Although I'm definitely a fan of the online DVD rental service Netflix, they have again disappointed me today. The website offers the option to put your memership "on hold", which will temporarily stop Netflix from billing and mailing movies to you. On the surface, it looks like Netflix really cares about its customers by offering this extra convenience. From my point of view, however, this is really a selfish policy whose only purpose is to boost the company's bottom line.

Let's say you are a Netflix member whose billing date is at the beginning of the month. You are about to go on a two-week vacation, so you place your account on hold today and set the service to resume in two week. You've already paid for movies for the two weeks of your vacation, but, by placing your account hold, have elected to stop their delivery. In order to actually give you what you've already paid for, Netflix should move your billing date two weeks ahead to make up for the time that you will not be receiving movies. Netflix doesn't do this. Unless your billing date is during your vacation, you gain nothing. The worst part is that you actually increase your risk of financial liabilities for the zero benefit you receive: Your account will be charged $20 per disc for any movies that aren't received by Netflix within seven days of placing your account on hold. So basically, if you try to be an organized person and place you account on hold but then forget to mail those three discs back before you go on vacation, you've just given Netflix $60 for absolutely nothing.

I telephoned Netflix customer service to verify I correctly understood the account hold policy, which I did. Confronted with this information, the representative couldn't tell me why I would want to place my account on hold.

I hate IHOP! I just tried to go to Free Pancake Day at IHOP and again realized why I have written the restaurant off. They suck at life!

We arrived at 9:42 pm, and there were already people dejectedly returning to the parking lot informing us that the restaurant was closed. Closed? We couldn't believe it. The restaurant is open until 10 pm every other weekday, and the free pancake promotion specifically says that it is valid until that time. Closing at twenty to ten when your sign clearly says you are open until ten can't be good. It causes people like me to hate you with a passion. It also causes you to receive angry letters. Don't do it, IHOP.