Reader Sue saw this sign at Circuit City and snapped a picture of it for us.
stupid
Verizon Refuses To Help Locate Body Of Missing Woman For Four Days
By 9.17.08
Verizon, which has no problem helping the government spy on its customers, suddenly turned stupid in June when a police department asked them for help finding the body of a woman who had been abducted on camera. Despite pleas from the woman’s parents, the police, and the FBI, it was four days before a technician was sent out to the appropriate cell tower. When that technician gave the police the location info, they found Kelsey Smith’s body within 45 minutes. Verizon won’t respond to requests for an explanation of why they couldn’t help sooner.
Tropicana: Our 100% Juice Could Contain "Anything From Nature," Even Dairy
By 9.5.08
It’s apparently a whole lot of fun to try to get a straight answer out of Tropicana as to what “natural flavors” are in their 100% juice.
ATT Chatbots (People?) Don't Even Pretend To Help Anymore
By 9.3.08
This unedited transcript from a recent “customer support” chat is pure, undiluted idiocy. Do not be surprised if after reading it, you feel a little dead inside, or a little stupider. That’s how you know the customer service chatbot—or person, which is kind of sad—is doing its job.
Car Dealership Disguises Junk Mail As Traffic Ticket
By 8.26.08
Reader Sandra thinks Feeny Dodge in Elgin, IL should rethink this advertisement, which is disguised as a traffic ticket.
TSA Employee Grounds 9 American Airlines Planes By Attempting To Break Into Them
By 8.21.08
A TSA employee used sensitive avionics equipment as a ladder while attempting to break into 9 American Airlines planes to test how well they were secured. The TSA agent was able to break into 7 of the planes, raising questions about the security of the aircraft, but also managed to ground the aircraft — causing at least 40 flights to be delayed at O’Hare.
Michaels Arts & Crafts Rolls Out The Christmas Display The First Week Of August
By 8.19.08
Reader Sam writes in to let us know he found some Christmas Creep at a Michaels craft store. He sent along some pictures he took in early August, 142 days before Christmas.
Dear Radio City Music Hall, Christmas Is Not "Right Around The Corner" In August
By 8.14.08 — Updated: 10.17.13
Reader Scott says he spotted some nasty summertime Christmas Creep in the free NYC area paper “Metro”. Apparently the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular is under the impression that “Christmas is right around the corner.” In August.
Walmart Says You Can't Scan That 1925 Family Portrait, Because Copyright Lasts Forever
By 8.12.08
If you combine a mindless and petty tyrant with Walmart’s draconian photo rights policies, you get a story like the one Boingboing reported today, where a woman in Florida was told she couldn’t scan an 80-year-old portrait of her dead grandmother, because its copyright is surely held by the studio that took it—and copyrights last forever.
Fred Meyer Says Cheese Is Not A Dairy Product
By 8.12.08
Go shopping for cheese at the Ballard Fred Myer in Seattle, and you’ll learn an interesting new fact about your food:
This Battery Shipment From Dell Was Packed Efficiently
By 8.11.08
Our inbox is overflowing with links to the above photograph from the Daily WTF.
Rebate Company Sends Your Check To The Wrong Person, Tells You To Collect The Money
By 8.11.08
Reader Mike says that he contacted a rebate company after not receiving his check, only to find out that the company had issued a check to someone else — and then suggested he contact that person and “discuss the matter of your rebate being deposited in his account.” Um… what?
After Your House Burns Down, Verizon Wants You To Use Your Melted Phone To Forward Your Calls
By 8.1.08
Whoever or whatever they’ve got working the phones at Verizon doesn’t seem to understand the concept of “fire.” As in, “my house burned down and everything inside it is melted and charred.” It’s not a difficult concept, but James’s father in-law was unable to explain it to Verizon.
Verizon: We Can't Set Up Your Account "Because Your Name Has Shit In It"
By 7.30.08
Meet Dr. Herman I. Libshitz, a retired radiologist and potential Verizon customer who would like DSL. Sadly, Dr. Libshitz was informed that he could not use his name in his email address or as his user name because it has “shit” in it.
Debt Collector Sends Verizon Collection Notice To A Fluffy White Dog
By 7.10.08
You may think this dog is cute, but that’s bullshit. This dog is a deadbeat that doesn’t pay its Verizon bill.
Can Prayer Lower Gas Prices? These People Think So
By 7.8.08
Some people think we don’t have a prayer of gas prices dipping below $3.00 for a good long haul. These parishioners holding hands around a Shell station beg to differ. They’re part of a group called “Pray At The Pump,” organizing prayer-circles at various DC area gas stations, hoping to goad divine intervention into lowering gas prices. I wonder if they carpooled to the rendezvous point.
Want Safe Skies? Strap This Remote-Controlled Stun Device To Yourself!
By 7.7.08
Make of this what you will, as the story comes from the Reverend Sun Myung Moon’s church-owned Washington Times and may be more fiction than fact, but “a senior government official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expressed great interest in a so-called safety bracelet that would serve as a stun device, similar to that of a police Taser.” Yes, the EMD Safety Bracelet from Lamperd Less Lethal is designed to make flying a fun experience once again. Just check out everything it can do:
- Take the place of an airline boarding pass.
- Contain personal information about the traveler.
- Be able to monitor the whereabouts of each passenger and his/her luggage.
- Shock the wearer on command, completely immobilizing him/her for several minutes.
This Dunkin' Donuts Game Piece Is Sufficiently Waterproof
By 6.27.08
Reader JoeTan says this is his 6th attempt at removing a Dunkin’ Donuts game piece from his iced coffee and the results, shown above, have all been identical. Mush.
