jordan is the anti-egypt and petra is the anti-giza
From what little we’ve seen of Jordan so far, it is the opposite of Egypt in many respects. I admit we have a small sample size, but in both countries,…
complaints
pupdate, pressure, and poor customer service
Diego at the beach Three weeks after losing Tala, Diego became violently ill. The usual home approaches didn’t work, but when the trip to the vet didn’t work, I was…
i look forward to the day when no one wears a fitbit anymore
What did people do before Fitbit? Without their adorable little bracelets, how did they get enough exercise? Never mind that, how did they manage to live?? All those lonely, barren…
frustrations with technology, or, when upgrades are really downgrades, or, give me back a previous gmail app
I’ve really been enjoying my Nexus 7 tablet. I dislike that tablets have become the norm, and in a perfect world I’d use a desktop, a netbook, and a tablet.…
negative reviews and threats of lawsuits: let’s not give in to corporate bullying
There’s a new bully in town, and he’s not going after fat kids in the school cafeteria. He’s a corporate bully, and he’s gunning for you, his dissatisfied customer. An…
amazing but true: mlb does the right thing and increases fans’ access to the postseason
The biggest surprise of the 2014 baseball postseason isn’t the absence of both the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. It isn’t the Baltimore Orioles, making the postseason…
things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #16: my least favourite library customers
I must preface this post with a happy disclaimer: I love library customers. I love helping them. I love giving them a good feeling about the library. I value great…
military propaganda at sports events reaches new extremes: continuous recruitment ads at baseball games
I’ve recently returned from a lovely trip to Boston, filled with so many of my favourite things: friends, family, books, and baseball. I love Fenway Park, and I’m always happy…
not love, but crap, actually
Tonight I tried again to watch “Love Actually”, and once again am left shaking my head in disgust (at the movie) and disbelief (in its popularity, among people who ought…
i hate christmas 2013: christmas in the public library
My annual I Hate Christmas post is a mixed bag this year. Last year, I found Christmas less awful than usual, thanks to the absence of both commercial TV and…
the sad tale of an oil stain, or how i was misled by the internet
Last week, while enjoying a lovely lunch at a restaurant with my mom and my partner, an oily sauce jumped out of a bowl and splattered on my shirt. All…
self-checkout is unpaid labour, gift cards are interest-free loans, and let’s stop using both
There are two current trends that I seriously dislike, and wish we would all organize to change: retail self-checkout and the use of gift cards as thank-yous and gifts. Neither…
wind mobile: horrible retail customer service but great follow-up after complaint
I sent this email yesterday. To Wind Customer Service: Re: Mobile Phone # xxx.xxx.xxxx Transaction: Tendered On: 24-Apr-2013 01:08 PMTendered At: WCMA01Invoice: xxxxx I am writing to complain about some…
google, what have you got against choice?
Google is losing a lot of friends lately. Their recent decisions to discontinue iGoogle and Reader are making many people unhappy. Today, to the great dismay of many Gmail users,…
alternatives to google reader at replacereader.com
Since blog comments are not a very useful way of sharing information, I’ll post this again here. A list of alternatives to Google Reader can be found at ReplaceReader. I’m…
petition google to save google reader: please sign and share widely
A while back, I expressed my frustration with the current massive emphasis on mobile apps, and with organizations that use Facebook pages instead of web pages: the walled-off internet, or…
i hate christmas is slightly hateful this year
I’ve noticed a distinct reduction in my annual irritation and disgust at the holiday madness this year.* An unexpected convergence of events has brought on a pleasant state of near-apathy.…
follow-up: i still ♥ roku and a question about gaming
A few months ago, I blogged about our Roku streaming device. We now only use streaming or DVDs – no more cable – and it’s been great. Shorter wmtc: I…
do not buy a cuisinart electric percolator. i will not make that mistake again.
I am fuming. Friggin’ fuming. Remember my coffee maker, the Cuisinart electric percolator? I was impressed that Cuisinart, a division of Conair, honoured their three-year warranty. Short version: the replacement…