Commercial Product FAIL of the week: iTunes

Freaking Apple products. From the iPod to taking over the universe, Apple has cornered their market on MP3-listening hipsters, birthers...well everyone. I can't really complain about their music and multi-touch devices without being a hypocrite as I own an iPad and an iPod Touch. I can, however, gripe about iTunes.

The features of iTunes started off as a pretty simple idea. You could add your own music, regardless of where you got it, onto your iTunes library and playlist - no sacrifices or redundant spending, iTunes allowed all MP3 files in their library and, in turn, on your iPod device.

I like things that are simple and I like spending money on purchases that I can do what I please with. I used my money to buy them, so I should be able to enjoy them in my own form. This is no longer the case with iTunes.

Because of my own closet preference for Apple products, regardless how Wal-martized they are (I use this term to explain any big business take over of their market), I chose to remain hush-hush about all things Apple. Well, the corporate greed in cornering the MP3/computer market is out of control.

I downloaded a whole season of one of my favorite shows recently, Sons of Anarchy. I used iTunes for two reasons: one I could watch the shows on my iPad and two I could not find the most recent season in any stores. I think I spent $29.99 for the season, not too shabby.

But, I wanted to enjoy the show with others and thus, I found a problem. Some stupid encrypted/coding system iTunes uses now does not allow you to burn your own purchases onto a DVD. I bought the season, I should be able to watch it however I choose. No, after dabbling with some free encoding applications that I thought might mitigate this issue, I still couldn't. Of course not, I needed to purchase a FULL program to this, which would cost another 30 bucks.

Resilient as I often am, I tried a new method. I hooked up my XBox to my computer to use a Microsoft service that will allow you to play TV shows and such from your computer through the XBox and onto the TV. Hello error messages, no such luck. Apple in their protection coding or whatever, has forbid this - all of their iTunes products are given a super special file name, only readable through iTunes.

Well, well I chose to give my money, yes mine, to Apple for a product rather than Amazon or some other misc. video-selling store and now I can only use said product through iTunes.

Is this necessary? No. It's called greed. And like Netflix, another big company has chosen to limit the use of a product you spent money on, in order to move out their competition.

This is the same company that recently got caught with child labor in China. Skim some bucks from production and limit the use of your products among your consumers - well, thank you. We all appreciate your greed. Capitalism, fascism, communism - whatever. It's my money that you are controlling to fund your overpriced lifestyles.

I am a Darwinist...so what?

I once saw a variation of the Jesus fish on someone's car - difference was, it had feet and said "Darwin." I loved it. I really think the whole idea of "survival of the fittest" makes more sense than most things. Constantly carrying the weight of others who cannot survive on their own is apparent in many aspects of our livelihood - we can look at any element of humanity and see, i.e. politics: we constantly support every single person who cannot support themselves. In reality, we should be offering them opportunity not giving them a free ride...the government was not put in place to support every drug addicts,illegal immigrant, etc.

Though this topic is vague and I just led with a ramble, the Amy Winehouse death inspired me to write about it.

Since I saw the video of Amy Winehouse smoking crack, I have had a quasi-phobia of her. The sagging skin, sunken eyes and black beehive gave me the heebie jeebies. She literally looked decrepid, though she has been dead for years. I could not bring myself to hear her name or see a photo of her without having a chilling, unpleasant feeling.

Thing is, what did she really offer to society? It was already a sin that we put her on a peddastool for our youth to see - we used to praise her music; award shows honored her with trophies and live performances...all the while she is a drug addict who is mostly famous for a song that taunts those who thought she should get help for addiction. We were idolizing the worst possible example of a person for our youth and upcoming generations to be subject to. In fact, she didn't even try to hide it. At least in the 50's and 60's, it was a faux-pas to be a druggie, so celebs tried to hide it. Not anymore - and now we have become a celeb-worshiping country, despite the character and unlawfulness of the celebrity themself.

And now she's gone, and has been for almost a week now, yet at least one in ten headlines references her. Whether it's putting blame on her ex-husband for introducing her to drugs or her parents saying it's because she stopped drinking - either way, it's done and over and it's Darwin at his finest. She chose to marry a druggie, she chose to use the drugs; to drink the booze; she chose to go back to all of those things despite rehab. She was a weak person and not an example for anyone to follow. She sealed her fate. It's a shame when anyone dies; but it's part of life.

Instead of pointing fingers, make her an example. Should you be a weak person, you may very well end up as Amy Winehouse.

Commercial Product Fail of the Week: Netflix

Time and time again we are betrayed by our beloved discount services. We watch companies pop-up that offer some of our favorite things or services at cheaper prices than we currently have at our dispose. Even the mothership of cheap/discount products, Wal-Mart, trick us in to thinking we have a new one-stop location for an item or product.

This time, Netpricks, I mean Netflix, have Walmartized themselves. Netflix offered convenient video rentals for our tool shed home (tool is a term I learned a few years back that refers to Americans never having to leave their house for everything they need). Netflix's services were a mere $7.99 per month - wow 7.99!? We couldn't rent two DVDs from Blockbuster for $7.99.

Blockbuster...RIP. Thanks to Netflix, you could get cheaper movie rentals without ever even having to leave your house (except of course to walk to your mailbox). Such services at such rates successfuly and rapidly started to shutdown Blockbusters all over the country.

Aha victory for Netflix. Their biggest, and basically only competitor was no longer a factor. Now that they have the video rental market to themselves, it's time...time to raise prices?? Less competition = higher subscription rates and thus, less need to charge even $7.99.

Big business at it's best. And no, the argument regarding a need for more resources (people, places, etc) doesn't hold true for Netflix. They are operated out of one huge warehouse. Think about it, they just need envelopes and DVDs - it's not even like they have a ton of each DVD to send out - otherwise there would be no need for a wait list for your favorite movies.

So, here's to you Netflix. You put Joe the Plumber (err DVD store clerk) out of business, and successfully shut down your biggest competitor. Looks like it's time to add the American people to the list of those you screwed. Problem is, we are YOUR customers. Unlawful rate increases for an unchanged product/service is an ugly side of corporate America that we DO NOT like - bad economy, high gas prices and now greedy Netflix higher-ups, trying to squeeze yet another dollar or 7.99 out of us.

Ladies' Room Observations: the good, the bad and the ugly

I've thought about writing about this topic for awhile, but always feared publicizing my opinions and observations about a taboo topic. As women, we spend a lot of time in shared bathrooms - whether at work, at bars and nightclubs, our home bathrooms and even those we quickly venture into at events (sometimes this means port-a-johns). Over the course of the years, I have made observations in such shared space - some because of annoyances and others just out of curiousity.

General observations and ponderings:

- What determines which stall in a public bathroom a woman chooses? Though I have heard quasi-psychological interpretations I don't really know the answer. I have my own theories: women who go to the farthest possible stall from the entrance are either going to drop it like its hot or they are embarassed by the act of using a public bathroom. In terms of going for the deuce, I feel like these women have the unproven idea that less people will hear them if they are further from the door. This brings me to my second point.

- Different in-stall activities women partake in. Have you ever heard the constant rolling of toilet paper from the metal holder? When utilized, in a lot of cases, it is one of the first noises to come from a newly entered stall. It's like these particular women are preparing ahead of time. Considering the TP roll is typically 6 inches away from the seat, I don't quite understand it. Will these women be unable to obtain the necessary TP for the job if they reach for it during/after the act? Or, perhaps, these women don't like to multi-task - the idea of having to worry about grabbing TP while going to the bathroom is simply daunting. Maybe they are obsessive compulsive planners...I really don't know. But, I will say, this is one of the rarer activities.

More commonly, a lot of women seem to find ways to make rustling noises for the sake of covering up other noises. This may include the act (yes, act not necessity) of blowing their nose, repeatedly. Or, sometimes, just messing with the toilet paper holder or using their feminine products as a way to make a distracting noise. This is definitely more common - I think that women who have to go number 2 just don't like other women to hear. We are fine with peeing, in fact if we are in the presence of others who have to pee when we need to do number 2, we gladly welcome it is an opportunity to push. Similarly, we welcome hand-washers. Personally, hand-washing is the most effective means of drowning out the miscallenous sounds that may occur while doing number 2.

I would guess that close to 3/4 of women prefer a bit of background noise while going number 2 in a public bathroom - almost purely for the purpose of muffling their own noise.

Annoyances in Public Restrooms:

- Though most likely experienced at the public restroom at work, I hate when people wash their food dishes/bowls etc in bathroom sinks. Let's get real, these sinks most likely have a sifted drain - so if you had anything with any substance, there will be food floaters left behind. Those food floaters are disgusting - I am using the sink to clean my hands, not see an old peice of diced pepper. Additionally, there are enough smells in the bathroom, no need to add the stench of whatever you had for lunch. If there was somewhere to heat it up (i.e. a kitchen area), I am sure there is a sink in that area as well.

- Vanity in a busy restroom. Let's me honest if you are at the kind of bar that doesn't have a seperate powder area with a full length mirror, the crowd you are around probably isn't the kind you need to impress. I can't stand when you are at a busy bar, have to wait in a long line for the restroom and then you have to stand around and wait to wash your hands because there is some half-drunk girl thoroughly examining her face in front of one of the few sinks. Buy a compact.

There are other annoyances I have that I am sure are shared with the rest of the female population. Things like toilet seats covered in vomit or bloody feminine products on the floor, I won't elaborate on those. I do, however, wonder if there is a bathroom etiquette book out there and if so, maybe I can start some publicly funded program that places them on sink areas/tables in public restrooms nationwide. One can only wish.

Pro-Pot website slams drug war?

Though this isn't something I would normally blog about - the former journalist in me can't help it. A website, called "Toke of the Town," decorated with pot leaves, has a little section called "News."

To their credit, I am sure News has a different meaning in the world of avid marijuana users, but to my dismay, one specific article is being dugg on digg.com by too many people. If this website put their article, "U.S. Can't Justify Its Drug War Spending: News Reports," in their "views" section, I wouldn't be as peeved.

But it doesn't. And showing statistics as to how we have failed as a country to overcome a drug war, while informative, is simply a conflict of interest coming from a website that is pro-illegal substance. I am sorry it is.

Of course we are failing the drug war - and how does a pot-enthusiast, like those who probably work for Toke, explain otherwise if they are very publicly declaring an affinity for a DRUG. Pot calls kettle black, then criticizes kettle?

I mean seriously. Even more so, what do the U.S. Government budgetary experts at Toke (kidding) suggest we do? Cut funding designated to stopping illegal substances from entering this country? I assume so. And, if that's the case, I shouldn't be so peeved because the source of the subject at hand is surely lacking credibility and probably hitting a bong as we speak while waiting for their unemployment check.

How's that for conflict of interest? Oh wait, unlike this liberal, hippie-babble BS site, I don't have a conflict of interest because I make it pretty well clear that I will talk fact, fiction or opinion on any given topic rather than support something illegal then claim to give people the "News."

Jersey Shore Facts

No matter where you live, you probably have some familiarity with the Jersey Shore (whether negative or positive). But, for people in the tri-state area, the Jersey Shore, though famous for its self-named TV show, is synonymous with Memorial Day weekend.

By mid-day tomorrow, the Garden State Parkway will be bombarded with bumper-to-bumper tourists - polluting the air with the noise of bass-heavy techno beats, cigarette smoke and of course, toxic hair-stiffening aerosal spray. In honor of the influx of tourists and long-lines at local bars, with the upcoming holiday, here are some Jersey Shore fun facts.

1) Along the northern shores (Belmar, Seaside, etc) we refer to these visitors as Bennys. But how did they get that name? According to Wikipedia, "Benny is a derogatory term used by year-round residents of the Jersey Shore to describe summer-only residents who descend upon the area from northern New Jersey cities and New York. It is often said to be an acronym for some of the places that the tourists come from: "Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, and New York" (hence B,E,N,NY). Now it applies to any non-resident during the summer months, when roads, stores, beaches, and restaurants are more crowded due to the influx of tourists."

2) There is another slang term for summer tourists who crowd the Southern NJ beaches (especially, Ocean City) - these folks are called Shoobies. "The term 'Shoobie' is used by residents of resort communities in the southern New Jersey Shore, from Long Beach Island to Cape May. The term shoobie was originally used to describe day-trippers who took the train to the shore. The train offered pre-packed lunches that came in shoe boxes; hence the term "shoobie." However, over time the meaning has changed to include tourists that wear sneakers or shoes on the beach, as opposed to most locals who go barefoot on the sand."

3) A key element that attracts these tourists, particularly the ones who come to the southern shores, is the presence of boardwalks. Lined with activities like go-cart racing, arcade games and knick-knack filled booths, boardwalks provide entertainment for families and fist-pumpers alike. Speaking of which, did you know that the largest boardwalk in the USA is Atlantic City's?

4)Jersey's shores do boast some history. For instance, the borough of Ship Bottom in Long Beach Island is named based on, "a shipwreck that occurred in March 1817, when Captain Stephen Willets of Tuckerton rescued a young woman from the hull of a ship overturned in the shoals. The rescue became known as 'Ship Bottom.'"

Read some more fun facts about Jersey and its shores.

And, if you are coming to visit, be courteous - while this is your vacation, it is our home. For example, don't drink so many jager bombs that you want to start a bar fight, DON'T leave trash on our beaches, and don't park in residential parking spots or block homeowners' driveways.

Commercial Product FAIL of the Week: DISH

I recently saw a DISH network commercial that boasted they were "Number 1 in customer service," a sentiment that nearly cost me the gulp of wine I had in my mouth. I can't think of ever hearing a less-true statement. I thought that they surely had some lawsuits coming their way for false advertising as they were one of the absolute worst companies I have ever dealt with in my life, specifically their customer service department.

According to DISH's website, "Our goals are simple: Provide the best service at a fair price without any gimmicks or tricks. We'd love for you to be another satisfied customer. Take advantage of the best offer in TV, with DISH Network."

What's odd is that in 2010, DISH won some kind of Customer Service award from the "American Customer Satisfaction Index."

Mind-boggling. Especially when you look at one of the many consumer complaint websites, which shows Dish having approximately 400 complaints (just on one website) from customers.

Here is one example from ConsumerAffairs.com from November 17, 2010: "I called Dish Network today to cancel my subscription due to my husband being laid off after 22 years and to also inform them that we live in company housing and are getting kicked out. I explained that I could fax them the separation papers. They explained right back that they were sorry but unless I died with proof of death, then I could not cancel. They said we could go six months on a suspension but that won't take away from our 30 more months to go, they also said they would charge me $300 to cancel."

Additional small tidbits can be found on this site through scrolling, "Stay away from DISH," or "The channel advertised wasn't there," etc, etc.

Once upon a nightmare, I too had DISH. I was fooled into their "non-gimmick" commercial of low prices and called to inquire, emphasizing that I would only purchase their plan if my local sports teams would be able to be viewed (I was moving to a town only 10 miles away from the city in which they played). They gauranteed this to me.

Nope - every single game was blacked out. I could, however, for an additional ten dollars a month add a sports package that would broadcast a few games here and there. I complied, unfortunately. Still, the games that took place just 10 miles away were all blacked out ALL the time. Then, FX was blacked out due to the stinginess of DISH - but did I get the 10 bucks a month back that I paid to have the FX channel ONLY for one show (Sons of Anarchy), nope - they instead gave us a "comparable replacement channel" - I still don't know what they were referring to.

I had enough and tried to get out of the contract. I was told only for 300 bucks would that be possible. I pulled all the stops and was bounced from voicemail to voicemail (in Colorado and states all across the U.S.) where alleged "supervisors" would call me back. They never did.

I tried a new route - I called asking for copies of the transcript from our initial phone call, in which they assured me I could see the local sports games with their network. They agreed to get copies printed and sent to me in a few days (getting someone on the phone who would even talk about it was a 3-day affair) - come to think of it I never did get those copies, I did however get out of the contract. I am guessing they realized (after me threatening a binding verbal agreement was broken by them) I was right, and their sales rep made a mistake when he promised such things.

Either way, take it from consumers all across the internet, DISH has TERRIBLE customer service and will shackle you to an absurd contract based on gimmicks and hopes of cheaper cable. The reality is you will have about 10 jewelry-shopping channels (Gemstones! OMG), duplicates of most of your channels and an overall poor quality of service (beware of all wind, you will lose the channel).

So, don't do it. If something sounds too good (or too cheap) to be true, it probably is.