13th December 2012

Plastic cash and quality maps

He jumped from the cab, tore a bill in half and handed it to the driver. “Wait for me”.

Fast forward to 2012. Try to tear that new $20 in half. I dare you. Give up? Want a pair of scissors? With the introduction of new media for our Canuck currency, we’re bringing an end to certain images. No more setting the gap on your telegraph key. No more setting the points on your hotrod. No more lighting that cigar with a bill from our mint. Might melt and burn your fingers, badly. And yes, I could see through the bill I received this morning; holey money!

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posted in computing, economy | Comments Off on Plastic cash and quality maps | 264 words

28th November 2012

A purchase based on faint praise

We’ve had a quarter century to get used to the barefoot comfort of carpets. Not unusual in this neighbourhood; we all built at a time when the fashion required it, and it fit well with plans for children. Or, as some know them, rug rats. To do it all again, I’d opt for concrete and bubble wrap, but hindsight is a simple balm.

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posted in economy | Comments Off on A purchase based on faint praise | 273 words

23rd November 2012

The Vanier Cup is coming back for the winter

To celebrate the occasion, a second panful of chicken wings. After all, with the Rouge et Or winning the Vanier Cup (only minutes ago), this part of the planet has stopped holding their collective breath. The defeat (bitter defeat) one year ago will now be just a line note in university football history.

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posted in economy, sports | Comments Off on The Vanier Cup is coming back for the winter | 259 words

14th November 2012

Enjoying the old pics from ‘town

Back during the last federal election campaign (oh, how long ago it seems), certain promises were made. Among them, tax relief based on budget projections. Or, as a parent tells the inquiring child, “We’ll see, next pay day… if there’s enough money”. The latest predictions from the guy with the purse strings is that the deficit will continue, and by extension…

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posted in economy | Comments Off on Enjoying the old pics from ‘town | 264 words

13th November 2012

Retirement as an incentive for the economy

New question: Why does the desktop tile disappear in Windows 8 when your internet connection is missing? Google doesn’t know, either.

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posted in economy | Comments Off on Retirement as an incentive for the economy | 306 words

12th November 2012

Without those numbers, no access permitted

In retrospect, maybe it wasn’t a great buy.

The bag of rice was on sale. A true No-Name special. Big bag, tiny price tag. Without due reflection, I added the sack to the cart, and headed on home. I’m not always the one responsible for preparing our “grain supplement”, so I wasn’t aware that cheapness is a measure of quality.

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posted in economy | Comments Off on Without those numbers, no access permitted | 259 words

28th September 2012

Shopping blind(s)

Noticed in passing: going to work takes up valuable time that could be put to other purposes.

And with that as a starting point, we had to wait for this evening to go curtain shopping. Curtain being the old-fashioned, generic term for window coverings, because once we got into the marketplace, we learned that there are many other options out there. Mind you, green garbage bags fastened with duct tape no longer hold the attention of shoppers. Instead, the trend involved blinds, either vertical or horizontal, in a dizzying array of colours and textures.

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posted in economy | Comments Off on Shopping blind(s) | 269 words

20th September 2012

Praise where it is due

Eureka! I’ve finally found a company that cares about their clients. Eureka!

Several weeks back, in a moment of melancholy over the end of vacation, I sent an email to the wholesaler that supplies a large part of my name brand camping gear. Tents, in particular. I had a pole collapse on our tent (a major issue, when you intend to stay in the tent for weeks on end, and it only has two). Anyhow, they replied within minutes, asking that I send the pole in for inspection. At home, we found a second pole (from one of the other tents by the same manufacturer which had snapped in the field. Packaged them up (in a cardboard tube that had delivered my low D whistle) and sent them off by courier ($3).

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posted in economy | Comments Off on Praise where it is due | 266 words

26th August 2012

Finding the right size of pot

The dream required a bigger pot. And so, without delay, we spent the afternoon trying to find a pot that was big enough.

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posted in economy, pets | Comments Off on Finding the right size of pot | 280 words

17th August 2012

Unfit to buy a chocolate bar

Both housework and homework are subject to procrastination. There: glad that’s out.

We were put on notice, several days ago, that someone would be coming by to take the “real” measurements for windows. My effort, back in July, was good enough for a price request. Now that we actually wanted something with dimensions that could not be altered, it was time for a trained professional to stop by. Good. Hate to be the one responsible for an oversized hole in the house.

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posted in economy | Comments Off on Unfit to buy a chocolate bar | 260 words

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