Wednesday, August 10, 2005

99 cent songs and no support

I’ve had a .Mac account for years and wonder whether to renew. It’s no great deal. Even worse is the support. Timothy Noah’s been trying to find a support phone number for iTunes. No luck:

Eventually, I decided to stop trying to simulate the experience of someone who isn’t a journalist and I contacted Apple’s media relations department. I got a woman named Carol. “I don’t have it offhand, Tim,” Carol said. “Can I get somebody to give you a call?” Carol said she’d pass my request along to the press contact for Apple’s iTunes team, someone whose name I am not at liberty to reveal because, this press contact subsequently told me, she is not, in fact, a press contact for Apple’s iTunes team. She is, instead, the “PR manager for iTunes.” Whatever you do, do not look up her name on this Apple Web page (where she is identified as a “press contact"). Patrick Fitzgerald can throw me in jail with Judy Miller if he wants. I’ll never tell.

Here is what my deepest-possible-background Apple PR manager source said: “We handle customer support questions via e-mail.”

Yes, yes. But what’s the customer service phone number?

“We do not have a direct customer service number for this support.”

I regret to say that this conforms entirely with the following e-mail message, sent to me a couple of days ago:

I’m a recently-former Apple employee (I love the company, left on good terms, and would love to go back some day-so please don’t print my name!). I can tell you definitively that, as of now, there is no phone support for the iTunes Music Store. The absolute only way to get support is to open iTunes, go to the Music Store, and click the “Support” link in the left-hand column.

That takes you to a web page for all kinds of questions. Click the link that’s most relevant (in this case, probably the section on “Purchasing Information"). On every one of those pages, there’s a form to get support.

But don’t waste your time looking for anything else. There are no alternatives.

There is no Loch Ness Monster. Walt Disney has not been cryogenically preserved. And, apparently, there is no customer service number for iTunes.

They’re not making this up

Salon:

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced yesterday that the Pentagon will celebrate—and really, there’s no other word for it—the fourth anniversary of 9/11 with a country music concert and an “America Supports You Freedom Walk.”

I honestly wondered if it was true when I first heard. I find this in terribly bad taste.

Wolcott is right, “this is a delicious gift to Maureen Dowd.” It could even tempt me to pay for the Times OpEds come September.

A rough day

Yes, mine was. But Jeanine’s sounds worse:

Jeanine F. Pirro got her United States Senate campaign off to a fiery but rocky start yesterday, broadly assailing the Democratic incumbent, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in three speeches across the state, while grappling with questions about abortion, taxes, Iraq and her husband.

[...]

Ms. Pirro drew scrutiny for some gaffes and judgment calls. She paused awkwardly for 32 seconds while reading her kickoff speech as she searched for a page of text, finally asking an aide, “Could I have Page 10?” And the campaign’s decision to keep her husband, Albert, away from the announcements only seemed to invite questions.

There’s more.

Rough as it was, and it sure sounds rough to me, I agree with this quoted from the Times in June:

According to Republicans who have made that argument directly to Ms. Pirro, even a loss in the Senate race would make her a national Republican celebrity who took her best shot - and took one for the team - and who could still easily run later for Senate or governor.

Ms. Pirro is known to enjoy her frequent appearances as a commentator on cable television, and a sharp-edged challenge to Mrs. Clinton could only heighten her visibility and appeal, Republicans said.

“If she ran and lost against Hillary, she’d at least come away with her own show on Fox,” said one state Republican who is advising Ms. Pirro, and who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid upstaging her.

That last is believed to have come from Alfonse D’Amato.

You gotta have HEART

New York is one of a number of states that has a law requiring that courses in human education be offered. A friend in New York is with HEART (Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers). Yesterday they announced a 10-lesson humane/character education program:

HEART believes there is a natural synergy between Humane Education and Character Education. Combining the two will provide a cohesive program to allow schools to comply with both statutes and improve school climate while also encouraging students to include all living beings and the environment in their circle of compassion.

[...]

“It is our hope that this pilot project will become a model for Humane Education in schools not only in the New York City area, but eventually across the country” said Brad Goldberg. “Humane and Character Education are a compelling and powerful combination to instill compassion, responsibility and a sense of civility in our youth.”

The announcement represents a fresh start for the organization. I wish them well.

No way

Come on Bob, get real:

Noted journalist Bob Woodward offered his insights on topics ranging from Nixon to Bush, current political issues and the role of journalism during a speech to an overflow crowd at Paepcke Auditorium on Tuesday night… He theorized that Hillary Clinton would earn the Democratic nomination in 2008 and would run against Dick Cheney, and he rejected the likelihood of a third party being a threat to Democrats and Republicans.

Via Salon.