MacGruber!!!

Russ's Birthday

Ok so this year we are not planning anything big, becaue i cannot guarantee there will even be a party if the baby decides to arrive!!!!! What i figured we would do is just have everyone over for cake and maybe watch a movie on Saturday Night May 30...
Dinner could be a option as well but i was not sure what everyone had planned because it is kinda short notice... and it is not a guaranteed thing.. we will have to play it by ear.
Let me know what you guys think or if anyone has any other suggestions!!!

The Mutual Phone Break-Up

Maybe it's ironic that given my predisposition to high-tech gadgets my primary phone is a land line. I find it quite freeing to not have to worry about carrying a cell phone. I first became a Telus customer back in 1996 when they were still known as BC Tel. At that time they had a monopoly on local phone service but it translated well into reliability, good customer service and generally good rates. My line cost me $25 per month and I was happy.

Those times are long gone. Luckily to combat this, a few years ago four things happened.

• Telus' ego ballooned and their customer service plummeted.


• The CRTC forced the incumbents to open up their copper to competing providers.


• VoIP became a feasible alternative.


• Shaw went on a network-expansion binge.

The result? It was supposed to fuel competition and all the fun stuff that comes with it, however things didn't quite follow the textbook. Sure, competitors started popping up offering better rates but there was no defensive strategy from Telus. They didn't lower rates or raise the quality of their product. Instead, they just sat still, content in knowing the average consumer wouldn't choose a new start-up over the traditional phone company.

And they were right for the short term. Unfortunately for them, my short term ended today.

After paying my Telus bill and thinking it was way too high I looked into the alternatives. Shaw was my first choice but I also noticed Yak Communications offers local service throughout BC. Using the power of a spreadsheet I assembled my options and naively called Telus to see if they could do any better.

Me: "I'm considering moving my phone line to Shaw or Yak. What can you do for me?"

Telus: "I can set you up with a package..." [continues describing a package that'll save me $6].

Me: "You're still the most expensive. You can't do any better?"

Telus: "We also have this package..." [another package that saves me another dollar]

Me: "Yak can give me the same service for $10 less and Shaw beats them by another $10"

Telus: Goes on to describe how the four callers before me were actually Shaw customers switching back to Telus because of poor service. What a coincidence! I couldn't believe she tried that crap.

Me: "I know at least two people satisfied with Shaw's phone so that's not a concern for me"

Telus: "So you'll be leaving your account as-is?"

Me: "Uh, yes if you can't do any better I'll be switching."

Telus: "Is there anything else I can help you with?" (doesn't that question require that they have helped with one thing already?)

I couldn't believe the cluelessness of Telus. Even when customers give them a chance to redeem themselves they brush it off. It's as if they know I'd be happier with another provider.

When I called Shaw they were very happy to hear from me. The rep was much more friendly and seemed to enjoy his job. He also took time to confirm that I'd be eligible for the internet discount (Digital Phone Basic is not) and was an overall pleasure to talk to. As a result, starting May 31 our home phone service will be provided by Shaw.

So long Telus, get your head out of the sand. You will not be missed.

JacksenTube #3: Swimming In Data

I finally got it! When I came home from work on Thursday, Jacksen was happy just lying on the couch when he started talking as he always does. Except this time I had the camera ready and he had lots on his mind. We hear this every day but few friends and family have heard it before now.

There may be more video coming - I have 24 GB of DV eating up my hard drive right now. I need an easy way to back this stuff up! Converting to XviD in nearly-equal-to-DV quality compresses it down to 3 GB but still, it's a lot. I'd like to retain the originals if I can. So far I can only think of these ideas:

• Seven or eight data DVDs, unplayable on a DVD player of course. This is probably cheapest but I don't trust writable DVDs over time so I'd have to re-write onto new discs periodically. I can't loose this footage and I'm bad at maintaining schedules like that.


• Buy a huge hard drive and external USB 2.0 enclosure. Expensive, but I'd say more reliable than DVDs over time. It is, however, prone to physical damage which would render all content lost.


• Buy more DV tapes and forget the computer methods. This may be the best option. Tape lasts a long time and they're only $10 for an hour. It doesn't, however, allow me to edit the video and back up the edited copies since I don't have a software DV encoder.

If anyone has suggestions I'm all ears.