Ideeahs

I went over to my wife's uncle's house yesterday to watch the men's gold medal hockey match-up between the US and Canada. It was a perfect end to a great couple of weeks. Those seventy or so minutes of hockey had all the ups and downs that many athletes, of all the winter sports, had lived through in their respective events. Joy. Disappointment. Sudden changes in momentum. Surprises. It was a picture perfect, down to the last minute, event. The equivalent of a win in speed skating by a few hundredths of a second. Both teams showed up and I was overjoyed the Canada won the game. Canada capped these two weeks with an amazing medal collection and the most golds ever collected by any nation at a winter Olympiad. The Canadians showed up, Team Canada showed up and we were proud from coast to coast to coast. But then some decided not to show up. And I was disappointed by that. Although I really enjoy watching the professionals play in the Olympics I have always had a p...

Almost every day I am kindly reminded by Bell Canada that telecom companies are terrible at communications. Examples: For the last little while I have been receiving at least two letters a week from Bell. They all come from the same VP and are all trying to upsell me new services or, worse, sell me services to which I already subscribe. I was told that I would have two months of free movie channels when I subscribed. Instead I was charged $13 a month for a movie package I never asked for. I asked, three months ago, to have my paper bill cancelled. I get the online version but still get the paper version. The fact that my internet and telephone service monthly rates both increased a month after I subscribed. Then there is the example I mentioned two weeks ago in this entry. When I lived in Vancouver and had to deal with Telus it was not any better. I wonder, what is it that makes telecommunication companies so terrible at communications? I have some ideas. Their business has grow...

A mild winter evening in Montreal. It is still hovering around zero and a very fine, wet, snow is gently falling from the sky. The clouds are low and reflect the glowing street lights. In its forefront the trees are silhouetted. At my feet the street is wet and slushy. There are no cars rolling are people walking. If not for the distant hum of cars on the autoroute and my own two fleet squishing the slush it would be silent. Once home I open the door and make my way to bed quietly trying to avoid waking my wife and children. I am making my way home after having a couple of pints at a local bar with a new friend. Russia was crushed by Canada in the quarter finals of the Olympics and Canada won gold and silver in the women's two-person bobsleigh. Good conversation about life, work, family and sport. On the walk home I am feeling like I am twenty-five years younger, in high school again, walking home, late in the evening on a winter's day, a couple of pints in me after a ...

When I worked at IBM in technical support we used to wonder why HP was always ahead of us in customer satisfaction. One day we were told that HP had a different way of setting their customers' expectation when it came to estimating the when a problem would be resolved. We used to tell our customers the truth based on historical data. I don't remember the exact numbers but let's say that we would tell our customer that we would have their problem solved within 48 hours. Since this was the average, on each individual service call, the chances were just as good that we would not make the estimate. The result was that customer expectations were often not met on that particular metric. HP compiled the same data we did, and for argument sake let's assume their historical data also showed that they normally took 48 hours to solve a problem. The difference was that they would tell their customer that it would take 72 hours. The result is that their customers' expecta...

When I was in university majoring in economics I learnt about free goods. These were considered goods that were so abundant that their price was zero. Examples of these goods were considered to be water and air. Fast forward two decades and it seems that, while the concept of a free good still stands, the two examples of air and water no longer do. The downside with free goods is that human nature tends to abuse and waste goods that are considered free. The water tap would be left on and, since the cost of those additional litres of water was considered to be zero, there was little reason to worry about efficiency in water usage. Today many homes still waste thousands of litres of water a month in swimming pools, long showers and green lawns. If people paid $1 a litre you wouldn't see nearly so much waste. So why am I on about this? Over the last week I have been noticing the frivolous news stories that are filed by news media. There seem to be more stories about Olympic a...

It has been a little over one month since the devastating Haitian earthquake on January 12. If you had just come back from some five week trip on a deserted island without any form of communication (does that place still exist?) you might never know there had been a quarter million deaths in a natural disaster in Haiti a short thirty-eight days ago. The headline writers have all but forgotten the event. The more profitable story lines are still around though - fighting the Taliban in the -stans; North Korea, Iran and their nuclear programs; the ups and downs of stock exchanges and currencies. The only Haitian related story that seems to pop up every so often is the one about those damned US missionaries who attempted to fly out some children without the proper paper work. Our fast-paced society, bombarded with "news", seems to quickly forget certain world events and chooses to remember others. This highlights the need for each of us to foster our curiosity. We should not...

A few posts back I complained about Bell Canada and their disorganization around the five free high-def Olympic channels they were making available to their TV subscribers. The good news is that I was able to subscribe to the five and I have enjoyed watching them. Every second of the Olympics (if not, very, very close to every second) is available, live, in amazing high definition. Bell is taking the feeds from the various media consortium cameras that are spread out at all the venues. The experience reminds me of why I prefer reading a book to watching a movie based on a book. When reading I enjoy dressing the characters in clothes I have made up. I imagine the rain coming down, the action, the fight, the love, the argument, the dinner. They are personal and that much more real to who I am at that moment. I don't need to adapt to someone's interpretation of the words and scene. They are mine...and only mine. It seems to exercise my brain a bit more as I am part of the...

TED is a great website. A place that allows some amazing people to take a few minutes to inspire. Every year three one-hundred-thousand dollar prizes are handed out to help them achieve their one wish to change the world. One of the recipients this year is Jamie Oliver. A chef from England. I first heard of him a few years ago when I stumbled upon one of his cookbooks. He is now well known as a chef but more importantly as an influencer. His wish is to empower people to eliminate obesity. This is a condition that is killing more people in the United States and the United Kingdom (and likely most rich countries) than any other condition or crime. He argues that what is happening is in fact criminal. He has made a difference in schools and communities across the UK and is starting to instill change in North America. But he can't do it alone. Listen....your children are the first generation in a long, long time (ever?) that have a good chance of having a shorter lifespan tha...

I Believe is a song that has grown on me. I think that 16 year-old Nikki Yanofsky has a great voice. The lyrics and their message of togetherness, of coming together are appropriate to the Olympic movement and speak to how the world's citizens should behave on all issues. The clincher for me, though, is hearing the song when married to the amazing scenery and natural beauty of Canada and to the efforts of the athletes representing Canada at the Games. Those CTV Olympic adverts strike an emotional and proud chord with a twang of nationalism. It all makes me very proud to be Canadian and also eggs me on to be a loud supporter of our team and country. I have often thought that Canadians do not wave their flag around enough. While we are proud we tend to downplay our successes and maybe focus a bit too much on our shortcomings. We should be more like the Americans I have thought many times. Red white and blue, stars and stripes and the anthem. Gosh, the way they poor their heart...

I happened to turn on the TV today just as they were presenting the flower bouquets to Sven Kramer, Seung-Hoon Lee and Ivan Skobrev for the Men's 5000m Speed Skating. It left a bad taste. The medal ceremonies have always been one of my favourite moments of the Olympics. The joy of the athlete, the tears of joy, the emotions of the fans watching at the venue, the national anthem, the millions watching on TV in their home country likely all choked up as well. What makes them particular poignant is that they come shortly after the events. The athletes and the crowds still have the adrenaline flowing through their veins. The memories are fresh. The closeness of the finish, the slight tug or push from your fellow athletes, the pain in your thighs, the nerves. For the crowd this also holds true - the emotion and energy of cheering on with your thousands of fellow fans at the venue, or your buddies in front of a television. The ceremony. The anthem, the quiet, the emotion, the tea...

Having been a hiring manager for eight years I know the difficulties. There are many unknowns. I mean how well can you get to know someone over two or three interviews, background checks and reference checks? Obviously the references are stacked in the candidate's favour. Obviously the candidate is on their best behaviour (generally!). So how does one decide? Ultimately, for me, it was a gut feeling. Most times I was right but I did make mistakes. One of the challenges is filtering candidates. I could not, for example, possibly interview all eight hundred candidates I received for the ten new grad positions I had to fill. So I needed easy filters. A grade point below a B and you were out. No summer or co-op work terms and you were out. Any spelling mistakes? Yes? Out! A CV that is not well organised (this is subjective)....out! And so on. So I ended up with a stack of CVs of interview worthy candidates. Fifty were interviewed and ten were hired. Yep, it is a toug...

I spent eighteen minutes, Wednesday, February 10, on the phone with a nice woman sitting in Kitchener, Ontario at a Bell Canada call centre. I wanted to order the five free Bell TV HD Olympic Channels that are being advertised quite extensively on the bell.ca website. Enjoy all the great action on HD - free! But you need to call to order the channels. So I did. February 10 was the first day you could call to order the channels which start airing on the 12th, the first day of the 2010 Games. So I called. I tried to use the IVR and the telephone keypad...to no avail as there was no event code that I could enter. So the system transferred me to an attendant. "We are experiencing higher than normal call volumes today" (isn't that always the case?). After some nice pleasantries regarding weather.... -Can you please give me the event code? -There is no code sorry. Just the channel number. -What is that start time of the event? -There is no time. It just says February...

I hope this is not going to be a trilogy. Part 1 I wrote about back in September 2008. And now Sarah is at it again. I am sure you have seen it already but here it is again - the best comedy doesn't get boring after multiple views. It is worrisome that Sarah is unable to remember that energy, tax (or was that budget?) cuts and lifting American spirits are important topics in politics. She has a lot of hard work in the few years she has left before needing to declare herself officially as a candidate for the 2012 presidential race. I am imagining a dolled-up sixteen year old Sarah Palin writing a high school exam and being caught by the invigilator, eyes rolling at her inability to find a way to mask her cheating. "No sir! I wasn't. Swear to God (sorry my Lord). Gosh darn. Aww." I find it hard to accept, though sadly easy to understand, how so many find Palin to be a legitimate presidential candidate. Let me know what you think about what you have just read. P...

I enjoy food shopping. This is all thanks to my mum and grandmother. A childhood memory of mine is walking to the corner Richelieu supermarket with my grandmother. I remember my mum showing me how to cook when I was ten or so. Later, in Grade 7 or 8 she decided that we should take turns cooking dinner. It did not last long (hey I was a teen!) but I remember it....and it must have made a lasting impression. When I struck out on my own I knew how to cook and did not have to rely on take-away or processed, ready-made meals. I especially like food shopping at places like Granville Island or Capers/Whole Foods and Stong's Markets (all in Vancouver) - on weekdays. Ideas flow, I want to cook up a storm. Fresh fruits, veggies, seafood, breads, cheeses, sausages, meats, fish, wines, stocks. Amazing places really that open up the mind to the variety of life, to food, tastes and culture. Weekends are less enjoyable as that is when the crowds (and men!) show up. There are too many p...

Ya, ya. Live the present moment. The moment - whatever you are doing and focusing on at this moment in time. If you are reading a novel enjoy it and focus on it. Don't get distracted by some work related issue or the TV schedule or... Ya, ya. Don't sweat the small stuff. If you wake up and there are no more eggs in the fridge and your plans for pancakes are ruined, who cares? Really. If you are sweating in anticipation of some upcoming event. Don't. It may never happen. You never know what will happen in the next second. So live this moment to the fullest and make it the biggest and most important time of your life. So they say. All easier said than done, I know. I know. Mobile rings. It is 5:24 PM eastern time. That means 11:24 PM in Europe. Someone who has had a tremendous, positive and lasting impact on my life has had a massive heart attack and is in hospital. My gosh. 5:23 PM all was fine. The onions were slow cooking and sweetening in some olive oil ...

The Frontline doc that I mentioned in yesterday's entry has generated many ideeahs for me. Here is another one that is, again, related to the U.S. Army. Armies in rich, first-world, industrialised countries are having a hard time attracting new recruits. With so many options for earning income, with so many safe jobs around, why would one opt for the army these days? The chances of being deployed in dangerous zones has increased since September 11, 2001. Why would more people opt to serve? As a business this is a problem. If nobody wants to work for you there is a fundamental problem. So either you need to replace people with automation, make the working conditions more attractive or, if all other things remain the same, find an innovative way to attract new talent. The army seems to be doing a bit of all of this. Automation - more remote work, more robots, more unmanned vehicles means less humans are required. In turn this makes the working environment more attractive a...

"Daddy? How was your day at work?" "Productive! This morning I flew over Afghanistan and killed a few suspected terrorists in this tiny village in the southwest of the country and then, in the afternoon, flew over Iraq and took some surveillance video of a suspected resistance hang out. Oh ya, I almost forgot! I had lunch with your soccer coach at that little restaurant at the corner of Main Street and Jackson Avenue. You know the one I mean? She says you are doing amazing this year! Hey, want to watch American Idol with me tonight, after you have done your homework?" Last night I watched a thought provoking documentary on PBS's Frontline - " Digital Nation ". It has sparked many ideeahs for me. This is the first. Can you imagine having to give the answer above to the oft asked question during your family dinner? (assuming you still all eat together) Well this is the reality for some families living in the United States. I knew that the army...

A few days back my family and I spent a chunk of the afternoon in one of Montreal's Nature Parks - the Bois-de-Liesse. We went specifically for a guided nature walk that began at 1:30 pm. It interesting how much can be missed walking through nature when one does not know what to look for. I can tell you that even though I thoroughly enjoy walks in the forest I tend to be lost in my world, taking the magical peace in, rather than noticing the natural world around me. The guide, from the organization called GUEPE which puts these events on, was fantastic and showed us many of the treasures of the forest....if only you know where to look. He showed us bulb-like growths, half-way up twigs or small branches, where certain fly larvae can grow in peace......so long as tiny woodpeckers don't pick them open and have them as a protein filled snack. Mushrooms that cruise the veins of trees and cause their hosts to build up some ugly growths along the superior branches. He identified ...

Is it really important to communicate? A simple example yesterday. I was having dinner with a gang of friends and came away richer... 1) I was told that Sigur Rós is an Icelandic band that is worth listening to and that I should buy the album entitled Takk... I did, this morning, and think it is great music. 2) Was given the name of someone to contact regarding possible employment. 3) I have an opportunity to go to Iceland in August. 4) I let two more people know that I would love to make a living writing. 5) I met someone - one less stranger. Tonight, when you go to bed think about who you spoke to in the last twenty-four hours. What golden nuggets have you enriched your body of knowledge with in the last day? All nuggets count. Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!

Ideeahs is taking the next step. Now on Twitter and on Facebook. Let's see what crazy phenomena occur as a result of this. Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!