Has the world gone completely mad? Part 4 – Why Is Gasoline so Cheap in Edmonton?

I can’t believe how many times I have heard on the news lately about how expensive gasoline is. I just don’t get it. I don’t believe I have ever seen gas as high as $1.12/L in Edmonton before but at the same time it has to be cheap because:

1. Hybrid vehicles are not the #1 selling vehicle
2. Mini-van and SUV sales continue to increase
3. City transit isn’t so overcrowded that passengers can’t get on.
4. People in my neighborhood that live a block away from the school drive to it for school meetings!

When the price of natural gas was the hot topic the government said, “Put on a sweater”.

In that spirit: if you don’t like the price of gasoline, get off your ass and walk

Has the world gone completely mad? Part 3 – Dear Canada Revenue Agency

Dear Canada Revenue Agency,

I would like to thank you for your letter dated February 20th. In this letter you corrected my misconception that as children age they become more expensive to raise. In fact you feel quite the opposite since you have decreased my child tax credit because Isabelle is now age seven.

I look forward to when Erika turns seven when I will undoubtedly see massive increases in my monthly disposable income. At this time, I will no longer have trouble paying for clothing, braces, and post secondary education when the time comes. Thank you for continuing to be an incredible source of wisdom to the Canadian public.

A Tax Payer until Death,

Mike Friesen

Has the world gone completely mad? Part 2 Ghostriding, could it go right?

It has been nearly two months since I have posted anything and I feel just horrible about that well, not really. I have been extremely busy the past couple of months at work and at home so blogging had to take the backburner.
Tonight was setting up to be like any other night, I was working away and watching the news. The difference tonight was a story on the news that made me stop what I was doing and write my second addition to “has the world gone completely mad?”
The topic that made me drop everything is Ghostriding. To sum it up this act involves the driver and/or passengers of any given vehicle accelerating while in gear, shifting to neutral, exiting while it is still rolling and dancing beside it or on the hood or roof.
As an example check this genius out
You might think I’m asking myself “has the world gone completely mad” but I’m not. What I am asking myself tonight is, “why to I have to share oxygen with people that think this is a good idea”?
It’s all fun and games until someone looses an eye right? Well someone already lost more than that this past August in Saskatoon.
Maybe I’m just getting old and I don’t get it. Someone explain it to me please

Has the world gone completely mad? Part 1 Beggars Can’t be Choosers

I have always wanted to write a series. I have thought about writing a series on NAnt but Jean-Paul Boodhoo beat me to it. I have tried to think of a technical series I could write about but it all has been done. It can’t be just any idea either. It has to be something that I feel passionately about. An idea that gets me fired up when I’m typing. An idea that will allow me to connect with my readers (*yes, all 3 of my readers*)
Mike over at sideline gave me an idea a few months back. During the conversation he asked, “Has the world gone completely mad?” I don’t remember the reason he asked the question but at the time I knew the answer was obvious.
It has taken me a while to get started but I intend to demonstrate over several posts that indeed the world is not what it once was. If it isn’t there already it has already gone completely mad!
Beggars Can’t be Choosers
I took the family to The Outback Steakhouse this evening. Sandy and I were talking and she says,
“By the way. I was suckered {by a legit charity} into donating $25 buck to something or other today.”
“Suckered? What happened?” I asked.
Sandy: Hello
Solicitor: Mrs. Frizen (that isn’t how you pronounce our name)
Sandy: Friesen� yes
Solicitor: Blah, Blah, Blah
Solicitor: and if you donate� blah, blah, blah,
Solicitor: and children will be singing in the streets� blah, blah, blah
Solicitor: blah, blah, blah, it could even repair the ozone layer blah, blah, blah
Solicitor: most people donate 20, 30, or 40 dollars. Are you able to help us out?
Sandy: �,�, Fine� I’ll donate 20 dollars
Solicitor: 20 dollars eh? Could you do 25 dollars? Only if you are comfortable with $25
Mike: WAIT! Are you telling me the guy from the charity was haggling with you over your donation?
Sandy: Yep
Mike: That’s nuts! The world HAS gone completely mad! When we get home I have to add this to my blog. That’s just stupid!
“BEGGERS CAN’T BE CHOOSERS!” Anyone remember that? The only thing that could have made this worse is the guy on the phone saying, “$20 dollars. You’re wasting my time and hanging up on Sandy”.
I will never buy a product or donate to a charity that phones me. We give to several charities a year. The charities that we normally give to are charities that don’t call us. In my opinion giving money to a solicitor is like responding to SPAM. Try to make our world a saner place don’t give money to solicitors!

Mike Friesen: The Official Developer of Christmas

I have proclaimed I am the official developer of Christmas. If you don’t like it, tough! Who are you going to complain too!

I’m sitting at the kitchen table drinking some coffee and installing
VS2005 and glance over the huge pile of flyers we received yesterday.
On the top of the pile there is a flyer from The Bay. In huge letters
it says:

The Bay. The Official Store of Christmas.

What is driving me nuts is how does a company get a title like this? Do
CEOs start praying nonstop in October until they receive a sign from
God their company has been chosen as the official store? Or is this a
back-alley deal worked out with Santa Clause where he gets 20% of all
sales?

Whatever the case may be you know it is going to be worth it. People
around the country will be flocking to The Bay to buy “official”
Christmas presents because if you don’t care enough to buy something
official what kind of message are you sending to your loved ones?

Buy declaring myself the official developer of Christmas I know the
work is going to be flowing in so fast I’ll be forced to quit my day
job and subcontract some of the work. If you are a software developer
in the Edmonton area and feel you are up to the challenge of being an
“official supplier” of Christmas please post your resume.

The next holiday I’m banking on to bring in some development work is
Groundhog Day. I’m going to start planning my trip to Punxsutawney
to work out the details with Phil now.