Kilo Seven

SimpliSafe? Simply Bad. A support call completely disabled their alarm system. I originally called support for a sensor failure; four calls later, the alarm system is completely disabled.  The first agent had a very bad connection, with squealing and flanging badly distorting the call when it didn't drop out completely. She insisted there was nothing wrong with her phone line (don't they know that each side of an IP-mediated phone line is independent of the other?) and also repeatedly referred to system components and models of the control panel I did not have. She put me in a mode of the system which completely keeps the system from working. After 19 minutes of bad support, I hung up and dialed back. The second agent put me on hold for 17 minutes, and when I asked for a supervisor, hung up on me. The third agent told me it was impossible to speak to a supervisor, and hung up on me after only 99 seconds.  Now, I am again awaiting for a supervisor; waiting over an hour and a ha...

Healthgrades.com has released its 2022 Best Hospitals ratings. When it comes to surgery, pick the hospital first, then pick the surgeon, because hospitals limit who can practice surgery in their facility. St Vincent had the most Top 100 series ratings; each highly rated hospital will get its own comment below. There are two "A" level trauma centers in the Portland Metro; Legacy Emanuel, and OHSU. Kaiser Permanente Westside won:     Gastrointestinal Care Excellence Award™ (2022, 2020) 2875 NW Stucki Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124 Kaiser Sunnyside won:     America's 50 Best Cardiac Surgery™ (2022, 2021, 2020)     America's 100 Best Cardiac Care™ (2022, 2021, 2020)     Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ (2022, 2021, 2020) 10180 SE Sunnyside Rd, Clackamas, OR 97015 Legacy Emanuel won:     Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ (2022) 2801 N Gantenbein Ave, Portland, OR 97227 OHSU Hospital won:     Cranial Neuro...

Stuck out nowhere after a breakdown? Is your cellphone battery low?  1. Text your friends. Texting uses little power, and often connects even if the signal's too weak to talk.  2. Tell them where you are, what's wrong, and what you're going to do (stay vs walk).  3. Staying is almost always safer. Your car keeps you dry and warmer, and protects you against getting run over. Search and rescue experts find live people in cars, dead people in the wilderness.  4. Send a text to 911. Some 911 call centers take text messages .  5. Change the phone's voicemail, if you can, to a message with your approximate location, the time, the date, your situation (lost, out of gas, car broken down, injured, etc) and any special instructions such as you are staying with the car, you are walking toward a town, etc. Even if your cell phone stops, voicemail still works, so people calling hear your message and know where to find you or where to send help. Before this happens:...