http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/south-korea-must-release-activist-charged-over-kim-jong-il-tweet-2012-02-01

What the? “Your profile is suspended

After reviewing your profile, we determined that the name you provided violates our Community Standards. ”

Oh geeze. Google being a knob about my profile?? Let’s take a look at these “Community standards” shall we?

http://www.google.com/support/accounts/bin/answer.py?answer=107107

*Nudity and sexually explicit material*
- nope, none of that in my profile. Trust me, anyone who wants to see ME nude is in a very deranged category :P

*Hate Speech*

- not that either. Unless it’s comments for stupid people who make stupid claims about profiles……

*Impersonation*
- ha! I have enough with my hands full just being ME. Don’t have time to waste trying to be someone else.

*Private and Confidential Information*
- nada. I ain’t publishing anyone’s private information that they don’t already post up here, thus waiving any rights to their own privacy :P UNless Google doesn’t like me reposting some personal vacation photos that +Robert Scoble or +Guy Kawasaki are already posting….

*Copyright*
- in order for me to violate copyright I would have to post something that is supposed to be non-publishable as well as claim it as my own. Anything I have posted has been found on the web (mostly by Google itself…).

*Illegal Activities*
- yeah, as if anyone was dumb enough to post illegal activities on such a public forum. Well, at least I ain’t that dumb even if I DID anything illegal. Wait! Does this mean I can’t plan a rebellion against the ‘establishment’ like George Washington did? Dammit!

*Spam, Malware and Phishing*
- as if! Have you read my posts on http://www.dragondon.com lately?

*Display Name*
- allow me to quote: “use the name your friends, family, or co-workers usually call you”. That is EXACTLY what I am doing.

*Profile Picture*
- Unless my profile pic is considered a bad version of the black spy in Spy vs Spy, there is nothing wrong with it.

So, unless Google wants to qualify WHAT the problem is, there is ZERO way to fix it? You guys really need to get your act together. Telling me that my profile is suspended is like me telling a mechanic that my car ‘won’t work’ and then letting him figure it out.

OH wait….it seems that you have to click further to get any details from Google.

“If you believe that we have mistakenly suspended your profile for having an unauthentic name, please fill out the form below.”

Ah, so we now have confirmation that it IS the name that Google is having issues with.

Well, since they have not launched their business profiles, does this mean I should be reporting every single one that does not have a ‘real name’ too? I mean, unless you were born with such unfortunate names like +Ford Grafx or +News Cafeicultura or even +Ford Group I doubt that I am somehow on the side that needs to be singled out.

There has already been talk about this issue fairly recently too.

http://thenextweb.com/google/2011/07/25/google-is-learning-lessons-from-google-fake-names-debacle/

So, off to go through the ‘appeal process’ they seem to have in place now. Part of the process they ask for some sort of photo ID. Riiiight. What part of “please use the name your friends, family or co-workers usually call you” does phto ID help serve? And really,Google wants to “help fight spam and prevent fake profiles”, what makes them think that my profile if fake or causes any sort of spam??

According to an interview +Robert Scoble had with +Vic Gundotra “He says it isn’t about real names. He says he isn’t using his legal name here. He says, instead, it is about having common names and removing people who spell their names in weird ways, like using upside-down characters, or who are using obviously fake names, like “god” or worse.”

So, again, how does this have anything to do with me? Has +Vic Gundotra even USED Google to check me out? Go ahead, do a Google search on ‘dragondon’. Know what you will find? You will find my in 7 of the first 10 results listed! And that includes me taking up spots 1, 2 3, and 4!

Another part of this process includes providing links online “Please provide us with a link to a reputable website where you are referred to by this name. Examples include Facebook, LinkedIn, a school or university student directory, or a news article.”

Sure thing Vic. In fact, let me give you 8 different places where you can find my name mentioned on the web.

http://www.dragondon.net

http://www.dragondon.com

https://twitter.com/#!/DragnDon

http://dragondon.449983.free-press-release.com/

http://www.free-press-release.com/news-get-expert-technical-help-wherever-you-are-1306198753.html

http://www.free-press-release.com/news-richelieu-of-new-york-and-johnny-powers-team-up-1250090930.html

http://www.free-press-release.com/news-johnny-powers-presents-the-royalty-of-pop-1250124477.html

http://kr.linkedin.com/in/dragondonbelmore

Oh, should I even bother to mention that I was COMPLETELY UNAWARE that my profile was blocked? Would have been nice to have been informed of this Vic.

Do I even need to mention that I registered dragondon.net almost 8 years ago? Nah, they’ll figure it out.

Seriously fucking retarded.

I had heard that Avatar 3D was coming back to theaters. I saw the non-3D version and would like to see it in 3D. A friend also expressed an interest. So I do the simple thing, search Google for “avatar 3d hamilton burlington”.  A most logical search.  The first link was for IMAX 3D.  No use as I just wanted a local theater.  Second and second sub-link were for the Hamilton Spec “myvirtualpaper.com” but for way past dates (sep 17th and aug 31st).  Still useless.   Ooook, how do I get to the _current_ date for movie listings???

Here’s a test, go to thespec.com site and tell me how many clicks and how long it takes you to find movie listings. Shit, I tried ‘movie show times’ in their SEARCH ‘this site’ and it came up with NOTHING related to movie show times.

I mean, how hard is it for someone to design a site that is simply usable??

You want to know how I found it?  I had to use the ‘unique wording for their show listings’ to find the page that listed the ‘unique wording for show listings’.  It was the 5th link down on Google and was titled “TheSpec – AT THE MOVIES”.  Why the hell do I have to search the spec site for “at the movies”????  Why can’t I simply find it under the ‘entertainment’ section where it has always been for years?????

Sad thing is that not even the physical newspaper that I get (thank GOD it’s free for me!!!) doesn’t even list it at all.  Geezus, you’d think that with such skimpy-sized offerings, they’d want to add more to their 1/8″ thick pulp.

It’s no wonder the movie industry is slowly, but surely, tanking and that downloading is rampant.  There is no support from local communities and newspapers.  It really should not be hard at all to find out such simple information.

The aggregate movie listing sites are missing out on these key words, and out of all those websites (like tribute.ca), you’d think they’d be more popular.

Long Live TBP!

I am quite glad never to have been any kind of real supporter of the team.  This latest little tactic is a fine example of the reason why.  Bob Young is simply the ‘i’ in team. (think about that one….)

It has surely been an entertaining read over the past few months but after today, it’ll be all the ‘over-the-shoulders’ type of comments as each party walks away from whatever decision is made by council.  Like the North End, it’ll be nothing more than a lingering foul smell in the air after some industrial plant produces some random material to be use in some product that’ll end up in the dump 5 years after it’s made.

To be honest, I hope the Ti Cats actually leave.  They’ll find that their ‘financial sustainability’ will drop way worse than anything they ever claimed about the West Harbour.  Oh, and good luck at having any kind of reasonable turn out from now till December.

Hey Bob, why not follow my wife & I to South Korea?  I hear they are looking for native-born english speaking people to work there…

Damilola James July 31 at 12:40pm Report
you must be stupid this is scam … i am a lady of dignity and i really know you are mad

She’s not happy eh?  Well, let’s see how she likes _this_ reply….

Don Belmore July 31 at 12:44pm
Wow…..a delusional scammer, who would have thunk it. Well, hey, by all means send me the money and I’ll look into shipping. PayPal the $2500 to dragondon@dragondon.net.

If you are serious, follow those directions. Otherwise you are just a scammer.

Wow….before I can finish this post I get a reply! This is such a treat!

Damilola James July 31 at 12:53pm Report
i will only pay you through western union …you dum arse

So, not only is she insulting me, she wants to use Western Union…..oh, this is soooo classic. Ok wench, let’s play!

Don Belmore July 31 at 1:21pm
Ok, so then you send me a $500, non-refundable downpayment and I’ll look into finding a reasonable shipping rate. Prove me wrong.

So what do you think the excuse will be for not sending me the money?

A. “First you have send me money in order for me to send you anything.”
B. “Our process is different, first you have to ship the car, then we send you money…”
C. “I don’t want your car now….”

This should be interesting.

So I’m selling this 1992 Chrysler Dynasty. Here is what I get from my Marketplace posting on Facebook.

Damilola James July 31 at 9:26am Report
HI, a friend is interested in buying this car from you ,kindly let me know if this car is still available for sale she resides in turkey …so i have to pay you for her….and i will be paying you cash….but you will have to do the shipping to her in turkey…. if this is okay by you kindly let me know …i am a busy lady…no time for plays.

dammy

So not only is this obvious to just about anyone with half a brain, that this is a scam, it is also even dumber because of the car being sold.  So I just _had_ top reply….

Tell ya what, I’ll be a nice guy and give you 24hrs to close/delete your account before I report it to Facebook security you stupid scammer.

Who the hell is dumb enough to think that a 1992 Dynasty is worth shipping _anywhere_? Seriously!

So, like I said. 24hrs before I report your account.

Have a nice fucking day.

Sincerely,

The love of your life, Don

I added the last bit as I was able to see her last update on her profile (“Where are you my love?”) without even being her ‘friend’.

Funny, it seems ‘she’ changed her security settings now and gee, look at that….all the guys who posted to her wall are from Nigeria….

Let me tell you why you’re here. You’re here because you know something. What you know you can’t explain, but you feel it. You’ve felt it your entire life, that there’s something wrong with the world. You don’t know what it is, but it’s there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad.

Yup that sums it up nicely.  Yet others, who choose to ignore and walk happily into the bliss that is oblivion, will push off all kinds of talk and label it ‘crazy’.  These people will say “That poor bastard.  Listen to him rant and rave.  He obviously doesn’t read The Globe and Mail.  They are professionals and know how to present real information.”

My how times have changed.  The Great Liberator (aka The Internet) is the one true thing that will help to bring out the truth.  Oh there is all kinds of control that Governments try to put on the information highway, even many increased tolls but that still doesn’t stop the truth from leaking it’s way out.

So here I am, wandering cyberspace and stumble upon this article on the war in Iraq.  Sure, the article itself is nothing more than ‘more crap that is happening in the middle east’.  It wasn’t the article that moved me.  It was the video.  Be warned.  This video is not censored nor edited for young children.

(again, with the subtleties of control, Youtube might want you to ‘sign in’.  More way to track you.  You can just go to the link above and watch it on the site).

I just felt this needed to be shared. It’s not edited. It’s not fake. It’s truth.

For example, in Year 1 that useless letter “c” would be dropped  to be replased either by “k” or “s”, and likewise “x” would no longer  be part of the alphabet.  The only kase in which “c” would be retained  would be the “ch” formation, which will be dealt with later.

Year 2  might reform “w” spelling, so that “which” and “one” would take the  same konsonant, wile Year 3 might well abolish “y” replasing it with  ”i” and Iear 4 might fiks the “g/j” anomali wonse and for all.

Jenerally, then, the improvement would kontinue iear bai iear  with Iear 5 doing awai with useless double konsonants, and Iears 6-12  or so modifaiing vowlz and the rimeining voist and unvoist konsonants.

Bai Iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi  ridandant letez “c”, “y” and “x” — bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez — tu riplais “ch”, “sh”, and “th” rispektivli.

Fainali, xen, aafte sam 20 iers ov orxogrefkl riform, wi wud  hev a lojikl, kohirnt speling in ius xrewawt xe Ingliy-spiking werld.