Merry Christmas

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I wanted to decorate the post with holly and wreathes but since I'm not exactly at home I can't actually add in any pictures to the post. Maybe later before I go to bed... if I remember... which isn't likely. Going Boxing Day shopping after work today. Hope you all are doing well :)

Working Hard

There is something to be said for being able to update your blog at work. Have I mentioned yet that I love the new job? Full internet access... well aside from Hotmail any ways. So right now I am waiting for a call and it gives me a chance to do other things... like contact people on Facebook, engage in poke wars (knowing that they won't be up for a few hours), check out the latest news, watch videos on You Tube and now even blog. All in a days work let me tell you. I can always find something to do. I was even tempted to write real emails to people but I am still a purist. I like using Entourage (Read: Outlook for non Mac users) and actually having a copy of the email in my sent folder that I can search later... Mind you there are way too many emails in my sent folder but that's why searching for key words is a good thing. Hmm... wonder what's next on the agenda. A nap perhaps?

Zodiac Match Test

The Zodiac Match Test

My Result: Sagittarius

Initially, a Sagittarius may catch your eye with their knack for witty conversation and flirtation. But as you get to know them better, you're even more likely to be drawn to your Sagittarian's adventurousness and unhesitating willingness to take the risks necessary to keep life fun and free. People born under this sign are typically both enjoyable to be around and interesting to talk with. Be aware that Sagittarians do have a tendency to become restless at times. However, this sense of adventure will help keep things exciting in your relationship. In the bedroom, you'll likely find that the Archer is sexually creative and will keep you happily engaged. This is simply a natural extension of the Sagittarian nature. Overall, they want to get the most out of life and are always on the lookout for exciting new adventures.

Take this test >

Hey look at that... I got something other then Virgo *lol* Maybe I should be taking notes....

Yellow Does Not Mean Go Faster

I was walking home from work this morning... much like I do every morning. Well right now trudge would be more appropriate. Some of the sidewalks are non-existent. Watch out for icy patches. Good times.... especially when it's 8:00 a.m. and you have just gotten off work. The eyes are adjusting to daylight, or gray skies if it is anything like today. I had just climbed the brutal hill that always makes me curse walking home and was almost at the lights on the other side when I heard the sound of sirens. Then I see the the fire department command post vehicle. Some people are stopping... some people keep going and then pull over to the right... and they get around the corner. As I am standing there I hear more sirens. As I turn around I can see the fire truck heading for the intersection with lights flashing and sirens going. Do people stop? As the light turns yellow and the fire truck is practically in the intersection I see not one, but 2 cars paying no attention to the sirens.... or the BIG red fire truck coming at them.... no their only concern is beating the red light. All I could do was shake my head. Common decency would tell you to pay attention to the sirens... and if you don't hear them then maybe it is okay to floor it and make it through that light. Since we all know that extra 2 minutes is going to make all the difference in the world. Well it just might to the people wherever the fire truck was going in such a hurry. Some people.

Past Relationships

I came to an interesting realization today... or well I guess it was yesterday now. After a friend of mine said that I was going to be her project for the new year... Find me a man... or something along those lines.... I got to thinking about past relationships. If I think about the 3 men that I still feel something of a connection with I realize that they are all Virgos. Now, for the most part, I don't really believe in astrology. But that is something that definitely strikes me and I find interesting. Maybe there is something to it.

Found the Money

The missing money that I reported on has been found. After I called Apple for the third time I was finally told that they were sending me a cheque after all. Could they not have told me that from the start? So I finally got that money.

I also called Minacs corporate office about the RRSPs and they looked into it for me. They agreed to write a cheque for the full amount plus the contributions that Minacs would have made. It was actually remarkably easy... About the only thing that has been with them.

First Week Done

My first week on the floor is now done. Had 3 weeks of training and the schedule was 4 to midnight. It was a rough schedule. Not a lot of time to get things done. My day just got broken up so I only had a couple of hours before work and a couple of hours after work. Plus that late in the day I just found my concentration wasn't there. Or maybe it was the extended absence from the workplace. But training is now done and over with.

I have discovered that midnights are the perfect shift for me. On day shifts often you have no chance to do things like go to the doctor... chiropractor... anyone that is 9 to 5. And if you work evenings then you only have the mornings to get anything done... and we all know how much I like mornings. Now I get off work at 8 and can get things done first thing in the morning. Take Friday for instance. I went grocery shopping after work. Then I stopped by my apartment to drop off the groceries and then went to the bank. Came home and went to bed. Slept until about 7:30 and if I still needed to go to a store I could've. Then left just after 11 to get to work. Perfect I tell you.

I even called mom up on my way by her apartment... since I knew I'd be working Christmas. So I invited her out for coffee. I ended up visiting with her for quite a while and then she took me out for breakfast... and to run a couple of errands... and then home.

I am enjoying the job, for the most part. And it's not the kind of job that I take home with me. What an improvement. And now I am off until Tuesday.... well I leave here Monday night to go into work. So I will be home for the snowstorm and not trying to brave the weather.

Random Occurrences

The other night I was getting ready for work when there was a knock at the door. People will frequently get the wrong apartment... Probably doesn't help that my apartment has no numbers on the door. I open the door and Tristan was standing there... Now I haven't seen him in almost 2 years. It was quite the shock. He was standing there with an apartment size freezer. Now it turns out that he works for the Brick now and was delivering it but they had the wrong address. Gave me a chance to reconnect with him and he apologized for things that happened in the past. And I thought I had a guilt complex. Got his phone number and we might go out to dinner soon.

Speaking of Missing Money

While on the same topic.... I received my termination pay last week. I must say the letter made me feel all warm and fuzzy. And then I promptly went out and bought a Playstation 3. But any ways.... On the cheque there was a deduction for RRSPs. Now RRSPs are a good thing. However, I no longer have an account with Standard Life. I closed it back in July and transferred the money to the bank. And right now I would rather just have the $280. So I call Standard Life and they have no record of it. Hmm... so where's the money? On an off chance I call my former company.... but not the local office. I call corporate. First I get told that the money would not have even been sent to Standard Life yet. It would be next month. So since it hasn't been sent yet I ask if it can not be sent ever.... and just be sent to me. Now the person I was speaking with couldn't do that but was trying to find the contact info for the person that could. She wasn't able to locate it but took my name and number and is going to get them to call me. So we'll see what happens there. I don't want to be fighting to get the money back. And if it is sent to Standard Life I will only receive 50% back. The other 50% will have to go into a locked-in RRSP. So now I am crossing my fingers and hoping.

More Woes from AppleCare

Don't worry there is nothing wrong with my computer at the moment. Last week I got an invoice in the mail from Apple. It appeared to be a credit for my AppleCare. Guess my letter to CR and to Apple Canada worked. They were refunding what was left of the AppleCare. Since the invoice was dated on November 12, 2007 I checked all of my credit cards to see if there was any new funds on it. There wasn't. So then I had Steve check his credit card since that was the one I used to purchase the computer. Nada. The next day I called and spoke to CR. They told me that it was being refunded through PayPal and weren't sure how long it would take. Was told to contact PayPal about it. Nothing like passing the buck. But since I hadn't checked my PayPal account I was fine with that. So I check. Nothing there either. So I wait.... and today I call Apple again. It's like pulling teeth. First of all the person I spoke with was incredibly rude. She cut me off and placed me on hold without even getting my permission to do so. Not that I would've said no but "please hold" and then click is not very nice and I am pretty sure that their policy (unless it's different then tech support) does not allow that. So once again she tells me that the money is being sent to PayPal. Won't even confirm that they even used the right email address. Starts comparing it to sending out a cheque or a credit card payment. Anyone that has used PayPal before knows that as soon as money is sent to your email address you receive a notice and can log into PayPal to claim the amount. It's pretty much instantaneous. Considering the invoice date is from over 2 weeks ago I can guarentee that I am never going to see this money unless Apple does something about it. So now I have $140 floating somewhere.... It would be nice to actually receive that money. Bring the whole painful Apple experience to a conclusion. And just in case you're wondering you can still see the burn mark on my leg.... so I doubt it's ever going to completely heal.

The Job Front

This has been a stellar week so far. I found out about the labour board dispute yesterday. While it's not entirely the resolution I had been hoping for it was about the best I could hope for. And it does mean that I will be getting about $2000 at some point. Definitely looking forward to that. Then today there was a hiring fair going on at Teleperformance for their technical support position. So I went down for that.

First I got lost. The building is really confusing. I had to ask someone how to get to the main office. Then I went in to drop off my resume and the receptionist was really friendly. That was a change. Wasn't expecting that. Spent about 30 minutes or so filling in the application, agreeing to the police check, and filling out several tests. Then I had to do a typing test. Got 53 wpm with an accuracy of 99%. Pretty excited about that actually. Since it was the job fair I even had the interview today. Susan really didn't ask me any questions. I guess that's a good sign. *lol* I am supposed to go back tomorrow for a tour and more paperwork. So I'm going to go with the fact I am employed again.... unless I find out differently tomorrow.

The job starts on Monday which is really short notice. I was hoping for another week so that I would get the EI in time to pay rent. Doesn't look like that will be the case. But it's not like I am turning down a job so I can pay rent on time. I'll just have to talk to the landlord and let them know that it will be late and explain why that is the case. It will cost more in the end. But hey it looks like I have a job again.

Welcome to the Real World

As many of you are aware back in March I lost my job. Well technically I didn't really lose it. I know exactly where it went and why it disappeared. What you may not know, since I really didn't want it to be public knowledge, is that I was fighting back. I felt that it was unfair and that I was being targeted. Ideally I wanted my job back... but failing that I at least wanted the termination pay.

Now I did get an apology from the parent company over my treatment there but nothing else ever came of that. Then I had someone from corporate looking into it. They dealt the final death knell for any thought of getting my job back. They also refused to admit any wrong doing. But offered me the 4 weeks salary. After careful consideration I turned it down choosing instead to let the labour board make the final decision. If they decided that it was justified then I would accept that answer. But if not then it would go on record that it was a case of wrongful dismissal and the company would be held accountable.

Such noble sentiments. I have since discovered that the labour board is on the side of the employers and will look for any loophole to screw over the employee. Okay so the wrongful dismissal is not the reason for that thought. They didn't give me my raise back in February and then fired me at the end of March. I was told I couldn't claim for any additional wages. So as long as they fire you before implementing the new wages it's okay. For the longest time I had a catch-22 at work. If I took my lunch then we wouldn't meet the mandate and it would lead to disciplinary action. So I didn't take my lunch but they didn't pay me for it either. They deducted the time. And I was told that I voluntarily chose not to take my lunch. Hmm... damned if you do and not paid if you don't.

As for the whole wrongful dismissal claim.... since they had already offered me the 4 weeks pay and to change my termination to without cause that is exactly what I'll be getting. But basically they are calling it a settlement. The company will not have to admit to any wrong doing and can even try and take the righteous high ground of "Look at us. We offered to do this and didn't have to. We wanted to bring closure to the situation." But really.... if they thought they could win and not have to pay anything they would've fought me.

Life in the real world isn't quite as black and white. There are a lot of shades of grey. But the good news is that the whole saga has now come to an end... or will once I get the cheque (which could be 6 months from now). I saw it through.... no matter how many people told me that I couldn't win and that I should just stop fighting. In the end I won.

Yet Another Toy Recall

Normally I wouldn't even comment on a toy recall or even pay any attention to it. After all I don't have any children and don't watch the news very often. But this one I feel the need to comment on.

The company Spin Master created a toy called Aqua Dots (Bindeez in Australia). I must say that I had seen the commercials prior to the recall and thought it was an interesting idea. You create various designs with the beads and then when water is added the beads fuse together.

The problem is that kids do what kids do best... they swallow the beads. According to Health Canada's web site, "Information from Australia and the United States indicates that the tiny coloured beads may be coated with a substance that can become toxic when it is ingested. Children who swallow the beads may become comatose, develop respiratory depression, or have seizures."

What they don't tell you is that the chemical coating metabolizes into gamma hydroxy butyrate or GHB. In case you're not familiar with it GHB is a common date rape drug. I am still trying to wrap my head around how it is that a children's toy... turns into a date rape drug. How is that even possible?

I am reminded of all those times on shows like CSI (or the movie Traffic) where they come up with new ways to ship drugs where it's undetectable. Was this not supposed to hit the store shelves and accidentally wound up in the hands of children? Did the scientists involved not realize what would happen? How does this happen?

As it turns out it is just another incident on account of using Chinese plants to manufacture the product. The toys were supposed to use 1,5-pentanediol, a nontoxic compound found in glue, but instead contained the harmful 1,4-butanediol, which is widely used in cleaners and plastics. Why the switch? Probably because the second one costs 1/3 of the price.

Two weeks ago the government placed an export ban on 700 toy factories in the southern Guangdong province in China because of shoddy products. Perhaps companies should be looking at the true costs of doing business and clearly changes need to be made somewhere... In this case it's especially serious since the outcome could have been fatal.

And since the toys are currently being tested in Hong Kong what happens to the supplier if the chemical is found? They face up to 1 year in prison and a fine of $12,877. Something tells me that isn't enough of a deterrent. he Chinese online trading platform ChemNet China lists the price of 1,4 butanediol at between about $1,350-$2,800 per metric ton, while the price for 1,5-pentanediol is about $9,700 per metric ton... so 2 metric tons of switching the chemicals and the fine is already paid for. Not to mention the fact it could potentially be lethal... so ~$13000 just doesn't seem enough. Shut the factory down, implement mandatory inspections, and use stiff penalties to prevent this kind of thing from happening.

Chocolate Christmas Calendars

I suddenly feel like going out and picking up one of those Advent calendars not so I can count down the days to Christmas but so I can get that piece of chocolate that is behind each door. Mmm.... chocolate. Not sure why I am craving it at the moment. I don't really eat a lot of chocolate.

Now what prompted me to think about advent calendars and the chocolate contained within it? Back to the world of Yahoo news. Seems the city of Hanover in Germany created an advent calendar. No big deal right? Except that their advent calendar includes a serial killer on it. I think I'll take the coal in my stocking from Santa Claus over the serial killer. The picture is a cartoon representation of Haarmann lurking under a tree and there is a hatchet next to the door on the calendar. The calendar is full of famous people from Hanover. But a serial killer?

Kind of makes me wonder what you get when you open that door. Do you get a chocolate? Do you get some other reminder of Christmas? Do you get fake teeth since he killed his victims by biting their necks?

Last time I checked advent calendars were usually for children. So if you survive the serial killer on December 1 you might then move on to a philosopher or musician. I think I'd be traumatized by the experience. And in case you're wondering about how the calendar is doing. Since it went public the city's tourism board has been receiving orders from all over Europe and they expect to sell out soon.

Fastest Vista Notebook

PC World recently compared notebook computers to see which one was fastest. And the winner is? The fastest Vista computer is the MacBook Pro. Say what? Yep you heard me right. The 17" MacBook Pro turned out to be the fastest computer running Windows Vista. And to think Apple doesn't care if you can run Windows on the computer. Yet it outperformed those manufacturers who rely on the Windows OS for well.... everything. Kind of makes you wonder doesn't it? For the full article you can check it out here. And now... back to my MacBook Pro. Only I'm not running any version of Windows on it.

Your Dreams Miss You

If you recognize the title then it means the marketing folks at Rozerem are doing their jobs. I must admit that I do find the commercials to be entertaining.... or maybe it's just the wise-ass beaver that's in the commercials.

Just in case you haven't figured it out yet Rozerem is a sleeping pill and they claim that it shows no risk of abuse or dependence. They have the line in the commercial, "Take when you need it and stop when you don't." From a pharmaceutical perspective that might be true. Psychologically I am not so sure. The medication I am on has similar claims. Yet I feel like I need it in order to get some sleep. It's not true but I have tricked my mind into thinking it. So if I don't take it I toss and turn all night. The other day I was commenting on my reliance on a pharmaceutical lullaby. That night I realized that I was still having trouble to fall asleep and was still waking up throughout the night.

I don't take Rozerem but I am on a mild anti-depressant to help me sleep. I find that I sleep too long and am still groggy in the morning. I feel like I did when I was in university and was taking amitryptiline. It meant I got sleep which was great but was negated by the fact I could barely function during the day. Eventually I had to go off it altogether. Right now I am contemplating that fact with the medication I am on.

But this post wasn't supposed to be about my insomnia and my medication. I was on Yahoo today and they were talking about the bad products award for 2007, as awarded by Consumers International. Leading the pack was Rozerem for promoting the use of sleeping pills in children. Seems the company ran a "back to school" commercial with children, chalkboards, and a school bus. That's bad enough but they also failed to include health warnings for children. That's low.

So I wander open to Youtube to see if I can find the commercial. I found other commercials but not that one. However, I did find a video of someone who went to a church Hallowe'en party as Abe Lincoln and his wife went as the beaver from the commercial. Can I just say WTF? I understand dressing up as a superhero or some other famous character. And I understand Abe Lincoln, sort of. He is a famous US president after all. But to go as characters from a commercial... especially the characters from a pharmaceutical commercial. That's just messed up.

Self Acualization

Today I got to thinking about my university days.... more specifically the lectures on Maslow and the Hierarchy of Needs. I need a job. There is no question there. Well I would much rather be independently wealthy but that's beside the point. Completely unrelated to Maslow, on the job front I feel like I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I stay here then I need something that pays at least $12/hour just to make ends meet.... $15 if I actually want to start paying off my student loans. Easier said then done. Most jobs pay between $8-$10 around here. And if I move somewhere else then I am looking at relocation costs, paying first and last again, etc. Since I don't drive it's not like I can commute. So I feel stuck right now and have no idea what to do.

Back to Maslow now and how that relates to the job hunt. I should be focusing all my energy on looking for work, my resume, and applying for jobs. The stress should be motivating me to get it done. Then there is Maslow. First you have to make it through the bottom hierarchy, the physiological needs. When you wonder how you're going to pay rent and buy groceries nothing else really matters. You can't focus on anything else. With EI I only make $640 every two weeks and when rent is $746 that's a problem. Rent is due in 6 days and at the moment I am wondering how exactly I am going to pay it.

Finding a new job is secondary to that. After all what good is a new job when you don't even have a roof over your head? It would be nice if EI at least paid enough to meet your basic needs. Welfare is even worse. At least then you wouldn't have to battle with the bottom level of Maslow's hierarchy and can instead focus on the second level, safety needs, which includes employment.

I don't know about other people but finances are my number 1 stressor. I'm not sure if that is because it's not entirely under my control or just because there is never quite enough. I just want to make sure that all my bills are paid. Time to practice deep breathing exercises as it stresses me out just thinking about it. Now back to the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy and trying to find a way to make ends meet.

A Few Good Men (and Women)

My homepage is set to Yahoo and that tends to be where I get my news from. There is another way? So any ways.... today there was a story about becoming a condom tester fur Durex. Seems they are looking for 1,000 volunteers. I wonder if one of the questions on the application is how often you have sex. Since clearly that is a pre-requisite to becoming a tester.

I must say when I hear "condom tester" I wonder how much of it has to do with sensation and pleasure and how much has to do with testing the condoms out to discover failure rates. That's how they'll decide which new brands to introduce to the market. *lol*

In a statement Durex said, "Applicants will be asked a series of questions to make sure they are a good fit for this dream job." Now are they getting paid for this? Since it's a job that involves having sex. So... if they are getting paid to test the condoms then they would be getting paid to have sex? Isn't there another name for that? Oh yeah.... I believe it's called prostitution.

I was going to make some gender comment about them limiting it for men but the article on Yahoo was a little misleading. It is open to women too. So I can scratch that whole thought. So if you are up for the challenge click here to apply.

Canadian Content

Some days I hate being Canadian. I can't download TV shows or movies from the iTunes music store. Granted that might actually be a good thing since it saves me money. I also can't go to CBS, ABC, NBC, or any other network and watch/download shows from them to watch later. It's my understanding that it has to do with Canadian content. To be available in Canada there has to be a certain amount of Canadian content. There aren't too many good Canadian shows. In fact for all the TV I currently watch in a week I think all the shows are US.

It doesn't end there however. Recently the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (or SOCAN) won a ruling that music downloads should be taxed to the tune of 3.1 cents per track if purchased individually and 1.5 cents per track if you purchase the entire album. They have also re-added a levy to digital audio players and to recordable media. Looks like they will also be taxing sites that offer temporary downloads and customizable radio stations.

In a nutshell the cost of downloading music is going up... since you can be sure that sites that allow you to purchase music will be increasing prices to accommodate the new tax. Not only are they adding a new tax but it is also going to be retroactive to 1996 when the music industry began pushing for the taxes.

To put this in perspective.... you purchase a CD from iTunes and pay an added tax for it. But then you want to put those songs on your iPod which you were also taxed on. Oh and how about burning it to a CD which you are also entitled to do. Yep you were taxed when you purchased those recordable disks just in case this is what you wanted to use it for. So now you have been taxed three times and this money is going to SOCAN. Wonder how much of that money is going to the artists.

3 cents isn't that big of a deal if it means that the artists get the money. But to be taxed more then once to be able to listen to that music.... well then it's getting to be a bit ridiculous. Tax it once and I might be understanding. Now they just seem greedy.

In a day and age when they are fighting a battle with piracy it seems like the wrong way to go. In Canada it is LEGAL to download all the music you want.... It might be a gray area but it is legal. Just don't upload it and you're all set. So if anything these increased taxes are just going to push more people to finding other ways to download their music... like torrents and other applications.

On the Topic of Health Care

When I woke up today I was thinking about all the health issues that I want to bring up with my doctor once I am back to work and have health coverage again. The fact I have a list says something right there about the status of health care. For one, my doctor is in Pickering which is quite a drive. Now that wouldn't stop me from going to see him but the lack of money would. I can't afford the treatment since I currently have no medical coverage. Good health care shouldn't only be for those with money. The argument is that the health care is free it's the pharmaceuticals that you have to pay for. So blame the drug companies for the disparity.

As far as the list goes I want a referral to the pain clinic in Toronto for treatment of the Fibromyalgia. A friend of mine has been going there and has found that the treatment has made a big difference. But the medications aren't cheap. Bearable when you have drug coverage but expensive when you don't. I'm also hoping that they can tell me if the fatigue really is from the Fibromyalgia or is caused by something else. It's been off and on for a decade now. Every day plagued by the same haunting desire for just a little more rest. But it's an elusive dream.

For a few months now I have also been congested. At the moment it seems to be getting worse. I've been on antibiotics for other things and it has not gone away. I'd kind of like to know if it's allergies, sinus infection, or something else.

I also want to get the cysts looked at. They keep reappearing.... or not going away at all. And when I wake up quite often there is pain in the muscles. I'm concerned about the possibility of lumps. So I'd like to get a biopsy done to rule out anything serious.

Lastly, I want to try and get him to send me in for a CAT scan or MRI. Before anyone freaks or thinks that there is something seriously wrong it should have been done a long time ago.... like 14 years. I have my reasons but I want to see if there is any lasting damage from the head injury. Oh yeah and I also haven't had an annual physical done in about 5 years... So add that to the list too.

Just a few things to discuss. And with the wonderful health care you get about 10 minutes to discuss one problem. So several trips to Pickering will be in order to get things back on track. It also got me thinking about a place in London, Ontario. When I was going to school there my boss was talking about the Shute Clinic. When you become a patient there it cost something like $200 but they shut down the practice for half a day. They do a complete medical history so you have the chance to address everything that you wanted to and they take the time to find out everything they possibly can. Makes for more complete care. Kind of too bad that more places don't do that.

The great, free health care in Canada. It seems there are a few cracks in the facade. Makes me miss my university days where I had great health care and didn't have to think about the doctor shortage or not being able to afford the medications I need.