Amazon loves to say they’re “customer obsessed” in everything they do. Turns out it’s a great smokescreen to toss up when they want to ignore the reality of their business. This thread on Twitter is indicative of every customer service interaction I’ve ever had with Amazon. Even when there’s obvious fraud, Amazon DGAF. The CSR also told me that there are now FIVE Amazon accounts associated with my (now canceled) debit card number. They also maintain that there’s no way this security breach happened on Amazon. It is possibly the worst “customer service” I’ve ever experienced (except maybe Comcast). https://twitter.com/davastewart/status/1435287777722109954?s=20…
Tag: culture
During the past few years it has been possible to get over the air (OTA) local TV stations via streaming. Locast brought local channels to any device you owned without the need for an antenna. If this sounds familiar, another company Aereo tried this back in 2012. Every major broadcaster sued Aereo into oblivion. That company lasted two years. Locast has now met a similar fate. Yesterday Locast abruptly suspended operations and cut off all transmission in the middle of the day. On Wednesday the courts ruled in broadcasters’ favor. They argued because $5 monthly donations exceeded “the actual and…
Forget about COVID. This is the real reason I never go to the movies It’s the summer of 2008. I’m sitting in a packed theater waiting for The Dark Knight to begin. Knowing how awesome Batman Begins told the Batman origin story, I was elated to see the next installment from Christopher Nolan. 152-minutes later I walked into the parking lot deflated. Not at the movie (although it suffers from the notorious “unnecessary extra 20-minutes” at the end) but at the people watching the movie with me. Various people talked throughout the showing. More people than I could count were…
As a word nerd, I was super excited when Apple announced a TV series based on Hilde Lysiak who runs the Orange Street News. Hilde has been a force in the journalism space for years as a real reporter starting at the age of 7. Home Before Dark is loosely based on her story where a kid news reporter relocates to a small town and begins asking questions nobody wants to answer. I was enthralled all through the first season and binged it in two days. For Apple TV+, it was a hit for me (this is before Ted Lasso)…
Disney is dipping into their bag of IP again with this fantastic news on a sequel: Disney is reviving a cult classic favorite, The Rocketeer, with a new Disney+ movie titled The Return of the Rocketeer. [In the original film] a young pilot stumbles onto a prototype jetpack that allows him to become a high-flying masked hero. The Return of the Rocketeer will have an all-new creative directive, with [Ed] Ricourt’s story focusing on a retired Tuskegee airman who takes up the Rocketeer mantle. Deadline.com I really loved The Rocketeer when it came out in ’91 and was surprised it was…
Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced and (rightfully) ridiculed founder of Theranos, is finally getting a day in court for defrauding a ton of people with the company’s snake oil machine: The Edison. Here’s some fun stats about Theranos courtesy of CNBC: Elizabeth Holmes, founder and former CEO of Theranos, is facing 10 counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy. She pleaded not guilty. Theranos was once valued at $9 billion. Investors dumped more than $700 million in the now defunct start-up. Holmes and her ex-partner (the bat-shit crazy) “Sunny” Balwani are being teed-up for the nonsense they engaged in.…
Well that was quick. After completely botching the search for a new Jeopardy host by naming Executive Producer Mike Richards as the host nobody asked for, he’s stepped down nine days later due to not-so-nice stuff he’s said in the past. What boggles my mind has been how bad Jeopardy botched this entire search for a new host. All season we’ve mourned and respected Alex Trebek’s legacy and each guest host has said kind words about Alex in hopes of doing him proud. Some were better than others and we all know LeVar Burton has been vocal about wanting the…
In where I call bullshit on this NBC News report that boils down to “if you don’t come back to the office, we’re going to make you.” I wasn’t even going to write about remote work any time soon. But the amount of short-sightedness of company executives, HR “professionals”, and others is more than I can stand. This gem of a quote takes the cake: “I’m working with a client who does much of their work on-site. Their CEO really wants people in the office and has really pushed that since the spring. He wants to be able to see…
New, original movies are always tough to come by in this age of reboots and endless sequels. But mix together a story about an author, the immense talents of Michael Caine & Aubrey Plaza, with a dash of an uplifting plot and you’ll get the movie Best Sellers. It’s out on September 17th and you’d think it would be a good flick based on the synopsis: “A cranky, retired author reluctantly embarks on a final book tour to help out a young publisher.” Then you watch the trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOGOhGgmHRI) to find out all you needed was two and a half…
Lots of noise is made about “vaccine passports”, but one convenient thing about it is the ease and speed of proving one’s vaccination status when required to enter a building. In NY the Excelsior Pass has been around quite quickly after the vaccines were made available. Acquiring a pass requires verifying some information, then getting a QR code the state issues. The pass also has your name on it. Pair the scanned code with photo ID and you have a verifiable way for a bar or stadium to know if someone is vaccinated. Even if the QR code was a…
Can’t say I’m surprised at this one. The NHL at least had a legit case last season to allow advertising on helmets across the league and even sell the naming rights to the divisions. That’s right, last season was: the Scotia NHL North Division, Honda NHL West Division, Discover NHL Central Division and the MassMutual NHL East Division. Insert facepalm emoji here, right? But with a COVID-ravaged season with zero ticket sales, I could understand a season where more “creative” money had to come in. I hoped it would be a one and done kind of a thing. Now, we…
Talk about taking the wind out of my sails. I’d been hoping to one day book a “cabin” at this fully-immersive Star Wars themed hotel. SFGate (and so many others) confirming Disney spares no expense (and charges accordingly) for the House of Mouse. The idea is that you’re staying on a luxury space cruise, so immersive that the hotel’s windows look out into “space” and you never leave the property unless it’s to “board a transport” to Batuu, the land where Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge takes place. Admission to Hollywood Studios is included in the price, as is all of…
Massive and sustained heat waves across the US are some more of the signs that the Climate Crisis is officially upon us. It’s been so hot that businesses have been forced to close for a day or two so their employees don’t quit or die because of the heat. One restaurant in Portland, Oregon, told social media followers it closed Thursday “to keep you and our crew safe during this incredible heat wave.” A coffee shop in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, said it will be closed for a second day Friday because of the heat. A pizza place in Junction, Vermont, said it will remain closed Friday because…