Author: Phil Villarreal

Apple fans boast of the company’s hardware and software reliability, but product performance has got nothing on Apple’s ability to rock the stock market. According to KyleConroy, it would have been much smarter to have invested in Apple stock rather than computers.

If you’d taken the $5,700 it cost to buy an Apple PowerBook G3 250 when it came out in 1997 and invested it in Apple stock, you’d have $330,000 now. Makes you think twice about springing for an iPad.

What if I had bought Apple stock instead? [KyleConroy]
(Thanks, Jonathan!)

Scott says he can’t get to boozin’ unless he allows Target to scan his ID. Not just look at it, scan it. This is possibly linked to a one world government conspiracy. Either that or Target is just being weird, as usual.

He writes:

More bogus behavior from Target. Today at the [redacted] Washington Target the clerk and the manager insisted that I could not buy a $4.99 bottle of crappy red wine unless I allowed them to scan my ID. I’m a grey hair and 51 years old. I showed both employees valid ID for their inspection anyway. They agreed the driver’s license was valid and I was old enough to buy the wine, but no wine for me unless I allow them to scan this valid ID.

I refused to let them scan. They refused to sell the wine. A whole bunch of groceries went back on the shelf. And the employees really could not have cared less. After all, they were just following corporate orders according to the employees. And they claimed the system could not be overridden.

What the hell is going on with these big box stores that they think my private data belongs to them if I buy a cheap bottle of crappy wine?

Target alcohol purchasers, are you facing the same treatment?

Amazon customers are complaining that Fox has gummed up the Avatar DVDs with DRM, rendering them unplayable on many Blu-ray players in an effort to prevent piracy. That is, if you consider making a copy of a DVD you own as piracy.

Lee tipped us off to the problem, writing:

Bought Avatar Blu-ray today along with ten gazillian other people. Only problem is that the digital rights mgmt or copy protection seems to be causing errors on a large number of players (even with updated firmware). Comments are pilling up on the web (see amazon link below). Nice job Fox, keep law abiding cash paying customers from viewing their DVDs so you can keep a few people from ripping copies to their iPods for road trips….

Have you found the same problem?

Will not play on many Blu Ray players
[Amazon: Customer Discussions]

Sloopydrew says Sony sent him a new terms of service email with some harrowing declarations about the company’s rights to screw with your gadgets as it sees fit — sort of a retroactive justification for taking away the ability to install another operating system on the PS3 hard drive.

He writes:

In the new Terms of Service released yesterday (and announced in an email that I was sent today), Sony has added stealth updates that may take away any and all functionality of the PS3 and/or PSP with no recourse against Sony from the customer. From the new User “Agreement”:

“From time to time, it may become necessary for SCEA to provide certain content to you to ensure that Sony Online Services and content offered through Sony Online Services, your PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system or other SCEA-authorized hardware is functioning properly in accordance with SCEA guidelines.

“Some content may be provided automatically without notice when you sign in. Such content may include automatic updates or upgrades which may change your current operating system, cause a loss of data or content or cause a loss of functionalities or utilities.”

If you don’t like it? Go f*ck yourself, says Sony. From the email Sony sent me an hour ago:

“If you do not agree with the new Terms of Service and User Agreement or Privacy Policy, please contact Customer Service to terminate your PlayStation(R) Network account(s) and do not visit PlayStation(R) Network or our websites.”

Wow.

Is everyone excited about this joyous new announcement?

One of the surprising benefits of KFC’s Double Down wonder sandwich is its lack of calories — 540 for the fried version and 460 for the grilled.

Those figures are from KFC. CityRag is challenging them, insisting the Double Down is actually packing 1190 calories.

I’d take KFC at it’s word, if only because the Double Down seems shockingly small once you finally get ahold of it, especially after you’ve built up visions of wretched excess in your mind and shelled out $5 for something far, far short of a foot long.

Who do you believe?

Kentucky Fried Bullsh*t [Cityrag]
(Thanks, Jarred!)

North Dakota is bucking the downsizing trend by overflowing with jobs — many of them in the oil industry — the New York Times reports. Problem is, the state doesn’t have adequate housing to keep up with would-be carpetbaggers.

The Times sent a reporter to Williston to take the lay of the no-vacancy land:

The same forces that have resulted in more homelessness elsewhere — unemployment, foreclosure, economic misery — have pushed laid off workers from California, Florida, Minnesota, Michigan and Wyoming to abundant jobs here, especially in the booming oil fields.

But in this city rising from the long empty stretches of North Dakota, hundreds are sleeping in their cars or living in motel rooms, pup tents and tiny campers meant for weekend getaways in warmer climes. They are staying on cots in offices and in sleeping bags in the concrete basements of people they barely know.

The majority of Big Sky country job seekers must not have seen There Will be Blood.

A State With Plenty of Jobs but Few Places to Live [New York Times]

Striking a decisive blitzkrieg to an internet meme that had gotten old fast, Constantin Film has asked video hosting sites to take down all the re-subtitled Hitler videos of the war room rant scene from Downfall, TechCrunch reports.

Although I’m glad to see copyright law win out over humanity’s innate sense to overkill a good joke, it’s a shame we can’t get one last Hitler video complaining about Constantin’s move.

Hitler Is Very Upset That Constantin Film Is Taking Down Hitler Parodies [TechCrunch]

Sony has taken a page out of the Ubisoft DRM-bungling playbook and required gamers playing the downloadable retro game Final Fight: Double Impact to be online in order to play. According to Joystiq, this must be a Sony-only thing because the game plays fine offline on the Xbox 360.

I suppose this isn’t that big of deal, right? It’s not like Sony’s servers ever crash globally.

PS3 Final Fight: Double Impact requires PSN connection [Joystiq]

Writing on his Reflections of a Newsosaur blog, Alan D. Mutter contends newspapers are sticking it to those who place paid obits in their pages. He said the San Francisco Chronicle wanted $450 for a 182-word death notice. Mutter says the gouging may be part of an industry-wide trend.

He writes:

Newspapers, like funeral directors, know they can charge whatever they want when someone dies, because it’s not a time that people are in a state of mind to hunt for bargains. In most communities, there is only one paper to choose from, so there is no other option, anyway.

Newspapers selling high-priced death notices know that the several hundred dollars they charge will be mere rounding errors in the four- and sometimes five-figure bills generated by the average funeral.

So, yes, they can get away with it. But that doesn’t make it right.

What do you think is a reasonable rate to pay a newspaper to print an obit?

Death-notice price gouging: Why? [Reflections of a Newsosaur]

BillShrink writes in with some tips on how to cut the costs of fueling your car. Just as valuable as the tips to cut costs are the way the email shoots down myths about gas-saving methods that don’t really work.

From the email:

· Avoid idling when possible. Idling wastes gas when you could be using it on the road.

· Use your cruise control. Cruise control is probably in your car, so use it! Driving at a constant speed helps save your car gas.

· Use overdrive gears. Using these gears makes your engine slow down and use less gas.

· Avoid carrying excessive weight. The heavier your car, the more gas your car uses. An extra 100 pounds reduces your MPG by two percent!

· Don’t speed. We know you’re probably running late but taking the pedal off the metal. The faster your car is going, especially when over 60 mph, the more gas you need.

· Don’t brake or accelerate too quickly. Driving aggressively can lower your gas mileage significantly, especially when you’re driving on the highway.

· Loyalty = Savings. Join a loyalty club. Some gas stations offer lower prices when you present their membership card

· Fill your tires with Nitrogen. Nitrogen helps tires maintain the right pressure for a longer period of time as opposed to oxygen, this because nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules. So the next time you need to add air to your tires, add nitrogen.

And now for the gas-saving superstitions to avoid:

· Opening the windows instead of using the air conditioner has no measurable effect.

· Gas saving gadgets you can buy for your car don’t really help your gas mileage, according to the EPA.

· Neither do gas thinners.

· Gas is NOT cheaper mid-week.

· Shopping around for cheaper gas DOES NOT burn more than you’ll end up saving.

What do you do to cut down costs at the pump?

(Thanks, Diana!)

Coca-Cola is making up for ensnaring poor little ducks in six-pack containers by making chairs recycled from its bottles — understandably stamped with the company logo — and hawking them for $230, the Atlanta Business Journal reports.

From the story:

The chair — available in red, snow, flint, grass, persimmon and Charcoal colors — is modeled after the original aluminum Emeco Navy Chair designed in 1944 for the U.S. Navy. Each one is stamped on the back with Coca-Cola’s iconic logo.

Each 111 Navy Chair contains a mix of 60 percent recycled polyethylene terephthalate plastic (rPET) and a combination of other materials including pigment and glass fiber for strength.

The chairs, which sell for $230, will hit the market in June and can also be ordered by clicking here. In the United States, the chair will be sold exclusively at Design Within Reach.

OK, who’s planning on picking up a stack of these babies for backyard barbecues?

Coca-Cola, Emeco partner on chair [Atlanta Business Chronicle]
(Thanks, NORMLgirl!)

A Florida man is being sued for $15,000 for leaving a negative comment on a transaction to buy a $44 clock, breaking his perfect rating, NBC 2 of Florida reports:

Steadman says the clock arrived in three pieces of varying models that didn’t fit and couldn’t stamp a card, as advertised.

He returned it and got a refund through PayPal, but wanted to warn others.

On Miller’s profile he wrote, “Bad seller; he has the ethics of a used car salesman.”

Do you think the suit has any merit? And will this news change the way you rate transactions on eBay?

Man sued for $15k over negative eBay remark [NBC 2 Florida]
(Thanks, Ryan!)

William thought he could cruise Orlando’s Downtown Disney with a camera and not end up hassled and intimidated by security guards. He was wrong.

He summarizes his blog post here:

Last night, I visited Downtown Disney in Orlando to take HDR photos of the House of Blues. On four occasions, I was approached by Disney Security to ask why I was taking pictures. Each time I explained that photography was my hobby. The security guards expressed concern that I was working for a media company and I assured them that wasn’t the case. This was just for the experience of taking photographs. I was inspired by Trey Ratcliff’s photography and, having taken a HDR workshop with him, wanted to experiment a bit.

On the fourth time Disney Security approached me, they were lead by a security manager, Don, and I was surrounded by security guards. Once again, I explained to Don that I was there as a hobby, nothing more. I tried to appease Don by showing him some of my images. He asked for my name and I shared it. He asked where I worked. While I thought that wasn’t any of his business, I considered the fact that perhaps he still thought I worked for some media outlet, so I shared my employer’s name. I even told him the name of the local town where I live.

After all of this, Don started asking for me to provide him with some written identification. At this point, I refused. He’s a security guard and doesn’t have any need to see my driver’s license or other ID. Don responded by threatening to call the police and have them obtain my ID. He said he was in charge of security and wanted to know who to contact in case something bad happened. He expressed concern that my photography was architectural and that made him suspicious.

Basically, I was surrounded, intimidated, threatened, harassed and ultimately humiliated as a cadre of security guards escorted me to my car to leave the property. I had plans to stay for dinner at House of Blues after shooting, but that no longer seemed to be of interest to me. Don called in more security guards who arrived on foot, on bike, and by vehicle. He also called the Orange County Sheriff’s office and told them I was unresponsive when he asked for identification – a blatant lie, since I told him my name, employer and the city where I lived. That’s more than he shared with me.

I was under no obligation to share any of this information with Don and Disney, but I did so in the spirit of cooperation and reducing his concerns. Instead, things only became more intense and unsettling. Disney has long been very friendly to photographers, so I was shocked at this turn of events. Don basically accused me of being a terrorist and became increasingly perturbed that I didn’t hand over my ID. He wanted to know who to contact in case something happened. What kind of idiot would give up his information to a man looking for someone to accuse of a potential terrorist action? Besides, what terrorists want to blow up the House of Blues?

As I left, Don instructed his guards to take plenty of pictures of me, my vehicle, etc. I have no doubt that I was captured on security video cameras while at Downtown Disney. Am I now on some kind of list? No deputy ever showed up, but will they give the Sheriff’s office a photo of my auto tag in order to track down my contact information? This is not the kind of behavior I expect from the worldwide leader in hospitality. I was planning on purchasing another Annual Pass to continue my photography, but I don’t know if I’ll continue to be harassed by Disney Security or not.

Verizon may be exaggerating when it says it offers coverage in more than 220 countries, but at least it isn’t just making the number up.

The company posts a list of the countries it covers — by my count that’s 233 “countries.” The problem is, not all the municipalities Verizon counts are their own countries, unless you’re one of those people who refuses to believe Puerto Rico belongs to the United States.

Thomas writes:

Verizon recognizes places such as Antarctica, a sovereign piece of land as a country.

They also see US Virgin Islands and UK Virgin Islands as countries though they have no representation in the UN and are controlled by the US and UK respectability

They break down China (PRC) into Hong Kong, Macau, Tawain and Mainland into four while that is recognized as one country by the UN and US.

Guam, Somila Islands, Puerto Rico are recognized as 3 countries by there all under control of the US.

Fiji & French Polynesian Islands are all under control of France but are recognized as countries by Verizon.

Verizon could correct its misleading advertising by lowering the number or saying it covers more than 220 countries and territories. If the company changes its ways it will have to admit it hears us now.

(Thanks, Thomas and GitEmSteveDave!)

Terry says his UHaul rental wouldn’t register the amount of gas he pumped into it, forcing him to either fill the tank with more gas than he used or pay a $30 fee.

He writes:

Yesterday I rented a UHaul truck for an 80-mile round trip. When I rented the truck, the agent told me there was a half tank of gasoline and that I’d need to bring it back filled to a half tank; if it were below that, UHaul would charge me $30.00 plus $3.00/gallon to fill it to the halfway mark. The trip took less than a quarter tank of gas. When I tried to replace what I’d used, the tank wouldn’t read any more than slightly below a half tank. I drove the truck around a bit to make sure the gauge wasn’t just like my son’s car, which doesn’t indicate the true amount of gas in the car unless you drive a few feet after you put the gas in.

The gauge didn’t budge, so I put more gas into the truck. Still, no movement of the gauge. I added gas until the gauge read that the truck was half full. As soon as I drove off, the gauge rose to almost a full tank! I was pissed, to say the least. I mentioned it to the agent when I returned the truck, and he didn’t have anything to say about it. I’ve never rented a moving van that wasn’t full when I got it, and I’m wondering if this is just some kind of scam or if I just ‘lucked’ into this?

Have you found a similar snafu on a vehicle rental?

David got suckered into Chase’s Payment Protection plan and was stuck with a monthly charge of nearly $30, all because he unwittingly authorized his membership by accepting information about the program.

He writes:

Chase charged $27.48 to my credit card – by enrolling me in their “Payment Protector” plan without my consent!

Here’s how. I said no, I wouldn’t enroll in their plan. They then offered to send me information about it. But they didn’t tell me that requesting that information AUTOMATICALLY ENROLLS YOU IN THE PLAN!

That’s what I was told today by a Chase supervisor.

Chase had then sent me an envelope with a catchy slogan on the outside. (“The Chase Payment Protector Plan now has you protected.”) I figured I’d review the plan they were offering me later, so I didn’t even open it. So I was shocked when the $27.48 monthly fee began appearing on my next credit card statement.

Chase says it’s a 30-day trial — but if for some reason you don’t notice it on your statement, then you’re enrolled. I’m ashamed to say that’s what happened to me. I hit the roof when I discovered the $27.48 on my statement, and was even angrier when I realized they’d also taken out $27.48 the month before!

I’m not the only person who’s been enrolled in this program without their consent. I saw several others when I Googled it on the web. I also found people who’d paid the money to enroll in the plan — only to discover that Chase wouldn’t even deliver the promised “payment protections” when the supposedly-covered situations actually occured.

So when I called Chase, I was insulted that their rep first tried to explain the benefits of this plan to me. (“If you’ve already enrolled me in this plan, then shouldn’t I know these benefits already?” I asked.) She claimed that everyone who enrolls in this plan is recorded — but then she later contradicated that claim. (She said that when you’re activating your card, it’s possible to select the “Payment Protection” option just by pushing the wrong button!) Her name was Suman Vandam, and she tranferred me to a supervisor named Tim.

To be fair, the supervisor did promise to refund all of my money and to get me out of the program. But he said it might take two billing cycles before that would appear on my credit card statement. He said there was a possibility that it might appear in my online statement within 10 business days. Someone on the web says they received this promise, but then did not actually receive the refund — so honestly, now I worry that they’re lying to me again.

The Payment Protector people also refuse to accept phone calls about this over the weekend. I even began wondering if Chase timed the delivery of my statement to arrive on Saturday, just so I’d have to wait another 48 hours before being allowed to follow up.

I call this “stealth enrollment”. I think it’s outrageous. They pretend they’re just sending you information. Then they enroll you without your knowledge, and make you jump through their hoops to try to get out of the program. I had to spend 15 minutes on the phone before I finally got a promise of a refund.

I was so upset that I just filed a complaint with California’s State Attorney General.

If you’ve wound up in one of these near-useless programs by accident, please tell us what it took to get out and get your money back.

Verizon likes to boast that its coverage is ubiquitous, but it’s gone way overboard when it makes claims that it covers more than 220 countries, as it did in this ad the company sent to Justin, who writes:

This one has been sitting around my office for quite a while – it is a scan of a Verizon advertisement that claims they have service in 220 countries.

Thing is, the UN only recognizes 192, and the US State department recognizes 194.

Where are those other 26 countries?

Maybe Can You Hear Me Now Guy has tired of traveling the globe and has ventured to alien planets, having found this one is out of countries.

Evilpuppy, who says she’s disabled, blogs that a United flight attendant refused to help her hoist her bags into the overhead compartment.

She writes:

The attendant standing in the front section of economy was a blonde woman probably in her late 40s-50s and I called her over to explain that I needed her assistance because I wasn’t capable of lifting my luggage due to my disability. To my surprise, the attendant rejected my request while excusing it by saying: “If I helped everyone do that all day then MY back would be killing me by the end of the day!” I asked her how I was supposed to get my luggage stowed and her answer was: “You’ll just have to wait for someone from your row to come back here and ask them to give you a hand.” When I asked what would happen if no one would, her response to me was: “Well, normally a passenger is around to overhear something like this and they’ll offer to help with it on their own. You’ll just have to ask someone when they get back here.” Then she turned back around and went up to the front seats where she waited to “assist” other passengers.

I was completely flabbergasted, but with no other option, I sat down to wait and pulled my carry-on suitcase as close as I could to try to get it out of the way of the aisle. As I’m sure you’re aware, however, your aisles are considerably narrow and even my best efforts left half of even my small carry-on suitcase in the aisle. What’s more, rather than help me, most of the passengers simply knocked into my suitcase and shoved past me on the way to their own seats. Every time they hit the suitcase, it in turn hit me and jarred my back more and more with each strike.

She complained and got this response:

“I won’t apologize for her actions and I’m not sorry for what happened to you. It’s not in our contract to assist passengers with their luggage and we reserve the right to refuse assistance to anyone. If that’s what you need, then perhaps in the future, you should make other travel arrangements.”

If you’re a disabled traveler, have you had an experience like this?

“I Have Always Depended On The Kindness Of Strangers…” [Incoherent Ramblings from a Coffee Addict]
(Thanks, Larry!)

The L.A. Times reports Americans’ love of eating and immense poverty have combined to help our people set a new record for food stamp consumption in a month.

From the story:

About 39.4 million Americans, the most ever, received food stamps in January, the government said.

The number of recipients was up 22% from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The total of Americans getting the subsidy has hit records for 14 consecutive months.

No word on stats for February or March just yet, but hopefully this is a record-breaking surge that ends sometime soon.

Food stamp rolls break record again [L.A.Times]
(Thanks NORMLgirl!)

Senyaka said she applied for a temp job at Kmart and the company told her to lie on the screening questionnaire to improve her chances of getting hired.

She writes:

I think if might pass being print worthy of your website.

I put in for a temp job at my Local Kmart for a unloader/stocker.. Just until my real job training in 2 months kicks in..

I filled out on their in-store computer and took a 70+ question about various situation and whatnot.

I call back and was told that if I didn’t get a call after 3pm, to call them.

Completely understand, it takes time and they might be or get busy.

So after 3pm, I call and got told that the 70+ questions are graded by color. Red, Yellow, Green (guessing like in a traffic light and green is good)

and that I can reapply in 90 days and that I should “Fib” to pass.

Being told to lie to get a job….By HR…

I contact Sears and Kmart on their various telephone hotline to be told to call the person that told me to lie about the fact that they told me to lie.

I have used the information from your website to forward my email to other people within their company.

Guess I’m too honest to work there. I don’t see that as a bad thing.

So there you have it. Apparently Kmart is going after people who say the right things, but not necessarily those who do them.