Mail Delivery

I am used to a certain level of service from my post office. The US Postal Service is the biggest single business entity in the world, delivers more mail more accurately than any other postal service, and it works more days per year than any other postal service. My wife and I frequently put letters in the mail in Calais, ME and they arrive in Southern California within, on average, three days.

Now I'm living in Canada. I have suspected that the Canadian postal service is not as great as America's before, but recent events have really brought it to focus. Twice in the last six weeks my pay check has been sent from a company in "uptown" ("downtown" to most Americans) and it has taken one letter nine business days (13 days total) before it arrived and another, the one I'm currently waiting on, is at 10 business days (15 days total) and I still haven't received it as of yesterday's mail delivery.

My wife and I have a Zip.ca subscription. The vast majority of those movies are between 1-3 days later than the estimate, and I am convinced it happens when they reach this city. One of my brothers in law tells of receiving a package from Japan in four business days, while a letter he sent to someone else in this city took seven business days. We get a lot of mail, junk mail, and fliers, yet our mail box can be suspiciously absent for days at a time.

In America, the post office has their motto that, basically, says they deliver the mail no matter what. Even though this area of Canada is well-known for snow and bitterly cold days in winter, our mail carrier doesn't deliver on those days. Doesn't matter if it is important or you're waiting on something you might need desperately, like a pay check, it is too cold, wet, dark, snowy, foggy for people who, for the most part, have been born and raised in this weather and well know how to cope with it safely to go out to deliver something as unimportant as the mail.

I guess it is a good thing we rely primarily on my wife's electronically deposited pay check for things like bills, as Canada Post simply doesn't think my pay check taking approximately two weeks to go from one location within the city to another location within the city is a problem. And, I'm sure, if we relied on that pay check for our mortgage, our mortgage lender would be just as forgiving and understanding when we told them we're waiting on the check to arrive. Yeah, right.

I found the online email complaint services for Canada Post and have made a complaint to them about this. I received a fairly generic reply back that completely missed the point, so have informed them again of the inadequacies of the mail delivery service in this town. Probably means that we won't receive mail for at least a week as they mark us as a problem delivery location, but when something you can prove is clearly going wrong, you have to complain. And if more people did that, change would occur.

Addendum
After my last email to them, reiterating the problem and suggesting they need to look into the issue further and see if it is the mail carrier or something wrong with the processes in the main postal annex, I got this response:

Hello,
Thank you for your message to Canada Post.
I can certainly appreciate your concern and would like to apologize for the inconvenience caused.
I have opened an inquiry, which will be sent to the local depot that is responsible for delivering the mail so that they can look into this concern and resolve any discrepancies. Your customer number is ######## and your case number for this inquiry is #######.
 
The depot does not normally follow up with the customer for these types of issues unless they require additional information. Please allow 5 business days for resolution and if you do not see any improvement, please contact us again.

Bullying

I'm torn by this recent increase in bullying and suicides by teens in America. I'm torn because I don't think it is actually an increase in the acts themselves, just higher profile acts that are making it to the national media. I'm also torn because I don't understand the thought processes that lead to the bullied committing suicide.

I was bullied throughout my formative years. In grade school and into junior high school, I was a small kid. I wore a lot of blue. I was teased and picked on and called a "Smurf", "Smurfette", and, as my peers and I were starting to discover curse words, worse names. I hated it, but it taught me to be quick witted with comebacks and quicker still with my feet -- I could outrun nearly everybody at that age.

In junior high the bullying got more physical at times. I had a few people who liked to physically push and shove and others who threatened me with harm. Hell, even after I had one summer where I grew a number of inches, I wound up with my formerly short friends upset I wasn't part of their crowd, so they used their "Napoleon complexes" to pick on me for having grown, but I still wasn't tall so many of my taller peers continued to assault me for being still so short! In junior high, I started to see and learn that the teachers and other adults in my life also could be bullies, although I think most of them didn't realize it. Gym teachers who didn't think I was trying hard enough would make me try to do more in front of a class full of students who resented that my ineffectual actions were slowing down them getting to play time. Teachers who parade an obviously scared, crying child in front of the classroom and continue berating them for all the class to see and hear. However, rather than plotting their deaths or my own, I got smarter, wilier, more devious. I figured out ways around those teachers. Hell, one teacher in junior high who pissed me off one too many times I battled with verbally until he went to the little closet office he had attached to his classroom and cried. I learned to fight back.

In high school, the bullying became much more physical. Constant targeting by bigger, tougher students when I was a Freshman and Sophomore. Again, my quick feet and quick wits helped me out of most of those situations, and I tended to find something on them that I could get to an authority figure surreptitiously so they had to deal with their own issues.

And, frankly, the bullying over the years made me into a bully. I was more subtle than many in my bullying, but I teased, cajoled, whispered, and wheedled until I made those around me crack. I got good at manipulating those around me, students and teachers alike.

But all during these times, even when I couldn't avoid it and got into physical fights, I never once thought about suicide. One of my life's mottoes from a very earlier age has always been "as long as there is life, there is hope." And it is true. If you are bullied in grade school, it will end when you grow, or become quick witted, or find your strength, or when you go to junior high and away from one, some, or all of your bullies. Same with junior high and high school.

Life is constant change, especially at young ages. From childhood through college, it is almost constant change. Knowing that, why would you think that ending life (your own or someone else's) is a viable solution? Instead, just actively seek out change or simply wait for the next change to come about and suddenly everything around you is different.

I can't speak directly about the homosexual angle to many of the recent bullying stories. Although some of the bullying that I had to put up with came from those who accused or insinuated I was gay, I was always very comfortable in my skin and with my sexuality (even when it was budding) so I never took those threats or taunts too seriously. In most cases, that was just one of many tactics the bullies had used to get my goat and under my skin. For those for whom the sexual-orientation taunts are true, I guess they haven't developed a comfort with their sexuality due to how homosexuality is viewed in general in America. So it makes it harder for them to ignore those taunts.

In the end, I wind up torn on the issue: while I agree that bullying is a serious issue and we should strive to eliminate as much of it as we can, my opinion is that bullying is something that everyone must overcome. In many cases, overcoming bullying makes people who and what they are as adults. Without bullying, many of our best athletes, most entertaining musicians and actors, and many of our leaders wouldn't exist -- it is through overcoming their bullying that they learned they had a facility for comedy, a passion for the arts, or became great athletes and leaders. Pressure can turn carbon into diamond, but it can also crack and break that diamond if too much is applied, or the pressure comes from the wrong angle. Without that pressure, many people may not find their gifts and their niche in the world. But too much pressure can obvious crack a mind and spirit and cause someone to either kill themselves or those around them. It is a balance and I simply don't have a solution for it.

Dinner for Schmucks (Seriously)

If the reports are to be believed, Roy Williams got Dez Bryant back for not carrying his pads by inviting the defensive players to a dinner Bryant was hosting for the offensive players at a local Dallas steakhouse. The grand total as reported is nearly $55,000 for the meal.

Let me give you a moment to wrap your head around the fact: ONE DINNER cost this rookie twenty grand more than the average salary in America. One meal. One. If the entire roster of players showed up, all 53 of them, the nearly $55,000 price tag of the dinner means that each player had approximately $1000 worth of food and services.

Bryant got over $8 million in guaranteed money. He can afford it. But was this prank by Williams the right thing to do at time when most Americans can't afford to go watch these millionaires play a game for a living? During these tough economic times, was it a good idea to flaunt just how far above the people of Dallas these players are in terms of money made?

The question also arises: was that the total bill, or the bill before gratuity? If he paid a 20% tip (likely more) on having such a large group at a single restaurant, then the bill goes upwards of $66,000. If that amount includes the tip, then we're still talking a $44,000 meal. Supposedly, some players were walking out with $600 bottles of wine. Some reports have players ordering multiple meals, charging them to Bryant, and then not eating them.

The thought of this prank makes me sick to my stomach. The audacity of these players doing this is a spit in the face of every hard-working person trying to keep making ends meet in this tough economy.

If anything shows the disconnect between these athletes and the world around them, this does.

ADDENDUM: This per Peter King, my favorite football insider, in his Monday Morning QB column:

"This doesn't deserve a monumental amount of coverage, but one thing should be said to the Cowboy veterans who delighted in spending about $2,500 per man (one estimate I heard for the 22 to 25 men who attended this dinner) as most of America struggles to pay for weekly groceries: Stop being pigs. It's disgusting."

Random Thoughts

1. California sent me an absentee ballot for the upcoming November election. They sent me a full ballot, however. Reading carefully, and then going to some overseas voter information websites, it appears that if I use this ballot, even to only vote for the two federal election areas (Senator and Representative), California can claim I am a resident and tax me next tax season, even though I live out of the country. Pretty tricky, says I.

Following up on that, I found the FVAP (Federal Voter Assistance Program) which helps overseas military and nonmilitary personal to vote. When I filled out everything correctly, the ballot I got ONLY had the two Federal selections on it, as I should have received in the first place. So I'll be faxing that in as my vote, which should help me avoid any taxation issue.

2. Looks like my current contract is winding down earlier than expected. I was too fast in doing some of the work (I could have been faster, actually, but didn't get all the training I needed until a month into the work), and other parts of the job were canceled by the requesting employer (I am working for a company that does work outsourced by other companies). I expect to finish next week, instead of working through the end of October.

There are some benefits to this, as we have some tasks around the house that have been neglected with both of us working full time. I may also have a new contract lined up which will start sometime in November. And the current company knows me now (I've worked for them twice) and will keep me on file.

3. I was sick all last week. Sore throat turned into painful swallowing and an area under my jaw but well away from my tonsils that was very painful. Hot and cold flashes. Alternated between not being able to sleep hardly at all and sleeping for 12 hours and napping during the day. Coughing. Headaches.

4. If you get migraines, you know what I'm talking about when I say that you get light sensitivity and sometimes flashing/strobing effects. Well, on top of those, I often also get a rainbow-colored squiggly visual effect in my eyes which, when added to the strobe effect and light sensitivity can make me nauseated on top of the pain in my head. Well, last night for about an hour or so, I got the rainbow-colored effect and slight light sensitivity without the migraine. It makes me wonder (and worry a little bit) as to what caused it. Very odd.

5. Canadian politics makes American politics look simple. Their version of a democracy doesn't involve direct representation and having a direct voice in the Federal government the way America's does. It has its pros, but it certain has its cons, too, from what I see. I'm kind of glad I don't get to vote here; I don't want to spend the time figuring out how it all works and then voting. If American's feel like their voices aren't heard, you should listen to Canadians complain about it!!

6. I was really getting into the groove of personal writing again, hitting my blog regularly, writing on two story ideas, putting down ideas for a renewal of my DnD game, creating and working on an MnM game. Then I got this current contract and my person writing has come to a near halt while I write professionally. One problem with doing something you love professionally is that you don't as often want to do the exact same thing personally (sometimes you do, and I haven't turned off completely).

7. The weight loss continues. I'm seeing numbers that begin with "18" now. My current goal is 185 and to hold that weight. Once I get down to that and can hold there, I will shoot for 180. I'm simply taking it slow, making sure I leave the table without being full, eating more fruits and vegetables, and eating more fiber, and trying to eat more regularly and smaller portions. My face already looks a bit leaner. Once I hit 185, I'm going to try to start putting more exercise into the mix as well. My feet are feeling better and my plantar fasciitis isn't bothering me as often, unless I stand or walk for longer periods. So at 185 I think I can start walking on the treadmill and doing some minor weight lifting and similar to rearrange the weight I do have. And to firm up the tummy. ;-)

8. Been having a lot of seriously odd dreams lately. One involving raccoons. One involving a strange school with very odd people and courses. Another involving strange careers. A few involving Dresden or Dresden-like situations, but I expected those as I've re-read the entire series over the last month (and am on the final book now).

Working Globally, Struggling Locally

Globalization makes communication difficult. English is currently the "common language" used, but often you are dealing with people who know English as a second, third, or tertiary language, so communication issues can arise. On top of this, you may be dealing with people in multiple time zones and locations, so your window for communicating is narrow.

I have an issue with my current contract. I am in one time zone, the person I am working with is in a time zone 6 hours ahead of me (Israel) and we both are working with developers who are plus hours to that (India). So, basically, I have a window of about 2 hours at the early start of my day to communicate with everyone. Therefore, we use email as our most dedicated system of communication.

However, the developer in India doesn't like to respond to my emails. When he does respond, it is usually only to answer one question out of the 2 or more that I sent. The responses I do get assume a level of knowledge that I've repeatedly told him I do not yet have. They also show a lack of understanding of English, on top of everything else.

In addition, each location works different days of the week and has different holidays where they are out of the offices.

Yesterday, I provided some documents to my direct report, he reviewed, I corrected, and then he sent on to others. Today, I have an email in my in box from the developer saying I didn't do two things. I have the email chain where I asked him those exact questions but never received a response back, so I politely referred him to those and then said I would be happy to add those details if he can provide them. In the second case, he is somehow claiming that a process is different than it is. I went through it step by step on Monday, took screen captures, and discovered it was virtually identical to a set of steps already documented and approved. So I copied those procedures and made the changes needed for this process. He is claiming it is different than that process and I need to use a whole other set of steps (which, btw, are virtually identical anyway). So I mentioned all this as well.

This makes the second time now this particular programmer has said that I'm wrong or lying and I have had to go back and show him that I am not using screen captures, previous emails, etc. to prove the point. I don't like doing that professionally, calling someone out or being called out, but I also have to cover my own ass work-wise. The time zone, holidays, work days, and English issues all are contributing to the lack of communication, as is my still growing knowledge of the application and hardware involved.

I am struggling to figure out the best way to communicate with him using our limited means in order to get responses that answer ALL of the questions I have. Hopefully I can hit on something soon so that the remaining time on this contract is used wisely and well.

Getting Older

I've noticed lately that it takes longer for my eyes to readjust to not wearing my PC or distance/night glasses when I remove them.

I notice that, similar to puberty, I have hair growing from interesting new places. Why does your body say that it needs to grow hair from the nose, ears and other strange places as you age? Didn't we go through this once already?

I notice that, while I still have enormous issues with sleep in general, I can't stay functional as late as I used to. Which means, on those many nights I have insomnia, that I'm awake but not really able to do anything with that time.

I notice that I get strangely upset each time I see the kids in our yard. Especially when they ride their bikes through/over/across it.

I notice that I don't have the same patience for today's music, preferring stuff from the 70s, 80s, and 90s much more than what I hear today. I also notice that today's music seems to pretty much all sound the same. The other day at Quiznos, they played Katy Perry and then Ke$ha, and I thought it was a double-play of the same artist.

I notice a lot more white hairs in my hair and facial hair.

I notice I'm not as patient with electronic devices that don't seem to do what they are supposed to do.

Living Each Day As If...

I was recently chatting with someone on the instant message service within one of my favorite games. He asked everyone if they "lived each day as if it was (their) last". To which I responded, "No. That can be a dangerous thing for people to do." He became indignant and a bit self-righteous with me, proclaiming that he was doing it right now and it was the best choice he ever made. Everyone should do it; it is so freeing and creates so much love in the world.

The point I tried to make, but his righteous indignation wouldn't listen to, is that not everyone is inherently good.

You see, the catch with people extolling you to live each day like it is your last is the assumption that people are inherently good and want to do good things to others. What if the person who decides to follow that advice is not a good person? What if they are, in fact, a sociopath? A sadist?

There have been a rash of news reports about people going to work and shooting their coworkers. What if that was the result of them deciding to live each day as if it was their last? What if that statement, and belief, freed them to do everything they wanted to, and what they wanted to do was kill that heinous boss that always kept them down and shoot all their coworkers who they never liked anyway?

There have been a couple of parents who have slaughtered their families recently. What if their decision to live each day as if it was their last included being free of all impediments to their happiness, and they decided that their family needed to be the first to go?

You could argue that those who were caught doing the Ponzi Schemes and those on Wall Street who helped create the economic turmoil we're struggling with were living as if it was their last day... and they wanted the most cash and toys when the day was done. They didn't care about the laws or that it wasn't their money or who they hurt, they just wanted to "win" that day.

In my life, I have not always been a nice guy. I admit that I have a dark side that likes to hurt people, be cruel, and is a bit merciless when drawn into an attack. If I live each day as if it is my last, wouldn't that mean that whenever "Evil John" wanted to come out and do something vicious, I should let him? I also have a good side which I foster and feed, and I would hope that my new-found philosophy would mean a lot of good would come to those around me. But I cannot deny that if I live as though it was my last day, some of my baser thoughts and feelings would come out, and people would get hurt.

I agree with the overall sentiment of that phrase, the spirit of it, if you will. But I also am smart and cynical enough to realize that not everyone should follow that particular mantra or belief. It only really works if you free your humanitarian side and do not engage your baser instincts.

I hope that guy I was chatting with continues to tell those around him how much he loves them. I hope he continues to give of his time, money, and/or expertise to those who can use it. I hope he, and the others like him who change their lives for the better using this philosophy, continue to make good, conscientious decisions toward themselves and others.

Dreams and Nightmares

This is the dream I had last night. Each time I startled myself awake, I fell back to sleep into the same dream, in sequence, and kept the story moving forward.

****
I was a detective in a desert community. No pariah or outcast, instead I was a decent detective, well-respected, and involved. However, my one quirk was that I thought a serial "killer" was at work. The twist being that the killer didn't actually kill anyone; instead, this guy serially targeted people, captured, tortured, fed them Ketamine, and lobotomized his victims. He effectively killed them-- they were no longer the people they were prior to his intercession in their lives-- but they were technically still alive.

Soon, my forays into finding him came to the serial killer's notice. He started taunting me in letters, emails, and such. However, everything was just inside the letter of the law for harassment and/or stalker rules, so there was nothing I could do. Soon afterward he started targeting people around me and first acquaintances, then friends, and finally family were lobotomized by the sadist. And then the killer started framing me for the crimes, which, of course, made me look guilty as hell and suspicious to most of my colleagues. My boss believed me and believed I was not to blame, standing by me through it all.

It soon turned out that the killer believed he was possessed by the spirit of an ancient tribal Indian shaman. He had found a piece of ancient wood, that he thought was part of a sacred totem pole from that tribe. It became a cat-and-mouse game between the two of us as I hunted him and he hunted me. In the end, I captured him but he screamed out to me that he would be free in a very short period of time. Even if convicted, the most they could get him on was aggravated assault with special circumstances, because while "(he) took everything they were as a person, (he) didn't kill them!"
****

Needless to say, I woke up exhausted after such an active, scary, and trying dream. Since I wasn't able to fall asleep until close to 2am and I woke up from this dream (for the final time) at about 8:30am, I got right to it and dreamed this one dream for most of the night's dream periods. Even when it got graphic and scary enough to force me awake, I fell back to sleep and picked it up as though pressing play after pausing live TV. I'm tired, sore, and a bit mentally fatigued after a 'good night's rest.'

What's really sad is that this isn't the worst dream I've had recently nor is it the most graphic.

Weighty Issues

When I saw "205" on the scale, I knew it was time to be more active about weight management. For my height, that was simply too much. While it is true I have mitigating circumstances that help me to gain and keep on the weight, that number had steadily increased over the last three years in particular to an out of control amount.

It's funny, because except for the belly, I don't look like I'm carrying that much weight. The rest of me is normal sized in nearly every way. I just have this suddenly large, round belly on top of it.

Since many forms of exercise are out of the question due to the arthritis I have throughout my body, especially anything that is too harsh on the hands or feet, dietary changes were where I decided to start first. To that end, I have been trying to eat healthier, having snacks of oranges and other fruits instead of chips, ice cream, or chocolate. I've been eating more salads with dinners and as entire meals. Limiting pasta and other carb intake in favor of fiber and protein. Have cut way back on my soda intake. Have been trying to cut back on my chocolate milk habit.

The end result is that this morning the scale reads 191. 14 lbs in, basically, one month isn't too bad; average of about 3.5 lbs per week, which is better than most weight loss programs can claim (most of those average 2 lbs/week). My short-term goal right now is to reach and maintain 185. My long-term goal is to reach 170.

The good news is that I'm feeling some effects from the weight loss already. I walked up to the mailbox today and, while my calves got really tight, I wasn't nearly as out-of-breath as I was the last time I did it (when I was 200+). And losing the weight should help my plantar fasciitis in my right foot, as less weight means less stress on that tendon.

Hopefully soon I will be able enough to do more regular and systematic exercising, which should help the process when the dietary changes slow down. The best thing for me would be swimming, but I really don't like the water or swimming at all, so I am not sure I can overcome that to try it. Plus, I'd have to go somewhere and likely pay something to have the privilege of swimming, which makes it less likely I'll do it. I've tried riding my bike, but I'm so heavy and out of shape that all the hills surrounding my home make that choice awkward. I'm going to focus on the tread mill and push ups and sit ups to start, and maybe some light weights, to start and see where it goes from there. Maybe I'll even join my wife on her work regimen... she could likely use the company and I can definitely use the exercise.

Now to focus on the next 6 lbs and get that gone.

Bell Mobility Serves You... With a Side of Ketchup

First, I have received three phone calls from Bell Mobility telling me that I have won a free, $800 iPhone... all I need to do is sign up for a minimum $50/month three year deal ($1800) to get it! What a deal. *sarcasm

Secondly, I have to endure the heavily, heavily accented Indian who calls to inform me of this deal. I can barely understand his English, yet he claims his name is "John" (today), "Stan" (yesterday), and "Mike" (the first day). Of course it is. *sarcasm

Thirdly, I argued with Mike for a while about getting them to send me the phone but I don't want a new plan or any service on it. "But how can you use the service?" he asked. "I don't want to use the service," I reply. "Either I won a free phone or I didn't. If I have, then send me the phone. I'll either give it away, sell it, or get my own plan at my leisure."

Moments away talking in a language that definitely isn't English, and is not a romance/latin-based language either. "No, I'm sorry, we cannot do that. You have to pay for a monthly plan to get the free phone."

"Well, then, it isn't free, is it?"

Bell Mobility should get a new Indian calling center if they are going to outsource this, one that does a better job of teaching its clients English and English/American accents. And don't open with the line "John, you have been selected to win a free iPhone" if you don't mean it. Not everyone you call is a rube or a newb or an idiot... If I have to pay you, then it isn't free. Best case, there are call centers right here in SJ who employ many people who speak very good English who could be making these calls... why not employ them.

My ire doesn't end there. I call Bell Mobility's customer service phone number. I get Kathy, Katy, something that started with a K sound. I told her I was receiving annoying spam calls to my home phone number from Bell Mobility. She said, "I can't help you. If they are to your home number, then you have to call the Bell Home customer service. Or, I guess I could transfer you." Gee, you think? I agreed that she could, indeed, transfer me.

I got Natalie. I told her the same thing and she immediately typed my home number into their Do Not Call list. But then she said, "To stop the Bell Mobility calls, I'll have to transfer you to their Customer Service line. We are separate businesses and I can't...".

No.

I curtly explained that I had spoken to them, they had transferred me to you, and you, Natalie, are now going to help me with this problem. I will not be speaking with anyone else (except maybe your manager) to resolve this issue. The Bell Mobility support agent proved incompetent and unaware of her company's system/procedures, why would I give them a second chance?

"Let me see what I can do," said Natalie. A quick discussion with her manager later and sure enough, Natalie could help me.

Turns out, she simply called the Bell Mobility customer support number on a separate line, relayed my Bell Mobility number, and asked them to place me on their Do Not Call List. Good enough for me-- she solved my problem like a good customer support person should. She thought outside the box and left me as a happy customer after an initially poor reception at her company.

And that's the end result, isn't it? The first girl took an unhappy customer and made him even more unhappy. Natalie, on the other hand, made that very unhappy customer happy again. Bell in general, and Mobility in particular, needs to hire a few more Natalies and fire a few K-whateverhernamewas's.

Now, let's see if "Stan" or "Mike" or "John" call back tomorrow. *sigh

Blog Life

A friend of mine is struggling with his blog, as he recently moved from a long-term position in London back to his home in SoCal. The blog was initially his way of ranting and raving about the changes he was experiencing and the unusual circumstances he found himself in while being that "duck out of water" in a foreign land. One of his issues seems to be that he so identified his blog with that point in his life that he does not know what to do with it now.

When I moved to Canada, my blog changed focus quite a bit to reflect the differences, both frustrations and joys, at coming to a foreign land for, presumably, the rest  of my life. I originally created a second blog, intending it to be only for my comments as an expatriate living abroad (okay, 70 miles or so from the Maine border, but still in a foreign country), but I soon realized that my original blog, this one, was already ready to serve that need.

I named my blog "Omniverse" for a specific reason. I cobbled that together from "omni," meaning all, many, around, universal, and "verse," meaning type of poetry (I have posted some poems), familiarize through study, and as a cheap version of universe or world around me. This blog, therefor, is about my entire universe of thought and opinion, it is used to see and study all that is around me, and to comment on any subject that catches my fancy for the day.

Many of my friends and family have blogs of various sorts. Only two write regularly; everyone else either cannot find the time, the interest, or the inclination to keep theirs up. Even my wife, who likes to work out issues she's having, doesn't post nearly as often as she makes blogs (you should see her draft page!). She has changed her focus, feels that talking with me about many of the issues is helpful, and, at times, isn't sure what she wants to do with it. Most friends just slowly curtail their writing until they haven't used it in ages. But I keep checking, on the off chance they start up.

Writing isn't for everyone. Mater of fact, I would say that writing is for very few people. And, in today's society, writing has become a lost art form in that texting, sexting, twittering, status updates, and other forms of quick communication have undermined most people's ability to write for longer than a few paragraphs and pay attention for longer than a few sentences.

I don't claim to be a great writer. I don't claim to write about interesting things. But I write. I use it as my form of expression and to work out any issues or thoughts I'm having. By posting it semi-publicly, I can get opinions from anyone who stumbles on it and wants to say something. Hell, that was how I met my wife... my way of doing things seems to be working out okay for me! The only thing inconsistent about it is how often I post. Not every day does something catch my eye or spark my imagination or get my ire up; but I keep happily writing away as the mood and need strike me.

And everything in the omniverse around me is there for the experience!

Asked and Answered

Imagine you know how to sew by hand. You have been sewing this way since your parent taught you and, while not an expert by any means, you feel confident with a needle and thread. You have rarely, if ever, used a sewing machine, however.

Now you take this expertise somewhere where your superior asks you, "Can you sew?" You reply strongly in the affirmative. However, what they thought they were asking was 'do you know how to use a sewing machine, all of its attachments, and features?' Your answer to the question asked is completely accurate, honest, and true, but it does not answer the question the boss thought he/she was asking.

The boss, thrilled with your answer, then asks you to perform a task, "I need you to sew the buttons in this jar onto these outfits by lunch time."

After the boss leaves, you pick up a needle and thread, and you get to work. You sew buttons the way you have always done them. You sew them as fast as you can, and you get the job done within the allotted time frame. However, when the boss returns, he/she exclaims, "I thought you knew how to do this? If you didn't know, why didn't you ask me? I would have been happy to teach you how to do it."

You are shocked and more than a little chagrined. You were asked to do something and you did it to the best of your ability and within the time required. There was no question in your mind, so why would you ask the boss a question? All of a sudden, you are in a situation with stress, possible contention with your boss, and maybe both feeling and looking a bit foolish. No matter how gently your boss, coworkers, or whomever broaches the subject, you are at a loss because you have been honest with them and answered all of their questions to the best of your ability. And no one can fault you, per se, for it; they asked questions that didn't lead to the information or answers they needed.

Sometimes this happens in real life, especially in new jobs or when working with new people at an old job. For example, I am a technical writer. This in no way means that I am infallible as a writer or that I know every nuance of every application that I use to perform my job. If I run into someone who knows more about a particular application than I do, they may ask me to do something using that application that I have a "work around" solution for, but which could have been done faster, more efficiently, or simply better another way. But I DO know how to do what they asked and how I did it worked and is repeatable. My way is not wrong, it just isn't the way they would have done it.

Or you are new to a job or have been giving new responsibilities. You are asked to do something that you are sure you know how to do. You get well into it before you realize that your way of doing it isn't working as well, or you feel like you are wasting a lot of time. At this point, you go back to the person who gave you the job and ask questions. They now ask that same question, "If you didn't know, why didn't you ask?" The problem is, you thought you DID know, so there was no point in asking... at the time. Even if you go to them at the first sign of trouble, that question may dog you.

In my experience, it is rarely the person asking the question who takes any responsibility for the answer you give. It is always the other person, the one who tried to do it the way he/she understood or learned to do the task who is at fault. Imagine how much different both the boss and the employee would feel if the boss said, "Your way worked, but I can show you a way that is simpler and easier and will save you time in the future." They are acknowledging that you sewed those buttons on and that the job done will work, but also allowing you to know that there are other ways and building camaraderie with you by offering to teach you the new technique. Win-win for both sides.

I don't know exactly where I am going with this, except maybe to say that sometimes the question you ask is not the question I am answering.

Google Calendar

My wife and I use Google Calendar to coordinate our events and activities with one another. It started primarily when I was on one coast and she was on the other, as it was a simple calendar option that we could both access at all times and use to see what the other was doing or had planned.

One thing that I haven't seen on any electronic calendar, but that I would love to see incorporated into Google Calendars, is a "diary" function. Let's face it, most of use write things into calendar entries that are not activities or things to do lists. We often will put a quick summation of something wonderful that happened, or mundane things like the reps and sets we did for our workout that day, or the mileage on our walk/run, or even a quick note to our loved ones. Yet most electronic calendars assume we only use them for meetings, lists, and events/activities.

I see it working like this:

Right now, when you click on the day, you get the option of entering a task or event for a specific time. I'd like to see a window display asking if I want to enter an activity or make a diary entry. If I select Activity (or some other generic word for event, task, etc.), the Google Calendar works exactly as it does now, allowing me to give the event a title and change where it is, the time of the event, etc. However, if I select Diary (or similar word, like Notes), then a page displays with today's full date at the top and a "lined" page. This page is, in essence, an RTF Word Document file, or similar, into which I can enter anything I like, using standard RTF formatting (or html formatting) for bold, underlined, bullets, lists, etc. When I'm done and I save the diary entry, the page closes and a diary entry appears at the bottom of the calendar's day box for that day. Now, the day's box shows me any events on my calendar and shows me there is a diary entry, which I can reopen and add to whenever I want.

I have health concerns. I like to keep track of them, when they happen, and report them to my doctor during my visits. Using a diary function on the calendar would be a simple, easy way to accommodate this need. Plus, the Google Calendar is search-able, so I could find all instances of this between the last visit and the current one. Or, when I do exercise, it would be nice to put the reps, time, weights, etc. involved for that day. Or those who keep a food journal -- how easy would it be to simply type it into the calendar where you can track it day-to-day?

With the way I see the majority of people use their paper calendars, it surprises me that someone hasn't thought to do this already. With Google's desire to connect everything we do, it is doubly surprising that their calendar does not have this feature. If you know of an online calendar that has this feature, feel free to Comment and point it out to me.

Anonymity and You

There have been recent articles about situations in which people did something "anonymously," were found out, and reaped huge consequences from it. In one noted case, an 11 year old girl posted an acidic, obscenity-filled rebuttal to rumors she was dating the lead singer of a band. People on the web trolling site 4chan found out her real name, phone number, and address, and en masse decided to make the girl's life a living hell. She is now banned for a time from any internet activity and she is in police protective custody. The police are building a case against some of the 4chan people as it appears they may have broken the law in their relentless pursuit of this girl. Or the teacher who was fired for posting comments about a student, even though she didn't name the student directly. There are even articles that are now poking some fun at the issues.

As the humorous article points out, many of us choose anonymity not because we're criminals, but to hide simple embarrassments or to show either positive or negative support for things that matter to us, but for which we might get "flamed." I call this blog "John's Omniverse" because the name John is ubiquitous (hell, unidentified prostitution users and toilets are both called John, that's how prevalent the name is) and I don't have my real name or anything else associated with it. This small layer of anonymity allows me to post political, religious, and social commentary in a way that gives me plausible deniability should I need it. Do I think I'm truly anonymous? Of course not. There are many clues to who I am. Blogger and Google both have access to my data, and "know" who I am. But to the casual reader, I could be the guy next door, or someone on the other side of the planet.

Most sites have you sign in with your real name and create your ID. Many sites you are granted permission to use after making a purchase from the site owner, so they have your credit card name on file. All sites have the means to monitor the IP address you use to enter the site. So, while the sites have access to data that can be used to identify you, they do not adequately police the blogs, boards, or what-have-you that they host, and don't warn or stop trollers from trolling. While I think that the RealID solution presented in the Cracked article is one way to go, shouldn't the real first step be enforcing the rules in the first place?

In both of the Super Hero MMORPGs that I play, every time you want to play the game, but before you can actually enter it, you have to accept the game's EULA (End User Licensing Agreement). Both EULAs clearly state that you cannot use names and/or likenesses of owned or copyrighted characters. Yet I cannot move around any zone in either game without seeing an Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Wolverine, Rogue, Batman,  Superman, or another licensed/owned/copyrighted character "clone." Matter of fact, after each of the big comic book movies is released, for the next 2-4 weeks the games are filled with clone after clone of those characters in the movie. These same people who accepted the EULA, and then broke the rules they just accepted, get all pissy when someone inevitably reports them to the GMs and their character gets "generic-ed." They come crying to the forum boards with woe-is-me stories about it when they argue with the GMs and get a 1-3 day ban from playing. I have no sympathy-- they broke the rules and they got caught, deal with it.

America literally has thousands of gun laws in every state and federally. There is quite literally no situation you can think of that involves ownership rights, purchasing, resale, and/or using guns that there isn't a law already in existence to cover. Yet people want more gun laws. The problem with all those existing gun laws and any new ones people insist on having is:

1. Criminals don't follow the rules.
2. The rules are hard to enforce.
3. There aren't enough government employees (i.e., cops, feds, et al) to enforce the existing laws 100%.

Anonymity does allow certain people to feel free to do as they please, and anonymity is the haven for those who wish to perform criminal activities. Some will stop their bad behavior if they have to use their real name and/or address. But many won't stop because they simply do not fear retribution. If those who moderate these sites do so quickly, efficiently, and to the fullest extent, many internet trolls will be found, banned, and will lose the right to post their hate speech. But, just as with game GMs looking for clones and law enforcement officers looking for illegal guns, there are far too few moderators to adequately handle the rules/laws already in place.

There are some advantages to a RealID program, however. If you have your actual name attached to anything you say online, people will choose not to say as much online for fear of reprisals. As my mother once said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

Christopher Nolan's Decisions

I am a fan of Christopher Nolan. I have enjoyed pretty much all of his movies and I expect a certain amount of quality and care if he's involved with a picture. However, I'm not going to say everything he does is gold; I have reasons for my opinions and I'm willing to back them up. What I respect most about Nolan's film-making are his choices as a director.

A director can make or break a script with poor decisions on actors, mood, music, and editing; a movie with the advice he gives his actors; and a film with his oversight of the editing process or with his choices for cinematography. So far, in every film he's made, Nolan's choices always seem like the right ones.

When he wanted to reboot and restart the Batman franchise, he went out of his way to tell studio bosses that he was going to use CGI effects as minimally as possible. He wanted to use predominantly all real effects with real stunt men. He felt that doing so would ground the character in the world and make the actions seem that much more real to the audiences. Studio bosses hemmed and hawed for a while, and then said okay. The results are Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, both critically lauded and audience approved.

In Insomnia, Nolan worked with some heavy-weight hitters for the first time in Pacino, Williams, and Swank. He dialed down Pacino's and Williams' usually over-the-top performances to something subtle. He used color to and photography to help the picture form the surreal world of Pacino's cop's dream-like world view due to his lack of sleep.

Memento has become a classic film noir-esque movie with audiences over the years. Nolan aided the audience to understand the mentally challenged lead's circumstance by using the "gimmick" of telling the story out of order (almost in reverse). From many other directors, this gimmick would feel cheesy. Yet Nolan manages to keep the choice fresh from beginning to end with his editing of where the story breaks and rewinds, how much he reveals about each character during each scene, and the small bits of humor and drama that are in each beat of the film.

In The Prestige, Nolan makes what is likely his most "standard" directorial choices. Yet, that choice in itself has surprising results, as the story being told is one of the meanest, nastiest on screen feuds between characters you've ever witnessed. By dialing down the gimmicks and the other choices he could have made to a more standard approach, he allows the acting of Jackman and Bale to expand and the story of their bitter rivalry to breath. Even with the lush pallet, sweeping camera shots and intimate close-ups, the audience becomes mesmerized by the two leads' slow decent into hatred and revenge, and, likely, wind up hating both by the film's final twist and turn.

With a film like Inception, most directors would have been hot to use 3D technology (or post production) to make the world pop. They would have filled the frame with more and more effects as the world of the dreams grew more complex. Again, Nolan makes the spot-on choice not to use 3D, leaving room for the story and the characters to be the main focus. There is a lot going on in this world, so you need time to pick it up, learn it, and then be amazed by it and the characters who inhabit this world. 3D would just slow that process down and get in the way of the story-telling. However, for this film, Nolan did extensively use CGI effects. Unlike most films with CGI, however, Inception doesn't beat you over the head with it. Time and care was taken to make every effect fit into the world and seem like a part of it.

In the final battle in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King I was very much aware that most of the creatures, people, and scenery on the screen were CGI. In Inception I wasn't taken out of the moment by this. For the most part, only the scenes around the actors were CGI, and time and care were taken to get the lighting and textures correct to fool the audiences' eye into believing what the actors are in and doing. Many of these scenes are enhanced by real-world effects to help "sell" the CGI as much as possible. For example, when Paris folds up on itself, you have real actors standing on real streets of Paris, with shots of other real streets of Paris. Only the "edges" of the shots, where the folding occurs, is an actually CGI effect; the rest is all real-world effect and shots. Once again, Nolan makes the right choices, even if they are not the easy choices, to sell the effects, sell the story, and sell the movie to the audience.

Nolan is now working on the story and pre-production for the next (and possibly final) Batman film in his stewardship. He is also working on the next Superman movie as an advisor and executive producer. My belief is that, yet again, Nolan will make the right choices to bring the one down-and-dirty, street-level character and the God among men, messianic, other-worldly alien to the screen for audiences. I imagine the next Batman will continue using predominantly real-world effects and a strong cast to push the idea of vigilante as hero. I am willing to bet that Superman will have a lot of CGI effects to back-up the unimaginable power that character has; but with Nolan overseeing things, I have a feeling they will blend well and won't feel forced or like CGI for CGI's sake (like, say, in the three Star Wars prequels).

I look forward to following this director's career in whatever direction he goes.

A New Look

I decided to try a new look. I think the results show the theme I'm going for more clearly than previous designs. I had to tweak it a bit -- the original template has a lot of orange lettering involved. It looked good, but I found it to be a little hard on the eyes with the dark background. So I went for something blue that would, hopefully, be easier on the eyes against the background. I may tweak some more before I'm through, but I like this template a lot so far.

Update: Some of the orange has returned. And I tweaked the post backgrounds so they were a bit more readable. I think I'm going to like this new template.

Media Context

I would hire Shirley Sherrod in a moment. A woman who admits to having preconceived notions and prejudices, but then learned to overcome them? A woman who speaks honestly and openly about race relations and the need to move past them? A woman who has grown and changed and become a better person through her experiences? I'd hire her in an instant!

But, politics being what they are today, instead we get a much-edited, out-of-context clip that seems to show Ms. Sherrod as a racist and getting cheered by the NAACP for it. The Tea Party should be ashamed for it. And Fox News should be even more ashamed for picking it up, doing no research or fact-checking at all, and running with the story without verification.

I feel bad that Shirley Sherrod had to go through this episode in her life. It is too bad that her bosses and the federal government were lied to by this news channel (and the Tea Party) and also didn't do any fact-checking before asking for her resignation.

This is the third Fox News "gaffe" of this type in recent memory. First, they cut footage from a different rally into the footage of the Tea Party rally to make it seem like more than the about 100 people showed up. They didn't even do a good job with it, as the old footage spliced in showed fall colors on the trees and people in coats, while the Tea Party rally was held in late spring. After being called on the carpet, Fox News' response was basically, "We didn't think anyone would notice or care."

Then they edited one of President Obama's speeches (at West Point) to make it seem like he was not getting support from the audience or claps/cheers with what he was saying. They even were found to have repositioned some of President's comments and gestures to make it look even worse for him (like he was annoyed at the lack of clapping/cheering). When nearly every other news media jumped on them for this out of context, biased, and downright wrong video and the segments they did supporting it, Fox News' response was to say it was simply an "editorial decision." Misrepresenting the news is NOT an editorial decision, it is slander/libel (depending on if it is spoken or written).

I'm not supposing that the left is without blame. However, so far, I haven't seen any indications of MSNBC or CNN, two of the supposed left bastion, getting caught misrepresenting facts, editing video to show things in a more positive or negative light, or re-editing video to be out of sequence or context. I don't see articles about how they have taken the President's comments out of context and misrepresented what he said. I haven't seen reports of them taking the Tea Party speeches and using them out of context to misrepresent what was said or done.

With these three recent incidences being so publicly rebuked, along with all their previous issues, I have a hard time understanding why so many people still get their news from Fox News. If I found any one source of my news to be purposefully and intentionally misleading its audience in these ways, I would take them off of my list of news sites. Or course, I'm one of those people who reads the left, the right, and a few middle-of-the-road sources, and then makes up my own mind (guessing that the truth is likely somewhere in the middle of all the rhetoric). I guess, if I only watched Fox News, I likely wouldn't even know they are lying to me regularly.

I was always taught that when the chips are down is when you need to be the most honest, the most forthright, and above reproach. It lends credence to your side and is more persuasive than lying or obfuscating things. As the Right is currently "down," now would be the time for a right-leaning news agency to follow that advice. So, it is too bad that Fox News doesn't have that same approach with its journalistic standards. I'm fine with them leaning right and wanting right-wing politics to succeed. But they need to show the successes and failures of both political sides honestly -- that will bring more viewers, more rewards, and more ad dollars in the end than the shoddy journalism they seem to be practicing now.

Obama is the Next Carter?

Many Presidential scholars consider Jimmy Carter one of the smartest people to have ever been in the office of the President for our country. He is praised for his compassion and the way he handled monumental tasks and problems that occurred just prior to and during his Presidency. Yet he is considered a "failure" for the most part by the majority of Americans and was only given one term due to those perceived "failures."

Carter was a little-known Democratic candidate when he decided to run for office. His position as an "outsider" and an agent of change helped to push him quickly to the top of the polls for the Democrats and to the eventual win over Ford for the office.

The scholars point out that many of Carter's initiatives and plans started bearing fruit at the very tail end of his Presidency and into Reagan's first term in office, but it is Reagan who gets the credit for those successes. They mention that NO one who was in office during those four years likely could have done a better job handling the oil/energy crisis, the recession and inflation, the conflict in the Middle East, and the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.

Sound familiar?

Now, we have Obama in office. Like Carter, he comes in with an oil/energy crisis to deal with, a recession and the possibility of run-away inflation, a conflict in the Middle East, and armed conflict in Afghanistan. He is working hard to make sure inflation doesn't kill the already bad economy by artificially keeping interest rates low and creating work projects. He is trying to improve the economy by regulating banking and convincing Americans to spend money on Americans. He is trying to curb American oil dependence on the Middle East and encourage more research on alternative energy sources. He is trying to figure out a more peaceful solution to the Middle East. He is left with Americans being engaged in an unpopular war in a foreign land and having to clean up the mess of an armed conflict in Afghanistan.

So, basically, we have Obama nearly exactly reliving Carter's Presidency. And I'm getting the not-so-subtle feeling that, like Carter, Obama's changes won't really bear fruit for another year or so but, by then, it will be too late and the people will want anyone else in the office, regardless of party. Whomever wins the next election will then take credit for the improved economy (even though it started to improve before he was elected) and other initiatives that Obama has and will put in place, and will be seen as a savior and a great leader by Americans.

I hope I'm wrong. But history is suggesting I'm not. With luck, our next President will be as smart and successful as Reagan was at a) not touching his predecessor's plans so they keep working, b) implementing new plans that keep the old ball rolling for a good long time, c) making Americans believe in themselves and the country again, and d) improving the country's standing among the world's leaders once again.

If this all comes to pass, I hope that Obama can go on to be as successful as Carter outside the office. Carter's humanitarian efforts are considered some of the best post-Presidency work of any person to hold the office. Some would argue he is the most successful former President to ever hold the office.

LeBron James

I knew that whatever choice "King" James made except for staying in Cleveland, he would be vilified for. I was not prepared for the vitriol I am seeing today from sports writers and fans, however.

James has proven that he is no Jordan. Hell, he's proven once and for all that he's no Kobe! For all the incredible talent LeBron has, he simply does not have the competitive fire that the great superstars have.

On top of this, James has proven repeatedly that he is immature. Gee, do you think that may come from having skipped college and the opportunity to get some good life lessons learned there? James' overall comments basically broke down to "I can't do it myself" and "I need others to pick up my slack" and "I am too immature to do it on my own." Which, frankly, a lot of us who watch the NBA already had figured out.

I've been wondering about James most specifically since he lost to Orlando and refused to shake hands and congratulate them on the victory a few seasons ago. Sure, there were inklings before that, but that moment solidified my questions about the "King." That is sportsmanship 101. No matter how high your competitive fire, you congratulate the victor. Had James been raised with humility and had he gone to college, he would have learned that lesson.

The last two post seasons has seen James literally quit on his team. I don't know any other way of saying it. If you watched the games in question, I don't know how you could come to any other conclusion. When Jordan, Bird, Thomas, Magic and other superstars have had "off" nights, they work harder for their team. They switch gears from being offensive-minded to defensive-minded. They become a facilitator but don't pass up the open shot. In those games, James just stopped playing. His defense became comical, his offense just kept getting worse, and he stopped playing team basketball.

Kobe was accused of shutting it down and not playing hard during the final season Shaq was with the Lakers in 2004. It would be difficult to argue that Kobe did it more than that one time. He got raked over the coals for it, in both national and regional sports media. Yet James has done it numerous times and has barely gotten a hand slap for his behavior. Kobe came back from that harder, leaner, hungrier to prove his critics wrong. James came back from his experience with shutting it down weaker, less willing to work, and more likely to do it again (and he did).

During the Cavs' playoff series against Orlando, James was leading the charge with dancing, high-fives, and singing on the sidelines. I told my wife that Orlando wasn't going to like that and would at least make them work for their wins from that point on... and it would be interesting to see what would happen when the Cavs didn't have so much to dance, sing, and high-five over. Sure enough, Orlando started winning and the smiles and singing and dancing went away... and so did James' game. When his team needed him to lead them, to keep them loose and hungry for a victory, he became petulant and dismissive. He argued with his coach and didn't run the plays called. He stopped playing defense and going after rebounds. And his team lost.

So, now, James has what he says he wants. His huge ego will need to shrink a bit in order to fit into the house that Wade built. He will have to see if he can get it done with one champion (Wade) and a guy who has only sniffed the playoffs twice and never won there (Bosh), because the rest of the team will be decimated in order to fit those three maximum contracts in the building. And now he will be hated by every other team in the league, but most especially by Cleveland.

Most importantly for James, though, is that he will have clutch performers around him to take up his slack when he just can't do it because his will to win is just not there.

Passport Fees and Canada

Fees for US Passports are going up by a large amount. While it is true that new technology and the addition of a lot of people to work for the State Dept to help process and review passport requests caused an increase in costs, I have severe doubts on those costs equating with an across the board 35% increase. Some passport-related items, which have always been free services, are going up by large amounts (in one case, from free to $450!).

In general, I have no issue with raising costs. However, the requirement for passports hurts our closest ally, Canada, and those states that rely on Canadians and Americans crossing the border regularly (like New York, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, et al).

I know from personal experience that Canada does an excellent job patrolling and protecting its borders. Canada is concerned with terrorism to a similar degree as America, and is vigilant in scrutinizing those that come in and those who might sneak in to its country. The people recognize that as America goes, so goes Canada in many regards, so they are mindful of keeping very good relations with their southerly neighbor.

Having such restrictive rules between Canada and America is a mistake, especially when a great deal of exports and imports cross-pollinate between the two countries (America, for example, gets a huge portion of its energy, wood, diamonds, and gas/oil from Canada, Canada gets a large amount of consumer goods from America). These two nations need each other and should be fostering cooperation and anti-antagonistic approaches to border crossing, imports/exports, and military needs.

In some regards, I think that America and Canada need to sign treaties to become one nation. Then, over the next decade or so afterward, America could incorporate many of the positive attributes of Canada's society (social health care, better banking regulations, etc.) while Canada would benefit from unlimited access to American consumerism, a larger pool of workers, and a much bigger military structure to help it with its borders. However, Canadians would never go for that; they are a proud people, and rightfully so.

Since that won't happen, America needs to step back, take a deep breath, and think of ways to allow Canada to do its job, relax restrictions between the two borders, and work WITH Canada on security and other issues rather than constantly pissing off its northerly neighbor. There is no need for the antagonism with this close ally. And, if American would stop fighting with them, it would have more time, money, and energy to fight battles that need fighting, like against the drug barons in Mexico, the continuing crusade in Iraq and Afghanistan, and against a still stagnant economy.