blog.diacakis.com

Intuit bought Mint today.  Mint was the only usable personal finance alternative to Quicken.  Now, it is only a matter of time until Mint sucks too.  Too bad.

The Mint guys posted this on their blog.  Blargh.  Not very fresh at all…

I posted a comment, but not sure if it will get approved.  From a cursory inspection, they only seem to approve the “compliments”.  Here’s my comment:

This is only good news for Mint.

This totally blows for Mint users. Looks like Mint management has already drank the Koolaid. They call Intuit (in the post above) a “customer-centric organization”. This is ridiculously far far away from reality if you have ever used any of the Intuit products. Not only they are buggy, but the technical support is horrendously managed and they never get around to fixing any of their problems. To add insult to injury they have new releases every year that we keep buying in vain hope that they fix more problems than they break (they never do). Let me not even get started as to why Quicken PC and Quicken Mac don’t work together.

Next, Mint management now inherits Quicken, so that mess will be a bottomless pit for their energy and time. Kiss anything good that was going to happen to Mint goodbye.

Last, Mint management thinks Quicken is one of the “most trusted and respected brands in software”. Hopefully that’s just for external consumption and they will have the guts to internally acknowledge their products and processes are beyond terrible and get something done about it.

What a sad day for personal finance.

Update 2009-09-15

Another thought to the Mint/Intuit geniuses, as posted on their blog:

I just skimmed through all 336 comments currently showing on this post [see link on my original post]. Approximately 254 of those 336 comments (that’s about 75%) talk about one of the following themes:

• sad or disappointed about the merger
• how the have or will cancel their accounts and/or look for alternative services
• how they went with Mint just to avoid Quicken
• how Intuit’s products don’t work very well
• how Intuit’s customer service & customer relations are terrible

Is anyone going to finally listen to the customers?

Το: Archbishop’s Desk (archbishop@ecclesia.gr)

(Ανοιχτη επιστολη)

Μακαριοτατε,

Με μεγαλη μου χαρα διαβασα στις ειδήσεις οτι δηλωσατε σημερα οτι η περιουσια της εκκλησιας ανηκει στον λαο (http://www.in.gr/news/article.asp?lngEntityID=943521).

Θα ηθελα καταρχας να σας ευχαριστησω για την γενναιοδωρια σας.

Επισης, λογω των προσφατων γεγονοτων σχετικα με το τραπεζικο συστημα και την μονη Βατοπαιδιου, μου εχει δημιουργηθει μια ανησυχια για την διαχειρηση της εν λογω περιουσιας απο την εκκλησια.  Θα σας παρακαλουσα λοιπον οταν εχετε λιγο ελευθερο χρονο να μου στειλετε μια επιταγη (ή και εμβασμα) με το ποσοστο που μου αντιστοιχει, ετσι ωστε να την διαχειριστω προσωπικα.  Φανταζομαι το ποσο θα ειναι περιπου το συνολο της περιουσιας της εκκλησιας δια περιπου 11 εκατομυρια.

Σας ευχαριστω εκ των προτερων,

Αθανασιος Διακακης

———————-

(Open Letter to the Archbishop of Greece)

Your holiness,

It was my great pleasure to read in the news that you commented today that the property of the church belongs to the people (http://www.in.gr/news/article.asp?lngEntityID=943521).

First, I would like to thank you for your generosity.

Next, due to recent developments regarding the banking system and the church of Vatopedio, I have become worried about the management of this property by the church.  As such, I would like to ask you, when you have some free time, to send me a check (or wire transfer) for the portion of the property that belongs to me, such that I could manage it myself.  I assume that would be approximately the total church property divided by about 11 million.

Thanking you in advance,

Athanassios Diacakis

The mountains out there are truly stunning.  The monasteries built on top of them are a bit screwy, and the subject of this post.

I was not particularly keen on going in an actual monastery.  I admit, the exuding open-mindedness was tempting…  but does anyone really want to hang out with a bunch of hairy, “celibate”, bachelors?  Anyway,  I was amused to find out that I was not allowed to go in, because I was wearing shorts.  Apparently, if you take the time to read the bible, you will discover the section where god describes how short pants are offensive or even pants altogether if you are female.  Really!  It’s in there, right after the section condemning abortion…

Ironically, I am pretty sure they would not have minded my t-shirt reading “Godless Heathen”, or the fact that my clothes were of mixed fibers (Leviticus 19:19).

So it is with great honor, that I dedicate this photo to the priests at Meteora:

Belated post, but I cannot stop myself from giggling every time I think about this:

Vatican lists new sins, including pollution

Breaking news from one of the most acclaimed scientific organizations – the Church.  [Galileo turns in his grave].

Anyway, I am glad god was finally able to make time in his busy schedule to communicate this to his mouthpiece on earth!

1. Vicodin
2. Not being able to eat for 20 hours
3. Not being able to shower for 2 days
4. Not being able to sleep properly for 10 days
5. Not being able to fly for 4 weeks

On the bright side, 4 1/2 weeks later I nearly have full range of motion with minimal pain,  I can lift my own luggage, and I can reach the throttle and manual gear extension handle.