Apple has voided at least two valid warranties for computer repair, claiming the reason is due to computer owners smoking near their computers. Now, I don’t personally smoke, and never have, but the last I heard, a health-related concern wasn’t a legal reason to void a repair warranty on a piece of hardware. Smoking hasn’t been made illegal yet, so I don’t get what Apple is trying to do here.

They do lie a lot, though. Smallest laptop. No BSOD (even though there is one). No viruses (even though there are). Recent “PC & Mac” commercials even claim Mac has award winning customer support. Well, voiding a legally valid warranty certainly doesn’t sound like customer support, does it? Maybe Apple paid for their award. That happens.

So, if you own an Apple product in need of repair, and you get turned down because you smoke, consider hiring an attorney and suing. Consider going to the news and spreading the word as much as possible. Do not let shady business practices deprive you of ‘award winning’ customer support.

Nintendo has this game, called “Love Plus”, for their DS handheld game console. It’s really nothing special. There have been ‘fake girlfriend’ games available for many years. There are flash-based dating sims online all over the place. There have been various levels of quality in PC-based virtual people and dating sims as well. Apparently Nintendo thinks they can revamp existing cheese and people will buy it like it is innovative gold.

The idea of fake people isn’t new, at all. The idea of dating fake people, is kind of creepy to most people. I can’t even imagine what would bring Nintendo executives to the idea that a man pretending to marry a pretend girlfriend would sell more games, but fraud in business also is not a new practice. They’re saying it’s an “official” wedding. Yeah, really. Has this guy married his keychain digi-pets, too?

For one thing, you cannot marry a fictional character. It isn’t physically possible. For another thing, I highly doubt Nintendo pulled strings to force the Japanese government to legally recognize such a marriage. So, yes, it’s 100% fraud. What’s next, Nintendo? Maybe you can produce a game that has no content, and say you have to use your imagination to play it. Oops. On second thought, I shouldn’t encourage a dishonest mega-corporation with new ways to cheat customers out of their money.

What is it with virtual women, anyway? Why are these idiots so in awe? We had “Eliza” decades ago, an experimental program designed to mimic the behavior of a psychotherapist. Sure, she wasn’t exactly a dating sim, but many a boy would try out his best lines on a copy of the program. I was once such a boy. Of course, I had no intentions of marriage. That would just be creepy.

Nintendo, seriously, if you’re going to try and promote a game title, make it genuinely new. No more bringing back work done by other people. No lies. No cheating. No fraudulent publicity stunts. Just give us quality. Why can’t you do it? Other game companies have no trouble with it. Are you stupid? Lazy? Fat? Just don’t care about working for an honest dime?

If you’re a guy (or girl), and you’re considering a virtual girlfriend (or boyfriend), my advice to you is to go outside and MEET REAL PEOPLE. Sure, real people might cost more to find, and to keep, but in the end, it’s more satisfying when you end up with happiness that didn’t have to be programmed into a workstation by some middle-aged smelly zaibatsu who wouldn’t know real life if it sat on his face and moaned. Trust me, real life is far more creative. Gamers enjoy challenges, and virtual sims offer no such thing. Ignore Nintendo’s hype. Everything they’re doing with this game has been done before. Also, if you score with a real live flesh and blood human being, you might get to do this thing we call having sex. You can’t do that with a Nintendo DS.

We’ve all heard the hype. We’ve all seen the data. But, thanks to a group of hackers who raided British University of East Anglia’s ‘Climatic Research Unit’, there is a strong possibility that there are some dishonest people trying to elevate ‘climate change’ to a threat level beyond fact.

In the hacked data, which was subsequently posted online, hundreds of e-mails and documents which painted a picture of climate change deception, scientists throwing around words which commonly refer to manipulating the data to showcase the results they want the public to see. Despite at least some of the scientists admitting the documents are genuine, the research center claims they can’t say if the stolen information is true. Yeah, convenient that they’re in a position to ‘verify’ or disprove evidence of their own misconduct.

Among some of the most blatant evidence, a leaked e-mail from the research center’s director, Phil Jones, where he suggests that ‘tricks’ are used in respect to the scientific data the center collects and analyzes. He suggests that in compiling data, he was using Mike’s ‘nature trick’ of adding real temperatures to each series for the past 20 years. In his defense, Jones claims that his use of the word trick was meant to refer to clever thinking, rather than deception. Really? Scientists are *SUPPOSED* to include the real data during their research. If Phil Jones thinks this is especially clever, he must have a habit of leaving the data out. I wonder why.

In criminal investigations, it is common to look at motive, means, and opportunity. Scientists automatically have the means and opportunity to manipulate scientific data. In fact, it’s a big part of what they do in science. We look to them for answers. What is this? Why is it happening? What does it mean? The motive is also a rather clear one. They have this idea. It might work, or it might not. They want recognition for their efforts. They want the public to acknowledge their research. They want the world to be abuzz. It serves their interest if the data supports their beliefs. What a coincidence. They happen to control the data.

Now, I am not suggesting that ‘climate change’ doesn’t exist. It is a sound concept, and it is very likely. But, if the scientific community has to alter their findings to support an agenda which is anything less than 100% true, they have failed society, and the world. If we cannot trust them to tell us the answers, how can we come to them with questions? Going ‘green’ is good for everyone. Lying to us to make us do it, not so good.

If it can be verified that scientists are indeed lying about climate change, I doubt they’ll be prosecuted. It is international terrorism. But a lot of acts fit that definition. The media lies to us every hour of every day. Reality TV passes itself as ‘genuine’. We have politicians saying one thing, and doing another. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. The lies, well, the lies get bigger and bigger. Is ‘climate change’ the modern version of Chicken Little? Who knows. One thing is certain, though. Phil Jones is lying to us. What about, is anyone’s guess.

Please note, hacking into computers is illegal, and it shouldn’t be condoned. However, it is a safe bet, had these hackers not done this, we may have never gotten evidence that suggests that there is more to ‘climate change’ than the scientific community is willing to share with the public. Good job, guys (and/or gals?). Keep it up.

Recovery.gov is very innovative. You can go there and track how the economic stimulus dollars are being spent, and how American jobs are being saved and created. Sometimes, out of thin air, it seems. An ABC News report has uncovered in many states there are statistics for non-existent places. Congressional districts that aren’t present in the real world. Not just U.S. states, though. They even use their ‘dodgy’ math in territories which aren’t states.

When confronted, the White House claims it was ‘human error’. Yeah, not like you have an agenda to lie, when promoting your plans, right? Funny thing, though. They’ve already been caught lying, and admitted to it. What’s so different about it, now? When they manipulated data and statistics in the past, they admitted to it, claiming they were just trying to be positive. So, claiming to have created jobs in places that don’t even exist sounds pretty positive to me. One might even say, optimistic. Except, this is our national budget at stake. If you want to lie, do it when the voters aren’t paying for it.

This isn’t the first time the stimulus plan’s math has been put under scrutiny. Not very long ago, there were suggestions that Obama’s claims were flat-out untrue, about how many jobs would be saved or created by the package. Now, I guess it’s easier to manipulate results than actually create the jobs. I know who I probably *WON’T* be voting for next term. When you take my money, and lie about what you did with it, that’s stealing. Of course, it’s easier to say it was human error. I’d hardly expect Barack Obama as President to admit he robbed the treasury and conspired to lie about it.

Stop stalling, Mr. President, and give us the jobs you said you would. No more bogus websites, no more promises. Stop campaigning for re-election, roll up your goddamned sleeves, and fulfill your duty to the voters. Keep lying, and you’ll be losing votes.

It has been a long time, since Chris Brown assaulted, bit, and threatened to kill his then-girlfriend Rihanna. Time has passed. Both parties have tried to move past it in whatever ways they feel work best for them.

Sitting here now, I’m compelled to wonder. What has Chris Brown learned? Is there any hope, at all, of him not assaulting a woman in the future? Let’s explore this.

First off, when people make a real mistake, they acknowledge it, atone, and make efforts to not do it again. What has Chris Brown done toward this end? Well, he has acknowledged that he did what Rihanna says he did. He keeps apologizing like Ike Turner, over and over. He’s claimed to be in counseling. But, for the most part, we have no verification that he’s taken any steps to avoid doing the exact same thing again. In fact, almost everything he’s done has been court-ordered, or orchestrated to improve his image.

Next, let us look at his outward sincerity. Does he act like someone who is sorry for what he did? The answer, sadly, is no. He smiles a lot. He cries on cue. He records egotistical songs. He whines about people wanting to see him fail, as though he is unaware of what he’s done to deserve such a public opinion.

If I could ask Chris Brown any question, and him be forced to answer, I would ask him this. What would you have done, had the police not intervened?

Chris Brown still has many supporters. Most of them display the typical “who cares?” attitude. Some of them say Rihanna did something to provoke the attack. Some seem to believe that what he did was something we can forget all about. Really? Any of you have friends who beat, bite, and threaten to murder their girlfriends? I’m hoping that’s a big no. In fact, I can almost guarantee it’s a no, because normal people do not do that. It takes a lot to get rational people to escalate toward that level of physical violence. The only people who build up, quickly and consistently, to that zone, with little provocation, have a lot of problems upstairs. Chris Brown admitted that it was indeed true, so there’s no denying it. No matter how you look at it, if you indeed do, Chris Brown is going to need a lot more than court-sponsored therapy to get better. Since he hasn’t indicated that he is seeking the proper help, I can only assume he is not.

So, whoever is next on his girlfriend list, be very careful. He may kill you, and there is no one on this earth who can professionally say otherwise.

BeBe Wynans, a well-known and respected gospel singer, has been dumped from the Oprah Winfrey show. Not because of anything he’s officially done, though. He’s been charged with pushing his wife. Not convicted. Not found guilty by judge or jury. Simply charged. He hasn’t even had his trial yet. But, forget about formalities, Oprah Winfrey has her ego to protect.

That’s right. She had no problem with him being on the show, and charged with pushing his wife, when he was already on. No, she waited until bloggers started talking about how ridiculous she was for claiming to be against domestic violence, yet having him on her show. So, to prove how flip-floppy of a media whore she is, she dropped him. Can’t have any controversy, can we? No, sir. No alleged sex abuse scandals in our ’school for girls’ franchise. No alleged conspiracy to make that Holocaust book author money for a fraudulent story he made up. Oprah has plenty of skeletons in her closet. Many people know this.

But, for some reason, now she’s trying to desperately control any indication of corruption or fraud. Why now? Wouldn’t it have been better to screen the staff at Oprah’s girls’ school before they allegedly raped students? Wouldn’t it have been better to verify the author’s book was a genuinely true story before marketing it to everyone?

Best of all, what if BeBe Wynans’ wife comes forward, during the trial, and reveals she made the claim up? Or, that it was somehow misinterpreted? What if you have publicly humiliated a famous gospel singer, only to save your own flabby neck, Oprah? Well, I’m guessing that if that happens, you’ll end up trying to capitalize on it with some sort of special show. You’ll get all teary-eyed, and beg BeBe for forgiveness. You’ll claim it was all a big misunderstanding. It will all be 100% bullshit. Because, you’ve already shown the world your face.

You’re in the United States of America, Oprah. We do not condemn people publicly before they’ve had a fair trial. Well, at least the honest and fair people don’t do it. Guess that makes you one of those ‘other’ people, doesn’t it?

“America’s Next Top Model”, featuring Tyra Banks pretending she has talent, is going to have contestants pose as “another race” for a photo shoot. Reality television, fake as it is, has never really been any stranger to controversy. But, leave it to ‘brilliant’ people like Tyra Banks to think that painting white people black for money is a good idea, when it has been frowned upon for decades. It is poor taste. Tyra Banks knew this, and knows it now. She’s not above using it to put her name in the media, though. That’s one thing she and the other reality television regulars are good at. Re-using someone else’s bad ideas.

Tyra Banks used to be influential, attractive, and had success. Now she’s just another reality joke trying to get people to take her seriously. Remember the staged polygraph exam where she pretended to idolize Oprah? Face it, Tyra. You’re a ‘primetime’ copy of what used to happen when celebrities got old and boring. Years ago, they would sell hand cream and designer bath towels at 2AM. Now, they get reality television shows, and beg people to throw them a ratings share. It’d almost count as a regular job, except everyone who has one laughs at you.

Hey, Tyra. Why don’t you get back into modeling? Are you too old? A movie? Write a book? Learn to read? Maybe create a talk show? A magazine? Something?

The Washington Redskins, as a team, are sucking, and very badly. They’re performing badly. Even some players are questioning the way the team is being run. Fans hate Daniel Snyder. Many vocally, and quite visibly, want him gone. Snyder does not have many friends, if any, among the team’s loyal fans.

What does the team management do, when faced with this overwhelming message? Ban signs at games. That’s right. They apparently think there are still some fans out there that don’t yet know what a complete jackass Daniel Snyder is, and are desperate to keep those fans from seeing any signs on television that might clue them in.

The team has implemented new instructions that signs are not permitted, and security will usher you out if they’re present. The official excuse for the ban is that signs could block other fans’ view, or potentially injure someone. Yeah. Penants have been used in stadiums for decades without deaths. Good time to start saying signs are bad.

In an interview with radio station “The Fan” 106.7 in Washington, Redskins chief officer David Donovan had this to say. “The banners we do have a prohibition against. We don’t care what they say, and we take them down. They get in the way of other people watching the game and people getting poked in the head. That stuff happens.”

The fan banners get in the way of people getting poked in the head? (Sorry, I had to.)

Despite the lies, the signs are being banned to silence team critics. This no-signs rule didn’t exist at all, until fans started getting angry, and being highly vocal and creative with their dislike of Daniel Snyder. So, in addition to every other insult you can throw at him, we can call him a liar, too.

As a further slap in the face to Daniel Snyder, the fucking idiot didn’t even know his stadiums already covered the rule he made up. The Redskins 2009 season guide already has a piece about signs obstructing view or causing injuries, and they’re not allowed to do this.

I think it is quite safe to say at this point ANYONE could do a better job of running the Redskins than Snyder. He’s just another in a long line of rich idiots who think a fat bank account makes you smart or powerful. Sorry, Daniel, but don’t bite the customers. They bite back. Some of us have pretty big teeth.

I seem to remember reading, long ago, another organization of pirates attempted to blackmail nations by controlling passage through and around their territory. It led to armed conflict with many deaths.

What I most wonder, now, with all this technology, all these advances, all this ‘growth’, why are criminal thugs still such a threat in the world? Barack Obama wants to send troops to Afghanistan. We’re still in Iraq. How about sending some to Somalia? They’ve just kidnapped a couple of old people, and threatening to shoot them if anyone tries a rescue. That’s certainly not a very smart or well-planned threat. It’s also not very original. We’ve got the U.N., many industrialized nations, and probably more than enough force to cut these bastards down.

But, still we read about ships and hostages seized, ransoms demanded, and the cycle goes on and on. Does anyone in the entire world think that the idiots are going to stop doing this? Not until someone hits them hard. Break their backs. We can’t do it with kind words. We certainly can’t afford to pay them ‘tribute’, if anyone’s got that on their minds. Much like the old days, when you cave in to these people, they keep coming back with more demands. They’re not a government. How about calling them terrorists, and using that as a precursor to moving in? We’re already using it everywhere else. Sure, there’s probably no money to be made taking out Somali thugs in the name of ‘freedom’, but at least it’d be a good deed, and would stop them from harassing every ship that passes through. How about a global War on Piracy? We could hunt down every seafaring thug in the open water.

It would be good for U.S. business, too. Other nations might look to us as a nation that protects innocent victims. Well, if Barack Obama is interested in our image, anyway.

Home Depot has fired Florida employee Trevor Keezor for ‘violating the dress code’. Specifically, he wore a pin on his uniform that had “One nation under God, indivisible.” on it.

Keezor claims he was wearing the pin for over a year without incident. Home Depot chose to fire Keezor, suspiciously, after he began bringing his Bible to read on breaks. To be fair, they didn’t immediately fire him. First, they told him to exchange pins with one that didn’t have a quote from the Pledge of Allegiance (“United We Stand”). He was fired when he opted out of that. Funny, they’d allow him to wear a pin that supported the government, but wasn’t Home Depot stock, and wouldn’t allow him to wear a similar pin that did the same thing? And, all because of the “God” quote? Sounds like a really shady business practice, to me. And, no, you’ll never catch me wearing a “God” pin. My assessment in this case is 100% unbiased. I even shop in Home Depot.

Keezor then hired a lawyer and they plan to sue. The funny part is, they didn’t tell him to change pins when he started wearing the pin. Instead, they chose to tell him to change pins when he brought the Bible, which is personal property and probably not covered in Home Depot’s ‘dress code’. Something tells me this is indeed a case of religious discrimination. Seems to me they waited a long time if it was over the pin. Plus, his lawyer has a point. There are references to “God” all over the place that Home Depot can’t forcibly remove. I wonder which religious stance Keezor’s supervisors hold.

Personally, I think Home Depot would have a better chance in court if they’d banned Keezor’s Bible. As media pressure mounts, it’ll end up looking less like a case of religious persecution and more like a case of punishing employees for visible support of the government. Either way, I’d expect this kind of shit from Walmart, not Home Depot. Are they secretly affiliated?