It's a Kinda Magic

Yes, I am talking about the iPhone again. This little device has actually proven to be the most incredible piece of technology I have ever had the pleasure of owning.

Over the weekend we used this "phone" to rent a movie that we were then able to watch on our HD TV. The quality was as good as any up-converted standard DVD (I would say better) and at $4.99 the price was very reasonable. The best part is we didn't have to leave the house and we got the movie we wanted without waiting in lines or hoping it was "in". We didn't even have to worry about returning it. The movie removes itself automatically from the iPhone 48 hours later. Very cool!

The next evening we arrived at a party where the host had setup iTunes DJ on his laptop computer. Every guest at the party who had an iPhone or an iPod Touch (or could get their hands on one at least) was able to vote for songs and influence the playlist that became the soundtrack for what turned out to be a fun filled evening. I thought it was a neat idea when I first saw it in iTunes but the reality is truly amazing. Even people who had never used an iPhone before were easily able to swipe and scroll through lists of music and vote for the song they wanted to hear. Songs then magically arranged themselves based on numbers of votes. Each phone can only vote for each song once...so no one can rule the music all night. A great idea, that turned out to be great fun.

Congrats Chantelle and Stewie! The engagement party was a blast! Play some RUSH wouldya boys!

I wonder...

If someone thanks me for my patronage have I been patronizing?

Soaptastic!

I am very pleased to say that within a 24 hour period of my sign going up, the soap dispenser is fixed. I would like to think that I played a small part in the war against germs.

Signs, signs, everywhere signs....

Technophobia!

I started this blog as a way to discuss things I see as issues, and to share thoughts and ideas. Today I am hoping it can help to resolve an issue at the Atlantic Technology Centre; where I work.

For the last two weeks (at least) the soap dispenser, in the men's bathroom on the second floor, has been broken. These dispensers are pumps that are built into the counter and bottles of soap screw into the pump from below. At least they are supposed to screw into them. This one doesn't. The solution? Place the bottle of soap on the counter and have people pour it on to their hands (and also all over the counter).

There are several problems with this.

1. It is messy.
2. It is wasteful.
3. It encourages people to not use soap (This one bothers me the most as I already have a bit of a phobia about public washrooms).

Astonishingly, there is another soap dispenser right beside the broken one....and it has been out of soap for the entire time this one has been broken.

This isn't the first issue in this bathroom either. Two weeks previous to the soap dispenser breaking, one of the "automatic" sinks stopped working. You could wave your hands under and around it as much as you wanted, it just wouldn't turn on...except sometimes it did...all on its own, and then it would run continuously until it decided to stop.

I have waited patiently for this to get fixed and I have no idea who to talk to about it. The Tech Centre Administration have moved to another building, and I can't find any maintenance people. I decided to leave a friendly note. It reads:

To Whom It May Concern,

Please fix this.

It has been broken for over two (2) weeks.

It would seem that a place called the “Technology Centre” should be able to figure out how to fix a soap dispenser.

Thank You.

Sincerely,

Mr. Clean Hands

I am hoping someone will take notice.

Your Political Correctness Offends Me!

Is it just me or has the whole world gone too far with political correctness? Seriously come on!

I am taking a stand right now. I will no longer allow society to dictate to me which words can be used at which time; which jokes can be told when; and what T-shirt I can wear to what function. I will however, continue to use common-sense and go out of my way to not be rude or hurtful.

This is a list of the top 5 words I am taking back! Who decided we can't use these words? I will probably add more as I think of them. I would love to hear suggestions. Remember, I don't want to be rude or hurtful, just realistic. I think if we take back these words they can no longer be hurtful to anyone.

1. Gay - homosexuals can't have it all to themselves! In a time when being homosexual is becoming much more accepted and common, the word gay should go back to it's original meaning and use. When I was growing up, gay simply meant different, strange, and generally not the norm. ie. "man that Warrant song is so gay!" On this note I also declare that we are taking back the colour purple. It is a good colour that everyone can look good in. Sorry to everyone who is homosexual, you can have pink and the rainbow but purple is for everyone again.

2. Retard (or retarded) - come on..this word simply means to slow something down...look it up. It should not be offensive and I can't imagine anyone is still using it as a put down to someone who is of lower IQ or suffers from a mental illness. I will no longer feel bad if I say to someone, "geez, stop being so retarded...". It is not offensive.

3. Handicap - this word has been used for decades to refer to someone at a disadvantage, ie. in golf or bowling. I can't see how this term could offend someone with a disability. Is someone in a wheel chair not at a disadvantage? Have you ever tried being in a wheel chair? Trust me, it's not easy and you ARE at a disadvantage. Don't like it? Sorry it's just the truth.

4. Midget - ok this one certainly is targeted at certain individuals but can you seriously tell me that it is less offensive to be called "little people" than midgets? Please! I would hate to be called a little person, it sounds like "less of a person" which we all know isn't true.

5. Bum - how the hell did this word come to mean homeless person? My bum is my ass, it's what I sit on. I will not feel bad for using the word bum. When I mean homeless I will say homeless, when I mean bum I will say bum, ass, butt or arse.

While on the topic here are a few other things I think we need to stop.

No scent policy - ok I understand allergies, and I respect that perfumes are a real problem to certain people but we can't have the whole world go unscented. You must admit that you would rather have a sneeze attack or a headache from that nice smelling deodorant than have to sit next to that smelly, sweaty guy on the bus.

Peanut butter - it's good. When we were kids every single person in the school took peanut butter sandwiches at least once a week. Now it is banned from the school entirely? If being in the vicinity of peanuts may kill you, you have some serious worries my friend because they are everywhere in the real world. You may as well learn to deal with them while you're young, perhaps carry an epi-pen if you are deathly allergic. This ban makes as much sense as banning wasps or bumble-bees from the playground. It's just not practical and out in the real world it's impossible to enforce.

OK, well I have ranted enough for this post. I am sure others have suggestions and I am sure I will blog about this again.

Bottom line: I think we have gone too far! It's high time we stop being so damn sensitive! If I say something that can be taken one of two ways, assume that I don't mean to offend or hurt! It's common-sense really. In the words of my childhood friend's father, "stop being such a pansy!".

Stop in the name of......Save The Parade?!?

UPDATE: They actually did have people walking around with collection baskets as well...

OK, this is something that has been a pet peeve of mine for ages! I understand that it is very difficult to raise money for good causes. There are "do not call" lists, sceptical people if you collect door to door, costs involved in outsourcing, and an overall negative attitude towards fund-raising efforts in general.

However, DO NOT BLOCK THE STREET WITH BUCKET IN HAND ASKING FOR MONEY.

How is this legal? I would like to know if these fund-raising events receive permission from the City? From the police? Surely they must get permission from someone to stand in the middle of the road and stop traffic right?

I find it bold, rude and downright annoying! Generally, I like to donate money. I have even been known to do my fair share of fund-raising, but I will never, NEVER donate money to someone who is collecting in this way.

Today topped the cake though. As if it isn't bad enough that many of the streets in Charlottetown will be closed for the parade, we also have to deal with traffic backing up on main streets into the city while these goof balls with buckets beg for spare change? The cause of choice? SAVE THE PARADE!

Is the Gold Cup and Saucer Parade dying? If it is, no one told the people lining the streets at 8:30 this morning. What exactly does this money go towards? How will it be used to save the parade? If it is really needed perhaps you could ask that each person who comes to see the parade make a donation during the parade. You could send some clowns around with collection baskets instead of letting them stand in the street at 8:30 am while people try to get to work!

If anyone has any info on how this is allowed, and what permits are required please let me know. I would love to find a way to stop this type of fund-raising. If it can't be stopped, I suggest we all just grab a bucket and pick a silly cause! Together we should be able to bring traffic to a complete stand still.

I think my cause will be SAVE THE FOOLS WHO STAND IN THE STREETS WITH BUCKETS, you can bet sooner or later one of them is gonna get clipped by an idiot driver who is sending a text message instead of watching the road.

What Up G.?

OK, I'll admit that I have never been a huge fan of organized religion. I have my own personal beliefs and I try hard to respect the beliefs of others. Religion in my mind is a very personal thing between you and your God. That being said, I heard a story on the news this morning that just makes me shake my head in amazement. You would think that with all the troubles in the world today God has bigger worries than keeping you from wearing pants on Sunday!

Honestly this is just another example of the problems I have with organized religion. For those heavily involved in the church of their choice, don't you ever stop to think, "Hey if this God of mine is real would he/she/it really be worried about silly little things like what I wear on Sunday, whether I eat meat on Friday, how and when I use his/her/its name, or what Madonna is singing about now"?

Like I said, I try hard to respects the beliefs of others, I just have to question why anyone would blindly follow directions that seem to be so arbitrary and absurd. If I was a regular church goer, I would be very, very concerned if this is what my God was worried about! I am pretty sure that God's competition is focused on bigger issues! Perhaps this Sunday everyone should pray that God stops worrying about pants and uses that time more constructively.

Just my 2 cents.

Not so Mighty Mouse

As any Mac owner knows, Apple makes some of the best hardware out there but even Apple gear has problems occasionally. Behold the Mighty Mouse! This otherwise excellent mouse has a tiny little scroll nub that is probably the best and worst designed scroll wheel I have ever used. It is small, it is placed exactly where you want it, it scrolls in all directions and most of the time it just works. Until it doesn't. Today it didn't.

This is a fairly common problem from what I am hearing. Seems dirt eventually gets in around that tiny little rubber ball and gums up the works. Thankfully there is a really simple and inexpensive fix and it restores this mouse to "like-new" functionality.

You need:

Rubbing Alcohol, cotton swabs, a sheet of clean paper and a hard surface

1. Unplug your Mighty Mouse.
2. Dip the swab in the alcohol
3. Soak that little rubber ball with alcohol using the swab to roll it around. Get it good and wet.
4. Lay the piece of paper on a smooth hard surface
5. Turn your mouse upside down on the paper & apply pressure so that the scroll ball pushes in.
6. Roll it around for a while on the paper. Really give it a good roll in all directions.

That's it. Your Mighty Mouse should be scrolling again! If not, you may still have some dirt in there. Just repeat the above steps.

Globe trotting...

Last night we tried out Charlotettown's hottest new restaurant, The Globe. I would have to describe it as fantastically mediocre. We had wonderful service and the location benefits from the truly un-Charlottetownesqueness of Victoria Row. However I am sorry to say that the food was merely "good". There was certainly nothing to complain about but also nothing that would encourage me to recommend it to friends or family.

Charlottetown has an amazing selection of dining choices and in this price point there are simply better options. It's great to see someone try to do something unique and different but I am afraid they just fall a little short. There's better curries at Churchill's, better steak at Sims, and better drinks at Pat and Willy's.

With it's "interesting decor, great location and varied menu The Globe could be GREAT. Sadly it is just good in a town where great is right next door or at least no more than a block away.

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A dog day afternoon...

Even Carter seemed to be enjoying himself.

Saturdays here in the yard...

It's days like this that make us happy we bought a house in the "country". What could be better than a lazy summer day lounging in the back yard?



Sent from my iPhone

Rogers Revisited

Since I am usually the first to complain I felt that I really needed to post about the great service I have received from a Rogers employee over the last couple of days.

I usually just pick up the phone or visit the Rogers website when I have a problem or need to add or remove services or discuss phone plans. Actual visits to the Rogers Store, two floors below my office, are reserved for the days when Apple has released a new model iPhone. However, when I picked up my new iPhone back on June 19th, I dealt with a sales rep named Adam. This guy was super helpful and pretty much jumped through hoops to get me setup.

So, after my dilemma of: there is no plan that would give us all we wanted and nothing more at a reasonable price, I figured I would pay Adam a lunchtime visit and see if he somehow had a map to navigate the puzzling world of Rogers cell plans. As it turns out he did! He worked with me to go through the assorted plans, read the fine print, and compare the details. We think we found a nice little combination of plans and add-ons that by-passes the usual "You Get All These Features You Don't Need Or Want and Two of the Four Features You Actually Want, But Hey It Only Costs $10 Extra" plans.

With Adam's help, Carla and I now each have an iPhone with 300 local daytime minutes + unlimited local evenings and weekends + data plans + visual voicemail + call display + unlimited picture, video and text messages, + unlimited Canada Wide Calling to any 5 people we choose (and we can choose 5 new people each month if we like) for the same price we paid last month. That's right we just added a ton of features and will spend the same amount.

Thank you Adam! You have restored my faith in Rogers and you have two loyal customers. It's really nice to see a sales representative who understands that happy customers are more important than the up-sell. See you next iPhone day ;-)

Hey Rogers people who make the cell plan packages...talk to Adam! He has worked out what may be the perfect iPhone package for Canadians (still not quite as good as the deal our friends to the south get with AT&T). This package could go a long way towards creating happy loyal customers. You need those.

What kinda party?

Can you believe this ? The NDPs have wasted time and money deciding if they need to drop "NEW" from their name. Is this really the most important thing they should be worried about with a possible election coming up this year? Wow!

Now I am not up on all the latest kid-speak but I am pretty sure that "DP" means something very different than Democratic Party to the younger crowd (look it up on urban dictionary if you dare). Perhaps this is how they plan to attract new voters.

Well, let me save you a ton of wasted time and money and offer up the following suggestion:

Keep the "NEW". If I were doing your marketing, I would be putting a spin on the "New" stands for a new way of thinking, a new government, new ideas in a time of turmoil. A NEW party to lead this country heading into a new decade. But perhaps you aren't really new at all...

As a side note, I wonder if that is what the DP stands for in DP Murphy?

The Devil You Know

Today I am working on a couple of ads for a product that involves Angels and Devils and it brought back a memory of the first Halloween party I ever went to.

I couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old. Our local community centre and the fine folks from the Women's Institute and United Church were hosting a party for all the children in the area.

I showed up dressed as Satan himself.

I wonder how many people were shocked and or bothered? From what I can recall everyone was very nice and I had a great time.

I do think there is a lesson to be learned here though....
It is very important to understand your target audience! While shock and awe can sometimes be a good thing, it is probably best to do a little research and get a basic understanding of what you are getting involved in.

I am trying to keep that in mind as I work on these ads.

On a side note what ever happened to Hot Stuff the Little Devil? I used to love those comics!

Standing outside the fire...

The Canada games torch went past my office about an hour and a half ago and there were only about a dozen people out to cheer the runner on...is it just me or does it seem like this should be a bigger deal?

Google Gets it.

I am constantly amazed at just how well Google services work.

For instance this post was created by email from my iPhone using a GMail account. I sent the email to a secret address @blogspot and it automagically gets posted to this blog on blogger which is also owned by Google.

It all just works!

More for less, and less for more....just not what you want.

I just don't get it.

In the last two days I have had two different "tech" companies explain to me that they just don't offer the services I want...but they will give me more than I want for less money!

Let me explain.

Company 1 : ROGERS

We have two iPhone 3Gs with Rogers. We have fairly expensive cell plans. One of the phones has data and one does not. iPhone 1 has 6GB of data available. I would like to share that data with iPhone 2. Rogers says that isn't possible. They do offer a data sharing plan, but it is on their 1GB of data package...and it costs more money!

Now after some discussion and a brief lesson basic math (that even Jordan from Big Brother could understand), I had them convinced that 6GB is more than 1GB. I also had them convinced that with all the services I currently have + my 6GB of data, I am saving at least $20/month over what they are currently offering with the 1GB shared data plan.

Now, as crazy as it sounds, I tried to convince them to take away my wonderful 6GB of data and my grandfathered in Rogers to Rogers free calling, and put me onto their new 1GB Data sharing family plan for the same price I currently pay. They can't do it. So I then offer to pay the extra and go to the 1GB Data plan with all of our added services so that we can finally both have data (5GB less mind you!) on both of our phones...and that is when she tells me there is no way we can have all the services we currently have if we take that new plan....they no longer offer all of these services and some of them "conflict" with the text messaging plan that is included with the new plan!

This makes no sense to me. So despite my best efforts and a half hour of time on the phone with ROGERS, I am back to the unlocked iPhone and thinking about installing an app through Cydia which lets you share your 3G connection with anyone over wifi...I guess if I am not paying for it, I may as well make sure I use that 5GB of data somehow.

Now even better

Company 2: Eastlink

Now I would like to start by saying that Eastlink has some really great people. They also have some really, really terrible people who should never speak to customers. Ever. You know who you are. Tonight we had a good one. It's not his fault that his company can't do math.

They called to offer us a new package with home phone + internet + digital cable for a considerable savings over what we pay now. The kicker? We don't currently have a home phone and we don't want one. This deal offered a home phone with a ton of features, cheap long distance calling and a battery backup at our house so that in the event of a power outage we would still have home phone, and internet. Sounds good. Except we don't want the home phone.

Now I am sure that sending someone to my house (which is included) must cost them money. Putting that phone connection and battery backup in must cost them money. Talking to me on the phone about it must cost them money. So I offer to save them a ton of money! Leave everything exactly the way it is...no home phone, no battery backup, no tech to my house to install it all....just lower my bill to the new price.

They can't do that.

I must be missing something. It seems to me that companies in their race to figure out how to attract customers with tons of features and wonderful discounts have forgotten that perhaps customers just want a good service that meets their needs at a reasonable price. Hmm, perhaps there is a market for a company that offers just that.

Fried Farts and Vinegar

First post on the new blog.

I finally decided to give blogging a try. I seem to always have lots to say, and I was ready for an alternative to facebook.

For the curious, the name of this blog comes from something my Grandmother used to say. I'd ask "nanny what's for supper?" and she would often reply, "oh I don't know, maybe fried farts and vinegar." It seemed like a pretty random and curious combination of things. I suspect this blog may well live up to that description...