So, my cell-phone is through PacBell. If you’re from California, you know that PacBell is easily the most ubiquitous (and insidious) telecommunications provider in the area, be it wireless, land-line, or even DSL. Because of their historical stranglehold on their chosen industry, horrific service, high prices, and ridiculously bad customer support, PacBell is almost universally hated by a majority of it’s customers; who, are forced, either through simple acquiescence, or necessity, to do business with them.

In apparent response to all of this negative press, Pacbell-Wireless has recently changed it�s name to Cingular. Perhaps you�ve seen the commercials? They have a little inkblot mascot that offers sage advice through comic-strip speech bubbles like:

�We believe that, given the chance, human expression can change the world��

This morning, I had a text message on my cell. It said simply: Company name change please turn your phone off an on. After doing so, the little �PacBell� on my phone changed to �Cingular�. Is this really going to fool me? Am I going to forget my seething hatred just because Dick changed his name to Richard?

Yeah, probably�