UNTITLED IN-BETWEEN BLOGETTE

I really must remember, having spent all day doing it instead of working, to e-mail my Blog home.

Having watched Dispatches on Channel 4 +1 it got me to thinking about the companies I dislike and/or avoid giving my hard earned pennies to. Companies that have done me wrong over the years include:

1. Amtrak - Okay it was a franchisee but he was representing them so he's in my list. Said he would deliver my new computer on a Monday and then didn't show up because "he forgot"! I couldn't take another day off and my mother-in-law had to endure a right bloody misery when he did turn up. I haven't forgotten you pal. I just hope that one day I'll have a huge company and I'll put the deliveries out to tender and you can apply and then I can say, "Fuck off ya torn-faced misery! Forget my computer? I didnae!!"

2. Coca-Cola - for all the reasons pointed out by Mark Thomas and many others before him and to come. It wouldn't be so bad if the stuff wasn't such gutrot. Thank god the Flickster prefers good old fashioned water. I can't believe there's eight spoonfuls of sugar in each can and it takes more than 330ml of water to make that much juice. The situation in Colombia is particularly galling as paramilitaries are killing workers who want to be in a union. Workers are forced to sign statements resigning from the union. These statements were printed on Coca-Cola factory machines and collected by management yet Coca-Cola HQ claims that it has nothing to do with them. Increasingly these paramilitaries are targeting the families of union members and murdering those who fail to comply with their demands. Another problem is the unsustainable use of local water, which farmers rely on for their crops. Waste products from bottling plants have found to have pesticides in them. Of course, Coca-Cola's own studies found that the water was 100% pure. Hmm...

3. Starbucks - overpriced coffee on every bloody corner. And it's not even that nice.

4. Tesco - especially for the way they treat their fruit and vegetable suppliers and their destruction of the "high streets" in every town.

5. Stagecoach - they continue to bully their way into local communities and as soon as any opposition is driven out they cut services and put prices up. Let's not forget the homophobic spoutings of Brian Soutar, which has obviously filtered down to at least one of his drivers as this story demonstrates.

6. Ambertop/Help Mates/Europe Suppliers Ltd - or whatever the many other Eastern European here-today-gone-tomorrow companies calls themselves. They put leaflets through your door claiming to be collecting clothes, shoes and bric-a-brac (I wonder what the Lithuanian for bric-a-brac is) for their fellow countrypeople only to find out it's all sold on for profit. These people are absolute scum who are "stealing" gifts that should be going to genuine charities. I've written to the local Trading Standards and my local politicians on the subject, as well as knocking on all my neighbours doors and letting them know of these scamsters. I also wrote to the Dunfermline (De)Press but they stole the content of my letter and used it as the basis for an article of their own without so much as a credit.

7. Ticketmaster - how many more fees can they invent to add on top of the already inflated ticket prices? admin fee, booking fee, putting them in an envelope fee, fee fee trixiebelle... When I went to all seven dates of The Smiths' September 1985 tour of Scotland I sent a cheque and an SAE to five of the seven venues (I got the Glasgow and Edinburgh tickets in Ripping Records) and I got all the tickets back within a week. I still have the tickets; I really must scan them in posterity.

8. HMV - I had no choice on Saturday but under normal circumstances I wouldn't go near them. Too expensive, poor choice and they never gave me a job once. Reason enough, methinks.

9. Banks - Going down the Ticketmaster route. The Reclaim Bank Charges campaign shook them up but they still worm their way out of these situations. Amazing how the government can find billions to save Northern Rock but the Farepak customers screwed for a total of £40m are still waiting for their money.

10. Celtic and Rangers Football Clubs - An unhealthy monopoly over the rest of the football clubs in Scotland. They continue to cherrypick the best of their domestic opposition by waving big wage packets in front of their faces. (Most of these players end up warming the bench and then being sold on down south). They weaken the other SPL teams and then complain that their poor performances in Europe are down to no competition at home. They want their deep-fried cake and eat it. Let's not forget the Weegia's (Glaswegian Media) obsession with reporting anything and everything about the Rantic, to the detriment of the other Scottish clubs. They also continue to pay lip service to the anti-sectarian initiatives. I like to see them lose.

Who do you hate?