Customer No Service - Email Non-Response

Frustrating that companies offer online forms, then want you to call anyway. I simply asked the price of the most common two services, and received this response:

Dear Mr. Pollard:

Thank you for contacting .  Please call us at 1-877-000-0000 at your earliest convenience and any of our agents will be able to answer any questions that you have.  I do hope we hear from you soon.

Thank you for choosing .

Sincerely,

First Last
Satisfaction Specialist

America Can Be Great Again

We are in a hopeful time for those who believe in America.

Our nation is well positioned to take advantage of the time ahead. We have the infrastructure created during and because of the tech boom of the 90's, global distribution systems, the personal and business savings that has gone unspent and uninvested due to past uncertainty, and significant unemployment and underemployment.

The American enterprise, small business, and the American worker have been suppressed and repressed for the past ten years. (Yes, that goes back to when GW Bush betrayed capitalism to save a rigged system, or however he put it.) All we need is business-minded strong leadership who is willing to unleash the American people.

And we can have a true revival of the American Dream, which extends well beyond home ownership, and into personal freedom, personal wealth, family, friends, and a strong society that extends from the people, not from the government.

Vote on (or before) November 6th, and vote for those who support freedom. America can be great again.

Herman Cain to take over Neal Boortz radio show

Just received by email, with the subject of "Boortz Passes Torch to Friend, Colleague Herman Cain":

Boortz Passes Torch to Friend, Colleague Herman Cain

Inauguration Day Brings Another Big Change – To National Radio

 

For Immediate Release:

June 4, 2012

 

(Atlanta) Businessman and former presidential frontrunner Herman Cain will take full-time command of the Neal Boortz microphone when Boortz officially retires this January. Boortz announced on his show this morning that he will step down after 42 years on the air, citing a desire to spend time with his family.

“It has been a great ride, but it’s time for me and my wife Donna to hit the road and travel in ways that thus far have been impossible,” said Boortz. “As my listeners know, we love traveling, and the restraints created by my daily radio show commitment have kept us on a rather short leash.”

 

Cain acknowledged the mark Boortz has made over those 42 years. "Neal has spent his career serving as a bold, vocal advocate of what is right in this world, and condemning that which is not. I promise the torch Boortz is handing off to me will blaze as bright, as bold, and as loud as ever."

 

Not only will Cain inherit Neal’s microphone, he’ll also inherit the Boortz syndicated radio audience. The show currently airs on more than 200 radio stations, with six million listeners a week.

“I am ecstatic that Neal has kept the radio host's chair warm for me all these years," Cain joked. “He may be ‘The TalkMaster,’ but Neal's listeners know I’m the 'The Dean of the University of Common Sense.’”

 

Cain formerly hosted a radio show on News/Talk WSB in Atlanta prior to his run for the presidency, a qualification Dan Kearney, Vice President and Market Manager of News/Talk WSB, said adds to the impressive list of reasons Cain is the logical successor for Neal.  

“Cain is very well known, passionate about his beliefs, not afraid to speak his mind – and our listeners have shown they love him” Kearney said. “We’re thrilled at his return.”

 

Boortz’s last day hosting The Neal Boortz Show will be January 18, 2013.  Cain will launch his nationally syndicated radio show on January 21, 2013 – Inauguration Day.  Until then, Cain will continue joining Boortz for their Monday and Friday 10:35am ET segments, and will remain as Boortz’ primary fill-in host.

 

In addition to the new gig, Cain today revealed his revamped website, www.hermancain.com. Visitors to the site will be treated to new features, previews of upcoming, exciting events, and a refreshed, easy-to-navigate update to his previous website.

 

For More Information:

Kathy Hoekstra, Director of Media Relations

Kathy@cainsrevolution.com

Dish Network: Poor Customer Service, Self-Limited But Heavily-Promoted Features

I just posted the following to Dish Network following an online chat. Sorry, I'm bored with it now, so I don't want to re-type the chat text, but it's pretty clear.

1 - The agent asked repeatedly about my issue when I had given clear information: "I am having difficulty getting my newly-installed Hopper to skip commercials." "I understand you have questions about your Hopper." "Uh, yea..."
2 - It seems that, contrary to the impressions given in the promotional materials and SEVERELY limiting the feature's benefit, the new automatic commercial skip only works on network TV, only with programming recorded with Primetime Anytime, and only after 1AM of the day after the material is recorded. That is to say, this highly-touted feature is almost worthless since most viewers will want to watch new programs the same day as they are aired - and those willing to wait until the next day can already watch most programming with reduced commercials the next day on Hulu.

To add additional restrictions on the new features, Primetime Anytime also does not work the day of installation, but requires a second full guide download at 1am after install. Keyword search: Same - doesn't work until the next day. Blockbuster @ Home: Also doesn't work until the next day. Pay-per-view: Yup, not until the next day.

Now, don't get me wrong - the Hopper has a lot of improvements over the ViP922. The ViP922 that I just paid a $200 upgrade fee for. The buggy, seemingly code-bloated ViP922. Which I was told had a 1TB drive, but really had the same 500GB drive as the one that didn't have an upgrade fee. Which I was told could record over-the-air programming, only to find that the ability required an add-on. And which NEVER worked correctly, with regular lockups, skipped programs, and programs with errors that wouldn't play. And which I have now upgraded to a device that they are giving FREE to new subscribers, but had to get escalated to a manager to avoid yet another $100 upgrade fee. Too bad they aren't about to refund me the $200 upgrade fee, since I don't have two million readers. But at least this one seems to work, and so far, seems to work more smoothly.

Why would we "evolve" unconsciousness after a heart attack?

Just thought of an awesome anti-evolution logical argument: Unconsciousness after a heart attack. How and why would that have ever evolved?

Would you rather spend your last thirty seconds of life being able to grab a coworker and say, "My heart just stopped. Tell my wife I love her, tell my parents thanks for everything, tell my kids I'm proud of them, and that I'll see them in heaven. Oh, and thanks for standing by me at work."

Or would you rather your brain shut down to conserve energy and last an extra three to five minutes? For all of human history, that "feature" did no good. Until now, when we have the medical ability to dissolve the clot and restart the heart.

Thoughts?