Of carts, dead horses and deep discount prices...

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25TH, 2011

Well it certainly is a Black Friday in Canada, as we join our crass, commercial, Capitalist neighbours south of the border in celebrating a day of conspicuous consumption.

Do we really need a day set aside to honour the act of shopping? Are we truly that vacuous and shallow? Of course we are!

Hell, the next thing you know we'll sit back and smile as Americans run around claiming that they won the War of 1812! Oh wait. They've already been doing that*! Then again, with the birth of an American consumer day having it's inaugural launch in Canada, maybe they did win...they just didn't actually do so until 200 years later than they claim...as they sit teetering on the brink of societal and economic collapse.

Talk about hitching our Canadian cart to a seriously dead horse! Only Canadians could have such atrocious timing!

Oh well, let's all go shopping!

* To be fair, they did win the naval battle against Britain, but when it comes to the ground battle, they simply refuse to admit that a rag-tag band of Canadian settlers, British soldiers and Aboriginals whooped they're proverbial butts. Of course,  being polite Canadians, we let them keep Maine and Vermont. (dumb move - great Skiing!!)

Make Room! Make Room!

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31ST, 2011

7 Billion!

The world population is sitting at a staggering 7 billion today! My deepest regrets to every other lifeform on the planet. My apologies to the oceans and the air. Doesn't do much good being on the top of the food chain when the food below us is being wiped out at several species A DAY(!) because of human expansion.

I'd also apologize to the decaying remains of the dinosaurs, but we've pretty much 'exhausted' (pun intended) anything that was left of them.

In fact, we've been shitting where we eat since there were only two billion of us (in 1940 - or just 69 years ago - a number we should be practicing more often it seems)

7 billion!

Squeezed onto 29% of the earth's surface (the rest is all water folks). At a total land mass of 148,939,063 square kilometers, that's a depressing 47 people for every single square kilometer of land - and it's enough to make one want to remove one's self from the count! (Subtract uninhabitable arid lands and the Arctic from the total land mass and things get even more dismal). This year alone (so far) there have been 110 million births - nearly one for every square kilometer of living space on the planet!

And while we cannot possibly sustain this growth for much longer, capitalism REQUIRES an ever expanding population of consumers or the whole thing collapses, so aside from China's maximum family size legislation, we're not likely to see western governments acting to stem the tide! And so by 2050 we'll be a whopping 10 billion eating, shitting, baby making, planet consuming, environmental terrorists.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Back in the 60's and 70's we at least paid lip service to importance of slowing population growth. The title of this post refers to a popular sci-fi novel of the time (it was made into the Chuck "Cold Dead Hand" Heston's 1973 film "Soylent Green") which was typical of the cautionary tales told during the decade. But we just kept plopping out mini-me's faster than rabbits (or more appropriately - cockroaches)!

Yet there are still those who think we should celebrate this number!

I guess hope (and utter stupidity) springs eternal. (I'd wager mother earth doesn't share our rosy outlook!)

---

On a side note, global-warming skeptic Richard Mueller, who for years continued to claim that his fellow scientists were full of bunk, has done a major about-face.

After being financed by a foundation of fellow deniers to help back-up their claims, Muller's research has determined that global warming proponents have been correct all along, and that the world is warming at an alarming and unnatural rate!!

Well, Duh! Remember folks, the deniers are the same scientists (exactly the same scientist - hired by Big-Oil specifically for their easily purchased opinions) who said smoking was harmless.

Cellphone radiation is completely safe too!

Social media product contests - no I DON'T "Like"!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 2011

The first time I encountered a "forced" Facebook contest, was with a Stanley Cup shaped USB stick included in a case of beer. I don't remember what the prize was, but the gist of the contest was that you inserted the USB stick (a paltry 128mb, making it pretty much useless for anything but landfill-fodder after it's promotional use) and clicked an .exe (never a good sign) to register the stick and be entered in a contest. You were also linked to the facebook sign-in page.

It seems whatever contest they were having, the grand prize required that I have (or create) a Facebook account.

I formatted the stick, and gave it to my kid brother (who, being over 50, probably doesn't appreciate the "kid-brother" moniker). I have a Facebook membership only because it is impossible to delete a facebook membership. I certainly have no interest in a contest that requires me to expose myself to a data-mining social network site.

Look, I know this is being read by people who love Facebook. Indeed, I used to use Facebook to promote this blog. I have simply made a conscious decision to no longer participate in social media of any kind (blogging excepted of course).

Part of this choice is based on the fact that I'm simply not that superficially "social". I love my friends, but hate even talking on the phone if there's nothing important to talk about. Of greater significance though, I just don't appreciate that Facebook's revenue model is based primarily on acquiring, maintaining my personal information and selling me to advertisers. If that doesn't bother you, then go for it.

Lisa Kittelsen, assistant brand manager for Budweiser, claimed at the time that Budweiser's goal (Labatt's in Canada)  was on growing it's Facebook fan base rather than using it's contest to collect data about customers. "We’re moving away from the traditional, ‘give us your mailing address and phone number’ and moving toward, ‘like us on Facebook, become a fan and engage with us on a long-term basis’”, said Kittelsen.

Um. Excuse me? How does requiring a membership to a website who makes money by collecting and maintaining personal data, move Labatt/Budweiser AWAY from collecting data?? OK, they're not collecting the data THEMSELVES, but the release of personal information is still required to participate fully in the contest. It's just now you share this information more publicly than ever!

Companies aren't "moving away" from data collection... social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have simply provided a more cost effective (and intrusive) way to do it. To sweeten the pot, they can then maintain an active marketing link with their "fans" 24/7 with little cost or effort, by insinuating themselves into their customer's online social media activities.

I'd rather give them my address and phone number with a promise that they won't share the data, thank you very much. Facebook is a far more insidious form of data collection since the user gets no say in the matter.

Since the Labatt promotion, everyone from soda pop vendors and cosmetics firms, to automobile manufacturers and banks have jumped on the Facebook promotional bandwagon. It seems that anytime there's a contest nowadays, I'm asked to access my Facebook account to participate. How does this not alienate a huge swath of customers?? I know Facebook is popular, but I still know a lot more people who are not active members than those who are! (might be an age/gender thing though)

Are these companies promoting themselves, or trying to get more people to join Facebook to create a larger "fan" database? I don't know about you but that is just too "Minority Report" for my liking!

At least Labatt allowed me to register my USB stick and enter the contest without a social networking pre-requisite (although the Grand Prize still required a "like"). Most of the more recent promotions don't even offer a choice.

I've never voiced any concern over these new and invasive marketing initatives, because frankly, the products being promoted never interested me - I wouldn't even have participated in the Labatt/Budweiser promotion (I don't drink) had the Stanley Cup USB stick not been given to me! But when I am not allowed to even participate in a contest that does pique my interest, simply because I don't use Facebook, then I do become insulted and incensed!

Which brings us to Canada Computers' most recent "Build your Beast" cross-promotion with hardware manufacturer "Sapphire Technology".

If I could only receive the above ad by logging into a Facebook account, I'd have little problem with it. First, I never log into Facebook, so I'd never have seen the ad, and second, a promotion which takes place entirely within a social network is certainly OK by me. Problem is, the ad was e-mailed directly to me from Canada Computer, making it nothing but a tease to a non-Facebook user.

If a contest is forwarded to a subscriber mailing list (as this one was), then all subscribers on that list should have equal opportunity to enter. What Canada Computers has done is the same as if they had placed an ad in one magazine, saying you had to purchase a different magazine to respond to the ad!

As a faithful and regular customer, it's not much of an exaggeration to claim that I help pay the rent for more than one Canada Computers store on a very regular basis (food and lodging being the only expenditures that take a larger portion of my paycheque). Over the years, I've spent literally 10's of thousands of dollars at Canada Computers stores, and promoted them with word-of-mouth rants and raves. Additionally, most of my friends and family have Sapphire video cards in their computers that they have inherited from me (make friends with computer hobbyists - the ancillary benefits are truly kick-ass.)

So here are two companies, to whom I have offered enthusiastic support for many many years through both dollars and deeds, who have seen fit to lock me out of a contest just because I do not wish to belong to a particular Web 2.0 site!

Well screw you too!

British Columbia's NCIX is making major headway in Ontario, opening several stores over the past few months with very attractive pricing and selection, and while Tiger Direct is a more consumer-oriented (as opposed to enthusiast-oriented) retailer, they have a stock depth in each store that helps me avoid visiting more than one location (as I often have to do with Canada Computers). Meanwhile tiny little "Filtech" remains the ultimate go-to store for high-end hardware in Toronto.

And none of them thank me for my patronage, by forcing me to join Facebook to participate in promotions.

I am a loyal customer, but Canada Computers is not the only game in town (or in the province).  Since they've decided to slap me in the face by shunning my non-Facebook status, they can also kiss my left cheek! Additionally, my current system build doesn't contain a single Sapphire component (purely by chance), and I can easily keep it that way in all future builds (purely by choice).

Alienating your customers by restricting contest participation is highly counter-productive! Moving  promotions to a Facebook-only model delivers strong implications that those of us who do not use social media are completely insignificant to the companies involved.

And after years of offering my loyal support (and hard-earned cash),  I DON'T  "Like"  being discarded as demographically unimportant!!

---

If anyone reading this is similarly bothered by Facebook profiting off of your personal information, you may be interested in the new social media site called "Unthink", which uses a personal endorsement model to pair brands with  members.

If I understand correctly how it works, when you join, you select a single brand (from a list of selected socially and environmentally responsible partners) which you identify most closely with. I read somewhere recently that you can opt out of endorsing any brand and instead pay a small membership fee, but I can't seem to find more information on whether or not that's actually true.

At first appearance, Unthink does seem to give its users far greater control over how their data can be accessed/used, and its marketing plays up the fact that the user retains ownership of posted data, which is a major switch. If there IS a way to join without being forced to endorse a product, they might be on to something that truly is new. At the very least, Unthink's development suggests that I am not alone in my disdain for the revenue models and sleazy tactics that these sites often use.

At the end of the day though, it's still just another social network site and sorry, but  I just fail to see the attraction. Then again, I don't "get" the whole cellphone addiction thing either. (Is it really THAT horrible to spend time quietly with one's own thoughts occasionally?)

---

In the meantime, if you don't like the idea of a company making you participate in promotional contest through Facebook, tell them via email, the customer feedback links found on their websites, and (most importantly) your wallet.

George Orwell could never have imagined that we would have given up our privacy so cheaply. In a democracy your privacy should be your most valued possession.

We're giving ours up for the odds-against chance of winning promotional contests!

On Mr Spock and More Human Heroes

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24TH, 2011

Zachary Quinto is a hero.

At 34, Pittsburg native Quinto's career has been impressive. From an unnamed role on the TV series "The Others" in 2000, through creating television's most deliciously wicked villain (Syler from the "Heroes" TV series (2006-2010)), being cast in the iconic role of Spock in the Star Trek reboot, to being both producer and lead (as analyst Peter Sullivan) in the brilliant "Margin Call", Zachary's star is definitely on the rise.

And this doesn't even touch his well received appearances on stage.

Conventional wisdom would suggest that such success (especially after transitioning so effortlessly from stage to small screen to blockbuster motion pictures) should be protected with a certain level of discretion concerning one's romantic preferences.

While Zach is well known for playing emotionly guarded characters (who better to succeed Nimoy as Spock?) this emotional caution does not, it would seem, carry into his personal life.

On October 16th, Zachary publicly declared that he is gay.

While it must be admitted that we've come a long way since the days where Rock Hudson kept his closet door firmly closed for fear of losing his leading man status, we continue to live in a world where gay teenagers find suicide preferable to the bullying they must contend with every day.

Mr Quinto likely never had the moniker "heart-throb" as part of his career path (although judging by the photo, he could certainly step into that role in a heartbeat), but in the world of blurred lines between fantasy and reality, his admission could easily restrict his suitability for roles as a love interest to leading ladies, more than his over abundant eyebrows ever could.

North Americans simply have ingrained difficulty in seeing beyond the sexual orientation of their leading men. And while impregnating multiple women and setting divorce records may be ultimately acceptable to the movie going public, finding love in the arms of another man just doesn't play quite so well to oh-so-many moral hypocrites.

This was of minor consideration to Mr Quinto, when compared to his self-perceived responsibility in taking a public stand against the intolerance and prejudice that caused the deaths of Jamey Rodemeyer (and other ostracized gay teens, such as Ottawa's own Jamie Hubley).

He wrote on his blog...

"When i found out that Jamey Rodemeyer killed himself - i felt deeply troubled, but when i found out that Jamey Rodemeyer had made an "It Gets Better" video only months before taking his own life - i felt indescribable despair. I also made an "It Gets Better" video last year - in the wake of the senseless and tragic gay teen suicides that were sweeping the nation at the time. But in light of Jamey's death - it became clear to me in an instant, that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it - is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality.

Our society needs to recognize the unstoppable momentum toward unequivocal civil equality for every gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered citizen of this country. Gay kids need to stop killing themselves because they are made to feel worthless by cruel and relentless bullying. Parents need to teach their children principles of respect and acceptance.

We are witnessing an enormous shift of collective consciousness throughout the world. We are at the precipice of great transformation within our culture and government. I believe in the power of intention to change the landscape of our society - and it is my intention to live an authentic life of compassion and integrity and action. Jamey Rodemeyer's life changed mine. And while his death only makes me wish that i had done this sooner - i am eternally grateful to him for being the catalyst for change within me. Now i can only hope to serve as the same catalyst for even one other person in this world.

That - i believe - is all that we can ask of ourselves and of each other."

Or as Spock would say, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few - or the one. (La Quinto was certainly well cast!)

You may not be anything like Sylar (one would hope), but you truly are a hero! If integrity plays a part in success, your career has nowhere to go - but up! In a world where gay teens have traditionally had few role models (Quentin Crisp just doesn't cut it for everyone), you gave them a penultimate one.
 
I am one who hates associating the word "Pride" with being "Gay", believing that pride is something which should be reserved for our accomplishments, not assigned to a simple state of being. But even by my definition, Zachary Quinto has every right to be very, very proud!

Now, do gay Vulcans still have to endure Pon Farr???

Where did everybody go? RAPTURE!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2011

For those of you who may have forgotten my post of May 20th, I thought I should remind you that the world ends(again)tomorrow.

Harold Camping, says his previous predicted date of May 21st was NOT an actual mistake, but was the actual day of where Jesus stood in judgement of the world (would have been nice if he would have told us! Last time he was here, he went out of his way to make his presence known, but he came back in May to plan Earth's destruction - but not a note or even a phone call! Hell, even the Vogons gave us a few hours notice before destroying the Earth for a hyperspace bypass!)

Harold does admit though, that his prediction that the world would end on September 6th, 1994 WAS a mathematical error. (no word on why he was wrong in May of 1988 - but hey, at least he keeps trying!)

Anyway, Harold says that God, who it would seem is quite jealous of our proficiency in slaughtering each other,  is still hellbent-for-leather to become the greatest terrorist in the history of the world, rapturing the faithful tomorrow, and leaving the rest of us to endure 1000 years of pain, suffering, and (extremely) inclement weather.

So let me get this straight....this god-dude manages to create the entire universe in seven days, but it's going to take him 1000 YEARS to destroy one planet?? Christians will tell you it's to punish the sinners with a thousand years of hardship and strife, to which I reply, "What a sick sadistic fuck!"

But c'mon folks, how terrible will it really be? With all the Christians beamed off the planet (don't forget to buy ammo - they're gonna make for great target practice), we'll only have the Jews and Muslims to contend with - and without the Christians as their moderators, they'll likely do us all a favour, and wipe each other out during the first post-Rapture year. (Bonus!!)

This will leave the rest of us free to align ourselves with a less psychotic deity. One who doesn't profess his/her love by creating conflicts (like telling people they're chosen, or promising a band of nomads prime beachfront real estate) and subjecting entire populations to slow, agonizing deaths through either armageddon, or another season of the god-awful TV series "Falling Skies" (I choose armageddon!).

Odin sounds good, Zeus is pretty cool, and Vishnu followers get those kick-ass robes and pony-tails. But let's face it, just about anyone would beat the maniacal psychopath the world has put their faith in for the last few millenia! And please, this time let's not select a god with such obvious personality disorders. At least one that doesn't enjoy pestilence and suffering quite so much.

So Harold, go ahead and tell your brutal buddy to bring on his apocalypse! I've gone over every possible long range outcome, and I simply cannot see a downside to losing the segment of the world's population who insist on cow-towing to this blatantly evil Judeo-Islamo-Christian god. He/She has never done anything for humanity besides ensuring that all but the most evil among us, live in utter misery - and going out of His/Her way to perpetuate our hatred for each other  - in His/Her name.

Getting rid of all the Christians (and eventually all Muslims and Jews as well) AND their god's influence, actually fills me with hope for a much better world!

---

In closing, here are the lyrics to "Rapture" as featured on the 2009 album "Down at the End of the Bar" from brilliant singer/songwriter Leo Rondeau. Hope it provides an apocalyptic chuckle!

Rapture

I was driving down the road
Contemplating life in a secular state of mind
When I saw some fool with a Jesus fish
Oh Lord his faith must be blind
When all of the sudden his car went off the road
And a plane fell out of the air
When I went over to see if I could help
There wasn't anybody there

Where did everybody go -RAPTURE
Why am I all alone - RAPTURE
Where did everybody go -RAPTURE
Why am I all alone
Where did everybody go
Who will save my soul
I must have missed the life boat

I went back into town looking to find
Anyone as blue as me
I heard some voices from over the hill
And went over to see what I could see
There was a bunch of lawyers I say a bunch of lawyers
Drunker than all get out
They were holding hands swaying side to side
They began to sing and shout

Where did all our clients go -RAPTURE
Where did all our clients go - RAPTURE
Won't make money anymore -RAPTURE
Where did everybody go
Where did everybody go
Who will save my soul
I must have missed the life boat

Jesus oh Jesus I must get into heaven
Had I known all those words in the bible true
Don't you know I would have obeyed them
I'm down below and lord don't you know
I'm facing eternal damnation
So won't you teach me how to catch the second one
Since I missed the first saving

Chorus

Steve Jobs: Invention as the Mother of Neccessity.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7TH, 2011

With the passing of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, there will be much talk concerning his greatest contribution to the tech world. Was it the birth of the GUI (Graphical User Interface)? Plug 'n Play? The mouse? Unibody laptops? The iPhone? The iPod? Maybe it was re-inventing music retail? Or Apple Stores? Was it the introduction of the spreadsheet (Visicalc), or perhaps PDA computing (Newton/Touch)?

If we are to be honest, his true "legacy" product is none of the above.

No, the one product that Mr Jobs should be remembered for, in fact the ONLY product actually created by Steve Jobs (Steve Wozniac built the first Apple computers which were sold from his garage), is the Apple Consumer©.

Steve Jobs did not offer products that the world needed, he sold a lifestyle which in turn created a desire for the items he had to offer. This was facilitated by an unrivaled intuition into the consumer's pulse, allowing him to identify products which would resonate with consumers on a personal level. His brilliance was not only in the area of system design (although he had a 'Bang and Olufsen' sense of esthetics). What placed Mr Jobs so far above all other CEO's of his age, was his keen insight into the what drives the masses. He understood the correlation between price and perceived status, and that brand loyalty was created most effectively by marketing image-defining uniqueness (fashion?), while selling memberships to an exclusive insider "clique". (not an easy sell for a mass-market product.)

People don't buy iPhones because they're the best cellphones available (although they very well may be - that debate is beyond the scope of this post), they buy iPhones because they are "THE" phone to own. Macbooks aren't better because they're faster, sleeker or more advanced, they're better because they carry a vastly superior cool factor. That level of cool goes beyond the hardware itself, and approaches religious significance. In our self-centered "me-first" world, how can we possibly resist a range of products, who's very names proclaim "i" (humbly, in lower case!).

Steve is a product of "The Me Generation" and included a membership to "The In Crowd" with every Apple product sold. Macs are to computers what foie-gras is to chopped liver. While plain old chopped liver may be just as tasty, it's the consumer of the foie-gras who is superior for having such discerning tastes!

What makes this marketing feat even more outstanding, is that while the company is as blatantly capitalist as the rest of the industry, it is brilliantly presented as the every-man alternative to its evil corporate competitors.

"Computers for the rest of us" was Madison Avenue speak for "Elitism for the Masses", while "Think Different" was really "Apple users are superior people"

This outstanding (albeit manipulative) marketing, and the image it creates, not only for Apple, but for the Apple customer themselves, remains Mr Jobs' real claim to fame. He never 'invented' anything of note (while he may have "inspired" more than a few cool toys) or contributed to a better world (besides bringing us closer to a Tofler-esque "Third Wave"), but Steve Jobs did introduce a psychopathic-bond style of marketing to the mainstream, and made us all love being converted into brand-loyal zombies.

Don't get me wrong, Apple products are outstanding, and often feature bleeding-edge technology that the entire industry benefits from eventually, but is that why we want Apple products? Or do we want (need?) them simply because our self-image suffers if we are not among the faithful.

Steve Jobs most impressive accomplishment lies not with alternative technology solutions - it is instead in the re-purposing of computer hardware as a fashion accessory.

R.I.P. Mr Jobs. The last time Apple was without you, it floundered to near extinction. Without your near-Machiavellian marketing prowess, history will very likely repeat.

What will your legacy be then? Will you remain a household name? A "visionary"? A "genius"? Or will you fade to relative obscurity like Thomas J Watson and the others who came before you.

When all is said and done, you won't be leaving the world a better place for having been here. You achieved a position of unrivaled influence, and used it to create nothing but gadgets and personal wealth. Granted, that is hardly unusual among CEO's, but it certainly demonstrates that you do not deserve the accolades suggesting that you somehow transcended your corporate station. You didn't transcend it, you embodied it!

THAT is what should be mourned with your passing. It is also why I refuse to join the fanboys in your virtual deification.

A response from American Greetings.

AUGUST 01, 2011

As you've likely noticed, American Greetings left a comment last night on my previous post, asking me to contact them. It is telling that the comment was posted anonymously, and that the email addy given was the generic "altsupport@americangreetings.com", rather than a real name (bad marketing folks), but at least they responded.

Well, when I woke up this morning I also found two emails from Blue Mountain themselves confirming that my membership has been cancelled (hoo-rah!).

As much as I'd like to give Blue Mountain and American Greetings a pass on this, all they've done is cancel my membership - something that I should have been able to do myself before this all started. There are far too many examples of other people repeatedly suffering the same frustrations as I have, while Blue Mountain and American Greetings have never acted on improving their methods and procedures.

I cannot recommend that my readers make use of their services until they actually address the concerns of so many users over their billing practices.

As a result, this was my reply...

---

As instructed, I am writing to you regarding my inability to cancel my membership on your daughter company, Blue Mountain.

Since receiving your response to my blog post, I have also received two emails from Blue Mountain directly, confirming that my account has indeed been cancelled.

I thank you.

I am quite disappointed that this was made so difficult for me to do, especially since your billing is done with an auto-renew model. As my post outlined, your company has been made aware of the cancellation difficulties on your site numerous times over the past few years, but, it would seem, no attempts were made to fix it. Not only is this quite reprehensible, but it can only be described as an attempted cash grab from you clientele.

I would love to write a follow-up article describing the actions that bluemountain.com and American Greetings have undertaken to permanently address my concerns. A successful cancellation of MY account however, is not sufficient action for me to do so. I don't post critical reviews for my own benefit, but instead to attempt to illicit change from e-businesses who must (sadly) be reminded that end users must be treated with respect, if continued support is to be expected.

I don't expect you to abandon auto-renewals (although one would think that you would be concerned with the negative light in which these practices place your business), but my post outlined a few simple changes/improvements you could make to your procedures, that would greatly enhance your reputation in my eyes.

If your company makes headway on these recommendations, I will gladly post a new article, describing your efforts. Further, I invite American Greetings to comment publicly on your intentions in these regards. If no changes are made though, I cannot in good conscience recommend your sites to my readers, and will actively advise them not to join. I publish a small and insignificant blog, but my research uncovered that I am far from the first to voice dissatisfaction with your companies' renewal/cancellation methods. It is distressing that you do not demonstrate more concern over the bad reputation that is being earned by this facet of your operations.

At the very least YOU MUST fix your online cancellation functions! There is no excuse for the length of time (years) that this function has been broken.

Finally, what infuriated me and prompted me to publicly outline my frustrations with your firm, was the incessant nature of your repeated attempts to bill me. You are billing IN ADVANCE for services, giving you no right whatosever to make so many attempts to process the payment. This demonstrates a complete lack of respect for the people who have supported you. You ARE within your rights to suspend membership privileges, but NOT to harass your clients for payment for services they have not yet used! It is the reason why automatic-renewals are completely unsuited to pre-billed web service agreements.

Thank you for your assistance (which should not have been required) in cancelling my membership. I look forward to you enacting the changes that are required to make you a reputable member of the e-commerce community.

Please do not make light of my comments, as there is much work to be done. I find no fault in your services, but your billing practices are entirely untenable!

pebovision.blogspot.com

---

As my response states, I really would like to post some kind words about both of these companies, but so far they've done nothing to earn any praise. There is nothing wrong with the services on offer by Blue Mountain, my displeasure is entirely with their billing practices, and their inability (unwillingness) to demonstrate respect for their clientele. The anonymity that their representatives have chosen to maintain in their correspondence gives me justifiable reasons to believe that they have no intentions of altering their methods to the advantage of their users. (you don't respond to an irate customer anonymously - it's one of the first rules of PR!)

Nothing would make me happier than to report, in a few weeks, that American Greetings have started to make changes, or have posted a notice of intent on their sites (or here), but I'm sure you all join me in being doubtful that this particular tiger has any intention of changing it's stripes.

Too bad too, because they really do provide a fairly good service for those who might use it!

eBiz Sleaze...A warning about Blue Mountain

July 30, 2011

A year ago, I accessed the ecard site "Blue Mountain". I'm not sure what card I sent or who I sent it to, but for some reason I saw fit to open a membership with the site. I suppose I figured that the inexpensive membership fee was fair, and that if I didn't make use of it, I could simply let the membership lapse after the subscription ended.

Oh, but if only it were that easy!

About a month ago, I got a subscription renewal email from Blue Mountain. Since I had not used the service since joining, I simply ignored the email, passing it into my junk folder as I do with any service for which I do not wish to renew.

2 days later, I got a letter from my pre-paid credit card provider (the safest and most secure way to shop online) saying that they had rejected a transaction. Well, I only load my pre-paid card if I'm planning to buy something, so it was no surprise that an unexpected charge would be rejected. I was curious though, to see who was trying to use my card without my authorization.

It was BLUEMOUNTAIN*MEMBERSHIP 888-254-1450 OHUS.

Oh well, no problem. I had already decided not to renew, so I ignored the notice (the charge was rejected anyway, right?).

The next day I received another notice of a  rejected transaction. And the next. And the next.

After a week of this company continually trying to access my credit card, I logged into their website, and using the customer service feedback option entitled "Cancel my Membership", I sent this letter:

---

Unauthorized automatic renewals are a common practice of pornography sites! I expected more from Blue Mountain!

What I did not expect, was that my credit card would be billed for a renewal that I have no interest in (and did not ACTIVELY request) from a greeting card site.

Your charges have been rejected, and my credit provider has been advised not to allow further access to my account by your company.

I allowed my membership to lapse, because I WISHED FOR IT TO LAPSE! I did not open any correspondence from Blue Mountain, because I had no further interest in your services. Further, I most certainly made no active indication that I wished for my subscription to continue past its expiry date.

Of course you HOPE that a $5.00 charge will go unnoticed, as I'm sure it does by most of your credit card victims. Honestly, how many people do you bill regularly who have not used your service for years?

DO NOT make further unauthorized attempts to access my Credit Card, or I WILL take further action. This may not technically be credit card fraud, as I'm sure there is some fine print which I did not read, but it certainly comes close.

Automatic renewal billing is the epitome of sleazy business practices. I subscribe to several card/artwork sites, and yours is the first I have seen that makes use of automatic renewals.

Perhaps you should consider moving your business into the realm of adult entertainment. You'd likely find kindred spirits among the operators of those businesses.

I WILL be advising all of my friends and associates to avoid your site at all costs, and will be blogging about your questionable billing practices, as well making use of social networking to spread the word.

This is not about a small fee being billed to me without my consent, this is about abuse of my privacy by a company in which I placed my trust! It is also an attempt to charge a fee to former clients for whom your records will CLEARLY indicate have not continued to make use of your services!

FOR SHAME!

I should know better but SO SHOULD YOU!

---

The following week, they once again tried to access my credit card.

...and again and again.

After this (obviously irate) online cancellation request I not only received repeated messages from my credit card provider, but I also received more letters from Blue Mountain telling me that my subscription had been cancelled because their attempts to bill me were rejected. But they continue (another 6 times as of today) in their attempts to access my credit card!

A Google search has turned up repeated complaints about Blue Mountain's automatic renewal policy. With a charge this small, it would cost most people more to reverse the charge than to simply accept it, meaning Blue Mountain, a division of Greeting Card giant "American Greetings", is intentionally profiting off of billing people for services they are fully aware are no longer being accessed!

Taking money without providing a product or service is called stealing.

As I mentioned in my letter to them, this is a standard practice of porn sites. The difference being that porn sites DO let you cancel your subscription.

Now to be fair, Blue Mountain is emailing me, telling me that they are attempting (incessantly) to bill me.

You see, a pornography site would never remind you that you have a subscription. They know that people who join adult-content sites often have no idea who the various numbered companies are on their monthly statements, and since they have no idea what site to log into to cancel, they just pay the fees each month.

This may sound unbelievable, but I freelanced in webdesign a few years ago and one of the companies I contracted with, had a series of adult sites. They claimed that 75% of their billing had never visited the site again after the first month, but had continued to pay for years. I wanted to run a couple of email promotions as marketing initiatives, but I was told, in no uncertain terms, that I could NOT contact their clients (if I planned to name the site), as I would be reminding them that they are members, thereby giving them an opportunity to cancel.

Unlike Blue Mountain however, they would at least honour a cancellation request once they got one. Blue Mountain doesn't care if you know who they are, because they have made cancelling virtually impossible. They're pretty much assured of getting at least one more year out of you as long as your payment method remains valid!

I am contacting my pre-paid card provider today to cancel my card, and get a new one issued with a different number. It seems that this is the only way to stop this sleazebag company from continually trying to bill me for services I don't use. It's going to cost me a service fee greater than the Blue Mountain bill, but at least it will finally sever my ties. My card has been rendered useless anyway, since I cannot load it or Blue Mountain will immediately swoop in take their fee! I have written to them on two more occasions, but I highly doubt that anyone there even reads their cancellation requests.

!WARNING! Subscribe to bluemountain.com with informed caution!

If you already subscribe, attempt to cancel your membership about a month before it expires, as this may prove to be very difficult. The Blue Mountain website has a notorious reputation (Google it!) for having non-functional cancellation functions ("We're sorry, we cannot process your request") and as I've pointed out, cancellation emails through their customer service link are ignored.

The long and short of it is, bluemountain.com is going to automatically access your credit card if you don't cancel your membership, and they have deliberately made it impossible to cancel your membership online.  Remember, if you are forced to contact a company by phone, you are providing them with the ultimate personal data tracking tool. Anyone can use a reverse phone directory (just one of many tracing option if you have a phone number in hand) to find out both WHO you are and WHERE you are!

Tell your friends, or send them links to this article.

As I've mentioned, I use a pre-paid 'credit' card which only gets loaded when I plan to use it. If I used a regular credit card online, Blue Mountain would have already acquired their funds - scratch that... MY funds!

This is a company for which a portion of their income is, by design, collected from people who no longer use their service. Otherwise, why not simply send an expiry notice, and allow the member to actively seek renewal? (Duh! Because the user might decide not to!)

I highly recommend that you examine your credit card statements more carefully in future and see if any websites are charging you a fee that they hope you won't notice, for a service you'd forgotten you'd subscribed to. American Greetings may be guilty of sleazy renewal practices, but they're far from alone! Automatic renewals are not illegal, and their sole purpose is to dip quietly into your finances periodically, hoping you won't notice - or be quick enough to stop them! (Tell me, how is this different from being a pick-pocket?)

When you find a site you've joined uses automatic renewals, tell them what you think about this blatant form of thievery (in fact, why not proactively tell bluemountain.com or parent company American Greetings about this post, insisting on a comment!) If you have friends that use Blue Mountain, warn them! Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter!

But whatever you do...  

DO NOT GIVE BLUE MOUNTAIN YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER!!

Look, I don't want to diss a website that offers a simple-to-use and entertaining web-based greeting card service. And I will admit that the amount that they're attempting to bill me (under $5) is a bargain for anyone who would make use of Blue Mountain services.

BUT I DON'T!

Further, Blue Mountain's own membership logs will clearly demonstrate that I haven't even visited the site since I first joined! How does this provide a justification to bill for continued service?

So listen guys, regardless of the fine print on your site...

• if you insist on an automatic renewal model, then fix your cancellation functions. The web is replete with scenarios where you have been advised that your cancel option is broken (as long ago as 2007!!!) You have clearly left it broken intentionally.


• when a billing attempt is unsuccessful, take the hint and give up! Feel free to contact and advise, but there should be no further attempts to acquire a payment without a renewed authorization. Repeated attempts to bill is harassment, plain and simple!


• before processing an automatic renewal, check usage. If a member has not logged in within the past 6 months, do not renew without consent. You are not simply entitled to perrenial payment, where no further service is likely to be provided.


• respond to all posted customer service web requests with an immediate auto-responder, followed by an email from a company representative within 48 hours. In the case of a cancellation request, simply close the account and auto-respond immediately with a confirmation. If you cannot adhere to this final point, then you should not be operating online!

Show a little respect and common courtesy to your clients,

especially when you're in the process of taking our money!

 (you shouldn't have to be told this stuff ladies and gentlemen!)

AMY WINEHOUSE 1983-2011

SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2011

Let's be frank, the woman was a train-wreck bound for derailment.

That being said, she was also one of the greatest soul-singers of this generation - not that in the era of auto-tuned music-factory generated performers she had much competition (aside from perhaps the brilliant Sharon Jones - a woman who is redefining what it means to be "indy").

Her troubled life made it difficult for me to follow her career with the interest that her gift deserved, but I think in death we may be able to separate her path of self-destruction from the all-to-brief but notable contribution she has made, and she can join the greats of her genre as a true soul-legend.

Once again the tortured-soul that is required to create a talent of this magnitude has proven itself to be beyond human tolerance. As we all knew would happen, it imploded - while family, friends and fans were powerless to do anything but sit back and watch.

I'd say "R.I.P.", but I don't think she'd have much interest in resting in peace, so for Ms Winehouse, I'll simply say "P.O.W." (Party On Woman).

Armageddon days are here again!

FRIDAY, MAY 20TH, 2011

Got plans for the End of Days???

Yessiree folks, in just a little less than 24 hours the world will be consumed in a fiery blast!

This prediction of Harold Egbert Camping, has appeared on billboards, full page newspaper/magazine ads and transit posters across North America (I guess that when the world will end before the bill comes due, you can spend like a wild banshee on advertising).

Harold heads the Christian "Family Radio Network". In 2007, the near 100 station network had net assets of a whopping $127 Million! Christians know that if they fork out their cash, God will spare them his wrath (which really, only THEY deserve!). The meek might one day inherit the earth, but if ya wanna get Raptured, ya gotta pay up front for transportation!

Now just incase he's miscalculated, Harold has included a back-up date of October 21st. That's actually a good idea, since the last end-of-days event that Harold predicted (in 1994) didn't quite go as planned (I don't think anyway). Now, to be fair to Mr. Camping, 1994 DID mark the birth of NAFTA, and that WAS the end of the world for small family run businesses in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. (and to a large extent, the end of democracy and sovereignty, for the signing countries) but I don't think that God had ANYTHING to do with NAFTA.

OK, I know what you're asking... how did Harold come up with May 21 as the day it all goes to hell in a handbasket?? It's simple arithmetic of course!!

- First, the number five equals "atonement", the number ten equals "completeness", and the number seventeen equals "heaven".  (Some of you may remember the 80's synth-pop band "Heaven 17". A few band members eventually broke away to form "Human League". I always preferred Heaven 17. )

- Christ is said to have hung on the cross on April 1, 33 AD. The time between April 1, 33 AD and April 1, 2011 is 1,978 years. Now it may seem scientifically questionable to use a date in your calculations, that is only "SAID" to have been the date of Crucifixion, but let's cut Harold and his followers some slack, shall we? I'm sure someone was crucified that day! Romans were always crucifying somebody.

- If 1,978 is multiplied by 365.2422 days (the number of days in a solar year, not to be confused with the lunar year), the result is 722,449. (Harold doesn't explain why he decided to multiply these numbers together, besides the fact that they worked the way he needed them to.)

- The time between April 1 and May 21 is 51 days. 51 added to 722,449 is 722,500.

- (5 × 10 × 17)2 or (atonement × completeness × heaven)2 also equals 722,500.

Better get your affairs in order folks, because it looks like the numbers that Mr. Camping (left) has pulled out of his butt/bible indisputably indicate that on September 6, 1994, or May 21st, 2011, or maybe October 21st, the apocalypse will take place.

So what are we heathens to do?

Well, I for one am going to use the Rapture for target practice!!

I am taking my trusty Savage 110 bolt-action hunting rifle, and as all those moronic Family Radio Network supporters begin ascending into heaven, I'm taking as many of them out as I can!

Think of it, they'll be like slow moving ducks! I might add to the fun, by shouting stuff like "Get back here you sanctimonious bastards" or, "Let's see Jesus save you from this .300 Winchester Magnum shell!" as they fall back onto the pavement with a satisfying splat!

To those of us who will be left behind, imagine how wonderful the world is gonna be, when god removes all the Christians!! If we could only get Muslims and Jews Raptured as well!

It is, after all, that threesome of unrepentant sinners who keep getting us on the almighty's shit-list in the first place!

I'll start working on the math.

Revenge Rocks the Air Canada Centre

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2011 

The National Lacrosse League's Championship Final takes place at the Air Canada Centre tomorrow afternoon at 2pm

...and hardly anyone will notice.

The Toronto Rock will take on the Washington Stealth in an avenging rematch of last year's heartbreaker 15-11 Stealth Championship win!

...and the game won't be on any non-subscription local TV channels.

That's right...a Toronto(!) sports franchise has made it to their championship final for two consecutive years! In fact, except for 2008 and 2009 where staff and coaching changes saw The Rock struggle, they've won the Championship 5 years out of 7 and made it into the playoffs 9 years out of 11!

For over a decade The Rock has been Toronto's most impressive professional sports team .

...and most Torontonians couldn't tell you what they play. (which also just happens to be Canada's National Sport!)

The Rock clinched the Championship their first season (1999), then again in  2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005. They ended regular season in first place in 1999, 2000, 2001 (where they also made it to the final round losing to Philadelphia), 2002, 2003, and 2005.

It should be noted that in the NLL only one team is eliminated per division, but even with that considered, The Rock have earned the right to call themselves a "Dynasty" team within their sport. (certainly more than The Leafs have for the past 44 years!)

In 2008, even though they were eliminated in regular season, veteran Rock goalie Bob Watson* still managed to be named Goaltender of the Year! (But check out the man's stats!)

Yes folks, this is a truly amazing franchise!

Yet Toronto sports fans largely ignore them, chosing to shower adoration (and money) on all the teams that couldn't win a championship if Tony Soprano paid them to. Of course MLSE DO pay them to, but I wasn't suggesting anything.

The near-total disinterest shown to this great sport is abysmal!

Now, I could understand this if Lacrosse was Cricket, or Lawn Bowling (or, god forbid, Curling)... For a sport to be successful, it's got to offer some excitement. Well, I can honestly not think of any team sport that is MORE exciting than Lacrosse.

In the high scoring games, tides can turn  an instant -  a 6 point lead can be lost within a minute or two (as the insanely stressful divisional final against Buffalo showed us last Sunday).

The shot clock forces aggressive play, while 15 minute quarters and short intermissions keeps play tight and attentions focused.

The league is the right size for real team rivalries rather than the manufactured ones seen in wealth-financed super-leagues. With only 5 teams per Division (East/West) and a 3 week playoff season, Lacrosse is perfectly positioned to be about the sport rather than the profit. (note to Jim Balsillie - why not invest in a sport that could use the influx of cash!)

Unfortunately this also means that no one is going to get rich playing lacrosse. NLL players make an average of only $25,000 a season (in the MLL it's closer to $10,000!!), and most have full-time jobs to support their lacrosse careers. Remember this is a U.S./Canada professional sports league playing games in world-class stadiums.

$10,000 - $25,000 average salaries! These guys WANT to play! And it is the fans who are the beneficiaries of both clearly superior sport and unparalleled entertainment value.

Treating your family to an NLL game is about the same price as taking them to Macdonald's for dinner!

Really! I'm not kidding! Live professional lacrosse is THAT affordable! Tickets for Sunday's Championship final start at $15!!! A pair of seasons tickets will cost you less than tickets to a single Leafs' game!!! My tickets for the 1st game of the playoffs were 6th row Platinums just off centre-field. They cost me $75 ea (including Ticketmaster fees - don't get me started on those!!). My Championship Final tickets (Golds this time) $63.

In my view, lacrosse is the best entertainment you can buy. It's a refreshing throwback to what sports used to be about, before the days of 7 figure contracts, megabuck media deals, and bloated leagues. When one factors in that Toronto is one of the best teams in the league, Lacrosse's near obscurity calls for a hearty "what the f..."

Planning on going to see a movie on Sunday? Why not opt to see a professional league championship final for about the same price? Thrill for thrill live lacrosse will beat any cinematic distraction!

And the 3D is REAL!

*Sunday will be Bob Watson's last appearance as a professional lacrosse player.


After 15 years as one of the most celebrated goalies in professional league lacrosse (12 of those wearing a Rock jersey), he will be retiring at the end of this season. Outside of lacrosse, Watson is a night shift duty officer with the Waterloo Regional Police Service.


Guess he decided to quit his day job (the pay sucked anyway!) to protect more than a net.

Good Luck Bob! Your contribution to the game is an eternal legacy.

OLiGarchy re-defined

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2011 

Family day long week-end and a backlog of computer upgrades / re-installs kept me away from updating my lotto-ID-saga for a few days, but OLG did get back to me last Friday....

It would seem that the OLG will accept my City of Toronto photo-ID to prove I'm over 18, but only if I bring it in person to their prize centre.

Now, they were willing to accept a driver's license or a health card via FAX, but "because of possibility of forgery", they will only accept my employee card in person. Who knew that PDL's and health cards are never fraudulent?? I've also got to wonder... would someone at the OLG office even know a real City of Toronto photo card from a fake?

But the real laugh-out-loud moment is when they asked whether my photo card listed a date of birth(!!)

Beyond being among the stupidest questions I've ever been asked (does your employee ID have a DOB???), what difference does it make? I'm 56 years old, I'd say the photo (and my in-person appearance) is going to prove that I'm over 18 without a friggin' DOB printed on the card. Geezus H Keerist!

As I said in my last post, I am being hassled for the sake of being hassled. I don't have any of the items on their limited list of acceptable ID's, so they are going to hassle me until I give up. No clerk at OLG wants to take responsibility over accepting a proof of age from a near 60 year old in case it comes back to haunt them.

Need further proof? Try this...

I was told that while they will now accept the photocard in person, I will now also have to provide some kind of proof that I am a resident of Ontario as well. WTF???? What the HELL does this have to do with purchasing a lottery ticket, or proving my age???

Well, you see, offering my Québec papers to prove my age resulted in questions being raised about my residency, and lotto-advance is only open to Ontario residents.

I guess that working for the City of Toronto, where they've phoned me repeatedly, doesn't suggest that I might just live in Ontario. (And I gotta tell you that 4-5 hour commute from the Eastern Townships of Québec to my office in Etobicoke every morning is a major bitch!)

I'll bite. I want them to process my lottery ticket order sometime this century, and if I argue, they may require blood samples next. So I ask if I could bring in a lease for my apartment, or utility bills to prove my residency. After all, even a bank will accept these to verify a home address.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation though, well they're not sure if they can accept valid proof of residence as proof of residence, and will have to get back to me.

Someone send me Paul Godfrey's email addy for lord sake!

I finally asked the latest young lady who called me this time if, after speaking to me, she had any doubt that I was WELL over 18. She didn't want to commit to an answer.

What a friggin' shock.

Wanna help?? Write to: olgcontactus@olg.ca and let them know what kind of photo ID a 60 year old should have to provide to prove he is over 18! 

Understand, I could easily go to a kiosk with the money I was given, and simply forget about lotto-advance or the OLG website. Hell, a few of you have already told me that this is what I should do. But I have been penalized my entire adult life for not having a driver's license and it ends now!! Otherwise someone else will suffer the same hassles at the hand of the Ontario Lottery Gestapo.  The ID I have offered is completely valid, and easily proves my age and identity. It simply isn't part of their "approved ID" list.

Tough Titty!

This is a crown corporation folks. They serve Ontario. So why is it MY servitude that being insisted upon!

Dear OLG: Would you like a DNA sample as well?

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2011 

I am the lotto-captain of a hopeful little ticket-buying group at work.

Watching all of the nightmare stories of late about group purchases, I made sure that I researched all the ins and outs, and heeded all available legal suggestions before I started accepting signatures from both the participants and non-participants. (Yes, in our group you even have to sign a waver if you're not playing, removing any chance of any unsubstantiated claims!!)

I tried to anticipate everything, even getting the group to buy 3 month's worth of tickets all at once using the OLG's great "lotto advance" system.

What I didn't expect was that the "G" in OLG really stands for Gestapo!

You see, if you buy tickets online, you have to prove your age. Seems more than fair, but unfortunately, I was born in Québec in the 1950's...

Let me explain...

Back then, Québec didn't issue "Birth Certificates". Birth registrations were done by way of Baptismal papers, or similar civil documents (not very secular, I know, but neither was Québec in the 50's) .

Now, it should be noted that I could apply to Québec and have a modern birth certificate issued for a small fee (using my Baptismal papers as ID), but seeing as I can use (or have used)  the existing document to open bank accounts, take out a mortgage/loan, get an Ontario Driver's licence, or even get a Canadian Passport, I've never seen the point.

Further, if I do get a government issued birth certificate, it will be based on the information listed on my Baptismal papers, so could someone please explain the difference??

The OLG disagrees. They will not accept this document as a proof of age. Even though Baptismal Certificates were only issued as birth registrations prior to the 1970's - which in and of itself would verify my being well over 18, would it not??
 

Now, they have offered to accept a driver's licence, but I don't drive. They asked for a health card, but wouldn't accept the one I have, because it was issued pre-photocard...

hmmm...hold on a second!

The Ontario photo health cards were first issued in 1995 - 16 years ago, would a pre-photo card bearing my name not indicate that my health card is at least 17 years old, making me OVER 17? (Remember, I've told OLG that I was not born in Ontario!)

No, let's be honest here. OLG does not want me to prove my age - their multiple phone calls to my office have already done that (trust me, I haven't sounded like a teenager in over 40 years!) No, some supervisor simply wishes to continue hassling me until I do exactly as he/she says. Everyone reading this has dealt with this typical bureaucratic, fiefdom-protecting bullshit! I have simply always refused to tolerate it (yes Loreen, I'm at it again).

It was explained that the ID was unsuitable, because it would also not be accepted if one of our tickets won (although what this has to do with proving my age, is beyond me)

Even though I find it less unreasonable than refusing Baptism documents for proof of age (they are, after all, the ultimate proof of age), if they refuse my ID in the case of a winning ticket I will raise more shit than OLG has seen since shopkeepers were shown to be claiming other people's winnings (fat lot of good ID served in those cases!!).

And let's face it, I am being penalized for OLG's  reputed ineptitude.

I am more than willing to provide secondary photo ID, but refusing to accept a document that is considered valid identification by most Federal government offices (albeit sometimes with restrictions), goes way beyond any rights OLG may have, and certainly infringes on mine. Are they honestly trying to tell me, that in the age of terrorism, a piece of ID which will gain me a valid Canadian Passport is not good enough to ID me for winnings in a group lottery (where I will have 13 co-workers - who will be forced to share the prize with me - vouching for me.)

Nonetheless, that's a bridge we will cross when we come to it. The ID that I would provide should we win, has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the type of ID that I provide to prove my age at the time of purchase. As far as I know, one does not require Identification when purchasing through a kiosk, where age is verified by sight. It's not my fault that this historically inefficient Crown Corporation hasn't figured out a web equivalent (funny, I never have problems purchasing other "adult" content online, do any of you?)

So allow me to put OLG on notice, I plan to make an issue out of this if they also refuse to accept my City of Toronto photo ID  -  and anyone who has seen me in action when I have been put-off or put-out by a bureaucracy, knows all too well that I have the knowledge and community based resources to, if not win, at the very least make my battles very public and noisy...

...of course I absolutely love a righteous fight!

I will not suffer being treated unfairly, simply as a result of dealing with a website which has not learned how to properly service customers online. And Paul Godfrey wants to get the OLG involved in online casinos??? Yikes!

I am advising OLG of this post, and will give them equal time to make comment. All of you can judge whether  you think that their "justifications" are reasonable.

In the meantime, 14 people gave me a total $676 two weeks ago, and we still haven't been entered in a single draw - because, at 56,  I can't prove I'm over 18 to a group of bureaucrats, who are sitting in their office discussing how unreasonable I am being, and how they won't bend now, just to spite me.

If they continue to refuse to assist me (as I implied above, I have offered them my City of Toronto employee photo ID, and am awaiting a response), I'll be enlisting the help of social networking  "friends", and getting my MP involved.

Only a complete idiot pisses-off a (still) pre-geriatric French Canadian!

(although it has been nice to be "carded" for the first time in about 40 years!)

And the hits just keep on coming... Arcade Fire ignites the Brit Awards

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011 

OK, I shouldn't be blogging at work, but you shouldn't be reading a blog at work, so there!!

They did it again! Arcade Fire won Album-of-the-Year for "The Suburbs" at the Brit Awards last night.

If you'd actually like to listen to them in Canada, CBC Radio's morning show is playing them, so they're probably getting more national airplay outside of Québec, than any other current Montréal indie act. Not to worry though, other countries have no problem giving this homegrown band airplay, so even though you may find it difficult to hear them on Top 40 radio in Canada, the rest of the world's got them covered.

Congratulations to these insanely talented musicians who are fast becoming Canada's musical ambassadors to the world, and they beat the hell out of Baby Bieber (or Ms Dion for that matter) in the roll!

 Speaking of the  "Bieber-Till-You-Puke" phenomenon, Justin won the "Breakout-Artist-of-the-Year". I can actually get behind his winning that particular category. It does not suggest talent of any kind. Self-agrandizing teeny-bopper acts turn my stomach far too much to accept his worthiness for any other category though.

Why does he have no problem getting Canadian airplay?

(and if you're reading this, happy birthday Jo-Anne...the big 6-0! WOW!)

Canadian Rights Trumped by Corporations

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011 

 

The CRTC

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

Mission Statement:

To ensure that Canadian communications contribute fairly and equitably to Canada's economic, social and cultural prosperity through regulation, supervision and public dialogue.

Vision Statement:

World-class quality communications, with a distinct Canadian presence, in the public interest.

 (oh, and Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are REAL!!)  

Last month I got a call from my isp, advising me that as of March 1st, my unlimited internet account will be restricted to a maximum 25GB of bandwidth (or about one steam game - with no bandwidth left over to play it). Any additional bandwidth I might use will be billed at the cost of $2.95 per GB up to 60GB, and then $1.75 per GB for any use above that. No grandfathering, exceptions or higher bandwidth plans to chose from.

As the message continued I was advised that so far (at January 10th), I had  already used 70GB for the month. Simple calculations conclude that under the new plan, my $48/month (plus tax) unlimited internet service would now cost me $241  if my current usage levels were to continue.

 Ouch!

I'd like to add here, that Bell Canada charges my isp $4.25 for each 40GB block of bandwitdh. That's just fractionally over 10¢/GB  wholesale... but it's gonna cost consumers $1.50 or more retail???

Here Bell, why not take my left testicle too! Go ahead, take it in the name of cultural prosperity!

This is not a policy that my isp chose to implement - they rely on things like unlimited access plans and free premium usenet to compete with the big guys. No, they have been legislated to do so by that guardian of the  public interest, the CRTC.

You see, it seems that with the advent of Netflix and various other streaming services coming online in Canada, the big players (Bell, Rogers, Shaw, Telus) are at an unfair disadvantage. These billion-dollar companies can't afford to offer unlimited access to their subscribers (bandwidth can cost THEM as much as 3¢ a GB!), so why should smaller isps be allowed to do so. They can however, afford to offer on-demand TV and Movies plans - and charge absolutely no bandwidth fees (the service itself costs approx 24.95 a month).

The CRTC agreed, and instructed all Canadian isp's to introduce Usage Based Billing (or UBB.)

Such a massive overhaul to the way we pay for the internet will result in many Canadians suddenly paying more for the internet than they do for their vehicle leases!! For a government regulatory body to be on-side with such changes, it must indicate that we have been getting quite a break until now. We must have the best value service in the world!

Let's have a look...

Wow! I'm moving to South Korea! Hell, even the U.S. gets double our transfer speeds. This is upload speed though, and without cable or fibre-optics, slow uploads have always been a reality. I bet the CRTC has seen to it that Canada has the fastest download speeds though...

Geez, looks like everyone on the planet has faster internet than us! Maybe this is because the CRTC has restricted fees so much in the past, that our internet is cheaper than everyone elses? Ya, that must be it! That's why they have to increase my internet fees nearly tenfold! Because I was already paying so little! Here, I'll prove it...

Hunh? We have the slowest internet speed AND the highest per GB fees?? (note Rogers' unlimited plan will be eliminated under the new regulations, so their maximum fees will become usage based - resulting in charges 90¢/GB compared with 02¢ to 15¢ throughout the rest of the world. If you're with Bell or Techavvy you already pay these fees)

So why did the CRTC approve Usage Based Billing which is going to cost us 10 to 100 times more  than other countries -  for the slowest internet in the world?????

After all, bandwidth is not something that "runs out" like a commodity, if you need more bandwidth you just expand your infrastructure to accommodate additional usage. Certainly if you're charging the highest fees on the planet, you must be putting some of that money back into your service, to provide for increased bandwidth requirements and usage growth? To hear Bell and Rogers tell it, there's a limited amount of bandwidth to be had, which is simply not the case (unless they chose to make it so).

So, if bandwidth shortages are impossible, why did the CRTC agree to allow caps and charges for additonal use? How does limiting usage of a technology meet their mandate?

My brother and his lovely wife exceeded the 20GB cap already in place on their account (Bell) for the first time, the month they joined Netflix.

Netflix costs $8.00 a month.

With UBB, Netflix's $8.00 will likely end up being far more expensive for most users than the $24.95 for similar services from Rogers or Bell. Of course the CRTC wouldn't approve fees which would give an unfair advantage to some players over others, would they???

Rogers doesn't have a true unlimited plan, but they do have heavy-user plans (up to 180GB month bandwidth included at about $100/month).  Now, as I've already said, my monthly isp fees are soon going to be over $200 a month with my current usage.

 - OR -

I can switch to Rogers and pay a flat rate of $100. Hmmm... Whaddaya think most users are going to do?

The mass customer exodus from smaller isp's is going to put every one of them out of business.

Now wait a minute, the CRTC's Mission Statement states, "To ensure that Canadian communications contribute fairly and equitably..." how does sending small isp's into bankruptcy, and crippling companies like Netflix.ca somehow ensure fairness or equity.

(Or did they mean "fairly and equitably" in the same way Fox News means "Fair and Balanced")

Now, I dunno about you, but to me it sounds more like someone (or everyone) at the CRTC has been having liberal amounts of palm-grease applied by the major telecom players, and it's the Canadian consumer who is being jerked-off! 

If the CRTC and it's members are not under an illicit payroll and kick-back scheme with the corporations whom they are supposed to regulate and supervise, then they are simply incompetent, as indicated by their remaining blissfully oblivious to the blatant manipulation of their commission by corporate interests...

Either the CRTC is corrupt and on-the-take, or we have all been transported to bizarro world!

and it gets worse...

 Big Brother CRTC is adding Newspeak to the following regulations:

Radio Regulations, 1986, Television Broadcasting Regulations, 1987, Pay Television Regulations, 1990, Specialty Services Regulations, 1990, and the Broadcasting Information Regulations, 1993.

The amended Regulations will be effective 1 September 2011.

So what's been changed? Well there's tweaks to what defines "obscene" language, and amendments to complaint response and dispute resolution. Oh, and there's this...

Paragraph 5(1) of the  Regulations, which, under subsection (d) currently prohibits the broadcast of:

"any false or misleading news."

is being changed to:

"any news that the licensee knows is false or misleading

and that endangers or is likely to endanger the lives,

health or safety of the public."

So there you have it folks. As of September 1st of this year, if the CBC or CTV or anyone broadcasting in Canada chooses to falsify election results, or bear false witness to the actions of a world leader, or exaggerate a crisis, or lie to you for any reason, they can do so at their leisure, and present it as REAL news, as long as the lie doesn't (likely) threaten your life.

C'mon! I can get on board for the "...that the licensee knows..." - Adding that to the article could probably save a small broadcaster from incensed viewers. Good Idea! But saying that it's OK to lie (in the guise of news) as long as you don't (likely) hurt or kill someone, THAT I take exception with!

Our media is standing on an Orwellian precipice, and soon broadcast news is to be redefined.

Even the most bold-faced falsehood will be able to be read by Peter Mansbridge or Lloyd Robertson and presented as truth.

And even though the CRTC's public consultations on the matter expire in 1 hour (midnight February 9th - sorry just found out while writing this), the only CRTC action being talked about by any broadcast media is the ruling on usage based internet billing. There has been virtual silence on this ruling which, when it comes into effect in September, will make dangerous and fundamental changes to how much our evening news anchors can lie to us. How in the hell is this "in the public interest"

1984 commences in Canada on September 1st, 2011

Now, if there is one absolute truism in Canada, it is that you can make the government to do whatever you want them to do, simply by saying that your cause is an election issue.

This is especially true if the Government is serving in a minority Parliament, and they have an unbridled lust for power like Conservative Party of Canada. Let's face it, I could get any Conservative MP to blow me in a (crowded) public washroom if he/she thought it would get their party a few extra seats in the next election.

Well, the fine folks over at OpenMedia.ca started a petition to fight UBB, and suggested that the CRTC  internet bandwidth ruling be made an election issue (ALL CRTC RULINGS SHOULD BE! -ed). 


Within hours of the "election" word having been used  in relation to the petition, Industry Minister Tony Clement went public and said that if the CRTC did not "go back to the drawing board" and reverse their decision, then the Government of Canada would do it for them. 

Geez, Tony those are such strong fighting words, they're almost a blow job for the whole Nation! Well Done! If it wasn't such a transparent piece of electioneering, I might think that our Government was choosing people over corporate rights!

"There is always a healthy balance and tension between a regulator that is appointed and a government that is elected, and I'm sure 90 times out of a 100 the regulator may get it right. But there are times when we, acting on behalf of the government, have to weigh in. That's our responsibility and that's our role."

OK Tony, then what took you so long? The ruling is old news....why wait until the 11th hour to say something? And didn't your boss hand-pick the current CRTC Chairman, Konrad von Finckenstein?

Well, to skip ahead, the CRTC (who swears the move has nothing to do with Clement's press release) has decided to review the ruling. They have also opened public consultations (go ahead click the link! It's a chance to actually participate in democracy).

And unlike the "fake news" rulings outlined earlier, this consultation process is open until March 11.

Look, I am adept at ranting...and maybe you 're not, but it's not about how long each participant can ramble-on, it's the quality and quantity of the responses which will make a difference. So please, get involved...even if you just send them a copy of your internet bill!

The U.S. has Wall Street and the Federal Reserve screwing the taxpayers to maintain disproportionate and obscene wealth, Canada has the Telecommunications Industry and the CRTC*. 

We can fall to our knees and pay-out like our neighbours to the south did, or we can finally say "fuck-you" and hobble Rogers and Bell down to an easily digestible size.  We need to move en-masse to smaller internet service providers (available in both cable & DSL!), drop all the "extras" off of our land-lines (my monthly phone bill is just over $20), refuse to sign contracts for cellphone use (pay up-front for your phones you idiots - it's a fraction of the price!), and replace our cable subscriptions with $19 digital antennas (I get about 30 stations  - each one of them clearer than through cable - all with 5.1 digital surround to boot!!). These dinosaurs of the telecom industry have simply become too big to allow NOT to fail!

And unless you think Canada somehow deserves the slowest and most expensive internet in the world

SIGN THE PETITION!

───────────────────────────────────────────

*(Canada has become the world leader in derivatives trading and training. You may remember that derivatives  were the key Davids that slew  the financial Goliaths in the recent global economic meltdown. Why are they still legal? Because they're wildly profitable and when they fail, the wealthy are not the victims. Make no mistake though they will eventually destroy the economy - and regardless of our arrogant air of economic superiority, our natural resources are not going to protect us forever...(we don't own any of them anymore anyway).  Kids who play with fire will eventually get burned, and derivatives trading IS going to come back and kick us where the sun don't shine - the Rothchilds, Morgans, Vanderbilt and Rockefellers should walk away unscathed though - that should make you feel better. I'd suggest that everybody brush up on their Cantonese and Mandarin - we'll all be speaking Chinese soon!)

───────────────────────────────────────────