More and more I think it’s comes as a shock to nobody that customer service in nearly every industry is getting horrifically worse year over year. At least, that’s been my experience. To counter this, customers are absolutely becoming more entitled, bitchier, and more aggressive at the same time. I suppose one could argue which is the catalyst for which – a chicken / egg situation, right?

Well, here’s a few experiences I’ve had over the past week which I think outline a lot of what’s wrong. I feel far too many people just let things slide, or ignore it these days. I don’t. I won’t put up with bullshit.

I’m not one for New Years resolutions, because I believe if it’s good enough to start once the year turns anew, it’s good enough to start anytime. Why wait? But, something happened to me this morning and it made me realize I’m going to start doing it all the time. Speaking up for what’s right when it comes to any corporation.

This morning I went to a breakfast/brunch place called “Cora’s”. I haven’t been in probably a decade, but it was what was open and available. It wasn’t my first, or even second choice, it was the simply the only choice. I just wanted some bacon & eggs with hash browns, a good greasy breakfast. What I got was enlightenment.

They say you should never meet your heroes. I’ve always kind of had a weird relationship with who my heroes are. Most people think of celebrities, but I see celebrities as just people who got famous for playing a persona. It’s cool you’re a superstar in sports, or one of the greatest people on TV, but like.. that’s not who you are. It’s who you play in the public eye. I had a few moments of “celebrity fame” when I got recognized by a bunch of ravers in a foreign city during my DJ days. They asked me for my autograph, which was REALLY awkward for me. They seemingly idolized me as this big shot DJ (I really wasn’t), meanwhile little did they know that I’d just moved out of my mother’s house and was living barely above the poverty line with a roommate, working a shit desk-jockey job.

So, who are my heroes? My dad? He’s a terrible person. My mother? Well.. yes, in a lot of ways. My friends? Ya, a lot of them, actually. I look up to them. Someone who did something really cool which advanced society in a way I feel positive? Heck ya. The single parent who works 3 minimum wage jobs just to ensure the kids are fed and clothed, absolutely! Maybe it’s that kid who got bullied their entire life, was suicidal, and rose up above their childhood to live a prosperous and happy adult life – You’re incredible! However, there was a time when Wayne Gretzky was one of those heroes, and that’s totally OK.

I know this may sound like a conspiracy theory to some, but if you understand cybersecurity, this may be one of those “oh gosh” moments as you realize the implications possible. I’m effectively going to lay out my argument that you should not own a Tesla vehicle, you should not interact with Tesla vehicle, and frankly, you shouldn’t have a Tesla vehicle within 1000′ of you if at all possible. In my opinion, this isn’t just a matter of your own personal safety and privacy, but that of your country, mine being Canada – a country that is currently under threat of our sovereignty being taken from us by the likes of Donald Trump, and Elon Musk.

Look, I’m just going to put this out as a blanket statement – you should never give ANY of your personal information out unless it’s absolutely necessary. This goes triple to big corporations. Think about it – if a stranger walked up to you on the street and asked for your home address, place of work, and phone number – would you hand that over without thinking? Not a chance. So, why is it you so freely do so with proven evil corporate giants?

Every “points card”, “loyalty card”, and so-forth is to track you. When the cashier asks for your email address for your receipt, or they want your postal code, tell them you decline. If they insist they need it (they don’t), ask them for their own personal phone number and home address. But giving in is only hurting you and stripping you of more of your privacy – possibly one of the only things you have left that’s actually yours. Think I’m paranoid, or question why it matters? Read on.

Fitting, seeing as he’s a real piece of shit. You may know him from such blockbuster films as “Above the law” or “Under Siege”. He’s even tried his hand at action/comedies like “The Glimmer Man”, but the real comedy is in how horribly scripted all this stuff is. He’s quite literally type-cast himself, where he more or less plays the same character in every movie; an ex-CIA/special-forces/Black-Ops agent with a secretive past, where he goes on to beat the living piss out of every bad-guy he comes across with his insane martial arts skills, then at the end of the movie makes out with the girl, and usually has some heartfelt message to share with the audience.

As a kid I remember the rumours always being “he can actually do all this stuff in real life!” and of course that makes him instantly cool. The thing is, Seagal is little more than a fraud. Which, in and of itself would be fine – he’d be just like so many other Hollywood celebrities. However the thing is he truly thinks he’s somehow this great authority on serious real life matters, and it’s that insane ego that’s put him in a whole new rank of horrible person. That, and a whole lot of sexual assault, among other things.