Happy anniversary
It's not quite the right day (February 26, 2002 is the exact date), but in case I forget, it has been four years since I started this blog.
As I read some of the older posts, I can see a transition in my life, my attitudes towards people and things, and my relationships with various people maturing. That's a good thing, since I was even more selfish and unreasonable then than I am now. But at least I'm working on it.
I wish the good days would come back to my memory as easily as the bad, but I guess that's the nature of things. The blog has witnessed the loss of two jobs, the birth of two grandchildren, the death of my father, and most recently, the launch of a new career. There's lots to read in those archives, and I'll have to take some time to go over them more carefully.
I had never kept a diary in my life before starting this blog, so it's kind of neat that I've kept it up for this long. There have been times when I've gone quite a while between posts, but there hasn't been a time when I seriously considered stopping. Well, that's enough tripping down memory lane. We now return you to the present.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Doh!
So, I ordered business cards back on February 3rd. The company told me the design and printing would take a week, and that would be followed by the United States Postal Service getting their mitts on it, with a promise to have it delivered within 42 BUSINESS DAYS. That's 8-1/2 WEEKS for shipping. I asked the printer what their actual experiences have been, and they were non-commital. That's fair, seeing as they're not the ones doing the shipping.
Anyway, the printing price was so awesomely low, I went for the deal. Sure enough, on February 10th, I received an email from the printers telling me that the cards had been printed and delivered to the USPS on February 9th. I began to wait. Meanwhile, I'm trying to promote my business, and with no business cards, it's really hard to meet people and make a good first impression. So last Friday, I decided to look locally for deals on temporary cards... just a low-volume run that would tide me over for the next 7+ weeks. I decided to take a "proof" picture that I had received from the original printer, and use that to create some cards locally. I had no idea how good this screen-captured image would be, but decided I simply couldn't wait.
Low volume business card printing (two sided, full colour) doesn't come cheap. It was going to cost me as much to print 100 cards locally, as it cost to print 1000 over the net. I placed the order, put down a 50% deposit, and took the plunge. On Monday, the local printer called to have me come in and look over the proof. IT WAS MAGNIFICENT! The colour flew off the page, and it was 100 times better than I expected it would be. I was told the cards would be ready Wednesday.
So, this morning at 10:30AM, the Canada Post truck pulls up, and I take delivery of my 1000 cards from the U.S. These cards look as good or BETTER than the proof I viewed yesterday. Right now, I just feel like Homer Simpson... with 1100 perfect business cards. Here, I've purposely corrupted the image and resaved at quite low resolution - but trust me, the real cards look great!
So, I ordered business cards back on February 3rd. The company told me the design and printing would take a week, and that would be followed by the United States Postal Service getting their mitts on it, with a promise to have it delivered within 42 BUSINESS DAYS. That's 8-1/2 WEEKS for shipping. I asked the printer what their actual experiences have been, and they were non-commital. That's fair, seeing as they're not the ones doing the shipping.
Anyway, the printing price was so awesomely low, I went for the deal. Sure enough, on February 10th, I received an email from the printers telling me that the cards had been printed and delivered to the USPS on February 9th. I began to wait. Meanwhile, I'm trying to promote my business, and with no business cards, it's really hard to meet people and make a good first impression. So last Friday, I decided to look locally for deals on temporary cards... just a low-volume run that would tide me over for the next 7+ weeks. I decided to take a "proof" picture that I had received from the original printer, and use that to create some cards locally. I had no idea how good this screen-captured image would be, but decided I simply couldn't wait.
Low volume business card printing (two sided, full colour) doesn't come cheap. It was going to cost me as much to print 100 cards locally, as it cost to print 1000 over the net. I placed the order, put down a 50% deposit, and took the plunge. On Monday, the local printer called to have me come in and look over the proof. IT WAS MAGNIFICENT! The colour flew off the page, and it was 100 times better than I expected it would be. I was told the cards would be ready Wednesday.
So, this morning at 10:30AM, the Canada Post truck pulls up, and I take delivery of my 1000 cards from the U.S. These cards look as good or BETTER than the proof I viewed yesterday. Right now, I just feel like Homer Simpson... with 1100 perfect business cards. Here, I've purposely corrupted the image and resaved at quite low resolution - but trust me, the real cards look great!
Saturday, February 18, 2006
That's freaky!
I have lots of interests, all related to computers. For those who've been following along, I have been experimenting with a site dedicated to predicting the results of Major League Baseball games. In addition, I've had a fascination going back almost 25 years to create a unique matchmaking service. Being more a dreamer than a doer, most of my dreams/plans have gone unfulfilled. Lately, however, I've been more focused and am actually doing something about these things.
With respect to the matchmaking service, I've been scouring the internet for appropriate personality inventory systems - the idea being that certain personalities gel well with other personalities. When I find these kinds of sites, I generally take their test to see what my personality is like.
So today, I came across one and took the test. Here is an excerpt from the report - the VERY FIRST PARAGRAPH of the report (the emphasis is mine):
I kid you not! I guess my newest endeavour is well-conceived!
I have lots of interests, all related to computers. For those who've been following along, I have been experimenting with a site dedicated to predicting the results of Major League Baseball games. In addition, I've had a fascination going back almost 25 years to create a unique matchmaking service. Being more a dreamer than a doer, most of my dreams/plans have gone unfulfilled. Lately, however, I've been more focused and am actually doing something about these things.
With respect to the matchmaking service, I've been scouring the internet for appropriate personality inventory systems - the idea being that certain personalities gel well with other personalities. When I find these kinds of sites, I generally take their test to see what my personality is like.
So today, I came across one and took the test. Here is an excerpt from the report - the VERY FIRST PARAGRAPH of the report (the emphasis is mine):
| "The primary desire of the Protector Guardian is to be of service to others, but here “service” means not so much furnishing others with the necessities of life (the Provider’s concern), as guarding others against life’s pitfalls and perils, that is, seeing to their safety and security." |
Friday, February 17, 2006
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Website update
It's getting bigger and bigger. Since my first site was posted, I've added a couple of tabs, and the information is now quite usable (I also have a PDF file with my "grand opening" promotion - though that's not what I called it). Now that I have flyers, and a copy of the artwork from my original online business card site (so I can print a temporary batch of cards while waiting for the real thing to be delivered), I might be able to get this puppy off the ground. Wish me luck!
Oh yeah, on a related note, you'll never guess what my sweetie did for Valentine's Day. She bought me (soon-to-be) monogrammed shirts with the business name stitched on! Wasn't that special?
It's getting bigger and bigger. Since my first site was posted, I've added a couple of tabs, and the information is now quite usable (I also have a PDF file with my "grand opening" promotion - though that's not what I called it). Now that I have flyers, and a copy of the artwork from my original online business card site (so I can print a temporary batch of cards while waiting for the real thing to be delivered), I might be able to get this puppy off the ground. Wish me luck!
Oh yeah, on a related note, you'll never guess what my sweetie did for Valentine's Day. She bought me (soon-to-be) monogrammed shirts with the business name stitched on! Wasn't that special?
Thursday, February 09, 2006
One more day
That's all I've got left in my four-week long training course. I've learned a lot of useful stuff about starting and running my own business. And I've learned that despite all the training and positive reinforcement, I'm not alone in feeling like the first three months are going to be absolute hell. None of us know how closely we'll be expected to meet our initial revenue projections - projections made without a shred of knowledge as to how to set reasonable expectations. One thing is sure... regardless of whether I survive the three-month review, my commitment to this new path is absolute. I will continue down this path regardless of what anyone else says. Whether or not I can meet my three-month revenue projection, I have absolutely no doubt that LONG-TERM my business idea will be successful.
The website I've thrown together will improve with time, and grow in scope, but for now, here it is: Safe and Secure Computing
That's all I've got left in my four-week long training course. I've learned a lot of useful stuff about starting and running my own business. And I've learned that despite all the training and positive reinforcement, I'm not alone in feeling like the first three months are going to be absolute hell. None of us know how closely we'll be expected to meet our initial revenue projections - projections made without a shred of knowledge as to how to set reasonable expectations. One thing is sure... regardless of whether I survive the three-month review, my commitment to this new path is absolute. I will continue down this path regardless of what anyone else says. Whether or not I can meet my three-month revenue projection, I have absolutely no doubt that LONG-TERM my business idea will be successful.
The website I've thrown together will improve with time, and grow in scope, but for now, here it is: Safe and Secure Computing
Friday, February 03, 2006
Superbowl XL and Sin City
It's surreal around here. We're located just across the river from Detroit, Michigan - home of Superbowl XL. My hometown of Windsor has always had a reputation as a "place to party". The Casino built in this city was the first in Ontario, and was probably the final straw that broke the camel's back when Detroit city council, after countless failed attempts to get public approval for casinos, realized they needed to build some to stop the flow of American gamblers to our fair Canadian city.
We have lots of licensed massage parlours, where, for a fee, you can basically get anything you want - completely legally, by the way, as long as you are properly registered and licensed by the city. And the strip clubs in this city rival anything you've ever seen in Las Vegas. Oh yeah, since Canada has excellent trade relations with Cuba, Windsor is also home to many cigar parlours - catering to the American crowd that crosses the one-mile-long bridge (or tunnel) that links our two countries.
Still, with all that Windsor has ALWAYS offered to our guests from America, the media somehow got locked into this "Sin City" moniker in relation to the Superbowl. Our reaction has probably been a bit mixed. While nobody wants their city to be referred to as "Sin City" (except maybe cities in Nevada), the tourism business in this town has gone absolutely bonkers these past few days. The local papers carry stories of the many rumours circulating about people such as Tom Cruise, Ben Affleck, and Jessica Alba - some or all of whom may be somewhere in our city.
Blue-collar town Detroit, meanwhile, seems to have aligned itself with like-minded Pittsburgh; with many on-air radio personalities openly supporting the Steelers. At least here in Windsor, our local papers are trying to provide equal and balanced coverage.
But back to the surreal atmosphere... each year for the July fireworks, we have several hundred thousand viewers camped out on both banks of the Detroit River to watch the show. A good portion of the crowd take their places on the Windsor side of the border, where the legal drinking age is lower, the Canadian dollar is (still) worth less than the American dollar, and there is virtually no crime. That crowd is gathered for only one day. The crowds around here lately have been building for the past week - to the point where the number of out-of-town license plates is rivaling the number of local plates.
I'll actually be a bit sad to see the city go back to its own, normal, obscurity after Sunday's game. Still, for those fleeting moments when some football viewers get to see Canada "up close", and seem so surprised when they find we talk the same language, dress like they do, and even have temperatures above the freezing point in the middle of winter, I get to smile a wide, proud smile in the knowledge that each one of us Windsorites did our part to welcome the world.
It's surreal around here. We're located just across the river from Detroit, Michigan - home of Superbowl XL. My hometown of Windsor has always had a reputation as a "place to party". The Casino built in this city was the first in Ontario, and was probably the final straw that broke the camel's back when Detroit city council, after countless failed attempts to get public approval for casinos, realized they needed to build some to stop the flow of American gamblers to our fair Canadian city.
We have lots of licensed massage parlours, where, for a fee, you can basically get anything you want - completely legally, by the way, as long as you are properly registered and licensed by the city. And the strip clubs in this city rival anything you've ever seen in Las Vegas. Oh yeah, since Canada has excellent trade relations with Cuba, Windsor is also home to many cigar parlours - catering to the American crowd that crosses the one-mile-long bridge (or tunnel) that links our two countries.
Still, with all that Windsor has ALWAYS offered to our guests from America, the media somehow got locked into this "Sin City" moniker in relation to the Superbowl. Our reaction has probably been a bit mixed. While nobody wants their city to be referred to as "Sin City" (except maybe cities in Nevada), the tourism business in this town has gone absolutely bonkers these past few days. The local papers carry stories of the many rumours circulating about people such as Tom Cruise, Ben Affleck, and Jessica Alba - some or all of whom may be somewhere in our city.
Blue-collar town Detroit, meanwhile, seems to have aligned itself with like-minded Pittsburgh; with many on-air radio personalities openly supporting the Steelers. At least here in Windsor, our local papers are trying to provide equal and balanced coverage.
But back to the surreal atmosphere... each year for the July fireworks, we have several hundred thousand viewers camped out on both banks of the Detroit River to watch the show. A good portion of the crowd take their places on the Windsor side of the border, where the legal drinking age is lower, the Canadian dollar is (still) worth less than the American dollar, and there is virtually no crime. That crowd is gathered for only one day. The crowds around here lately have been building for the past week - to the point where the number of out-of-town license plates is rivaling the number of local plates.
I'll actually be a bit sad to see the city go back to its own, normal, obscurity after Sunday's game. Still, for those fleeting moments when some football viewers get to see Canada "up close", and seem so surprised when they find we talk the same language, dress like they do, and even have temperatures above the freezing point in the middle of winter, I get to smile a wide, proud smile in the knowledge that each one of us Windsorites did our part to welcome the world.