Skip the rant and get to my e-mail address.

I don't know what the fuck is wrong with Hotmail ... correction, yes I do. What's wrong is that Hotmail has been taken over by Microsoft and has been denuded of any semblance of humanity as a result. I got my Hotmail account in November of 1997, just a month before they were taken over by Bill "Stomp-On-Everything-That-I-Can't-Control" Gates. Immediately Hotmail began to SUCK!

First was the Microsoft spam. Hotmail was popular because they made a special effort to eliminate spam from their system. No sooner did Microsoft take over than I started getting spam *FROM WITHIN THE COMPANY*. Yes! They started sending me their crappy-ass webzine Slate, which I did not ask for. Worse, I tried to unsubscribe and I *COULDN'T!* It wouldn't stop! Finally I had to do a "Block Sender" onHotmail WebCourier, the service that was delivering several things I *WANTED* to get. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

But wait, it gets worse. After Microsoft took over, suddenly I started getting spam from *ALL OVER THE PLACE.* Previously I had received *NO* spam at all - literally not one byte. I wonder why all the spamming started after Microsoft took over? Hmmm ... you don't suppose Microsoft *SELLS THEIR SUBSCRIBER LISTS* do you?

Hotmail continues to claim that they don't sell their subscriber lists, but Microsoft considers Hotmail to be part of their company, so it's possible that Hotmail *HONESTLY* believe they don't sell their lists when, in fact, that's technically true ... because *MICROSOFT* is doing the actual selling. That's the kind of thinking I would expect from Swill Gates. Perfectly in character (what little he has, that is).

ANYWAY, my latest problem is that I can't get into my regular Hotmail account. For some reason, it keeps telling me "bad username/password combination". Funny, I haven't changed it. If you've tried to contact those *EVIL BASTARDS* by e-mail, you know what a joke that is. I even tried to call their precious telephone number but was on hold for 15 minutes before I gave up. "WHy not wait for an answer?" you may ask. Because it was a *LONG-DISTANCE CALL THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR,* seeing a how Hotmail no longer has an 800 number. Microsoft saw to that.

AS OF 25 MAY 1999 YOU CAN E-MAIL ME AT:

• stateless1@hotmail.com
• badsheep3@hotmail.com

PLEASE NOTE: badsheep@yahoo.com and badsheep2@yahoo.com DO exist but they are NOT mine! I am certain that I invented the "badsheep" moniker, so it would seem someone intends to impersonate me. If you get any mail from either of those two addresses, please forward them to me; I'd like to find out what's going on.