"Joy and pleasure are as real as pain and sorrow and one must learn what they have to teach. . . ." -- Sean Russell, from Gatherer of Clouds

"If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right." -- Helyn D. Goldenberg

"I love you and I'm not afraid." -- Evanescence, "My Last Breath"

“If I hear ‘not allowed’ much oftener,” said Sam, “I’m going to get angry.” -- J.R.R. Tolkien, from Lord of the Rings

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Ah, yes -- the world leader

But not in Internet/cable. We pay much more than they do in Europe, and get so much less.


I've been thinking again about getting a cell phone, and all the plans are the same. First off, it's insane that you have to sign a contract for phone service. It's insane that your carrier can lock your phone so you can't switch to another provider -- after you've bought the phone. (And it's illegal to unlock it. Guess who owns what. Legislators should just come with price tags.) I lose Internet service about every other week. And it's not particularly fast. I don't do cable TV -- I stream videos, but even then, if it's a busy night, the streaming sucks. So we get barely adequate service.

This video was via Chris Ryan at AmericaBlog. According to him, a basic TV and Internet package in Europe is about $36. I haven't seen anything here for less than $50.

Oh, and that "oligopoly"? It's not just in wireless services. It's in everything.

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