Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Good Old Blackberry
The last thing I wanted was to be a part of the Blackberry family but the two phones I was scouting for were unavailable – either there was a waiting list or the phone was discontinued or would be. I ended up telling the representative that if he could give me a red phone, I would be happy with that. Low and behold, he hands me a red blackberry curve. Ugh! Boy, are they overrated.
What “they” didn’t tell you is that you have to add a blackberry service on your existing account so you can actually use the blackberry so I couldn’t just walk away with the package I currently held. I had to pay an extra $15.00/mth to be able to even use the phone.
Well, after sighing and thinking it through, I chose the social networking. At least I could vent to an unknown public about my phone choices, through Twitter or Facebook, even Yahoo messenger or Hotmail.
The saving grace was the choice of applications through the blackberry app world. With apps like facebook, myspace, twitter, linkedin, tumblr, wordpress, messenger yahoo and hotmail, I am able to communicate with people while I am on the go and now I write two blogs on a regular basis.
I didn’t know that I would be going down that road. To go and exchange my phone all because my family and friends started to text me more often so I needed to have a device that would accommodate me. At least I used my blackberry to my benefit!
Now I saw a purple blackberry that caught my eye. It’s my favorite colour but my contract isn’t up yet – oh the wait!!!
What “they” didn’t tell you is that you have to add a blackberry service on your existing account so you can actually use the blackberry so I couldn’t just walk away with the package I currently held. I had to pay an extra $15.00/mth to be able to even use the phone.
Well, after sighing and thinking it through, I chose the social networking. At least I could vent to an unknown public about my phone choices, through Twitter or Facebook, even Yahoo messenger or Hotmail.
The saving grace was the choice of applications through the blackberry app world. With apps like facebook, myspace, twitter, linkedin, tumblr, wordpress, messenger yahoo and hotmail, I am able to communicate with people while I am on the go and now I write two blogs on a regular basis.
I didn’t know that I would be going down that road. To go and exchange my phone all because my family and friends started to text me more often so I needed to have a device that would accommodate me. At least I used my blackberry to my benefit!
Now I saw a purple blackberry that caught my eye. It’s my favorite colour but my contract isn’t up yet – oh the wait!!!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Not An Easy Fix
It’s funny how people try to solve your problems for you by just stating the obvious and then - it’s done.
I complain about taking the bus, but the worst part is the waiting and not so much the traveling from destination to destination, which is bearable. I get answers like “you should get a car.” Problem solved so I should pay attention and listen.
I don’t know much about driving but for someone who takes the bus, its’ not so easy to just “get a car”. What “they” don’t tell you is the cost of the insurance, the cost of gas, the car payments and the maintenance of the vehicle. Then there’s possibly getting into an accident and truth be told, everyone I know has gotten into at least one accident and thank goodness it has not been life threatening.
My transit pass is $26.00 a week and it gets me unlimited travel for 7 days and most buses run until 1am and in the downtown core, the transit runs all night. Also, I get to submit my transit passes, collectively for the month, to my taxes at the end of the year and I am contributing to the survival of Mother Earth.
Sure, you’re limited to some areas and you have to travel with friends or family to get to the outskirts for camping or special events, but I cover the gas and I get to spend some quality time.
I would like to get a car at some point but I have to work out the finances and even then, I’m going to see if it is really worth it. We do have cabs for a reason, after all. I know that in some parts of the city, you don’t even need a car because everything is so close.
I complain about taking the bus, but the worst part is the waiting and not so much the traveling from destination to destination, which is bearable. I get answers like “you should get a car.” Problem solved so I should pay attention and listen.
I don’t know much about driving but for someone who takes the bus, its’ not so easy to just “get a car”. What “they” don’t tell you is the cost of the insurance, the cost of gas, the car payments and the maintenance of the vehicle. Then there’s possibly getting into an accident and truth be told, everyone I know has gotten into at least one accident and thank goodness it has not been life threatening.
My transit pass is $26.00 a week and it gets me unlimited travel for 7 days and most buses run until 1am and in the downtown core, the transit runs all night. Also, I get to submit my transit passes, collectively for the month, to my taxes at the end of the year and I am contributing to the survival of Mother Earth.
Sure, you’re limited to some areas and you have to travel with friends or family to get to the outskirts for camping or special events, but I cover the gas and I get to spend some quality time.
I would like to get a car at some point but I have to work out the finances and even then, I’m going to see if it is really worth it. We do have cabs for a reason, after all. I know that in some parts of the city, you don’t even need a car because everything is so close.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Double check when changing any account
Hello, folks.
Regrettably, you have to double check anything you do when it comes to changing services on an account with any business. Especially with a bank!
At the end of November, I changed my monthly banking fees through the CIBC so obviously at the end of December I called in to check my monthly transactions and found that I was overcharged.
I immediately got on the phone with a banking representative to get it checked. The worst part is that when I changed my service, since I had too many debit transactions and I was trying to cut costs, I was on the phone with this representative for 2o minutes so you would expect that the change would be correct.
When I found out that I was charged a different amount at the end of December, I almost freaked but I kept my calm. At least, if caught right away, the problem could be corrected within a few days at the latest.
The answer wasn't very promising as I was told that even if I go to my own bank machine, the CIBC, the transactions get counted with my monthly transactions.
Well, I was pissed. Not because the transactions counted but when I set up the account with the representative at the end of November, I specifically asked her if the transacations at my own branch count as a debit transaction. She told me specifically that only debit transactions from a store or from another bank, are counted as my monthly transactions.
So here I am, pulling out my blackberry every time I make a transaction to record them to ensure I do not go over 25 transactions. Then at the end of the month, I am proud to see that I only had 18 and then to be told that the CIBC bank transactions count!!!
It makes you want to keep your money in that good old mattress so you don't have to worry about bank charges, transaction amounts and a whole lot of hidden fees and charges that banks love to pile on top of customers who are trying to make a living.
Read through the fine print people and make sure you ask every question in the book because you will get slammed for it. Heck, even if you do ask the right questions, in a few days call who ever you set up or change your account with and make sure it was done properly. Luckily, I received a credit but rightly so. Misrepresentation is a bad thing and I wish I took down the representative's name because she is going around spilling the wrong information and I feel sorry for any customer that talks to her about his or her account.
Keep your eyes and ears open.
Regrettably, you have to double check anything you do when it comes to changing services on an account with any business. Especially with a bank!
At the end of November, I changed my monthly banking fees through the CIBC so obviously at the end of December I called in to check my monthly transactions and found that I was overcharged.
I immediately got on the phone with a banking representative to get it checked. The worst part is that when I changed my service, since I had too many debit transactions and I was trying to cut costs, I was on the phone with this representative for 2o minutes so you would expect that the change would be correct.
When I found out that I was charged a different amount at the end of December, I almost freaked but I kept my calm. At least, if caught right away, the problem could be corrected within a few days at the latest.
The answer wasn't very promising as I was told that even if I go to my own bank machine, the CIBC, the transactions get counted with my monthly transactions.
Well, I was pissed. Not because the transactions counted but when I set up the account with the representative at the end of November, I specifically asked her if the transacations at my own branch count as a debit transaction. She told me specifically that only debit transactions from a store or from another bank, are counted as my monthly transactions.
So here I am, pulling out my blackberry every time I make a transaction to record them to ensure I do not go over 25 transactions. Then at the end of the month, I am proud to see that I only had 18 and then to be told that the CIBC bank transactions count!!!
It makes you want to keep your money in that good old mattress so you don't have to worry about bank charges, transaction amounts and a whole lot of hidden fees and charges that banks love to pile on top of customers who are trying to make a living.
Read through the fine print people and make sure you ask every question in the book because you will get slammed for it. Heck, even if you do ask the right questions, in a few days call who ever you set up or change your account with and make sure it was done properly. Luckily, I received a credit but rightly so. Misrepresentation is a bad thing and I wish I took down the representative's name because she is going around spilling the wrong information and I feel sorry for any customer that talks to her about his or her account.
Keep your eyes and ears open.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Poem by JC
Concealed...In The Fine Print
Love is a masquerade
Possessive and consuming
Out of breath,
Out of mind,
Absorbed by passion
Intoxicated by lust
Thrilled by unification
Overwhelmed by perpetual bliss
....until it comes spiraling down
In a horrid, sickly descent
Unraveling and crumbling
Out of breath,
Out of mind,
Plunged into the abyss of broken hearts
Oblivious to its deconstruction
Unaware of the misdirection
Inflicted by incessant loss
....and then you grow stronger
Adorned with a cloak of apprehension
Cautious and vigilant
Out of breath,
Out of mind,
Wrought from understanding
Softened by time
Empowered with hope
To believe the next one will persevere
Love is a masquerade
Possessive and consuming
Out of breath,
Out of mind,
Absorbed by passion
Intoxicated by lust
Thrilled by unification
Overwhelmed by perpetual bliss
....until it comes spiraling down
In a horrid, sickly descent
Unraveling and crumbling
Out of breath,
Out of mind,
Plunged into the abyss of broken hearts
Oblivious to its deconstruction
Unaware of the misdirection
Inflicted by incessant loss
....and then you grow stronger
Adorned with a cloak of apprehension
Cautious and vigilant
Out of breath,
Out of mind,
Wrought from understanding
Softened by time
Empowered with hope
To believe the next one will persevere
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