Apple




This week The Stu Pitt Award goes to ...

Apple


for making the possible impossible


OK, I am totally dusgusted with Apple. Why? Here's why ...

I am the author of 10 inspirational self-help books. All are available on amazon.com. I simply wanted to have my books available in the Apple ibookstore as well. I converted the first of my books into the necessary epub format and went to submit the first book to the ibookstore. Apple's website said I needed to fill out an application, and get an Apple ID, in order to submit content (my books). I started filling out the application. I signed up for an Apple ID. So far, so good. Then, the application said that in order to submit my book I needed to have an iTunes ID. I did not have an iTunes ID. It said I could use my Apple ID on iTunes. I couldn't, it wouldn't let me open an iTunes account. NO WHERE could I find how to get an iTunes ID. The ONLY thing you can do is download the iTunes app, which I didn't want and would never use. Next, I spent 20 minutes looking around the Apple website for help regarding this Catch-22 problem. Needing an iTunes ID but can't get one. Can't get an iTunes ID because I don't have one. Catch-22. No help was to be found. Next, I looked for a contact phone number. I found one and called Apple support. The lady was very nice and tried to help. She even understood my convoluted problem. She gave me the phone number for iTunes support. I called the number. There is no human being at iTunes support, only an automated voice tree!

By now, I was losing my mind. All I wanted to do is submit my "already published and already available on amazon" books for sale in the Apple ibookstore. No way I could find out to do that at Apple. Anywhere at Apple. BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE. BAD SUPPORT. When I get jerked around by BAD customer service, and its important to solve the problem, I call the company's corporate headquarters. I called Apple corporate headquarters. Another stupid automated voice tree, no human being. Finally, after calling 3 times, I got a human being on the line. I told him what my problem was (actually, it's Apple's problem). He understood. Then he told me that iTunes had no human phone customer service or telephone technical support by humans, only a support knowledge base and/or email support. I told him that I could not possibly email the problem to iTunes support; too complicated. He said that, outside of that, there was nothing Apple could do. Close to my wit's end, I said, "How about you connect me to the President's Office?". He responded, "There's no way to connect you to the President's Office from here." OK, enough is enough! That's it! I told him, "Then Apple doesn't get to carry my books! None of them. Ever." Then, having spent over an hour and totally wasting my time trying to become an Apple content provider, I hung up on them. Forever.

My new slogan for Apple? "We make the possible impossible."


Congratulations, Apple, this week, for your insanely convoluted un-intuitive BAD customer service and help, you deservedly earned the Stu Pitt Award!



Los Angeles City Council




This week The Stu Pitt Award goes to ...

The Los Angeles City Council



for being so out of touch

In the midst of the worst economic times since the Great Depression, here is what the Los Angeles City Council is spending time and taxpayer dollars on ...

From the Los Angeles Times September 07, 2011|By Kate Linthicum ...


"Plastic and paper bag ban proposed for Los Angeles

Los Angeles councilman's proposal would allow grocery stores to give away or sell only reusable tote bags, or risk a fine.

Paper or plastic? For shoppers in Los Angeles, the choice may soon be neither.

Hoping to reduce the billions of grocery bags circulating throughout the city, an L.A. councilman Tuesday called for a sweeping ban on single-use paper and plastic bags.

By including paper bags in the ban, the proposal goes beyond similar measures taken recently by other California cities and counties. Although L.A. County, Santa Monica and other municipalities have banned plastic bags in recent years, most have allowed stores to sell paper ones for a small fee.

"With paper bags, you're still generating litter," said Councilman Paul Koretz, who introduced the motion proposing the ban. "We're taking the next step."

Environmentalists celebrated the news and said they hoped that it would push Sacramento lawmakers to enact a statewide ban."




Banning plastic and paper bags. Brilliant. Just what L.A. residents and taxpayers need. With the unemployment rate currently at 12.5% (September 2011) and the worst real estate market since the Great Depression the Los Angeles City Council is playing around with banning plastic and paper bags. People in L.A. need jobs, not reusable shopping bags!

Congratulations to the Los Angeles City Council. This week, for your stupid proposed legislation, and for making the banning of plastic and paper bags more important than creating jobs, you deservedly earned the Stu Pitt award.




Recycling in L.A.




This week The Stu Pitt Award goes to ...

The State of California

for its batteries
recycling regulation


In the midst of the worst economic times since the Great Depression, here is what Californians are forced to do ... recycle their used dead batteries at a recycling center. Yes, even the little AA and AAA batteries.

It is yet another environmental law passed by the continuosly re-elected clueless moronic time-wasting money-wasting California legislators in Sacramento. The once-great State of California, and its state EPA, now forces you to drive far and wide and find a place to recycle your used batteries. Any battery. Every battery. Every time.

Here's the story ...

My laptop battery suddenly quit. Wouldn't recharge. It was less than 2 years old. Yes, I checked it with my computer's diagnostics. It was dead. Dead as a doornail. Permanently dead. I ended up buying a new battery (my extended warranty did not cover the battery). The new laptop battery cost me $80. Yes, $80. Then I happened to discover that I could not easily and simply dispose of the old dead laptop battery; I could not simply throw it away, I had to take it to a recycling depot, a recycling drop-off place that accepted laptop batteries.

OK, fair enough. Sounds reasonable, doesn't it? It wasn't. It isn't. I spent 30 minutes online just trying to find a place near me that recycled used dead laptop batteries. The nearest place that would take my old battery was nowhere near where I live. I live in Los Angeles, the second most populous city in America. Recycling places should be everywhere, right? Wrong! I had to drive to a Best Buy store ... the closest place to me that recycles dead laptop batteries. The Best Buy store was 10 miles out of my way, and took me 1 hour, just to specifically drive over there and drop off my one (1) used dead notebook battery. Is that an efficient use of my time and vehicle? I probably caused more pollution and damage to the environment driving to and from the recycling place than I would have if I threw the old battery in the trash!

As California teeters on the brink of bankruptcy and suffers from massive unemployment and the worst real estate depression in its history its legislators are dicking around with used batteries. Now I know for sure, there is no doubt, when it comes to insanity, California state legislators, the California EPA, and their environmental extremism have no limits! None. It's stupifying. And worthy of a Stu Pitt Award.

Here is what I emailed a friend of mine, before I awarded California this Stu Putt Award: "In California throwing away used batteries in the trash is against the law. Against the laws of the state, the environment, and against the laws of God. It's probably in the bible! "Thou shalt not throw thy batteries in thine trash".

Soon, throwing away used batteries in the trash in California may be punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty, depending on the mood of the judge. Unless you are an illegal alien, then you can do whatever you want.

Up until February 8, 2006, California residents were allowed to throw away any 'spent' battery in the trash. Now the nanny state of California makes you take your used batteries to a hazardous waste recycling depot. No matter how far away it may be from where you live or work. Every battery. Every time. Don't pollute. Don't be a criminal!

And soon I expect to hear, "don't forget to recycle your used condoms too! Drive them to a hazardous waste recycling depot. Every condom. Every time."

Besides being a crime, throwing batteries in the trash in California can also create global battery warming, can lead to obesity, is a major cause of marijuana, heroin and methamphetimine use, is a contributing cause of drunk driving, bullying, poverty, sexting, ADHD, restless leg syndrome, erectile dysfunction, terrorism, and thinking like a Republican. Don't do it!

Remember, God is watching you! Mother Nature is watching you! The State of California is watching you. And so is every extreme environmentalist wacko. Recycle or die!"


What's next, California green police?



Congratulations to the State of California. For your stupid extreme environmental legislation which makes it a CRIME to throw away even 1 little AAA or AA battery, this week you deservedly earned the Stu Pitt award.



fat tax




This week The Stu Pitt Award goes to ...

The Country of Denmark




for their fat tax


There's high taxes on cigarettes, liquor and soft drinks. Now, there's a "fat tax"!

It's true. It's in the news. Denmark is now the first country to pass a tax on foods with high-fat content ...

Denmark has a 10% overweight/obesity rate. We in the U.S. have a much higher percentage. How long before the U.S. (or crazy California) has a fat tax? I'm guessing about 3 minutes.

This is a perfect example of the "slippery slope" of government intruding into the private lives of citizens. Over regulating and over taxing legal personal private activities. I have always said this would happen. It was only a matter of time. Once the government starts taxing and regulating your private, legal, personal choices "for your own good" there is no stopping them. And all the anti-smoking zealots, environmental wackos and extreme moralists didn't listen, and didn't stop. Soon, THEY too may have to pay outrageously high punitive taxes ... on the foods they eat. Soon, all the zealots may have to pay outrageously high punitive taxes on their beloved ice cream, potato chips and pizzas. Good! See how THEY like the government taxing the shit of THEIR favorite legal habits!

Zealots want the government to tax, regulate or ban "bad behavior", specifically behavior that they personally do not like. And zealots think the government will only over-tax and over-regulate (or ban) other people's "offensive" bad habits and behavior. However, sooner or later, the government will also tax, regulate or ban some of THEIR favorite legal and personal activities. And, sooner or later, the government will also restrict THEIR legal and personal choices, choices of how they want to live THEIR life. And the fat tax is just the beginning.

Congratulations to Denmark. This week, for being the first country in the world to impose a government fat tax, and thus paving the way for every country to do the same, you deservedly earned the Stu Pitt award.

And you zealots are about to learn, "what goes around comes around". And bites you in the ass. Have you not heard of the golden rule? "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

Learn it. Live it.





California legislature




This week The Stu Pitt Award goes to ...

The State of California



What's next, California sheet police?

In the midst of the worst economic times since the Great Depression, here is what California state legislators are spending taxpayer time and taxpayer dollars on ...

OK, this one defies belief. Here is yet another RIDICULOUS law proposed by the continuosly re-elected clueless moronic time-wasting money-wasting California legislators in Sacramento. What is the ridiculous proposed law? The once-great State of California is actually considering a proposed law making it a crime for California hotels/motels to have any sheets other than a flat fitted sheet on their beds.

Non-fitted sheets. A crime? Really? Are they serious??? A criminal bed sheet law? Yes. It is not a joke. Look it up, the proposed law is sb 432.

Just when I thought the crazy worthless legislators in Sacramento couldn't get any more worthless or any more crazy they topped themselves by proposing a criminal bed sheet law. As California teeters on the brink of bankruptcy and suffers from massive unemployment and a real estate depression its legislators are dicking around with bed sheets. Bed sheets. Now I know for sure, there is no doubt, when it comes to insanity California state legislators have no limits! None. It's stupifying. And worthy of a Stu Pitt Award.

Congratulations to the State of California legislature. For your stupid proposed legislation which would make it a CRIME for hotels/motels to not have fitted sheets on their beds, this week you deservedly earned the Stu Pitt award.