Rogers - The Monopolistic Thieving Company

Ah yes - where to start. Well let's cut to the chase. Rogers sends me, 3-4 times a year, a letter outlining how great they are and how much they love me as a customer and BS BS BS BS...

Anyhow, I got another "up your ass customer" email stating that, once again, they are raising the rates of cable TV. Let me show you the letter stripped of its BS and reworded to tell it like it is. Needless to say, I will be taking my business elsewhere once the contracts expire in three more months.

To meet this commitment, we are stealing more money from our customers effective July 1, 2010.

Dear CUSTOMER:

As a valued Rogers cash cow, you should know that we're committed to milking you even more by claiming to bring you the best entertainment experience, built to suit our greed. In order to do this, we have crafted a new method to suck you dry.

Rogers has been doing jack shit to limit the impact to you from increased television programming costs. However, this year, our made up costs went up 10% more than last year—one of the largest imaginary increases ever. Rogers will absorb much of these "increases" by ensuring that our most popular packages will increase by no more than 5%, this week anyway. Additionally, we are pleased to confirm that hardly any of the monthly service fees for many of our packages are not changing at all.

See the chart below for the new rates, effective your first bill on or after July 1, 2010. All other aspects of your service will remain the same, overpriced and under-delivered. If you're currently enjoying a promotion, your discount will remain for the duration of your promotion period. Once that is up ensure to bend over your couch as we will certainly rape you of any money we missed out on during the promotion. If you have any questions, please call 1.800.497.1391 or visit rogers.com/innovation. Please note that although we will pretend to care, we don't. Our monopoly on the cable TV market ensures we don't need to. Please expect another one of these emails within 120 business days. Thank you for continually giving us more and more money. Our millions in profits ensures that we can continue to put R&D into new methods to rape and steal from you, our loyal customers. Things like the Quick Start Guide are just the beginning as we have many more methods up our sleeve to take more and give less.

As always, thank you for "choosing" Rogers.

At Rogers, we are committed to fake system access fees - the only way we can raise your rates when you are locked into a contract. Thanks for paying over $25 a month on these bull shit fees.

Sincerely,

Matthew Ariker

Vice President, Customer Marketing

Rogers Communications, Inc

Dear Government of Ontario

Where's the democracy? I never got to vote!
So let me tell you what the majority say:
"FUCK THE HST!!!"

Album Review - Gary Numan "Jagged"

Gary Numan – "Jagged" 2006 Rating: 2/5

Recommendation: Buy it if you really wished Pure was a double album. Otherwise just listen to Pure again and change the names of the songs as it won't make a difference.

I know it's a little late for this album review seeing as it has been out for a couple of years but I am still scarred by the disappointment of this album. Here is a review I did shortly after it was released that I would like to share:

Well let me start off by saying that Gary Numan is one of my favourite artists and has been since about 1990 when I first discovered him via a friend who picked up one of his used CDs in a local record shop. Since that day, I have accumulated his entire catalog. I must admit that the direction of music that Numan took starting with the album “Sacrifice” is outstanding. Both lyrically and musically, simply put masterpieces. That is, however, until “Jagged” was release in 2006. After many years (six I believe) of production, the highly anticipated follow up to “Pure” was a huge disappointment for me. What has made Numan so unique over the years was the fact that each album, although similar in lyrical style and musical sound, have been significantly different. For some unknown reason Numan decided to break from this tradition with his latest album. What “Jagged” turns out to be is nothing more than an extension of the last album. In fact, it is so similar that you have to do a double take to figure out which one is which. While this sort of musical commitment may work for some, it does nothing for me. As much as a disappointment that this album has been for me, I will continue to await the next one in hopes that it will indeed be “new” material.

But wait, it’s not that bad, really. If you liked “Pure” chances are you will like this album. “In A Dark Place” is an excellent song and “Blind” is also another song that I tend to tune in to whenever I play this album. But honestly, this is as exciting as it gets. Many of the other songs on this album sound the same. In fact, some so much that you actually can’t tell them apart. For instance, the first couple of bars in the choruses of “In A Dark Place”, “Melt” and “Scanner” are virtually identical. And, to add to this confusion, they all start with the lyric “Sometimes.”

All in all, most of “Jagged” fails to stimulate the listener and falls short of expectations. It seemed as though Numan took material that was recorded for the “Pure” album and dusted them off to create this latest album. That’s six long years of mixing?

Keeping my fingers crossed for the next release Gary, please let's have something original!

There is nothing smart about a Smart Car

All I can say is WTF?! Why would anyone in their right mind spend over $20,000 on a golf cart?

I remember a couple of years ago when the craze for the Smart Car took effect here in Canada. I heard a lot about the car and how small it was and how great on gas it would be. Essentially it was very interesting especially for those that live in big cities where space is an issue. Along comes the Smart Car. And with that the pricing of the Smart Car is released. This was when I spit my coffee all over thirteen different people in the elevator. THAT MUST BE A MISPRINT I thought to myself. $20,000.00 for...THAT?

So I jumped online and spit my third sip of coffee all over the computer monitor when I visited the website to confirm that indeed you are over $20,000.00 on road for one of these pieces of shit. Here I was expecting $5,000-$7,500. I mean LOOK AT IT! It's a glorified golf cart.

So everyone is going on and on about how great it is on gas. I agreed - only when the diesel was available. What do the morons at Smart do? Cancel the diesel and keep a PREMIUM only gas engine that they claim gets 5.4L/100km but in real life gets over 6. The same as say, a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla (5-sp). So tell me this, WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND THINKS THE SMART CAR MAKES SENSE? Seriously? Is it because you think you look cool driving one? Newsflash - YOU DON'T. You look like an oversized and awkward fool driving a golf cart on city streets.

Is it because you are environmentally aware? NO because if you were you would buy a car that is better on gas that doesn't drink premium you fool.

Is it because it's small? Well maybe. But why would you spend $3,000-$7,000 MORE on a two seater with next to zero cargo space that goes 0-60 in 13 seconds when you can buy a five seater with cargo space that gets equal or better fuel economy (keep in mind this piece of shit swallows premium) and still have enough gas money to drive it an extra 10 years?

It's just not right. People who buy these things must be thinking something else. I have no idea what that can be? Is it the novelty? Are you starving for attention?

After the initial explosion of these POS's I noticed about 6 months later there were a shitload of these for sale in people's driveways and online. I guess the novelty wore off and they thought "what the hell was I thinking?" I see a lot less now - maybe one or two a week on my usual commute as compared to 15 or so when they first came out.

Seriously, calling this a *Smart* Car is one of the biggest farces in car history. This oxymoron never ceases to make me chuckle because who are we kidding, this is as far from smart as car value gets. You want to save the world and your money...but a Yaris or Fit and take the extra $5,000 and give it to programs for environmental improvements.

There is NOTHING smart about "Smart Cars."

Don't be fooled by the ads or the hype. Save your money and show them what smart really means.