History of this case:

“Oh no, I can’t poop!!! I saw a commercial that said Activia Yogurt and DanActive Yogurt will make me poop like a normal person. Jamie Lee Curtis endorses it, and she seems like she poops. But wait, I’m broke, I guess I’ll spend my last $3 on some yogurt. I’ll be poor, but at least I’ll be able to poop.”

“Hey wait, I ate a cup of yogurt and I still didn’t poop right. I think I’ll sue ‘em to make back my $3 and help some lawyers get $10,000,000 plus expenses.”

So then, some class action lawyers took on the case and found out that other people used a lack of common sense and bought the yogurt to make them poop. Since they ate cheeseburgers, mac and cheese, pizza and pounds of meat, their poop still didn’t come out right. Alas, it was not magical miracle yogurt. It was just yogurt with natural cultures and probiotics that can help to support a healthy digestive tract.

Well, Dannon got a little worried that they may end up fighting a case in court and being taken for bajillions in damages and legal fees. They had played every scenario out in their minds…A jury full of constipated yogurt eaters, a judge with diarrhea, a bailiff missing work for a colonoscopy… It all seemed like too big of a risk for Dannon. They chose to settle out of court.

The settlement details from dannonsettlement.com:

“Dannon has agreed to create a $35,000,000.00 fund for the settlement. This fund will be used to pay valid claims submitted by Class Members, the costs to notify the Class about this Lawsuit and the settlement, the costs to administer the settlement, class representative incentive awards, and payment of the attorneys representing the Class and related litigation expenses. If the total amount of valid claims submitted exceeds $35 million less the costs, awards and fees set forth above, Dannon has agreed to supplement the fund by an amount necessary to pay all eligible claims, up to an additional $10 million.”

Anyhow, when you go look at more details, you’ll find out that you can file a claim and join the class to receive your part of the settlement that it is utterly ridiculous. If you don’t have a receipt for your yogurt purchase (seriously, who saves them?) you get $15. If you spent more than $15 but less than $30 on yogurt, you must attest to the fact that you did indeed spend that much. If you spent between $30 and $100 you must show proof of purchase to get your money from Dannon.

So it kind of makes you wonder why anyone would get involved with such a silly lawsuit. Was it really worth it for the person having issues pooping that they thought could be solved by yogurt? Of course not. It was ridiculous…Until you read the part about the hearing for the $10,000,000 plus expenses for the lawyers.

I can’t imagine what kind of judge lets these cases go through the court. Can they punish Dannon for stupidly settling for  close to $60,000,000 because someone claimed false advertising? So now they have to add some words to the package and commercials to tell people it isn’t a poop cure-all. Wow. That makes sense.

To learn more about the ridiculous and silly settlement, you can download the pdf here: http://www.dannonsettlement.com/sa.pdf

I ate my yogurt. It tasted good and made my belly full. Just because it didn’t perform miracles for me, doesn’t give me reason to sue.

Now, I do have an idea for another class action lawsuit…

So we’re gonna stay up late and watch Nightmare on Elm Street. Then we’re gonna go buy a whole bunch of Red Bulls. Then we’re gonna try to not fall asleep. Then, when we wake up the next morning, we’re gonna find a silly law firm that needs to make a couple-ten million dollars, and we’re gonna sue Red Bull for our money back and a whole bunch of legal fees. Hurry, run, quick, go to Netflix, add Nightmare on Elm Street to your queue, get some Red Bulls (save your receipt) and we’re gonna have us a class action suit!

Any other brilliant ideas for some class action suits?

Related posts:

1. 12 Days of Holiday Gifts that Suck – Spiritual Experience
2. Campaign Ads
3. Advanced Carb & Ignition in Dayton, Ohio

You might ask how can this be.  After all how could they be technically challenged – they run a huge on-line banking empire (paid for with our dollars no doubt).

They openly permit spammers, phishers, and thieves to steal their identity and send mail pretending to be from the bank.  These messages lead the user to a spoofed web site that pretends to be the bank – and there they get the “mark” to type in their user and password.  Once the bad guys have that information, they can clean the victims bank accounts out – and end up causing more losses for the bank and we all end up paying for.

bankofamerica.com uses a “sender id” tool called SPF – Sender Policy Framework.  It is a simple protocol where the bank publishes the addresses of the servers that are allowed to send mail as being from “@bankofamerica.com.”   It is very simple and every ISP in the world is able to see it.

This makes it easy for companies like mine that perform the service of checking mail for viruses/spam/phish/etc.  After all, if you know the only places mail could come FROM then you can check and refuse it if it is not.

But the tech wizards at bankofamerica.com must have been in the bottom half of their class or they are all on the payroll of the spammers, phishers, and thieves.

They set up their SPF record all right and it tells us exactly where mail should come from when it claims to be from bankofamerica.com – good so far!  Then they expressly instruct companies like mine to ignore that by instructing us to “soft fail” the e-mail.  It says the sending server is “NOT being allowed to send but is in transition” and that we should “accept but mark.”

They are telling us to go ahead and accept the mail from any spammers/phishers/and thieves that chooses to impersonate them – that they JUST DON’T CARE.

Thank you Bank of America – can I have another for the people that are footing the bill for your bailout!

There really ought to be a law that clearly says ANY institution that uses EMAIL or has an ONLINE presence and handles ANY sort of confidential information MUST use a proper SENDER ID technology to help stop the spammers, phishers, and thieves.

—for those who would like the details —

———-Headers on the above referenced mail———
Return-Path: <message@bankofamerica.com>
X-Original-To: snipped@snipped.net
Delivered-To: snipped@snipped.net
Received: from snipped (unknown [snipped])
by snipped (Postfix) with ESMTP id 68A5D1C6120
for <snipped@snipped; Thu,  8 Oct 2009 14:19:03 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from snipped ([snipped])
by snipped with esmtp ()
id 1MvxZr-0005Wr-00
for snipped@snipped; Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:18:59 -0400
Received: from ip67-88-159-227.z159-88-67.customer.algx.net ([67.88.159.227]:42029 helo=SOILTECH-FS1.soiltech.local)
by snipped with esmtp (Exim 4.63)
(envelope-from <message@bankofamerica.com>)
id 1MvxZo-0001qd-La
for snipped@snipped; Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:19:04 -0400
Received: from bankofamerica.com ([66.58.232.199]) by SOILTECH-FS1.soiltech.local with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959);
Thu, 8 Oct 2009 11:18:23 -0700
From: Bank of America <message@bankofamerica.com>
To: snipped@snipped
Subject:  Account Information
Date: 08 Oct 2009 10:18:24 -0800
Message-ID: <20091008101824.ED2BC8B2B7611025@bankofamerica.com>

——————

—-the content of the phish mail ———–

Bank of America

Dear Bank of America user,
You have 1 new ALERT message
Please login to your Bank of America Online
and visit the Message Center section in order to read the message.

To Login, please click the link below:

Go To Bank of America Online

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender
© 2009 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

————————–
—SPF record (from www.dnsstuff.com – note the ~all at the end)——–
You have an SPF record. This is very good, as it will help prevent spammers from abusing your domain. Your SPF record (I don’t check to see if it is well designed!) is:

“v=spf1 include:_sfspf.bankofamerica.com include:_txspf.bankofamerica.com include:_vaspf.bankofamerica.com include:_cfcspf.bankofamerica.com ~all”

—————————–

—-Open SPF – definitions —–
http://www.openspf.org/SPF_Record_Syntax

SoftFail The SPF record has designated the host as NOT being allowed to send but is in transition accept but mark

———————————

Related posts:

1. Google, remember: DO NO EVIL!!!
2. TwelveHorses.com Sucks on behalf of their Clients
3. Domain Submission Service Sucks!

Once the “rebuilt” carb was installed in my truck, it would not properly adjust. Every time it would start to work right, the next day it would be wrong again. We took the truck to two local mechanics who checked on it, and said that everything had been done properly to adjust the carburetor. It *should* have been working right. On their recommendation,  we took my truck to another local mechanic and have him fix it.  He had to replace to choke, accelerator pump and the fuel filter on the allegedly rebuilt carb. This added another $210 of parts and labor to the total price. Last month, it finally quit all together.

I brought the carb back to the shop wanting a refund.  First the guy told me he didn’t do cash refunds. Then he offered to replace it with another one he had laying around. When I told him I didn’t want a replacement, and didn’t want him to fix it, I just wanted the money back, he told me it was out of warranty. Despite the fact that there was nothing on the receipt saying all sales were final, and his web site says all of their work comes with a one year warranty, he just said that was his policy.

Then, he looks at the receipt again, because he doesn’t believe me that it doesn’t say “90 day warranty.” The he says he doesn’t remember selling it and did we even pay for it. In addition to the hand written receipt, there was a credit card receipt stapled to it. How could it not be paid for?  Did we break into the place in the middle of the night, have handwriting experts forge his writing and make us a receipt and then forge a credit card receipt? We must be criminal masterminds! Or really, we would be morons because that’s way too much work to save $170.

Once again, he tried to talk me out of wanting my money back. Despite telling him that three other mechanics had looked at it and that we had to replace parts on the carb because he didn’t, he wanted to blame it on something else on my truck. He said the lines must be bad. I said no, we replaced them. He said there must be dirt from the fuel tank. I said no, we checked that. I told him the whole list of everything that had been replaced on my truck and on the carb.  After that, he said I should wait until he was done working on the carb in front of him and then he would take a look at mine. He said there must be dirt in it, and that is not his fault.

Once again, I told him that I didn’t want it fixed by him, I just wanted my money back. Again he offered to replace the carb I had with another one that he had rebuilt. He said if it didn’t work right, I could just bring my truck in. Yeah right! Was this guy insane? I wouldn’t let him work on my truck!

We went back through the whole scenario again, and he told me that I needed to have my boyfriend call him and talk to him about it. When I told him I would just have him come up to the shop instead, he started yelling at me saying that I probably bought a P.O.S. carb from

AutoZone and gave them the carb he rebuilt for the core charge and that I wanted him to pay for my mistake!At this point I was so absolutely furious I couldn’t see straight. I went out to the truck and called the boyfriend to meet me.

So maybe you can tell this by the picture of my truck, or if you know me, you know how much I love my truck. I don’t make it a habit of putting crappy parts on my truck. I want it to work right. Not to mention, I would have preferred to get a little better than the less than 7 mpg I was getting with the carb  he “rebuilt.”

When my boyfriend finally got there, and we walked back in together, the guy definitely changed his tune. He did try to pull his “I don’t remember you, are you sure this was even paid for” type of BS, but not for long. BF told the guy he wanted his money back, and if the guy didn’t give it to him, he would take him to small claims court out of principal. Then the guy tried to start asking what was wrong with it, why didn’t we bring it back sooner, blah, blah, blah. Then went on to write him a check for the price of the carburetor.

The reality was, he sold us a bad carburetor, and when I tried to get the situation resolved, he completely ignored everything I had to say. I guess all I really needed was a nice big man for the guy to look up to.  Unfortunately, this is one shop that will totally try to take advantage a woman.  Avoid this place!!!

Related posts:

1. 12 Days of Holiday Gifts that Suck – The Necklace Shirt
2. I can’t poop so I’m gonna make some lawyers rich!
3. Ohio gun dealers seeing surge in sales

www.josephmichaels.com and www.twelvehorses.com have either harvested email addresses, or bought and used a list of emails harvested off the internet. This makes them spammers because are sending unsolicited bulk email. Oh, that’s not so bad, the Republican party did the same thing for the election.

Okay, really it is bad. Its as if they were riding around in the back of the mail truck writing “Buy Counterfeit Viagra” on the back of all your mail and then have your mail carrier deliver it to you. Then when you ask him to stop, he tells all of his buddies to join him, then there’s more and more, pretty soon your trash is overflowing and you have to call the trash company and pay extra to have them pick up the extra trash. I would be pretty pissed at the guy doing all of that.

Hey, If you feel like it, give them a call:

Here goes – SPAM – Disguised as legitimate marketing – from the people over at twelvehorses.com and josephmichaels.com. If you like, tell them what you think at 1(800) 786-1099 or 1.866.846.2846

Copy of messages below:

Chris

So what you are saying is that it is OK to send unsolicited commercial mail until someone complains and then you will remove them.

That is not any different than most of the million other unsolicited mailers our network sees every day.

I appreciate more than most the need to get a message out. But I don’t think this is the right way. On the other hand, it clearly makes money for someone. And if that is the primary goal, then what does it matter that you make it a million and one messages into my network.

The right thing to do was to acknowledge that you stole this mail address off the Internet or bought it from someone who did. And that you see the error of your ways and that you are going to go straightaway to work and come by your fortunes the old fashioned way.

But then if I am so smart, why ain’t I rich?

Best to you.

Bruce C

Chris wrote:
>
>
> Hello Bruce,
>
>
>
> You have been unsubscribed from the system. A block has also been placed on our system so that you cannot receive emails from Josephmichaels via our platform ever again. I have confirmed that this unsubscribe/block took place before we ever viewed your email via our automated system. We have also contacted Josephmichaels and they have removed your information from their system as well. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you.
>
>
>
> Kind Regards,
>
> Chris – Twelve Horses Technical Support
>
>
>
> * From: * Bruce xxxxxx [mailto:bxxxxxx@xxxxxx.com]
> *Sent:* Wednesday, December 03, 2008 5:57 AM
> *To:* abuse@twelvehorses.com; hostmaster@viawest.net
> *Subject:* abuse from your network – [Fwd: The Network! #216 – Joe Pelayo Radio interview]
>
>
>
> Hello
>
> re: Abuse from your network.
>
> Spry – this is promoting services running on your network.
>
> Viawest – this mail came from your network
>
> Josephmichaels – don’t know if you are even close to a real entity – but
> if you are, you are part of the problem. Get a real job!
>
> Bruce C
>
> Return-Path:
> X-Original-To: brucec@mailtest.xxxxxx.net
> Delivered-To: brucec@mailtest.xxxxxx.net
> Received: from holalesqua.xxxxxx.net (holalesqua.xxxxxx.net [69.214.62.7])
> by falstaff.xxxxxx.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1797E1B448
> for ; Tue, 2 Dec 2008 16:09:27 -0500 (EST)
> Received: from correo4.xxxxxx.net ([69.214.62.37])
> by holalesqua.xxxxxx.net with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1)
> id 1L7cUm-0004X0-00
> for bxxxxxx@xxxxxx.net; Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:09:24 -0500
> Received: from s02.mailout.twelvehorses.com ([64.90.205.70]:18753)
> by correo4.xxxxxx.net with esmtp (Exim 4.63)
> (envelope-from )
> id 1L7cky-0008KI-Mz
> for bxxxxxx@xxxxxx.net; Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:26:32 -0500
> Received: from fvdywvj.jmuttc.th.s02.b.12hs.com (192.168.4.54)
> by s02.mailout.twelvehorses.com with SMTP; 02 Dec 2008 14:08:52 -0700
> Message-ID:
> <17196921.1228252132711.JavaMail.dynamo1@app05.prv.twelvehorses.com>
> Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:08:51 -0700 (MST)
> From: Joe Pelayo
> To:
> Subject: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?The_Network!__#216_=96_Joe_Pelayo_Radio_interview?=
> Mime-Version: 1.0
> Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
> boundary=”—-=_Part_64321_28212338.1228252131098″
> User-Agent: Dialog Server
> Received-SPF: pass
>
> ——=_Part_64321_28212338.1228252131098
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> Content-Description: This is text version of an eMessage
>
> =A0
> What do John McCain, Barak Obama and Joe Pelayo have in common?=A0They
> were all interviewed on WSRadio recently.=A0To hear my interview, click
> here: =A0
>
> > ichaels.com/about/president.shtml*http_mm_url_mm_www.josephmichaels.com/abo=
> ut/president.shtml>
>
>
>
> To hear the other interviews, well you?ve probably heard enough from the
> other two in the last several months…
> Click the above link to hear Joe Pelayo interviewed on the
> PriceWaterhouseCoopers Radio show on WSRadio.com with host Steve
> Bengstrom.=A0Be sure you have 5 minutes or so, and have your speakers on.
>
>
>
> Joe Pelayo=A0- On the economy and the stock market:
> Maybe Chicken Little was right after all and the sky IS falling. But,
> you know how the media is so often on the lookout for bad news because
> it sells more newspapers. =A0I?m not saying everything is rosy, but to
> keep things in perspective, here are a few things to consider. =A0
> Yes the Dow fell in big numbers and on one day fell more points than it
> had fallen ever has. =A0But, did you know, that on a percentage basis,
> that big drop would not have even ranked in the top twenty drops of
> all-time?=20
>
> For example in 1987 the Dow dropped a record 500 points. Remember, they
> called it Black Monday? =A0At that time it represented a 22% drop.
> From September 3rd, 1929 to July 8th, 1932, the Dow dropped 339 points.
> That?s nothing in today?s measure in terms of points, but at the time,
> it represented an 89% drop from 389 points to 41.22, Wow! =A0
> So when the media mentions a big point drop, do a few things… First,
> do the math and look at the percentages. =A0Also, realize that for awhile,
> 300 is the new 100, you will see wide fluctuations for a time.=20
> As the media goes wild saying that, at this time, the Dow dropped the
> biggest point total in history. Don?t forget, 5 years ago, the Dow
> reached its high point total in the history of time! Keep things in
> perspective and even if Chicken Little says the sky is falling, remember
> that Joe Pelayo says that it isn?t. But, I am a devout optimist.
> The media would lead you to believe no one is hiring.=A0However, we are
> receiving calls still and new searches. =A0Smart companies, with the
> resources make use of times like these, to strategically top-grade their
> talent.=A0
>
> Joseph Michaels, Inc. can help you recruit executives who don?t think
> the sky is falling. People who you can bank on to get things done, even
> in uncertain times.=A0Call us today at 1(800) 786-1099.
> Warm regards,
>
>
>
> Joe Pelayo, C.E.O.
> Joseph Michaels, Inc.
> One Market Street
> Spear Tower , Suite 3600=20
> San Francisco , CA 94105=20
> Voice (415) 732-6142 FAX (415) 434-1165
> Email: jpelayo@josephmichaels.com
>
> Website:
> > ichaels.com/*http_mm_url_mm_www.josephmichaels.com/>
>
> 30-second Flash Mailer: http://www.josephmichaels.com/flashDemo.htm
> > ichaels.com/flashDemo.htm%20*http_mm_url_mm_www.josephmichaels.com/flashDem=
> o.htm%20>
>
>
>
> The Network is one of the most widley read executive e-newsletters in
> the world.=A0If you were forwarded this email, To add yourself to the
> mailing list click here:=20
>
>
>
> To remove from the mailing list click unsubscribe below:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ——– Original Message ——–
> Subject: The Network! #216 – Joe Pelayo Radio interview
> Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:08:51 -0700 (MST)
> From: Joe Pelayo
> To:
>
>
>
> You have just received an HTML-rich eMessage that cannot be displayed by
> your email software. You may view this eMessage online with your
> internet browser by following this
> link:http://www.twelvehorses.com/S1/NLSWG9/J299U5WT/M/TXT/
>
> *The Network *#216
>
> *by Joe Pelayo*
>
> *1-800-786-1099*
>
> jpelayo@josephmichaels.com
>
> What do John McCain, Barak Obama and Joe Pelayo have in common?
>
> They were all interviewed on WSRadio recently.
>
> To hear my interview, click here:
>
> *http://www.josephmichaels.com/about/president.shtml
> *
>
> To hear the other interviews, well…you’ve probably heard enough from the
> other two in the last several months…Click the above link to hear Joe
> Pelayo interviewed on the PriceWaterhouseCoopers Radio show on
> WSRadio.com with host Steve Bengstrom. Be sure you have 5 minutes or so,
> and have your speakers on.
>
> ————————————————————————
>
> Joe Pelayo – On the economy and the stock market:
>
> Maybe Chicken Little was right after all and the sky IS falling. But,
> you know how the media is so often on the lookout for bad news because
> it sells more newspapers. I’m not saying everything is rosy, but to
> keep things in perspective, here are a few things to consider.
>
> Yes the Dow fell in big numbers and on one day fell more *points* than
> it had fallen ever has. But, did you know, that on a percentage basis,
> that big drop would not have even ranked in the top twenty drops of
> all-time? For example in 1987 the Dow dropped a record 500 points.
> Remember, they called it /Black Monday/? At that time it represented a
> 22% drop.
>
> From September 3^rd , 1929 to July 8^th , 1932, the Dow dropped 339
> points. That’s nothing in today’s measure in terms of *points*, but at
> the time, it represented an 89% drop from 389 points to 41.22, Wow!
>
> So when the media mentions a big point drop, do a few things… First,
> do the math and look at the percentages. Also, realize that for awhile,
> 300 is the new 100, you will see wide fluctuations for a time.
>
> As the media goes wild saying that, at this time, the Dow dropped the
> biggest point total in history. Don’t forget, 5 years ago, the Dow
> reached its high point total in the history of time! Keep things in
> perspective and even if Chicken Little says the sky is falling, remember
> that Joe Pelayo says that it isn’t. But, I am a devout optimist.
>
> The media would lead you to believe no one is hiring. However, we are
> receiving calls still for new searches. Smart companies, with the
> resources make use of times like these, to strategically top-grade their
> talent.
>
> Joseph Michaels, Inc. can help you recruit executives who don’t think
> the sky is falling. People who you can bank on to get things done, even
> in uncertain times. Call us today at 1(800) 786-1099.
>
> Warm regards,
>
> Joe Pelayo, C.E.O.
> Joseph Michaels, Inc.
> One Market Street
> Spear Tower, Suite 3600
> San Francisco, CA 94105
> Voice (415) 434-1099FAX (415) 434-1165
> Email: jpelayo@josephmichaels.com
> Website: http://www.josephmichaels.com/
>
>
> The Network is one of the most widley read executive e-newsletters in
> the world. If you were forwarded this email, reply to
> jpelayo@josephmichaels.com to be
> added to the mailing list.
>
> To remove from the mailing list click unsubscribe below:
>
>
>
> *Forward to a friend*
> >
> Unsubscribe from this service
> >
> Change format of future eMessages
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Related posts:

1. Google, remember: DO NO EVIL!!!
2. Spammers, Phishers, and Thieves – Oh My!
3. Network Solutions Still Sucks

I think by now we all know about Network Solutions questionable business practices. If not, check out our reasons here.

So it looks like they really pissed someone off on January 11th, 2008. There are a ton of these types of domains registered that day, no doubt they were registered to Network Solutions themselves to force potential customers into registering the domain with them. This means pissed off people who had used Network Solutions domain availability tool decided to have a little fun with Network Solutions. The list of domains that follow is a very small assortment of some of the cleaner domain names registered that day. Most of the domains on the list I found are really, really horrible.

networksolutions-domain-crime.com
networksolutions-domain-crooks.com
networksolutions-domain-fraud.com
networksolutions-domain-fraudsters.com
networksolutions-domain-gangsters.com
networksolutions-domain.com
networksolutions-domainbuyingwhores.com
networksolutions-domainhijackers.com
networksolutions-domainthieves.com
networksolutions-dot-com-suck-big-time.com
network-solutions-eats-poo1.com
network-solutions-eats-poo10.com
network-solutions-eats-poo2.com
network-solutions-eats-poo3.com
network-solutions-eats-poo4.com
network-solutions-eats-poo5.com
network-solutions-eats-poo6.com
network-solutions-eats-poo7.com
network-solutions-eats-poo8.com
network-solutions-eats-poo9.com
network-solutions-front-running-is-unethical.com
network-solutions-front-running-whois-searches.com
network-solutions-frontrunning-sucks.com
network-solutions-is-a-creepy-kompany.com
network-solutions-is-a-crook.com
network-solutions-is-a-cybersquatting-joke-of-a-company.com

Related posts:

1. Network Solutions Sucks
2. Network Solutions still sucks!
3. Domain Renewal Group

On first glance, I thought they forgot to put Obama on the ballot at all. Right there in the top left corner was McCain/Palin, next to some guy running for the Constitution Party, next to him, Ralph Nader. Where the hell was Obama? Then I found it. Tucked down in the bottom right corner of the screen above the write-in option. That’s where they put Obama/Biden. WTF?

Surely the Rs will say they did this for our own good, so we wouldn’t accidentally select the wrong candidate like we would if McCain and Obama were placed next to each other. This wasn’t ordered alphabetically or in any other way I could figure out.

Really, I tend to think I’m pretty smart. I’m a good reader, and a fast reader. I scanned that page twice and didn’t see it. I had to actually slow down and read through every candidates name before I found Obama.

State of Ohio – I say this is super B.S. Just because the Republican party here lost their challenges of the new voters. Ken Blackwell and his relationship with Diebold live on in Ohio. Maybe we will be the next Florida.

Update: Apparently they hid him at the bottom of the list on the paper ballots too.

Is anybody else having any issues with voting today?

Related posts:

1. Just say no…
2. Why can’t I get my fish drunk?
3. And what’s wrong with being a Muslim anyway?

How many corporate accounts payable people receive one of these “solicitations” and go ahead and pay them? Our smaller clients have even called to make sure this is not something they have to pay.

Good reasons to not fall for this scam:

1. Domain name submission with 8 key words/phrases to 75 MAJOR search engines, links lists and Directories.
Okay, seriously, since when are there 75 major search engines? and why would you need someone to submit your domain to them? Just submit to google , have good content and the rest will find you.

2. There is no phone number for this company. Anywhere! Unless you whois the domain, then you come up with:

Registrar: DOTSTER
Domain Name: DOMAINSUBMISSIONSERVICE.COM
Created on: 14-SEP-08
Expires on: 15-SEP-09
Last Updated on: 21-OCT-08

Registrant:
John Teratias
67 Morton Way
Winnipeg, MB R3A037
CA

Administrative Contact:
Teratias, John Qjlojm@privacypost.com
67 Morton Way
Winnipeg, MB R3A037
CA
204-694-5287

And then you wonder, what is this privacypost.com email address? So you go to privacy post.com and find out that it is a service so you can “protect your identity, stop domain related spam, stop the junk mail and phone calls” Ironic.

Anyhow, from their site, you can do another whois on one of their users domains which tells you the real info – I assume. Then you get this:

Domain name: domainsubmission.com

Registrant Contact:
Neustel Law Offices, LTD
Michael Neustel
2534 South University Drive, Suite 4
Fargo, ND 58103
US

Administrative Contact:
PatentWizard, LLC
Michael Neustel (neustel@patent-ideas.com)
+1.7012818822
Fax: 701-237-0544
2534 South University Drive, Suite 4
Fargo, ND 58103
US

3. Try googling “domain submission service.”
Even with quotes, you get no results for them. Why would you trust your web site search engine marketing to a company who doesn’t ever show up in the search engine results?

The bottom line is, throw this notice in the trash and keep your money. If you are interested in search engine optimization for your web site, go with a reputable firm.

For more information about search engine optimization, check these out:Landing Page Optimization: The Definitive Guide to Testing and Tuning for Conversions, Search Engine Optimization For Dummies, Search Engine Optimization: Your visual blueprint for effective Internet marketing

Related posts:

1. Domain Renewal Group
2. Just say no…
3. Network Solutions Sucks

Today we got a “domain name expiration notice” for one of our domains that expires in March. If you receive one of these and are not sure who to pay for your domain, please do a simple whois search. Only pay the registrar that your domain is currently registered with.

These guys really suck. What they do is get you to pay them for a domain renewal, then initiate a transfer request. Most of them don’t go through and then you have lost the money you paid to them and still have to pay to renew your domain through the current registrar. Worse yet, you may allow your domain to expire thinking it has already been renewed.

From their fine print:

Failed transfer policy: Payments received by DRG for tranfers/renewals are done on a best effort basis. While DRG guarantees it will issue a transfer/renewal request from the existing registrar of the domain name, DRG cannot guarantee that the existing registrar will consent to the transfer/renewal. In the case of the domain name not being transferred to DRG from the existing registrar, DRG will attempt on a daily basis to register the domain name on a daily basis when it becomes available.

Translation: No registrar that really cares about their customers will allow the domain to be transferred to Domain Registry Group, but they will be happy to keep your money.

FEES: As a consideration for the Service(s), renewal of the Service(s), and, if you select it, automatic renewal of the Service(s), you agree to pay, prior to the effectiveness of the desired Service(s), the applicable Service(s) fees. All fees are non-refundable, in whole or in part, even if your domain name registration is suspended, canceled, or transfered prior to the end of your then current registration term, unless this Agreement specifically provides for a refund…

Translation: They will keep your money. They are scammers, do not give them your money.

I think the reason why they do this so far in advance of the domain expiration date is so when you get the renewal notice form your current registrar, its too late to issue a chargeback. They win and keep your money.

Check this out for more information on domain names: Domain Names: How to Choose & Protect a Great Name for Your Website (Domain Names)

In the end, they just suck!

Related posts:

1. Domain Registry of America was on our domain like flies on s@!%
2. Domain Submission Service Sucks!
3. Network Solutions still sucks!