We have a Tim Hortons location on site at my place of work, and while they are hard working individuals, they don't always have a great deal of common sense, especially when it comes to taking an order they don't often get.
Here are two examples:
When they first came out with their frozen slushie-like drink "IceCap", they made it in one variety. Shortly thereafter they introduced "flavour shots" for an extra $0.25. There was no disclaimer as to any limitations or stipulations of use. In other words, to my mind, you could have this shot in whatever drink you wanted. The following are three exchanges on three different days.
Me: Good morning, I would like a medium raspberry icecap
TH: You want a raspberry smoothie?
Me: No, I want a medium raspberry icecap
TH: OK, medium icecap
Me, Yes, raspberry
Blank stare, goes to manager, manager nods, picks up cup, proceeds to demonstrate, order completed.
Me: Good morning, I would like a medium raspberry icecap
TH: Good morning, one medium raspberry icecap.
That was the location manager, she completed the order with no addition fuss
Me: Good morning, I would like a medium raspberry icecap
TH: Raspberry smoothie?
Me:No, icecap, raspberry
TH: We don't do that
Me: She did it yesterday (I point to manager at next cash register)
She goes over, talks to manager, manager nods and proceeds to demonstrate, order complete.
But today's takes the cake.
Me: Hi, how much for just a tea bag. No water, no cup, just the bag.
TH: (Looks at register, asks the server next to her, who shows her the price) $.011
Me: Alright, I would like one each of your teas please. No water, no cup, just the bags. How many is that?
TH: Blank stare
Cleark #1 goes over to clerk #2 and asks. They huddle, they look over the rack of tea bags, and #1 goes into the back to get the manager. Who happens to be in the middle of baking and is in her apron covered in flour, etc. Manager comes over, takes one each of the 10 varieties of tea bags and hands them to #1. She comes over and hands them to me.
Me: Can I have a small bag to put them in please?
TH: $.053 please
Me: Thank you
Take my bag of teas and return to work.
Oh, yeah, did u catch the math?
Attitude of Gratitude
Just when you think that perhaps the grass is greener over yonder, someone or something comes along that makes you pause and take stock of your life. Something very similar happened to me recently, and I thought it would be a good idea to take a moment and give "Thanks". Because as I looked around at friends, co-workers and associates, I realized that I have a great deal to be thankful about.
First and foremost, I have my health. Well, alright, at 40, things are starting to ache where they didn't ache before, but overall, nothing to complain about.
Secondly, I have a wonderful son that any mother would be proud of. Is he perfect? No, far from it, but he is my life's greatest work and I truly enjoy him as a person. He is going to make some lady very lucky one day. (And at 16, that day won't be too far off =:o)
Not to overlook my love, I also have a woman who is crazy about me and I about her. One doesn't appreciate their partner as much as when they get together with friends (especially female friends) and have to sit and listen to them bitch, moan and complain about their husbands (or partners or whatever) and come to realize that with a few minor exceptions, we (Deb and I) overall, get along better than anyone we know. Are we perfect, heck no!! But for humans, we do quite well. We actually like each other and each other's company. We don't fight for control, but rather work together towards our mutual goals and to overcome our challenges. What a rarity that seems to be!
I also have a well paying, rewarding job associating with some of the world's best paediatric professionals, and as anyone involved in sports will tell you, your game improves when you play with better players. Indeed, my game is much improved over the last 5 years.
Last, but certainly not least, are my girls (my Girl Guide unit). I have such a wonderful group of girls (young ladies =;o) that I feel truly blessed. They keep me on my toes and help keep me young at heart.
So, to all the above mentioned, and my dear friends (you know who u r), I want the whole world to know just how much you mean to me, and how truly blessed you make my life.
Efharisto poli, mai oli tin agapi mou.
First and foremost, I have my health. Well, alright, at 40, things are starting to ache where they didn't ache before, but overall, nothing to complain about.
Secondly, I have a wonderful son that any mother would be proud of. Is he perfect? No, far from it, but he is my life's greatest work and I truly enjoy him as a person. He is going to make some lady very lucky one day. (And at 16, that day won't be too far off =:o)
Not to overlook my love, I also have a woman who is crazy about me and I about her. One doesn't appreciate their partner as much as when they get together with friends (especially female friends) and have to sit and listen to them bitch, moan and complain about their husbands (or partners or whatever) and come to realize that with a few minor exceptions, we (Deb and I) overall, get along better than anyone we know. Are we perfect, heck no!! But for humans, we do quite well. We actually like each other and each other's company. We don't fight for control, but rather work together towards our mutual goals and to overcome our challenges. What a rarity that seems to be!
I also have a well paying, rewarding job associating with some of the world's best paediatric professionals, and as anyone involved in sports will tell you, your game improves when you play with better players. Indeed, my game is much improved over the last 5 years.
Last, but certainly not least, are my girls (my Girl Guide unit). I have such a wonderful group of girls (young ladies =;o) that I feel truly blessed. They keep me on my toes and help keep me young at heart.
So, to all the above mentioned, and my dear friends (you know who u r), I want the whole world to know just how much you mean to me, and how truly blessed you make my life.
Efharisto poli, mai oli tin agapi mou.
We won't get fooled again
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss" or so go the lyrics to one of rock's classic rock tunes. The theme of the song is just that, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The old regime comes in promising to be different than the old one, and in the end they screw us as well, just in a different way. While that might sound cynical, it is fact. Yet, there is still hope, if nothing else, because as I look around at the media sources, and what they seem to deem "newsworthy" I have to hang on to that last little bit of hope and I get on my knees and pray, we won't get fooled again.
Fooled how? Africa, Global Warming, the middle East, the issues and situations around the world that deserve our attention, our efforts, are getting side=tracked by the nonesense and bullshit of the Anna Nicole Smith's, the "look-what-she's-wearing".
So, I will spell it out for you.
They (the powers that be) want to distract your attention and focus from what they are up to around the world.
From Iraq and the oil interests, and Afghanistan and the heroin interests, to various African countries and their natural resources. And while we are on the subject of Africa, don't let those Colonialists fool anyone into thinking that they are ready to give up their interests in the "dark continent". History is the greatest of teachers, and those with the most to gain/lose in Africa have no intention of giving up their rule. "So, you want independence? Sure, we'll just pack up our mines and leave." (But while we are at it, we will ruin your country by funding every crap-pot despot in the mountains/jungles, and give you a blood bath the likes you have never witnessed. We will bring you to your knees economically, and make you beg to be our colony under our benevolent rule again.)
The only thing this generation have over previous ones caught up in this type of situation, is our ability to communicate freely. The internet isn't only for the disimmination of misinformation, it is here also to help raise awareness among the peace loving among us.
Fooled how? Africa, Global Warming, the middle East, the issues and situations around the world that deserve our attention, our efforts, are getting side=tracked by the nonesense and bullshit of the Anna Nicole Smith's, the "look-what-she's-wearing".
So, I will spell it out for you.
They (the powers that be) want to distract your attention and focus from what they are up to around the world.
From Iraq and the oil interests, and Afghanistan and the heroin interests, to various African countries and their natural resources. And while we are on the subject of Africa, don't let those Colonialists fool anyone into thinking that they are ready to give up their interests in the "dark continent". History is the greatest of teachers, and those with the most to gain/lose in Africa have no intention of giving up their rule. "So, you want independence? Sure, we'll just pack up our mines and leave." (But while we are at it, we will ruin your country by funding every crap-pot despot in the mountains/jungles, and give you a blood bath the likes you have never witnessed. We will bring you to your knees economically, and make you beg to be our colony under our benevolent rule again.)
The only thing this generation have over previous ones caught up in this type of situation, is our ability to communicate freely. The internet isn't only for the disimmination of misinformation, it is here also to help raise awareness among the peace loving among us.
Telemarketing for Dummies
We have all come across telemarketers, but there seems to be a whole new dumb breed of telesolicitors that needs reviewing. These are the ones that call up a random department in a large metropolitan hospital (I won't say which one, it is known), and ask to speak with the person in charge of ____________________. It could be I.T., the person who purchases printer toners, etc. And when I point out to them that they have in fact reached a medical department, there comeback is "yes, and doesn't X hospital purchase _________?"
And so dear reader, I have given up trying to be reasonable, polite or even remotely nice. I now make it my hobby, to be as insulting as possible just to see how long before they clue in. So, my reply to their attitude, is more attitude of my own, "well, you should do your homework and find out who that person is, I don't know."
The last person who tried to engage in verbal duel, was handed their lousy salesperson ass on a platter and they asked to speak with our switchboard. I pity the fools, they don't suffer idiots kindly in our switchboard. (hehehehehehehe)
So, to all you summer students who think u can just google a big hospital and get some random numbers, DON'T BE SO LAZY!!!! Do some research, use your brain, do your homework.
To the companies that hire these diliquents, if you want to remain in business, hire and train better staff. At the very least, give them some better leads, do YOUR homework.
And so dear reader, I have given up trying to be reasonable, polite or even remotely nice. I now make it my hobby, to be as insulting as possible just to see how long before they clue in. So, my reply to their attitude, is more attitude of my own, "well, you should do your homework and find out who that person is, I don't know."
The last person who tried to engage in verbal duel, was handed their lousy salesperson ass on a platter and they asked to speak with our switchboard. I pity the fools, they don't suffer idiots kindly in our switchboard. (hehehehehehehe)
So, to all you summer students who think u can just google a big hospital and get some random numbers, DON'T BE SO LAZY!!!! Do some research, use your brain, do your homework.
To the companies that hire these diliquents, if you want to remain in business, hire and train better staff. At the very least, give them some better leads, do YOUR homework.
Time for a change
The time has come, the time for a serious make-over on a planetary scale. A time for people to get over themselves, on every level, starting with the religious first and foremost. The age when we killed each other over ideas, especially differences in religious ideas is fast coming to an end. While the despots, Queens, moguls and rulers of every ilk mightcontinue to send us to fight, kill and die for their "interests", I propose we take a page from George Carlin's book and "don't show up. Yes, what would happen if they declared a war and no one showed up?" A few measly consiousess objectors might get some minimal air time on the local news, but imagine what kind of coverage CNN would provide to an all out, international, complete and total absence of military might on all sides. Imagine, fields and fields of insanely expensive tanks, guns and other heavy equipment, sitting there, not moving, just sitting, with not one human in sight. I will die happy to have lived to see that day. But enough about me. There are more similarities between the world's religions than differences, so why do we go on needing to kill the other guy because they don't worship their God with the same traditions that I do? Because when you boil it all down, that's all it is, just differences in rituals and traditions. How many times to I need to hear Catholic, Muslim, Hebrew or Christian tell me how their God is one of love, peace and understanding before they realize they are all the same God they are killing for? Prove it, show me how understanding, loving and peaceful your God is and his teachings to you are. Demostrate his empathy, and be a vehicle for his love on the planet. I won't stop you. Not if you wear a cross on a chain around your neck, or pray on a mat facing East, or praise your God in a ancient language I don't understand.
That's the specific, for the general, people overall need to better re-align their Chi. Now, now, don't go chuckling, you can call it whatever you like, but you know the energy I speak of. We (humans) are seriously out-of-whack with our environment. And not just Mr. Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" but EVERYTHING. How we think of ourselves, what we deem important and worthy of our time and resources. The world we are creating and ultimately leaving our children is not a nice place. Our we were put here to be caretakers of our planet, and well folks, the report card is seriously covered in "F's" .
If we are to evolve, we need to come together and share and teach and learn and grow. We waste unimaginable quantities of resources on the most silly things.
I read a book once, and surprisingly it was by an economist, and he talked about how there really is no such thing as "shortages" and how we really can't "run out of ___________" because it is us people that decide what is precious, useful, and what is not. e.g. when in the 70's during the gas crisis, the pundits and expert talking heads talked about how in 20 years we would run out of oil." The economist went on to share a laugh with the audience since this was 2000 and still plenty of gas around. He did explain how when they (the experts in the 70's) predicted the end of oil, they simply calculated the known results, divided by the known number of barrels consumed at that time, and presto! in 20 years we would run out. Sure, yes, based on that known facts of the day, that might have come to pass. But what happened? How come we didn't run out? Well, a combination of factors contributed to our on-going oil-gluttany.
1. The oil engineers developed methods to drill deeper
2. The oil engineers developed better methods to drill off-shore further North.
3. The advent of the fuel injector made cars more effecient consumers of gas
4. Smaller cars we made and marketed, resulting in lesser consumption
and on and on
The point I am trying to make is that we create it all. We can create whatever we put our minds to. To continue with the gas analogy, remember, there was a time no so long ago when gas was thought to be a nasty waste bi-product of oil and thrown out. (We won't talk about the disposal methods, they're too scary.)
Until someone made a use for it. That's right, it was waste until it became the centre (and bane) of our modern existence.
We can make anything we can imagine. What we seem to have happened is "we're stuck on stupid". We have lost the creativity, the drive and ambition to create truly new, great, useful things. We have become mired in cheap, fast and easy.
We can do better, I know we can. I see signs of hope everywhere, and believe in my heart of hearts, that if enough of these like-minded people get together, what they can collectively create, will be revolutionary, extraordinary and perhaps just a tad life changing. And all for the better. The single-minded, profit driven mentality has got to go. We can do much better than that. We need to do much better, to ensure our survival as a species.
That's the specific, for the general, people overall need to better re-align their Chi. Now, now, don't go chuckling, you can call it whatever you like, but you know the energy I speak of. We (humans) are seriously out-of-whack with our environment. And not just Mr. Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" but EVERYTHING. How we think of ourselves, what we deem important and worthy of our time and resources. The world we are creating and ultimately leaving our children is not a nice place. Our we were put here to be caretakers of our planet, and well folks, the report card is seriously covered in "F's" .
If we are to evolve, we need to come together and share and teach and learn and grow. We waste unimaginable quantities of resources on the most silly things.
I read a book once, and surprisingly it was by an economist, and he talked about how there really is no such thing as "shortages" and how we really can't "run out of ___________" because it is us people that decide what is precious, useful, and what is not. e.g. when in the 70's during the gas crisis, the pundits and expert talking heads talked about how in 20 years we would run out of oil." The economist went on to share a laugh with the audience since this was 2000 and still plenty of gas around. He did explain how when they (the experts in the 70's) predicted the end of oil, they simply calculated the known results, divided by the known number of barrels consumed at that time, and presto! in 20 years we would run out. Sure, yes, based on that known facts of the day, that might have come to pass. But what happened? How come we didn't run out? Well, a combination of factors contributed to our on-going oil-gluttany.
1. The oil engineers developed methods to drill deeper
2. The oil engineers developed better methods to drill off-shore further North.
3. The advent of the fuel injector made cars more effecient consumers of gas
4. Smaller cars we made and marketed, resulting in lesser consumption
and on and on
The point I am trying to make is that we create it all. We can create whatever we put our minds to. To continue with the gas analogy, remember, there was a time no so long ago when gas was thought to be a nasty waste bi-product of oil and thrown out. (We won't talk about the disposal methods, they're too scary.)
Until someone made a use for it. That's right, it was waste until it became the centre (and bane) of our modern existence.
We can make anything we can imagine. What we seem to have happened is "we're stuck on stupid". We have lost the creativity, the drive and ambition to create truly new, great, useful things. We have become mired in cheap, fast and easy.
We can do better, I know we can. I see signs of hope everywhere, and believe in my heart of hearts, that if enough of these like-minded people get together, what they can collectively create, will be revolutionary, extraordinary and perhaps just a tad life changing. And all for the better. The single-minded, profit driven mentality has got to go. We can do much better than that. We need to do much better, to ensure our survival as a species.
Podcasts
They are some of the coolest bits of entertainment on the internet!!!! I am just in heaven with these podcasts!!!
And it doesn't matter if you are on a Mac or PC, iTunes works with both. Just when I think Apple has once again gone and done the coolest thing I could want, they come out with yet another one. Brilliant quality, downloadable, varied content, it's just like your own personal television, without the commercials or the annoying talking heads.
Now I will grant you that not ALL the content is brilliant, but that's just a matter of opinion I guess, and so, I stick with what I like. National Geographic has got to be one of those favourites. Their content is truly worthy of their name, and I look forward to the next download.
Check it out, you won't be disappointed.
And it doesn't matter if you are on a Mac or PC, iTunes works with both. Just when I think Apple has once again gone and done the coolest thing I could want, they come out with yet another one. Brilliant quality, downloadable, varied content, it's just like your own personal television, without the commercials or the annoying talking heads.
Now I will grant you that not ALL the content is brilliant, but that's just a matter of opinion I guess, and so, I stick with what I like. National Geographic has got to be one of those favourites. Their content is truly worthy of their name, and I look forward to the next download.
Check it out, you won't be disappointed.
Random Acts of Kindness
That picture is to help provide perspective for this posting, because that's about how big and how important we are individually in the universe. And so I muse about how we can all do one tiny thing to help us all. We don't have to invite the next stranger home to dinner, or even give money to the panhandler. Just tiny, almost insignificant acts of kindness. Holding the door open another second longer for the person behind you, not wearing your backpack or other luggage-sized purses etc., on public transit and smacking people in the face with it every time you turn to talk on your cell phone. And yes, cell phones, can we talk for a minute about cell phone usage? Is what you have to say (or hear - though more often than not it's about the talking) so important and time-sensitive that you need to use the cellphone everywhere?
Random acts of kindness people, don't have to be anything grandiose, largesse, just consideration and something the old folks use to talk about, common sense. It seems to be in use less and less these days, and that is becoming worrisome. Yes, it's alright to help a little old lady across the street, but not ok to cut in front of her and slow her down.
Being neighbourly is not difficult either. Keep your stuff on your own lawn, make sure it doesn't blow on the other side and shovel your entire portion of the side walk. And for the city dwellers that don't have miles of property to shovel, it's alright to shovel or assist the old couple next door. Call it Karma, call it whatever you like. Let's not get so caught up in the hurly burly of the workday that we forget the small acts that get us through that workday.
We don't have to love each other, that would be just too much to expect. But perhaps, we can put up better with each other? Just a nod and "hi" as we pass, doesn't hurt anybody.
Peace
New and improved.....
we'll see I guess how much this new Blogger has been "improved" for enduser easy-of-use and how much for the makers ease. I will be patient and fair, and since I haven't posted on here in a long time, I will think of it as just "new to me".
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