In the past year, 21st Century has gone to shit. My policy was canceled. My premiums are always changing. Support has been subpar. I live-chatted with them just to find out why my policy increased to almost $200/month. This is a transcript of the conversation:

Thank you for choosing 21st Century Insurance. Please wait for a Customer Care Representative.

Thank you for choosing 21st Century Insurance, how may I assist you today?

Eddie: Hi I have a question about my premium

Levon: Sure.

Levon: What specific question do you have in regards to your premium, Mr. Phanichkul?

Eddie: It looks like I'm paying more than I was paying. Did my premium go up?

Levon: I can look into that for you.

Levon: While I am reviewing your policy, can you please verify if there has been a change to your address, work number or email information in the past 30 days?

Eddie: Thanks

Eddie: Yes I have changed my address

Eddie: But I don't know if I've done it in the system yet

Levon: What is the address we should have in our records?

Eddie: --REDACTED--

Levon: We need to update your address. What is the date you moved to the new address?

Eddie: September 1

Levon: Are you the only person residing at your new residence?

Eddie: No I am not.

Eddie: It is temporary residence

Levon: Do you know what your primary residence will be?

Eddie: Well this is my primary residence for the time being

Eddie: All of my mail is forwarded here until I find a new home.

Levon: If I understand you correctly, there are other people living in the house. Is my understanding correct?

Eddie: Yes

Eddie: What is the point of this line of questioning?

Levon: Due to our underwriting guidelines any person residing in the same house, who is 16 and over will need to be listed, excluded or listed on the policy.

Levon: If they have their own insurance they can be listed in the policy provided we have the name, date of birth, driver license number, date first licensed and proof of insurance.

Eddie: So are you sending me a form?

Eddie: It's my girlfriend's house, and she has her own insurance

Eddie: Ok, send me a form, I would not like to complete this online.

Eddie: I just want to know why my premium seems higher than the previous period

Levon: We would need the above requested information to update your policy. If she has her own insurance her proof of insurance can be faxed to this number 1-866-552-9104. I will be happy to assist you with the question you have but we would first need to update our records because you have moved.

Levon: If you do not have the requested information listed above, I will notify our underwriting department and they will either contact you for the information or send you a form. You can also contact us when you have the information.

Levon: Because you have moved, do we also need to update the estimated annual miles you would be driving your vehicle?

Eddie: I'm not answering any more questions. I don't have time for this.

Eddie: 21st Century has made me reconsider my insurance policy. I will be shopping for another insurance company.

I've got some new iPhone App projects and I'd like to hire some Beta testers. By hiring, I mean get them to do it for free. Know anyone?

The test will last till the end of the year. Just email me for the info via this website!

It is dawn.

A new day is here and as if the world had held its breath for so many years, a sigh of relief and knowledge of comfort has replaced fears of hopelessness.

Today Barack H. Obama was sworn into the office of President of the United States. "Yes we can" is now echoed as "yes we did," and remembrances of the phrase "we shall overcome" has given way to "we have overcome." The President promises a new America, one of responsible government and leadership. Exactly how much of the Bush Administration's policies will be reversed has yet to be determined, but the majority of the new wave elite, young democrats, and centrists believe that much of what the Bush Administrations failures will be corrected.

In the last 8 years I have seen this country go through hell. I can tell my children I was there for the historic 2000 election, the pitiful 2004 re-election, and the historic 2008 election. I am now a part of history like my father before me, and my children will be.

I only wish Kirsten was able to witness it live.

Cheers to a new dawn, a new day, a new America.

I'm Kelly!

All things golf, not the least of which, tips on improving your golf game. From Hit Down Dammit! author, Clive Scarff.

Over the weekend, I updated the coding of the website. It should be easier to post and rate articles now. Also, the spam issue has been resolved!

New features include video and audio blogging or podcasting, as well as new CAPTCHA to combat spam.

Happy posting!

Last month saw over 8,000 visitors and 33,000 page views. The site continues to grow rapidly! Thanks to everyone who's helped to nourish the site with their articles and raise TakingStuffApart.com as if it were their own bastard child. We really appreciate it.

Other statistics from last month:
Apryl is now the most popular author. We have over 2,300 articles on the website now as of April 1st, 2008. We have almost 600 users, a fraction are truly active, though. We also got hit by spam. A lot of it. Fake users and tons of spam comments plague the site daily, hence the need to update the software. Apryl's "5 Questions" seems to be a big hit. Keep that going!

I'll be trying to launch more websites in conjunction with this one, and I'll be hiring more developers to help with TSA, so don't you worry. The site will continue to grow and everyone who's enabled revenue sharing will continue to get paid :)

Thanks again!

This may be a point of contention, but I now believe that colon cleansing is a scam. The research that stems from some of the websites I've visited are pure nonsense.

For instance:
claim - toxins are absorbed into the body by feces that accumulate on the intestinal walls.
evidence - you'll feel better after a cleanse. testimonial, testimonial, testimonial.

What kind of marketing is this? For stupid people? It's got all the buzz words to make you think you're buying a great product.

Here's an idea..

I've got a product that will make you smarter, live better, eat healthier, and be a pleasant, more productive person. I'm telling you IT WORKS. By taking a two to three doses per day (it comes in easy to use bottles), you'll feel better. It will improve your mood. Its a natural diuretic and will cleanse your bladder from the toxins that accumulate on the bladder wall. The liquid is also thick, so it will coat and help alleviate sore throats. There's a nitrogen capsule inside works two fold: it assures you of it's freshness and helps to rejuvenate your cell walls and cell membrane in your stomach when you digest it. It's made from the best stuff on earth and is all natural. That product my friend is none other than Guinness draught beer!

Buy Guinness now!

I don't invite people over.

The prospect of a relaxing Sunday afternoon stippled with sunny reflections over breezy chatter isn't something on my agenda.  Yet.

You know why?

It's because I hate my couch.  Not just in that way where you kind of don't like your couch, and it seems a little outdated... but with the burning hot fury of a thousand suns.

The Beast, a nickname it has been christened with over time, sits - nay, lurks! - in our living room.  We have a 600 square foot apartment, 90% of which is taken up by the goddamn couch.  It was there when we move in, and it will probably be there when we leave.  A green, cracked leather behemoth of furniture, it knows that it could never be replaced because it is just too much of a hassle to move.

I've considered getting the day laborers outside of Home Depot to just take it away.  ¿Dónde a?, they'll ask me, and I will shrug and point out the door.  Just take it.  The couch sits, smug in its' permanence, and you can almost hear it laughing at us.  Mocking. 

 

It’s just not fair.  Have you even seen what’s out there?  Ever since buying The Entertainment Beast, all I’ve really wanted to do is get a new couch.  With the goods that you can find at ApartmentTherapy, InhabitLiving or MocoLoco, it almost makes me want to have a tantrum.  

What happens is that I see sites like Workspace of the Week over on Unclutterer and want my apartment to be cleaner.  This either makes me surf obsessively (weeping!) through the home décor sites, or launches an epic cleaning spree that results in the apartment looking like we just moved in.  That latter bit happens perhaps once a month, and can probably be blamed on the moon… or the cat.

Then my wishlist factor kicks in.  The first symptom is astonishment: WHY does a single chair cost more than I make in almost six weeks worth of work?  The second symptom is answered by its’ own questioning:  WHY can’t we have that?  Well, because a single chair costs more than I make in almost six weeks worth of work.  Don’t get me wrong: it’s an awesome chair.  It is, however, a CHAIR.

Other things that are interesting (and make me realize that I really am a packrat) are things like this, where someone lives in a space half the size of my dwelling.  They probably don’t share that with a significant other and a cat, but you never know.  They also probably know how to pick up their laundry and put it away, however this is one of my major downfalls.  The lines in those rooms are nice and clean, and all of those homes look like display models.  My home is not particularly clean, nor does it look like a display model.  It looks like a renovated San Diego beach cottage from the 70’s, which makes it stay true to form.

However, that last link brings me full circle… did you see the couch?  Square, comfy, one piece?  Yeah, I need to borrow that.  You don't need it.  I need it.

While you’re at it, feel free to pick up some new sheet sets for me.  Maybe it’ll offset the couch.

Over the next week, I'll be updating the administration and article submission systems. Please bare with me if the site unexpected goes down.

Thanks,
Admin