Category: Family

Well, I paid my 7.50 $CAN to get connected to the net at the local Starbucks. The good news is that it worked, it was relatively easy, and I can post to the blog. The bad news is that 7.50 for 1 hour of connection time is bloody highway robbery. I know I could have paid just less than double that for a whole day’s use, but I’m only here ’till Deb and Dennis get out of church, so…

Here’s the thing though: The service routes through a standard wireless connection. We all know what the limits are on that technology: the bottom line is that the total bandwidth that I can push through this is exactly the same as I can do at home. And in case you’re saying, “But there could be more people there”, no, we all share the bandwidth. More people just means slower transfers for me.

So the real question is, why am I being charged so much for this? Like everything else in our society, the answer is, because they can (currently) get away with it. The incremental cost to get their service set up at this Starbucks was almost certainly less than $500 over what it cost to do it at home. But for some reason, they think it makes sense to charge me, what, 5 orders of magnitude more or so. It’s insane. Bell, in case you’re listening, I would have happily payed $7.50 for a month of connection time.

It’s exactly the same problem that we currently have with data plans on cell phones.

I can tell you though, the first coffee shop that comes up with a fixed monthly usage rate, will get all my business. Think about it guys.

I just sent the following note to CBC Radio (on their website):

I have been a loyal CBC Radio 1 listener for years. Like countless other listeners, I have been patiently waiting for the labour dispute to end, but thanks to Apple Computer, I have realized I no longer need you: The wealth of Podcasts that are available via iTunes now *perfectly* fill my need for intelligent talk radio when I commute.

Good luck getting back on the air. I won’t be around when you do.

The thing is, it’s true: I can get current information on the subjects I care about, and never miss a show (or have to stop listening part way through one), in the same “talk radio” format I used to get from CBC. What shows do you listen to?

Below find the posting I made to the Oie Jedoonee mailing list…

Effective immediately, I am canceling my WoW account.

I have had fun playing WoW, and I still enjoy hanging out with you guys on Sunday nights, but lately I feel like we have lost focus. I honestly believe that the game mechanics are most of the problem here: I hate the group size limit. I think it’s too easy to solo (or pickup group) your way through the game. I find too many of the quests at our level are common between alliance and horde (and so I’ve done them with Bais)…

I also think that the thing which I thought would help us — playing Alliance during the week and Horde on the weekend — has actually hurt instead: I just don’t have any emotional attachment to my horde character. Every Sunday night I think “Too bad I can’t play Bais instead.”

Basically though it’s just that I’ve seen enough of WoW to realize that I know the mechanics. Did I do a large scale raid? No, but I know that it will just be more of the same, except for having more rigid constraints on your roles and less margin for error. Honestly, I’m not in it for that. I have seen almost every zone (gotta love rogues), and I’ve played both sides far enough to know most of the quests. That’s enough for me.

I also have a number of other constraints on my time:
– It’s orchestra season again. I completely failed to practice over the summer, and am struggling with the music. I *need* to make cello a priority again.
– I’m starting a new project at home: I’m going to work with my dad to do a genealogy of our family.
– Dennis is back in school, and I suspect that I am going to have to spend even more time working with him on his homework this year.

And lastly, I took a look at our finances after putting in new carpets and new living room furniture and going on vacation, and it became clear that we need to spend less. Given the other arguments above, this seemed like an obvious way to save some money.

As usual, I’m sure I will get involved with “the next big thing” when it comes along, but for now, I’m done.

Thanks for all the awesome times,
McQ.

FAQ #1: Can I have your stuff?
A: No. Canceling the account means I won’t be playing for a while. Giving up my stuff means that I would *never* play again.