This suggestion will do little to change the political direction we are going in. But it sends a message and it can benefit you personally as well.
Most of the major phone companies are complicitous in this by turning over our phone records to the NSA. They didn't have to do it. ATT, BellSouth, Sprint and Verizon COULD HAVE taken a moral stand but went along like sheep. But Denver based Qwest DID show some intestinal fortitude! Qwest, with 14 million customers in the Western United States, was “uneasy about the legal implications of handing over customer information to the government without warrants,” USA Today said - and they refused!
I switched my long distance and local service to Qwest this morning. It took 2 minutes. I got a better deal than I was currently getting. I suggest you look into it!
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UPDATE: Don't let anyone use a diversion tactic on you! Remember - stay focused on things that actually IMPACT your life.
Friday, May 12, 2006
What YOU Can Do Right Now
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Here is the link for Bush's facial expressions John!!
Did you see the blog "thank You Stephen Colbert" ? Excellent coverage. I have really enjoyed Colbert, and much to my surprise I usually like him better than Jon Stewart these days. Stewart still cracks me up, but Clobert is just so edgy and bizarro most days.
We just won our hockey game!!!!! Yes!!! A tie in the series so far.
Thanks for the link! I'd love to see his expressions during the entire speech though. There were just some jokes that I was wondering - what the hell does Bush's face look like RIGHT NOW! That was cool though. He obviously didn't like it at all. It was all he could do to not yawn and shake his head.
I did see the Thank You Steven Colbert site. Buridan blogged about it.
So you like our SoCal Mighty Ducks? I'm not much of a hockey guy. Watching the Clippers though!
The way you "thank" a company is to give them your business. The way you "punish" a company is to take your business somewhere else.
You can do both by switching your phone service to Qwest. I think this sends a powerful message if done by enough people.
Don't think your lone move is without meaning. Almost any company takes very serious the loss of a paying client, because they figure it represents the feelings of thousands. If thousands then do it, it becomes a powerful statement.
And like I said in my main post, it can benefit you as well. I personally am saving about $50 a month in the switch. Yes - THANK YOU QWEST!
Funny thing about companies not liking it when people take their business away- we switched from a phone carrier to a cable carrier for our phone service. Not only did they not contact us ONCE with anything counter-offering the cable co's offer, they held up our switch for a month on a technicality because they could by our communications regulator rules. Bastards. I now can call 100 minutes around the world, unlimited North American minutes and have all my calling features for a low monthly price. Had they offered me anything other than a headache I would have at least considered the switch. This is the same company we HAD our cellphones through. They would not work at my home. I was told this was my problem and they could do nothing to help- and we had signed a two year contract. FOr two years- I got crappy service. Now I find out it was a chip problem that could have been resolved but wasn't. Nice. 3600 bucks spent and no recourse.
This NSA thing is NUTS. WHy are people so unaware of this stuff and the implications for their life?? I will never understand. Except for the fact that like me with the telephones- their is no real recourse. Switch- maybe. But you have no assurance that the people you are calling are not linked to the other phone companies- which means you are still being affected.
Rant and Rave. AAARRGGHH!!!
Cell phone companies are funny... I dropped Sprint a few years ago at the end of our contract. I told them what Cingular was offering me and just asked them to match it and I'd stay with them. They told me they couldn't. I said, "ok" and switched. Two weeks later they are sending me literature every few weeks saying "we miss your business" and making unbelievable offers that were even better than what I was asking for!
i think she was gloating about those Canadian Oilers beating MY San Jose Sharks. We'll see about that. Series is still tied. The Ducks will probably stomp either one, though ...
as to the matter at hand, I used to switch long distance every time somebody made me a nice offer - got a lot of checks from that while it lasted. I don't know about switching to Qwest (good point made about the people you call are probably on AT&T or Verizon anyway) but if I had any money to invest I might buy some of their stock. Those other guys are going to get their butts so sued - handing over those records was a clear violation of existing law, and they're liable for something like $1000 per user per day which is more than 50 million users for three years - the math is way out there
Great suggestion John, I hope people follow you on it.
Why would the government care what I have to say on the phone? Does someone actually get paid to monitor my sister and I talking about how funny Family Guy was last night, or what movies we have rented recently? How could I get a job going over other people's phone conversations? I can't believe people actually get paid to do that!
Go Oilers!!!!
Sorry- I have not checked back for a few days. Something about hockey games and stress levels!! Tom- sorry. It is Oil country up where I am from.
Now- I have NO IDEA what the heck I was going to write here, as I am sidetracked once again.
Hope all is well!!
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