July 2009

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While seated on the subway...

Have you seen this?

Roll Over!

43 things

  • i wish i could do

July 09, 2009

I've caught something...

it's a viral YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo) that is 100% sad but true

"United Breaks Guitars" by Dave Carroll, a Halifax musician (http://www.davecarrollmusic.com/story/united-breaks-guitars).

It's amazing -- If I'm reading this correctly only he posted the video on July 6, 2009 -- that's THREE (3) days ago.

The stats on it are:

14 - Most Discussed (This Week) - Canada

 
Sites linking to it are (with the clicks associated):
28,593
26,707
18,945
18,801
11,474
 
out of curiousity I wondered what Ms. Irlweg was doing now that she was obviously fired from United...
I got 1270 hits for "ms. irlweg" + "united airlines" It looks like it's been translated into Russian and Danish, and it's only 10:30 A.M. EST ... GFF!
I saw it on Canada AM, Wolf Blizter reported it on CNN, it's posted on the US Aviation website, the travel section of the LA times, Airline Industry Today website, AND on the Fox TV stations websites...
Poor Ms. Irlweg will have to change her name I'm afraid, even moving won't solve her problem. I hope she wasn't at United long, long breaks in employment are tough to cover up in a resume.

"Dave Carroll, the songwriter whose bouncy tale of damaged six-string baggage has been lighting up YouTube and tweaking United Airlines for the last two days, is declaring victory. And astonishment.

He doesn’t want any money from United, the 41-year-old Nova Scotia singer-songwriter says, even though he wound up paying $1,200 to repair damages suffered by his guitar on a spring 2008 series of flights from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Omaha, Neb. And he’s still trying to fathom the web-media explosion that brought his case to the world’s attention.

“Any day you’re on Wolf Blitzer’s screen in ‘The Situation Room,’ it’s a big day,” said Carroll late Wednesday, winding down after a medley of interviews.

His transformation from disgruntled flier to fractured-baggage troubadour began in November. That’s when, after months of failed efforts to get help from United, Carroll had his “Michael Moore moment” and resolved to write not one but three complaint songs, make videos, then distribute them on the Web. About that time, Carroll says, he gave up on getting anything from the airline and focused on transforming the experience instead.

He uploaded the first song, “United Breaks Guitars,” near midnight on July 6, drawing about six hits in the first hour, “and I think five of them were mine.” Now, with the YouTube tally somewhere north of 150,000 views and his countrified, harmony-laden tune being touted all over, Carroll says, he’s beyond satisfied.

Dave Carroll, the songwriter whose bouncy tale of damaged six-string baggage has been lighting up YouTube and tweaking United Airlines for the last two days, is declaring victory. And astonishment.

He doesn’t want any money from United, the 41-year-old Nova Scotia singer-songwriter says, even though he wound up paying $1,200 to repair damages suffered by his guitar on a spring 2008 series of flights from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Omaha, Neb. And he’s still trying to fathom the web-media explosion that brought his case to the world’s attention.

“Any day you’re on Wolf Blitzer’s screen in ‘The Situation Room,’ it’s a big day,” said Carroll late Wednesday, winding down after a medley of interviews.

His transformation from disgruntled flier to fractured-baggage troubadour began in November. That’s when, after months of failed efforts to get help from United, Carroll had his “Michael Moore moment” and resolved to write not one but three complaint songs, make videos, then distribute them on the Web. About that time, Carroll says, he gave up on getting anything from the airline and focused on transforming the experience instead.

He uploaded the first song, “United Breaks Guitars,” near midnight on July 6, drawing about six hits in the first hour, “and I think five of them were mine.” Now, with the YouTube tally somewhere north of 150,000 views and his countrified, harmony-laden tune being touted all over, Carroll says, he’s beyond satisfied."

He hasn’t written the third part of the United trilogy yet, “but the way things are going, it could be a love song.”

As for the people at United, spokeswoman Robin Urbanski declared Tuesday that “this has struck a chord with us.” On Wednesday, she added that “his video is excellent, and we plan to use it internally as a unique learning and training opportunity to ensure that all our customers receive better service…. This should have been fixed much sooner.”

— Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times

Dave himself has said:

"United has demonstrated they know how to keep their airline in the forefront of their customer’s minds and I wanted this project to expand upon that satirically. I’ve been done “being angry” for quite some time and, if anything, I should thank United. They’ve given me a creative outlet that has brought people together from around the world. We had a pile of laughs making the recording and the video while the images are spinning on how to make “United: Song 2” even better than the first. So, thanks United! If my guitar had to be smashed due to extreme negligence I’m glad it was you that did it. Now sit back and enjoy the show."

I will Dave, trust me I will, and btw -- DARN YOU! that chorus is catchy, like an earworm. I'm finding myself singing "United breaks guitars". I hope United isn't planning on infringing on any copyright issues by using your video as training material. Anyone holding United stocks right now would be well advised to sell them -- unless of course they do something absolutely heart-warming in response. But that may be as unlikely as Dave flying United ever again.

 

January 13, 2009

is it just me?

I'm asking because sometimes things that seem pretty obvious to most sort of slide by me without my noticing. This leads to great embarrassment and feelings of inadequacy at times, prompting me to always carry a paper bag and make sure it is easily accessible. Not to be sick in, but to put over my head for those groaning moments. Ok, so maybe I exaggerate, but only about the bag.

So I'm asking... Is it really stupid that the Memorex SimpleSave Photo & Video Back-Up Disc that I am currently holding in my hand, anxiously awaiting to use, has a label that is somewhat preventing me from opening the case that reads: "Important: By breaking this seal and using this product you accept the enclosed End User License Agreement. See details inside."

Can you see my conundrum? What if I open the case and I don't accept the End User License Agreement? Haven't I just accepted the agreement by breaking the seal? If I were an obsessive person -- and just because most items in my home still have the "illegal to remove" tags still on them doesn't mean that I am -- I could be paralyzed all day by this label!

So for now, I am going to be compulsive and take a chance, assuming that the agreement doesn't lay claim on any vital internal organs, large amounts of money, or favourite relatives. Perhaps I will just peel the label off and not actually break it, just in case ;)

January 05, 2009

happy new year -- welcome 2009

here's my horriblescopes for Sunday and today...

Some people function quite happily surrounded with chaos. Others need to have everything in perfect order. You are being blown about like a leaf in a tornado. Take heart: the cosmic signposts are leading you to more settled times.

Most of us understand that some things in life have to change at different times and under different circumstances. This should not worry you as long as you accept, understand and adapt to a natural re-adjustment that is occurring.

so that pretty much fits in with my new year's resolution.

The first resolution always has to do with getting or staying organized. It's like a standing resolution that's applicable almost any day of the year. So much so that I've started placing timelines on it -- like get organized by -- or stay organized for -- months. It used to bother me, but not so much anymore. Some people do the same thing with smoking. Oprah does it with dieting. I figure falling off a wagon isn't bad, as long as you get back on (that's my story and I'm sticking to it! ;)

Hopefully I will have more time to blog this year -- especially since I will be more organized ;)

that's it for now though

happy new (organized) year!

April 02, 2008

Earth Hour - bah humbug

I’m only going to say this once…

I’m NOT against Earth Hour, in fact I enjoyed a lovely candlelit dinner (though I was somewhat disappointed that it wasn’t dark enough to see the stars) and as a marketing tool to increase awareness I think it was very successful. What does irritate me is this: isn’t it a tad hypocritical – kinda like a vegan wearing leather clothing?

I’m checking out the blog (http://www.earthhour.org/for Toronto events and found info like this:

“And to celebrate the new hue of dark, Canadian Nelly Furtado lead her compatriots in the Earth Hour party at Nathan Phillips Square – and all by candle light. On March 29, 2008 Canadians stood proud for their hard work in taking a stand against climate change.”

Wow… that’s great isn’t it? I suppose hamsters were running the sound equipment?

“Blogging LIVE from Earth Hour in Canada!

Kewl… windmill powered wi-fi because it’s might be too dark for solar. And who cares that you had to charge your batteries before you could use them to do that blogging, not to mention kudos to all the people who walked to the downtown event so they didn’t increase their “carbon footprint” by unnecessarily driving or taking transit.

And speaking of carbon footprints, how much of a footprint did the Earth hour t-shirts leave?

Let’s be serious, the time to celebrate saving the planet is AFTER we’ve saved it, and the real test is if people are willing to do it WITHOUT all the hype, in the summer, in the dark, without air conditioning, after we’ve sweated our proverbials off during the 1 hour subway ride home on a Friday night.

Anyone for a veggie burger?

March 05, 2008

Bra Vo Paula

Technically, two words, but it’s doubtful that those were the two words that Paula Abdul meant last night when she was fawning over the performances of “the guys” on American Idol.

Of course, if your entire vocabulary consists of one-syllable words, you would be hard pressed to come up with anything to explain how she obviously felt about last night’s performances. Let’s face it – nice, good, cool, and neat -- fall a bit short for the Praises of Paula (not to be confused with the Perils of Pauline, but sometimes I wonder). Even 'real good' appears to have escaped her last night. Unfortunately it didn’t leave her speechless though.

Simon, on the other hand, was, and that was precisely how I realized that I hadn’t misheard what I thought I had misheard.

What I thought I heard was Ryan asking Paula to sum up the evening in one word, to which she replied (I think) “two words – Bra Vo”. Sometimes the show is painful to watch, like an episode of Jerry Springer where people are deriving pleasure from the pain and/or stupidity of other people.

Btw… bra is… well, you know.what a bra is. Vo is short for verso, referring the left-hand page of an open book or the back of a coin. And while interesting one syllable words are bountiful in the English language, I still think Paula would be the last one picked for a party game of charades --  “two words, first word sounds like….”