Yelp update

Yelp is now displaying my reviews. My previous post was obviously making waves down at Yelp headquarters. It was the talk of the company. The CEO has resigned in shame. A gift basket, with a sincere note of apology, is on its way to me now.

Yelp gets one star

I wrote three reviews on Yelp, and for some reason they disappeared from public view. I did some research, and was surprised to find the following explanation as to why my reviews were yanked, as posted on the Yelp website:

The review may have been suppressed by Yelp's automated software system. This system decides how established a particular reviewer is and whether a review will be shown based on the reviewer's involvement on Yelp. While this may seem unfair to you, this system is designed to protect both consumers and businesses alike from fake reviews (ie, a malicious review from a competitor or a planted review from an employee). The process is entirely automated to avoid human bias, and it affects both positive and negative reviews. It's important to note that these reviews are not deleted (they are always shown on the reviewer's public profile) and may reappear on your business page in the future.

Based on my own experience, then, the Yelp automated software system is deeply flawed. For the record: I gave Fishermen's Grotto No. 9 two stars, Pazzia Restaurant two stars (later updated to four stars), and The Italian Athletic Club five stars. I give Yelp ONE STAR, and a flip of the bird.

Don't you know it's gonna be... all right

Our federal government's efforts at health care reform have brought into glaring light the great problem that plagues our country: that the people we elect to government do not represent our, the voter's, interests, but instead represent the interests of those who give them large sums of money; namely, large corporations, and other moneyed special interest groups (including even from foreign countries). Votes are for sale up on Capitol Hill. Corruption abounds. These folks need money to pay for their election campaigns, and if they didn't take it from the large donors in exchange for their vote, they wouldn't be re-elected. I suppose that is their rationale. Maybe this is nothing new, but it has become painfully apparent in the past few weeks. Every sane person knows that our health care in this country is outrageously overpriced, and continuing to escalate out of control, and yet Congress is putting the brakes on any meaningful reform. It's a sad state of affairs. It seems we need campaign finance reform before any other meaningful change can take place. Unfortunately, the electorate is largely ignorant, and easily manipulated via the corporate-controlled mainstream media. There is little chance any important change will be happening soon, despite the "Yes We Can!" rallying cry of not so long ago. There will be no new birth of freedom. The rich will continue to get richer, and the poor will get poorer, and government of the people, by the people, for the people, will continue to die a slow death, til it perish from the earth.

Struggle in Iran

Some incredible images are coming out of Iran. An oppressed people are courageously fighting back. Here's hoping for their success, and may it serve as an inspiration to us all.

Half-assed halftime

My negative feelings about the Super Bowl halftime show being a forced and contrived presentation were further confirmed in this column by Rick Reilly on the ESPN website. Reilly volunteered to be one of the almost 2000 "fans" who ran out onto the field at halftime to be the visible audience to the performance of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, creating a phony concert atmosphere for the TV viewers at home. It turns out that these volunteer fans couldn't even hear Springsteen's performance because the speakers were on the field perimeter and directed away from them and towards the fans in the stands. They were merely pretending to hear and enjoy the music. I don't understand why this story isn't being picked up by the greater media and exposed for the fraud that it is.

Bruce forgiven

I was pleased to see that Bruce Springsteen admitted that his deal with Walmart was a mistake. He put on about as high-energy a halftime show as one could ask for in the twelve minutes allotted to him at this evening's Super Bowl, and managed to avoid giving a lecture between songs. In fact, he hardly paused between songs at all, trying to squeeze as much as he could into the performance. Pretty good for a 59-year-old. However, I can't say I am a fan of the Super Bowl halftime show. It is all a bit too forced and contrived to come off as very enjoyable. A stage set is rushed onto the field, along with a thousand fans (where do they come from?), and then the band comes out and plays three quick songs, and it's over in time for the next commercial break. I wouldn't mind seeing the NFL try a simpler, more low-energy halftime show, something in contrast to the high energy of the game. Maybe Springsteen alone with his guitar and harmonica would have been a good show. He could have performed, among other songs, "The Wrestler," which he wrote for the movie by the same name. It's a beautiful song that functions as a moving epilogue following the abrupt ending of the movie, and playing as the credits roll by. That the Oscars didn't nominate it for Best Song still has me scratching my head.

Say it ain't so, Bruce

I've long been an admirer of Bruce Springsteen and his music, but lately he has been slipping with respect to his reputation as a voice for the working class. Springsteen recently reached an agreement to release a greatest hits album exclusively through Walmart, the largest corporation in the world, which, even with its enormous profits, hasn't exactly been a leader in employee compensation and benefits. I don't think Bruce needs the money, so why is he doing it? Maybe he realizes, as I should, that as a mega-rich rock star, he really isn't a legitimate voice for the working class anway. He is The Boss, after all. It wouldn't bother me so much, but at the same time he is also becoming increasingly active in progressive politics. It's fine to play a concert in support of Obama, Bruce, but please spare us the between-songs political oratory, lest we start calling you a hypocrite.