Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Deactivate Facebook

Went to my old facebook account to get rid of it.

You cannot delete it. You can only deactivate it. And it specifically states people can still send messages to your account , look at photo's etc etc.

In my case there's nothing on facebook but a few rants about what a horrible violation of privacy it is. But other people who may have posted something... there's no removing it ..

(edit)
Delete Facebook

A google search turned this up. It doesn't show if you search facebook or look for an option , but google found it.

It seems facebook doesnt' want to get rid of those embaraassing photo's of you getting drunk and piddling on the cop car just before they arrested you. Isn't that just so irritating ?

Turn over Facebook history, judge orders

Article


Rosemary Carter is fighting Herbert Connors for damages after the two were involved in a collision in the northern New Brunswick community five years ago.

"Incidentally, it must not be forgotten that this legal action was commenced by the plaintiff and in launching it she has implicitly accepted certain intrusions into what otherwise might be private information, the disclosure of which would ordinarily be left to her own personal judgment."



So , you got into a car accident, you're sueing the guy who hit you , his lawyer demands you turn over your face book account, and it's legal.

Nice. Feel like sueing someone ? Hope you don't have a face book account. Feel like looking for a job ? Collecting insurance , anything at all almost with any large organization ? They want to look at your face book account.

Give me six sentences from an innocent man and I will hang him , as the Riechlieu quote goes. Give them your face book account and it wont stop there.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Assumed Sale Technique

Toronto telemarketing firm fined $15M for scam


DataCom telemarketers succeeded in the scam by using an "assumed sale" technique. They implied that the business had ordered a directory listing in the past and it had been authorized by someone in the company. Telemarketers would then use aggressive collection tactics to ensure payment. The targeted firms were usually duped out of $200 to $500.



This is actually how most collection agencies work.

You get in trouble with some company , usually because they're ripping you off, and they don't argue with you. They just send you to the collection agency. Now the collection agencie has no records to check anyones story so they just assume you're guilty as charged, and demand payment.

The really sleezy one is when my wife went through bankruptcy , and the collection agencies ignored that and still harrassed her about it and demanded payments.

And when she refused ? They sold her debt to another collection agency and it started all over again. Around and around and around.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Mom takes on Rogers policy

Mom takes on Rogers policy


A Coquitlam mother of three text-happy teenagers is angry with her cellphone provider for altering their contract, but Rogers Wireless said the customer was given advance warning that some terms of their agreement would change.
.
.
.
"It’s wrong for Rogers to be able to change anything they want,” she said. “I want them to honour our original deal. I have no control over who texts my children.”

A spokesperson for Rogers said they notified customers in June 2009 that their contracts would be changing.

Edward Bukszar, a Simon Fraser University business professor, said the move is legal but risky for Rogers.

“You always risk alienating customers when you change things like this regardless of the strategy they put behind it,” Bukszar said. “Customers feel distanced from a company they’re expected to be loyal to.”


Welcome to the wonderful world of the Non-Contract Contract.

That would be the part where you're stuck with a two year contract and they can change the terms any time they like and there's nothing you can do about it. Giving notice that they're about to rip you off doesn't help if you don't get the opportunity to cancel , etc etc.

The day of signing contracts is over, if you ask me. Since you're bound by them and the other party is not , and you gotta know this has legs and is going to spread, there is no point to it. It's now become another form of advertising. Reel them in with a great deal then hit them hard with a fee hike afterwards.

I will sign nothing with Rogers anymore. Or bell, but thats another matter.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Rights groups Think Taliban just peachy, continue to Bash Westerners

Rights groups add to call for Afghan torture inquiry


OTTAWA – Canada has put at risk every Afghan prisoner it has transferred over the past eight years, the head of Amnesty International said today.


What about the all the people the Taliban were busy murdering , do they count for anything ?


At that time, prisoners were being handed over to U.S. forces in Afghanistan, despite the likelihood of further transfers on to Guantanamo Bay in addition to the "strong risk of torture and ill-treatment" at U.S. detention centres in Afghanistan, Amnesty states.


What about the Taliban throwing acid on school girls faces because they dared to attend school ? What about how they continue to this day to terrorize and close schools, murdering teachers and students alike ?


"We highlighted that given the prevalence and systematic nature of torture in Afghan prisons, such transfers were prohibited under international law," the open letter states.


Why is it Amnesty International only goes after western nations , never anyone else ? If I was a betting man , I'd say "follow the money" , who's benifiting this ? And that puts Amnesty in the pocket of every third world dictatorship on the planet.

Why don't you go after them for a change ?

The deafening silence of your response is answer enough , I think.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Insurers using Facebook to investigate claimants

Article

Canadian insurance firm Manulife has reportedly cut a depressed woman’s benefits because photos showing her happy were posted on Facebook.

The woman, Nathalie Blanchard, said she cannot understand how Manulife was able to access her account because she had adjusted her privacy settings so that only friends could see her posts, said CBC News.


Smile for the birdy ! Thank you. Kiss your insurance goodbye.


Manulife has confirmed to CBC News that it uses Facebook to investigate clients.
But it said, "We would not deny or terminate a valid claim solely based on information published on websites such as Facebook."

Facebook has already proved its use to human resource departments wanting to investigate potential new staff. Senior managers have also been found to use Facebook to check up on employees.

According to Facebook's current privacy policy, the social networking site will share information to prevent fraud or other illegal activity.

"This may include sharing information with other companies, lawyers, courts or other government entities," says the policy.


We sell your facebook info to anyone and the dog. They get to see your pictures , your video's , anything marked private , anything at all !

So what can you do on face book ? You can talk shop. You cannot talk politics or religion, you can talk about a game you play. Thats about it.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Microsoft License

I had reason to go over the terms of the Win Xp license , which is on my computer. Had to hit the microsoft site for it.

Consent to Use of Data. You agree that MS and Microsoft Corporation and their affiliates may collect and use
technical information gathered in any manner as part of the product support services provided to you, if any, related to
the SOFTWARE. MS, Microsoft Corporation and their affiliates may use this information solely to improve their
products or to provide customized services or technologies to you. MS, Microsoft Corporation and their affiliates may
disclose this information to others, but not in a form that personally identifies you.


You agree to let Microsoft spy on you , and by the way the spyware is already there. Built right into the operating system. It will loot anything it feels like and send it back to Redmond where they will do whatever they like with it.

Security is Job One , indeed !


Internet-Based Services Components. The SOFTWARE contains components that enable and facilitate the
use of certain Internet-based services. You acknowledge and agree that MS, Microsoft Corporation or their
subsidiaries may automatically check the version of the SOFTWARE and/or its components that you are
utilizing and may provide upgrades or supplements to the SOFTWARE that may be automatically downloaded
to your COMPUTER


They're gonna change your operating system on you. Anytime they like. And they don't have to warn you of it.

The part I was looking for , the one where they claim to have the right to confiscate your computer, wasn't there. Thats an urban myth it seems.

But still. They can spy on you any time they like, and they can upgrade your "internet connectivity software" any time they like. That's enough that you should not use windows for any kind of in house stuff. Microsoft can legally steal your trade secrets you know.

How do you like them apples ?

Thursday, November 12, 2009

What Happens When You Pay The Ransom

Spain calls for pirate blockade


She also called for the international community to track ransom payments made to Somali pirates by shipping firms through intermediaries.

Somali pirates are currently holding 36 Spanish fishermen hostage on a trawler.

The pirates say they will not release any of the fishermen until Spanish authorities release two of their colleagues from custody in Spain.


So what we have here is an entire ecology of pirates, and victims , and security personal trained to deliver ransoms , and the whole nine yards. And they're demanding the pirates you did catch get returned or they'll do nasties to the hostages they have at the moment. Which are many . Because they've been at this for a long , long time.

Now how did we ever arrive at this point , you wonder ?

It's simple.

They paid the ransom.

And the pirates found the money good. So they did it again , and again , and again. And more and more joined the pack, until it became a huge wealthy industry not only on the pirate side, but on the victim side as well, as all sorts of security experts had to be hired on because of it.

Very profitable all around.

Unless your the customer trying to buy the goods being shipped on those boats and wondering why the price is so high all of a sudden ?

Unless those goods are actually needed to save lives (weapons , medicine , food , you get the idea).

Unless your economy depends on trade and you have people starving on the street because you can't afford to feed them because all trade is blocked by pirates.

Thank you for demonstrating to us all why you should not pay the ransom. Now the only question is what will the toll in blood be to shut this place down. You've let it run for quite a while so I'm certain the body count will be rather high.

Just as I'm certain there isn't any choice in the matter.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Your X-Box is not Your X-Box

Microsoft disconnects Xbox gamers


Thousands of gamers may have been cut off from Microsoft's online gaming service Xbox Live for modifying their consoles to play pirated games.


Oohhh..you can only play microsoft games , not anyone elses.


Microsoft has not said how it was able to determine which gamers to disconnect.

"We do not reveal specifics, but can say that all consoles have been verified to have violated the terms of use," the firm said in a statement.



And how did you verify six hundred thousand x-boxes without the cops kicking in six hundred thousand doors ? I'll tell you how. The X-Box is running spyware , courtesy of microsoft, to see everything you're doing. And to make sure you only run microsoft products , not some other guys products.

This X-Box you bought , you didn't buy it. You just rented it. It's not really your property. And Big Brother Bill Gates is watching your every move.

Monday, November 09, 2009

Pirates get a taste of Microsoft COFEE

Article


Microsoft's Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor (COFEE) has made it into the hands of pirates, and their virtual ships are distributing it quickly for everyone to get a taste. The COFEE application uses common digital forensics tools to help law enforcement officials at the scene of a crime gather volatile evidence of live computer activity that would otherwise be lost in a traditional offline forensic analysis. In other words, it lets officers grab data from password-protected or encrypted sources. That means you can now break the law twice over: download the software and then use it to steal information from other people's computers.


For those of you who think you're clever, encrypting your files , setting up passwords, things like that. I have news for you.

You've been back stabbed from day one.

The USA requires all encryption programs to have a back door so the cops can get in fast, and that tool has now been stolen and is available on the web at large.

Once they figure out how to put it in a virus , banking information will be the high priority target. Kiss your online shopping spree's good bye.

Now we must write our own encryption.

Or just don't keep anything on your computer at all . Programs on the computer, documents on the memory stick. Memory stick goes on your key chain and follows you around wherever you go.

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Disturbing Caller

Article = none, personal experiance.

I was at work the other day , talking to an american customer, waiting for test results to come back on his phone, when the topic of american health care came up.

Apparently americans believe in "managed health care", which means that someone decides who lives and who dies, where to spend the money , etc etc.

Apparently , this is inferior to "paid health care" where the rich pay their own medical bills and the poor are kicked to the curb. Well , the guy had a pricy phone so I guess I know where he stands on the rich vs poor issue.

In order to keep my job , I just agreed with whatever silliness he said.

but still, I can't help but think how brainwashed these americans are. Their health care is making billions in profits, and people are getting kicked to the curb with no treatment at all , just abandonned to die. Why ? Because of some myth of "managed health care, just like canada".

I got news for you buddy , Canada doesn't dump anyone on the street. And you get health care until the point where you stop breathing. Hows that for Managed Healthcare ?

The lies big business tells down there. Unbelievable. In canada they'd be sued into the ground for neglect causing death. They're profiting and the people they pretend to protect are dying.

If that aint Evil , I don't know what is.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009




Ah the Medcon scam. They got the vaccine for free from the government and charged 2300$ for an exam before they would give you your "free" government provided vaccine.

(drawing taken from the CBC website, but judging by the signature it actually belongs to the Sun group of newspapers in Ontario)

Monday, November 02, 2009

In Death We Trust

Ont. will probe H1N1 doses given to private clinic



Ontario's health minister says the province will look into the decision to give doses of the H1N1 vaccine to a private clinic in Toronto, but not until after they have a grip on the pandemic.

Deb Matthews says she is not going to second guess the decision by Toronto's medical officer of health to give Medcan, described as a preventative health-care clinic, 3,000 doses of the vaccines for its high-paying members.

Medcan has said it may offer the vaccine to non-members who come equipped with a referral from public health officials.



CountryGirl wrote in comment to this ...
I have heard that the actual injection and dose of H1N1 vaccine was FREE at this expensive private clinic....and that the ASSESSMENT of the patient's NEED for the vaccine cost about $2300.00. And this was after the patient's car was parked by the valet parking staff.

Hmmmm......



So Whats the motto of this clinic ? In Death We Trust ?

Welcome to the Liberal Dream of Americanization of the Canadian Health Care system (Liberals are currently in power in ontario , and have been for several elections). If you're rich , you get want you want. If you're poor , they kick you to the curb and let you die.

This clinic needs to be shut down. This kind of profiteering is not just scandleous, it's a violation of our national belief in equality for all.

Shut the place down.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Yet Another Liberal Program


Liberals urge more internet, cellphone competition



The Liberals are calling for stronger competition and rules on internet and cellphone services.


This sounds wonderful. So whats the problem ?

The problem is the gun registry that the Liberals made. It was supposed to cost 2 million dollars, it's now 2 billion and it barely functions. It has in fact blocked the progress of a real gun registry.

And the Liberals defend it tooth and nail , you are wasting billions of tax dollars if you shut it down yadda yadda ... and the darn thing cost a fortune to run and will eventually die anyways. But the Liberal friends you can be certain are getting rich on this project.

This is what happens when the Liberals "vow" to fight the gun problem in Canada. Suddenly things balloon to a thousand times what they should cost, and they still don't work. And you can't afford them ,but they kick and scream and it's just a huge scam and we're all sick of it.

And now they want to do it again with the cell phones.


Another 2 billion will be wasted.

And nothing will be done to restrain the friends of the Liberals (any big business contributing to their election coffers) from doing any thing they please.

No wonder they're frequently called the Fiberals.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Dziekanski's mother sues over airport Taser death

Article


Robert Dziekanski's mother is suing the federal and provincial governments, four RCMP officers and the Vancouver International Airport for the loss of her son.

Dziekanski died minutes after he was shocked up to five times with a Taser by the RCMP in the arrivals lounge of the airport two years ago.

The lawsuit names the four RCMP officers involved, Const. Kwesi Millington, Const. Bill Bentley, Const. Gerry Rundel and Cpl. Benjamin (Monty) Robinson, but none of them have been charged with any offence in relation to Dziekanski's death.




This is like the OJ simpson trial, where everyone knows these jackles are guilty but they get off scott free with murder. Now she's gonna sue them for some silly reason like not reading hte instructions on their Taser manual or something.

Despite the fact they were caught on camera committing the murder.

It's a joke. A sick joke. Four murders wandering around free. And we the people of canada are their lawful prey , they can off us any time they like.

As long as they do it with a Taser.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

New York Times Sick Humour

Ok. First some explanation.

They arrested a guy because they thought maybe he might be a terrorist.

They put him in jail (guantanama bay ) for 7 years with all the other
terrorists.

Now they know he's innocent , but they don't want to release him because
he's been exposed to terrorists (in their jail ) for seven years so
even if he was innocent to start, he's probably a die hard terrorist now.

So they want to keep him locked away forever.

Sick eh ?

Now read how the great and wonderful New York Times explains this self
same situation.

A Detainee’s Case Shows the Hurdles That a Release Poses

According to them, all the perpetrators of this horrible crime come up smelling of roses. Sick sick sick.

Why America is Losing the War

Report Cites Firefight as Lesson on Afghan War



A few days later, they were almost overrun by 200 insurgents.

That firefight, a debacle that cost nine American lives in July 2008, has become the new template for how not to win in Afghanistan


Ok. You were attacked by 200 insurgents. And you beat them off. And you took 9 casualties.

I would portray this as a victory.

But the New York Times has decided to portray this as a defeat. What went wrong. Almost overrun. Debacle. Who messed up ? Who's the blame ?

America is losing , because it has decided to lose. Every thing, even ridiculous victories like this , is now portrayed as if it had been a shattering defeat.

How badly where they out numbered ? And they only took 9 casualties, and it's pretty much a certainty that the insurgents took a lot more than 9. More like 90, but that isn't mentioned.

This is an astounding victory. The New York Times is mourning a debacle that cost the lives of 9 soldiers, and looking to blame everyone in sight.

This is why you lost. Because you choose to lose.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Rogers Raises it's Fees (and hides the "system access" fee )

Rogers Wireless drops system access fee


Rogers Wireless has announced that, effective October 5th, it will be ending its $6.95 System Access Fee for all new customers.

In its place Rogers will be increasing the base price of all plans by $5 a month and be introducing a new Government Regulatory fee which will vary based on government fees in the province customers live.


You're dropping one fee and raising the prices on everything to cover it.

So you didn't actually drop anything , you just shuffled it around.


The regulatory fee on Voice Plans will range from $2.58 per month in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec to $3.46 in Newfoundland and Labrador.


And at the same time you're introducing a new fee that is at least 2.58$. So 5$ +2.58 = 7.58 increase , minimum, to replace a 6.95$ fee that you're dropping.

So you're raising the fee's not dropping them.


Rogers says the price changes are expected to be revenue neutral which means the amount of money Rogers collects from all of its customers will be about the same. Individual customers signing up after October 5th may see slightly higher or slightly lower prices depending on which province they live.


Rogers obviously can't add up it's own numbers. Plus the government stopped charging companies for the system access fee ages ago so that's going straight into rogers pockets not the governments.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

I'm such a special kind of guy

Article = none, personal experience.

Before we begin I need to clear up two points.

One. I'm a guy. What lies between my legs lies between every ordinary guys legs. This becomes important shortly.

Two , why do they call it "Little Timmy" ?

I had an itch down there. But I'm on anti-biotics, so it couldn't be much right ? Right ? So I put up with it and hopefully it would go away. Two or three weeks, probably way too long , and it didn't go away.
Finally went to the clinic across the street. It had just openned up and the wait wasn't very long, unlike the old clinic that had up and moved.

So I go in , do my time waiting , and then see the doc. He says to me two words.

Yeast Infection.

Which of course, is considered a womans only disease , though certain un circumscribed men can fall victem to it (I"m circumscribed).

And I say to him five words.

I'm gonna kill my wife.

She just had it. Guess where I got it from ? So he perscribes some medicine and admits yeah it was probably my wife, and yeah it is very very rare for a man to get it , and I head off to the pharmacy to get me some meds.

And the Pharmicist wants to talk to me about "my wifes" problem. And he wants to explain to me how to use the applicator to insert the medicine deep inside. And I cut to the chase and tell him it aint for my wife it's for me. And he says but men don't get this disease.

I know. I feel so special.

No really , there must be a mistake somewhere.

I know. The doctor told me. There's no mistake.

By then we were both laughing like idiots.

So I take it home and I look at this tube of gunk, this weird looking applicator , and these instructions with drawings of butt naked women all over them. "Wow...this is excellent pornography !"

My wife tells me to hush.

I go in the bathroom , do the deed (without the applicator) , and then come out. Tell my wife "Now I feel like a real woman. "

She has no sense of humor.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Obama Meeting Democrats to Plan Health Strategy

Article

With a sense of growing horror, I wonder if I'm reading some science fiction novel about some evil demented alternate universe, or if this really is our news and they really mean it.


Mr. Baucus’s plan would also expand Medicaid, starting in 2014, to cover millions of low-income people, including many childless adults who never qualified before.


You mean you don't know ? If you're poor , they just let you die ?


But Jocelyn A. Guyer, co-executive director of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University, expressed concern. “Low-income people without children tend to have extensive health care needs — higher rates of mental illness, physical disability and chronic conditions,” she said.


It's too expensive to treat them ! we should just let them die !


But remarks by the White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, on the flight to Cincinnati reflected an effort by the White House to play down the importance of a public option to the larger overhaul. Mr. Gibbs said a public option would not affect most Americans — up to 180 million — because they already have insurance through employers.


180/300 is not "most" , its slightly more than half. Are you telling me that a hundred and twenty million people in america have no health insurance ?


“If House leadership presents a final bill that contains a government-run public option, I will oppose it,” Mr. Ross said in a statement issued Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.


So this whole "limited life time benifits paid out" and "Type One Uninsurables need not apply" that private insurance companies have should be the way it goes ? If you get truely sick they just punt you to the curb and thats a good thing ?


“I’ve got a question for all those folks who say we’re going to pull the plug on Grandma,”

you offered free health care and I still cant believe they accused you of that.


“What’s your answer? What’s your solution? And you know what? They don’t have one. Their answer is to do nothing.”


Actually , their answer is "we like it the way it is right now where we get to punt people to the curb when we've bled they dry of every penny and make room for the next victem"


I can't believe this is really happening.

But it is.

American Health Care.
Capitalism at it's finest.

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Butt ban debate reignites

Article


You can’t do it at work. You can’t do it at school. You can’t do it at bars. You can’t do it in your car — at least not in front of the children!

In a few Ontario municipalities, including Arnprior, you can’t even do it on the beach or at the park.


I despise spoon fed pap. This article makes it look like the poor hard put upon smokers are so persecuted.

And the thing I despise the most ? There's no section for reader responses. There's no place to fire back and tell them you disagree with them.

There's no place to tell them about all the times before the smoking ban how people would sit down beside you , in the nonsmoking section , and lite up. And when you ask them to put it out this is the non smoking section , they refuse, And when you ask the staff to enforce the non smoking signs, they just shrug and walk away. Not once, but many many times. Personal experiance.

I really don't want to hear about how enforcing non smoking is bad for business , how most businesses are attempting to attract the business of groups of people , not individuals, and in any group of three or four there's bound to be a smoker , and you don't want them going across the street to some place that allows smoking while you do not.

"It's the way the business works, son. You have to accept it." is probably one of the most irritating phrases anyone has ever said to me by way of explanation as to WHY HE'S RIPPING ME OFF ! (or subjecting me to second hand smoke or unsafe products or other nonsense like that).

It is the business of the government to make rules like the smoking bans, and enforce them on all. Before that ban came into effect , every single place in ottawa , I mean EVERY single place in ottawa , allowed smoking.

Such rampant capitalism at the expense of peoples health cannot be permitted. It is the job of a government to put curbs on that kind of thing.

Dilbert and Microsoft

Article




Enough Said

Skeptical Shopper: The Pros and Cons of Buying E-Books

Article


When Amazon recently removed copies of George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm from customers' de­­vices and digital lockers,...



So you got this computer tablet which can display books. But the books are all in a computer format , and their locked to a fair thee well so you cannot transer it to your computer , and if you leave the device, the Kindle behind because you hate it , you lose everything. At 10$ a pop. you could lose hundreds of dollars for decided to ditch the kindle.

To this we now add that Amazon.com , who owns and makes the Kindle, reserves the right to go into your device , which apparently isn't really yours, and do anything they like. Starting with erasing entire books.

You can bet you "private" collection of books is public knowledge to their sales department.

Plus it's 400$ for a Kindle and only 200 or 300 for a real computer (netbook) that can do that job and much much more.

Plus Amazon dot com is a USA company. If some religious wackos (anti-evolutionary George W Bush comes to mind) gets into power , thats gonna be so tempting to order amazon to erase stuff they don't like. They'd never do it on paper books, thats unenforcable , but electronics, just order some company to run a program they already made ...tempting tempting tempting ....

This is classic Vender Lock. Buy from us and no one else, and we screw you and how. And you gotta pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars to get out (in this case you lose every 10$ book you bought from them) .

People have done wonders with a simple book shelf and real books, hard cover or paper back. This kind of Kindle scam , well, I think we should stick with the real stuff for a while longer.

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Liberal election plans full steam ahead despite improving economic figures

article


Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff isn't taking his foot off the accelerator towards a federal election, despite more promising economic news Friday.

In fact, Ignatieff seemed even more determined to bring on a federal election this fall.

He said Parliament has become unworkable due to the Conservative government's my-way-or-the-highway approach.

"Finally you think ... take the highway," Ignatieff told reporters in Vancouver.

His comments came on the same day figures were released saying the Canadian economy created more than 27,000 new jobs, which helped boost the Canadian dollar 1.38 cents to 92.02 cents US.



Yep yep yep. More Liberal Libel.

First , blame the conservatives for the economy taking a dump even though the newspapers are full of stories pointing out it was the banks in the USA.

Second, the economy is starting to recover , so you blame the conservatives for ... umm..what is it you're blaming them for ? Not too clear on that point. Something about ignoring your ridiculous claims to let people work only one day in five and unemployment insurance will somehow magically pick up the tab for the rest.

King Iggy wouldn't know the truth if it bit him in the behind. There is only one rhyme or reason to his actions. And that is that he wants to be King of Canada at any price. Even if it means trashing the country. As long as he gets to be King, thats ok in his eyes.

Oh yes, and his latest promise about not raising taxes ? Every single politico who made that promise, no matter what party they're with , they've always broken it. The only exception would be some minority government who was toppled real quick and didn't have time to do anything but be a flash in the pan.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Taser International challenges Braidwood findings

Article



The manufacturer of Taser stun guns has launched a legal challenge to quash the recent recommendations of the Braidwood Inquiry to restrict police use of the conducted-energy weapons.


The police inquirey decides to restrict use of the Taser. And Taser Corperation is now going to sue them. They're now suing their customers.

This is how business is done in america.


Following the release of Braidwood's first report, the company said the inquiry based its recommendations largely on speculation and that they do not meet the realities of modern day law enforcement.


"realities of modern day law enforcment" ...and what has this got to do with the fact that your weapons are killing people ? Is one of the realities that it's ok to kill one person in a thousand with your product ? Is that a reality ?


Liberal MP Ujal Dosanjh, the party's former public safety critic who has been outspoken on the use of stun guns, said Taser's challenge is a tactic aimed to intimidate.

"I think it's a very flagrant attempt on its part to intimidate the critics of Taser and to discredit the inquiry report of a distinguished jurist," Dosanjh said from B.C.

"They are solely motivated by profit. Public safety can't be their priority," he said, adding the company has a battery of lawyers to "vigorously pursue" any critics.


Don't normally cotton to liberals , but this guy seems to have it right here. You can't sue your customers into buying your product. You cant sue me if I decide I don't want your cell phone. You can't sue me if I decide your car is a piece of junk saftey hazard ! Who the heck started this mess ?

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Under Pressure on Health Care, White House Fights Back

Article



WASHINGTON — The White House on Monday started a new Web site to fight questionable but potentially damaging charges that President Obama’s proposed overhaul of the nation’s health care system would inevitably lead to “socialized medicine,” “rationed care” and even forced euthanasia for the elderly.


Only in america could you face the charge of murder (forced euthanasia) because you decided to give some stuff away for free. (Health Care). Really, it's pretty obvious who works for the people and who's just trying to reserve a peice of the pie for themselves.


“I think the combination of spending a trillion dollars that we don’t have and another rushed process really triggered this,” said Matt Kibbe, the president of the conservative group FreedomWorks. “People started paying attention.”


Yeah , well while you're shouting exagerated figures about how much it will cost 20% of the population is noticing they have the big butt kiss for health care.

Stay the course Obama. Congress will hate you but the people will love you.

Friday, August 07, 2009

An Argument for Gun Control

Was anyone wondering why I think the gun nuts in the states , the ones that protest against any control at all on guns, why I think they're crazy ?

could it be advertisments like this ?




It suggests an age range of 7 - 17

Wasn't there some kind of gun nut down in the states that responsibly taught his eight year old how to use a rifle ? And then the eight year old got made because daddy made him clean his room or do his homework or something so he got his gun and went and killed daddy with it ?

Very responsible. *snicker snicker*

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Microsoft Psychic Scarring

Personal Experiance

So I'm sitting at my Linux computer working on my novel , and my thoughts wander in the direction of me getting a new computer. I've already ordered it and it's due in two weeks, and this all is possible because my wife gave me the money to pay out the year or so left on my old computer (for which she gets the old computer).

And am I gonna work on my novel on the new computer ?

Not a chance. New computer is windows. Windows just bit me and put me into a weeks long nightmare because that stupid windows defender thats supposed to scan for viruses actually let a virus in that trashed everything. And Dell didn't give me a back up disk.

I'm gonna work on the novel on the Linux machine, I"m just gonna move it to my room that's all. I don't trust the Windows machine to be in any way stable anymore. Not after burning my fingers like that. And not after learning the infamous and unsupported windows Defender is actually built right into Vista (my sister has a copy) .

Is it psychic scarring that i suddenly don't trust microsoft with anything important ? Anything I want to keep. Is "once burned twice shy" a form of damage ?

Or is it just good sense ?

Sunday, August 02, 2009

Schreiber loses last-ditch fight against extradition

Article



German-Canadian businessman Karlheinz Schreiber was being flown to Germany on Sunday evening after losing a last-ditch battle to avoid extradition earlier in the day.

Schreiber's lawyer, Eddie Greenspan, was granted permission for a special weekend court appearance to seek an injunction against the federal government's extradition order. He argued that his client should be allowed to stay in his adopted country — where he has been a citizen since 1982 — until at least Tuesday morning so he can file an appeal challenging Canada's extradition treaty with Germany.

But the lawyer for the government told the Ontario Court of Appeal that this was a frivolous challenge because the treaty was ratified 30 years ago.


And good riddence. It took them ten years to get rid of you ?


In the letter, addressed to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Schreiber said he was concerned the visit was timed in a way to preempt any legal moves on his part duringt the holiday weekend.


You wrote a letter begging the prime minister not to give you the boot after you spent a freaking year slinging mud at him and trying to get him in as much trouble as you possibly could ? Even to the point of telling out right lies ?

You're an idiot.

And you're gone.


Extradition politically motivated: Schreiber

He also alleged in the letter that Germany's centre-left Social Democrats are using his case as an election issue in a bid to defeat their conservative opponents in next month's election


You spent a year slinging mud at the prime minister. No kidding it's politically motivated. You need to be more careful who you sling mud at.


"Now we have the election coming up in Germany in September, and the Social Democrats won three elections with my case in the past," Schreiber told reporters Sunday just before entering the detention centre. "If I would [return] now that would be the greatest thing. They would start another huge circus and huge investigation...


Lets not forget the part where you are GUILTY AS CHARGED OF ALL CRIMES , shall we ? No ones fabricating evidence and you've actually given up making such accusations.

Your a crook . You've beaten the system for ten long years, you have nothing new to say in your defence, and your only real argument is that you didn't mean for your words to be taken as a confession when you were slinging mud at the prime minister and admitting to all those crimes , you just wanted to dirty him up some , not get yourself in hot water.

Good bye.

Oh , and when I say he's slinging mud at the prime minister I mean this is a Liberal Political exercise, this guy is happy to tell any lie and cannot be used as a witness against Mulroony in court (former prime minister) due to all the crimes he's guilty of , but eh is good for manufacturing a nice long make believe scam against the conservatives and our current prime minister. Thus yes, technically he's throwing mud at Mulroony , but really , they're throwing mud at Harper.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Police stand by officer who arrested U.S. scholar

Article


On Wednesday, U.S. President Barack Obama criticized the Cambridge Police Department's actions after Sgt. James Crowley arrested Harvard University's Henry Louis Gates for disorderly conduct on July 16.

Police received a call from a neighbor that a man appeared to be breaking into the house. Gates, who returned home from a week in China to discover his front door jammed, entered his house through the back door. Police say Gates became belligerent when they spoke to him.


Some yahoo made a call just as the black scholar was coming home, noticing his own house had been broken into. The cops show up and accuse him of break and enter , he yells at them , no doubt hurling racial epitaths at them for it , and he gets arrested in his own house.

Who made the call ? It was well timed.

The officer is guilty of racism. He's a big strapping guy afraid of a non-athletic scholar ? He's got a gun the guy doesn't ?

And of course he's yelling at the cop , you guys worked hard to build your reputation as racist buggers, now you get to enjoy it ! Thats a given.

He'll get away with it, though. Only in America can the neibours call the cops on you for coming home from vacation. They were probably hoping the cops would shoot him.

((edit))
cop : But I don't see anything wrong with harrassing him. He's a black guy , and all blacks are poor , so this couldn't possibly be his house , he MUST be the intruder !

ha ha ... I hope you get fired for that.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Rogers Introduces Canada’s First 3.5G Embedded Netbooks

Article



The HP Mini 110 Series PC is available for $299.99 and exclusively sold at Best Buy and Future Shop stores with a two-year contract. Wireless data plans for the Rogers mobile internet ready netbooks start at $25.00 plus $6.95 system access fee and other fees for 500mb.


Oh my god what a rip ! I bought my netbook on dec 26 for 285$ ,and that was including tax and it was FULL PRICE.

They want 300 smackers AND a two year contract ???

Why don't you just stick a gun to their heads or something and demand they hand the wallet over ?

starting price is 329$ for this machine over at http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2009/090527xb.html which means you are given a 29$ discount in exchange for signing A FREAKING TWO YEAR CONTRACT !!!!

'nother words, it's straight out highway robbery. They charge you basically full price for the computer and demand a two year contract.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

New algorithm guesses SSNs using date and place of birth

Article



The accuracy of these algorithms is positively disturbing. Using a separate pool of data from the Death Master File, the authors were able to get the first five digits right for seven percent of those with an SSN assigned before 1988; after that, the success rate goes up to a staggering 44 percent. For a smaller state, like Vermont, they could get it right over 90 percent of the time.



Oh thats nice. Wake up one day your bank account is empty your pin number changed and your credit card racked up to max , and you didn't do anything. And the rent is due.

Beauty.

Monday, July 06, 2009

I slept with him honest. Now I want millions.

Barrie woman seeking child support from Keanu Reeves appears in court


Sala alleges she carried on a sexual relationship with Reeves before, during, and after her troubled marriage. She said she believes Reeves may have fathered one or more of her four children, now between the ages of 20 and 25.



Yeah , you see, I humped him like crazy , then I married someone else, then I cheated on that guy and humped him some more , then I got divorced , and humped him a bit more after that ...

But really. I'm an honest person. You should trust me on this.


Court documents show Sala is seeking $3 million per month in spousal support, retroactive to November 2006, as well as $150,000 per month in child support, going back to June 1988, in addition to the DNA test.


And I want 36 million a year every year for the rest of my life. Back dated at least 3 years (that will be a hundred mil up front , thanks )


Wolfson said Sala had yet to provide any evidence to back up her ``totally frivolous" accusations.


Just take my word for it will yah ? Sheesh ! Now wheres the hundred million ?

Probation for Manny's killer

Article


On the evidence, Duncan said the defendant wrapped his arms around Castillo's legs while the victim had his upper body over the defendant's back. He was then lifted, mainly, if not completely off the ground. He was propelled backwards, not just upended. He had no control and couldn't resist. He was then "slammed" backward into the ground.

He said he was unaware he had injured Castillo and denied boasting he had "pile-driven him as hard" as he could into the ground, as the referee testified he overheard him say after ejecting him from the game for swearing following the illegal tackle


This is murder.

This kid deserves the mandatory 25 years in jail.

But they're letting him walk away with a pat on the wrist.

And they wont even publish his name. Because they're afraid we might be ticked with him because he's WANTONLY RUNNING AROUND KILLING ANYONE HE LIKES JUST BECAUSE HE CAN'T CONTROL HIS TEMPER !!!

People like this need the death penalty , not to be protected by the Law.

It's as if the courts of the land are saying "Go Ahead. Kill anyone you like. You're under eighteen , we'll make sure you get away with it."

I'm desgusted.

Bait and Switch

Apparently Bait and Switch is Legal in this country.

What is bait and switch you ask ?

Thats when you advertise one price to get them into the store and then actually sell it at another , much higher price.

Thats when I look at the dell website and see I can get a brand new computer , with monitor and everything , for only 22$ a month. But when I phone them up she goes through all this rigamarole as if she was doing me a big favor , and then tells me it's 37$ / month. Umm...thats quite a jump from the web site price.

Well the website price doesn't include taxes , doesn't include this or that ...

Taxes are 15% in this country , tops. Thats 3$ on a 22$ / month computer. I told her to forget it and I hung up on her.

Thats obviously not the first bait and switch I've ever had pulled on me. I last fell for it when I was mid 20's , a long time ago. The elements are always the same. Pull them in with one low price, pretend to do a lot of work and dickering with someone , the computer, your manager, whatever , and then quote a much higher price, with a pocket full of excuses at the ready why they can't have it at the advertised price. A practiced salesperson has answers for everything you say.

Except for the part where you just hang up on them without even letting them getting started.

My advise is always the same. If there's a long delay , if they have to fight with their computer or talk to their manager or something silly about something their manager was advertising in the first place, brace yourself for bad news. When they come back and the price is double, or triple, don't argue with them. They're the master of arguing , every single sale they make involves running that argument they have you beat ten ways from sunday on it.

Just walk out the door. Or hang up the phone. Or whatever. Get out.

What is Lousy Customer Service

So what is Lousy Customer Service , exactly.

I find the question interesting , because I work in a call center and talk to the public all day. And the public is very happy to let me know that if I don't give them exactly what they want , I'm providing lousy customer service and they want to speak to my manager and get me fired. (They get to speak to the manager, 9 years later they haven't even slapped me on the wrist yet, let alone fired me...must be doing something right.)

I phone up Bell. I want my internet blocked I never use the dang thing. They tell me to be an adult and just don't push that button. But it's right on the main menu and I frequently hit the wrong command thats not a real solution.

Too bad.

Now I got it coming and going. I'm not getting what I want either, and it's obviously Bell Policy to refuse to block the internet (hint..I demanded her superviser , and their supervisor after that. No can do , the system doesn't support blocking the internet, and when I suggested sabataging the settings for internet the tech told me point blank he wasn't allowed to do that)

First off , Customer Service is seperate from company policy. There's nothing the agent could do in either case if the company forbids it. So the definition "I didn't get what I wanted" doesn't count for much.

So what was the correct approach ?

Standing up to the customer and honestly telling them "We can't do that." wins out over "Don't be a child" or "We're all mature adults here just don't press that button" . Insulting the customer is always an absolute no no.

So is my customer that I stood up to going to stay a customer ? Am I going to stay a Bell Customer ? I'll get slightly more "keepers" because I was up front and honest with them than Bell will with it's habit of insulting the customer. But we'll both lose a lot for not giving them what they want.

But the customer service bell provided really wasn't that bad. She was very subtle and used "We ... " and such.

But their policies suck the big one ! Yech , you're just a sheep to be sheered of every dollar they can to them. I mean I pick up a cell phone to use as a phone, not to be a little "advertising buddy" in my pocket that is constantly looking for ways to empty my pocket. Push the wrong button and we charge you fifty dollars a megabyte isn't something I'm gonna be bragging about to my buddies, it's something I'm gonna be warning them off about.

Post Script :

Since Bell charges 400$ + the remaining price of the phone if you terminate, ie: the full price of the phone +400$ , I often suspect they're doing this kind of thing on purpose, since if you quit they're getting 400$ for doing nothing (assuming they break even on the phone , which I doubt ). So I frequently have this awful feeling it's part of their business model to piss people off with lousy service and make them quit.

MP admits approving newsletter painting Ignatieff as anti-Ukrainian

Article



The newsletter highlights comments Ignatieff wrote in his 1993 book Blood and Belonging, a meditation on the positive and negative manifestations of nationalism. It quotes Ignatieff as saying Ukrainian independence reminds him of phony Cossacks, whining instruments and nasty anti-Semites.

Ignatieff said at a luncheon at the Canadian Club of Winnipeg Thursday he was writing about stereotypes that existed at the time, and he respects and honours Ukrainian people for their role in building Canada.



Honest ! Just because King Iggy describes the Ukrainian's as Whiny, Phony, and Nasty, that doesn't make him a racist ! You should apologize for even thinking such a thing ! And don't forget to buy a copy of the book he needs the cash now that the liberals arn't getting any cash from elections canada anymore.

Really , anyone who tries to use this against him is a booger head ! Especially that guy in the blue sweater who think's he's Hoover ! Ad hominan attacks are so passe.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Why 2012? Mayan Calander Doomsday Prophecy

Why not 2012 ? It's as good a date as any and this turkey has a book to write and get profits from.

But Realistically , a bunch of goat herders using only their bare eye astronomical observations out performaning a wack of scientists and telescopes and the Hubble Telescope and all of that ?

Another Quack making a buck by starting a panic to cash in on. Igore him.



My belief is that if the world comes to an end , it will most likely be because we pollute the planet to the point of the air not being breathable, but that will take place over a long period of time so there will be no "day" of destruction , just a slow crumbling deterioration.

I don't think some wacko like that North Korean dictator will end the world because even if he is crazy enough to push the button he'll only get one or two cities in the USA and in reply he'll get his tiny little nation carpet bombed with nukes.

Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan

Article

My Condolences to Cpl. Martin Dube.

I watched this on TV. The officer doing the talking condemmed the makers of the IED that killed this soldier as cowards.

A curious remark, since we're running around in tanks chasing barely trained conscript troops that usually run at the drop of a hat.

Not that I support them, not at all , I have no wish to become a muslim and they have every wish to either convert everyone in the world to their religion or kill them if they refuse.

But still , it takes a great deal of courage to fight well trained troops in tanks with only a few hand guns and hand made bombs. You're kidding yourself if you think you're facing cowards. You need to wake up and smell the coffee if you're going to beat them. And I really don't feel like getting down on my knees on a rug five times a day so ...

You get the idea.

Bubble Cities

I have a great idea for handling pollution.

We all live in bubble cities where the air is filtered and automibiles are forbidden.

think about it. You build just one small one , then another and another. The automobile companies complain because they're losing business (not allowed to run their pollution machines inside the bubble city) but it happens so slowly they have plenty of time to switch over to electric, and the same with any other companies that depend too much on pollution creating industries.

And then you got bubble cities and bubble farms everywhere, and they slowly take over the world, next thing you know the whole world is cleaned up.

You have "divided and conquered", you've chopped the world up into small pieces and then fixed each piece one by one.

And thats just good engineering.

Bell gets fresh Virgin blood, takes bite out of youth segment

Article


ell Canada has revealed a new retail strategy targeting the youth market...

The Source (including La Source in Quebec) will exclusively offer Bell and Virgin Mobile wireless products from January 2010, getting rid of ranges from other operators such as Shaw.


Ah the youth market. Yes. Young. Stupid. A few bucks in their pocket. Not aware of the predator that Bell has become that everyone quickly learns to avoid.

I think the usual claim is they want to get these people to sign up and be bell customers for life, but after a single three year contract , lousy service, and being treated as nothing but a source of income with no consideration at all for what I want (Ie: refusing to block certain services and forcing me against my will to buy packages for internet as an example) I"m never going back to them, and neither will anyone else who's been done over by these clowns. They're not really "building" any kind of long term empire at all , they're just managers who are only around for a little while, tricking you into a three year contract that they know you'll never ever renew, but they won't be there when the house of cards falls apart.

And neither will I.

Young America : We Kill Off the Oldies so only the Younglings are Left

The Patients Doctors Don’t Know


Eventually, she recovers from the pneumonia and her mind is clearer, so she’s considered ready for discharge — but she is no longer the woman she was before her illness. She’s more frail, and needs help with walking, bathing and daily chores.
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Basic geriatric knowledge is preventive medicine. Nurses, social workers, pharmacists and other health care professionals should have it, too, in order to improve care for older people. But until doctors get this basic training, we can’t even begin to give 80-year-olds the care they need.


Yep. Insurance Coverage is through work. They pay the bills.
And people who don't work , people who retire... are totally out of luck in america. Doctors don't even know how to treat them. It's not required.

Everyone is Young and Healthy in America.

Because they kill off the old folks quick. And the ones that are sick. (Type One Uninsurable)

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Conspiracy Theorists Need New Material

Article = none , personal Experiance

so I was at work , transfering a customer from one department to another , talking to the agent on the other end.

And he blurts out that the world is going to end in 2016.
And that we're all going to move to mars on a couple of space ships. Where we will certainly die.
and the space ships will all recycle the air and the water etc...

I told him the international space station already did that.
But it doesn't have engines !

They're working on it.

We all need to move away from the cities there's going to be a holocaust !

If you're over fourty , and you leave the city , and your free healthcare (canada) you're gonna die before that holocaust gets you. But it works ok in the USA because anyone who needs healthcare has already died anyways from neglect. Or shooting each other.

Pollution will destroy the world.
Just like LA ? Yeah , we're all moving to bubble cities eventually. But they wont' be on the moon like you say , they'll be right here on earth.

I have these great ideas ... no one listens.
Actually , I think everyone has already listenned.

After I got off the phone I had only one thought.

These conspiracy wacko's, they need new material. All the old stuff is coming true.
Except for the end of the world thingy. That still aint happening.

Then I went on to my next customer.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency horribly late

PC beef recalled from stores due to E. coli


Consumers should avoid eating certain President's Choice brand steaks, roasts and ground beef products that are being pulled from store shelves due to possible contamination with E. coli, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says.
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It affects:

* Fresh beef steaks roasts and ground beef bearing best-before dates between April 29 and June 16, inclusive, sold in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
* Fresh beef knuckle roasts, four to five pounds (about 1.8 to 2.27 kilograms) in size, sold from Apr. 30 to June 10 at Sue's Market at 205 Don Head Village Blvd. in Richmond Hill, Ont.



It's july 1st , Canada Day ! And you're warning us about stuff thats a month to 14 days expired at this time ?

If you're eating expired beef you got problems to begin with.

so whats with this stuff only being tested after it hits the market and has been out a month ? It's a little too late by then you know, we already ate the stuff.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Remote TV recording technology gets go-ahead from U.S. court

Article


Cablevision, which has three million subscribers in the New York metro area, has launched targeted, interactive advertising in half a million households and plans to double that number by year's end. TiVo's DVR users already see ads when they pause or fast-forward shows.


Doug and Bob head over to Bob's house for a few beers.

"Just a sec, " say's Bob. "Gotta take a leak, beer's in the fridge"

Doug sits down on the couch , picks up the remote flicks it on.

"And before our feature presentation , we have noticed that you watch a lot of gay porn so we would like to introduce you our latest offering , The All Boys Gay Church Choir Channel ! Featuring ..."

*click*

Bob comes out of the bathroom. "Where's the beer ? "

"Umm...I'm sorry Bob , the wife just called. Some kind of emergancy, I'll catch you later. " leaves in a hurry.


--- --- ---

Targetted ads, hah ! You thought illegal wire taps by the RCMP were bad ? You thought it was already bad with only 22 minutes of show and 38 minutes of commercials ? You aint seen nothing yet !

Let the Mind Control Begin ! This guy dared to click on a computer ad I want his house spammed to death with computer offers we need to convince him to BUY BUY BUY I don't care how over extended his credit card is thats not my problem ....

Monday, June 15, 2009

Dirty In America

article = none , personal experience

I have a friend who married an american girl and moved to the USA , to Texas , actually. Chatted on the phone with him last night and he said some rather interesting things.

He works in the American Education system in a high school down there, and he reports that the american education system is a failure. People don't learn much down there at all. You cannot talk to them about anything "intellectual" like history (he's big on cowboy's and us/ mexican history).

That the americans don't even know much about their own country, let alone any other countries in the world, unless they're currently at war with them and they get mentioned in the papers every day.

He has a boy, and he follows that boy around , "sticks to him like glue" he describes it. But the other parents, mostly mexican (they are on the mexican border) don't watch their children. And every other day you read in the papers about some kid getting run over in his own drive way.

He describes the downtown core of El Paso as dirty , ugly , nothing but strip malls, and those strip malls have nothing but chinese run dollar stores selling stuff that breaks before you even take it out of the store (one presumes there's a few other stores and it's not 100% dollar stores).

They're constantly reading about drug gangs in mexico , which you can walk to in like 5 hours, and the city next to them on the other side of the us / mexico border is literally a war zone that makes iraq look tame.

Apparently , in "the next town over" , they read all the time about people getting kidnapped by mexican criminals and being held for ransom for a few thousand dollars.

His wife is a "rabid republican" which apparently means she hates "socialism" , which tends to mean free health care , free education , etc etc. One has to wonder about her views on santa clause *grins*

I'm gonna see if I can get him to be a "guest poster" and give the american point of view , or maybe the Canadian Lost In America point of view ...

Court orders $507.5 million damages in Exxon Valdez spill

Article


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Monday ordered Exxon Mobil Corp to pay $507.5 million in punitive damages stemming from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska, plus 5.9 percent interest running from the 1996 trial judgment, the opinion said.


1989 ... 20 years ago ....

and the case didn't come to trial until 1996 which is 7 years later.


The oil spill from the Exxon Valdez supertanker in 1989 was the worst in the nation's history, blackening more than 1,200 miles of Alaska's coastline.

The clean-up alone cost around $2.5


and the fine is 20% of what it cost to clean up the mess.

Wow...if I was the guy in charge when this oil spill happened I would ... be retired by now. With a nice fat pension. And reading this in the paper and laughing and laughing and laughing ...

Justice delayed is Justice denied ? Especially 20 years later.

I vote ... no more super tankers in our waters. Not by anyone. You play stunts like this , you pay the penalty. One way or the other. Gonna stick us with the clean up tab ? We don't like that , maybe we shouldn't let you come around here anymore.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

North Korea Gives US The Finger

US calls for jailed journalists to be released in North Korea


The United States government was pursuing "all possible channels" yesterday to secure the release of two American journalists sentenced to 12 years in North Korean labour camp after they were arrested on the China-North Korea border.


That would mean you're sitting on your behind doing nothing. Since there are NO possible channels for dealing with the good old NK dictatorship. The guy is building nukes and thumbing his nose at you over that , (yes, one guy , Dictator Kim) and you think he's gonna listen to you about some journalists ? He put them there on purpose to deliberately provoke you. Just to show you who rules that little roost.

All possible channels my (ahem) posterior. All you're doing is giving that dictator a good chuckle.

What can we do about this, You ask ? What would I do if I were in a position of authority ?

Not make myself look like an idiot by playing his little head game would be a good beginning. Waiting for just the right moment and lobbing a bomb at his little reactor comes to mind, I'm still convinced that thats exactly the plan and they're just waiting for the right moment myself ...

Ah well. Life goes on with it's sad little plays.

ChinaWare : Big Brother Yin is Watching You

China orders PC makers to install blocking software


Computer makers in China have been instructed to pre-install blocking software on every PC hard drive from next month, under a government push to control access to the internet.
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The software, designed to work with the Microsoft Windows operating system, also collects private user data.


I suppose it was inevitable that China would do something like this. Load up private citizens computers with their pet software and throw them in jail if they refuse. And then watch them. And then throw them in jail anyways for surfing blogs protesting against Tiananmen Square or anything else they don't like.

Lets all go out and buy ourselves a computer so we can get arrested and thrown in jail !

I predict a drop in computer sales in China , myself, but I could be wrong.

Oh , and before anyone else does it , i would like to hereby announce that I am naming a whole new class of malware, called ChinaWare , in honor of this. My definition of ChinaWare is any software that would normally be considered MalWare that a standing government of some kind , like China , has ordered you to install on your computer anyways for both the usual purposes of MalWare (collecting private info) and to further a state sponsored dicatatorship.


Bill Gates loves you , China. Since the ChinaWare only runs on Windows I guess your next move is to order everyone to run windows only ?

((edit : July 6 : It's called the Green Dam Software, and has caused the creation of a "Green Dam Girl" as a backlash to symbolize opposition to it...thus the link to this article when pressing on the green dam girl image on the top right of my site))

Friday, June 05, 2009

Obama gets reality check from complex Mideast

Article


More than anything else, some influential figures said Friday that they could not look past Obama's affirmation of the "unbreakable" bond between the U.S. and Israel, and they took that as a sign that nothing had changed.
ad_icon

"We have witnessed that despite every nice word he said toward Arabs and Muslims or Islam, he is still committed to the unbreakable bond toward the Zionist entity," Fadlallah said.

((Translation : He wont help us kill all the jews, therefore he's a bad person. ))
Now I really gotta ask.

If I say such nasty things about Islam , I get called a racist pig. A trouble maker,a hate monger , a disseminater of hate literature, and worse.

But some big newspaper like the washington post, selectively quoting the words of a few radical terrorists...thats ok.

So how come they're allowed to break the rules and I can't ?

Oh yes, thank you Fadlallah for educating Obama on the futility of making nice nice with guys like you. Enough of you do it , with enough firmness, and you'll bring a third desert storm down upon yourself.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Ubuntu 9.04 is OK

Article = none , personal experience

Well.... ubuntu 9.04 does the job. My favorite game City of Hero's more or less runs , though far from perfectly. And World of Warcraft ? Cannot be installed. The patch program dies when you try to update it. so much for that "gold rated" program for running under wine.

Yeah , I gotta connive me a windows xp disk somewhere along the line. I don't know how.

One thing is certain. never buying a computer wihtout an os disk again. Darn that hurts when you do that.

Terror victims to be able to sue in Canadian courts

Article


Victims of terrorism will be able to sue perpetrators in Canadian courts under new federal legislation to be introduced by the Harper government this week.


Yep. A real political "We're doing something about this " answer.

By the way , Canada has like the most microscopic of armed forces in the world ? Somebody sues Iran in a Canadian Court and wins...what can Canada do to enforce the decision ? Not a dang thing.

but we're doing something about terrorism ! Yess sir ree ! We did something !

Well....they've shifted the blame of booting immigrants out who've done anything to support terrorism off of the government shoulders onto the victems shoulders, thats what they've done. Now the victems can keep suing and sueing if yuo made a bomb for some guy in great britian , until you take the hint and leave.

Or turn this country into an assassination play ground and start killing off the victems families when they sue you, one of the two.

But yep ! We did somethign about it , yes in deed !

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Windows "Poochy Poo your system is now Pooched" Defender

Article = none , personal experiance.

Lets be honest here.

When I was in tech support for computers, and some user called me up and told me he/she had a virus, I didn't tell them to get an antivirus program and clean it up. I told them "You're pooched. Reformat. Virus Scanners arn't gonna do anything but take your 60$ and then tell you we did our best ..it didn't work , reformat"

I'm pooched.

I can tell , because the Dell system partitian that has a copy of windows xp on my hard drive ? Just in case ? It's pooched. it won't load. It won't let me reformat windows.

Currently downloading Ubuntu 9.04 , a reasonably friendly version of Linux. I will see if my favorite online game , city of heroes , will run under wine, the windows emulator. (a google search on "wine city of heroes" indicates it has been tested on 23 machines and they all agree it works great)

Well... it could hardly be worse than windows suddenly taking it all away from me. Every thing on the hard drive. Because stupid windows defender decided to open the internet exploder and EXPLODE my system.

Security is Job One indeed.

Can I sue Bill Gates now ?

No ? All software is use at own risk ? I don't feel like risking it anymore ...

Congradultions , you are Foo Barr'ed

You bought into the worlds most virus prone operating system. It took you for every thing it could...

... I think ... are you still feeling stupid ? Would you like to give me some more of your time and effort and money , ohhhh especially money ... so we can "try " to fix it again even though we both know thats not going to happen ... can I take you for just a little more ? a few more dollars ? A few more hours of your time ? How about just fifty cents .. ?

... and now you have to clean up the mess and get your computer back together again. And operational. And Windows is not interesting in helping you with that , they're only interested in SCREWING YOU FOR EVERY PENNY THEY CAN GET AND THEN LEAVING YOUR EMPTY CREDIT CARD ON THE STREET BLOWING IN THE WIND with all the others...

Ok. Lets try ubunto for a while. Dunno how well it will run City of Heroes.. might actually have to give up running that game ... but hey. I aint getting it anyways if I stick with windows now am I ? They took me for quite the ride ..no back up ..how much does a copy of xp cost again ? Oh they don't sell it anymore they want every one on windows vista or windows 7 ....

Ubuntu it is... if nothing else, my 21.99$ a month for online gaming will be saved for a little bit ...

Windows Non-Defender

Article = none, personal experiance.

I had the most interesting experiance today involving windows defender.

It had automatically set itself to scan for viruses at two in the morning , but of course I don't let my computer run all night, I only run it when I'm there to watch it and make sure it's not doing anything weird (a primary security precaution no one should skip , by the way).

So it started running it's scan. Ok , it's a quick scan , and I am running xp , though I always use Firefox so I doubt it will find anything.

Yep. It found nothing. It even openned up a nice window to tell me it didn't find a thing.

Except that that window was , you guessed it , Internet Explorer , or as we techies and former techies like to call it , Internet Exploder.

Then I got that annoying box "take a tour of Internet Explorer 8" which I always close and it always opens again whenever I open it. But I hadn't asked to open it ? Then it popped up this big full screen ad saying an Online scan (what was something online doing scanning my computer without my permission ? ) had detected several million billion zillion viruses and trojens on my computer and I should really download this file right now this very instant DOWNLOAD RECOMMENDED YES !!!! .

I said no.

Started up my online game.

10 minutes into the game , that annoying YOU HAVE TEN ZILLION VIRII ON YOUR COMPUTER DOWNLOAD THIS FILE RIGHT NOW !!!! came up again , and by the way got me killed in the game.

I was pissed.

Tried to update the virus definitions in windows defender. No go. Couldn't upgrade. Check fire wall, yes, windows defender is permitted to contact the internet ?

Went to Internet Exploder , disabled every single add on. Including two of them that mysteriously had no name ... considered the matter solved.


Didn't I read somewhere that after windows defender got tested and showed up to be the worst virus defender in the world microsoft stopped supporting it ? Yeah ... I couldn't find any updates for it because it was a dead scanner, no updates were anywhere to be had for it.

Uninstalled Windows Defender. It wouldn't be loading up that virus flea trap Internet Exploder on me anymore , if nothing else.


ARE YOU STUPID OR WHAT EVERY DRIVE ON YOUR COMPUTER HAS ZILLIONS AND ZILLIONS OF VIRII DOWNLOAD OUR SOFTWARE NOW DOWNLOAD RECOMMENDED = YESSS !!!!!!


Now I was really pissed.


Tried to find an online scanner. Kept getting redirected to advertising sites. Well , advertising site, the same site over and over , no matter what I searched for. The virus had hijacked firefox on me.

Found AVG , using Opera , not firefox, and certainly not the Internet Exploder.

Downloaded it , installed it , started her scanning.

Still scanning. found 9 viruses and trojens so far. SHeur2.AGJK , FakeAlert.KJ, stuff like that. No I can't look it up ,that just redirects me to the same sales site that is obviously owned by the virus maker and would only make my problems worse.

*sigh* 30 min later. Oh yes, I pay for my online game with my credit card. I've typed it into this comptuer several times. Oh well...

Phone credit card company. Explain to them my computer is infected with a virus I no longer trust my credit card I think the program stole the information and is gonna go on a spending spree. They told me 7 days, new card, new number, it's in the mail.

Scan complete. 16 virus found. Rebooting.... I'll be back.

(edit ...I'm back)

OMG I AM SUCH A TECHIE GEEK !!!

LMFAO (means laughing my fat (ahem) off)

Firefox didn't work. Popped up an error about proxies refusing connection. But Opera did ! I used opera to hunt down a help file to find the proxie settings on Firefox , and fixed them , and now fire fox works !

Ha ha ... the virus don't know what it did , you know.

It thinks it was taking it's petty revenge by sabataging fire fox and preventing me from getting online when I removed it. But really , all it did was TEACH ME TO SABATAGE THE INTERNET EXPLODER and keep that virus claptrap off line permanently !

I'm gonna go sabatage the Exploder right this instant ! That thing is never EVER getting online again. I've been searching for a way to do that for ages. Thank you SHeur2.AGJK , I appreciate that.

Ha ha ... I love it when I get the last word in. ha ha ha.

(Edit ..again)

Since I so kindly openned the internet exploder , to sabatage it's proxy settings, it so kindly PROMPTLY REINFECTED MY COMPUTER AGAIN !!! . But thats ok. This time I sabataged the settings first , and waited a while. And got treated to the site of it openning a blank page automatically about 10 minutes later.

Scanning again. This time it's over. I hope. Since this virus doesn't seem to understand that such a thing as opera exists, I'm editing this post on Opera now. Remind me to pick up another browser, someing free , and highly obsure, not used by very many people, it just saved my behind.
and opera plays youtube.video's real nice too.

Didn't apple try and put out a browser recently "? Yeah ... Safari ..lets try safari. I never hear of it much , so thats gotta be pretty obscure.
(edit ..yet again)
Ugh ! Safari uses the default windows settings for proxies , the very same ones internet exploder uses, the ones I just finished sabataging to a fair thee well. UNINSTALL ! I'll keep looking ...

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Tories ready to 'take on' Liberals over EI reform: PM

Article


Prime Minister Stephen Harper suggested Wednesday that he would be willing to go to the polls over Liberal calls for changes to the employment insurance system.

Harper made the veiled threat during a heated exchange with Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, whose party has spent the past week calling for reforms to the program.

Ignatieff and Liberal MPs are urging the government to lower the minimum threshold to claim EI to 360 hours and make it a national standard.


360 hrs at 8 hrs / day = 45 days
50 weeks a year at 5 days a week = 250 days

You want to move from a 250 day work year to a 45 day work year, for everyone. The whole blinking nation ? Thats like everyone suddenly working only 1 day a week. Who pays for this ? Your next door neibours ? Sorry , they're only working 1 day a week too.

This is simple political tactics. The Liberals force Harper to say no to this , and maybe they win an election. And if they win , guess what ? This is not possible. You still don't get your 1 day work week, it's not in the cards it never was. It's a scam.

This is classic Liberal Tactics. Win the election at any cost. Make any promise, even the most ridiculous ones that anyone who bothers to use grade 3 math can see is impossible to keep , and just screw the public over. They care nothing for the people. It's all tactics and what lies can I tell today ?


The French-language commercials point out Ignatieff speaks French with a Parisian accent, rather than a Quebec accent.


With the constant deluge of Liberal attacks on our Hoover in a Blue Sweater, I suppose attack ads in return were inevitable.

The French one is tactically interesting though. The French Seperatists love the Parisans and treat them like visiting royalty, but does the rest of quebec ? One has to wonder if Harper is making a mistake with them, or did he some how sneak in a survey that indicates parisians are not so popular with Quebecer's and is taking a shot ? It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Monday, May 04, 2009

Pig farmers bracing for pork import restrictions

Article


Canadian pig farmers are bracing for the economic impact of a Chinese ban on Alberta pork products, which some fear may be only the start of a backlash against their pigs.
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On Sunday, Jurgen Preugschas, the president of the Canadian Pork Council, called the Chinese ban a "knee-jerk" reaction, rather than one based on science.

"Quite often countries have knee-jerk reactions to news out of another country," he told The Canadian Press from his home in Mayerthorpe, Alta., on Sunday.


Yep. Something wrong with those Chinese milk products, CLOSE THE BORDER IMMEDIATELY TO THEM !!! Something wrong with Canadian Pigs...Now Wait A Minute Here ! Lets Not Be Hasty !

It's the self serving dollars first human health later attitude that gets me the most here. This fiasco is suddenly not about pigs catching a disease that can kill people, its suddenly about national pride in our diseased live stock , and how farmers are financially hurt by it all...

Excuse me ,I have to barf now.

And no, I don't want to eat meat from those pigs either. I don't blame the Chinese in the slightest.

Twenty people died from diseased cheese in Canada. Not a single person went to jail for manslaughter. Not a one. You want to know what I think about producers that make diseased products and then whine that they've been caught ?

Shoot the diseased pigs. Put the farmer out of business, he's obviously incompetent. And such incompetence will get people killed, and he'll get away with it.

Sunday, May 03, 2009

King Iggy Speaks , CBC Relays the Propaganda


Ignatieff slams Harper for 'failure to unite Canada'




Michael Ignatieff took direct aim at Prime Minister Stephen Harper, attacking his track record on national unity, as he accepted the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, unopposed, at a convention in Vancouver on Saturday.


Did a single reporter from anywhere ask "One party one vote...isn't that how communism works ?" no ... they did not. They cheered him on like he was the second coming.


"For three years you have played province against province, group against group, region against region and individual against individual. When your power was threatened last November, you unleashed a national unity crisis and you saved yourself only by sending Parliament home.


Thus spaketh the Leader of the Party that would like to Tax Alberta Utilities because they have to burn coal to produce electricity and spend the money anyway they like. But did any reporter raise that question ? No.


"I will give this job everything I've got," Ignatieff said. "We meet in Vancouver as a great united party … in the shared belief that our time has come.

"In opposition, we are fighting to protect you, and in government we will lead you back to prosperity," he said.


Protect us ? Like a protection racket ? What did the liberals ever do except try and raise taxes , do the west dirty , and cow tow to the quebecors saying yes your special you're better than the rest of canada you're so very special not like those other rift raft .... Unify Canada indeed !


A video tribute shown before Ignatieff took the stage featured photos of him with President Barack Obama, which elicited thunderous applause.


Did any reporters ask any tough questions ?
Did they bring up any tough issues ?
Did they mention the bail out of big corporations vs the raising of taxes for the little guy is King Iggy's idea of "protecting" the canadian electorate ?

No.

They didn't do anything but relay his propaganda about how great and wonderful he is and every one should elect him and how stupid you are for turning the Liberals into the third place *LOSERS* in the last election. The Quebec only Bloc got more votes than the Liberals did , but you'd swear they were the second coming and they're going to fix all your woes and make it all better and how everyone else is EVIL EVIL EVIL ...

This exercise in Communist propoganda is brought to you by the Canadian Broadcast Corperation , who as is their want , did not bother to sign the article. One can only presume the CBC stands behind this anonymous article since it's on their website , but thats not a certainty.

Like kids driving by ,throwing eggs at someone they hate , and disapearing around the corner , no one knows who it was.

The Iggy Factor


Ignatieff Q&A: 'I'm going to become PM'



"I'm going to become the prime minister of this country, as sure as I'm sitting here, and I'm going to inherit the largest deficit in Canadian history."


It's a recession, and the Americans made the economy go to pot. Yet you're blaming the other guys , quite relentless in it. Pure propaganda.


His support for George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq, subsequently recanted, and nuanced writings on the amount of "duress" permissible during prisoner interrogations have generated plenty of criticism from the Liberal left.
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"I could have spent my life in the United States, I didn't. I came back here because this is my home . . .

"I hate, detest and loathe torture, always have, always will. I do not want a world run by the American empire, never have, never wanted it, don't want it now . . .

You lived most of your life out of canada , so you're out of touch.

In true political fashion you change your tune as often as you change your socks. Yes to torture , Yes to Iraq ... oops it's unpopular now , no to torture , no to Iraq !

"That means I'm a medicare Liberal, I'm a Canada Pension Plan Liberal, I'm a Charter of Rights and Freedoms Liberal."


This week. Last week you were a pro-torture Bush lover. Not to say that that is a bad thing.(yeah I'm not too happy about "civilians" who pick up a rifle and start shooting other civilians and claim they want to do this to the whole world) The part where you keep changing your mind is what I object to.


He'll spend the summer rebuilding the party platform and fund-raising infrastructure, and implement the U.S. Democrat strategy of targetting all seats that helped send Barack Obama to the White House.


Yep. Love those americans ! Free Guns for all and to heck with the Health Care ! We're doing this the american way ! Oh , I said I supported the opposite of that ? Thats ok , I change my mind a lot, next week I'll do it again.


On that note, he wants "reasonable [carbon] targets that reconcile environmental objectives with employment objectives."

If that sounds close to Harper's position, it is; the green lobby will demand much more.


And that is a popular position so I'm stealing it from Harper !

This man waffles like a Pancake, you don't know what you're voting for, or what he'll change his mind and do next week. You vote for someone because you know he's gonna do something , you don't vote for people who change their mind as often as they change their socks, 'cause you don't know what you're getting.

It's the Iggy Factor.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Vender Lock Is The Way

New Apple Gizmos Coming to Exclusively to Verizon?

There's a new iPhone coming out (a very popular brand of cell phone), and it's going to be available only to one phone company, not the others.

Why ? Is there any technological reason for this ?
No , there cannot be. The new iPhone was manufactured *SPECIFIC* for the new vender. They could have made anything they wanted. They *CHOSE* to do this as a deliberate marketting stradegy.

Why ?

To make a buck. To do the public , who are their customers, dirty. Why should your favorite phone be available by one company only and not another ? Why is it locked ? So that that company can make a money. And then , you can only buy stuff for your phone from that company as well , you can't buy from anywhere else.

It's like there are ten stores on the street, and when you walk into one , that store locks the doors on all the other stores, and traps you. And then they raise the prices, or you find out their deals are not so hot , and you want out. Only you're trapped, you can't get out.

This is called Vender Lock.
It's a very successful marketing strategy.

But then, so is pointing a gun at your customers head and demanding all his money.

A long time ago , it was decided that letting a man work , and keep most of the product of his labor, only taxing him a little, worked very well. He worked much harder than when you simply took everything he produced no matter how hard, or not hard, he worked. And it was decided to let him take his wares to market and sell them for whatever he could get.

That was capitalism.

What we have today , is not Capitalism.

What we have today is legal theft. They sell you something , and then they say you can only use it in such a fashion , or we'll take it back and not give you your money back. They make these bright shiney gew gaws, and then deliberately bundle them with the most obnoxious items you wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole and then demand you buy both or neither. And there's no reason why, except to make a profit.

Now they put up walls every where you go. Now they make movies, but they only run on one kind of player, and different movies run on a different player. Now they make cool new phones, but you can only have them if you go to one particular phone provider and not another.

Now , they lock the doors on the competition , and charge everything they can for the simple stuff , and scads more for anythign hard. And they put a ring in *YOUR* nose , and threaten you with *JAIL* if you try to go somewhere else.

When the merchant starts clubbing his customers and herding them to his shop , and away from the others, it's time to stay away from that merchant.

When they all do it ...when the strategy of being an honest hard working shop smith doesn't work because you've been forced out by the dishonest ones... somethings gotta change.