betsy

Peter McKay said he thinks the hostages are alive and well. Everyone is castigating him for saying that. That he endagered the lives of the hostages. Endangered how? Why was that such a "wrong" thing to say?

Gosthacked, Sparhawk, RB and everyone, Thanks for the advice. Especially on the tech side. I'm still a dummy here when it comes to that. Right now we got on high-speed broadband...and I think my husband downloads the virus protections from Rogers. I only use my credit card rarely on a few specific sites that I have been dealing with and I never had problems with them, but my husband has just recently been doing his banking on-line. Is there anything we should do specifically for these kinds of transactions?

I suspect the pop-ups. I just kept clicking "X" to get rid of them...and someone said that sometimes that "X" is rigged to trigger the "transaction". We were with a server that got bought out by another server...and that's when the massive pop-ups started appearing. I don't know if that's just coincidence when the new server stepped in. Bell had the responsibility to at least explain to us what needed to be done to correct the problem. They even neglected telling us about cleaning our hard-drive...and tried to flog a new modem on us! It's a good thing one rep told us about it when she learned we just ordered the new modem...otherwise we would have paid for a new one and still stuck with the same problem.

I understand that it is not their job to filter contents. But if people are complaining and Consumers Advocate got involved because of the numerous amount of complaints they're receiving....and two sites namely, "Nauru" and "Sao Tome" seemed to be the only ones being mentioned by most complainant, how hard is it for Bell to block them? According to the Manager, they finally blocked these sites (that was about 6 months ago)...if that is true. Why did it take them this long? We're not talking about recent incidents. We're talking at least 6 years worth of incidents! We're talking big bucks here. One complainant alone was billed a thousand bucks. There are thousands of complainants. Just do the math how much money is involved. Bell was, in the least, neglectful of providing protection for their clients by giving them proper information how to handle these scams...especially when thousands are being victimized. And their shady actions in mis-directing our bill payments and billing us for services no longer rendered only convince me that they knew what is happening and that they are at least, compliant about it. It seems like an organized crime with Bell acting the "Enforcer." And I told them so.

The title of the post was taken from the class action lawsuit site referring to the case against Bell. The facts are: Bell acknowledged they have numerous complaints. A rep acknowledged it is fraud. A newspaper article reported that this problem had started in the late 90's. Consumer Advocate got involved because of the amount of complains they were having. CRTC ruled sometime in 2001 that Bell had the responsibility to warn and properly advice their clients how to protect themselves. Bell did not explain or advice us what to do, except to try and sell us a new modem. It was only a rep who was sympathetic who explained that we need to clean our hard-drive. That a new modem will not solve the problem unless the hard-drive is cleaned. When I verified that information, the manager admitted that that was true. CRTC told me it IS fraud and that I do not have to pay for it. Bell could not cut off my basic phone service on the basis of this dispute. Bell could not intimidate or threaten clients to force them to pay....which Bell did anyway, that's why there's a class-action lawsuit against them from people who already have paid and are now demanding their money back.

There should be an inquiry! Bell already is in deep trouble about fraudulent phone scams...and CRTC knew of it! And then, this? :angry:

That's what the lawyer for the class action lawsuit was saying. That people ought to stand up against companies like Bell, and do it en masse to be heard. Remember when the media used to do an expose' or investigative reporting? How come no one is tackling this? Can someone file criminal charges on Bell, since they're really behaving in a suspicious manner with their handling of this scam?

What astound me is that Bell knew of this problem since the late 90's. And yet they went along without correcting or providing protection for their clients. It is hard to believe that Bell, with all the modern hi-tech now could not have easily blocked those particular sites. They just acted on it...if that's true...only recently. I find Bell to be shady with its dealings. Like the way they charged us for services no longer rendered, and when informed about it, they had the gall to say "Too bad." And the way they intentionally put our payment elsewhere other than where it's supposed to go, and tried to make us believe they couldn't do anything to correct it. These actions are not actions by someone who's just innocently dragged by Sao Tome and Nauru. They're actions seem to suggest that yes, they're also in on it since obviously they're making money out it and yes, that means they're crooks...and we better watch our backs when dealing with them. If I'm not mistaken, sometime in early 2001, CRTC made a ruling that Bell have the responsibility to warn and inform its clients about these frauds. No one bothered to explain to us that we needed to clean our hard-drive...not until one sympathetic rep told me about it. She was alos the one who said that it's fraud and they've been having a lot of complaints. Bell is guilty of either being part of this scam...or at least abetting and encouraging it...or being wilfully neglectful towards their clients since they're making money out of it.

Dear RB, Thank you. Will make a letter explaining details and send it to Consumer Affairs. I also documented all conversations with Bell and kept all correspondence/bills. Dear PocketRocket, I remember that around that time, we were having an unusually heavy loads of pop-ups. So I just click "X" button to close them up. We had emails of porno-sounding titles though. No one had gone to porno sites on purpose...with that I'm sure. We have no other kids in the house other than my daycare kids and they're mostly toddlers and pre-school, besides, the computer is off limits to them, including before and after school kids. Someone told me that clicking "X" to close some pop-ups may have actually triggered getting into those sites, for some are intentionally rigged to do just that.

In other words, after being overbilled by these companies, instead of getting the money back....the victims end up paying for these companies' service improvements? Unbelievable!

About two years ago (2004), we got huge long-distance bill from Bell apparently acquired online, from sites I've never heard of, "Nauru" and "Sao Tome." The amount was for $615.00. We've also received a formal notice that our long distance phone service was officially cut-off as of this date until the bills are settled. After talking to several Bell personnel, a technician explained that it is fraud and that they've been having numerous complaints about it. One suggested that we needed a modem that has a firewall...and conveniently said that Bell has that. So we ordered. However, before the new modem arrived, another Bell rep was more generous with her information. She explained to us that we have to get our hard-drive cleaned up. That even if you no longer go online (which we did), or even if we get the new modem, those long distance calls will still keep racking up unless you get the hard-drive cleaned. Unfortunately, she said, Bell does not offer the cleaning-up services for free. We cancelled the ordered modem, breaking the contract since the information I've got from the rep who suggested it was not complete. NOTE: I was stumbling on these nuggets of information in my bid to contest the bill. We felt that we were not responsible for the charges since those calls went randomly and without our knowledge at all! I was adamant on the phone that we were not going to pay. Btw, you could never get the same person to talk to, no matter which department you go, so I had to always repeat the whole story everytime I talked to someone. Finally, a manager offered to reduce the amount on the bill. We stood firm. We don't owe anything. We continuously received those final notice to pay or else we lose our phone service. At that time, we were also going through a tough time...we were preoccupied with my husband's new business, and it was struggling. I closed down the daycare to help him. We only literally come home to sleep! Accidentally I read an article in a newspaper about the very same thing. Consumers Advocate was fighting this thing with Bell. Apparently, this problem with Bell had been going on since the late 90's! I contacted them, and they directed me to CRTC. CRTC adviced me that I don't have to pay it since it is fraud....that Bell cannot remove my basic phone service nor can they even threaten me about cutting it off. She gave me an executive's number to call. I continued to receive the standard last notice to pay though, telling you to pay or the service will cut-off. This time I was rabid! I told them..."This is like Organized Crime! You knew about these scams all along and yet you did nothing! You opened up your clientele to be victimized...and you act as the muscle man for them to pay up with your threats! You are in bed with these crooks!" The Executive Officer was so polite and said that Bell will send a letter to all its clients to explain where Bell stood in this issue. He told me to ignore the notices I receive in the mail. They're done automatically by computers, he explained, the staff cannot do anything about that. I told him, "I'll wait for the letter...but no matter where Bell stands on this matter, of course you do realize that I will never pay." I never got any letter up to now. But the monthly bills still came, which is fine. BUT, we found that they're still charging us for the long-distance service which they're officially cut-off! We checked our previous bills....lo and behold, we've been paying for services no longer rendered for about 8 months! When we called billing dept to inform them about the discrepancy, the answer was, "Too bad. We cannot correct them since we can only keep records on our computers for 3 months." My husband kept all our bills and he himself computed and deducted the amount! At this time I've searched the net (we went with a different company) and found that there's an on-going CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT against BELL from those who have already payed up the ridiculous amount of charges and now wanting their money back. They were apparently intimidated into paying up. After months of the same-old with Bell and standing firm (we no longer received the notices, but they started calling us!), we got a letter stating that they've taken up the amount in dispute and put it in another account. It will be sent to a collection agency. They instructed us to pay our normal services on another account. We followed their instructions. BUT guess what, the last bill came and said we're two months behind our bill payment (basic service). Then they followed that bill with phone calls to remind us! Apparently they're putting the money we pay for the normal service to the account of the disputed bill. When I called billing to tell them about this, the rep said "Oh but we have no way of correcting it. It's already gone through the other account." BS! I told him, "I don't care how you guys do it. I'm just doing my part in officially telling you that there's a discrepancy in my bill...it's not problem if you are dis-organized in your system! I better not hear any more from you guys or else! I know that there's a lclass action awsuit against Bell from people who ALREADY have paid up....I might just try to start another Class Action lawsuit, and this time it will be from people like me who are being harrassed into paying up!" The bill was promptly corrected. But we just received a notice saying last notice before it gets to collection agency. I emailed the law office handling the class action and was adviced with an option that I should stay firm. If Collection Agency called, I should tell them that we will not pay and have no intention of paying. If Bell wants to pursue us, they will have to sue. To tell the collection agency not to call back again. So this is where we're at. Oh btw, Bell was proud to announce to us approx. 6 months ago that they've finally put a block on those two sites! Whooopie! What took them so long? Anyone had the same problems? Any input please?

Dear Margrace, Drea and Theloniusfleabag, It is true, there was no such thing as ADD for the last decade(?)...and now, all of a sudden it seems so common. I have some sort of a theory for it.....sure, it's hyperactivity. But hyperactivity can be triggered not only by sugar. Lack of sleep...or being tired can easily trigger that. You know how they start to bounce off walls, mix a couple of kids together and they start feeding off each other? And if the adult in charge do not know how to control or divert the situation, it is chaos. Children lead a very hectic lifestyle now compared to ours when we were kids. So it could also be that these kids supposedly afflicted with ADD, are just actually stressed out. Some children do have a real ADD syndrome....but I don't believe they are this many. I had one 5 year old who only come irregularly as a drop in. He has to be on medication. But mind you, his was not only ADD...but also Tourette's syndrome. One time, his parents were late in picking him up and his medication wore off. Boy, he just spouted the most colorful language. We were all speechless. You could hear a pin drop.

About 4 years ago, a mother of a 8 year old boy (who came regularly as an after-school kid), asked me if he can come to my daycare tomorow (PD day) and stay the whole day. When I said it was okay, she then told me that she'll make sure he gets his medication so he'll behave well. This was news to me. I never saw him mis-behave unnaturally while at the daycare after school. The mom explained that at school, he is very active and overly "sensitive" that he easily cries when upset....and the teacher said he seemed to be suffering from ADD (Attention-deficit-something)...and that he will have to be on Ritalin. I told mom about my observation, that yes he is an active boy....but nothing unusual for a boy his age. That it's normal for children to get rambunctious sometimes, and so far, he listens when I tell him to settle down. Mom said his doctor did not agree that he should be on Ritalin...but the teacher wants him to be on it. Mom noticed one side-effect...his appetite is gone. He doesn't eat much at mealtimes. I told mom that tomorrow, let him come to me without taking his Ritalin (just put the pill on the side)...and if there's any problem, I'll give him the pill. The whole day went without any incident. I told the boy that as far as I see, there's nothing wrong with him. That he just have to pay more attention and do what the teacher says. He ate a big lunch that day! He ate like a hungry lumberjack! I don't know if they did manage to get the teacher to change her mind...or if he was "doped" for the rest of the schoolyear. The family had moved not long after and we've lost touch. You have to question why suddenly there's this big plague called ADD hitting schoolchildren in epidemic-proportion. The fact that a teacher can demand that a child be on medication....even when the doctor was not agreeable to it, doesn't sit well with me. Is ADD and Ritalin a convenient tool to make an oversized classroom more manageable for teachers? I know that there were research finidngs after that about the negative effects of Ritalin. I don't know if it's still being used....or if they've found a substitution for it.

Well, non-believers may say it's brainwashing....but then, who haven't been brainwashed nowadays? By Oprah....the media...best-seller books...hollywood! They say, "hey, it's the new age now!" And a lot, like sheep follow. Mystical fads boomed. It's definitely not fashionable these days to be a follower of the old religions! They've got too many rules...and are too restraining for the now generation whose priority is "gratify me." Religion for some, is a "crutch"...that keeps them up even when they're feeling down. Some have the need to talk to a psychologist/therapist...while for others, Faith provides the same service...and it is for free. It's all about Faith. And of course one would question...but you cannot see it! There's no proof! And we say, but that's it...you've got to have faith!

After reading the responses, I am convinced that the method of spanking is not for everyone. Not that there's anything wrong with spanking...and again, let me stress that there's a big difference between spanking and beatings. Of course children will learn from parents, thus a child who was spanked as a child will most likely use this method on his own children. A lot of adults who have been spanked as children do not end up hating parents nor do they end up confused and troubled adults. But then, it depends on the kind of parents one has....and the atmosphere at home. Although I've been spanked countless of times by my mom, she had also showered me with warmth and love, and had been tremendously supportive of me. I have been spanked out of frustration and anger by my mom...and I can still picture her crying as she did it. But looking back...I know I was difficult as a child. I grew up to my teenhood with me having a good relationship with my parents...I could talk to them of anything! They knew how to adjust their methods adapting to the stages of a growing child. I was able to thank her for the kind of upbringing she gave me just before her death, and I've been doing that to my dad...just in case we never get the chance to say goodbye. I gues it all boils down to whatever method works well for you and your child is the most sensible thing to use. You know when it's working and you could tell when it's not....and if it happens that you end up kidding yourself...well, it's your child and his future...and it's you who'll have to put up with it. The one thing that is crucial and steadfast rule I find in disciplining, no matter what method you use: you have to be consistent and fair.

And they deal with them harshly. Imagine, if they give lashes to women who dared show their faces...what do they do to unwed pregnant women, abortionists, gays and other sexual orientation, and feminists?

I agree that over-use of spanking....like time-out...will lose its effectiveness. Let the punishment fits the crime.

You're the parents and you did what you thought was best for your children. As far as I know, it is still legal to use spanking....therefore, no one has the right to interfere with your disciplining...whether you use spanking or not. The most painful I think for parents to go through is when they reach the point of having to use "tough love" on their children. I hear of parents kicking teens out of the house as a last desperate measure....just to save their own sanity, marriage and other children.

Freedom isn't free. It costs $75 for a one year subscription. Thanks for posting this. I'll e-mail them pronto!

The Fall of Europe ________________________________________ Ali Sina May, 25, 2005 In an act of total insanity, the Council of Europe, decided to ban criticism of Islam equating it to anti-Semitism. Selcuk Gultasli in zaman.com wrote: “Anti-Islamism has been included in the text as a “dangerous inclination” that has to be fought against upon the insistence of Turkey at the summit that 46 Council members attended. The conclusion draft of the summit included the notion of "Islamophobia". The inclusion of this notion in the European organizations' documents for the first time is described as the success of Turkey. This is the beginning of the fall of Europe. Anti-Islamism is not the same as anti-Semitism. Islam is a belief system, Semites are a race. We can’t equate a race to a doctrine. Racism is sheer evil. Apart from the fact that no race is better or worse than other races, unless one is Michael Jackson, one can’t change his race. Instigating hate against a race is instigating hate against mankind. Doctrines that instigate racial hate must be condemned and those who engage in racial slurs must be brought to justice. http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/sina50525.htm ------------------- It is interesting and worrying to see what's happening to Europe.

Oh, not to mention the violence when they go rampaging and vandalising after a terrible loss! They've even indoctrinated their kids into this cult! Dads doing the religious training on their brats on every streets all over the city. I'm sick and tired of the bouncing ball repeatedly pounding the pavement outside my house. I looked out and observed this young boy just tossing and bouncing his ball.... non-stop...as if mesmerized...toss up and down,bounce, catch, toss up etc.,, I'd swear he was in a trance! Oh, they have their own "idols" alright. One of them is called "The Great One". And to make matters worse... alot of these cult-like sports fans are also religious Thank heavens. Most probably their saving glory.

Btw, the one with the turban bomb....did it say anything that that man was supposed to be prophet? Was there a caption...or is it just the Muslim's own interpretation of it? If it has no caption or indication that it is the prophet....I'd just think it is a satire of any muslim suicide bomber. But anyway...this comment from me is not really that relevant. Just wondering...

Absolutely I think the European media...and those from elsewhere (including our Western Standard)....are finally taking a heroic stance on this issue. You've got to start somewhere. And we know the media is an influential tool to start.

This topic is about Europe. Trying to understand why those cartoons had re-surfaced yet again, inspite of the protest voiced out after they got published in Denmark. I do not believe that there is no reason behind what seems to be an intentional action on European media's controversial reaction. DEFIANCE is the word that springs to my mind right now. I remembered reading a murder case a couple of years back about a movie person murdered by a Muslim who found offense with his movie. In that news articles, members of the press were quoted about their concern for freedom. This might have something to do with what had caused the media to "provoke" the Muslims. This is just an excerpt. --------------------------------- November 07, 2004 Trifkovic: Europa Delenda: Muslim immigrant murders Dutch maker of a movie about Islam The threats on van Gogh's life started ten weeks ago, after the premiere of his film. It was scripted by a Somali-born woman, Hirsi Ali (34), who grew up as a Muslim but has denounced the cult. She is now a Dutch national assembly deputy, and vociferous in her criticism of Islamic obscurantism and violence. She says the goal of the film was to draw attention to rampant but concealed violence against Muslim women, including those living in Europe, who are routinely subjected to rape, incest, forced marriages, and the suicides. "Muslims deny it," she says, "and many Dutch are afraid of taking it on, of causing religious tension, of being called racists." Van Gogh insisted that he could not see why so many Muslims expressed outrage with his movie. It opens with a Muslim prayer; the narrator then tells stories of four women who ask for Allah's help to lighten their suffering. One was forced to marry a man she hates, one was raped and made pregnant by her uncle, one was whipped after she had sex with her boyfriend, and one is repeatedly beaten by her husband. The women feel abandoned by Allah despite their devotion to him. As a close-up shot of a battered and bruised face appears, the narrator says: "Oh, Allah, most high. You say that men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because you have given one more strength than the other. Yet I feel at least once a week the strength of my husband's fist on my face." In addition to his film, van Gogh also wrote columns about Islam that were published on his website and in the Dutch newspaper Metro. All that appears to have sufficed for a fatwa, a death sentence, and an execution-style murder, in broad daylight, deep inside the Western world. There but for the grace of God go I. Lord have mercy. Mijnheer Balkenende seems to be implying that "this brutal murder" will be deemed less "unacceptable" if it turns out to have been caused not by "a difference of opinion" but by some more profound reason—by the sense of pain and grievance in the Muslim community, perhaps, caused by the late filmmaker's insensitive and inappropriate words and actions. His reference to Van Gogh's "outspoken opinions" is already echoed in a hundred obituaries describing the victim as "controversial." This brings to mind a Dutch journalist's New York Times obituary of Pim Fortuyn, which called his views "a curious mixture of right, center and left." In today's Holland, no less than in America, it is obvious that notions described as "outspoken," "controversial," and "curious" denote thoughts, as opposed to programmed responses. http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/003828.php

Ooops. I'll repost it there. Sorry.