Thursday 29 October 2009
Tuesday 27 October 2009
Only in America
This guy's arguments have more holes than Swiss cheese. He actually tries to suggest that insider trading be legalized. Among his myriad of reasons: "The average investor is already at a disadvantage." What the--? It's akin to suggesting that robbery of the mentally handicapped should be legal.
I think beating the arrogant to a pulp should be legalized. Think of the last idiotic thing you heard some moron say. Now, imagine beating the snot out of him/her. Wouldn't you love for the law to be on your side? Judge: "Plaintiff is a moron--my ruling is for the defendant."
The Story/video interview.
I think beating the arrogant to a pulp should be legalized. Think of the last idiotic thing you heard some moron say. Now, imagine beating the snot out of him/her. Wouldn't you love for the law to be on your side? Judge: "Plaintiff is a moron--my ruling is for the defendant."
The Story/video interview.
Wednesday 21 October 2009
Deep, philosophical question
Why do I have to pay for unlimited TV watching if I only watch a few hours per month? Why isn't all TV programming "pay per view"? It's like driving your car 100 miles per month but paying for as much gas as if you drove it 24/7. WTF? Why aren't there the multitude of packages and options that we see for phone (land or mobile) service? I mean besides the fact it would be more fair and provide less profit for our overlords. It's like having to buy a public transit monthly pass when you only need to travel once per week. WTF? It's like wanting a coffee and doughnut but every restaurant forces you to pay $20 for all-you can-eat. WTF? Feel free to post your own analogy in the "Comments" section. And don't forget to tack on "WTF?" on the end.
Monday 19 October 2009
The future is here
DETROIT (AP) — Police in California say General Motors’ OnStar communications system stopped a dangerous high-speed chase and helped them capture a carjacking suspect by disabling a stolen sport utility vehicle.
Police say it all began about 3 a.m. when a 21-year-old man used a sawed-off shotgun to take a Chevrolet Tahoe from two men in a parking lot.Police contacted OnStar, which found the Tahoe by using a global positioning system. Two officers spotted the SUV but the driver sped off. That’s when OnStar operators sent a signal that slowed the Tahoe to a halt.
The surprised thief ran off but was quickly captured when he fell into a backyard swimming pool.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How long before every car is equipped with such a system?
Will car thieves be permanently put out of business?
What will they resort to, instead?
Friday 16 October 2009
Q ands A's from around the web
Is sex is important in a relationship....For pre-marital sex????affirmative side...?
It's not as important as being able to communicate your thoughts clearly. WTF are you blabbering about?
It's not as important as being able to communicate your thoughts clearly. WTF are you blabbering about?
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Rogers--the saga ends
In the interest of not boring you to death, I'll write the Readers Digest version of this personal story. I wrote the previous sentence before having written the story. Let me apologize ahead of time for the length of this sordid tale.
Last year, bugs in the log-in process for my cable TV provider's website prevented me from getting in to view my account. I used to log in monthly to make sure I knew the right amount to pay since I had signed up for paperless billing. At the time, I felt I did the right thing for the environment, myself and Rogers Cable.
Anyway, I called them up to report the problem and they assured me they would fix it and that I should try it again in 30 minutes...which I did...and which they didn't. Various permutations of this scenario repeated itself from every few days to every few weeks between myself and a different customer service rep for the next three months or so.
On my next call I angrily told the agent that I was tired of repeating my story without results and demanded to speak to a manager. Rather than apologizing to me, the agent instead raised his voice to me saying that if I wanted him to help me, I need to tell him what the issue was. I told him again that I wanted to speak to his manager. He gave me an ultimatum:"Do you want my help or not?" I was equally adamant in my demand: "I want to speak to your manager". The next thing I know, the phone went dead. The S-O-B actually had the gall to hang up on me.
I sat there incredulous for a few minutes collecting my thoughts. I vowed then that I would terminate my service with this company--a company I had given my business to for some 25 years. Unfortunately, since then, I have been unable to find a suitable replacement. However...
Recently, I was talking to someone I know who works at Rogers who told me that it is well known within the company that their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. He gave me the name and e-mail address of someone newly appointed to deal with dissatisfied customers. I immediately sent out an e-mail and basically relayed my disgust about how I was treated and that I intend to terminate my TV service because of it.
That was last Thursday. Late this afternoon (Tuesday), there was still no response. I phoned Rogers to follow through on my promise. Of course, I was asked why I decided to cancel. I said "Frankly, your customer service sucks". At his urging, I repeated one last time the sordid story. He genuinely seemed appalled.
He proceeded to profusely alternate between apologizing and making offerings of discounts and free hardware. I refused his "trinkets" and told him that if others in his company that I had dealt with were as cordial and understanding of the value of a good and loyal customer, neither his company nor I would find ourselves in the current situation.
The kicker, and the word is very appropriate since it really is Rogers last kick at me, is that their policy is that the service is not terminated for 30 days from the date of cancellation. As mind-boggling as it seems to me that they can get away with such a ludicrous thing, I didn't even bother to argue the point.
Sooo, I will be sans TV service one month from now. I'm sure I will miss it--after all, I've been an addict since I was a small child. But, like going cold turkey on any addiction, the pain will ease over time, and I expect a full recovery. And I wish nothing but the...worst for the longtime supplier of my "fix".
Goodbye and good riddance to bad rubbish.
Last year, bugs in the log-in process for my cable TV provider's website prevented me from getting in to view my account. I used to log in monthly to make sure I knew the right amount to pay since I had signed up for paperless billing. At the time, I felt I did the right thing for the environment, myself and Rogers Cable.
Anyway, I called them up to report the problem and they assured me they would fix it and that I should try it again in 30 minutes...which I did...and which they didn't. Various permutations of this scenario repeated itself from every few days to every few weeks between myself and a different customer service rep for the next three months or so.
On my next call I angrily told the agent that I was tired of repeating my story without results and demanded to speak to a manager. Rather than apologizing to me, the agent instead raised his voice to me saying that if I wanted him to help me, I need to tell him what the issue was. I told him again that I wanted to speak to his manager. He gave me an ultimatum:"Do you want my help or not?" I was equally adamant in my demand: "I want to speak to your manager". The next thing I know, the phone went dead. The S-O-B actually had the gall to hang up on me.
I sat there incredulous for a few minutes collecting my thoughts. I vowed then that I would terminate my service with this company--a company I had given my business to for some 25 years. Unfortunately, since then, I have been unable to find a suitable replacement. However...
Recently, I was talking to someone I know who works at Rogers who told me that it is well known within the company that their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. He gave me the name and e-mail address of someone newly appointed to deal with dissatisfied customers. I immediately sent out an e-mail and basically relayed my disgust about how I was treated and that I intend to terminate my TV service because of it.
That was last Thursday. Late this afternoon (Tuesday), there was still no response. I phoned Rogers to follow through on my promise. Of course, I was asked why I decided to cancel. I said "Frankly, your customer service sucks". At his urging, I repeated one last time the sordid story. He genuinely seemed appalled.
He proceeded to profusely alternate between apologizing and making offerings of discounts and free hardware. I refused his "trinkets" and told him that if others in his company that I had dealt with were as cordial and understanding of the value of a good and loyal customer, neither his company nor I would find ourselves in the current situation.
The kicker, and the word is very appropriate since it really is Rogers last kick at me, is that their policy is that the service is not terminated for 30 days from the date of cancellation. As mind-boggling as it seems to me that they can get away with such a ludicrous thing, I didn't even bother to argue the point.
Sooo, I will be sans TV service one month from now. I'm sure I will miss it--after all, I've been an addict since I was a small child. But, like going cold turkey on any addiction, the pain will ease over time, and I expect a full recovery. And I wish nothing but the...worst for the longtime supplier of my "fix".
Goodbye and good riddance to bad rubbish.
Friday 9 October 2009
Here kitty, kitty...
CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – A man suffered injuries to his arms after he and a friend hopped the fence at a Canadian zoo early on Monday and stuck his hands into the tiger exhibit, zoo officials said.
Calgary Zoo said the two men sneaked into the facility after midnight and headed to the Siberian tiger enclosure, where one of the men climbed over an outer fence."He did not enter the exhibit, but did come into contact with one of the tigers and sustained significant injuries to his arms," the zoo said in a statement.
Alerted to the situation, security guards took the alleged intruders to their office, where the injured man was treated before being rushed to hospital.
Police are investigating.
Monday 5 October 2009
Focus, people!
I have seen a lot of strange things in my time. And I have seen a lot of stupid people in my time. But what I witnessed today was one of the strangest and stupidest things I have ever seen a person do.
It has always irritated me when drivers are too ignorant, lazy, stupid, careless or in too much of a hurry to slow down and pull over when an emergency vehicle is blaring its siren for people to get out of the way. Virtually every time there is such an emergency, there are drivers who blatantly disregard the fact that their failure to give way could mean someone loses their life.
On this day, I was approaching the street (as a pedestrian) when I heard a nearby siren. I looked in the direction of the sound and watched an ambulance slowly cross against a red light. As it approached a second traffic light very near me, the light turned red. It stopped at the intersection with its siren blaring away, waiting to make sure the way was clear to proceed. Simultaneously, a teen-aged school girl stepped off the sidewalk perpendicular to the ambulance across the street. All cars and pedestrians had stopped and looked on at the scene unfolding.
The girl nonchalantly strolled across the street seemingly oblivious to the blaring siren and flashing lights of the ambulance stopped not 30 feet away. She did not stop and signal for the ambulance to pass. She did not quicken her pace so as not to delay the ambulance further. In fact, she did not even look up at the ambulance. What she did do, and I imagine it was because she felt all eyes were on her and she was feeling self conscious, was raise a hand to her hair and lightly brush it aside. It was so surreal that it seemed I was having a dream.
As she reached the opposite side and the ambulance finally started on its way again, I wanted to rush up to her and scream "WAKE UP, YOU MORON!"
Here's a visual aid of the scene:
It has always irritated me when drivers are too ignorant, lazy, stupid, careless or in too much of a hurry to slow down and pull over when an emergency vehicle is blaring its siren for people to get out of the way. Virtually every time there is such an emergency, there are drivers who blatantly disregard the fact that their failure to give way could mean someone loses their life.
On this day, I was approaching the street (as a pedestrian) when I heard a nearby siren. I looked in the direction of the sound and watched an ambulance slowly cross against a red light. As it approached a second traffic light very near me, the light turned red. It stopped at the intersection with its siren blaring away, waiting to make sure the way was clear to proceed. Simultaneously, a teen-aged school girl stepped off the sidewalk perpendicular to the ambulance across the street. All cars and pedestrians had stopped and looked on at the scene unfolding.
The girl nonchalantly strolled across the street seemingly oblivious to the blaring siren and flashing lights of the ambulance stopped not 30 feet away. She did not stop and signal for the ambulance to pass. She did not quicken her pace so as not to delay the ambulance further. In fact, she did not even look up at the ambulance. What she did do, and I imagine it was because she felt all eyes were on her and she was feeling self conscious, was raise a hand to her hair and lightly brush it aside. It was so surreal that it seemed I was having a dream.
As she reached the opposite side and the ambulance finally started on its way again, I wanted to rush up to her and scream "WAKE UP, YOU MORON!"
Here's a visual aid of the scene:
Sunday 4 October 2009
Dubai development
If you haven't seen or heard about what's going on in the city of Dubai, you may want to strap yourself in for this. Rather than bore you with mere words on your screen, let me show you a few mind-blowing images followed by a breathtaking video that will introduce you to the waterfront development of that already spectacular city. You can easily find out more details if you're interested.
Here are a series of images showing just one development featuring man-made islands on the Dubai coastline:
Here are a series of images showing just one development featuring man-made islands on the Dubai coastline:
Thursday 1 October 2009
I'm ok
Apparently, the following TV commercial aired during the 2009 Super Bowl last January, but I saw it for the first time just now. It struck me as very true to life, with a little artistic exaggeration for effect. I hope it makes you grin like I did. Ladies, this is a peek into the male psyche. Enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)