Random Thoughts & Musings #2

Well I had so much fun with the last installment of "Random Thoughts & Musings" that I thought I might make it a weekly thing. For those new to this here feature (which even I admit I am considering that this is only the second edition of this type of column). Here is where I provide a wrap up of things that I have thought about (hence the title) both serious and humourous. So enough with the Jib Jab and on with the show!

1. In the column of why Canadian banks suck: Why do Canadian bank machines still give out $50.00 bills when no store will take them anymore?

2. What would happen if you mixed Photoshop with Jean Chretien? Canadian Comedian Rick Mercer found out.

3. Need good reasons to get rid of the federal Liberals? Read this James Travers' column to find out. On a side note, with an award winning columnist like this, who says the Toronto Star is a Liberal rag?

4. So I checked out the new VIVA transit game that provides game players with a chance to win free bus tickets and other prizes for merely playing their new online video game. The game isn't worth much to play as I got bored with it after one level and merely killed myself off at the begining of the second level. But I did win 10 free two zone tickets to ride on either VIVA or York Region Transit. If transit fares go up in the near future, paying for the both the game and its prizes might be just two reasons why!

5. One final thought on the new VIVA system, who designed the new shelters at Richmond Hill Centre and other stops along the way? These "shelters" allow the wind to whistle right through them because the glass doesn't go all the way up to the roof or down to the ground. Even funnier was at my local stop the dry area during a mild rain storm is aproximately only two feet squared. Finally, who wants to sit on a stainless steel bench in January? One question to the designer of these shelters: "Have you experienced a Canadian winter?"

6. From CHUM FM's Roger, Rick & Marilyn archives comes this hillarious piece of entertainment.

7. To my American friends, readers and enemies, Happy Thanksgiving you lucky people! Only you guys would be able to squeeze a four day weekend just before Christmas. Even better, Americans have figured out that Thanksgiving is a great weekend to provide sales for hungry shoppers eager to save a buck on their Christmas shopping. Canadians have it in the retailers hands: have the store sales the day after the big gift exchanges in order to two things: a) prevent the mass return of items that either didn't fit or create this question: "What were they thinking?" or b) clear out all the crap that didn't sell over the busiest retailing time all year.

8. Not looking forward to Thanksgiving because of PETA or because of boredom? This guy has the answers to all the commonThanksgiving questions!

8. Ever wondered if blog posts were really written by a dead person? This guy has, in a weird and creepy way.....

9. The Gemini's were on this week. Did anybody care? Apparently these commenters, who commented on Antonia "try and spell my last name" Zerbisias blog didn't watch:

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The Geminis are so lame. They're no better than the Armpit Village Homebuilder of the Year Awards or the Bug Village Manitoba Carpet Cleaner of the Week Prize. Every industry in the world has a set of lame awards that it hands out to itself -- think of the Teddies from the Mary Tyler Moore Show or the SeeBees from Frasier. The National Newspaper Awards are the Canadian press's lame equivalent. Basically, if it's not a Pulitzer, Nobel or Booker it ain't worth jack and we shouldn't waste time talking about it.
Posted by: November 21, 2005 at 08:30 PM

When you tune into a crappy Canadian station and see a promo saying "XYZ Network: Nominated for 587 Gemini Awards" that's when you realise how stupid and pointless the Geminis really are.
Posted by: November 21, 2005 at 08:40 PM

See what I mean?
When a conversation about awards turns on references to popular American television programs that themselves are now seen only in syndication you know you're through the looking glass.
Posted by: Dana November 22, 2005 at 10:02 AM

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Anybody gain count of how many nominations did the CBC's The National with Peter Mansbridge get? Anybody finished counting those nominations?

10. Finally, on a serious yet quirky note. I called the American bank I deal with to close my account for good in New York City. I had withdrawn all the funds over the past week, as instructed by the telephone banking representative I talked to last Saturday. She also noted there would not be any service charges on closing the account so I could have the entire balance.

I called this morning to close the account. I was put on hold in order to talk to an "account specialist". Um...lets stop there, wouldn't a telephone banking representative be an account specialist? Isn't that what bank representatives do? Just a thought. Anyway, on with the story....

I talked to the "account specialist" who wanted my day time phone number. I gave him my home phone and said I could be best contacted at night. He wouldn't have it. I was not about to give him my office phone number because this was supposed to be a simple process.

I told him the story what the telephone banking representative told me last week. I said there is no money in the account and was now wondering why there was a big fuss on closing an account with no money in it? He asked for my address in Canada, I said it is the same one you have been sending statements to for the past three months, then gave it to him again. He, the account specialist, said that there would be a letter sent to me in five to seven days. I said the letter had to say that the account had been closed. He said that he had put in the request for the account to be closed. I am now wondering why there is an "account specialist" if the specialist cannot close an account? Just wondering..... I am now starting to lose faith in Citibank's services on this issue.