Hi all,

Sorry about the delay in posting but I am on holiday until January 2, 2007 and my access to a computer will be sporadic.

I am not really going anywhere, and this holiday didn't get to a great start due to a very early and quite rare dump of snow. So, my first day out was to shovel the driveway. Great exercise after sitting on my ass for a couple of days...

I don't have much to spout out about except that I don't know if I can stand another interview or video with that "hometown darling" Nelly Furtado. I just cannot stand her! And, if I do see her again, I may be forced to throw something at the television.

It is no secret that I dislike her. She can't really sing and I just cannot understand why I should like someone because they come from my hometown. It's funny because the other day, I was talking of this same issue with someone who said I should support her because she's from here. I just dont' get it, really. After all, I am a "hometown" artist and I don't see these same people (the ones who suggest I should be more supportive) rushing out to buy my work. I have talent and just as much - if not more - than this pop tart and I am not getting rich selling my stuff.

Sounds a bit like sour grapes, doesn't it? Well, I don't really think so. There are many great artists in this city and these same people aren't rushing out to support some truly talented people either. I think that sometimes, we really do have to think before we come up with lame reasons on why people should be supportive.

Anyway, that's it for the soapbox today. I suppose that I've just been trapped inside for too long.

Take care all. Hopefully, I will get to post again soon.

Ciao!

Before any of you out there decide to shop for handbags, luggage or other products at Bentley, I'd like to share a story with you about their returns policy.

Last Saturday, I bought an umbrella because it started to rain and I was not properly prepared for the weather. It was a cheerful sort of umbrella and served me well that day. I then took it home until the next rainy day and used it again. However, on this, Day 2 of using it, a string that holds the fabric to the frame broke. It was useless after only a couple of hours use.

So, yesterday, I tried to return it. My thought was that if this one had broke so easily, then all others of the same model would do the same. I ventured to the store where I had purchased it only to be told that, because I had used it, then I could not return it. Disbelief, and yes, anger, was what I felt when I left there.

Okay. I admit that if I'd used it a couple of weeks and something had happened, I would not have bothered returning it. However, this was six hours maximum that I used this product from their store and it was now rubbish! There was no offer of exchange or anything.

"You've used it. We don't do returns on used merchandise!"

It still rings through my head.

What I'd like to know is: Are there no such thing as a warranty with companies anymore? Is that book I read correct? Are we now victims of a world where everything is expected to break down? I don't know about you, but I think that something has to be done!

Today, when it becomes a reasonable time to do so, I will call their head office and express my disdain.

Note: I just got off the phone and it appears that the snarky little witch at the store was wrong! There is a 60-day return policy of which there was no mention of yesterday. I cannot get a refund, which I understand but at least when the customer service representative calls the store to inform this girl of the policy, I will be vindicated.

Final update: I went back to the Bay Centre location of Bentley yesterday to exchange the umbrella and did just that. However, the snarky little bitch (she's now been upgraded) informed me that the only reason she was doing it was because the head office called and told her to do it. "The store policy was returns on unused merchandise" she continued, and when I told her that the website said nothing about that, she went on to say "it's unused merchandise only and I'm not going to argue about it. I just want to get this over with. If you would, go choose another umbrella. If there is any of price difference, I'll have to charge you the difference ." My thought was don't worry about that dear, I don't plan on giving you any more of my money. I chose one the same price and after getting the paper work done - never to return again! Ah, vindication is so sweet!

My advice to you is that if you happen to be in the Bay Centre in Victoria, avoid this branch of the Bentley chain and especially that snarky girl with the dark hair that has pinky/red streaks in it. If a store advocates selling merchandise that they won't take returns on even though it has a defect, then that shop shouldn't be in business! And if it's just that girl, she should remember that customers pay her wages. If she is intent on pissing customers off, then she should realize that there won't be anyone to keep her in a job.

This morning, the sky was afire!

The brilliant red background and the golden clouds again strengthen my love of nature. It was a magnificent sight after such a stormy weekend. However, we all know that expression "Red skies at night is a sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning" and that was certainly the case later in the day.

However that morning, as I walked down the hill to the bus stop, the sea was a mauve-violet colour, the majestic Olympic mountains a light blue shade, and there was a band of golden and blue sky speckled with little clouds. Above that, the violet overcast that was beginning to take over was being reflected back from the water.

Nature is an amazing thing when it can create such colour diversity.

Speaking of nature, I went to an exhibit at the museum entitled Fatal Attraction that was about mating habits of animals in nature. It was amusing however, it was a little on the watered-down side because it was a family exhibit. But it got me wondering. Why is it that, in the animal world, it is the male's responsibility to attract the female yet it appears to be the opposite in the human world? The male animal is more colourful and much more active in the whole attraction game yet in human society, it is the woman who forks out all of the money buying cosmetics, shoes and clothing to attract the man. It perplexes me.

Speaking of clothing and beauty, I watched the film Marie Antoinette over the weekend. I am guessing that it wasn't entirely historically correct but the costumes were amazing. I enjoyed it despite the obvious things like lacking in proper accents and such. It painted a slightly different picture of the stories we all have heard.

As well, I saw the film Babel. It wasn't quite as I expected but definitely it was about communication - or lack of it - along with the message that "Guns are bad" - as my companion so aptly put it. Check it out but definitely you might want to make sure the kids are old enough to handle the sexual situations.

Anyway, it's back to nature for me. I hope that you had a great weekend!

What a stormy week it's been here! I just love it!

This past Monday, there was a huge rainfall and there were flooded areas all over the city. I was lucky in that there wasn't too much inconvenience in my area however, when I arrived for a meeting at the other campus, the road was like a small lake. This was mainly due to leaves clogging up the street drains. By the time I left to return to MY office, it was being clear and the road was clearer.

Actually, I really enjoyed riding through the huge puddle on the double-decker bus. It was a really good thing that we weren't in one of those annoying Smart Cars...

It rained for most of the week actually, which wasn't a problem for me. I love rain. We had a bit of sunshine yesterday, in fact, for a while there it felt a little weird. I kind of forgot what that shiny white globe in the sky actually was. After all, winter is soon upon us so we might as well get used to it.

Today, is an especially wonderful day. It's really windy. So windy, in fact, that they have cancelled two ferries to the mainland. I can't help thinking that it's lucky that I went last weekend and not this one! I might not have got there...

Stormy weather is something I really love. I'm not sure if it's because that's what it feels like inside my head all of the time or what. Actually, for the most part, it's because I feel really tiny compared to the power of nature that dictates our lives. It's comforting to know that there are some times that I don't have to feel in control. It's always been a problem for me because things have to be just right and I must be the puppet-master of things around me. While I have improved in my "old age", I sometimes feel the need to "control" the results of situations.

The truth is, I know that I cannot control nature and in a way, that is very comforting.

I've been thinking a lot about independence. Being the oldest child in a family, the oldest becomes the most independent because they don't have the luxury of having siblings around. They must learn to amuse themselves and keep life interesting. The down side to this is that we inevitably become extremely independent and never know when to ask for help. Or when to accept help...

For guys, this trait seems to work well because, as far as social constructs go, they need to be strong and able to stand on their own. For girls though, it is the opposite. We learn not to need things from others and thus it looks like we are strong enough to stand on our own. Sure, it's great to be independent but it makes it hard for us to be "girls". It makes it difficult in relationships too. I find that, the older I get, the less independent I want to be. There comes a time when one wants to let down the walls and have someone look after them. Sometimes, independence isn't all it's cracked up to be. I don't really know but it must also be tough for guys who don't always want to be all strength and machismo...

However, that's just my thought for this week. If I weren't so busy, I'd put on my jacket and go out and play in the wind. Perspective, fueled by storms, is a magical thing!

Have a great weekend everyone! It's a long weekend here and so hopefully there is a good chance of getting time to "play" in storms

Well, it appears that my new Hungarian friend is bringing the number of hits to my blog up the list quite a bit. Hungary is now on its way to catching up with Iceland after having just passed by Australia.

I feel a competition coming on! Any of you Icelanders out there ready to take Hungary on?

For that matter, can we start an international competition? Let's say that I will report the winners on Friday, November 10, 2006. The current "Top 10" standings are:

Canada (1171)
United States (628)
Japan (177)
United Kingdom (131)
Iceland (33)
Hungary (18)
Australia (17)
Portugal (11)
India (10)
France (10)

If you are so inclined, let's see if your country can move up the ladder. It's not impossible to do, if the 2006 Skate Canada Results in the Men's category is any example... (If a seventh place competitor can go onto win the competition, any country could certainly get ahead on this blog) You simply have to visit often to change the stats...

This just makes me sick!

A man abuses a small child online while police are watching. I am guessing that the crime was committed and over with before officers could get there. The trouble is that this helpless child has now suffered a horrific event and people were watching. I am sure that the policemen watching was feeling pretty helpless too.

As well, things like this make me question how children can be left alone with men. I know that not all men are child-molesting freaks however, I can't help thinking how a mother wouldn't now want some sort of references from others in regards to the people they leave their children with. (And before you jump on me to say that it's not just men who abuse kids, I do know that and this applies to anyone who would hurt a child). And why wouldn't they have video surveillance in places where their children are?

If I were a man, I would be angry at these criminals for doing something that now many will associate with ANY man. I am sure there will be some who will look in distrust at any man with small girls and boys. Part of me wishes that all of the decent people in the world should beat the shit out of these sickos. Or worse.

All I can think about is that poor child, with an adult that should have known better. She was alone and something terrible happened to her. I can't imagine how that felt but I can recognize how I would feel left vulnerable and unprotected.

As I took the book out of the library and then left it to sit on my desk for a couple of weeks, I thought I'd better start reading The Culture Code by Clotaire Rapaille before I had to return it on Saturday.

I first saw this book in a local bookstore and thought it might be an interesting read. However, the more I get into the book, the more disturbed I became. The author, it seems has developed a kind of psychological method to control the buying patterns of Americans as well as any other cultural group.

Not being American, however, I found it an interesting view into the culture to the south of our border. There definitely are some parallels in what he says about that country and that of Canada. What the book touches on is that every person associates a product with some sort of time in their life - an emotional imprint if you will - and that imprint is more important in appealing to the subconscious of a consumer than it is just to ask them what they desire in a product.

It makes sense, really, that this would work. One example he cites is that when trying to market coffee in Japan at one point, Nestle was having difficulties entering the market there because people drank tea and not coffee. In Rapaille's psychologically-developed approach, he didn't ask test groups what they wanted in a product, he kind of broke them down to a relaxed state and asked them what they remembered, if anything, about coffee. At the end of the session, it was determined that there wasn't a prevalent "imprint" about the product. So, instead of working to convince the adult consumers, Nestle developed non-caffeinated, coffee flavour desserts for children. After all, it would be easier to start a new generation on coffee than to convert the adults.

While I find this book interesting, as I mentioned before, it is also disturbing. If companies are using this type of research to sell to us on the subconscious, they are surely using it to sell us stuff that we don't need. What does it matter to them that consumers go into debt to buy their products? Not much because once they get the money, they are laughing.

The one thing that I found the most disheartening was to learn that what this guy discovered about Americans (and probably the rest of us in English North America) is that quality is often outranked by other things such as quantity or emotional appeal. Often we seem like a bunch of back river hicks compared to many other places in the world. Take for example the PT Cruiser which lacks engineering excellence yet appeals to it's American audience because of it's nostaligic effect. That's a far cry from getting a car that is essentially safer and more efficient which is what you'd get from Japan or Europe.

I agree with what he says about America being an adolescent society where seduction and sex are relatively taboo or that we are an "on the go" society that seems to be lacking some of the passion and family connection that are prevalent in other cultures. There's a lot that I agree with as far as his observations go. However, there is that element that also frightens me. The one where we are controlled by some psychological research that just fuels the fire for the wasteful and environmentally degrading behaviour that we seem to be moving towards.

Despite that, I would recommend reading this book to anyone. Not because I think that what he is doing is right but for an interesting observation at this North American culture that we live in. It's always interesting to look at your reflection in some other culture's mirror. (I do however recomment to refrain from buying the book because having everyone out there lining this guys pocket just pads his bank account and makes more money for the publisher... your local library should have a copy.)

If you've read it, feel free to leave a comment. And if you are thinking about it, let me know what you think when you are finished.

Is anyone else out there having a hard time believing that it is November already?

Just where does the time go? It's going so fast that even the weekdays seem to be flying by. I can't help thinking that it is scary how quickly time passes yet I also feel happy about it as there are only 16 more days until my annual holiday comes round. I really feel like I need the break.

I haven't planned anything really however, I've worked hard all year and just need the time to focus on all of those things that I wanted to do but had little time for.

The days are getting colder and the air is crisp. It changed quite suddenly, it seems, but it isn't all that bad really. I just hope that we don't soon see that white stuff that is so common in winter. Luckily for us here on the West Coast, we don't get much snow which is quite contrary to what most people believe about the weather here in the winter. No, Canada is not snow-covered for much of the year. All of us on the Western shore really do find this sort of belief sadly amusing. Hands up all of you who believed that we lived in houses made of ice and that we spend much of the time in parkas and snowshoes!

Anyway, that's really all I had to say today. I trust that everyone is doing well and that you have a great evening.