USPS attempts internet customer service, fails miserably

I found a broken link on USPS.com and reported it:

If you go to “Web Tools Technical Guides”:
http://www.usps.com/webtools/technical.htm

And click on “Address Information (HTML)”:
http://www.usps.com/webtools/Address-Information-v3-1.htm

You get a “page not found” (404) error.

File or Page Requested Not Found

The file or page that you requested could not be found. The link you
followed may be broken or expired.
Please return to our Homepage, or use the search box above to find
what you are looking for.
Use a word or phrase that you think may be found on the page you are
looking for.
We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause.

Please fix this.

thanks.

I got this reply back — a form letter for somebody trying to set up an account:

from USPS Internet Customer Care Center
date Tue, Oct 12, 2010 at 11:11 AM
subject RE: On web tools page, link to technical guides is broken
mailed-by usps.com

Dear USPS Customer,

Please provide the information below to apply for address verify:

Web Tools ID
Company URL

Say “Yes” or “No” to all the options below indicating how you plan to use Address Information APIs:

U.S. Postal Service package shipments
Non-U.S. Postal package service shipments
U.S. Postal Service letters
U.S. Postal Service catalogs or periodicals
Address database cleansing
Address batch processing
Address transactional processing

Thank you,

Trey
USPS Internet Customer Care Center
[email protected]

As our customer, your privacy is important to us. Please see our privacy policy at www.usps.com

——————————————————-
The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.
——————————————————-
(01)

Breitbart attempts to manufacture another race controversy

Noted scumbag Andrew Breitbart is stirring the pot again. He posted an article, “Obama: Republicans Counting On Blacks Staying Home,” where he placed a selectively edited video Obama’s Philadelphia speech. Breitbart only shows this much:

They’re counting on young people staying home and union members staying home and black folks staying home.

But what did Obama say? This:

See, what the other side is counting on, what they’re counting on is you’re going to stay home. They’re counting on your silence. They’re counting on your amnesia. They’re counting on your apathy. They’re counting on young people staying home and union members staying home and black folks staying home and middle-class families staying home. They’re counting on the fact that they made the argument so ugly in Washington that you just completely turned off and you’re not going to vote for anybody. And if that happens, they win.

TV Addicts takes the service out of “customer service”

From: DVD Customer Service
Date: September 27, 2010 1:06:56 PM EDT
To: Paul Schreiber Subject: Re: Jack & Bobby

Dear User,

We would like to inform you that the availability of a particular set
can only be checked on our website while placing the order.

Customer Support Team

On Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 6:01 AM, Paul Schreiber wrote:
Is this item in stock?
http://www.tvaddicts.tv/movie/drama/Jack_And_Bobby.html

Paul

Apple’s new PR boilerplate signals change in direction

I just noticed this today, but it happened a couple of months ago.

There’s no more “Apple ignited the personal computer revolution,” which had been there since at least 1998.

Here’s the new boilerplate, which first appeared on June 28, 2010 in iPhone 4 Sales Top 1.7 Million:

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

And the old text, from June 22, 2010: Apple Sells Three Million iPads in 80 Days:

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution with the Apple II, then reinvented the personal computer with the Macintosh. Apple continues to lead the industry with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system, and iLife, iWork and professional applications. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store, has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

And back on March 5 — pre-iPad — it looked like this:

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

This probably says more about Apple than most people are willing to give it credit for.

Only in San Francisco

From Matier & Ross:

Police ended up releasing all three suspects with misdemeanor citations for offenses ranging from fare evasion to assault and resisting arrest.

On the way out, grandma ripped a wanted poster off the wall. No, she wasn’t angry.

“Hey, I know where this guy lives,” she told the cops, politely providing them with an address.

The man, who was wanted on outstanding warrants for parole violations, was promptly arrested.