Our little tiff with FIDO has made one thing clear for me.

NEVER, EVER, GET INTO ANY LONG TERM CONTRACT WITH THE CROOKS WHO RUN CELL PHONE SERVICES, SUCH AS BELL, ROGERS, AT&T, FIDO, TELUS, ETC.

Instead, once our contract is over with FIDO, we won’t even look at a contract plan, but will look at the PAY AS YOU GO OPTION.  To begin with, it may seem more expensive, as you pretty well have to pay full shot for your phone, though not necessarily.

Been looking at Virgin Mobile, and supposedly one can use the old phones now, by simply replacing the chip from FIDO.  Means NO NEW PHONE!   And that is how they trap you, these companies that are supposed to be providing a service, but in reality just rip you off.

WIND is another, that seemingly is going after the long term contract user, by giving them a credit, over several months, to help defray the cost of breaking one of those long term contracts. [Details from CBC News here]

With just 10 months left on our FIDO contract, the cost for us to break it, would be around $400.00.  We have 2 numbers, but if it was just one, the cost would be $200.00.  That is obscene.

Part of the real problem is, we are convinced we need the latest and newest in technology, in order to make our phone use more, enjoyable.  Thing is, we really don’t. Sure touch tone phones are easier than rotary dialler’s, and okay, nice to be able to send a text message, but be honest, when did a phone become a typewriter?  Isn’t the whole idea of phones, to be about VOICE COMMUNICATIONS?  Not a portable video watching thingee, or book reading gimmick? Sure as hell wasn’t about being a mobile secretary, or appointment book, yet today, that is exactly what they are.

Now we need laws, so people don’t yap on their phones, or text, while driving. We have kids clamoring for the latest so they post to their facebook pages, or friends, and like that helps our society how? 

Well it does help generate a whole new group of con artists, rip offs, and corporate thievery, that only screws up our credit even more. And that isn’t good, because these companies screw us royally. They are never wrong, though they fail to always provide clear and complete coverage. They change rules in mid-stream, but you wind up being screwed out of it.

Simple point is, a phone is to make calls. If we want to socialize with others, then meet for a coffee, get out and talk to people, make new friends in person, instead of having tons of followers on twitter or facebook. BE HUMAN, INSTEAD OF A MINDLESS DRONE.

The PollyAnna idea that big business, government, is not out to screw us, will only cost us more, quicker, than if we step back, and think for a second. Such as the new trend by Electric Companies and Appliance Manufacturers to develop what they call SMART GRID. [source]

Simply put, this is where Meters that record your electrical use, are replaced with new meters, that automatically send back to the Utility, your on going use of power. This can be in real time, so that the Electrical Company can know, to the minute, how much power you are consuming.

Doesn’t sound nefarious, does it?

Course that would be true, if one could trust that the sole purpose of these Companies is to insure a better use of our electricty. However, we all know that isn’t true. To begin with, it is also about these companies trying to save labor costs, by eliminating the need for employees to go out and read the meters.

That isn’t so bad, but then think about something else. Think about how with new technology, your appliances can communicate with the meter, telling it that it is being used. Think about the notion, that by tracking your usage, it can also determine if you are home, or how many of you are home. It can tell, by the minute, what appliances you have working, such as when you have the television on, or doing the laundry.  It can determine, to the minute, when you are using a lot of hot water, meaning you are either doing dishes, or having a long hot bath. And with the appliances, they can most likely even know which it is.

Now ‘Big Brother’ will know what to target your household for. Which telemarket scam to try your patience with, as it’ll know when you are home, saving them time while wasting yours. It’ll know what goods to market to you with mailings, phone calls, all because your appliances are talking.

And it opens up a whole bunch of new suckers to them too, because you see, everyone uses electricity, not everyone uses the internet. So attaching spyware may work online, but it doesn’t tap into everything you do, but tapping into your electrical use, well it just added millions of people to its database of suckers, waiting to be plucked.

AND don’t expect the Government to help you out, as there is NO PRIVACY LAWS STANDARD TO GUARD AGAINST MIS-USE OF THIS INFORMATION.

I really have to wonder, if the organizing committee for the Games, took anything into account, other than how to push their advertisers and corporate sponsors?

Almost a week after being lit, they are finally making the Olympic Torch in the Harbor, be viewed by spectators, without looking through a chain link fence. [source]

I simply do not understand the powers behind all this, who would not realize, that the lit torch would draw spectators? Instead they deliberately erected a fence to deny access, or to let people have an unobstructed view.  It amazes me, that anyone would want to look at it, because frankly it looks like a couple of implanted girders wrapped in tin foil, but hey, what do I know about design?

Personally, if these games were truly about real amateur athletes, I’d be more inclined to support them. However, it has become nothing more than a way for Big Business & Politicians, to strut their stuff. It really isn’t about the purity of amateurs, but about raking in cash.

Will these games attract more tourists to British Columbia? Perhaps, though why? I mean it isn’t like the media is touting anything about the province, about the communities here, and really, the opening ceremonies certainly didn’t do that. So how is the watching world going to know what kind of place this is? Has the Campbell Government taken out ads on those stations, like they have on CTV?

Somehow, I doubt it. Least not commisserate with what these games are costing us.

From the beginning of this economic collapse in the world, our fearles duo of Harper & Flaherty have insisted we are safe from the issues that exploded the USA Economy, and drove it into the dumpster.  They talked about how our Banking was tough, and virtually bullet proof, despite making some $75 Billion available to the banks, in the process of assuring us how bullet proof we were.

Now Mr Flaherty has announced new mortgage restraints, to further strengthen those Bullet Proof regulations.

I find it laughable, at how gullible we, the people are becoming to the manipulations of the giant corporations, and their current stooges in office, like the Harper Brigade. It is sad really, to realize how so many people have been blinded by the utter bullshit spewed by these so called smart people, these business shills.

Face reality that CREDIT NEEDS TO BE EARNED, before you start allowing every Tom, Dick, & Harriet, to buy a home. Stop playing games with the market, by creating a phony valuation of property, which the Real Estate Market does time in, time again.  And stop letting banks fail to disclose all the costs involved in owning, buying a home.

Naturally that will never happen, because it would mean that banks & mortgage brokers would have to be honest. They would have to inform, in easy to understand language, what is involved.  That is one reason the sub prime mortgages were & ARE, so dangerous to people. 

Reality is not always pleasent, certainly not politically helpful either, but then when all you care about, is getting elected, I guess that isn’t important. Certainly not for the Harper Brigade and our Finance Minister, who do nothing but lie about the truth, hide the information, and then proclaim they are on top of the matter.

Oh Wait, they are on Holidays Again, Aren’t they?

The Conservative mantra of Less Government in our Lives, is a nice concept, but totally impracticle. The move to self regulation to industries, is asking for trouble, and worse, for serious illness.  Especially as it applies to the Food Industry.

This Afternoon I went shopping, bought some hamburger, that expires in a few days, however, when it came time to cook it, well, let’s just say we didn’t have hamburger tonight. Fairway Markets, here in Victoria, had a nice sale, and now I know why, too. Due to Self Regulation, consumers are being put at risk, and when you cook for a 92 year old, you can’t be too careful, and yet we place a great deal of trust, into our supermarkets, meat producers, etc.

The Hamburger was bad, but what was worse, is how it was packaged. To begin with it had a nice red color, all around, so why should I suspect it of being bad? The ‘best before date’ was a few days away too, so I mean, hell it had to be good, right?  WRONG!

Once opened, the package was a deep dingy brown color, the red meat was all around the dark colored meat, which makes me wonder if it wasn’t simply packed with fresh meat, with old meat placed inside. Never mind that hot dog packages with a best buy date are weeks gone, but if a business if fudging the fresh stuff, what is left?

What if I had frozen the meat? The color would have changed, and I’d have opened it for use, without knowing, and as a result, could have seriously impacted not just my health, Davids, but Mom’s as well. AND THAT COULD BE DEADLY.

We need to go back to a system, where stores COULD NOT SELL ITEMS EXPIRED.  We need to return to a system, where independent inspectors are given the authority to close a place down, if it doesn’t meat the minimal health standards set down by legislation. No more of this not inspecting machines, that slice and prepare food for thousands. No more letting an industry run amock, endangering our health, or those of our loved ones.

STEPHEN HARPER NEEDS TO BE SENT PACKING, SO WE CAN GET A GOVERNMENT THAT CARES ABOUT US, THE PEOPLE, NOT THE CORPORATION THAT GIVE HIM HUGE CAMPAIGN DONATIONS.

Truth is, Industry is about making profits, and without a real independent force, regulation, watching over them, they are going to cut corners. AND YES, that does mean safety, health corners. The goal is to make money, at any cost, and we have seen how that works, with Maple Leaf Foods, and others.