2007 May « Yukon Chatter Bug

Intellectual Property

May 19, 2007 at 7:29 pm (Poetry)

For years traditions have been blessed
With the oldest form of largesse
From a host a bequest
Rights and property to a guest

For West Coast Natives in B.C.
To sing and dance for company
One needs permission granted, you see
To perform someone else’s work for thee

Whenever I witness a First Nations dance
It is always mentioned, and not happenstance,
A thankful remark for having the chance
To perform another clan’s special dance

Copyright laws of this century
Spur lawsuits for people downloading free
We’d be rid of Mariahs, Justins, and Britneys
Oh the changes we’d see in that industry!

Only the Fitzgeralds, the Kings and the like
Those for whom music is not just a hype
Their bodies and souls require their type
To keep singing and playing, regardless of shite

Pick-Up Anti Tips

May 13, 2007 at 12:26 pm (Jumbled Jabbering)

What not to do if you’re trying to gain a woman’s interest:

Begin by telling her you heard that Whitehorse has a very high concentration of lesbians, and that she looks “okay.”
If she answers that it isn’t a question of being “okay” or not, make sure to tell her that she’s being too politically correct.
When trying to make conversation, begin each question with “You’re an intelligent woman.”
Reassure her that you’re not trying to pick her up, and then invite her to join you where “it’s a little quieter.” When she refuses, see if you can get her e-mail address.
When noticing her engagement ring, ask her if she’d be willing to let loose with you.
Tell her she’s pretty, but don’t forget to throw in a couple of comments about her weight; that should seal it for ya.
Tell her that being from out of the country (England) is like being a cab driver: people are more willing to tell you their inner most secrets as they’ll probably never see you again. Proceed to ask her what her secrets are.
Tell her she looks young enough to be your daughter.
When she tries to answer one of your questions, interrupt her to ask another question before she finishes with the first one.
Let her know you used to be a firefighter; that always works.
Throw in some very personal and deep questions about herself. When she hesitates to answer, let her know that she still has a ways to go in self-enlightenment.
Make sure that she feels like it’s an important interview.

I just had to share this experience. Yes, it is a true story and all of the above (and then some) came from one person. Is this guy for real? I mean, what planet does he live on?

7 Comments

Spring Cleaning

May 6, 2007 at 9:59 am (Jumbled Jabbering)

It’s spring cleaning time for my blog. So I’ve removed some links from the blogroll and re-arranged my categories. Now, if only I could find the time and energy to do the cupboards!

2 Comments

Air North Does It Again

May 4, 2007 at 7:45 am (Livin' North of 60°, Talk of the Town)

How I wish the world was filled with airline service that compares to that of Air North‘s. Whether you’re in the air, at the ticket counter, or on the telephone, the service provided by Air North is always outstanding. If you have a problem, a question, or a concern, it’s just a matter of picking up the phone and voilà! Whatever needs fixin’ gets fixed.

Before I go on, let me assure you that I have no affiliation with them or any of their employees.

Yesterday, I spent a good part of the afternoon trying to arrange travel to attend my brother’s wedding in northern Ontario. After trying to book the “other” airline’s portion of the flight online a couple of times and getting a message that, “Your request cannot be processed at this time. Please try again,” I decided to call their reservations centre. They would not (or in their words, could not) match the price I had on my screen, despite the fact that the online system wasn’t letting me book the darn thing. They even admitted that, yes, the online system at their end was down. The lower online price was due to my opting to travel without checked-in luggage.

While on the phone, their online system came up again, but of course, the price of the selected flights was now higher. I was in a catch-22 situation. If I booked through the web, I pay much more than my initial quote; if I stay on the phone and let them book it, they can’t give me the initial discount. Regardless of my choice, I was still paying more. GGggrrrr!!! In the end, I decided to book a different day altogether to avoid paying the higher cost.

Coming back to Air North’s service, according to the reservations page on their site, they will do their best to match other prices, and they came through for me. I could go on and on about many instances where they came through, but I think what sums it up is that they have common sense! The people who work there have common sense! How’s that for a first in customer service? If you have a request or a concern, ask yourself if it’s reasonable or if the issue is a matter of common sense. If the answer to either question is yes, then it’s a matter of making one phone call and, voilà, everything’s taken care of.

Please feel free to post your comments about your positive experiences with Air North, because as far as I’m concerned, they deserve it!

3 Comments

Plastic Garbage

May 1, 2007 at 9:12 am (Fight the Good Fight)

I recently came across a fellow blogger’s photograph of some of the garbage blown around near the Dawson City dump. This reminded me of articles I recently read in the Globe and Mail about a couple trying to go a month without producing any household trash; I was inspired. Of course I can’t claim to have come anywhere close to them, but their campaign made me more aware of just how much garbage we produce. Looking in my own trashcan, I realized that the largest portion of garbage turns out to be plastic: plastic wrap, plastic food containers/wrap (i.e. pasta), and the worst culprit, plastic shopping bags. Though I tried to re-use plastic shopping bags, they eventually tear and end up in the garbage. So I decided to buy canvas tote bags, as mentioned in a previous post.

These thoughts prompted a couple of questions:

Why is it that grocery stores aren’t getting on board with this? Any kind of reusable tote bags are so expensive in grocery stores, that who would want to buy them? If they can charge for plastic grocery bags at no profit to themselves, they should be able to do the same with canvas tote bags. Make it easier for consumers to go green, not harder! (The same applies to all retail stores.)

Everyone in Whitehorse knows, including store owners, that the city offers compost pick-up every two weeks. Why is it so difficult to find bio-degradable bags in local stores? I can see this being a problem in spring, when everybody’s cleaning their yards, but year-round? What local stores offer is inconsistent. And why on earth would I want to buy huge plastic orange and clear bags to pick up leaves and cuttings that are going to the compost? We need more bio-degradable bags!

2 Comments