So I spent a fair amount of time in a 2008 Pontiac G6 GXP this weekend (as a passenger), and I thought I might as well give a little passenger-view review of the car.
It is sporty-looking on the outside, a pretty handsome car.
Getting into the car will be tricky for tall people (not me) or people with wonky knees (me) because the car is very low to the ground. Once inside the car, there is plenty of legroom in the back seat, however anyone above 5'4" (such as myself) will have to watch their heads, the roof is very low. Inside the car looks and feels cheap, lots of hard plastic doesn't help this. It also feels like you're inside a bunker. The windows are tiny, and very high up on the car.
The V6 version of this car feels pretty snappy on the road. Plenty of power. It also seemed to get pretty good mileage both on the highway and in the city. However, the ride (to put it frankly) sucks. Every bump, crack, nook, and cranny in the road is amplified making the ride quite jarring. Also, it is hard for the passengers to find a good "rest my head somewhere to sleep" position.
Anyways, I should be able to get another video up tomorrow, and hopefully my schedule will normalize a little this week.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Jazz Fest!
Well, sorry again for the inconsistent video uploads the last two weeks, hopefully things will normalize soon.
Anyways, the Beaches International Jazz Festival in Toronto is running this weekend, and I recommend that anybody in Toronto head down tonight, tomorrow night, and during the day on Saturday and Sunday. It is always a good time, and a nice chance to wander around a pretty nice part of Toronto.
That's all for me this week, have a great weekend.
Anyways, the Beaches International Jazz Festival in Toronto is running this weekend, and I recommend that anybody in Toronto head down tonight, tomorrow night, and during the day on Saturday and Sunday. It is always a good time, and a nice chance to wander around a pretty nice part of Toronto.
That's all for me this week, have a great weekend.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Euphemisms
I got thinking about euphemisms today.
About when my friends and I were getting our first jobs, we were "employees". You had a pretty good idea where you stood in the grand scheme of things. They were the "employers" and you were the "employee". You did menial tasks, dealt with angry, unreasonable customers, and if the place was in financial trouble, you were at the top of the list of people who would get cut.
Now, a couple years ago, I noticed that I was no longer an "employee", I was "Staff". "Staff" makes you feel a little better about yourself. Emptying garbage cans suddenly feels more important, because you're not just employed there, you're a "staff member". Without you, the place wouldn't run as well, the mighty staff to the rescue.
So today, I'm at an Ikea. And I notice that the employees, who might actually be staff, are now "co-workers". Sort of lets the people at the bottom of the food chain delude themselves a little bit more. They don't just work for the managers, they work WITH them! And of course the company will take care of you, because you are a co-worker! Not just some measly staff member, or (god forbid) an employee. And of course if there's trouble at the company, the management will take pay cuts instead of firing you, because you're a co-worker. Sounds almost equal. Like maybe they'd take the bus to work, and help you move pallets of furniture.
News flash co-workers. It's the same as being called "comrade". It's just a little title to slow down the realization that you are just an employee number and a time-sheet.
About when my friends and I were getting our first jobs, we were "employees". You had a pretty good idea where you stood in the grand scheme of things. They were the "employers" and you were the "employee". You did menial tasks, dealt with angry, unreasonable customers, and if the place was in financial trouble, you were at the top of the list of people who would get cut.
Now, a couple years ago, I noticed that I was no longer an "employee", I was "Staff". "Staff" makes you feel a little better about yourself. Emptying garbage cans suddenly feels more important, because you're not just employed there, you're a "staff member". Without you, the place wouldn't run as well, the mighty staff to the rescue.
So today, I'm at an Ikea. And I notice that the employees, who might actually be staff, are now "co-workers". Sort of lets the people at the bottom of the food chain delude themselves a little bit more. They don't just work for the managers, they work WITH them! And of course the company will take care of you, because you are a co-worker! Not just some measly staff member, or (god forbid) an employee. And of course if there's trouble at the company, the management will take pay cuts instead of firing you, because you're a co-worker. Sounds almost equal. Like maybe they'd take the bus to work, and help you move pallets of furniture.
News flash co-workers. It's the same as being called "comrade". It's just a little title to slow down the realization that you are just an employee number and a time-sheet.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Viacom Exceeds All Known Measurements of Douchebaggery!
Well, Viacom has extended their streak of douchebaggery.
After having the courts hand them all of YouTube's user information, they have started sending out a host of copyright ownership claims to YouTube posters.
Sure, if it's theirs, fine. But they're sending these claims to independent producers with no affiliation to Viacom. They're sending them to people who produce THEIR OWN videos. Videos that Viacom has absolutely no ownership over.
The video that seems to be getting the most attention is a cute short by Joanna Davidovich. (you can watch the video here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=0F-WQ9ReFJY ) Viacom is claiming it owns the copyright to "some or all of the audio and visual content". The problem is that Joanna made the short herself, and she actually has it copyrighted. Every distribution of it has been non-exclusive.
This sort of thing had never even occurred to me. While I figured Viacom would be up to no good with all the information, I never thought they'd try to steal people's videos. I hope the judge that gave Viacom information they never should have had feels like a huge douche.
After having the courts hand them all of YouTube's user information, they have started sending out a host of copyright ownership claims to YouTube posters.
Sure, if it's theirs, fine. But they're sending these claims to independent producers with no affiliation to Viacom. They're sending them to people who produce THEIR OWN videos. Videos that Viacom has absolutely no ownership over.
The video that seems to be getting the most attention is a cute short by Joanna Davidovich. (you can watch the video here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=0F-WQ9ReFJY ) Viacom is claiming it owns the copyright to "some or all of the audio and visual content". The problem is that Joanna made the short herself, and she actually has it copyrighted. Every distribution of it has been non-exclusive.
This sort of thing had never even occurred to me. While I figured Viacom would be up to no good with all the information, I never thought they'd try to steal people's videos. I hope the judge that gave Viacom information they never should have had feels like a huge douche.
Monday, July 21, 2008
iPod Touch 2.0 Hands On!
I got a little hands-on time with the iPod Touch today, complete with the version 2.0 software.
My opinion?
Brilliant.
I had actually never used a Touch, or iPhone, before so it was completely new to me.
The interface is magnificent. Intuitive, good looking. If this thing was a woman, she'd be quite the catch.
It also seems to have some sort of GPS thingy, that also tracks traffic and such. It was neat. I liked the touch keyboard, it was much easier than I thought it would be, but I think that it can go either way. I can see why some people would hate the keyboard.
Being a university student, I get a free one of these when I buy a laptop, so when I pick up a MacBook later this summer, I'll certainly grab one of these too.
My opinion?
Brilliant.
I had actually never used a Touch, or iPhone, before so it was completely new to me.
The interface is magnificent. Intuitive, good looking. If this thing was a woman, she'd be quite the catch.
It also seems to have some sort of GPS thingy, that also tracks traffic and such. It was neat. I liked the touch keyboard, it was much easier than I thought it would be, but I think that it can go either way. I can see why some people would hate the keyboard.
Being a university student, I get a free one of these when I buy a laptop, so when I pick up a MacBook later this summer, I'll certainly grab one of these too.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Tardiness, Zimbabwe, Batman (Batman is FANTASTIC!)
First I want to apologize to everyone for only getting one video up this week. It was just one of those weeks where time just disappears. But something occurred to me this week at work. Almost nobody cares about being on time anymore. I work at a day camp, which starts at nine in the morning (not an unreasonable time in my books). I understand that sometimes it can be hard (especially with kids) to get somewhere on time, but TWICE this week I had kids show up incredibly late. I'm not talking half an hour or anything like that, I had two kids show up FOUR HOURS late. Now one had to go to the doctor or something, so his parents called and said he wouldn't be there; but the other one, the parents didn't call, or even apologize, they just showed up with him 4 hours late. You know what? In the days when I went to day camp if I showed up 4 hours late, they wouldn't take me. They'd say to come back tomorrow. Now, I don't think being late is the problem in itself, but it is a symptom of one. To put it bluntly, a lot of parents these days are more concerned with their own convenience than with having a well-adjusted child. What sort of message does it send the kid when their parents don't see anything wrong with showing up 4 hours late for an organized program? It tells the kid that there is nothing wrong with blowing off appointments and showing up whenever they want to. I think this is only going to get worse, and it is going to lead to a generation of (even more) self-centered, self-indulging whiny people.
Anyways, in things that actually matter, Zimbabwe has started printing 100 billion Zimbabwean dollar notes. And they'll barely cover the cost of a loaf of bread. Zimbabwe is (or has) fallen apart as a country.
Oh, by the way, The Dark Knight is fantastic. Christian Bale is gruff and kid of wooden, but Heath Ledger is absolutely brilliant as The Joker. He really takes over every scene he is in, and the character veritably oozes evil. Ledger is fluid, the way he moves, speaks, it is all perfect, absolutely the best incarnation of the joker yet. It is really a shame that such a great acting talent was lost so young. One issue I have with the movie is that some of the fight scenes do suffer from the "shakey-cam syndrome" that has become popular in many action movies these days (Batman Begins had a far worse case of this). In some of the fight scenes, it is hard to tell who is winning, or even who is fighting. I wish Hollywood would stop this practice. Now, other fight scenes in The Dark Knight are pretty good, moving towards a more Bourne-esque style of fight; brutal, quick and a very focused lethality, while still being interesting to watch. Personally I think that the fights in the Bourne movies are pretty much the pinnacle of modern movie fights, and I hope that the next Batman movie moves farther towards that style.
Anyways, in things that actually matter, Zimbabwe has started printing 100 billion Zimbabwean dollar notes. And they'll barely cover the cost of a loaf of bread. Zimbabwe is (or has) fallen apart as a country.
Oh, by the way, The Dark Knight is fantastic. Christian Bale is gruff and kid of wooden, but Heath Ledger is absolutely brilliant as The Joker. He really takes over every scene he is in, and the character veritably oozes evil. Ledger is fluid, the way he moves, speaks, it is all perfect, absolutely the best incarnation of the joker yet. It is really a shame that such a great acting talent was lost so young. One issue I have with the movie is that some of the fight scenes do suffer from the "shakey-cam syndrome" that has become popular in many action movies these days (Batman Begins had a far worse case of this). In some of the fight scenes, it is hard to tell who is winning, or even who is fighting. I wish Hollywood would stop this practice. Now, other fight scenes in The Dark Knight are pretty good, moving towards a more Bourne-esque style of fight; brutal, quick and a very focused lethality, while still being interesting to watch. Personally I think that the fights in the Bourne movies are pretty much the pinnacle of modern movie fights, and I hope that the next Batman movie moves farther towards that style.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Mario Kart Jihad!
Well, I've decided that Mario Kart for Wii is absolutely awesome, and a terrorist plot. It's designed to keep otherwise productive, vigilant people stuck in their basements, where they can't stop terrorists.
Anyways, I got to make fun of another viewer in my video today. I don't normally do that, as most of my viewers are pretty smart, but the brain of the people who comment on my F#CK Bell Canada video seems to have been replaced with one from some sort of rodent. Except rodents are good at mazes.
Also, I came across a charity called Remote Area Medical (or Medicine, I forget) and they do a lot of great work, both in developing countries and in the United States. Check them out at http://www.ramusa.org (not .com, that goes to some company) Take a look, and help them out a little if you can.
Anyways, I got to make fun of another viewer in my video today. I don't normally do that, as most of my viewers are pretty smart, but the brain of the people who comment on my F#CK Bell Canada video seems to have been replaced with one from some sort of rodent. Except rodents are good at mazes.
Also, I came across a charity called Remote Area Medical (or Medicine, I forget) and they do a lot of great work, both in developing countries and in the United States. Check them out at http://www.ramusa.org (not .com, that goes to some company) Take a look, and help them out a little if you can.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
