Blog… Phlog… Phil’s Blog

May 4, 2008

LCBO Sucks

Filed under: General, Politics, Ontario, Government, Money — Phillip Blancher @ 4:49 am

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario Sucks! I tried to purchase a very specific brand and vintage of brandy for a friend. The LCBO said they don’t carry it anymore and could not order it for me. I found in New York State a liquor store that would get it for me, but only if I order a case. Asked the friend, they said go ahead so I did. On friday I hopped across the border to pick up the case and bring over. Like a good boy, I declared what I had when I was at Canada Customs, then the fun started.

The case cost $268.00US. After GST, PST, Duty and LCBO Markup, I was out an additional $343 on top of the 268 for the case. WTF!

Now I don’t mind (ok I do) the GST, PST and Duty but come on LCBO Markup? The LCBO Markup was 202 of the 343 I paid. For what? THe LCBO did not get the hooch for me. The LCBO did NOT order the product or help in getting. The LCBO did nothing to help other than the person on the phone suggest buying in NY State!

So for the LCBO’s efforts, they earn $202. No wonder the LCBO is raking in record profits!

March 28, 2008

The Anti-Earth Hour - A time to turn up the lights

Filed under: General — Phillip Blancher @ 2:56 pm

Yes I know, Earth Hour, the great environmentalist call to have everyone turn off their lights for one hour and go without power. Big Deal!

I see no point in this exercise. We live in a supply and demand economy and if I demand more power, then the power company should provide it. This is why I pay my hydro bill.

I feel that I done my part so far. I have mercury filled Compact-Florescent Lights in all of the lights that can use them; I’ve replaced my vacuum after being told you aren’t suppose to vacuum up broken CFL Bulbs. All of the thermostats in our house have been replaced, and I just put in a new “Green” Hot water heater.

We use timers on our lights, the kids don’t leave lights on when they are not in the room, all of our appliances are less than 3 years old and EnerGuide rated.

So far our savings from all of that… zero

We have not seen our hydro bill drop. We have not seen our water meter lower.

In fact we have lost money on this. I know we spent about $300 on new thermostats, $120 on new CFL bulbs, $150 on the vacuum, $300 for the new hot water tank. Add to that the cost of appliances and even with the “energy efficient” washer that uses less water and dryer that uses less electricity, my bills are the same number of Kilowatts as last year. My water is the same usage as last year. The fact that the electricity rate has gone up, and the water rate has gone up means we again, are not ahead but behind.

How many other people have gone out and purchased this stuff and realized the same thing?

Here’s what really cheeses me: We have the green nuts foo-fooing about Earth Hour but yet we have silence on using food stocks to make ethanol which is a zero gain energy. The emissions from making ethanol are the same as what is being saved by using it so it has the same carbon footprint, but is causing food prices to soar because it’s more profitable to the farmer to sell to ethanol plants. Nothing about that…

Nothing about the fact that many major cities in the US do not have recycling programs, but lets have everyone turn off their lights for an hour.

Nothing about the hypocritical Sierra Club types who slap a sticker on the back of their H3 saying they’re earth friendly.

My answer to all of this… I’m leaving my lights on.

During “Earth Hour” my response to the eco-nuts in my corner of the world will be having every light on; I’ll run the dishwasher, dryer, washer and oven. I’ll put every TV, computer, fan and toy. There will not be a plug that doesn’t have something in it and something turned on in this house.

I’ll still have to pay for it, but in this case I won’t mind a bit. I invite you to join me.

March 18, 2008

Wise old saying

Filed under: General — Phillip Blancher @ 8:28 pm

My father-in-law shared this recently and I think it makes perfect sense:

“If you are not a Liberal when you are in your twenties then you have no heart. If you are still a Liberal in your forties then you have no brain.”

Wise words…

February 26, 2008

Roll up the rim to loose again.

Filed under: General — Phillip Blancher @ 2:43 am

You win the chance to play again! Yup, it’s almost spring, the Fall Fashion ads are running at Walmart and Tim Horton’s is running “Roll up the rim to win” again. Looky looky, I am a winner already. I won the chance to pay $1.56 for my extra large triple-triple (high octane) coffee and lose again.

Tis’ the season.

February 17, 2008

Letter to America

Filed under: General — Phillip Blancher @ 3:12 am

This is funny. Very funny. John Cleese’s Letter to America

February 6, 2008

Songza - Very cool

Filed under: General — Phillip Blancher @ 3:38 pm

http://www.songza.com/ - A search tool that lets you find MP3’s, listen to them online and acts as a jukebox as well. You buy music through it and even watch videos.

Sounds unlikely so I tried a few searches.

Smashing Pumpkins brought up their usual fare from the albums (and the abomination that they put out called Zeitgeist). It also brought up some live stuff, rarities, concert items and such. Impressive.

Next I tried another one of my music selections from the 1990’s (Where I am firmly planted) Veruca Salt. 4 out of the 5 songs I clicked on were unable to load. The fifth was a crappy MP3 rip of Seether. So a fail there.

Lastly I tried searching for Greenwich Meantime, a local group who I know one of the guys in. Bingo, found their stuff. 5 out of 5 songs tried of theirs worked.

Overall this site is pretty good. Like anything else you will get some stuff that is hit and miss but on a whole it’s good to do some previews without having to have additional software or only half-song downloads.

I hate crappy tire

Filed under: General — Phillip Blancher @ 3:18 pm

I hate that store… I really do. I went in today to get a bag of salt for my driveway and they were sold out. Come on. Who here in the snowbelt actually gets sold out of salt. That’s like going to a Dunkin Donuts and them telling you that they are sold out of coffee.

I took my car there to get my snow tires put on and they screwed up putting one of them on and destroyed the bead on the tire so it wouldn’t seal to the rim. They blamed the dealer for the issue. Idiots. Wouldn’t do anything about it.

January 23, 2008

JFJ leaving the Leafs can’t be good for anyone…

Filed under: General — Phillip Blancher @ 10:14 pm

The Maple Leafs FINALLY fired John Ferguson Jr. yesterday; I am surprised he lasted as long as he did. This bodes well for Toronto but not for the rest of the 29 teams. With JFJ the anchor no longer holding them back we should see the Leafs get to the playoffs and possibly top of the division right…

I mean the worst thing to happen to the rest of the NHL is for Toronto to get organized and put together a game plan to succeed right…

I know the GM’s of teams like Ottawa, Detroit and Anahiem must just be quaking in their skates over the thought of Cliff Fletcher taking over. His organizational skills, his ability to make a good trade. I mean come on, Wendell Clark can still skate right? How about Doug Gilmour…

Yes all of the NHL is upset at JFJ being fired. After all, when Toronto is used as the butt of jokes, they’ll need to remember the new punchline, Cliff Fletcher.

December 2, 2007

How to take $250k and flush it away!

Filed under: General — Phillip Blancher @ 11:13 pm

Article from Saturday December 1, 2007 Brockville Recorder and Times

Colleges Ontario is spending $250,000 to find out why more kids aren’t going to college. $250,000 to find out why kids aren’t going to college! Nice waste of money. I cannot believe it would cost $250,000 to pick up a paper and read about the tuition hikes or go to a McDonalds and ask around to see why the kids working there didn’t go to college. Hell pay me $250,000 and I’ll go ask!

This is an absolute waste of the taxpayers money and could be spent elsewhere like taking the money and splitting it amongst 20 kids to pay their tuition for their 2-3 course. That wouldn’t be a waste and enrollment would be up by 20 kids.

Stupid is as Dalton does! Remember Ontario, you voted this guy in for four more years. You get the government you deserve!

November 29, 2007

Shopping for guys

Filed under: General — Phillip Blancher @ 2:57 pm

I hate shopping with my wife. For me shopping is a challenge to jump over everyone else, find exactly what I want as fast as possible and get the “eff” out. My wife likes to browse, compare, buy stuff at a store and when she finds it at another store cheaper take the first one back. Even if it’s only to save 50 cents, she’ll waste the time to go back and return it.

I am addicted to Stumble Upon, a service that lets people rank sites, submit sites and when you feel inspired to do so, click the “Stumble!” button and randomly go somewhere. I stumbled upon Barcle, http://www.barcle.com. First I thought it was kinda hokey. Bunch of banners, a search, blah blah. So I tried it out. Taking the UPC number from my son’s Thomas the Tank Engine book, I put it in and found out that the one I bought at Chapters Indigo was cheaper at eToys. Nice. I lost a buck twenty there. Next I tried the Shrek 3 DVD that we bought on Black Friday, nope, we got it cheaper at Wally-world than what Barcle came up with. But! I know I got a good price for it.

They have a mobile version so when I was at the store getting some groceries I punched in UPC’s all over the place. Food stuff they don’t have. Toys and Electronics they did. I didn’t buy much because where I was didn’t have a good price on what I was looking at. Money saved!

Check it out. www.barcle.com or mobile.barcle.com

Now if I can just get wife to use it…