I Would LOVE to Work for This Company

I Would LOVE to Work for This Company

As most of my longtime readers know, I like T-shirts. Specifically, offensive T-shirts, but T-shirts in general. I ordered a new one today. This one. I intend to wear it at least one day at the upcoming Gun Blogger’s Rendezvous.

Here’s the acknowledgement email I just received:

Thank you for your recent order from Despair, Inc.

I’d like to personally welcome you to our growing body of Dissatisfied Customers™, but to do so might evidence some actual concern for service and protocol. This might then lead to customer satisfaction, which would defeat the purpose altogether. That is why you have received this generic, form-generated email, written by some nameless lackey in our marketing department.

Having established that any pretense of consideration for *your* needs would be counter-productive to our raison d’etre at Despair Inc, let us now ponder a subject of greater interest to those among us who are worthy of both of our collective attentions – that person being me.

While you sit there wincing in disbelief at these bons mots of authentic insincerity and vexed by the intrinsic contradictions, I find I am beside myself with awe at the specimen of unparalleled angst that is the Despair, Inc. Blog.

http://blog.despair.com

Hardly a man given to superlatives, I must nevertheless assert with David-Lee-Rothian boldness that we are demonstrably without peer in the Relentless Pursuit of Dejection. Do not the weekly whinings of this anonymous Peon is in the Marketing Department inspire YOU to new lows?

“But I’m unstable enough as it is- why would I want to read the grousings of some other malcontent who is unhappy with his job?”, you might ask.

Because that very malcontent is also providing attentive Despair customers with rare, super-steep discounts, exclusive products, and occasionally an amusing slice of behind-the-scenes life at Despair. (Or so I’m told – I can’t be bothered to read that junk…)

At long last, after this lengthy exploitation of your attention for purely selfish marketing purposes, let us move on to yet another advertisement for our company.

In anticipation of your next question- “How can I subject myself to even further marketing attempts by Despair?” Well, you’re in luck! Because Despair offers several additional opportunities to be on the receiving end on a steady stream of angst wrapped inside advertisements and covered in coupons. Those willing to endure the agony of it all will find themselves rewarded often with savings and freebies beyond belief.

The Wailing List – (The Official E-Mail Newsletter of Despair)
http://www.despair.com/subscribe1.html

The Wailing List Twitter Feed (An Unofficial Experiment by a Marketing Peon in the Limits of Your Endurance- with an occasional coupon code thrown in…)
http://twitter.com/wailinglist

Alas- if you find that even daily contact from the forces of Despair Marketing personnel is simply not enough to satisfy your needs, well… Seriously? You might need a hobby… The only people subjected to more frequent abuse at our hands are our employees- and take it from us, there is such a thing as too much of a bad thing…

If any of the information shown below is inaccurate, please notify us immediately using our Troubled Ticketing system.

http://www.despair.com/trti.html

We will rectify your error immediately, and on some occasions, without snickering.

It is the least we can do, which, as a matter of policy, is the most we can do.

Sincerely not really writing you this email,
E.L.

E.L.Kersten, Ph.D.
Founder & COO,
Despair, Inc.

I hope it really is as fun to work there as it appears.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

OK, I’m livid.

As most of you know, the fourth annual Gun Blogger’s Rendezvous is fast approaching (43 days away as I write this), and this year I planned to make a special contribution to support Project Valour-IT – a gun giveaway that would be for even those unable to attend. But I’m not a 501(c)(3) organization, or any other kind of tax-free charity, so I couldn’t actually run a charity raffle. Besides, I’m not really set up for it and wouldn’t know how. So, with the aid of Rendezvous organizer Mr. Completely, arrangements were made with Soldiers’ Angels to provide on-line ticket sales. Tickets went on sale Friday, July 17. We were ON!

Soldiers’ Angels uses PayPal for their on-line donations. PayPal even has a “Case Study” of Soldiers’ Angels’ success (PDF) using PayPal, bragging:

Today Soldiers’ Angels’ biggest online contributions go through PayPal. “It’s trustworthy to people and so they donate,” says (Founder Patti) Patton-Bader. “There’s a confidence that donors feel – that it’s a safe way to make a donation. There are not many companies that inspire that kind of trust.”

Trust.

Coincident with the Gun Blogger Rendezvous Raffle, Soldiers’ Angels had also started a fund drive for other projects that same weekend. PayPal put a stop to that. Here’s Patti Patton-Bader’s official statement:

Online donations through PayPal are a huge part of our fundraising. They shut down our entire account-not just the raffle button—for twelve hours right in the middle of an email fundraising push. Looking at the Terms of Use, we couldn’t understand where we’d gone wrong, but we had to immediately remove the raffle so we could get back online ASAP. This just breaks our hearts because we were so excited about the tremendous fundraising impact the Gun Blogger Rendezvous raffle was already having.

(My emphasis). The “tremendous fundraising impact”? In the short time (3.5 days) the PayPal button was live, they had 42 participants and 109 tickets sold.

As noted above, we’re still 43 days out from the Rendezvous. I just found out about this today.

And not only did the contributions for the raffle stop coming in, ALL contributions to Soldier’s Angels via PayPal were cut off for twelve hours.

Because PayPal is anti-gun.

So where does that leave us? Well, you can call Soldiers’ Angels and do a transaction over the phone. During normal business hours (PST) you can call (626) 529-5114, or you can call their voicemail service any time at (615) 676-0239, leave them a callback number and they’ll get back to you – probably the less expensive option, timewise. It’s not as convenient as a mouse click, but it beats snail-mailing a check.

You can also contact PayPal. Their Customer Service phone number is (402) 935-2050.

I’ve never asked this before, but I would appreciate it if every gun- and mil-blogger on the web and every gun board picked this up and spread it far and wide. I’m tired of gun-bigots. PayPal needs to hear from US – the law-abiding gun owners of this country – that we’re no longer willing to just roll over when we’re abused by the companies we “trust” just because we believe in and practice the rights guaranteed to us under the Second Amendment.

UPDATE – So far here are all the links (direct and indirect) to this piece I’m aware of:

1. – Maj. Chuck Zeigenfuss at From My Position, On the Way!Paypal is asshats
2. – Laughingwolf at BlackfiveStep Up for Valour-IT, Especially as PayPal Won’t
3. – Blackfive at BlackfiveAnti-gun PayPal Shuts Down Soldiers’ Angels Contributions
4. – BillT at Castle Argghhh!How Innnnnteresting
5. – Alan at Snarkybytes – Paypal: Anti-Gun
6. – Sebastian at Snowflakes in HellPayPal’s Gun Policies
7. – Kahr40 at From the Barrel of a GunPaypal is anti-gun
8. – Kevin S. at Brown Valley KingdomPaypal shows their ass
9. – Albert A Rasch at The Rasch Outdoor ChroniclesIt’s About Time We Pushed Back!
10. – Major C at A Major’s PerspectiveImportant Information You Need to Know
11. – SayUnclePayPal: Fear of guns overrides helping soldiers
12. – Tam at View from the PorchFigures
13. – Joe Huffman at The View from North Central IdahoQuote of the Day–Kevin Baker
14. – Phelps at The Everlasting PhelpsPayPal Hates Soldiers
15. – Jim at The Travis McGee ReaderA current outrage
16. – Morgan at My Two Cents WorthOutrage via PayPal
17. – Derek at The Packing RatPaypal = Bigots
18. – Jennifer at In Jennifer’s HeadPayPal and Guns
19. – PamibePayPal vs. Soldier’s Angels
20. – Firehand at Irons in the FireSo PayPal is so anti-gun that they’ll screw over Soldier’s Angels
21. – Musings of the Geek with a .45That’s Quite Enough of PayPal
22. – falfenix of Insert witty title hereSometimes you just can’t win
23. – Some Soldier’s MomPayPal is Anti-Gun
24. – Stephanie’s BlogPayPal is Anti-Gun
35. – Ride Fast and Shoot StraightPayPal is an evil, eBay anti-gun minion
26. – Caleb at Gun Nuts MediaPayPal cuts off donations to veteran’s charity group
27. – Russell at SolarvoidGah, stupid Paypal
28. – Sailorcurt of Captain of a Crew of OnePaypal and the Geek
29. – US Citizen at Traction ControlPayPal is no Pal to Soldiers
30. – Top of the ChainPaypal = Bovine Fecal Material
30. – Dirtcrashr at AnthroblogogyPay-Pooper is Not Your Pal
31. – Linoge of Walls of the Citypaypal sucks
32. – Phil at Random Nuclear StrikesSome People’s Children
33. – Hazmat at Thunder River HomeGotta Love That PayPal
34. – Evyl Robot SoapboxPaypal is Anti?
35. – Jerry of Cogito Ergo GeekThe Smallest Minority Goes to PayPal – NOT!
36. – Josiah of Our Lunch MoneyOne more reason why I hate paypal!
37. – Instinct of Life in 3DPaypal hates guns, and apparently the military
38. – Argent of Gay Military LifePayPal Costs Charity
39. – Roberta of The Adventures of Roberta XMore Things that Induce Monitor-Punching Impulses
40. – Bore PatchPaypal shutting down a Wounded Soldier Charity?

Bore Patch also mentions eBay’s (the parent company) Press Relations phone number: (408) 376-7458

41. – Mr. Completely his own self weighs in: Paypal Blocks Soldiers Angels Fund Raising and it’s cross-posted at the GBR site

42. – Little Steve of Sensibly ProgressivePaypal sucks
43. – Laughing_Wolf has a new post up at BlackfiveAsk PayPal How They Feel About the Wounded
44. – Gun Shy Tourist of Around the O-TownIn My Opinion Paypal Sucks
45. – CTone of Legion’s FateAnti-gun Paypal hates the military
46. – Nicki at The Liberty ZoneNote to self:
47. – Billoblog® – Paypal bans fundraising for wounded veterans
48. – Mulligan of Do Overwho’s your pal?
49. – Doubleplusundead at Right Wing NewsOf Pistols, Project Valour, and PayPal
50! – Brian at Another Gun GuyOK one real post – Paypal hates not just guns, but soldiers too. Boo.
51. – Misanthropic? Me? Inconceivable!In Case You Didn’t Know that Paypal is Anti-gun
52. – Jeff at AlpheccaPayPal and Guns
53. – Don Gwinn, Chicago Gun Rights ExaminerPayPal suspends Soldiers’ Angels charity over gun raffle
54. – What Bubba KnowsLinks for August 3, 2009

Thanks, y’all!

UPDATE – 8/7/09:
ON-LINE TICKET SALES ARE ONCE AGAIN AVAILABLE!

Hey Wanna Win One of THESE

Hey! Wanna Win One of THESE?

That’s ParaUSA’s new GI Expert entry-level 1911. The specs are:

Caliber: .45 ACP
Barrel: 5 inches, stainless steel
Twist: 1 in 16 inches, left-hand
Action: Single-action, Semi-automatic
Sights: Dovetail Fixed, 3-White Dot
Receiver: Carbon Steel
Trigger: Medium length
Hammer: Skeletonized Spur
Magazine: 8-round with removable base pad (two provided with pistol)
Overall Length: 8.5 inches
Height: 5.75 inches
Weight: 39 ounces
Finish: Covert Black Para Kote™
Stocks: Checkered Polymer
Safeties: Slide Lock, Internal Firing Block, Grip
Additional Features: Lowered and flared ejection port, beveled magazine well, flat mainspring housing, grip safety contoured for spur hammer
MSRP: $599

I handled one at the NRA convention. It looks like a good, solid piece with just enough enhancements to make it a great shooter.

Remember, THIS GUN WILL BE FIRED AT THE RENDEZVOUS. We’ll try to clean it up a bit before we pass it on to the winner!

Soldier’s Angels is running the on-line ticket sales ($10 each, no limit!), and there is also a chance to win a four day training course from the Front Sight Firearms Training Institute worth $2,000!

Raffle Details:

Drawing will be on Saturday evening, September 12th at the
Gun Blogger Rendezvous
at the Silver Legacy Hotel in Reno, Nevada.

The winner need not be present to win.
(But you ought to be anyway!)

It is up to the online raffle ticket purchaser to verify that they can
legally receive and own this pistol where they live, and the winner
must be a resident of the United States. If they cannot legally own this
pistol, they are automatically disqualified from the raffle, and there
is no substitution or other prize to be awarded. All decisions are
final. Raffle tickets sold at the Rendezvous, and raffle tickets sold
online will be combined in the drawing.

Important: To win a gun in the raffle, make sure you can legally own it
before you buy a ticket.


On-Line ticket sales END on Friday Sept. 4th. at midnight!
If you want to win one of the many, many other prizes being given away, you either have to attend, or you’d better know someone who is! 😉

Major kudos to Kerby Smith and Para USA for helping me with this, and Mr. Completely for running the Rendezvous!

Sixty Days Until GBR IV

Sixty Days Until GBR IV

Time flies. Now it’s doing loops, Immelmans and barrel-rolls.

There’s only sixty days left before the fourth annual Gun Blogger’s Rendezvous!

Here’s an update:

The raffle for the Para GI Expert is almost set up. Soldier’s Angels will be running it on-line. Tickets will be $10 each, and the quantity of tickets will not be limited. YOU NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN.

ALL OTHER PRIZES are for ATTENDEES (or their representatives) ONLY. And here’s some of the swag you may get from attending:

Another (as yet unrevealed) Para pistol

A Hi-Point 9mm Carbine – their newest and latest:
(They ended Battlestar Galactica too soon, I think.)

A range bag from Dillon

T-shirts from GLOCK and probably Brownell’s, and if last year is any indication, lots of gun lube, cleaning stuff, other T-shirts, gift certificates, etc., and maybe another gun. But you have to come to win this stuff!

Still, the best part of the Rendezvous is the people. Other attendees expected this year include:

KeeWee, from KeeWee’s Corner

Mr. Completely his own self.

Phil & David, from Random Nuclear Strikes

US Citizen, from Traction Control

Uncle, From Say Uncle

Ride Fast & the Commandress, from Ride Fast – Shoot Straight

Mr. & Mrs. JimmyB, the Conservative UAW Guy

Lou from Mad Gun

Derek from The Packing Rat

Rachel Parsons from the NRA

D.W. Drang from The Clue Meter

EJ from Engineering Johnson

Cap’n Bob & the Damsel

Mark Knapp from Firearms Lawyer

Maj. Chuck Ziegenfuss from From My Position – On the way and founder of Project Valour-IT.

Dirt Crashr, from Anthroblogogy

Chris & Mel Byrne, from The Anarchangel

Larry Weeks, from Brownell’s

Andy and Lance from HiCap Gun Works

Mark Knapp, Firearms Lawyer

and Guest of Honor: Alan Gura
So get off the stick and GET SIGNED UP!

Seventy-Five Days and Counting

Seventy-Five Days and Counting


The Fourth Annual Gun Blogger’s Rendezvous is now only 75 days away. Still undecided on whether to attend?

Here are some highlights:

Alan Gura, the lawyer who won D.C. v Heller will be attending. (BTW, the first anniversary of that victory was last FRIDAY. How time flies!) At the pizza dinner Saturday night, you can bid on an autographed Heller Kitty T-shirt donated by Anthroblogogy. Yeah, we’re fanboyz of a lawyer. Get over it.

Firearms lawyer and blogger Mark Knapp will also be attending.

Along with Glock, Para USA, Brownell’s, Dillon Precision, Crimson Trace and many others, the National Shooting Sports Federation is now a sponsor, and will be picking up the tab for the pizza dinner on Saturday, thus allowing the $30 registration fee to be donated to Project Valour-IT. (The adult beverage tab will, however, still be ours.)

In addition to the Para GI Expert that I personally am donating, Para USA is donating another as yet undisclosed pistol for the Saturday evening raffle. I’m not certain yet, but I believe for that one you must be present to win.

Hi Point firearms is donating one of their carbines this year, rather than a pistol, so you have a chance to win one of at least THREE (3) firearms, and your odds are pretty damned good. Not to mention the other great swag provided by the ever-increasing number of fine sponsors.

Instead of just ONE day of shooting at the fine Palomino Valley Gun Club range, there may be the opportunity to go shooting THREE times – General blastage on Friday, Steel Challenge and Action Pistol-type shooting on Saturday, and possibly Cowboy Quick-Draw for those who are able to attend on Sunday. That’s still being worked out, but things are coming together.

And, as always, there will be plenty of sitting around shooting the breeze in the hospitality room, and I believe we will be visited by a representative of the NRA again this year. (I want to know where my wheelbarrows full of money are.)

So make your plans to attend! This promises to be the biggest gathering yet.

90 Days and Counting

90 Days and Counting

This year’s Gun Blogger’s Rendezvous is now 90 days away and closing. I’ve made my hotel reservations (9/10-9/12, checking out Sunday) and put in for vacation.

I want to reiterate: this isn’t a trade show, a sales meeting, or multi-level marketing – it’s a gathering of people of like mind for three or four days of fun, conversation, food, drink, recreational shooting, and other adult activities. And it takes place right next door to Circus Circus, where the kiddies can have a good time too! (My wife and I are bringing the grandkids this year, I think.)

BUT the Rondy is sponsored (thanks to tireless efforts by Mr. Completely, the organizer of this thing) by several of the major players in the field:

Para USA

Hi Point Firearms

Dillon Precision

Brownell’s

and this year, GLOCK
And others – and this year, me, since I’m donating a Para myself.

That is to say, there’s a lot of swag at this thing, and the chance to win some pretty damned nice stuff. (I’ve brought home a damned nice Brownell’s range bag, a Dillon Border Shift ammo bag, some Brownell’s AR15 magazines, and other stuff.) Plus, we raise money for a very good charity, Project Valour IT.

A lot of the blogger attendees of May’s NRA convention 2A Blog Bash have said that the thing they wish they could have done more of was interact with sit around and shoot the shit with the other bloggers.

This is the event for that.

This year as an extra added bonus we will have as our guest of honor Alan Gura, the lawyer who argued D.C. v. Heller in front of the Supreme Court and won, and who will (hopefully) be arguing NRA v. Chicago before it in the not-too-distant future. How can you pass up that opportunity?

Hey, Mike Vanderboegh might even show up. (I’m still hoping U.S. Citizen gets Summer Glau to appear, but . . .)

And you don’t even need to be a blogger! Want to meet the people you read? C’mon down! The more the merrier!

Plus, Reno in September should be beautiful. (Not f*^king freezing and snowing like last year! Unless Al Gore plans on being in town that weekend.)

So scrape your pennies together now, and sign up! September isn’t that far away!

Psssst! Hey, Still Wanna Win One of These?

Psssst! Hey, Still Wanna Win One of These?
OK, here’s the deal as it stands so far:

I’m personally contributing one of these pistols for a raffle to raise money for Project Valour IT. As I mentioned previously, Project Valour is the charity that the Gun Blogger Rendezvous has adopted, so the drawing will take place on Saturday, September 12, 2009 at the GBR IV pizza dinner, the difference here being that you don’t have to be present to win. We should be blogging it live, so you’ll know immediately if you won or not. I’m still working out the details, but the plan is to have 100 entries at $10 each for a total maximum contribution of $1k for Project Valour. The gun will be shipped to the FFL of the winner’s choice, but the transfer fee will be up to the winner to handle.

Oh, and it won’t be a virgin gun when you receive it. The Gun Bloggers are going to fondle it and put some rounds downrange earlier that same Saturday most likely. It will be cleaned, however, before it ships. (Perhaps not well, but cleaned.)

Hey, it’ll be a $10 1911 – you going to complain?

I’ll have more information on how you can enter the raffle later on. Still interested?