Today's contents:
Where's PETA when you need them?
Worst Buy
What's that "Universal Service Charge" on your phone bill?
We got a new flag - hoorah
Where's PETA when you need them? Those ass-darts have a web page for "alerts" and one for current "campaigns" (perhaps "fatwah" would be a more appropriate term). The big story on their main page is their attempt to extort money and influence at KFC. Listen, no one cares about KFC, since we all know that the chickens that they use are destined for a greasy bath. Those chickens don't expect to live out their days on the Riviera - they're destiney lies in a bucket. But when you look at this story, it's hard to imagine that they have no response, no "action" and no "campaign" dealing with this. In case you don't go to the link, the story from the BBC (a relatively reliable news source) indicates that not only is their significant business in cat and dog fur, the European Union (EU) is doing nothing about it. Cat skins are sold as being beneficial for rheumatism, and dog pelts are sold as exotic skins. Of course, in this country they're outlawed. That enables the EU to expand their "market", rather than join the U.S. in humanity. Now, as bad as this affront is to pet owners, why isn't PETA up in arms and advocating trade sanctions or embargos against the EU? Where is their outrage over TENS OF THOUSANDS of cats and dogs being used for fur? They have anti-fur messages, but those never mention the EU and cats and dogs. This goes to my point that PETA is anti-corporate, anti-America, and doesn't care about issues. They target large businesses, not practices. They are to pets what Jesse Jackson is to minorities. Neither is out to make life better for anyone but themself. PETA could be doing something right, instead their picketting a PetCo in Texas because of a lawsuit against them by the city of San Francisco. Now you know why PETA should stand for "People Eating Tasty Animals".
Worst Buy. It give me great pleasure to inform you that Best Buy (and Microsoft) are named as defendants in a lawsuit that is seeking class action status. Here's how it works. When the plaintiff bought a PC at Best Buy, they scanned a CD of "free" internet software without telling the customer, and then scanned his debit card to pay for his PC. Later, the man finds that MSN is debitting his account for monthly internet service. He never signed up for it, and didn't want it. This is a disgusting practice, and the fact that Microsoft was complicit in it soils them, too. I hope there is a hideous penalty for both for this practice, which takes advantage of people, many of which will just accept it and say nothing. The only bright spot is that if they're using MSN, at least they're not AOL customers. This is another reason why I won't shop at Best Buy, and I will pay more to shop elsewhere. They have burned me too many times, and I'm not going to be their mark any more. If you shop at Best Buy, and you have a problem, (and you will,) you were warned here first.
What's that "Universal Service Charge" on your phone bill? How many times have you looked at your phone bill and wondered why there's a $.58 charge (per phone line) for a "Universal Service Charge"? Do you know what that fee is for? It's a Federally-mandated fee (read my lips: TAX) that the phone company must pay (and therefore YOU pay for) to the Federal Government "which helps keep local phone rates affordable for all Americans". How the FUCK is charging me more money making anything more affordable??? What the government is NOT telling you is what they mean by that. This money goes to a $2.2 BILLION DOLLAR slush fund that lets people who don't want to pay for their own phone line to pass on the cost to YOU. That's right, you're paying money so that some other ass-dart doesn't have to. Oh yeah, and also so that schools can provide Internet service (unmonitored access not for teaching purposes) to students across the country, even though you already pay for the school's expenses through property, income and sales taxes. This is another fucking tax levied without any vote on your part that makes honest tax-paying people foot the bill for people who don't pay taxes. How much is enough? When will their greed for out paychecks (like I actually get one!) be satisfied? The thieves in Washington are trying to get some more people off of the tax roles through "refundable credits" (income redistribution schemes) so that 60 of the people in this country will pay NO taxes. Then they will be blaming the "rich" who actually PAY taxes when they want some of their money back. Those idiots actually believe that the money that you earn is theirs to give away, except the meager portion they let you keep. I may rant and rave about this, but it's fucking important. This is just wrong. Call me whatever name you want to - I don't care. No one has a right to your property. No one. The worst part is the waste and fraud that cost us all money that is needlessly costing us money all of the time, and the lack of oversight. Let me leave you with a thought - since when is having a phone or internet access a "Right" in this country?
We got a new flag - hoorah. OK, the clowns downtown finally unearthed their collective craniums from their sphinter-surrounded voids and selected a flag which doesn't offend an ethnic group. See what we can accomplish in the 21st century? Now how hard was that? Anyone who tells you that they're "losing their heritage" might as well go the extra step and say "I'm proud I'm a racist". There is no "heritage" in the "dixie cross" (star and bars). It was a flag they created in 1956 to thumb their nose at the black community and say "the Federal government might say we're equal, but we're not". It is a symbol of hatred. It's either directed at black people or the Federal government - take your pick. It has no place in today's society, and it is about damn time it's gone. If you don't like it, then pick up your trailer and head to Mississippi. Anyone who feels the "need" to have that old flag back is a racist.
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