Warning: This is a rant-type post. Skip if you're too full of good holiday cheer.
During the Christmas holidays is when delivery companies get slammed. People tend to shop online a lot these days and mid-December is when the insanity begins. I am an online shopper, not for the convenience but because I do my research as a consumer. Sometimes, the best, full-featured, durable items are simply not available anywhere but online. So I shop online more often than not.
Shopping online means that I don't get what I buy immediately. There's usually a lag of anywhere between a week to two weeks. I've had items delayed for up to a month before. It's all part and parcel of online shopping - we just don't quite have the infrastructure to send packages efficiently and on-time over long distances without paying through the nose for it.
Over the Christmas hols, I expect some parcels to be late. It's just not reasonable to expect some poor, underpaid person to work late on Christmas Eve just so I can get my parcel - there is an element of social responsibility here. The unspoken contract is that I'll be reasonably patient waiting for the parcel and they'll be reasonably competent delivering it on-time.
Unfortunately, this doesn't work. There are a few delivery companies I will do business with, including Canada Post, USPS (excellent!), DHL and FedEx. Regrettably, other companies are not so good and for two of them, I've decided to boycott them due to their abysmal customer service. Let's take a very recent example, shall we? The trend tends to go something like this:
1. I buy something online and pick a delivery method with company X. It doesn't matter what I pick, it won't show up on time so I just choose the cheapest one now.
2. About a couple of days after it's shipped, I can check my tracking number online and it'll say when it's supposed to be delivered.
3. I'll check my tracking number on the delivery day when no parcel has shown up at all and it's well past the time for last delivery. Lo and behold, mysteriously my delivery date information has disappeared and my package is "in transit" somewhere between here and Hades.
4. I call the courier company. I'll get a clueless customer service rep. I'll call again a couple of hours later, and usually get someone a little better. S/he will tell me they're starting a trace.
5. I sit and wait. A few days goes by, still no package. I call again. The package is still "in transit" and apparently no one has started a trace yet but they will this time, apparently.
6. I sit and wait. According to my online tracking information, it hasn't even reached my city yet. I call again, apparently they're "working hard to find where it is".
7. Suddenly my package appears. This would usually be around Delivery Day + 1 or 2 weeks.
I had a recent episode with a worldwide courier service. My online order came with free "guaranteed N day" delivery. When it failed to appear, I called and got told, "Oh, yeah - that's just what we call that level of service. We don't actually guarantee anything". I'm speechless. I consider that fraud. So, I'm boycotting that courier service. It means that I can't shop with quite a few popular online stores now but I refuse to give my money towards a business that out and out rips off their customers through blatant misrepresentation.
Is this what we have been reduced to? No wonder our businesses in Canada and the US are getting eaten alive by foreign competitors. We have no pride in what we do. More than that, we have no sense of shame anymore.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Women wargamers
I was chit-chatting with a few folks last week and the conversation meandered over to childhood hobbies. One guy who we shall call Mr. X was reminiscing about wargaming and I chimed in, "Yep, used to love that sort of thing too", for which I got an odd look and the comment, "Yeah, right - girls don't wargame". I was, of course, suitably offended by this (it was a boring day and I hadn't filled my Emotional Reaction of the Day quota yet) and was challenged, "Uh huh. So if you've played them, which ones have you played?", to which I rattled off quite a few.
Here's the funny part - while I was playing Harpoon, 3rd Fleet and WSIM, Mr. X's entire experience with wargaming consisted of Risk, Axis and Allies and chess (which I don't consider a wargame at all). Following that was a series of good-humoured but pointed exchanges, much to the amusement of those present. His parting shot was, "Well, playing is one thing, but winning is another."
Now, I don't care what you are as long as you're not a bumbling idiot who keeps asking "What do I do now?" when you're playing with me. I agree conceptually with that chap - most women in general don't seem to play wargames. I think the last study done showed that women wargamers comprise less than 1% of all wargamers, and wargaming comprises less than 7% of the entire gaming community (yes, citation needed, I know). Doing a rough guess, I'd say that there are fewer than 10,000 active women wargamers in the world right now. Therefore, I don't dispute the basic fact that women wargamers are rare. What I do take umbrage about is the idea that wargaming is not something women can play, or play well at. It wasn't worth the time and effort to educate Mr. X - if he considers Risk as a proper wargame, then heaven help him. He has, unfortunately, taken to calling me "Xena" since then, something that I shall have to remedy in short order.
To a certain extent, I'm not being fair to Mr. X - I had a rather unorthodox childhood for a gal. Do I love wargames anymore? Not really, or at least nowhere near the extent I did way back when. I certainly do not count myself as being an active gamer anymore, let alone an active wargamer. My interests have shifted elsewhere since my younger days and I can definitively say that I am a radically different person now.
Still, I recently picked up the latest incarnation of a favourite wargame of mine and discovered that yes, I still do have the touch. Not everyone can successfully defend the GIUK gap against a Soviet boomer surge. :)
Here's the funny part - while I was playing Harpoon, 3rd Fleet and WSIM, Mr. X's entire experience with wargaming consisted of Risk, Axis and Allies and chess (which I don't consider a wargame at all). Following that was a series of good-humoured but pointed exchanges, much to the amusement of those present. His parting shot was, "Well, playing is one thing, but winning is another."
Now, I don't care what you are as long as you're not a bumbling idiot who keeps asking "What do I do now?" when you're playing with me. I agree conceptually with that chap - most women in general don't seem to play wargames. I think the last study done showed that women wargamers comprise less than 1% of all wargamers, and wargaming comprises less than 7% of the entire gaming community (yes, citation needed, I know). Doing a rough guess, I'd say that there are fewer than 10,000 active women wargamers in the world right now. Therefore, I don't dispute the basic fact that women wargamers are rare. What I do take umbrage about is the idea that wargaming is not something women can play, or play well at. It wasn't worth the time and effort to educate Mr. X - if he considers Risk as a proper wargame, then heaven help him. He has, unfortunately, taken to calling me "Xena" since then, something that I shall have to remedy in short order.
To a certain extent, I'm not being fair to Mr. X - I had a rather unorthodox childhood for a gal. Do I love wargames anymore? Not really, or at least nowhere near the extent I did way back when. I certainly do not count myself as being an active gamer anymore, let alone an active wargamer. My interests have shifted elsewhere since my younger days and I can definitively say that I am a radically different person now.
Still, I recently picked up the latest incarnation of a favourite wargame of mine and discovered that yes, I still do have the touch. Not everyone can successfully defend the GIUK gap against a Soviet boomer surge. :)
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Christmas 2007
Well, here's my first semi-obligatory Christmas post. We had a very nice quiet Christmas at home. The kids were happy with their loot and I spent a few good hours playing with them. Yes, I know Christmas isn't about loot and prezzies - good luck explaining that to small children. That vacant look when you explain these things to them? That's not comprehension. What's going through their little minds are something like this: I have no idea what she's talking about oh boy I can't wait to get back to my super killer robot mmm candy canes in my stocking yum ah good she's done yay!
The day was filled with good food, good company, good cheer and the din of children hard at play. That's pretty much it. It's an ordinary Christmas all around. However, that's not necessarily true of some folks I know. This year, I've known one person who was laid off not two weeks from Christmas, one who's spending Christmas alone after what turned out to be a nasty divorce despite a good start and one who is finally spending Christmas with friends but is so haunted by her past that she's having trouble accepting it.
There but for the grace of God go I.
Christmas is a time for happiness and joy, good food and good family, hot chocolate by the roaring fireplace, carols on the radio. What we sometimes forget is that there are unfortunates out there who are spending the day alone. Not necessarily because they have no money, although that certainly happens a lot too. No, Christmas is only meaningful if you have friends and family. Which some people, good people at that, do not have. Sometimes that's because of their own doing. Other times, it's because they have family who don't know how to be family.
I recall spending Christmas alone. A lot of Christmases, really. I also remember back when I was young and religious sneaking out on Christmas day to attend Christmas service, knowing full well the seven kinds of hell that would descend upon me afterwards from my non-Christian parents. I'm not religious these days but we still celebrate Christmas for the kids' sake. For as long as they believe in Santa and have innoncence in their eyes, my sis and I will eat the horrendously large cookies left out every year for the most conspicuous and recognizable B&E repeat offender from the North Pole.
I'm rambling, can you tell? Turkey dinners make me fuzzy.
Ah well, time to head off to bed, methinks. Happy Christmas everyone!
The day was filled with good food, good company, good cheer and the din of children hard at play. That's pretty much it. It's an ordinary Christmas all around. However, that's not necessarily true of some folks I know. This year, I've known one person who was laid off not two weeks from Christmas, one who's spending Christmas alone after what turned out to be a nasty divorce despite a good start and one who is finally spending Christmas with friends but is so haunted by her past that she's having trouble accepting it.
There but for the grace of God go I.
Christmas is a time for happiness and joy, good food and good family, hot chocolate by the roaring fireplace, carols on the radio. What we sometimes forget is that there are unfortunates out there who are spending the day alone. Not necessarily because they have no money, although that certainly happens a lot too. No, Christmas is only meaningful if you have friends and family. Which some people, good people at that, do not have. Sometimes that's because of their own doing. Other times, it's because they have family who don't know how to be family.
I recall spending Christmas alone. A lot of Christmases, really. I also remember back when I was young and religious sneaking out on Christmas day to attend Christmas service, knowing full well the seven kinds of hell that would descend upon me afterwards from my non-Christian parents. I'm not religious these days but we still celebrate Christmas for the kids' sake. For as long as they believe in Santa and have innoncence in their eyes, my sis and I will eat the horrendously large cookies left out every year for the most conspicuous and recognizable B&E repeat offender from the North Pole.
I'm rambling, can you tell? Turkey dinners make me fuzzy.
Ah well, time to head off to bed, methinks. Happy Christmas everyone!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Shifting pains
My sis has been using a Nokia 6820 for the past 3 years now and while it was a great phone, her needs have changed as she progressed in her career. So, it was time to get her her very own smartphone as she had some very specific needs. We took a look at what's available and settled on a very nice cherry red Treo 680 for Christmas. It suits her needs very well thus far and she's quite happy with it. If nothing else, she gets to play games on her very attractive cherry red phone! Her needs were immediate, so she got her prezzie early.
Being a technophile myself, I couldn't help but take a look at my existing phone, an old but very reliable Nokia E61. I can honestly say that it's the best phone I've had in my life, functionality-wise. Ergonomically...it's quite ugly and very awkward to hold in my small hands. I also bought the unlocked version (as the E61 wasn't sold in Canada but the scaled down E61i was) which resulted in me getting the US version with a Spanish keyboard. By and large, it worked quite well but it's annoying to have to jump through hoops just to get simple symbols like '$' because its usual slot has been replaced by Spanish accented characters.
Despite that, it was a great when I had it. Now, after using it for nearly two years, it's a little banged up from everyday use. I think I dropped it about twice, which is still better than your average cell user. There are glitches where it resets and/or hangs these days which never happened when it was new. But that's not the problem. The problem is that it's simply creaking under the weight of the data I've put on the poor thing. Most of you who know me well have heard of my horrendously long and comprehensive to-do lists. I've got one big giant one sitting on my E61 and it's not liking it much. Even my phonebook is creaking along - it takes forever for it to come up with my contacts list and I really don't have that many on there. The most annoying thing are the random resets that happen - for no good reason, my E61 will just reset to default settings and I have to go back and see what's changed. I put up with all of that because it's a good phone.
Now, with my sister getting her own spiffy smartphone, I reevaluated the idea of replacing the E61. I started off with the usual basic needs: GSM, full keyboard, good call quality, good battery life, WiFi, Bluetooth, voice command, must be able to develop software for, etc. In the end, only one phone popped up: the HTC TyTN II. Unfortunately, it was a whopping $800++. We went through the standard family requisitions process and the application went down in flames - rightly so. I still had a functional (albeit slowly dying) phone and $800 was simply too much - it's over half the price of the MacBook I'm using!
So I reevaluated my needs. Now that I'm not a developer, I don't really need the full keyboard nor the ability to develop software for it. I have to face that fact that unless I return to a development path, I'm permanently out of the coding game as I will become less and less current with the latest technologies. My other requirements are mostly sound. Simply removing those two requirements widened the selection considerably. Capping the price at $500 (I'm not buying one with a contract and besides, I want it unlocked), I eventually settled on the HTC Touch. Reading the reviews, its 200MHz processor and puny 64Mb of RAM resulted in it grinding slowly along when it came to applications. Probing a bit further, I found I could buy the HTC Touch Enhanced with twice the amount of RAM and ROM for just $10 more, so I did. I'm anxiously awaiting its arrival but it looks like it won't make it in by Christmas.
For me, this whole phone business is yet another bittersweet episode. I've been coping with not being a software developer anymore now that I've moved on to product management and realizing that I'm just yet another casual user is...galling. I now use my computers to e-mail, read MS Word documents, track schedules with MS Project and make PowerPoint presentations. I don't write code on my machine anymore. It's not the job or company - I love my job and the people I work with. It's the shift. It feels...odd and disconcerting.
When my phone arrives, I know it's the right one for me. It's stylish and tiny, which means it'll fit in my handbag far better than my E61. It also has Office Mobile and syncs to Outlook seamlessly. I can still drop Pocket Scheme, PythonCE and a .NET on-device development environoment on it but I don't need to anymore. It's both liberating and frightening at the same time, like donning civilian clothing after wearing a uniform for years.
Being a technophile myself, I couldn't help but take a look at my existing phone, an old but very reliable Nokia E61. I can honestly say that it's the best phone I've had in my life, functionality-wise. Ergonomically...it's quite ugly and very awkward to hold in my small hands. I also bought the unlocked version (as the E61 wasn't sold in Canada but the scaled down E61i was) which resulted in me getting the US version with a Spanish keyboard. By and large, it worked quite well but it's annoying to have to jump through hoops just to get simple symbols like '$' because its usual slot has been replaced by Spanish accented characters.
Despite that, it was a great when I had it. Now, after using it for nearly two years, it's a little banged up from everyday use. I think I dropped it about twice, which is still better than your average cell user. There are glitches where it resets and/or hangs these days which never happened when it was new. But that's not the problem. The problem is that it's simply creaking under the weight of the data I've put on the poor thing. Most of you who know me well have heard of my horrendously long and comprehensive to-do lists. I've got one big giant one sitting on my E61 and it's not liking it much. Even my phonebook is creaking along - it takes forever for it to come up with my contacts list and I really don't have that many on there. The most annoying thing are the random resets that happen - for no good reason, my E61 will just reset to default settings and I have to go back and see what's changed. I put up with all of that because it's a good phone.
Now, with my sister getting her own spiffy smartphone, I reevaluated the idea of replacing the E61. I started off with the usual basic needs: GSM, full keyboard, good call quality, good battery life, WiFi, Bluetooth, voice command, must be able to develop software for, etc. In the end, only one phone popped up: the HTC TyTN II. Unfortunately, it was a whopping $800++. We went through the standard family requisitions process and the application went down in flames - rightly so. I still had a functional (albeit slowly dying) phone and $800 was simply too much - it's over half the price of the MacBook I'm using!
So I reevaluated my needs. Now that I'm not a developer, I don't really need the full keyboard nor the ability to develop software for it. I have to face that fact that unless I return to a development path, I'm permanently out of the coding game as I will become less and less current with the latest technologies. My other requirements are mostly sound. Simply removing those two requirements widened the selection considerably. Capping the price at $500 (I'm not buying one with a contract and besides, I want it unlocked), I eventually settled on the HTC Touch. Reading the reviews, its 200MHz processor and puny 64Mb of RAM resulted in it grinding slowly along when it came to applications. Probing a bit further, I found I could buy the HTC Touch Enhanced with twice the amount of RAM and ROM for just $10 more, so I did. I'm anxiously awaiting its arrival but it looks like it won't make it in by Christmas.
For me, this whole phone business is yet another bittersweet episode. I've been coping with not being a software developer anymore now that I've moved on to product management and realizing that I'm just yet another casual user is...galling. I now use my computers to e-mail, read MS Word documents, track schedules with MS Project and make PowerPoint presentations. I don't write code on my machine anymore. It's not the job or company - I love my job and the people I work with. It's the shift. It feels...odd and disconcerting.
When my phone arrives, I know it's the right one for me. It's stylish and tiny, which means it'll fit in my handbag far better than my E61. It also has Office Mobile and syncs to Outlook seamlessly. I can still drop Pocket Scheme, PythonCE and a .NET on-device development environoment on it but I don't need to anymore. It's both liberating and frightening at the same time, like donning civilian clothing after wearing a uniform for years.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Desiring nothing
I was surprised by my birthday not too long ago - it didn't feel like as if a year had passed. But sure enough, my little electronic daytimer pinged some time back and announced, "Hello, Insert Name Here! Today's your Birthday! Many happy returns! Don't embarrass yourself too much!"
Yes, I'm still 28 years old and will remain that age until further notice through the wonderful help of self-delusionment and bald-faced lying.
Time is just whipping by far quicker than I remember it. This means that either my life is very full or my memory is going. I suspect both are true. Birthdays used to be very important to me. Not growing up in a Western country, there wasn't any concept of Santa bringing presents or whatnot once a year. You got prezzies on your birthday and that was that. Having come from a giant family with literally hundreds of cousins, I had to share my birthday with relatives. The one and only time I ever got a cake to myself was in kindergarten; since that I've had a slice or two only.
That used to bother me loads. Now, with kids that I care for and other family members who depend on me, I've found I'm more outward facing than inward facing. I was asked what I wanted for Christmas. For that first time that I can remember, I'm drawing a complete and utter blank. I think I have everything I want right now, which is a very strange place for me to be in.
Being unemployed recently certainly coloured my priorities permanently. For example, I'm well past the first week of December and my monthly "buy whatever you want" budget is still intact. It's usually gone within days, if not partly "borrowed" from the month prior.
What did I get for my birthday? Just a very nice present from my loving sis. And a call from a dear friend. It was a comparatively uneventful day excepting for some excitement in the latter part of the afternoon.
As scary as it seems, I think that after all these years, I'm finally really content. Either that or I've completely lost my mind.
Yes, I'm still 28 years old and will remain that age until further notice through the wonderful help of self-delusionment and bald-faced lying.
Time is just whipping by far quicker than I remember it. This means that either my life is very full or my memory is going. I suspect both are true. Birthdays used to be very important to me. Not growing up in a Western country, there wasn't any concept of Santa bringing presents or whatnot once a year. You got prezzies on your birthday and that was that. Having come from a giant family with literally hundreds of cousins, I had to share my birthday with relatives. The one and only time I ever got a cake to myself was in kindergarten; since that I've had a slice or two only.
That used to bother me loads. Now, with kids that I care for and other family members who depend on me, I've found I'm more outward facing than inward facing. I was asked what I wanted for Christmas. For that first time that I can remember, I'm drawing a complete and utter blank. I think I have everything I want right now, which is a very strange place for me to be in.
Being unemployed recently certainly coloured my priorities permanently. For example, I'm well past the first week of December and my monthly "buy whatever you want" budget is still intact. It's usually gone within days, if not partly "borrowed" from the month prior.
What did I get for my birthday? Just a very nice present from my loving sis. And a call from a dear friend. It was a comparatively uneventful day excepting for some excitement in the latter part of the afternoon.
As scary as it seems, I think that after all these years, I'm finally really content. Either that or I've completely lost my mind.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Holiday parties
Well, it's that time of the year again, when holiday parties abound. Parties held by friends are one thing, corporate events are another. I usually get invited to a couple of them and this year is no different.
Only this time, I had nothing appropriate to wear.
So, my dear long-suffering sister got dragged off to the malls with me a couple of weekends ago in a frantic search for something appropriate for me to wear. I hate dress-shopping with a passion. Darned dresses all have zippers or buttons or whatnot in the most inconvenient (read: unreachable) of places. Plus, you have to be an expert contortionist to get into some of them without ripping the fabric. Long story short, we found a nice little black dress that made me look good and professional.
At least, that's what I hope I look like when I'm wearing it. Given that the salesladies didn't burst out in hysterical laughter, I'm assuming it's safe. Only one problem - dresses are expensive so I have to find a way to pay for it. It's a little bit silly, really. Over the course of the last month or so, I've spent more on books and business attire than I have in ages. Sure hope things even out soon because we can't continue to bleed money like this.
Oh, while I was out trying to find a dress, I found a very nice teal green dress that I *absolutely* loved. Problem: when I got to the counter, I assumed it was priced like the other ones I was trying on...and my jaw dropped to the floor when it rang up as $340! Suffice to say, I didn't buy that dress but I did go back to try it again when the price dropped to $249 not three days later. You simply have to love clothing stores - it seems like pricing games are the norm there. I loved that dress but...$249 isn't what I would pay for it.
*sigh*
Looking pretty is expensive. Holiday parties are important for a myriad of reasons and those of you who know me well will know that Fun isn't anywhere on that list of reasons. They're an opportunity to network, to chat with folks you don't normally hobnob with in the industry, etc. Too bad the price of entry is an expensive outfit. It'd better be worth it...
Only this time, I had nothing appropriate to wear.
So, my dear long-suffering sister got dragged off to the malls with me a couple of weekends ago in a frantic search for something appropriate for me to wear. I hate dress-shopping with a passion. Darned dresses all have zippers or buttons or whatnot in the most inconvenient (read: unreachable) of places. Plus, you have to be an expert contortionist to get into some of them without ripping the fabric. Long story short, we found a nice little black dress that made me look good and professional.
At least, that's what I hope I look like when I'm wearing it. Given that the salesladies didn't burst out in hysterical laughter, I'm assuming it's safe. Only one problem - dresses are expensive so I have to find a way to pay for it. It's a little bit silly, really. Over the course of the last month or so, I've spent more on books and business attire than I have in ages. Sure hope things even out soon because we can't continue to bleed money like this.
Oh, while I was out trying to find a dress, I found a very nice teal green dress that I *absolutely* loved. Problem: when I got to the counter, I assumed it was priced like the other ones I was trying on...and my jaw dropped to the floor when it rang up as $340! Suffice to say, I didn't buy that dress but I did go back to try it again when the price dropped to $249 not three days later. You simply have to love clothing stores - it seems like pricing games are the norm there. I loved that dress but...$249 isn't what I would pay for it.
*sigh*
Looking pretty is expensive. Holiday parties are important for a myriad of reasons and those of you who know me well will know that Fun isn't anywhere on that list of reasons. They're an opportunity to network, to chat with folks you don't normally hobnob with in the industry, etc. Too bad the price of entry is an expensive outfit. It'd better be worth it...
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