Beware of Adobe rebate fraud

I just want to put a warning out there for anyone counting on the rebate for Adobe products. You might get the rebate, but it's going to take some work.

I am a longtime fan of Adobe Photoshop Elements. An outdated version came with a scanner I bought a few years back. I liked it enough to upgrade to the latest version. And I've upgraded twice more since then. It's a great program for fixing up digital photos. I've been buying the bundle that includes that and Adobe Premiere Elements, which is a decent program for editing videos and creating slideshows.

The bundle sells with a $30 rebate. The first time I sent in my rebate request, I heard nothing for months. Finally, I get a letter stating I hadn't submitted the necessary proof of purchase (a tab torn off from the inside of the box flap). But here's the crazy part: in the envelope with the denial, they also sent back the tab that I had submitted! So I resubmitted the request and this time it was honored.

Well, a year or two later I upgraded again and sent in the rebate request. Again, it was denied for the same reason: no proof of purchase tab was sent. They didn't send back my tab this time. But I sent a reply letter explaining that I did submit the tab. They then approved the rebate.

So this year when I upgraded again and submitted my rebate, I was sure to make copies of everything. Sure enough, I get a postcard this week, telling me the rebate was denied because "we did not receive an original proof-of-purchase tab 1 with your request". This year's added trick is that it includes these instructions: "To resubmit for this offer please return this card or letter, with any items mentioned above, to the address shown" but they don't list an address! So, I'm going to have to track down an address.

I can't believe they get away with this, which seems to be standard procedure for them. I'm sure plenty of consumers don't bother to resubmit. This time I filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

Please leave a comment if you've had similar experiences with Adobe rebates.

Mourning for our country

I've been feeling a bit depressed since the start of the new year and it was particularly troubling because I couldn't figure out why. Things were generally going OK in my life. Perhaps it was just the post-holiday blues.

But a few days ago the cause clicked in my head. I'm mourning the death of our once fine country, the U.S.A.

I realized my malaise had set in around the time the results came in for the Iowa presidential caucuses and Ron Paul's fifth place showing made it clear there wasn't going to be a sudden, surprising show of support for Dr. Paul in the elections that count. The primaries that have followed have been about the same--Paul has done remarkably well but not well enough to be in serious contention for the nomination.

And I honestly believe Ron Paul as President could be the last hope for saving our country. Paul is the only candidate who is willing to speak the truth about the condition we're in and who discusses the reality-based plans we need to implement to save our country as envisioned by the founders (and perhaps to save it at all).

My main concern at the time was how all the other candidates would continue our empire building and progression toward fascism and tyranny. We would continue to lose our personal liberties and become more and more hated around the world.

Since then I've become even more aware of our very precarious financial situation. I've known for quite some time how damaging our social programs and then the Iraq war have been to our economy. But through some reading I stumbled on to more recently, I now see that we're on the verge of bankruptcy as a country. In fact, there's a very real chance that it's too late to avoid a serious recession. We have built up too much debt and our dollar is about to collapse, and this will undoubtedly cause a drastic drop in our standard of living in this country. There really isn't much left that the Federal Reserve can do to delay the collapse, and there is really no way remaining to avoid it altogether.

If you're interested about this, here is some recommended reading/viewing:
America: Freedom to Fascism (DVD)
Crash Proof: How to Profit from the Coming Economic Collapse (Book)
The Energy Non-Crisis (free video)

It is a sad time for our country. And just as sad is that most people don't even realize it yet.

The fifteen minute guide to Ron Paul

When people find out about my support for presidential candidate Ron Paul, it usually results in a short debate in which it quickly becomes obvious they don't really know much about Ron Paul or his ideas. Most people just believe what the old media has been telling them, which unfortunately, typically paints Ron Paul as a kooky longshot. So, to help people get up to speed on Dr. Paul, I've gathered a few resources (shown below) that should allow people to quickly decide whether they should give this candidate further consideration.

The Fifteen Minute Guide to Ron Paul

1) The Man:

• Republican candidate for President
• Current U.S. Representative in his 10th term
• Former doctor
• Age: 72

2) Primary Issues:

• End the Iraq war
• Non-interventionist foreign policy
• Reduce (or eliminate) taxes
• Reduce the size of the federal government
• Return to basic Constitutional principles

3) Watch this introductory video.

4) Read Presidential Candidate Ron Paul Bears Empty Pot for Americans and Supporters/Media Await Congressman Ron Paul's Status With Bated Breath.

That's the fifteen minute intro. If you're still intrigued, consider the following additional resources:

1) Read the user comments posted at the articles in item #4 above.
2) Visit the campaign website.
3) View this segment of early debate video in which Ron Paul made us extremely proud by standing firm with the truth.
4) View this segment of Ron Paul on Mad Money with Jim Cramer.
5) Watch these ads: Something Big, JB1, NH #2, NH #3,
6) Watch this video: Ron Paul Exposed

Why the mainstream media should cover Ron Paul

Watching the campaign of Ron Paul has been very interesting so far. The most frustrating part is seeing, despite his incredible success on the campaign trail and on the Internet, the mainstream media continue to downplay his importance. It leaves most of us wondering if there really is some sort of conspiracy between the major political parties and the media.

I'd prefer the explanation to be plain old capitalism: that the media simply wants to cover the candidates they think people want to hear about. And most of the mainstream polls show Dr. Paul as a long-shot to win the nomination (Yes, I think, as many people do, that those polls are flawed, but that's a story for another day).

But I'd like to suggest that the media could benefit from covering Ron Paul more enthusiastically because he's where the really interesting stories are. The other candidates are more of the same stuff we've been hearing for the last few decades. Politics as usual. How can that be what we really want to read & watch?

I think people would tune in again and again to see the classic underdog story: Ron Paul as someone who no one thought had much of a chance who now is climbing in polls and contributions while the other candidates slip. His ideas are interesting, much more than anything proposed by the others. I'll even give you a few story ideas:

"Can an Honest Man Succeed in Washington?" about how Ron Paul might manage to work within our current corrupt politics.

"America without an Income Tax" about how Paul's plan to eliminate the income tax would affect the typical family. Could also be titled, "50% Raise for all Americans?"

"Can a Man be both Pro-Life and Pro-Choice?" about how Paul is personally pro-life (based on his experiences as a doctor) but that he also believes the Federal government has no business in this area and that we should return this subject to the individual states to decide, actually increasing our available choices in this matter.

"The Ron Paul Military" about what our military would look like once it's not spread around the world.

"World Opinion on Staying Away" about world opinion on Ron Paul's noninterventionist philosophy.

"Homeless Government Workers?" about how current government workers would adjust to being unemployed under a Paul administration (presumably it would be a boost to the economy once they find jobs in the private sector).

"Does an End to Play Money Make Sense?" about returning to a gold standard for currency, why it should be considered, whether that's practical today, and what effect it would have on the typical person.

Mainstream media, instead of just marginalizing Ron Paul's campaign, why not use it to your benefit and turn his compelling ideas into truly interesting stories?

Why Ron Paul could actually win

In a previous post, I remarked that although I was very excited by Ron Paul's presidential candidacy, he had a slim chance of winning the Republican nomination.

I'm ready to change my tune.

Call me delusional, but I think he could win not only the nomination but the presidency.

Here's how. His campaign has developed some serious legs. He's stirred up the somewhat dormant masses of libertarians lurking throughout college campuses and on the Internet. The media is starting to notice him. That in itself is huge! Ron Paul's supporters are much more passionate than those for other candidates. And it's now to the point where there are enough people behind him that he has real campaign money.

One of the first primary elections will be held in New Hampshire, which happens to be the most libertarian state in the nation. Ron Paul will most likely garner a surprisingly high number of votes--I think his supporters will be the most active and organized and their support will show at the polls--to the point where it's quite possible he wins in the state.

His message rings so true. People who hear it and allow it to sink in are drawn to it. I think support for Ron Paul will continue to grow. And eventually, a tipping point will be reached where his popularity becomes a media event. Then, the media bias may actually turn in his direction instead of (as now) tending to portray him as a long-shot crackpot. People who never cared about politics before will start rooting for him.

So, why on earth would the Republican Party, which so far has derided him, choose instead to nominate him as their candidate?

Because he's their only chance of winning the next election.

All the other Republican candidates support continuing the Iraq war. That has become such an unpopular stance that no one advocating it has any chance of winning. Rest assured, an anti-war candidate will win the next presidency.

If Ron Paul were nominated as the national Republican candidate, it would be a media sensation. Voters would be forced to take notice of the message this man brings. Everyone loves an underdog who becomes a hero.

And for the first time in a very long time, there will be two distinctly different candidates running for office: one for continuing our trip down socialist lane, continuing our war-mongering, redistribution-of-wealth, no-more-liberties chariot ride, and the other for shrinking government and returning to the principles on which this country was founded. It will be the most interesting and exciting race so far in my lifetime.

And at that point, there will be enough people in the media spotlight able to expose the consequences of electing the tenets of the Democratic platform: bankrupting our country, creating more enemies around the world, growing our police state, and further trouncing the Constitution until it is beyond recognition. Voters will be forced to wake up and vote for Dr. Paul.

I wonder if Ron Paul knew what was he was getting into when he announced his candidacy.

The unfortunate demise of Studio 60

As the fall TV season starts once again, I just want to state how disappointed I was that Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was cancelled at the end of last season. I thought it was the best new show of the year. It had a great blend of comedy and drama, very high production values, and consistently impressive acting. It seemed a little like a cross between Chicago Hope and The Larry Sanders Show, if that makes sense. The end of the season was much darker than the beginning--at first this felt wrong, but eventually, it demonstrated the amazing versatility of the cast.

For whatever reason, the show had a tough time finding a large enough audience. The viewers it did have were loyal, but apparently not numerous enough to support the show in the network's eyes. It's a shame when quality shows don't get the respect they deserve.

The DVD set comes out this week; if you missed the series, seriously consider renting it.

Tech Ed, Schmeck Ed

A couple of my work buddies are at Microsoft Tech Ed this week as they have been every year for a while now. It's been a long time since I've been to a national conference. I just don't see the value in it--the signal to noise ratio always seems so low.

There's so much valuable information available online now. Don't waste your time at big conferences--if you boil down the content, most of it is really designed to get you hyped about the upcoming products the company wants you to buy (in this case, Microsoft). That tends to not be useful; it just keeps the fast train of technology speeding along. Slow down! You find out about those upcoming products once they really become relevant.

If you insist on partaking of the conference's content, do it online. Many conferences (especially Tech Ed) now offer videos, presentation slides, and blogs for non-attendees on the web. It's a lot easier to find the meat of a seminar by looking through the notes or fast-forwarding through the video than sitting trapped in a full day of sessions.