Verbal Fluidity

Bell Customer Service Doesn't Help the CUSTOMER

2019-02-19T17:10:00.000-04:00

Bell Mobility is infamous for its lack of customer service. I’m sorry to say that this tale will not be one that change your view.

To start, we have had Bell for about a year now, and the phones are great, the Cellular Service is great, but the customer service is sadly lacking, is unhelpful, and extremely rigid to the contract details. My issue is with the security deposit I had to pay. Here is my story.

In February of 2018 we began service with Bell Mobility. We got 4 Iphones, 85.00 plans on each one, and a 75.00 shared Data plan. Because I got 4 phones, I had to pay a 200.00 deposit on two of the phones, 400.00 in all. I was told by the salesman that the deposit would be refunded after 6 months. Provided the service was still active. Cool. So we left the store happy.

Fast forward to September of 2018. 7 months have passed by, and I call to inquire about my deposit. The person on the phone tells me that the deposit cannot be return because I haven’t met the criteria. I was a bit surprised, it had been 7 months afterall. So they proceed to tell me, the criteria are six consecutive monthly bill payments in full and on time to have the deposit refunded.

I told the service rep that I was misinformed, but they indicated there were no exceptions. So, what this means is, if you miss one payment, or don’t pay the entire bill on time, the 6 month counter resets. Forget about life or anything that may happen, you gotta pay that bill on time and in full if you want your deposit back.

Now don’t get me wrong, I understand there are rules, contracts etc, but there needs to be room for customer service, and satisfying the customer. For whatever reason, this policy is carved in stone.

Let’s jump ahead to February of 2019. Last week I called them to inquire again. It has been one year, and my contract is half up. We’ve proven that we are solid customers by now. I speak with a supervisor this time, and he tells me, nope. Not gonna do it. I told him that this rule was far too rigid, and if they couldn’t help me, I would cancel my service at the end of the contract and get my 400.00 back that way. One way or the other I would get it, so I asked him if it made sense to lose a customer who pays 6000.00 per year for a 400.00 security deposit I would get back at the end of the contract when I cancelled. (I did verify in the T&C that I would get it back on cancellation). He said he could not help and would create a feedback to the executives on the policy. I asked to escalate above him, and he refused, stating he was the highest I could go.

So, I left that call feeling let down. They obviously don’t care about the person, or seemingly the money. Just the rigidity of the rule. I would be willing to renew for 2 more years at the end of my contract, as most do, but now they are likely going to lose about 12K in revenue they would gain from me if I signed up for another 2 years. I guess 12K is nothing to them.

So fast forward to today. I get a call from Bell, or some subsidiary, to get my feedback on how I feel my service was so far. I’m pretty sure I laughed out loud. I told the person on the phone the shortened version of this story, and they said….. wait for it….. They would send Feedback about my issue.

I don’t know that I have ever felt so unimportant as a person in my entire life. I have worked in customer for 20+ years, and I have never seen anything quite like this.

If anyone out there is considering Bell Mobility, and you want great cell service, then go for it. If you are looking for compassion and logic…..you won’t find it with them.

Will I continue my service? If I don’t get some resolution for this, likely not. I can’t deal with a company that has no willingness to treat me as a person. So in one year, I’ll be looking for suggestions for a new wireless carrier.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Here a Racist, There a Racist, Everywhere a Racist

2017-10-06T13:24:00.002-03:00

Warning, if you are easily offended or have issue with me speaking my mind, or dislike colorful language, turn back now.

My Rant today is about this article:

(Click for Article)

I read this article and had to pause. Are these people fucking insane?

Reparations...

For slavery in the 16th to 19th centuries?

ummmm.... what?

Based on the article, slavery was abolished in 1834 in Canada.

Are there a lot of 183+ year old people running around in Canada? Because those would be the only one that I think had any right to any reparations.

The article goes on to say that it wasn't until the 20th Century that they could consider themselves citizens, or free people. I can agree with that, but the 20th Century began nearly 118 years ago, and it’s unlikely that any one 118+ years old are running around either.

There are notes in the article stating that a formal apology would be a good step. Allow me to be the first to offer it to Lynn Jones....

I'm sorry you're delusional and bat shit crazy.

I know this is a harsh statement, but I can't fathom how anyone thinks this is a good idea. But in the interest of fairness, and cultural evolution, if they can produce someone who was an actual slave up to and including the year 1900, I will personally bake them a cake, and beg sincerely for their forgiveness.

I would like to offer now, that this article is proof that racism still exists. I would also like to add that people like Lynn Jones would have you believe that it is a one-way street, and that white people are the supreme oppressor. Whether this is her actual view, or she chooses to spin it as such, she needs to wake the fuck up.

I won't say racism doesn't exist, but I refuse to allow others to say, or believe, that it is a one-way street. Many people of color use that to their advantage daily. They know that people don't want to be labeled as "Racist" so they can play the race card to get what they want, without reprisal, or any issue. Not everyone does this, but I can assure you some do. If I went into a store that was run by a person of color, and was legitimately treated unfairly due to my race, do you think my complaint would have any value to anyone?

I would hope it would, but I won't be holding my breath to find out.

Many people, places and companies go the extra mile to accommodate people of color. Frankly I'm glad they do, but there are some instances where this should, and can be viewed as racist. I'll use Nova Scotia Power as an example.

NSP has 10 Scholarships that they offer for advanced education. Of these 10, Caucasians are eligible for 8. Visible Minority groups are eligible for 9, and one is reserved specifically for Mi'kmaq students. The Nova Scotia Power Employment Equity Scholarship specifically states Visible Minorities in Canada are defined under the Employment Equity Act as: “persons other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in color". So this excludes a race based on its color, or lack thereof.

Excluding someone based on their race...sounds Racist to me. No one really says anything about it. Would they if we excluded a race of color from one of the other scholarships?

you bet your ass they would.

People have this misconceived notion that if it doesn't specifically indicate a race of color that they are summarily excluded. They are wrong.

I don't want to get a lot into this racist point, because I could go on Ad nauseam. I do want to speak to one final point, and that was the one statement:

"We know that African-Nova Scotian students are underrepresented among the students who graduate, so our dropout rates have been higher,"...."But we also attribute this to racism within the education system".

Again this was a what the fuck are they talking about moment....

I wonder if they have any real concept, or they are just being told what they want to hear. An article from the CBC in January of 2017, (Click for Article) spoke about a free course by the African Canadian Transition Program, that helps black students get a High School diploma. The program began in 2006, so you'd think, if things are as racist as suggested, that those who were "wronged" out of their High School diploma would jump, nay... LEAP at the chance to correct that wrong.

Well you'd be wrong. In 11 years, the program turned out 95 graduates. As a matter of fact, the program did not run for the last 2 years due to... you guessed it! Lack of Enrollment.

So, I ask, in all honesty, are black students being under represented in the number of graduates, or do they simple not care enough to complete their education? If it is the latter, as the enrollment numbers for the diploma program suggest, is it fair, or acceptable to scream racism where it potentially doesn't exist?

Please do not take my comments as racist. I am far from it. I have always been a fair and equitable person, but I also expect that fairness and equality to go both ways. I expect us as a culture to fight racism in both directions. I expect our politicians and people of power to not pander to claims without first checking for merit. I expect those who make these claims to be reasonable, and have a viable argument.....

You know, perhaps I want too much.

I only ask one thing of my readers. Speak up. If you disagree with me, Speak up. I'm no stranger to criticism here, but be ready to argue and have solid facts to back it up.

To those who agree with me. Same thing. Speak up. Also, be ready to argue and have solid facts to back it up.

That's my piece my friends. I hope i didn't offend too many of you, sometimes I wonder how I still have friends left. ;)

Sid Made the Right Call

2017-09-28T16:51:00.000-03:00

Alright, I did my best to stay quiet, but sadly I failed. The fault however lies with El Jones, and the decidedly racist comments that were made. Jones was very hard on Crosby, stating that he should have fell in line with other athletes and protested.

Jones also felt the need to state that Crosby and the overwhelmingly white NHL, needed little to no discussion over whether or not to visit the White House... says a great deal about "White privilege".

wait a minute... Is she calling the NHL and Crosby racist? Is that Okay?

not for me it isn't.

I couldn't make comments like the overwhelmingly Black NBA, or NFL... Why is it okay for Jones to say this about the NHL? Aren't his comments racist?

anyone?

Let me answer for you. YES.

P.K. Subban refuses to kneel. He has too much respect, and what the Flag of the US stands for. Did I mention that PK was born in Canada? A Canadian cares more about the flag,and the country than an American does.

Racial Inequality.... Do people think this started with Donald Trump? Do they think he is the first racist president?

Before Trump, say back in the 50's and 60's... there was Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson. during their presidencies, racism was rampant in the South. it wasn't until 1964 that all segregation was abolished. During this time did Jackie Robinson take a knee? did Joe Perry? I can assure you Donald Trump isn't the first so called racist president.

Furthermore, Trump called the NFL players who took a knee "son's of bitches". He was out of line, but what these seemingly intelligent players failed to realize is that they are disrespecting their country when they take a knee. If you don't like the president, then do something that insults him, not the country you live in, and supposedly hold above all else. I fear the pomp and circumstance that is Trump is all these people can see.

Should Sid and the Pens go to the White House? Well let's look at the history....

The tradition of sports teams visiting the White House dates back to near or around Aug. 30, 1865, when President Andrew Johnson welcomed the Brooklyn Atlantics and Washington Nationals amateur baseball clubs. Ulysses S. Grant played host to the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, in 1869. The first World Series championship team at the White House is believed to be the 1924 Washington Senators, who visited Calvin Coolidge at the executive residence the following year.

More importantly, the Pittsburgh Penguins were the first NHL team invited under George W Bush in 1991. So there is a long standing tradition of this happening. I don't want to spend a lot of time speaking of the fact that Trump may be the worst president ever, or that he WAS elected, but these are also factors.

Back to my original thought, I dislike El Jones, or anyone else for that matter, making issues into race issues, when they don't need to be. Is the NHL predominately white? Sure it is. Is the NBA predominantly black? Sure it is. 70% to 30 % to be precise. The NHL is admittedly a bit more skewed, at 93% white, and 7% Black. According to the NBA 2016 Score card, 74.3 % of players were Black, and 18.3 were white. The other 7.4 % were indicated as people of color.

So if El Jones can elude that the NHL is racist, can I do the same for the NFL or NBA? I'll save you the thought, I wouldn't. I don't feel that the NBA or NFL discourage white people from playing, and I don't think the NHL discourages black people. If El Jones needs a soap box to stand on, I'll happily make one, but I certainly hope the reason for the soap box is a real one.

Being invited to visit the White House is a time honored Tradition, and an honor. If you don't like the Administration, well that's fine. But make no mistake, it is an honor, regardless of who meets you at the door.

I am not a racist person, and I try hard to ensure that I stay that way. The treatment of Sidney Crosby and this issue, to me, feels racist. They are saying he is racist white boy, and the team by proxy, is a bunch of racist white boys. They are racist because they take an opportunity to visit an institution that wants to honor them... Not for being racist, but for being CHAMPIONS.

I hate these racism topics to tell the truth. I have so much I want to say, so much that bothers many people, but if the world thinks that Sidney Crosby is a racist for going to the damn White House, then I wouldn't stand a chance....

I want everyone to remember something that oft seems to be forgotten. Racism is a 2 way street. and in this world today, though many won't admit it, there are people of ALL races that are often prejudiced against another.

So let's try to be good to one another, instead of looking for reasons to hate. If we continue to hate, we give those who wish to keep racism alive and well, the fuel they need.

Racing ends... Friends forever ?

2017-08-30T18:27:00.000-03:00

Here we are true believers! It’s just rolling around to September, and there are only 3 more Fridays left of racing. The Sign Crew (as we have become affectionally known) has had quite a year. We started out with 2 signs, and at the end of this season we are pushing 16. We’ve cheered, we’ve even booed, and we’ve had a fantastic time. We feel a level of sadness as we approach September 15^th, and the final race of the year. We had so much fun. We were lucky to be included in several pictures by McCarthy Photographic for Fanfest, we were lucky to make friends with incredible individuals like Tim Terry, Pat Healey, Richard and Paige Drake, Megan Parrott, Rob Bowness and Rick Sellars, to name a few. We took in our first Pro Stock race this year, and were part of the first ever Scotia Speedworld antique car show and food truck rally. Adora was featured on the Kiddy ride night promo in this year’s program, and she was also featured in the Enfield Weekly Press for our time spent at the food truck rally and car show.

To say we had a hell of a time would be an understatement. We greatly enjoyed our time, and the racing was great. We did our best to make the staff and racers know we appreciate them. The Sign Crew has also gotten a fair back in return. Though we were not looking for such, we have been humbled and blessed by a few key things. Like Tim Terry asking me every night how the sound is down in front, and doing all he can to include our little rag tag group of misfits in his commentary. Pat Healey making a point to come down and autograph his Twitter Guy sign, and snap a few pics. How about when Drew MacEachern posted video of him doing shout outs to the Sign Crew from inside the car? That was amazing, and such a cool thing. On the night we debuted the Richard Drake sign, he took first place, and made a point to giving us a personal shout out in his victory speech, and then did it again 2 weeks later, welcoming us back when he had to miss a week. Or even Megan Parrott coming to tell Adora how much she loved her sign, and becoming an instant role model? It wasn’t terribly clear prior to that moment, but soon after it was clear, Adora wanted to race.

These are just a few key moments, really, I couldn’t relay them all to you, there are just so many. Most of you know that this all started with a few signs for Brentley Pirri, and he remains the top choice for Kiddie Ride night, and will always be the racer that started it all.

I’ve watched our band of misfits grow over the year, the kids in size, and all of us in relationship to one another. Erin coined a phrase early in the year…. “Track Time is Family Time”. This couldn’t be more true. For the six of us that go every week, to the guest stars that come from time to time, a good time is had by everyone. There are no difficulties, no judgments, just racing and family time.

So with the season drawing to a close, I don’t know what the next 8 months of Fridays holds for us, but I can say whatever it is, we will do it as a family, and will counting the days till May 2018. Next spring may hold a lot more excitement than this past year, as we hope to be able to have Adora (and maybe even me) race go-karts next year. Nothing for sure yet, but keep an eye out.

Two members of the crew, (myself and Erin) will be showing one final sign on September 15^th. I can’t give anything away, but you won’t want to miss it, so stay tuned to social media on the 15^th.

So in closing, I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone at Scotia Speedworld, racers, staff and fans alike, for letting us enjoy the season with you, and we look forward to seeing you all in May.

I will borrow my parting words from the Voice of Scotia Speedworld, the Voice of The Parts for Trucks Prostock tour and the League of Legends Tour, Tim Terry…..

“Keep the Hammer Down… and We’ll see you at the Track”.

Eddy, I got your back

2017-07-17T11:31:00.000-03:00

So even after a peaceful protest, where the city aided in covering up the Edward Cornwallis statue, people still felt the need to graffiti the statue. I'm not surprised. This is typically how bullies get what they want.

Yes I called the Mi'kmaq bullies. What else would you call it ? They are attempting to force the city, by way of scare tactics and childish behaviour, to remove the statue. Sounds like a bully to me.

They say he participated in genocide. This is stretching it. He was at war with the French, whom the Mi'kmaq were aligned with. The Mi'kmaq also were killing a lot of British soldiers, does that mean they were also participating in genocide? They were offered money for British scalps... did they not bring in any? I suspect a few were gathered. As an English descendant, should this offend me? Should I be protesting the Glooscap statue in Millbrook?

Our province has always been more than gracious to the Mi'kmaq people. The province has acknowledged the fact they were here before everyone else. We still have Mi'kmaq names for a lot of areas in our province. Very few things carry the Cornwallis name anymore. The whitewashing of history needs to stop.

Cornwallis actually attempted to create peace. The Mi'kmaq refused. Though both parties were equally guilty in the killing and slaughtering of each other's people, Cornwallis is made out to be villainous.

There are many European descendants that live in Halifax. While I'm sure most of them don't agree with killing and hostile takeovers, they are happy that Cornwallis settled the area we call home. Would we have this great city we do today if he hadn't ?

How many of those protesting live in Halifax ? How many use the city on a daily basis. Don't want to point fingers, but that seems highly hypocritical.

We don't always agree with things that happened in history, but we shouldn't try to erase it. We shouldn't ask to tear down statues of founders of cities.

We should know our history, and not try to strong arm others into thinking that we owe them something for events that happened well before they were ever thought of. The statue has stood for 86 years, also longer than many of the protestors have been alive.

Finally I'll state, there are some people, likely a large silent majority, that believe Cornwallis should be recognized for founding our great city. Some are offended by the actions and demands of the Mi'kmaq, and remain silent. To those I say, remain silent no longer. Stand up for our city, and its founder.

Leave Poor Eddy Alone.....

2017-07-13T17:04:00.000-03:00

Hello True believers! It time to get controversial, so let’s get to it.

I have heard a lot of talk recently about Edward Cornwallis, and how they want to topple his statue in downtown Halifax. It has been referred to as a "colonial Genocidal Statue". It all relates to Cornwallis, the founder of Halifax who issued a bounty on the scalps of Mi’kmaq men, women and children in retaliation for an attack on settlers. What I want to say here is, that was well over 260 years ago, and it was a time of war.

When Cornwallis arrived in Halifax, there was a long history of war in Acadia and Nova Scotia between the British and the Wabanaki Confederacy (which included the Mi'kmaq). The Wabanaki Confederacy were aligned with the French, who the British were at war with. What is interesting to note here, is that while Cornwallis offered a bounty for Mi'kmaq scalps, the French also offered a bounty to the Wabanaki for British scalps.

Did I mention they were at war? And you know what they say… All is fair in Love and War.

Here is another tidbit, the bounty was not effective. Cornwallis increased the bounty dramatically in March 1751, but this increase brought in only one scalp in the next four months. One is too many, but one has to wonder how many the Wabanaki brought in for the French….

One more point of history: after eighteen months of fighting, uncertainties and second thoughts began to disturb both the Mi'kmaq and the British communities. By the summer of 1751 Governor Cornwallis began a more appeasing policy. For more than a year, Cornwallis sought out Mi'kmaq leaders willing to negotiate a peace. On 16 February 1752, hoping to lay the groundwork for a peace treaty, he repealed his 1749 proclamation against the Wabanaki. The Peace Treaty was rejected by most of the Mi'Kmaq leaders.
Now, I don't blame them for not signing, but Cornwallis wanted peace. He wanted to end the war. It should also be said, that in the end, it was their French allies that gave their land to the British, it wasn't taken by the British.

Our first Prime Minister was a drunk, Louis Riel was considered by some as a dangerous half-insane religious fanatic, Angus L Macdonald believed in, and supported a Military draft in Canada, A Murray Mckay built a bridge on top of Africville land... the list goes on. We have not removed any of those namesakes, and plenty of people who claimed to be "wronged", still use these amenities every day.

I am not saying Cornwallis didn't do anything wrong, of course he did. So did many people, the Mi'kmaq included. He is honored for the good things he did. Most importantly he established our great city.

We do things in War we are not proud of. Both sides were scalping each other, and who knows how that went. But you cannot set aside the fact that he was the founding father of our city. Every day, hour minute, you spend in this city, enjoying all its amenities and things to do, are possible because of him.

I'm willing to bet many people didn't know the facts I stated above. I know I didn't before writing this. Many people in history have done things that didn't make them a great person at times, but Cornwallis, good or bad, did establish the city of Halifax. He should still be recognized for that. If we were to go and change names on things, or remove things that were erected for people who did bad things, it would be a full-time job. Everyone has a skeleton or two, or five.

I also take exception to our province, and country for that matter, in its horribly apologetic behaviour. Why are we apologizing for things that happened over 260 years ago? No one alive today requires an apology for this. Further to that, all of those that see to demand an apology, are more than willing to make use of the city, whose founder they abhor. Isn't that a tiny bit hypocritical? Not that I’m judging, but I’m also not asking/threatening to tear down a statue in our city’s core either.

This is all history, and good or bad, we need to accept it. Our mayor shouldn’t be apologizing, and should uphold the founder of the city for what he was recognized for. My god, if I spent this much time on things that I felt offended by, I would have to quit my job. Frankly, this topic offends me. People who were never personally wronged, but expect someone to coddle and appease them for things that happened 260 years ago, offends me.

Well now that I’m thoroughly offended, Maybe I’ll call Mike Savage and see if there is something 260 years old that I can protest and tear down. I’m offended that Prince Edward didn’t like tardiness, and irregular octagon towers offend me, so maybe I’ll protest and tear down the town clock. It’s only 214 years old, but close enough.

Just Kidding…….

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Racing to Family Fun

2017-06-26T17:42:00.001-03:00

The year was 1989. My uncle decided he wanted to race at Scotia Speedworld. At the time, there were only 2 real classes, Street Stock and Duke cars. Eventually he ended up racing both, but the street stock was the first. I helped him with everything i could. Eventually that 1979 Pontiac Lemans became a racing machine. Race night was always a big deal. the stands were full, but we sat right down in front, to the left of the starter's stand, about half way up towards turn 4. Jerry Lawrence provided the color commentary. My uncle was mildly successful, and took home a few trophies and checkered flags. It was this place in time, these memories, that made me love racing.

But like anything in life, over time it got forgotten, and the burden of work and life balance got in the way. It would be 24 years before I returned to that race track... This time with my own kids in tow.

I should back up a bit and say, that my wife and I had given thought to taking the kids to Scotia Speedworld, but it never came to fruition. Then in June of 2016, my cousin Erin decided it would be a great idea to take Julian and Adora to the track for Kiddie Night. For those who don't know what Kiddie night is, all younger kids get to go on the track, and do a lap with their favorite driver. The cars are packed full with kids and it is a great event. My kids drove with Brentley Pirri. A big significance of Brentley is that back in the days of watching my uncle race, I also watched Brentley's dad race. This felt like a full circle of life thing. (I'll refrain from doing my Lion King impression).

What happened next, and going forward, I couldn't have predicted if I tried. My kids were fully and utterly taken in by the racing. From that night on, I don't think we missed too many Friday nights for racing. But it wasn't just the racing that was awesome, the biggest and coolest part.... the kids were INVOLVED. They had their favorite racers, they cheered them on, and yes you guessed it... THEY MADE SIGNS!

Last year they just made a few signs for Brentley, and they were cool. Staring for the 2017 season, the signs took on a life of their own, and were a force to be reckoned with. the first week we have a sign for Brentley. Well this was so well received, that Tim Terry, the esteemed announcer, asked us if we could do a Danny Chisholm sign. Danny was co-hosting that night, and is a young Bandolero driver. Of course, we said we would, and we did.

That week also brought a Jason the Track Guy sign (courtesy of Erin), and a Megan Parrott sign.

People may wonder why we made the signs... It’s simple really. To show support to those that entertain us, and to show then they mean as much us, as we do to them. (And to show people how crazy we really are) The signs have been a constant form of entertainment for us, and I would think Scotia Speedworld as well. Not one Friday night goes by that Tim Terry doesn't mention them. (and of course I tweet SSW a few days before to prepare them) The creation of the signs is as much fun to us as going to the races. Jocelyn and I get involved, and the level of detail in the signs has increased. We have become known as the Sign Crew.

As I write this, we currently have signs for Brentley, Megan, Danny, Jason the Track Guy, Rob the Flag Guy and Ravishing Rick (He didn't see it yet, because last week got rained out).

In development, we have the Twitter Guy sign, (he jokingly I think requested it), a Tim Terry sign, and thoughts on a few more racers.

Something else that this has started, is a desire in my daughter. She wants to race. They have a Bandolero division that kids from age 7-16 race in. I don't know that we will ever get her there, but I will sure as heck try.

So why am I telling this long-winded story? Well I wanted to share how this event has brought our family closer together. Jocelyn, Julian, Adora and I have something we all share a love for. We create signs together, we go to the races together, we cheer together, and we have a great family time. Friday night is now our official family night, and from April to September, from 6pm to 11, you will know where to find us.

Before I leave, I can't say how important Erin was to this creation and enjoyment of our Family Race night. She was there, and made that push, and for that all 4 of us are eternally grateful. For the rest of you, if you want to experience the track, or want to come and hold signs, (we may need more recruits) come out and have a good time. I can't promise you enjoy it all, but I can say you WILL be entertained.

Peace out. and, remember our racing motto: Drive Hard, Turn left.

Things that Irked me this Week

2017-06-08T23:10:00.000-03:00

Hello my masses of adoring fans!

OK, would you believe a small group of grudging admirers ?

Ok. Fine, 2 followers that barely read and like the pictures.

I’ve decided to bring you something a bit different. I’m going to try to do this every week (TRY being the operative word) and give you a list of sorts, of things that irked me over the past week. Some of it may be controversial, but most will be me being a crusty curmudgeon. (I am getting old you know) So without further ado… and without hairdo… (it sounded funny in my head), let’s get this started.

So I recently visited one of the big box stores, we will call it Mal-Wart (I can’t afford a law suit), and I was appalled by the level of customer service I DIDN’T receive. The cashier barely spoke above a whisper, and was very monotone. It seems as if her dog may have died in her arms earlier that day. She seemed so uninterested, and seems so bored with her job, that I almost offered euthanasia. I get that we as people don’t always have the best day, but the phrase” Check your issues at the door” comes to mind. Their job is to make those who are spending their hard-earned dollars feel good about the experience. Well she got a BIG #EPICFAIL from me.

Shopping Carts and the Idiots who use them - So at the same above mentioned store, I was leaving the lot, when to my amazed eyes I see the carts in the near cart coral coming about 5 feet out into the parking lot. So, I have 2 questions here. First, are the people putting these back totally stupid? It’s EXTREMELY obvious that the coral is full. Take it to a different one or take it back inside. I bet these asshats putting the carts back in this manner, would be the first ones to complain if their car got hit by one. My 2^nd question is to the cart jockeys. I know your jobs are tough, but I must wonder how you don’t see the state of these corals long before it happens. I don’t blame the cart guys, but this is proof that Stupid is alive and well in Halifax

Sock and Sandals/Flipflops – I know this might seem obvious, but there are many people who are still wearing this combination. Wearing sock with Sandals is like cutting the front and sides out of your sneakers or shoes. The whole bloody point of sandals or flipflops is to let your feet breathe. Let’s also not forgot that these are also considered as “beach wear” or “summer wear” and meant for water, or at least in conditions where socks are a hindrance. Also, let’s not forget that the combination is truly hideous.

Well that's all for me! I hope you had a fun read, and if you did......

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Homeless by Accident or Beggar by Design?

2013-11-21T13:25:00.001-04:00

Good day True Believers!

So I want to bring a topic to the world that I usually reserve for ranting in the car to the windshield. (Yes, I talk to myself in the car, and yes I'm ok with it).

It's the topic of the Homeless. More accurately, the homeless in Halifax, and the observations I've made. This is in no way a rant/attack/hate on the homeless in general.

That being said, please enter the hazy spectacle that is my brain.........

So our fine city of Halifax. As of 2011 the population of Halifax was 390,096 and the urban area had a population of 297,943. In the city of Halifax, the 2 most popular places for homeless to hang out and ask for money is Spring Garden Rd and the Windsor Street Exchange. Let's look at SGR first shall we?

A veritable Hub of activity, SGR seems to never sleep. At any given moment the street is full of people, and also has its share of panhandlers. So with that, let's conduct a little math equation. Let's say for argument's sake, that each day from 9-5 approximately 10,000 people frequent the street. This is not unreasonable, and likely undershooting based on the fact that 20,000 people work in the downtown core, and likely many more visits from surrounding areas. So lets also hypothesize that 1% of these 10,000 feel the overwhelming urge to give a panhandler say 25 cents. Again likely undershooting on the 1%, but I'll play fair. So there are 1000 people that pony up .25. So this makes a total of 250.00. If there are 3 panhandlers on the street sharing that 250.00 that day, then they each make 83.00. "Working" 9-5 nets them a cool 10.41 per hour. Minimum wage for NS is 10.30/hr.

See what I'm getting at? The Exchange is not a lot different. And let's keep in mind, that I did low ball it a bit.

My next observation is a lot of these people (especially at the WSE) don't look homeless, or malnourished. Nor do the dogs they bring for the sympathy money.

The Following Shelters operate in Halifax

Alcare Place (Transition - Men recovering from addictions)
Alice Housing (Second and third-stage housing - abused women)
Adsum House (Adsum for Women and Children offers Emergency Shelter for Women and Children, also Adsum Court and Adsum Centre providing affordable and supportive housing)
Barry House SLSNS
Bryony House (Abused Women)
Marguerite Centre (Addiction Recovery-Women)
Metro Turning Point
Shelter for Males (16+ experiencing homelessness)
Nehiley House SLSNS Halfway house for women released from prison
Phoenix Youth Shelter (Youth)
Salvation Army (Men)
Sir Sandford Fleming House SLSNS Halfway House for men released from prison

A lot, if not most of these, provide shelter, counselling, and Rehabilitation.

It seems to me, and I could be wrong, that some, if not a lot, of these people choose homelessness to the alternatives. Why work when you can hang out and make the same money?

Again, I don't think this applies to all, but I have to wonder. I once had a guy ask for change as I was coming out of a bar. I offered him 20 cents (all I had) and he refused! He refused! I know it wasn't a lot, but still. Money is money. This type of exchange makes you wonder. How much better is he doing than what he lets on, if 20 cents isn't worth taking?

So what Am I getting at, besides my rant? What truly bugs me about this? Well, I dislike the fact that people that work hard for their money, give it away to those who won't. So the solution I present is a simple one. Want to help these people? Keep your money in your pocket. Each time you think of giving money, put it aside. Once you have 20, 50 or 100 dollars, and want to make a REAL difference, give to one of the charities above, or one in your local area. If we drop change in a beggar's hand without donating to a charity, we're acting to relieve our guilt rather than an underlying crisis of poverty.

See? Rant AND A PSA all in one :)

Best wishes my friends, and enjoy your Holidays.

No Dodge-ing the bad Customer Service

2013-10-23T11:32:00.002-03:00

So do many of you have issues with your Dodge vehicles? I bet it doesn't top my friend's issue.

Recently he took his Dodge Calibre into a local Dodge dealer for a routine Safety Inspection and oil change. The car is 7 years old, and has less than 70,000 KM. Within a few hours they contacted him, and advised that his front and rear cross members were rusted out completely. This is an amazing thing, since they are metal, and should not rust out in 7 years. The car is a 2007. There are cars 20+ years old on the road that do not have rusted crossmembers. This is an obvious defect. Well it seems the Crossmember is not the only defect. The level of customer service for Dodge/Chrysler is also defective.

Here is a pic of the crossmember

So the crossmember is defective. The Dodge dealer quoted a price to fix it, and also cited that any collateral damage as part of replacing the crosssmember would be his to pay, not the dealership. Wait.....So they are saying if we break it, then you pay for it? ARE YOU F'N kidding me? That in itself would make me lose my mind, but my friend pressed on, keeping his wits about him.

Next there was an unsolicited (by him but was by the dealer) offer from Chrsyler corporate, to cover a portion of the cost of the crossmember only. REALLY? REALLY?

Let's be realistic here. A crossmember should almost never rust out, and certainly not in 7 years, and less than 70,000 KM. This is an obvious defect. They should pay for all of it. But it gets better.

So he is referred to the district manager, but no one can seem to give him the phone number. He calls Chrysler Customer service, and they refuse to let him escalate the issue. No one seems to want to get him where he needs to go.

They keep telling him that he would be responsible for any other damages that might be caused by replacing the crossmember. They are like a broken record.

There are hundreds of sites that speak to other people that have had issues with the crossmember, but Dodge seems to ignore the fact that this seems to be an epidemic.

If the crossmember is faulty, and parts that are fine are damaged based on what the dealership does, it should not be the responsibility of the owner.

He has spent many hours on the phone, arguing with Dodge, and they have not, and seems won't, step up to assist.

Dodge has had his car for 22 days now, and there has been no resolution.

So think twice before you buy that dodge vehicle. It might end up biting you in the ass. BIG TIME.

Here's your fine.... For Bullying?

2013-10-09T13:01:00.001-03:00

Hello my true believing readers, and welcome to another episode of.... That is so Dumb!

Ok, I take part of that back, the desire is true, and the heart was there, but I don't think it was entirely thought through. Let me explain.

Coun. Linda Mosher said it’s time for the municipality to adopt an anti-bullying bylaw so police can issue tickets. Issue tickets for bullying? While I think her heart is in the right place, I don't see how this would ever be a productive measure. Bullying is a broad scope anyway, and this proposed fine will open it up even more.

How do you prove it? Unless the Officer directly sees it, the "bullying" is open to interpretation. Who's to say that two kids would lie together to get a fine for some kid they just don't like?

Maybe they could lump it in with other bylaws that rarely get enforced, like helmets for skateboarders and cyclists. Because we know how well these are enforced.

She says that "Alberta and Saskatchewan currently have anti-bullying bylaws which can actually levy a fine to the allege [bully] or also someone witnessing it and I think it’s a great idea". A fine to someone who witnessed bullying? Really? So that leaves the "Witness" with two options. Get involved and possibly get hurt, or get a ticket.

Sorry, everyone, I'm struggling here. I am failing to see where this has any merit or value. She thinks fines will make bullies think twice.... I know many skateboarders (They will remain anonymous)who have gotten fines, and still skateboard without helmets.

It still leaves the interpretation open, and it ultimately becomes an argument in court, and the best arguer wins.

Personally I think that there should be less time spent on this, and more time on better, more realistic and beneficial anti-bullying initiatives.

Malls Don't Educate.... They SELL.

2013-08-23T11:27:00.000-03:00

I have decided that we live in a world where people look for shit to complain about, and pass it off as offensive.

Enter the newest Mic Mac Mall campaign. It was a campaign geared towards back to school, and the primary demographic was young girls. Well no surprise there. Of course when it comes to back to school the young girls do the most shopping. To not gear your campaign towards them would be ludicrous. Want to know what else is ludicrous?

People calling the ads Sexist and Demeaning. Here is a shot of the ad:

So let me remind you of a few things. First, young girls like to shop. The majority anyway. SO the first panel, my favorite class? SHOP! It's a pun and a play on words. Clever actually. But let's be realistic. Have you ever overheard a conversation between two girls about what they learned in school? Maybe, but I bet you've heard a lot of clothes and shopping discussions. that is what they like. It's not sexist. The guys talk about cars, and video games. Most girls like shopping and fashion. There are exceptions of course, but ads like these aim towards the majority.

The Second panel: Also very clever. I would hazard a guess, that if you go to school, and are a teenager, you have Facebook. It is the social medium of this generation. Also, i am quite sure that if a teenage girl bought a new outfit, boots, hat, whatever, and really liked it, they would post it on social media.

Third Panel: There IS a science of mixing patterns. It's called FASHION. Are you idiot protesters saying that Fashion shouldn't be considered as a science? I wonder what all those people who go to school to study fashion would say about that?

I watched a video with people's comments, and it was tossed around that the mall was implying that girls were more interested in shopping than education, and the ad implies that girls cannot be smart. Well allow me to educate.

Now pay close attention you haters: THEY ARE A MALL. THEY ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF SELLING. They have no social or moral obligation to promote the education of children. That is the responsibility of the parents and schools.

I had a real laugh at a tweet that was mentioned "Hey @micmacmall! The 1950s called! They want their ads back!" wrote Twitter user Laurie Murray. First of all, Facebook didn't exist in 1950. Second, if you think this ad is antiquated, you need to look a bit better at the ad. It's far from it. Also, please endeavor to be a little more creative in your tweets.

Mic Mac Mall has issued an apology and is giving a donation of 5000.00 to an organization. I have an idea for the Organization.

Society for
Treatment of
Unending
Public
Idiotic
Displays

This fund will go to make sure that all the idiots who complained about the ad, will get treatment and perhaps a semi-decent head on their shoulders.

To be honest, I am offended by the attack on Mic Mac Mall. They are simply trying to run a business. They don't tell people how to run their lives, or raise their kids, so don't tell the Mall how to run their business. And if you don't like the ad, then fine. I bet they still shopped there after seeing the ad. It's not offensive, and ads will never always entice or please everyone. the trick is to hit the highest demographic. I'm no advertising genius, but I think they had it right.

I applaud Mic Mac Mall for their ad. It was clever, funny and a play on words. Well Done.

Can't say I am pleased with the retraction..... Maybe I should start my own protest for that....

Drivers ED 101

2013-06-27T16:09:00.000-03:00

Today my blog is not controversial in the normal sense, but I will not be a very nice fellow. I think however, many of you will agree with me today.

Attention all you drivers out there. YES… This means you. There are some of you out there who seem to have forgotten some of the fundamental principles of operating a motor vehicle. Allow me to re-educate you.

Lesson 1: The Mirrors.

Look to your left, then to your right. Then straight ahead and up jusssst a little. See those? Those things are called mirrors. You have these in your home, they are not new to you. They reflect whatever image is within your view. They are strategically placed on your vehicle so you can easily see around you without having to do too much effort. So why does it seems a colossal effort for you to use them? All you need is to shift your eyes!!! You’d be amazed how much you’ll see, and how less often you might be unwittingly attached to an oncoming vehicle in a collision sort of way. Trust me.

Lesson 2: Road Signs.

Ok, so I know you had to know these to pass the written test, but did you know that you need to remember these on an ongoing basis? Yeah! Crazy right?! Many drivers seem to have confused the Yield sign with a stop sign and vice versa. Just to clarify, you STOP at a stop sign, you merge at a yield. You are not to STOP at a yield sign, unless you want another car ensconced deeply in your trunk. Yields typically give you about 50 to 100 feet to merge into traffic. It’s much easier to merge, then stop and try to jump in. For those of you who seem to think a rolling stop is ok, section 133(1) of the Motor Vehicle act states failure to comply carries a fine of 169.91 for the first offence. Is that worth a 2 second savings on time?

Lesson 3: Speeders.

This one never ceases to amaze me. What the hell is the rush? I wonder if speeders know that the first offense when exceeding the posted limit by 1-15 KM/h is $227.41? Here is a little math for you. The distance on the 102 from Bayer’s Lake to Bedford is approx. 15KM. so at a rate of 100KM/hr would take approx. 9 minutes. If the speed was increased to 120 km/h the time would be 7.5 minutes. Sooooo if caught speeding during that time, as a first offense, the fine would break down to $151.60 per minute saved. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need to be anywhere that fast, that it might cost me 151.60 per minute.

Lesson 4: Signal lights.

You may know these. They are initiated by a up and down lever on the left hand side of the steering column. These are meant to alert other drivers that you are changing lanes or turning. Other drivers need to know this, as you can speak to them and tell them. None of us have telepathy. If you do not alert the other drivers in due time, you might cause an accident. Of which will be your fault, and your insurance will go up by likely thousands. A bit much for a hand gesture you could do with 1 finger. Also the fine structure is the same as the Stop sign. First, second and third will nab you 169.91, 227.41, and 342.41 respectively. So use those signals people! The wallet you save might be your own.

Lesson 5: Parking.

I’ve seen people park in the worst of places, and in parking lots in places that had no visible lines to indicate parking, but what seemed like a good idea at the time. A note as well to all the parking offenders, a triangle on the outside of a parking spot is not an indication that you can park your SUV there. It is not a spot for cars. Basic rule is, if the vehicle doesn’t fit in the lines DON’T FUCKING PARK THERE! You are only making things more difficult for others. Is that how your mother taught you to behave?

Ok, I’m through venting for today. But MAN do I feel better!!!

Till next time peeps!

Schools vs Hetero Parents. Film at 11

2013-06-13T16:03:00.000-03:00

We interupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this special rant.

Hello all. Sooooo… my latest topic is a bit controversial, and I might say some things you might not like. I want to preface this by saying I have nothing against the GLBT community. That being said…..

Ok. So Astral Drive Elementary School has decided, it what I’m sure they thought to be infinite wisdom, to dispense with the celebration of Mother’s and Father’s day, due to a complaint by a same sex couple in 2011. This has brought the president of the PTO to resign, and other parents to protest the loss of celebration of these two days.

My first question is, what are the same sex couple and the school thinking?
My second question, and more important…. Why is the same sex couple offended?

I’ll address question two first. Perhaps they are concerned that the child they have will feel left out of celebratory activities. Or perhaps they want to remove the distinction between the two parent types. Or perhaps it could just be an attempt to garner attention. I don’t really know. I had only 1 parent growing up, as did millions of others. Did our parents request that they dispense with the celebrations at school? Of course not. Why? Because it was not fair to those who could celebrate. Many kids had mothers and fathers, and of course they want to do something nice for them. As far as removing the distinction of “mother” and “father”, as long as there are same sex marriages, there will always be a mother and a father. These are roles that people are proud of, and should not be extinguished because a single couple or group of people disagree with it. The idea of not celebrating your parents, regardless of sex, is ludicrous.

Back to question one….. I can only imagine what they were thinking, but I would assume the same sex couple are feeling “left out”. Well we all get left out of things from time to time. We all can’t do everything.

As for the School, well they do what schools do best. Placate. Schools have to deal with so much cultural and family differences, that they simple comply with most requests made, as to not garner negative press or offend someone.

Well guess what? The PTO president is offended. The parents of the kids are offended, and I’m offended. Our society seems to have a predilection for making apparent minority groups happy at the expense of the majority group, and no one will say anything for fear the minority group will declare discrimination.

Discrimination is defined as the prejudicial and/or distinguishing treatment of an individual based on their actual or perceived membership in a certain group or category.

Well in this case, being Heterosexual is a group. We are being told WITH prejudice that the kids at the school cannot celebrate Father’s Day. Is this not discrimination? They are basically saying “because we are same sex, you cannot have your Heterosexual celebration”.

I have no issue with same sex partners, I know a few, and love them dearly. What I have a hard time with, is being made to disband or dispense with things just because it offends someone.

What really should have happened here is that the same sex parents should have explained the situation to the child, and come up with an alternative. Perhaps have the child do a card to his Grandmother n Mother’s day or Grandfather on father’s day. Don’t have the school effectively punish the rest of the kids and by extension the other parents. It is not a shame to be Heterosexual, or have a mother or father, so why ask the school to stop it?

I think all sexes, races, religions etc, should all respect each other’s beliefs. If we find something another group is doing offensive, then we don’t participate.

Ok, I’m done. Now back to your regularly scheduled program

Locked and Loaded, and just out of Diapers

2013-05-02T15:14:00.000-03:00

“In southern Kentucky, where some children get their first guns even before they start first grade, Stephanie Sparks was cleaning the kitchen as her 5-year-old son played with the small rifle he was given last year. Then, as she stepped onto the front porch, "she heard the gun go off"

Ok, lets back WAAAAYYYY the fuck up. A 5yr old was “playing” with a rifle. How the fuck do you play with a rifle? What kind of idiot parent do you have to be to let your kid play with a rifle? The family said they didn't realize a bullet had been left in it. So not only are they idiotic, but now they are careless. Isn’t it part of the end of the hunting day ritual to make sure your gun is not loaded?

Coroner Gary White said:

"Down in Kentucky where we're from, you know, guns are passed down from generation to generation," White said. "You start at a young age with guns for hunting and everything."

What is more unusual than a child having a gun, he said, is "that a kid would get shot with it."

I can’t recall EVER hearing anything so stupid in all my life. How does a 5yr old have the mental ability to understand what could happen while playing with a gun? Especially since the parents have little to no intelligence.

What makes this even worse, is these .22 caliber rifles are specifically designed for children. Now I understand that as a Canadian, I have a higher level of sensibility, but come on! How is guns for kids good ANYWHERE?

To make this even worse, the lawmakers in the town are just as moronic. Cumberland County Judge Executive John Phelps said:

It's a normal way of life, and it's not just rural Kentucky, it's rural America — hunting and shooting and sport fishing. It starts at an early age. There's probably not a household in this county that doesn't have a gun."

Tell that to Caroline Sparks. Oh wait…..she’s dead.

Articles say the town was heartbroken and didn’t see it coming. Really? In a town that arms its 5 year olds with rifles, you didn’t see this coming? I’d suggest making an eye appointment, because even the blind could see that coming.

The company that makes the rifle is Milton, Pa.-based Keystone Sporting Arms. Their slogan being “My First Rifle”, has products in colors ranging from plain brown to hot pink to orange to royal blue to multi-color swirls, had this to say on their website:

"The goal of KSA is to instill gun safety in the minds of youth shooters and encourage them to gain the knowledge and respect that hunting and shooting activities require and deserve”

Two words for you here.

EPIC FAIL

It appears not all is lost in the backwoods of Kentucky however.

Sharon Rengers, a longtime child advocate at Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, said making and marketing weapons specifically for children was "mind-boggling."

"It's like, oh, my God," she said, "we're having a big national debate whether we want to check somebody's background, but we're going to offer a 4-year-old a gun and expect something good from that?"

Well there is a fantastic after thought. It might be easy to blame the boy, and I imagine some will, but the parents are to blame here. Anyone who thinks a 5yr old is capable of responsibly using a firearm, is less intelligent than the 5yr old, and has no place making decisions.

A family is now left without their little girl because they could not see the obvious safety issue arming a 5yr old boy brings. Not to mention letting him play with it in the house. What was he hunting, invisible squirrels?

I want to be sad for these people, but It’s hard. We make decisions, and need to suffer the consequences. I wonder if there are still guns in their house now? Based on the community’s obvious lack of sensibility I sincerely doubt it.

I guess I feel sorry for them after all.

Want A Kwikie? Don't ask for One in Maine

2013-03-19T16:16:00.005-03:00

Hello True Believers. My latest topic delves into the utterly ridiculous. Convenience Store owners in Maine seemed to be concerned with a new lottery ticket called a Kwikie. They are concerned that the ticket carries a sexual connotation. And perhaps the name is similar to that of a “Quickie”, but let’s be serious. Aside from jokes that might occur during the initial launch, who goes into a store and asks for the sexual variety of a “Quickie”? It’s all really a matter of interpretation, and people with sick minds.

What’s In a Word?

There are many words that imply sexual behavior, but are not intrinsically sexual.

Bang: This word means to have sex. It also means to beat, hit, run into, etc. It someone tells to stop banging on the door, I don’t think about having sex on the door.

Frolic: To play and have fun. Also often associated with sex.

Screw: Likely the connotation to sex for this was “Putting the Screws to “. So does that mean if I screw in a screw that I’m having sex with it? I feel bad for that tiny screw.

These are just a few. The implied connotation is decidedly there, but it’s meant to be fun. One of the girl employees at one of stores commented “I’m only 19 years old, and I have 40- and 50-year-old men saying sexual remarks to me.” Oh. So if men under 40 ask it’s ok. What about women? When they ask is it deemed sexual? What makes her assume they are sexual? I bet if a cute 19yr old came in and asked, she’d be more than fine with it.

It truly is perception. The lottery commission meant no sexual reference, and spelled it differently. The Kwik is an obvious reference to a Kwiki Mart (Thank you, Come again) or a Kwik Way or something like that.

The obvious mental shift toward a sexual encounter in this, is purely the responsibility of the receiver. They have the ability to ignore or deflect any truly sexual innuendo by handing over the ticket and saying” That was good for me, was it good for you? “ I think half of the sexual advances are ill conceived, and likely not meant that way. The name and symbolism for the tickets have no sexual element. So my final words:

Get your minds out of the gutter people! (I need more room ;) )

Peace out.

Rap Battles Of Epicness (and History)

2013-03-12T15:14:00.002-03:00

Hello! For those of you not familiar with Youtube or online videos, may not know my topic today. If you don’t that’s ok. After this blog, you will most likely enjoy them as I do. So without Further ado I give you……

That’s right. Epic Rap Battles of History. This series is the brain child of Lloyd Alqhuist and Peter Shukoff, better known to their followers as EpicLLoyd(@theepiclloyd) and Nice peter(@nicepeter). The Rap battles started in 2010 and continue into today, with no signs of stopping.

The Battles pit real life and fictional characters from History, rapping against each other. Each rap is meticulously researched, and there many one liners and inside jokes that make these 3 minute videos memorable. They take votes from fans via their website, and request suggestions for future battles. What is also memorable is how well Lloyd, Peter and guests, portray the characters. From Mr.T vs Mr. Rogers, to Adam Vs Eve, the combinations seem endless.

The Guest stars are nothing to sneeze at either. Youtube personalities like Rhett and Link, Destorm Power, George Watsky, MC MrNapkins, Jenna Marbles and Key and Peele to name a few, have graced the ERB stage. They also had a guest appearance by Snoop Lion (previously Snoop Dogg) who played Moses in Moses vs Santa Claus.

To say they are successful and entertaining would be an understatement. With 582,840,590 views for Season one, and 430,513,693 they have a combined 1,013,354,283 views! Their ERB channel on Youtube has 3,366,082 subscribers.

These guys are the epitome of Youtube success. They have a mass following through Social Media as well.

These guys has also inspired many I’m sure, to attempt this type of thing themselves. There are many spinoffs, and Peter even did a guest spot on Epic Battles of Kitchenry by Annoying Orange. I’ll admit that this writer has even penned a few rap battles, and submitted them, but I’m sure they don’t need my help. ( But guys, if you are reading, I am available lol)

Anyway, the only true way to experience them is to watch. So head on over to www.epicrapbattlesof history.com, checkout @erbofhistory, @theepiclloyd and @nicepeter on twitter, and enjoy the Epicness that is ERB! I have included a video below to get you started.

Who Won!? Who's Next? You DECIDE!

The GoodLife Gets Worse

2013-01-17T11:24:00.001-04:00

SO here we go again. For those who need a refresher, here is the original link to the first issue.

http://anthony-arsenault.blogspot.com/2012/08/is-goodlife-fitness-really-that-good.html

So things got resolved, or so it seemed with the payments. It turns out the credits I was promised didn’t get applied, and my membership should have been on hold until at least January 11, 2013 (though it should have been longer since they didn’t fix the issue until August 7, 2012) and they took a full payment on Jan 4, 2013.

So of course I decide to contact them. Calling them is difficult, as the hold times are usually 45 min or greater, (go figure) so I emailed them. They gave me a standard response of hearing back in 3 business days. This was on January 9th. On Jan 15th I decided to go to social media, as this seemed to have an impact last time. Here is the Twitter conversation that occurred:

Then to illustrate their lack of customer service, there was no further replies to my tweets. Even after I posted these next two:

We are now at the 6th business day, 3 days past the expected turnaround. I know that I seem to be kicking a dead horse here, but where is the customer service? It is worthy to note that in the last 3 years the Better Business Bureau handled 178 complaints regarding Goodlife, and of those 142 were resolved with BBB assistance. Yet another testament to their not so stellar service.

I know it seems foolish for me to continue pressing this with them, but it really is the principle of the thing. How many people get this type of service and do nothing? In this I need to be the anomaly. I need to stand up to them and make them aware. I know it won’t have a big effect in the grand scheme, but at least I’ll know I stood up for what I believed in.

An Update on Yours Truly

2012-09-18T13:42:00.000-03:00

Warning: There will be a tiny sales pitch at the end of this Blog.

Hello everyone. I am taking a break from my normal controversy to bring you something near and dear to me. My writing. As most of my friends and family know, I enjoy writing. Whether it’s poetry, blogs, fantasy wrestling league NEWA (www.nextevolutionwrestling.com) , or simple jotting words on a page, I love to write. Often I evoke emotional responses from people, some good, some bad. But isn’t that what true writing is about?

As many of you might remember, I have for some time been working on various projects and trying to get something published with a major publisher. This is a daunting task at the best of times, and I’m sad to report that I have had a great deal of rejection. But all is not lost. In this marvelous technological age that we live in, I have found another avenue in which to pursue my dreams. It may be a long road, but I feel that I have what it takes.

What am I babbling about you ask? Well, it is the world of Self Publishing and e-Books. Yes that’s right. I’ve gone electronic. My choice to do so wasn’t an easy one, but in doing some research, I have a lot more creative control, and I get to experience the editing and preparation process.

Let me tell you how I got there.

I stumbled upon a place online called smashwords. (www.smashwords.com) What is smashwords you ask? Well they describe themselves as

Offering the fastest and easiest option for distributing an ebook to the world's largest ebook retailers. We provide free tools for marketing, distribution, metadata management and sales reporting. At Smashwords, our authors and publishers have complete control over the sampling, pricing and marketing of their written works. Smashwords is ideal for publishing novels, short fiction, poetry, personal memoirs, monographs, non-fiction, research reports, essays, or other written forms that haven’t even been invented yet.

Smashwords was created by Mark Coker, for the exact same reason I chose them. Failed attempts at big publishers. I won’t go into great detail, you can read it on the site, but I will say this, with unequivocal certainty:

Smashwords is Fantastic.

They don't guarantee you sales, or market your book for you, but they give you all the tools needed to do it yourself. They provide a Smashwords Style guide, and if followed, will almost certainly qualify you for their premium catalogue. With inclusion to the premium catalogue, you book is submitted to Sony, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple, Diesel, and Smashwords own catalogue. They also have a Smashwords Marketing Guide that is very helpful, and a list of other Smashwords Authors who provide editing and cover design services. I would strongly urge anyone who is interested in creating an E-book, to check out smashwords.

Now on to me. The process has been slow so far, but my book is soon to available on the stores of the platforms listed above. You can get all those formats from the Smashwords Page as well. I decided to publish a book I had been working on for a while. It was meant to be a coffee table book that poked a little fun at men and how they interact with women. It is called

This book is meant to be a funny, lighthearted read, and not truly educational, but if it ends up being educational, then cool.

Here is where the sales pitch comes. I would like you to sample the book, and if you like it, maybe buy it. Aside from the e-reader formats, it is also in HTML , PDF and plain text, however the reading experience might not be as great. (But the content still rocks). I’ve even created a coupon to make the book 1.99 for a limited time. use code WG95Y

You can find it by clicking Here.

I likely won’t blog about this again, I just wanted to get the word out.

Thanks for listening, and happy reading.

Is Goodlife Fitness Really that Good? For Customer Service, Not So Much.

2012-08-28T12:33:00.000-03:00

I am taking a break from my more controversial topics to tell you about my recent experience with GoodLife fitness. So please follow my timeline if you will.

July 11, 2012

I go into my local Club and talk to the Manager about closing my account. We were no longer using the Gym . After a discussion, we determined that we would put the account on hoid for 6 months. The manager processes the paper work for this, and I leave feeling good about it all. It is agreed that there will be an 11.50 fee for the hold bi-weekly.

July 20th, 2012

The payment withdrawn from my account is in 27.54. 16.00 more than agreed upon. This almost caused another cheque I had written to not clear. I return to the club and question the manager on July 24th. He is unsure as to why the amount is 27.54. He agrees to contact Member Services, but cannot do so until Monday. I agree.

July 24st 2012

The Manager and I speak, and he says Member Services indicates that the reason for the payment was that my membership was put on hold, but my wife’s wasn’t. They need to pull the paperwork to verify if the manager requested both, before they issue a refund. They assure him that the next payment will be correct. Now here is where I really encounter my first problem. The Manager is saying I requested both, he never denied that, so if he made an error, then why do I have to wait in paperwork for a refund that I am CLEARLY supposed to get. But again, I let it slide, and wait.

July 31th 2012

One week has passed and no response from Member experience. I guess there paper work must be filed in a remote location that they can only get to by traversing ropes and cliffs. But still, after all this, I still give them the benefit of the doubt.

Aug 3, 2012

Lo and behold, another payment of 27.54 is taken. I go into the club on Aug 5 and express my dissatisfaction. They again offer to contact Member services. I agree, but ask them to indicate to member services that due to the 2 payments being taken incorrectly, and the fact that it has now been almost a month since the issue began, that I expect the full amount of the payments to be reversed, in the interest of customer satisfaction and service. They agree to pass on the info. I don’t think what I was asking was unreasonable, seeing as how 2 payments were now taken incorrectly. I was asking for the full refund of 55.00, where the refund of the erroneous amounts was 34.00. A difference of 21.00. So for a month of time, and hours of effort, I was asking for a measly compensation of 21.00.

Aug 7, 2012

So I hear back from the club. They say that Member experience has no record of the manager ever calling and this is the first they’ve heard of the issue! They tell the club they will not be providing any additional compensation, but agreed that the membership of my Wife was not put on hold. So my question is, if that is the case, how did the manager know if he didn’t call member services? So the club indicates that Member services is going to refund the erroneous amounts, via a transfer to my bank account. They tell me it will take approx. 5 business days. So This time, I decided to wait again, but would call member services myself after the 5 business days.

Somewhere in the next few days, I also submit feedback to the Goodlife website, and to present date, have no response.

Aug 15, 2012

5 business days have passed, and still no refund. So I decide to call member services. When I get the young lady on the phone, she is quick to reiterate that they have no record of the manager calling, they are not in “the business” of giving compensation, and that the refund takes 10-15 business days not 5. I ask her what their escalation process is, and she tells me she can file a complaint for me. I ask her to do so, and ask how I would know that what I asked for would get done. She tells me all calls are recorded and notated. I dispute this, as the Manager from the club’s call was not notated. I request as part of my complaint to have the call records reviewed for my account for the time period of July 23 and 24th. She indicated as well that the refund needed to be “Approved” so that was the delay. Approved? It was an error. So my refund essentially is placed in a queue with all the other refunds, regardless of severity. Perfect.

August 24, 2012

No response from Member Experience, and still no refund. It has now been 13 business days since the refund process started, and 7 business days since I last spoke to Member Experience. I call again, and ask the person to give me the status of the refund and the complaint. He says the refund has been approved and “in process”, but can’t give me a date when to expect it. When I mention about additional compensation, he says “What else do you expect? We are refunding the incorrect amount”. WOW. I should add that this guy interrupted me multiple times, and called me by my first name, which I never indicated he could do. When I asked him about the complaint, he says it was sent to the managers at head office and the club. I asked him who was going to inform me about the complaint. He was perplexed, and asked my why. Well Hello…. I’m the one who submitted the complaint! Would be a good idea to include me in the loop, don’t ya think? He says that the complaint will go to his research dept and they will call me back, on Monday or Tuesday. I hope they have my phone number on file, because he never asked for it. He also made it a point to nit pick about when I called, correcting me by one day. This particular call left me feeling very upset, and as if my issue didn’t matter.

August 28, 2012

Today is the 15th business day, and still no refund. Not a penny, and no call from Member services. So to recap, this issue began on July 20th, and now we are at August 28, with no resolution. And I bet that they STILL would say that no additional compensation is necessary.

To be fair, I didn’t initially ask for compensation. But to be truthful, after the dreadful service I received, I don’t know if they could compensate me enough. ANY chance of me renewing my membership is out the window. The lack of customer service I received here is appalling. I wanted to share to make all of you aware that this company is not what it seems. 3 weeks to refund an error is just ridiculous. To not take into account the amount of time and effort a client like myself put in to try and correct it is asinine.

I hope you all will share this with everyone you know. It needs to be known how they seem to really feel about customer service.

The Dog is the Thing.......

2012-08-03T15:53:00.000-03:00

I know I’m about to APPEAR insensitive, but here me out first, I think I have a valid point.

So we have all heard of seeing Eye Dogs, and know the benefits they bring. I wonder if we are all aware of Hearing Ear Dogs?

Here is What I found out about hearing ear dogs:

For a person who is hearing impaired, the feeling of vulnerability and isolation can be overwhelming. A Hearing Dog is a dedicated assistant to such people — He will alert his master to important sounds, such as the sounds of a baby's cry, the telephone ringing, a knock at the door, an alarm clock, a kettle whistle, in addition to such danger signals as the sound of a smoke alarm, burglar alarm, or even the rustling of a prowler, by leading the owner. (ok say maybe not in the case of the prowler, but you get the idea.) These dogs provide a sense of security, independence, and of course companionship to their human partners. They proudly wear their working vests and enjoy the same public access rights as Guide Dogs for the blind.

So in understanding that, do you think the dog is required for going to get a pizza or go to the gym?

This is where my problem lies.

I am aware of, and have witnessed the use of, such a dog while ordering a pizza and going to the gym. This person has been deaf for much longer than he has had a dog. He drives and ordered his pizzas perfectly well before he had the dog. But let me explain a bit more. When ordering the pizza, the dog sits on the floor. While the pizza is cooking the dog sits on the floor. When the pizza is ready and it is brought to the counter, the owner can see, and the dog sits on the floor. While the owner eats, the dog sits on the floor. The only time the dog moves, is when it’s time to leave. So what is the common denominator here?

The dog sits on the floor.

This has happened on MANY occasions, each result being the same. As for the gym, a friend of mine saw him in the gym with the dog. The dog laid on the floor, and actually sniffed at my friend. The owner has a special trainer that knows sign language. So unless the dog is spotting him while he does lifts or presses, what is the purpose? The trainer can alert of any danger.

What I’m getting at here is, where do you draw the line between being useful, and abusing a law. Yes the dog has the same rights as Seeing Eye dogs, and justly so, but situations should dictate, in at least some regard, if the presence of the dog is appropriate. There should be a need for the dog to be there.

Many people simply say nothing, as they do not want to offend the owner, or start anything that may be obscurely viewed as discriminatory.

This is really a smaller issue of a larger matter of handicaps being exploited because they can be. I could get into other things, but that is for another day.

A Note to Nickelback Haters

2012-07-06T11:33:00.000-03:00

So with my departure for Moncton and Nickelback imminent, I thought I’d have a look at the phenomenon that is Nickelback Haters.

First, I find it amazing that a band can be as infamous as they are famous. The hate for them is almost as large as the love. Thankfully and proudly, I am on the love side. It’s funny though to see responses as to why people hate them. For example, I read :

“Because their music is garbage and overplayed. Ten years of listening to the same trash over and over again”

Spoken like a person who has not likely listened to more than 2 songs by Nickelback, and conveniently is ignoring the fact that the above statement describes most pop music as well. Of course if you play a certain genre of music, there is going to be similarities, but to say that it’s the same trash for the last 10 years…. Well my rebuttal to that is, I guess 50 million people love trash, because they have sold that many plus albums, and are still going strong as one of the biggest acts in North America, and even the world. Besides if you listen to stuff from albums like “The State” and then “Here and Now”, they are very different.

What truly bothers me is just a general they suck! Well if you don’t like them, or their music, fine. That’s your opinion. But to say someone sucks, when they are obviously leaders in their genre, is not only ridiculous, but exposes you for the fucking idiot you are. With seven studio albums, one compilation album, one EP, thirty-two singles, and 7 of those singles hitting #1 on US charts and 10 others in the top 10 on the same Charts, well they certainly don’t suck. Find me a Rock band in the past 10 years that has had this kind of success.

People also complain it is the same thing over and over with songs. Well again. Find me rock band that has a huge range of style… EVER. The truth is, you stick with what works. Chad and the boys play loud guitar, with harsh vocals (in a good way Chad !) and appeal to their audience. While you people are analyzing lyrics, don’t leave out the Hip Hop genre, because I’m sure you’ll find lots of substance there. (NOT!)

I also think the number of haters is exaggerated. How many SAY they hate nickelback, but then are secretly drumming along when they come on the radio? They don’t want their friends to know they like Nickelback.

So I’ll say this in closing. If you don’t like them, fine. But you can’t take away their success and the fact that they are great rockers. I, along with approximately 34,999 other fans, will have a kick ass time in Moncton. And don’t worry haters. I’ll tell you ALL about it when I get back.

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Listen to Bridget

2012-06-05T13:47:00.000-03:00

Hello All. So By now I’m sure you’ve all seen or heard our lovely new spokeswomen for the Halifax bridges. Aptly named Bridget, she is a trash talking, no nonsense gal, who tells it like it is. Who better to have for a spokesperson right? Well some think not. A particular local feminist organization doesn’t think Bridget is good at all, and is asking the Bridge Commission to take her down AND apologize. They claim the ads are objectifying women. Well I have a few things to say about that.

(Not really a surprise, I know)

So let’s look at the objectification. There are two things here we can all know to be true. Sex sells, and women have been peddling one thing or another on billboards since, well their invention. Do these groups have an issue with the billboards that sell perfume, or the pictures of women wearing only jeans to promote that product?

It has been tossed around that women who have been sexually abused, or joked about sexually would not like the depictions of Bridget. Why? Is she up there with bruises on her face? Do the billboards show her being berated by her husband? No. To me this is reaching really far for an excuse to try to influence something you don’t like, and using your help group as a crutch, or launch board.

So…. I have a few points for those who don’t like Bridget to ponder.

She is not real. Sure she looks like a woman, but was created for the ad campaign. This was her purpose. The ads don’t show her half naked, or looking like she dressed for the club. It simply shows an attractive face, with backhanded comments. And let’s be real for a moment. The type of things she is trying to prevent are common sense, so if people are doing them (and they are), are backhanded comments not deserved?

She is powerful. She is painted in such a light that she is the one in charge. She is doing the telling. Is this not part of what these women advocate groups want? She is standing up for what she believes in, and making her voice heard. If the idea is to personify her, then we cannot leave that out. She is a powerful woman who is taking control. Kudos to you Bridget.

Target your audience. Demographically and statistically men are supposedly the worst offenders for driving. So if you are to follow the statistic, and use that to market your message, I don’t think it would be wise to have Larry the Cable Guy on your Billboard telling drivers to “Slow er down!”. You want a man to take notice? I think Bridget would trump Larry any day.

Don’t just reach at the first “apparent” cause to catch your eye. While I certain respect and appreciate women’s right, and the group that protect them, to associate Bridget with sexual assault, or sexist jokes is simply preposterous. Is there sexual innuendo? Of course. It is a campaign that appeals mostly to men. But aside from that, sexual innuendo is in all media. Papers, TV, movies, signs, flyers, handouts, coupons, stickers, shirts, hats…. Need I go on? Should we get after the ladies that wear tight sweatpants that say “Bootylicious” on the ass? These are far more objectifying and demeaning than Bridget.

Sometimes I truly wonder if people simply stand up and make a fuss, just to make fuss. Like children really. Oh! Oh! Look at me! Look at me! Over here!

Grow-up people. I for one, will be sad to see Bridget go this month, but look forward to seeing her, UNCHANGED, in the fall.

10 Items or Less Fewer, and 5 other mis-uses of the English Language

2012-06-04T16:16:00.000-03:00

Hi All. I’m going to step away from my normal controversy of current events and give a small English refresher. The few listed below are obviously not the entire list, but a few that especially annoy me.

10 Items or Less: It won’t make you LESS of a person to know that FEWER than 30% of people get this right. Technically, since the number of items can be measured, the appropriate word to use is fewer. Less would be used in a circumstance where the subject is not tangibly measurable.

Irregardless : The simple utterance of this word makes my blood boil. Not only does the prefix and suffix cancel each other out, it sounds ridiculous. Basically the word irregardless means the same as regard, but people who don’t seem to have a basic understanding of English language, use it as a substitute for regardless. I wonder if they know how foolish they sound, REGARDLESS of how smart they THINK they sound?

I could care less: How many people have you heard say that? Well the next time you do, ask then how and why they care. The result will be that they will look at you and say “ Did I say I cared?” To which you would say, “Indeed you did! You said you COULD care less, which indicates at least a base level of caring.” At which time they likely COULDN’T care less about you correcting their linguistic ability.

Doggy Dog World: Well unless your first name is Snoop, all this malpropism will do is make you look as smart as a dog, and you likely won’t survive in this Dog EAT Dog world.

Literally: You may LITERALLY get heckled if you misuse this word, but you’d have to find someone who caught the mis-use first. Probably one of the most misused and not oft caught words in the English language. To use it correctly, it first must have some basis is fact. For example you could say “he was so tired he literally passed out in minutes. “ This is entirely possible, and someone who is very tired could pass out in minutes. What you couldn’t say is “ He ran so fast he was literally going as fast as a train”. Nope. Nada. Not a chance. This is a figure of speech, not a literal situation.

Affect vs Effect : This only one AFFECTS me in writing, because in speech we are ignorant to the difference, and it has no adverse EFFECTS, as most pronounce them the same, although they are technically pronounced differently. Affect is a verb meaning to influence, and EFFECT is usually an outcome, as in learning better English will have a positive EFFECT on your speech, and may AFFECT how other perceive you :)

Well that’s it for today class. Professor T signing off!

T-Shirt Tales

2012-05-10T13:52:00.000-03:00

So here I am again, voicing and opinion on a controversial subject. When will I stop you ask? How about the 5th Tuesday of next month?

If you are easily offended, or believe deeply in Jesus, I’d be cautious about reading ahead. If you want to hear what I think, (And I assume you do or you wouldn’t be here) read on.

Young William Swinimer thinks that “Life is Wasted without Jesus”. His fellow High School students disagreed, thinking their lives to be just fine without Jesus, and complained to the principal. The principal, being of sound mind and judgment, and with the best interest of his students in mind, asks Mr. Swinimer to remove the shirt. In an act of Godly defiance, Mr. Swinimer refuses. The principal, after repeated attempts, and repeated refusals, suspends Mr. Swinimer. This of course caused a whole lot of noise. Mr. Swinimer states “The reason I’m wearing the T-shirt is because I’m standing up for my religion and for my freedom of speech”.

Well what about his fellow students’ rights to go to school in a non-offensive environment? Or their right to not have religious views imposed on them? It is no secret that not everyone believes in Jesus. And f you don’t believe in Jesus, is your life wasted without him? It is according to Mr. Swinimer. I wonder if a student came to school with a shirt that said “life is wasted without Ala” or I’m Pagan and I’m proud”, or a student wore a Pentagram around their neck instead of a cross, what would Mr. Swinimer have to say? What would the Pastor at his Church, who encouraged him to protest, say? I would bet dollars to donuts that both would freak out, and cause just as big a fuss as they did in “protecting” their beliefs.

If there is one thing I have noticed about religion, it is the general intolerance for other religions. But even odder still, is the disagreements between all the Christian based religions. Really it seems to be the centering on Jesus and god that seems to cause the most shit. But let’s step back for a minute and look at something that is TRULY the basis for this issue.

Respect.

Mr. Swinimer has an obvious lack of respect for his fellow schoolmates, and the administration of his school. His Pastor is feeding this lack of respect in the name of Jesus. I’m not up to speed on my Bible but Romans 13:1-3 says

"Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted….

It goes on to talk about punishment and the like, but you get the point. I also like this one from Phillippians 2:3

”Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself”

Well, I’m no expert, but it appears to me that Mr. Swinimer didn’t follow through on either of these. Not only are these religious requirements, but basic fundamental humanity components. Maybe Mr. Swinimer should be spending more time considering his effect on others, and less time trying to be a quasi, self-made Martyr.

I also think it is deplorable that the Pastor encouraged this, a blatant disregard for authority. It was clearly indicated that the school would have said and done nothing if the shirt read “ MY life is wasted without Jesus”. The school is all for supporting religious views and beliefs, but not when they are imposed on others. What gives him the right to tell others their lives are wasted?

One could argue it is all semantics, but offense is offense. Was I really offended by the shirt? Naw. You know why? Because I have my beliefs and they sustain me. But I can see how it would be offensive, and Mr. Swinimar should have had the respect to remove the shirt. No one was attacking his beliefs, they simply didn’t agree with his shirt and its summary judgment of non-believers.

I leave you today, with a quote from Italian philosopher Galileo Galilei:

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.