Recently I took delivery of a very annoying hand-held computer. Annoying because it was programmed to trigger an alarm every time I needed to take some medicine. Regular as clockwork, it declared "you're sick, you're sick" when I needed to take the next dose. Ok, so it actually just rang out a couple of notes, but the implied message was there. And after each dose it always tried to connect to this ancient style modem to send off the news that I had indeed recorded taking the medicine. As if this would help. Some drug companies take too much of their own medication and come up with the stupidest ideas... but that's another rant.
So I talked through the problems I was having with the drug company, and they directed me to the people who programed the little WindowsCE device, who said I could stop the alarms but I would still need to send the smidgeon of data through the wireless modem every couple of days to keep the thing going (the connection to the modem kept having to be reset when I left it uplugged for a week or so). They also gave me some incredibly helpful advice: how to return the little blighter to them. Woo Hoo!
So to send this thing back to Texas I just needed to use Federal Express. They gave me an account code and full instructions on what to write where on the forms and voila, annoying thing gone.
Except... it's about this alarm. It's also about this international border. It's also about a device that is continually trying to connect to a modem to send data... em, that's not good.
So I tried to let the power run down completely. You just don't know how many Solitare games I played on that thing trying to run down the batteries. But it was getting in the way and I wanted it gone already.
So I went into the proper menus and turned off all noises it would ever consider making. I think. I hope.
It does still have a little power, but maybe it has given up on trying to find it's modem. I think. I hope.
So I couriered it off yesterday. Hopefully it made it across the border without alarming anyone or anything. The Federal Express person I was getting help from did ask if it might send out signals during shipping and I said yes, maybe. So hopefully I have not set off an international incident. Hopefully they know what to do about this thing.
Hopefully that package is not ticking.
And you thought the world had lost all it's hope.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
What will collide next?
Submarines colliding in the ocean. Satellites colliding in space. What will be next?
Early in February 2 submarines - one French, one British - collided somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. One of them was 150 metres long, the other was 138 metres long. The Atlantic Ocean is somewhere around 76 million square kilometres. On a comparative basis, that's 6 1/2 times the size of the US. Getting 2 little boats to hit each other in that much water would seem to be a wild shot, but France and the U.K. have begrudgingly admitted it happened. It seems the boats are so quiet, they didn't sense each other - that's a design point of a submarine, isn't it?
Also early in February 2 satellites orbiting the Earth - one Soviet, one American - collided about 270 miles above the International Space Station. There is some due concern that the debris will hit that expensive little jewel of international co-operation. The Soviet satellite was apparently not in working order, just space junk, but the American one was owned and used by a phone company.
To quote Douglas Adams "Space is big. Really Big. You just won't believe how mindbogglingly big it is." (The Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy, Chapter 8)
If human-made objects that are tiny in comparison to where humans put them - either in the water or in outer space - are colliding with each other... what's next? Both the Americans and the European Space Agency have sent human-made objects to roam about on the surface of Mars. The American ones have made it, but the European one - named Beagle 2 - disappeared without a trace. Is it possible there was another collision of human-made objects, or did it just collide with Mars? (Hmm, that was in February as well, a few years back but... is that a coincidence?)
Should humans really be sending these extremely expensive objects into space? Unless it's the same country sending all of the objects, will different countries give enough information to each other about where their objects are to avoid collisions?
Alien 1: "Oh look, they're sending more bits up! Oh look! Those ones collided too! What a mess!"
Alien 2: "No need to contact that planet, if we did they'd probably send junk up to collide with our ships."
References:
Submarine sizes
Ocean size
Submarines hitting each other
Satellites hitting each other
European Space Agency looses contact with Beagle
Early in February 2 submarines - one French, one British - collided somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. One of them was 150 metres long, the other was 138 metres long. The Atlantic Ocean is somewhere around 76 million square kilometres. On a comparative basis, that's 6 1/2 times the size of the US. Getting 2 little boats to hit each other in that much water would seem to be a wild shot, but France and the U.K. have begrudgingly admitted it happened. It seems the boats are so quiet, they didn't sense each other - that's a design point of a submarine, isn't it?
Also early in February 2 satellites orbiting the Earth - one Soviet, one American - collided about 270 miles above the International Space Station. There is some due concern that the debris will hit that expensive little jewel of international co-operation. The Soviet satellite was apparently not in working order, just space junk, but the American one was owned and used by a phone company.
To quote Douglas Adams "Space is big. Really Big. You just won't believe how mindbogglingly big it is." (The Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy, Chapter 8)
If human-made objects that are tiny in comparison to where humans put them - either in the water or in outer space - are colliding with each other... what's next? Both the Americans and the European Space Agency have sent human-made objects to roam about on the surface of Mars. The American ones have made it, but the European one - named Beagle 2 - disappeared without a trace. Is it possible there was another collision of human-made objects, or did it just collide with Mars? (Hmm, that was in February as well, a few years back but... is that a coincidence?)
Should humans really be sending these extremely expensive objects into space? Unless it's the same country sending all of the objects, will different countries give enough information to each other about where their objects are to avoid collisions?
Alien 1: "Oh look, they're sending more bits up! Oh look! Those ones collided too! What a mess!"
Alien 2: "No need to contact that planet, if we did they'd probably send junk up to collide with our ships."
References:
Submarine sizes
Ocean size
Submarines hitting each other
Satellites hitting each other
European Space Agency looses contact with Beagle
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Did someone say Spring?
I think it's finally here! This picture of little white snow drops about to bloom was taken in Vancouver's West End a few days ago.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
So when will they get divorced?
There has been a TV commercial airing over and over endlessly with minor changes here and there for the last month at least. It's an ad for a dating service. It shows two people who met, fell in love, and got married.
Joshua and Tanyalee were made for each other, but didn't meet until they answered long questionnaires and were matched up by a dating service. It was a sweet story the first time I heard it. Then after the 30th time I heard it, I wondered why they had made a big impressionist painting together as a date thing. I also wondered why I had to see it so many times - it wasn't that good of a painting. As the days went on there were more and more annoying commercials with more and more details of their romance.
Do I care about Joshua and Tanyalee? Nope.
Do I want to see other couples that have been matched? Well, if it stops the Joshua and Tanyalee endless repeats, yes! They have one or two other couples to annoy us with, but they don't get as much air time.
Do I want to see Joshua and Tanyalee get divorced and off my TV? Yep.
Valentine's Day is typically the "break up" day of any unstable relationship. I think Joshua and Tanyalee should take this opportunity to stop the insanity and divorce.
I admit I may watch too much TV but I've had enough of these commercials! It was sweet at first, but now it's a canker sore and I want them to go away!
Joshua and Tanyalee were made for each other, but didn't meet until they answered long questionnaires and were matched up by a dating service. It was a sweet story the first time I heard it. Then after the 30th time I heard it, I wondered why they had made a big impressionist painting together as a date thing. I also wondered why I had to see it so many times - it wasn't that good of a painting. As the days went on there were more and more annoying commercials with more and more details of their romance.
Do I care about Joshua and Tanyalee? Nope.
Do I want to see other couples that have been matched? Well, if it stops the Joshua and Tanyalee endless repeats, yes! They have one or two other couples to annoy us with, but they don't get as much air time.
Do I want to see Joshua and Tanyalee get divorced and off my TV? Yep.
Valentine's Day is typically the "break up" day of any unstable relationship. I think Joshua and Tanyalee should take this opportunity to stop the insanity and divorce.
I admit I may watch too much TV but I've had enough of these commercials! It was sweet at first, but now it's a canker sore and I want them to go away!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Did they really want to phone me?
After a recent cold I now have a sinus infection and I'm taking some really strong antibiotics that are making me feel woogy and easily distracted. So when I kept getting a call on my cell phone from a 1-866 number (which I don't answer as a rule - its' just someone selling something) I dropped what I was doing and went for a little explore time.
There are a few services that come up when you google a "reverse phone number lookup" and they will tell you who keeps calling from a specific number. For a price, anyway - the free versions couldn't find the number. I'm not that annoyed.
So I googled on the phone number itself and found a wonderful forum where people were complaining about phone calls from this phone number! It was Fido phoning it's customers back in March 2007 and charging them for the calls if they were out of the country.
Just then, my cell phone rang.
So I answered it. Eventually the call centre agent came on and I talked to her for a bit. She promised it was a free call for me, so why not? Yes, I'm happy with the service. No, I don't want a new phone for the privilege of signing up for a contract. No, I have no questions or comments... and no, I missed the opportunity to share my existential angst with an unwitting call centre agent - but I was tempted.
Every once in a while I have answered calls that are obviously from someone selling something just for the fun of having someone tortured because they called me. The time that I was still living with my parents and got a call from a carpet cleaners was probably the most fun. Clean my carpet? I don't have a carpet. Clean my furniture? I don't have any furniture. Do you have a phone? Yes! I have a phone! Isn't that great? I obviously sounded like a kid, so this was just a bit of fun that wasted his time, but he called me, so he was fair game.
Sometimes I just feel like wasting the time of someone phoning to sell me something. They are paying for the phone time and the call centre agent, so it costs them money. Getting the call aggravates me, so why not make them pay for it? I don't get angry or abusive to the agent, it's not their fault, they are probably just stuck in a noisy room doing a job they hate. But the company they work for is fair game.
So next time I'm feeling easily distracted... I may not hang up so easily.
There are a few services that come up when you google a "reverse phone number lookup" and they will tell you who keeps calling from a specific number. For a price, anyway - the free versions couldn't find the number. I'm not that annoyed.
So I googled on the phone number itself and found a wonderful forum where people were complaining about phone calls from this phone number! It was Fido phoning it's customers back in March 2007 and charging them for the calls if they were out of the country.
Just then, my cell phone rang.
So I answered it. Eventually the call centre agent came on and I talked to her for a bit. She promised it was a free call for me, so why not? Yes, I'm happy with the service. No, I don't want a new phone for the privilege of signing up for a contract. No, I have no questions or comments... and no, I missed the opportunity to share my existential angst with an unwitting call centre agent - but I was tempted.
Every once in a while I have answered calls that are obviously from someone selling something just for the fun of having someone tortured because they called me. The time that I was still living with my parents and got a call from a carpet cleaners was probably the most fun. Clean my carpet? I don't have a carpet. Clean my furniture? I don't have any furniture. Do you have a phone? Yes! I have a phone! Isn't that great? I obviously sounded like a kid, so this was just a bit of fun that wasted his time, but he called me, so he was fair game.
Sometimes I just feel like wasting the time of someone phoning to sell me something. They are paying for the phone time and the call centre agent, so it costs them money. Getting the call aggravates me, so why not make them pay for it? I don't get angry or abusive to the agent, it's not their fault, they are probably just stuck in a noisy room doing a job they hate. But the company they work for is fair game.
So next time I'm feeling easily distracted... I may not hang up so easily.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
What is that sound? Are they Back?
Oh noooooo!!!
The construction workers are back!
They are taking their little moving platform up the outside of our apartment building again!
This makes year 3 of our tour of hell. They've been "fixing" the windows on the 30-odd stories of this building for what seems like forever. Apparently some people have very wet windows - on the inside - so the windows are being sealed on the outside. This of course means less air movement on the inside, but couldn't that have been the problem to begin with?
In Egypt, in the Valley of the Kings, where all of the ancient mummies they could find still in Egypt have been gathered they are also having problems with water - on the inside. The humidity in the underground tombs is destroying the 5000 year old mummies. Living humans have recently discovered that this is from the living human beings that are visiting the mummies. Tourists are unwittingly destroying the mummies they are coming to see. It's that whole "humans are 62% water" (percentage info from Science Fact Finder) - warm water that tends to send moisture into the air when people... live and breathe. Most of the mummification efforts were actually to get rid of the wet parts of the human body. The internal organs that would stay wet after death and start decomposition of the body were removed and put into jars or boxes separate from the body. The ancient Egyptians knew about this humidity of the human body problem, can we not learn from this?
Back in our apartment building, many of the suites in this building are not occupied for months at a time, which should mean less of a problem, but people leave all their windows and curtains tightly shut when they leave, so the moisture that was in the air when they left sticks around and festers while they are gone. Other people like to have very warm apartments. There are many people living here that are originally from the Middle East or the Orient and they like their homes to be very warm. Unfortunately, in this climate we frequently have close to 100% humidity in the air - and yes, a lot of rain. Heat up that much water, and yes, you will grow mold quite easily.
So have we had a humidity problem in our suite? No. The difference here is we Like fresh air. We always have at least one window open. We don't keep the place too warm - we grab a sweater when we feel cold. And we have no mold. But this winter we did have a bit of humidity for the first time in 10 years - easy to remove as soon as we saw it, but that's new. Our windows were sealed in last year's round of construction. Can we bonk someone on the head for this? Actually, a mangled coat hanger to the vents around the windows has helped... the ones that were sealed last summer by the construction workers going up the side of the building in their
little
noisy
platforms...
The construction workers are back!
They are taking their little moving platform up the outside of our apartment building again!
This makes year 3 of our tour of hell. They've been "fixing" the windows on the 30-odd stories of this building for what seems like forever. Apparently some people have very wet windows - on the inside - so the windows are being sealed on the outside. This of course means less air movement on the inside, but couldn't that have been the problem to begin with?
In Egypt, in the Valley of the Kings, where all of the ancient mummies they could find still in Egypt have been gathered they are also having problems with water - on the inside. The humidity in the underground tombs is destroying the 5000 year old mummies. Living humans have recently discovered that this is from the living human beings that are visiting the mummies. Tourists are unwittingly destroying the mummies they are coming to see. It's that whole "humans are 62% water" (percentage info from Science Fact Finder) - warm water that tends to send moisture into the air when people... live and breathe. Most of the mummification efforts were actually to get rid of the wet parts of the human body. The internal organs that would stay wet after death and start decomposition of the body were removed and put into jars or boxes separate from the body. The ancient Egyptians knew about this humidity of the human body problem, can we not learn from this?
Back in our apartment building, many of the suites in this building are not occupied for months at a time, which should mean less of a problem, but people leave all their windows and curtains tightly shut when they leave, so the moisture that was in the air when they left sticks around and festers while they are gone. Other people like to have very warm apartments. There are many people living here that are originally from the Middle East or the Orient and they like their homes to be very warm. Unfortunately, in this climate we frequently have close to 100% humidity in the air - and yes, a lot of rain. Heat up that much water, and yes, you will grow mold quite easily.
So have we had a humidity problem in our suite? No. The difference here is we Like fresh air. We always have at least one window open. We don't keep the place too warm - we grab a sweater when we feel cold. And we have no mold. But this winter we did have a bit of humidity for the first time in 10 years - easy to remove as soon as we saw it, but that's new. Our windows were sealed in last year's round of construction. Can we bonk someone on the head for this? Actually, a mangled coat hanger to the vents around the windows has helped... the ones that were sealed last summer by the construction workers going up the side of the building in their
little
noisy
platforms...
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