The Kindness of Islanders

Much to my amazement in less than 24 hours from my time of posting about my Eastlink experience I received this very helpful email from Derek MacEwen:

"Hi. I passed your "Huh?" blog post re Eastlink's HD service on to Marty Stewart, who is Eastlink's PEI Operations Manager (and my son's hockey team manager). He says that if you are the Dale McKie who lives at (my address), you should be able to get full HD service. He asked me to pass along his cell number: xxx-xxxx. His email is xxxxxx@eastlink.ca. He'll fix things up (he sure did for me when my Internet connection died last Thursday and the call centre told me they couldn't get there until Monday morning!)."


I spoke with Marty and he has suggested that within 24 hours I will be enjoying HD in my home again!

This is one of those times where I am marvelled by the benefits of living in a small province like PEI. Everyone here knows someone who knows someone who can help to solve your problem.

I would like to thank Derek and Marty both for taking the time to read about my problem and going above and beyond to help resolve it.

Please take note Eastlink, this is what customer service is all about. Perhaps you could give Derek a free month or two of internet for saving one of your customers? While you're at it, how about a nice Christmas bonus for Marty?

Huh?

I just don't understand some companies!

Last night we noticed a message on our Eastlink HD PVR. It was informing us that 2 HD channels are available right now for a free preview. We checked them out and they worked and looked great.

Sounds good right? Two HD channels for free for a month, hard to complain. But wait....

Since we moved to York in May we have been reassured that HD should be available in our area.  However, after several failed attempts to sign up for the service (each attempt requiring a long conversation that usually involved tech support and supervisors being contacted, as the nice sales person couldn't understand why it wasn't available), we had resigned ourselves to the fact that HD wasn't available in our area and we would need to look at alternatives to Eastlink. Until last night...

Suddenly we were watching the Super Chanel in HD. As if by some miracle it just worked...we suddenly had 2 HD channels working in our home. Of course this motivated me to contact Eastlink and request the HD package we have been missing so badly.

So here is how it went:

ME: Hi I would like to sign up for the HD channels please.
EL: Sure, can I get your name and address?
ME: Sure (name and address given)
EL: OK let me just make sure it is available in your area.
ME: Great, thanks.
(Several minutes on hold)
EL: Oh I am sorry sir but HD is not available in your area yet.
ME: Hmmm, that is what we have been told in the past as well, but last night we received a message about 2 free HD channels being available. It was on our HD PVR and when we checked to see if they were working, we were pleased to see that they were.
EL: That's strange, so you were able to view the Super Channel?
ME: Yes, and we would like to have the HD package we used to have before we moved to York if you could just add that to our account.
EL: But I am afraid that HD isn't available in your area sir.
ME: But I was watching HD on the free HD channels last night. So is there some reason that these packages aren't available?
EL: I am not sure sir. I can check for you with my supervisor.
ME: OK but before you do, are these two free channels HD channels?
EL: Yes they are sir.
ME: OK, and I am receiving them right now perfectly. So would you agree that there is HD available in my area technically?
EL: Well, yes. Do you mind holding while I check with my supervisor.
ME: Sure.
(another long hold)
EL: I am sorry sir, but I checked with my supervisor and she checked into this issue, and I can assure you that HD is not available in your area at this time. We don't have the lines in place to carry HD channels to your area.
ME: Hmm, but before you put me on hold we had just agreed that I am currently able to watch HD in my home for free on 2 channels for the next month. Therefore HD must be available. I would just like to add other channels that I pay for to these 2 free channels and I will be a happy customer.
EL: Yes, I understand, but HD isn't available in your area at this time and we aren't sure when it will be.
ME: Is it possible for you to just add the HD package to my account and I will start paying for them and watching them even though they aren't available like the 2 free HD channels that aren't available that I am currently enjoying?
EL: No, I'm afraid not, because HD is not available in your area, we can't add HD channels to your account.
ME: But you did, you added two free HD channels that work perfectly.
EL: Yes that is strange, I am not sure why they are working.
ME: OK, so is there anyway to find out when the other channels can be added.
EL: No I am sorry but we don't have any information on what areas will be getting upgrading to HD at what time.
ME: So there is no way for you add HD channels to my line, but I am getting 2 HD channels that you added for free, is that correct?
EL: Yes it seems to be.
ME: OK well I think I may need to switch to satellite, thank you for your help.
EL: Thank you sir, would you like to speak to technical support about this?
ME: No thanks, I am pretty sure it won't help.

I never thought I would say this, but...

We need stronger legislation on video games.

I am now of the belief that we need to apply the same legislation to video games as we do to alcohol and tobacco. If the game is rated Mature or Adult, I propose it should be illegal to sell this game to anyone under the age of 17. Furthermore, it should be illegal for someone to purchase this with the intent of giving it to someone under the approved age.

I fully support game developers rights to create a game with whatever content they feel will sell, so long as that content doesn't violate established laws. However, I don't feel it is appropriate to sell certain games to minors. Let me fill you in on why I am suddenly convinced we need this legislation.

Over the past weekend I was doing some game trading/buying and I spent a fair amount of time at our local game vendors. During my time in these stores I witnessed a couple of incidents that led me to this decision.

The first was a mother who was looking to pre-order the new Call of Duty Modern Warfare II for her son. I couldn't help but overhear the conversation between her and the store clerk as she was very concerned that her twelve year old son would not be able to come in and pick the game up on the day it arrives. Since it carries a rating of 17 or older, he would need a parent with him. She was clearly upset about this. The store clerk held his ground and said that he could not sell the game to someone under 17. Now for those of you who are unfamiliar, the Call of Duty series fairly accurately recreates war as a video game and puts you right in the action. Much like you would expect, this game is violent, bloody and probably not appropriate for a 12 year old boy, but that decision is up to the parent right? If she wants to buy it for him, that's her call to make. But wait...

The second incident was the next day, when I was at the counter making a trade and a lady around my age came in to trade in 3 games in exchange for Grand Theft Auto Episodes from Liberty City. The clerk made some small talk and she mentioned that the game wasn't for her but for her son. She went on to say that he's only FOUR YEARS OLD but he has a Playstation 3, an X-BOX 360 and a PSP and he really wanted this game so he was willing to trade these 3 for it. This sickened me and convinced me that we need to do something about enforcing the game ratings. The GTA series has worked hard to set the standard for overuse of violence, gore, sex, nudity and overall morally questionable content. Isn't it great that four year olds will get to benefit from that?

So perhaps you argue that she has no idea what the content is...I would argue that with a name like Grand Theft Auto and a large Adult rating logo on the package that perhaps she would have a clue. Either way, it seems clear that some parents simply aren't smart enough to keep this type of content from their pre-schoolers. The game store clerk can only do so much. There is no law against him selling to the moms even if they are giving it to a four year old. Don't you think there should be?

Ultimately it would be great if we could just assume everyone is a good enough parent to protect their children, but I have seen enough proof to know this isn't always the case. I am sure that 4 year old had a great weekend of game playing, killing prostitutes and stealing cars.

Anyone have any thoughts? Please share in the comments.

Sounds like a bad idea...

I haven't had much time to blog lately and I miss it. I pretty much use this blog as a way to let ideas out of my head. It's a crazy place in there filled with tons of random ideas, by typing those ideas on these pages I sort of set them free and move on to other ideas...

This post is just to get rid of a random idea that popped into my head last night. I realized that are tons of things that just plain sound like bad ideas and yet they are fairly successful. I am not saying that these things are bad ideas...they just sound like bad ideas especially when heard out of context.

You be the judge.

1. Recycled Toilet Paper (...but I know where it's been!)
2. Hot Pockets (ouch!)
3. Polar Bear Swim (don't feed the bears!)
4. Fast-acting Laxatives (best to take these while already on the toilet perhaps?)
5. Ant Farms (our cattle farmers can't make a go of it, but someone farms ants?)
6. Permanent Ink (this one speaks for itself)
7. Light Beer (all the beer with less of the goodness)
8. Income Tax (this seems like an oxymoron as well as a bad idea)
9. Self Serve Gas (because we don't trust the gas attendant?)
10. Powdered Milk (yuck, do you eat it with a spoon?)
11. Liquid Paper (I poured a sheet out but it just doesn't seem to go through the printer well)
12. Angry Whopper (I think the original was mean enough)
13. Head Cheese (what the hell!!!)
14. Decaf Coffee (see light beer, similar idea...)
15. Pre-arranged Funeral (it just sounds wrong, kinda like a suicide note)
16. Divided Highway (they seem easier to drive on when they are in one piece)
17. Solar Powered Lights (umm if the sun is shining...)
18. Baby Oil (corn oil from corn, peanut oil from peanuts, I'm just sayin'...)
19. Garbage Collection (I've seen stamp collections, coin collections and card collections...)
20. Computer Dating Service (I know some geeks who are practically married to their computer! I wonder if they met through one of these?)

That is all for now...feel free to add more in the comments!

Are you going to wait in line?

Well, it's almost time for people to line and up start getting their Swine Flu vaccinations. I believe that I will skip this when it becomes available.

Flu vaccinations are the subject of some debate and vaccinations for H1N1 in particular do not have a very good record.

I guess each person needs to decide what is right for them, but I honestly have avoided every flu shot so far and haven't been seriously ill with the flu since since 1990, so for me the risks of the vaccine seem to outweigh any benefit I may receive.

If I end up contracting H1N1 this season, every last one of you can say "I told you so!".