Is the United States Postal Service just lazy?

2009 June 27
by Dan

When dropping off our daily mail run at a local Post Office, I was duly informed by the clerk that I had to change the window envelope style to a landscape stype with the window in the middle of the envelope. (Ours is portrait with the window near the top left of the envelope — pretty common.)

I asked her if this was something new that just started and if she had any flyers or literature that would address this issue. The conversation became quite interesting:

Clerk: “That requirement has been around for years, we use machines to read the address.”

Me: “So do you have any flyers that state that the way I’m doing it is wrong?”

Clerk: “No it’s just we prefer it the other way”

Me: “So you won’t accept my mail if it’s not dead center and landscape oriented?”

Clerk: “We just prefer it as it makes our job easier”

Me: “So what you are saying is since you don’t want to manually sort my mail I need to redo all my envelopes and receipts? If you give me something from the USPS that I have to change it I will but not for convenience sake that’s what I pay for.”

Clerk: “I don’t want to have this conversation anymore”

You can probably deduct my opinion, without me ranting.

Not Just One Life

2009 June 20
by Dan

While reading about the events going on Iran, I was disheartened at the potential for loss of life in the current atmosphere.

An event like this becomes so important in people’s minds to the point that we forget about those around the world fighting & dying for a myriad of causes. Loss of life continues to happen all around us and some of it you never hear about, or even worse grow numb to hearing about over and over again. (When’s the last time you noted the death toll from a suicide bombing in Iraq?)

I was reminded of the following song written by Michael Fogarty and Chris Jung, and sung by Marianna Buhring. No matter what circumstances a life that is snuffed out, is a loss for someone.

Not Just One Life

Song © 2009 Aurora Productions. Used by permission.

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Can Twitter Twerminology Twive You Twazy

2009 June 15
by Dan

Twitter is cool and it’s a great medium for networking and getting realtime news, but the terminology surrounding Twitter can sound a little interesting at times. My all time favourite is Twibes, when you say the word you sound like you just ate a peanut butter sandwich and are in grade school. Twhirl, an Adobe AIR app for tweeting is a pretty decent name. But then there’s the actual Twerminology that really gets good. Here are my favourites:

  • Twaffic – Twitter traffic
  • Twead – To read something on twitter
  • Twaunt
  • Twouche –Someone acting like a big fat jerk via twitter.

And my all time favourite: Twerping – My son coined this one while I was surfing on my phone, I’m sure it has something to do with twittering at the wrong time.

For a more exhaustive list, here’s a great blog post: The Twittonary.

Thai food

2009 June 13
by Dan

Went to a local Thai food restaurant with my wife today for lunch. I ordered Gang Keo Wan (Green Curry). I ordered it to be the spiciest they serve. I was a little disappointed when they brought my curry with dried red chilli flakes all over it. I would have expected a fresh green chilli to add extra spice.

On the other side of the spectrum, when I was in Seattle for SMX Advanced, I had some great curry at a small Thai restaurant called Buddha Bell – not far from Bell Harbor International Conference Center. Highly recommended.

Trying out Maemo WordPy

2009 June 10
by Dan

For posting on the go, at least till I can get my hands on a 3GS.