Announcements
siniStar7.COM turns 9yrs old!
Feb 3rd
I can’t believe this site is now 9 years old! I literally renewed the domain again today and began to look through it for content that needed updated.
I have fixed various broken images and links – and will continue to update the site more and more in the coming week, as well as revive the blog on this site.
Thanks to all the visitors (new and loyal returning ones) for the past 9 years! (Here’s to 9 more!) 
New Chat Function added
Sep 9th
You can now connect to the IRC4Fun IRC (Internet Relay Chat) network and chat via this webpage.
For more information or to chat now, click here. I hope to see you there!
Fuck BLOCKBUSTER!
Aug 18th
Well I finally have the time for updates! “Why?” Because BLOCKBUSTER let me go, as they have done to so many valuable Managers.
No – my store did not close down (I’ve turned profits in every store I’ve operated) Unfortunately, I was fired due to politics. I apparently did not kiss my District Manager’s ass enough. Call me crazy, but when I can “fix” their broken stores and they send me from one store to fix to the next; I don’t feel I should be kissing his ass. (In my mind, HE should be kissing MY ass, but you know how life really goes)
Anyway, (on my day off) I was called and asked to come in a little early the next morning to assist my District Manager in finding some paperwork he was going to be auditing. I agreed and met him at my store the next morning.
The next morning he came in and brought a Corporate person along with, and let me know that I was being terminated. He said I had broken policies (even though he had directed me to do the things that broke policy) and that my “Mistake was going to cost you your job.”
Which brings me to my point. FUCK BLOCKBUSTER! I gave my blood, sweat, and many tears to that company for nearly 8 years. I had worked there during the “Glory days” to the “Doomsday days”, loyally and always defending BLOCKBUSTER’s stupid decisions.. Towards the end of my days, all Store Manager’s were being threatened weekly about how we had better get all these customers to buy a $3 Coke,Candy,Popcorn and $5 Coke(2),Candy(2),Popcorn bundles, with a 40%/60% mix of $3/$5 bundles — even though the customer’s do not want them, and it makes BLOCKBUSTER little revenue. (The reason SM’s were being terminated for not getting enough of these bundles sold with a 40%/60% mix is that BLOCKBUSTER apparently counts on receiving “kick-backs” from Coke, Nestle, Hershey’s and Orville.)
I will never spend even a penny at a BLOCKBUSTER store, kiosk, Online or anything BLOCKBUSTER ever again – you shouldn’t either!
C-C-C-Changes! :)
Jan 31st
Ooh, so where do I start?
It’s been a while since my last post. I’m still working 55-(almost)-60 hours per week. (Welcome to the life of a Store Manager) Things should start to quiet down as time goes on–and we will see how that goes. (Maybe I’m just dedicated!)
Anyway, about a month or so ago: I was eagerly awaiting the release of the Nexus One from Google, my contract was up and ready to be renewed, and I was absolutely sure that I wanted that phone! So the release date finally came — I was ever so excited to purchase mine, as I had been a good boy and did not spend the money I was saving aside for it. However, things took a wrong turn when I attempted to Upgrade/Purchase this phone on Google’s website. The website said that T-Mobile customers were able to get the Nexus One for $179.99, but when you attempted to upgrade it would offer you the phone for $379.99. Wow, $200 MORE than I was expecting and led to believe it would cost. So I called T-Mobile to inquire about why this happened, fully aware that it was Google that was offering a outrageous price, but just expecting that T-Mobile would be able to help non-the-less since their Logo was the only one on the Google website as a carrier.
Talking with T-Mobile, I was told that they do have “private” criteria that is used to determine a customer’s purchase-price on the website, and that I would have to call Google HTC to find out more information. So I called the number given, and spoke to an HTC rep that told me T-Mobile was lying, and that their servers were actually the ones feeding Google with the pricing info per Customer. HTC said that T-Mobile was lying to me, and merely sending me to talk to the manufacturers of the phone just to get me off of their support call, since they had no real fix for me. Well, hearing this (true or not) did upset me; so I called T-Mobile back and told them what information I was given by HTC and that supposedly “T-Mobile lied to me”. T-Mobile was not much help when I asked for a Supervisor. I was told that the person I was speaking to was practically a Supervisor and she was sure she could help me. After about 40 minutes on the phone with her, she was little to no help, except that she did manage to make me angrier by talking in a super-cheeful tone for 40 minutes. She finally gave me a alternate phone number for Google and said that I should call it, as she tried when she placed me on Hold, but that the Automated system said her wait time was “too long,”
I called the number given, only to experience that it answers your call, says it is transferring you, then “We’re sorry, this number has been disconnected or is no longer in Service, please try your call again.” Infuriated by this situation, I decided I was no longer seeking T-Mobile or the Nexus One, as I had felt pretty mis-treated as a Customer to both. T-Mobile said little about the situation until I called and actually (by some stroke of luck) got to a Supervisor, who promised I would be added to an Escalation List for this issue, and would be called/emailed within 24 hours.
48 hours later, (with no resolution or call-back/email from either side) I took my happy ass to AT&T and bought an iPhone, which I LOVE. Talk about faster internet and really-badass Apps! (You also have to understand that before this, I was not an iPhone lover-I really thought it was silly that everyone [and their dogs/cats] had this phone!) After all of this tho, I LOVE and ADORE my iPhone. It’s so much faster, holds ungodly amounts of data/apps more, and has more apps available! Not to mention it was more stable and MUCH more pretty, cosmetically. Funny thing I learned about this is that on one side, Google/Android wants to try to be as popular as iPhone – but it has a LONG way to go (and likely a lot of alienated customers to bring back [good luck with that!]).
My Top 10 Favorite/Recommended Apps so far:
- Loopt
- 2Do
- BillMinder
- CardStar
- ICHC
- Bejewled 2
- AP
- Spending
- MySpace
That is it so far, in the order that I use them.
That’s all for now, I will be back soon (possibly on my lovely new iPhone) to post again soon!
-Austin-
Site Update
Dec 12th
And as you can see I am still here. I’ve updated the site — it’s been way too long with the same stale look. I hope you all enjoy the fresh new look!
I’m looking into adding more functionality to the site as well in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
I’m still here!
Jan 22nd
Wow! It’s been a while! Does anybody still read this? Anywho – where do I start this time?
Things have been pretty good lately. I still love my job at BLOCKBUSTER (maybe too much.) We’re a new (remodeled) BLOCKBUSTER – and the store is just awesome! I got promoted to Assistant Store Manager a while back (and forgot to post about it). I couldn’t be happier.
Outside of BLOCKBUSTER, my life has been relatively quiet. I suppose that in some instances I keep it that way (subconsciously?)..
Anyways; as I think about the past issues/thing’s I’ve gone through that made me who I am — I will begin posting more entries and more content. (I know, I know: I’ve been saying this for a while now. Rest assured that you can check back periodically and see the updates for yourself and know I’m serious this time.)
TTFN.
-siniStar-
Updates: Hot-Linkers, siniStar7.COM and Life
May 17th
Let’s start with some updates…
First; as I have asked since I began putting my media online – PLEASE DO NOT HOTLINK TO IT! Until now; I’ve only been asking. Now you have no choice. This has become too big of an issue for me — I woke up this morning and found the site had been taken offline due to Bandwith consumption. So I have activated a server-side HotLink protection system. If you have hotlinked to any of my content; it will show up as non-existant. It’s quite upsetting that I’ve had to activate HotLink protection — as I used my images on other websites (that was authorized) which can no longer be done. It’s such a shame when a few people ruin things for everyone.
Secondly; I’m still here. I realize that I’ve not posted much since I began working again.. This isnt intentional, but must be fixed none the less. I will begin posting on here more often. I’m contemplating and playing with new ideas for the site; maybe some new media. Stay tuned! In the meantime; don’t forget about my newest project: IRC4Fun (You can usually always find me online there)
Lastly; life is over-all going well. I’m feeling happier than I’ve been in a while – even with people trying to bring me down. I will post more about life probably later this evening or tomorrow. (Stay tuned for that too!)
That is all for now
TTFN
