Soon the child's clear eye is clouded over by ideas and opinions,
preconceptions and abstractions. Simple free [being]
becomes encrusted with the burdensome armor of the ego.
Not until years later does an instinct come that a vital sense
of mystery has been withdrawn. The sun glints throught the pines,
and the heart is pierced in a moment of beauty and strange pain,
like a memory in paradise. After that day....we become seekers.
~Peter Matthiessen (b. 1927)
American writer
and fantasyland continues...click on "who we are":
http://www.corp.aol.com/whoweare/index.shtml
"AOL’s Commitment
As the online medium continues its evolution, AOL is committed to the philosophy that made it #1 – listening to members and working to become a more essential part of their connected lives.
..................................................................cute.
You know, one mistake we keep making here is thinking that the journals we create here are in fact ours...they're not - they're AOLs...and apparently, they can do with it whatever they want...
I quote direct from the Big Brother, Master of Doublespeak:
"Although you or the owner of the Content retain ownership of all right, title, and interest in Content that you post to any AOL Service, AOL owns all right, title, and interest in any compilation, collective work or other derivative work created by AOL using or incorporating this Content. In addition, by posting Content on an AOL Service, you grant AOL, its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, assigns, agents and licensees the irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide right to reproduce, display, perform, distribute, adapt and promote this Content in any medium."
Now I have to wonder....where exactly does "informed consent" come into play - when they also play their CHUMP card...uh excuse me - their trump card - of changing the TOS rules whenever they feel like it - without due notice or agreement from the other party....
I quote:
"AOL reserves the right to make changes to these guidelines at anytime and you agree to be bound by any such changes. Please check these guidelines periodically for any changes."
At the very least - they should email all members whenever new policies are instituted - so that we can then review and decide whether or not we want to agree to them.
But wait - that would then oblige Big Brother to playing fair.
Instead of targeting us as fair game...
The Queen Chump wants to know your thoughts on this one.
Alack and alas, we had our first umbrella casualty last night-
Yep, yesterday the weather in this part of the country was a summery 86 degrees - the good thing - the humidity was so low, it was actually pleasant. (But that didn't stop me from putting on the central air, doncha know...)
The bad thing - when the cold front came through last night - ol mother nature was up to her antics again, and purposefully flipped my lawn chairs, table, cafe umbrella and it's 30 pound cemented anchor over. Over the deck, over each other, and the other half over the deck railing.
The chairs, cushions, and glass table barely survived the ordeal - the umbrella unfortunately, exploded from the inside out and was turned into a ugly, mangled mess of splintered ribs, and ripped canvas...
It was much too violent and graphic to even take a picture of it folks, trust me. (Well, that, and it was really dark out, and my camera was all the way downstairs....)
I am off now to purchase a season's supply of deck umbrellas. For some of you that might mean one - but oh no, that would never do at the Floralilia compound. Last year, we replaced three - this year - I'm off to do some bulk buying...
wish me luck.
I leave for a little and all hell breaks loose again -
Just how big is this little bass-tard of an AOL headache? Is it catchy? Do we need aol antibiotics?
this just in - via a remoalert:
JOURNAL FRIENDS,
Please post my letter (below) exactly as I have written it - into your journals. AOL "Service" has gone beyond the point of ludicrous .. LUDICROUS .. and until they give a flying-rip about their customers, this will only get worse. If the wheel doesn't squeak now, AOL will have no incentive to solve the problems they are creating for the people who pay their bills. Also, please forward this to other journalers. I just don't have time to run through old comments to grab-up screen names as I try to get my journal back on line. I did NOT take it down. Apparently, AOL has done this over a supposed TOS violation. I guess beach pictures from Cabo are questionable by TOS standards. Thank you, Armand
_________________ EDITORS(s), I can no longer reach my primary journal at http://journals.aol.com/armandt/sense. I returned from vacation to find out that there was an apparent attempt to up-load improper files to my ftp space. I loaded cute beach and bird pictures, not TOS violation trash. My screen name was locked. When this was corrected, I could no longer reach my primary journal; however, I can reach my other journals. Attempting to deal with the Community Action Team is extremely .. EXTREMELY .. difficult. Several .. SEVERAL .. times, I have to repeat .. REPEAT .. what I had already stated in very clear and uncertain terms. I simply want my main journal put back where itwas and with all of my past journals as they were - and I don't want to be transferred to 17 more people who have to struggle .. STRUGGLE .. through their communication skills to accomplish a simple task. As I stated in my journal while I was featured at the top of your list, I would be more than willing .. MORE THAN WILLING .. to pay extra for every single call where I can speak to someone who understands English. I am having to spell, re-spell, and re-spell, and re-spell my journal name - screen name and URL to people who continually "re-assure" me that they are going to help me... and that I should worry about anything. This is ridiculous. RIDICULOUS. What do I need to do to get my journal back? Please, oh please, oh PLEASE give me a phone number where I can speak with anyone .. ANYONE .. at AOL who speaks English and is capable of solving problems.
Regards, Armand
Well apparently, Uncommon Sense is back up and running now, sans the old entries...shame too, cause we had some good catfights there in the past....but at least Aol admitted there was no violation, and gave Armand 18 mos free service for his troubles...
total bullsheet, and another fine example of Aol gestapo-like modus operandi if you ask me - well, if you ask me that compensation is still a day late and a dollar short - a few hundred hard thought out entries just "poof" - tossed in the crapper on an aol whim...
and this is okay, is it?
as I said before and will say again - aol - you very officially still suck - after all these years.
and that, is all I have to say about that.
amen. hallelujah.
~ now back to me beading - I is....
(and yes armand, i still got your back -even though we have our differences.)
hi all - haven't forgotten about you -
what - with Spring happening, (can you believe it!)
and tax season, birthday parties, beading, and a website to grow...
the Queen of Flimflammery is being stretched to her limits.
send reinforcements.
righto. I'm outta here....
~ ...poof ...~
Always keep several get well cards on the mantle
so if unexpected guests arrive, you can say you've been sick and unable to clean.
(thanks cuzsnookie.)
