Ramblings of the day

I know most of my blog posts can be all over the place at times but this one may actually go over the top on that.

This weekend we had a friend come visit us from Montreal. It was great to have her for the weekend and she brought us Montreal bagels, which I don't know why seem way better than Calgary bagels. As payment I took her and the kids to see The Muppet's new movie as a friend gave us 4 passes to the premiere on Saturday morning.

The movie was amazing, it brought me back to my childhood of watching the Muppet's on TV and it had humor for both the adults and the kids. The new songs they had were funny and good and the old songs they sung were nice to see in the movie. It may not be the best acting and plot you will ever see in a movie but it was an awesome Muppet movie and if you like the Muppet's I recommend you go see it.

This weekend was also the start of a huge sale in Canada for the BlackBerry Playbook. I already have one so I didn't really think to much of it til our friend started talking about wanting a tablet. The price for a 16GB Playbook was 199 plus tax which is a 300 dollar saving. Pretty amazing price for a great tablet. After some discussion and her playing with mine we decided to see if we could find her one before she went back to Montreal on Sunday. Well it turned out that price was so amazing that every store we called were sold out. This was 1 day after the sale started. To me this shows that the price point was great and means more people will have their hands on a great tablet. The more people that have it the more software will get developed for it and the better it will become. In the end she had called one store and they told her they had one on hold but if she left her name and number they would call her back if the person didn't come get it. About 2 hours later the store called back and said they would sell it to her. It turns out it was on hold for the manager and the clerk called the manager and asked if they could sell it to her, to which the manager said yes. Now that is what I call amazing customer service. We set it up for her and she had it ready to go for her flight home to Montreal.

My final ramblings is Occupy Calgary, what a gong show that has become. I really felt for the Occupy Movement when I first heard about it in the US but when it moved to Canada I questioned what it would be about here and when I found out about the movement in Calgary I was really curious. After 5 weeks I still know very little about what the people in Calgary are trying to change and I honestly don't think most of them know.
As the camps are slowly being evicted and closed down across Canada, the Calgary movement is staying strong and saying they won't leave. The mayor although giving them eviction notices has yet to go any further. Then today I read on the Occupy Calgary forums the discussion of what demands they should make of the city that would get them to leave. I was taken a back by the thought of a group of people illegally camping in a park making demands of the city where the majority of people do not support them, in order for them to leave. Then I read the list and was just flabbergasted. I just can't fathom where they possibly can be coming from to think they have the right to make any demands let alone this list. I as a taxpayer and resident of Calgary that is not a member of the 1% they are supposedly fighting will be pissed if the city gives them any of this stuff. The courts in Vancouver and Toronto have already sided with the cities saying that people do not have the Charter right to camp where ever they please so it is time to move them out and not put up with their crazy demands. If they want these items they should for a charity or a political party and have people donate to them so they can pay for this stuff themselves. If they truly are representing the 99% they should have no problem getting enough cash together.

Here is a list of their demands that they are discussing

1) That the city find a place agreeable to OC where we can hold GAs in safety and warmth.



2) That the city will cover rent for said place.

3) That the city pay for the rental of all equipment necessary to hold our GAs. For example: mics, amp’s, speakers, tables, chairs etc. Including internet access for live steaming.

4) That the city pay to hold sixteen GAs as stated above with time/date/location/format of our choosing. (Maybe even twenty to get us through our winter of discontent with weekly GAs).



5) That the city permit one tent at the plaza, or at a mutually agreed location, as an info booth to disseminate information to the public and to operate during normal park hours.

6) That the city provide electricity during normal park hours to ensure adequate lighting in and around the information tent referred to in 5) and provide assistance (CFD, Bylaw) in setting up an adequate and compliant heating system for the information tent referred to in 5). Also, that the city provide security for the information tent during off hours.

7) That the city pay for three evenings rental of the largest rooms at every Community Hall in Calgary for the purpose of holding public forums.

8) That the city pay for the rental of all equipment necessary to hold such forums. For example: mic’s, amp’s, speakers, tables, chairs etc. Including internet access for live steaming.

9) That the city pay to advertise all public forums. Including TV, radio, newspapers, community newsletters, etc.

10) That the city pay for a CPS presence at each public forum for the duration of the meeting.

I’d decline the city’s offer to provide planners/help to set this up. It’s probably more trouble than it’s worth.


And a link to their forum
http://forum.occupycalgary.ca/showthread.php?63-Text-of-the-City-s-Offer&p=149&viewfull=1#post149

If the city caves in to any of these demands it shows all you have to do is make an eyesore in the city and they will pay for whatever you want to make you go away. That is not a good precedent to set. If they do I would say that any of those that are opposed to it simply tell the city we are no longer going to pay our taxes and we are protesting the government. Let's see how quickly that one gets squashed in the courts.

These are my ramblings for the day thanks for reading.

Congrats on blocking a pipeline

So the US protesters have been successful in at least delaying the Keystone XL pipeline to take Canadian Tar Sands Oil down to Texas to be refined. I want to say congrats to you. You have done a great disservice to your country. Pipelines are relatively safe ways to transport oil and are monitored constantly, if they spring a leak they can be shut off and very limited amounts of oil will be spilled and can be cleaned up. Now with out that pipeline the oil will travel by ship to Houston where it can be affected by weather and once a ship springs a leak we all remember the Exxon Valdez spill. Only this time it will be on the coast of the continental US and have far worse consequences.

Other than the environmental issues, here is though take a look at everything you own and use every day, including the roads you drive on , the places you walk and the buildings you work in. Everything has some petroleum products in it in order to be made. This means if you take oil away all of that also goes away. It is more than just gasoline it is a way of life that can't just be packed up and removed.

If the US doesn't want Canadian Oil, I say cool. Lets build refineries in Canada and process the oil ourselves and sell it for 10 times as much as what the barrel of oil sells for. If that doesn't work for Canadians then why not go over to China who would be more than happy to pay top dollar for a scarce resource. The people in the US are always happy to protest and chant about one thing or another but let them really see the consequences to this pure stupidity when gas, power and every day products are no longer affordable because they either pay more or run out of oil.

OccupyNothing

Today I write about the Occupy Movement that is sweeping the globe, it is the in thing to do, go out and occupy some piece of land somewhere to protest how evil the world, the government and corporations are.

I will start off saying I think that the people in the US do have some justification to do this and seem to be well organized and actually have goals as to what they want to change but as it spreads to Canada I think the message and the reality is lost.

In Calgary the OccupyCalgary movement has taken over a very nice space called Olympic Plaza right across from city hall and are causing tons of damage by camping in area not meant to support camping. I would not have an issue if they came everyday to protest but I do have an issue when they are breaking City bylaws and are not being charged or ticketed for said offenses. There are laws and they need to be enforced. It is not against the law to protest but it is to camp overnight at the Plaza. Why can't they come back everyday?

Perhaps they could even take a few days off and actually figure out what they are Occupying for, the standard lines of corrupt government and corrupt corporations and they are the 99% and the 1% has to pay doesn't really work in Canada. The majority of taxes are paid by those earning over 80,000 a year which is not 1% it is more like 40-60% of the population and they are supporting the rest of the people that are not paying the taxes and make less than 30,000 a year. If any of these so called protesters had ever filed a tax return they would now if you make below a certain amount in Canada you actually get all your taxes back. They also need to look at how Canada has many social service programs to help the poor, the homeless, and the sick. In Canada you can walk in to any clinic or hospital and get help. That is not the case in the US. That is why they are fighting so that they can get access to equal care. In Canada we already have it.

An anti-protester was ticketed and had his truck towed with in 3 hours of starting his own protest in the same Plaza, yet the mayor, police and by-law officers say they can't enforce the law in Olympic Plaza because it would trample on their Charter rights to protest. I call BS on the mayor and the rest of them. It is time that they enforce the law and remove these squatters and get our space back. If they want to protest I say go for it but do it with in the laws which means you are not allowed to camp out over night.

I would like to really know how many of the OccupyCalgary movement are professional protesters (IE that's all they do is find things to protest about), homeless people that are camping simply because other people are, or have ever had a job and paid taxes. I am personally very busy with work, family and life to sit day in and day out breaking the law because I don't like something. When I want a change I go out and I talk to politicians and I vote for the guy I think will support the changes I want and I talk to my friends and family and help get that person elected. That is how you get change, not by camping out in a park and trying to figure out what needs to be changed.

Daily thoughts

Two men are walking in the forest and they see a rock and a stick in front of them. They quickly look at each other and run over to the two items. The one man picks up the rock and is so happy and impressed with it, at the same time the other man picks up the stick is equally happy and impressed. They then proceed to tell the other why their item is so much better than the other one.

What is the point of that useless story? It simply shows you that two people can see different items and have different opinions of said items.

How does this relate to you? Well it's simple lets change those two phones. You find an iPhone and a BlackBerry, some people will always pick the BlackBerry and other's will always pick the iPhone. It doesn't mean one is better than the other it simply means you have a preference and will choose that device.

Here is another story. As a business person you have a Smart Phone and you come in on Monday and realize you have lost your phone. Like most people you don't actually put a password on your phone because you find it annoying to have to enter that password in every time you want to use it. You call the phone company and cancel the phone right away, which will prevent people from using it to run up large amounts of calls on your bill but what about all the confidential information on it. Whether it is emails, contacts, notes with personal information or perhaps pictures that should not be seen, you have a serious problem if someone decides to look through your phone. If your phone is a BlackBerry on a BES, no problem. You tell your IT guy and he sends a wipe command from the BES server and all your data is gone from the phone. If you have an iPhone or Android you may be in trouble.

Does this make the BlackBerry better? Not really but it does make it more secure for businesses and governments and that is why they use them.

With that in mind pick the device that you like the best and use it but don't attack the guy that uses the other device. They have reasons for picking their device just like you have your reason. Play nice with each other because you never know when you may be forced to switch and may need some help.

Red State comes to Calgary

On Wednesday August 17th Kevin Smith brought his new "horror" movie to Calgary on his cross Canada tour. I brought a VIP ticket so that I could sit in the first 8 rows of the theater as well as getting a copy of the DVD when it is released.

I showed up at the theater an hour and forty five minutes before the doors opened so that I could get in line and hopefully get a good spot. I was right near the front of the line of the Will Call group. My friend Matt showed up shortly after that and stood in the line for people with tickets and was also near the front. We figured with two different lines we would have a good shot to get good seats.

When they finally let us in it took a bit longer for the Will Call people to get tickets and in so Matt managed to get in and get us 2nd row from the stage.

Before the movie began Kevin came out and did a little intro for the movie and talked to the crowd for a bit.

The movie itself is classed as a horror movie, but after seeing it I would say it is more a thriller than a horror. It had some gory pieces to it, it had lots of action, and a great story line. The acting, writing and directing was all great. I was never bored, lost or confused. I was just simply kept at the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next as you could not predict how it was going to go at any point in the movie. Normally when you here that, it means the movie is rough and makes no sense but this movie flowed perfectly and followed a great story, it just kept you guessing.

I own every movie Kevin Smith has made (except Jersey Girl) and love his comedies, but I have to say this ranked up there as one of his best movies. It is not a "Kevin Smith movie" as you would think of them but he does a great job with this new genre and shows that he is a great director and writer.

The crowd cheered and reacted loudly (quite possibly because Kevin was in the back of the theater) and it added even more to the movie viewing experience.

Once the movie was over Kevin came up and did a Q&A. He didn't get to many questions because when he answered he did so in story form and it was amazing. Kevin is a great speaker and kept the audience intrigued with stories about this movie, his family, his life and his new movie that he is currently working on.

It was a bit pricey if you look at it as going to see a movie, but so worth it considering you got a movie as well as a Q&A with Kevin. The whole night was amazing. I would recommend seeing Red State as soon as you can, it is a great work of art and shows that Kevin can do much more than just penis and fart jokes.

Do fan's have the right to boo?

I am a fan of the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Stampeders and have been thinking about all the games I have been to and how when the home team is playing poorly how the fan's begin to boo either the team or the player that is playing badly. With that in mind it raised the question do you think home town fans have the right to boo their team or a player when they are playing bad? I know if I do a bad job I get talked to or yelled at by my boss and I am sure the players do as well, but can the fans be considered bosses as it is our money from ticket and merchandise sales that pay their salaries.

Habs fans have a history of booing players that are playing badly and although they get paid millions to play the game, they are just people and I can't imagine it make you feel very good when 30,000+ people start to boo you. So when a player gets mad at being booed what can they do? Not much really, because if they do react it ends up all over the press and fans react even more to what they have done. So players are in a tough spot, yes it is their job to play the best they can but as a fan you don't know everything that is going on and maybe they are having a bad day, an injury or something personal that is affecting their game. So should they get a free pass?

One of the big reasons I bring this up is Rob Maver of the Stampeders was booed off the field a couple of times during the Stampeders home opener. He missed a couple field goals that should have been made and seemed to be having issues kicking in general. After a while some fans realized the reason he was kicking so poorly was injured, but most didn't realize it until the coach came out and said he re injured himself in warm up and that is why he was struggling. I personally felt very bad for the guy. It showed amazing courage to try and kick even though he was in major amounts of pain and could have done even more damage to himself. So were the fans right to boo him off the field?

It's a tough call and I don't know the answer, I know I have booed players and teams when I am watching a game and get frustrated with their play, I have called for players to be benched, traded or moved around to see if that will help the team, but as a fan I know I don't know everything that is happening with the team or the players so perhaps I should take a step back and look at the bigger picture that they are playing for my entertainment and I should stand behind them no matter what and always cheer my heart out in hopes that it will help them play better and bring home the win.

The Premature death call of RIM

I am an avid Blackberry user, I have gone through many upgrades and currently have the Bold and a PlayBook and I love these devices. That being said I also am not such a fan boy that I don't see the odd issue with them or won't admit that there are flaws.

With that being said I am quite saddened to see all the RIM bashing that is going on in both the technical and financial markets right now. Some are saying that RIM is now dead and can't recover from where they are. That the loss of market share is massive and they are done as a company. To those people I would like to say that I think you are looking to profit from a hiccup and that your call of their demise is very premature.

RIM was the first smart phone maker and as such had a 100% market share. When the iPhone came out guess where they took the market share from? When the Android came out it had to take a market share from someone as well. Just like Apple was the first to push out the iPad they had 100% of the market, now there are several tablet devices that have taken from that market share but no one is saying that Apple will die because of it. It's not that RIM is dying as much as they have competition now and have to adjust marketing practices to make sure they compete with the new technology. That being said they are also the only devices that are authorized for use by military and governments due to their security. That is a huge market that they hold, and that alone can sustain many companies.

With all technology when new items come out they will take a share of the market from the big boys and it is how they react that matters, RIM has been slow to react to market change and it is costing them but the technology they are building is solid and is very good at what it does. They are not the best "toy" on the market but I do believe they are still the best business device on the market. I know the consumer market is where you want to be but consumers are fickle and will constantly change to the newest best marketing pitch that is presented to them and not what is necessarily the best device. I know lots of people that have iPhones and most of which are Apple fanboys and will buy anything (and line up) that has that Apple logo on it. It doesn't matter the cost or the functionality they will always buy it because in their eyes Apple is better than everyone else. RIM will never win those people over no matter what they try. So why not stick to the market that they have a shot at keeping and converting? The business user will take whatever device their IT person tells them is the right choice. So in my opinion RIM needs to show the technical market that their devices are better.

This brings me back to the days I started working in the computer industry. I found an amazing operating system that was GUI, stable and had the ability to multi task. It was called O/S2 and was made by IBM. It was far better than anything Microsoft had at the time but in the end went the way of the dodo because no one ever heard of it. IBM had the best stealth marketing team known to man at that time. RIM is in the same boat right now, you see Apple advertisements every where. Ask anyone on the street and they will know what an iPad or iPhone or iPod is. Ask them if they know who RIM or BlackBerry is and you will get some strange looks. If RIM can fix the marketing situation they will be back better and stronger than before.

As a disclaimer, I do not work for RIM, I am not a sales guy, and I have no affiliation with them. I just like their devices and wanted to put my thoughts out to the world.