jeremyfoster.ca

So tonight I logged into facebook and realized there was a link at the very top of the page that read: “The New Facebook is Here – Try It Now.” After clicking on the link I realized that the new url shows that the Facebook Developers have been hard at work giving the Application a “face”-lift. I think it is fantastic! All of your main apps are grouped together and they have made the layout wider so that you don’t have to search for something (like your photo-album)…. Kudos to the design team and the dev team for taking the UI to a new level.

Last night I received a phone call from Telus trying to sell me on their home-phone, internet and new cable TV packages. After telling the sales agent that I am very happy not having a land-line and am very happy with the 400+ channel digital TV package I have with Shaw, he tried to sell me on their dedicated internet.

Now I have had the Shaw extreme internet package for over 2 years now and despite some service disruptions while I was living in Valley Ridge it has been very fast and reliable. I get around a 10Mbps download speed and am able to have multiple services running through my router at any given time without any hiccups at all.

Now this guy was telling me – and his tone, despite the fact that I’d told him I am a web developer and make my living by working online, was trying to educate me on the fact that Shaw was a “shared” connection and “did I notice that I would have a slower connection than usual?” So after telling him I have a constant speed of 10Mbps download time and never had a problem since moving to my current address – I started asking questions about their service.

First of all, he did not understand the concept of download and upload time. He did not know whether or not my wireless router (a top-of-the-line, 2 month old Netgear b/g) would work with the router they would supply. He could not tell me whether or not I’d be able to telnet, SSH, use SMTP or VPN through to my iMac with their service. I could go on with the plethora of questions I asked, but these are the basic ones I asked.

Basically all I’m asking is, can my PS3, Roku media player, wireless laptop and iMac talk to the network if I switch to your service? Will my tools work on a telus backbone? Based on the knowledge of this particular individual….absolutely not.

Sorry Telus. If he could have answered at least a few of those basic questions you might have landed another customer…

So after exactly 22 days I have caved and am back Tweeting on Twitter. This is mostly due to the vast improvement I’ve seen in the API going from a max of 30 requests an hour (and still crashing) to 90 per hour and holding. Congrats to the developers on this for fixing the issue and bringing back j3r3myjf to the twittersphere once again!

I don’t really understand how someone so open to talking about his innermost feelings could have so much hurt inside. I don’t know how someone who I spoke to and laughed with so many times – even two days ago – could be so sad.

Sean you were the kindest and sweetest person I have met and one of the most talented, sharp, witty and incredibly funny people I will ever know. I wish there’s something I could have done, or said, or listened to you vent about to help you. I wish that our conversation from Monday with the laughs could continue today.

I miss you now and I will always. Rest in peace my friend.

So in order to save money, I have brought my coffee-grinder and press from out of storage and placed them on my desk. I did a little math and realized that Starbucks was making far too much money off me going in each morning and getting my “quad-no-room-americano.” At $4.26 each per work day that’s $21.30 a week.

Instead I went to the Calgary Farmer’s Market and visited the Phil & Sebastian Coffee Company- a small importer shop that brings in free-trade-organic coffee from all over the world. I purchased some shade-grown organic coffee from Guatemala that is just heavenly!

A one-pound bag of beans will last me a month and at the cost of $16.00 for some of the best coffee I’ve ever had – forget Starbucks!

The Calgary Stampede is a gong show. For an entire week some businesses basically shut down to head out and treat their clients and staff to endless free breakfasts, corporate parties, company functions and even the rodeo. You might think from a business standpoint that this would be a terrific time for networking (shaking hands, trading business cards etc.) but it really depends…

Every party and corporate function I attended this year was all about the party and the liquor. Sure there were a few people standing around talking shop but most people were mainly trying to stay dry (Rare Method Event) or just getting liquored (every other event).

My point is – just get all cowboyed up, head out and enjoy yourself. I don’t have time to talk to you and see if your company or service matches up with my company and service and hey “we’ll do lunch…” Just get out there and giv’er!

OH…and another thing. Keep the business cards at home. I won’t remember your name 10 minutes later and definitely won’t remember it when at the end of stampede week I find your card in the back-pocket of my Wrangler’s whilst doing laundry and try to figure out who the hell you are!!!