I May Love The Zero Boss Even More...

The Zero Boss: Parenting, Pop Culture & Politics by Jay Andrew Allen

Ok, Jay Andrew Allen (aside from the fact that I dig people with 3 names), bless your bloggy heart and your Sugar Rush!

I even grudgingly appreciate your love-hate relationship with Violent Acres. Althought I've got to admit, blatent self-promotion is in most bloggers DNA, if you dig deep and long enough at their genetic makeup. :-)
My apologies for lumping you in with the die-hard "haters". ;-)

Technorati Tags: Jay Andrew Allen, The Zero Boss, Violent Acres

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I Admit - I Love Violent Acres

Ever since stumbling upon it last week, I am addicted to violent acres. Her blatent no bull attitude, her hilarious commentary that pokes fun at the real world, and the sordid people populating it, everything.

Sure, folks are noticing. Ben Metcalfe noticed, but I don’t think he’s as thrilled as I am. The Zero Boss also has a few choice words.  The vast majority of the blogosphere is taken up with angst about violent acres.  Who is she?  What is she doing?  Is it all for her blog-ego? How come she won’t identify herself?  Ben went so far as to reverse engineer her site and came to the conclusion that she’s no ordinary blogger, her back end (no pun intended) is too customized and technical for most folks to pull together.

Violent Acres just put up a FAQ, answering many of the questions that people have been asking, and she hits the nail right on the head.  She’s my new double-espresso shot for the morning. Gets the brain going, no sugar needed.


Technorati Tags: Violent acres

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Art.Com Upgrade Screws Loyal Customers

Hi there Art.com support folks,

I've been a thrilled art.com customer for the past few months, I'veblogged about how amazing the service has been, the timing, the qualityand the pricing....  I just ordered and received my most recent 4pieces, and they are outstanding.  I returned to the site last night topurchase an additional 4 pieces, only to discover that the photos toart section had been changed, and not changed for the better.  Allmonth i've been on the site, reading that a new site was to belaunched, and I was anticipating great and wonderful changes, but notthe nonsense that greeted me last night:

• reduced functionality on galleries
  
• limits on the effects that can be applied to photos
• limits on the canvas sizes
• increase in prices by 50%
• now a "brushstroke" effect adds another $20 the the pricetag.

All in all, reduced functionality and increased pricing do NOT make fora good customer experience. I spoke to customer service this morning,and was able to access my old gallery, only to realize that i now HAVEto order a frame with a canvas, in order to buy a photo to art piece. Lovely. You got me. I'm screwed.  I need the oil painting effect tofinish off pieces for christmas.  The only way I can get that, is toalso get snookered into a frame that I don't need.

Please tell me that the new site is only in *phase 1* of the upgrade,that you will return all the fantastic effects that can be applied tothe photos, or in the very least, that the original site can functionat 100%, no blackmailing with frames allowed. Oh, and how about some compromise in pricing?

thanks,
Julie

Technorati Tags: Art.com, canvas, photos, "customer screwing"

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A Good Blog Thing: Finding Vancouverites

This could be a tad embarassing.  I'm not a good Canadian traveller. Not a bit.  The fartherst west I've been is Windsor, or Sault Ste Marie (if I can count 4 days in the Soo as west; I was planning on counting the Soo as my fartherst north location). East is strange, as I managed to get to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, but I went through the States to get there, so I'm not sure they count. A few months ago, I ended up in Rimouski, by way of Montreal, so I'm *sure* Rimouski can count.

Needless to say, I really don't ever need to travel again, not with good commentary from the likes of:

matthewgood
debaucherous + dishevelled
Darren Barefoot
dirty olive

I might start travelling the world from my laptop...I think I might like staying home more. :-)


Technorati Tags: Vancouver, Canada, Blogging

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$7 Million in Fraudulent Mortgages in Ontario Alone

I’ve got thestar.com in my news reader, and have been following along through some of the articles on the upcoming mortgage fraud legislature that’s to be launched in the upcoming months.  It’s just a hobby, learning about mortgages, now that I’ve *got a biggie*…..

Aside from the reports of people being financially targeted as victims of mortgage fraud, there’s also an interesting story of a couple who is working on a petition to tighten up the legislation when it comes to titles and land ownership. In Ontario alone there are 10 instances where people’s homes have been stolen using falsified documents. That sounds like a low number, but when the average pricetag is $700,000 per instance of fraud, it’s not an insignificant number. :-(

There are no real organizations that help you keep your mortage, and look out for people who have become victims of fraud, but there *are* a few who make sure that the house that you want to buy aren’t “fraudulently” on the market, and that’s a step in the right direction. Mortgages are easy to get usually, and no one thinks that the house the’ve fallen in love with has more strings that a marionette attached to it. It’s difficult for most people to figure out the research needed to actually perform more due dilligence on mortgages, refinancing and real estate, so there’s a definite market for this sort of mortgage service.Stay tuned to the Star to see if the mortgage legislature is passed…

Technorati Tags: mortgages, mortgage fraud

Questions I'd Ask Dooce

You know... you are killing time, waiting for conference calls, and you pop around to your favourite (and no doubt favourited by zillions of others) blog....and Dooce never fails to amaze me. 

But then I wonder, her life is almost entirely in the public domain, not to mention VERY digitally loud.  Her blog gets zillions of hits.  When she allows comments to her posts, she receives hundred of responses, usually ending in a vicious flame war. Her Flickr photo album is inundated with more comments.... even this interesting capture of pigeons in an airport received 9 comments.

How can she find a little anonymity when she wants? How can she turn down the digital volume that her life blares out? Is there a magic pair of headphones she has for those days when it's good to hear the quiet?

It's nice to go to places where people know your name, but isn't it also nice to be able to disappear into anonymity at times too?

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Irregular Reinforcement

Funny, stumbling across an idea that can resonate and make you twig. "Irregular Reinforcement". Knowing that there is a chance that something outstanding could happen, and enjoying the suspense and uncertainty. Seth compares it to getting dessert for free in a snappyh restaurant.

Seth's Blog

Irregular reinforcement is a hugely powerful message sender.

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Finding the Good Blogs

I'm sure I'm not the first one to gush about The Good Blogs but perhaps I will be the most recent ;-) I love that I can pluck something interesting out of their magic bag every time I look.  And there is ALOT of looking, considering how quickly the Good Blogs widget is fast becoming the add-on of choice for bloggers.... just a few minutes ago, reeled in Netintrigues, simply by accident.... and WOW. Bits of gadgetry, bits of shopping bits of bits! Go, look, see.

netintrigues

Technorati Tags: netintrigues, the good blogs

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Snows on the Morraine

It's staying around this time, the snow, that is. Just a skiff, butenough to let you know that winter really is coming this year, despitethe global warming buzz.  Damn.   And to think I almost had myselfconvinced that this could actually be the year of global change. 

Christmas shopping started late this year... and as usual, the goal is to accomplish as much on line as possible.... river city sports, Chapters, The Kids Top Shoppe,and of course, LLBean
have been hit so far... who knows what's next?  Art.com likely, and maybe a little something something from Cafepress.

Decking the halls will be the next challenge

Technorati Tags: christmas, shopping, decking the halls

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Building My Ark

It's come down to this - another day of rain on the Oak Ridges Moraine, and I'm gonna have to start building an ark. Another day of no sun, and I might hafta take a hostage. 
Between the wet dog feet all over the house, and the lack of a dry pair of shoes within a 5 km radius, I'm just about ready for everything to freeze up and make life cleaner, if not easier.
The weather makes it painful to commute (changing a 40 minute drive to a 90 minute drive), and plays havoc with the hair. I don't own enough umbrellas for this nonsense.

To go into my ark:

• the wiz
• the smapp dog
• 2 laptops
• figs
• Sony MP3 player
• a hockey stick
  

Really, what else do you need?

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Technorati Tags: rain, oak ridges, ark

NABLOPOMO!

What is it?
It’s National Blog Posting Month!

Fussy | NaBloPoMo

Imagine my suprise, I had no idea there was more to November that Remembrance Day.

It’s also National Blog Posting Month. A nifty idea to increase traffic, increase readers, and heck, it’s getting colder, who needs another excuse to keep their bum closer to the fire for longer?

An interesting idea, I’m just sorry that I’ve only got 17 days left to participate. - and there’s more - you can try out the randomizer.

Already I’ve seen a few gooders:

1. The Earth is Blue
2. Formation of Me
3. Forking Madness Over Here
4. PopWatchCanada

:-)

Happy Monday!

technorati tags:NABLOPOMO

You Remind Me of a Man

You remind me of a man.

What Man?

The man of power.

What Power?

The power of Voodoo.

Voodoo?

You do!

Do What?

You remind me of a man….

Really, Jorge made me do it

technorati tags:voodoo, floobergeist

Beta Testing the New Dining Room

Last night the wiz and I had our first official dinner event. It was essentially a beta test of the new place, and specifically the dining room. We invited over Mr and Mrs K. Mr K used to work with the wiz and I in previous lives and now he works here.

Mrs K used to work at Telus Mobility and now she’s the head web master and owner of yorkregionbaby.com. It was quite an evening full of shop talk, comparisons of managers, becoming a stay-at-home domain name squatter, hilarity over how small the tech and telecom industries are in canada, and the lack of good childcare resourses in York Region. And the recycling! I recycled 5 empty wine bottles this morning. Mrs K and I highly recommend trying the Vidal Blanc Icewine but be careful, it can sneak up on you rather nastily ;-)

A good time was had by all, despite the fact that nothing got slopped. Next time!

technorati tags:telus, oracle, allstream, yorkregionbaby.com, Vidal Blanc Ice Wine

Wednesday Rant

What better way to get over hump day than a little tyrade?

Can i tell you how tired I am of rain? How about cell phones that ring at 8 am? Guys who need to talk about their hockey pool incessantly? You'd think they were budding Mark Cuban types.

Oh, and there's a Honda CRV that has been parked on my street, across from my driveway for the past 8 days now. It hasn't mvoed once, but it's come very close to being backed into. I'm to the point that if it does't move in the next 24 hours, it may need to be towed away.

Who am I kidding, i don't have much to rant about ;-)

technorati tags:rant, rain, ringing cell phones

Electric Fruit

Fruit Powered Clock - It’s Alive!

The fruit clock is a digital clock/calendar powered by fruit. While emulating the original battery invented by Alessandro Volta over 200 years ago that utilized lemon juice, the creation of whole fruit in the mid-1900s has allowed the experiment to be perfected with artistic flare.

The kit includes jumper wires, time display, rubber stop and frame for its $14.95 pricetag. And don’t feel bad while people are starving in the world as you destroy the food supply for a “conversation piece”. You read Gizmodo, and are therefore a decent person (though you probably smell a little funny, honestly). – Mark Wilson

Product Page [via newlaunches]

technorati tags:Electric Fruit

Canadian Military Scrambles to Fill Boots?

The military is lowering its fitness standards for new recruits and moving training and administrative personnel into combat units.

O’Connor says military ‘scrambling’ to find soldiers for Afghanistan

Imagine thinking you had a nice, cushy, relatively safe admin job with the Canadian Military. One day, poof, you are handing out soccer balls in Afghanistan. Silly Canadian military. Changing the fitness standards, so more people could enlist? Military standards are standards for a reason, methinks. Perhaps this could be a wake up call. If no one wants to fight, maybe Canada won’t have to fight any more?

Can we have a new election now, please?

technorati tags:Canada, Military, Harper, Reduced Fitness Standards

Harder to Deposit Than You Think

I was awarded a cheque on Thursday.

A “really big” cheque…. No, I wasn’t counting the number of digits. It was four feet long, and presented by Karen Radford.

It was one of those nifty things that you don’t really expect. A good cheque.

Karen joined us at a sales rally, and managed to engage the entire wholesale division for 2 hours on various topics, from Net Neutrality to Income trusts. This is one VERY smart chick. This was my first meeting with her, and I am convnced I could have listened to for days. Did I mention how smart she was? Engaging? Down to earth? Disarming?

Wow.

technorati tags:Karen Radford