Archive for Rants
October 5, 2007 at 11:56 am · Filed under Geeky, Rants
While standing in line to pay at Omar De Serres recently, I heard the cashiers asking each person, regardless of payment method, for their postal code. I found this a little odd, and un-necessarily intrusive. So when I got to the cash, and the guy asked me for my postal code I said “I don’t have to give you that, do I?” and he said “Nope” and continued with my transaction.
What is this un-necessary data collection for? At first I though it was so that they could send junk mail to known customers, but my wife pointed out that a postal code usually only targets a set of addresses, not a single dwelling. Jen thinks that it’s so they can analyze sales data per customer area, but what would be the point, and why not just asked for the first part of the postal code?
Whatever the reason, I’m pretty sure it’s not of any benefit to the customer. It slows down the transaction, making people wait longer, and it’s just another small erosion of our privacy.
If someone asks you for personal data, ask yourself “do they need that?” before giving it to them. That’s especially true in an online setting.
October 23, 2006 at 12:21 pm · Filed under Rants
Since Aidan was born we’ve been using the FuturePhoto service provided by FutureShop to store our digital photos online. Not only can we share our photos with selected friends and family, we can also order prints, calendars, mugs etc. etc.
It’s been a great service and we’ve ordered prints from it quite regularly.
Unfortunately they’ve just updated their storage policy, effectively crippling the service. Each account now has a maximum 50Mb storage capacity. That’s a pitiful amount, enough for maybe 200 images if you’re lucky. I can store more images on my camera.
I can understand imposing some kind of limit, but 50Mb? It’s pathetic. I would expect an account which regularly orders prints to have a capacity of at least 1Gb. Storage is cheap, especially when you’re a storage retailer.
I emailed them asking if it was possible to increase the limit. Here’s the response:
Unfortunately, once this storage limitation is in place, you will be unable to upload more photos once you have reached your limit.
So that’s it. Futurephoto is dead. Can anyone recommend an alternative online photo sharing site which allows selective sharing and printing in Canada?
Update: I found ShutterFly. Unlimited storage, prints to Canada, selective sharing, and they support Linux. Website seems a bit sluggish but we’ll see how it goes.
October 19, 2005 at 9:01 am · Filed under Rants
As it was raining when we pulled into Vendome train station today, I decided to get off there and take the metro.
I joined the crowd heading for the metro turnstiles and was just about to feed my pass through when there was a scream, followed by a loud bang and another scream. People in blue STM uniforms started running. I knew I wouldn’t be taking the metro today after all.
I walked up to Sherbrooke St and got to the bus stop while the line was still short. As I arrived an ambulance and police car went hurtling down towards the metro. Within minutes the line had grown to a silly size.
Three full buses went by before I finally gave up and started walking. I got as far as Atwater before another bus came along and I was able to squeeze onto it, accidentally treading on a very small japanese lady in the process.
I arrived at work at 9am, 45 minutes later than usual. I still haven’t found out exactly what happened at Vendome, but I’m trying to look on the bright side, it gave me some extra exercise and something to blog about.
October 13, 2005 at 9:06 am · Filed under Rants
The big announcement from Apple yesterday was the new iPod which has a bigger screen and can play video. My first thoughts when I saw it: mmmm Gadget. Shiny. Want one.
But I didn’t go out and buy one, partly because my wife would kill me, but mostly because I thought about it some more. Do I really want this? Is this what us gadget consumers really want? Or is it just what the DAP manufacturers are telling us we want?
There is a fundamental difference between portable audio and portable video. I can listen to music while doing most things. I can be driving, walking, running, biking, climbing, working, mowing the lawn, reading or just sitting and be listening to music at the same time. Out of all those, sitting is the only one I can really do while watching video.
If I’m sitting at home, I can watch video on my big screen TV. If I’m sitting on the train or plane, I can get out my laptop and watch video on there. The quality of any video watching experience is directly related to the size of the screen and the resolution of the image. Why would I want to sit and watch an episode of Lost (and pay for the privilege) on a screen smaller than my hand with a poor resolution when I can watch it in high definition on a big screen tv? Watching a movie on my laptop is acceptable thanks to its 17″ widescreen display, but I wouldn’t want to go much smaller than that. Even the first TV I ever had was 14″.
So why are all the DAP makers forcing portable video on us? It’s not all that innovative, and it’s not very useful. Concentrate on making portable audio better (like making iPods play OGG files!) instead.
September 7, 2005 at 9:35 am · Filed under Rants
Seeing Bush playing guitar while New Orleans was sinking reminded me and others of Nero fiddling (well ok, playing his lyre) while Rome burned. The comparison can be extended by the fact that Nero was reportedly vacationing in his native Anzio when the fire started, just as Bush was vacationing on his Texas ranch.
The comparison ends there though, because Nero rushed to return to Rome and played his lyre while fully aware of the devastation happening in front of him. Bush was playing his guitar many miles away at a fundraising party, apparently completely oblivious to the devastation occuring in the neighbouring state, and didn’t cut short his vacation until two days later.
Nero is also said to have opened his palaces to provide shelter for the homeless and arranged for food supplies to be delivered in order to prevent starvation among the survivors. Bush and his administration were denying aid from many sources and struggling to offer much of their own.
Nero was finally deposed. Let’s hope that’s another comparison we can make.
June 29, 2005 at 7:51 am · Filed under Rants
In Canada you can choose to marry whoever you want.
In Canada it is ok to use marijuana to ease your pain and suffering.
In Canada contraception is ok, whatever form it takes.
In Canada you can burn the flag if you want.
In Canada it is understood that sometimes abortion is necessary.
In Canada torture is a violation of human rights. Always. The end does not justify the means.
In Canada you can be an atheist and still be considered a citizen.
In Canada law is secular and religious freedom is guaranteed within that law.
In Canada you can’t have your home taken away for a shopping mall.
In Canada you can take books from the library without fear of persecution.
In Canada the authorities need to have probable cause and a warrant before searching your home.
So I’m confused; which country is the Land Of The Free again?
June 23, 2005 at 12:14 pm · Filed under Rants
So the Rotary Club of Chatham, New Brunswick decided to raise some money for a new eco-centre, a place for “promoting education and environmental awareness”. They put their heads together to find an appropriate fund-raising idea, and came up with this. We’re promoting an eco-centre, let’s give away a Hummer!
Idiots. I’m guessing one of the smiling faces in that photo owns a Hummer dealership.
June 2, 2005 at 10:45 am · Filed under Rants
Summer sunshine brings with it a craving for cold beer straight from the bottle. Any meal is enhanced by a glass of good red wine (well ok, except breakfast). A night out at one of Montreal’s Irish pubs isn’t complete without a pint of Guinness or oatmeal stout. There’s something incredibly satisfying about ending the day with a glass of single malt whiskey if I’m feeling flush, or shine if I’m feeling poor.
Yes, I enjoy alcohol. I’m also happy to say I’ve never had a problem with it. I drank a lot in my late teens and early twenties, but thats just what boys living in Essex do. Nowadays I drink in moderation. I can’t remember the last time I was drunk. I never drink and drive. Drinking doesn’t make me abusive or obnoxious. I don’t “need” alcohol, I just like it.
Drinking in moderation has been shown to lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, be good for the heart and reduce the risk of stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, kidney stones, gallstones, arthritis, stress and depression.
On the other hand, alcohol abuse kills thousands of people every year and causes problems for millions more. Long term abuse increases the chances of getting breast, mouth or throat cancer as well as destroying your liver.
I wondered if there was a proper definition of “drinking in moderation”. The generally accepted opinion seems to be two drinks a day for men, or one drink a day for women. A drink being 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of spirits. I fall well below that level as I don’t drink at all on most days and rarely have more than two when I do. Oh and not drinking for 10 days then having 20 beers in one night is not good. It doesn’t quite work like that.
All this typing has made me thirsty…
May 18, 2005 at 8:16 am · Filed under Rants
Whether you think Belinda Stronach was right or wrong to defect from the Conservative party to the Liberals, surely she deserves the same amount of respect as any male politician?
With her ex-fellow conservatives calling her an attractive dipstick
, a whore
and a prostitute
and the National Post referring to her decision as a Blonde Bombshell
I start to wonder if it’s possible for women to be taken seriously in Canadian politics.
May 9, 2005 at 11:38 am · Filed under Rants, Skepticism
This article about a rubella outbreak, says:
Health authorities believe the outbreak started at Rehoboth Christian School in Norwich, where about 60 per cent of students are not vaccinated, most for religious reasons.
If only there was a religion vaccine…
May 4, 2005 at 10:27 am · Filed under Rants, Skepticism
This article reports on a 14 year old BC girl who was refusing blood transfusions on religious grounds. She’s a Jehovah’s Witness. Two judges have ruled that she is too young to make that decision so she must have the transfusions.
I’m in two minds about the decision. I’m a firm believer in individual rights and individual choice. If she really doesn’t want transfusions then she should be able to choose that option. It has to be an educated choice though, so I hope that someone other than her fellow JWs has sat her down and explained everything to her. Sadly, JWs aren’t allowed to associate with non-JWs, so even talking to a doctor about her options is against the rules and could have her disfellowed.
This article spurred me into examining some of the JW beliefs. They may seem harmless enough, but they are actually quite an insidious organisation. They control their members through guilt and fear. Members are actively encouraged to turn each other in for rule violations. Violations can be anything from smoking to reading religious material not published by JW. An unrepentant follower can be shunned and disowned by his fellow JWs.
That kind of environment can only result in massive indoctrination for anyone growing up in it. That 14 year old girl, and others like her, have effectively been completely brainwashed. They are under complete control by their cult and that control must be incredibly difficult to break.
So what about the blood thing? The JWs most controversial rule is based on a few lines from the bible which state that we should not eat blood. Back in the ’60s the JW ruling based on these scriptural references was that blood transfusions, organ transplants and vaccinations were not allowed. Since then the rule has been relaxed to the point now where everything up to partial plasma blood transfusions is allowed. Nobody has managed to explain why it’s ok to receive partial plasma but it’s not ok to receive full plasma.
Science tells us that a blood transfusion provides no nourishment. The blood is not digested by the body. So how does a blood transfusion break the scriptural rule that we may not eat blood? That’s another question the governing body of JW has failed to answer. This site has all the information you need on the blood transfusion controversy.
Featured on the cover of an Awake! magazine from 1994 are the photos of 26 children, ages varying up to 17 years, with the caption: “Youths Who Put God First.” Inside the magazine proclaims: “In former times thousands of youths died for putting God first. They are still doing it, only today the drama is played out in hospitals and courtrooms, with blood transfusions the issue.”. The main article, ‘Youths Who Have “Power Beyond What Is Normal”‘ tells the stories of three of these children who died after refusing blood treatment. This to me is a callous disregard for human life. The magazine is treating these children as martyrs when in fact they are innocent victims of a cult of guilt and fear.
Should religious freedom stretch this far? Should an organised religion be allowed to endanger the lives of it’s followers? Barbaric practices like the hindu sutee (widows being burned alive on their husband’s funeral pyre) have been outlawed for many years, so banning a dangerous religious practice would not be setting any precedents. Telling people to refuse blood transfusions is life threatening. It should not be allowed.
April 2, 2005 at 3:58 pm · Filed under Rants
After fifteen years in a permanent vegetative state, some old curmudgeon was finally allowed to die today in Italy.
I had a quick look around to see who could take over his job (which always seemed to involve waving feebly and mumbling, but I digress). Here are my nominations for the next person to wear the silly hat:
Rosie O’Donnell (she looks good in a hat, and knows how to wave)
Will Smith (the Vatican needs some black attitude)
Martin Scorcese (Last Temptation might count against him though)
Sylvester Stallone (He can mumble!)
Arnold Schwarzenegger (body builder, actor, governor, pope, the perfect progression)
March 18, 2005 at 1:27 pm · Filed under Rants
I’m sick. Blah. I hate colds. Instead of listening to me whine, head over to Jen’s place and help her fight for marital equality in Canada.
February 25, 2005 at 11:30 am · Filed under Rants
Why is it so hard for companies to make websites that work?
Two examples:
Jen and I have Air Miles cards. I wanted to go online to see how many air miles we’ve managed to collect (my guess is about 7, but you never know, it could be more). So I went to the Air Miles website. It asked me for a PIN (oh yeah, and asking for a PIN number is redundant). I didn’t have a PIN. There was a handy link to get a PIN, so I went there, filled in all my details, and it gave me a PIN. Perfect. I tried to sign in with my PIN and it took me straight to the get a new PIN page. Out of desperation I filled in all my details again and it gave me a new PIN. I tried to sign in again and exactly the same thing happened. Time to send in a complaint. I headed straight for the Contact Us link, and discovered there was no email address, just a comment form. I entered my details and a long and politely insistent complaint, then pressed the submit button. We’re sorry, an error has occurred and your email could not be sent.
Over at Videotron, I wanted to change our channels to get rid of a few we never watch. Now first of all I have to say that Videotron’s website has some neat stuff on it which has been very useful in the past. This time it was too frustrating though. After hunting through various menus I finally found the list of the channels we currently subscribe to. After more searching I found an option to change our subscribed channels. After going through several pages of options, unclicking the channels we no longer want, I finally got to the last submit button and gleefully hit it. We’re sorry your request could not be completed, please contact a customer service representative.
If you’re going to put fancy features on your website, make sure they work. If there’s a chance that your email form might break, publish an email address so people can use their fully functional email clients. If it’s not possible for me to do something online, tell me before I jump through hoops trying. If you have a content-rich website, make it easy to navigate! Why are these things so hard to understand?
February 24, 2005 at 10:48 am · Filed under Rants
I had to have a blood test yesterday, which doesn’t bother me at all. What terrified me more was the prospect of making small talk with the nurse while she bled me dry. The conversation took a bizarre twist so I thought I would share it:
Nurse: So where are you from?
Me: Originally? England.
Nurse: Oh I thought so, you sound like Johnny Depp in Neverland.
Me: Uh, ok.
Nurse: Have you seen it? It’s really good.
Me: No, I like his movies though.
Nurse: Oh yeah, did you see Edward Scissorhands, that one was weird.
Me: Yeah, I like weird.
Nurse: Really? What about that one with Michael Keaton, uhh, Beetlejuice? That one was too weird!
Me: Oh I liked it a lot.
Nurse: Oh no it was too weird for me. Oh and Star Wars…
This is where I wanted to leave, but she still had a needle in my arm, an obvious and cunning ploy to have a captive audience.
Nurse: When I was a teenager I went to see Star Wars with my boyfriend, and he couldn’t understand why I didn’t like it. I just kept waiting for the normal people to show up. Like you know that bit in the bar with all those weird people? I just wanted to give them all makeovers!
If I wasn’t feeling slightly faint from lack of blood I may have punched her at that point. Instead I gritted my teeth, chuckled politely and restrained myself from yelling Cantina! It was a Cantina! And they were ALIENS!!
in her face.
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