably spent a total of two hours navigating though the menu choices, calling back during “regular business hours,” or waiting my turn. But with a total savings of over $200, that means I earned over $100 an hour for my trouble. My regular job should pay so well.
3. Say the magic words. When you finally get through to a real person (hitting zero repeatedly like a cranky old man sometimes works, despite your provider’s claims to the contrary), the first question is usually something like “How can I help you?” Your answer should be, “I’d like to lower my monthly bill.”
At this point, your rep. may offer to decrease your level of service (e.g., less bandwidth, fewer channels) or offer you a bundling deal (e.g., phone, internet, and cable at one low low price!). State firmly but politely that you are interested in keeping your level of service but that you’d simply like to lower your monthly bill. And then stop talking. Endure the awkward silence.
At the end of the awkward silence, if your rep appears to be at a loss as to how to help you, it’s time to utter the next set of magic words: “Are you running a current promotion that I might take advantage of?” This gives your rep an out—a way to save face, if you will. It’s easy for them to hook you up with a promotion (I got one for 50% off my bill for the next six months). They’re authorized to do this, and they don’t need to call in a supervisor. If necessary, you may want to mention that you have recently been contacted by [insert competitor’s name here] and they are offering the same service at a considerably lower cost.
Also mention that you have always been satisfied with the service you have gotten from [insert provider’s name here], it’s just that you need to lower that monthly payment.
Recapping the magic words:
I’d like to lower my monthly bill
Is there a promotion?
Your competitor has contacted me
That’s it. Bear in mind that you’ll need to keep track of when the promotions run out. As for me, I’ll be back on the phone in late May, working my side gig for what I hope will be another $100/hr. payday.
