consumer reports

One of the great satisfactions of blogging is having a voice when companies try to treat you like a roundworm. for example i can now tell you about this exchange with the salesperson at Long's several years back:
me: I need to return this funny looking cheap watch, I bought it a week ago and already it's stopped working.
Sales: oh, but don't you see on the display it says "Fashion watches"? we never claimed that they told the time.

and my [nonlocal] credit union's current newsletter...
Hank: "I read there was a computer hacked into somewhere back east and the thieves stole millions of names and credit card numbers. Were any of these XYZ Credit Union members?"
XYZ Credit Union: Hank, we have some good news. The media has reported that none of the information, which included credit card numbers, has been used in a fraudulent way. In addition, no XYZ Credit Union members have reported any fraudulent activity associated with this incident.
Me: gee, I wonder why they didn't answer Hank's question. considering that upon hearing of the security breach (from Dan Gillmor) I'd emailed them to ask "if something like this happened to your members, what's your policy about informing them?" and was told "we'll get back to you", and they never answered my question, I think it is possible to guess.

here's a happy consumer report: Terro, borax-based ant killer. It's great, it's fantastic, it's not poison in the normal insecticidal sense of the word. It gives you warm fuzzies, the ants come to your kitchen and you put out little drops of goodies for them and solicitously give them second and third helpings whenever they finish what's on your plate, it's like ant husbandry. Then they go away. It's all very civilized and friendly. B&C (HW store) has it. (obvious fyi: i don't know the Terroans or anyone related to them, i just really like their product)

p.s. i guess for a true consumer report on Terro you would have to ask the ants and they might feel differently.