Quiting my job

Well I quit today - I was tired of using a Corporate Desktop based on XP, a 10 year old operating system

The Economic Crisis - what really happened.

So here is why the economic crisis occurred.

Say you want to give a service to your citizens which has a value 10'000 Euros. For example, a new road, a new sewer, health clinic, unemployment centre, etc

From these same citizens you collect tax for it of a value of 10'000 Euros and build or supply it  = everybody is happy!!!
From these same citizens you collect tax for it of a value of 9'000 Euros and build or supply it = everybody is happy today BUT your children are screwed in the future!

That is it.

Monkeys at work

So today we had some guy in India (supposed to be an engineer) email about a problem - using some new distribution lists he managed to piss off over 200 people.

Just changing words makes ALL the difference...

Here is a section of the booklet which came with the vote for the Conseil Administratif last month...

"Les femmes représent plus de 52% de la population en Suisse. Actives au même titre que les hommes dans la société, elles ont les mêmes droits qu'eux"

So let's change a few words...

"Les hommes représent que 48% de la population en Suisse. Actives au même titre que les femmes dans la société, ils ont les mêmes droits qu'eux"

... changes the emphasis and makes you think!

Here is another;

Headline:- Worst snowstorm for 50 years....

Headline:- Best snowstorm for 50 years...

Try it and your outlook of life will change.

So Much for Globalisation

So I buy a Western Digital My-Book. I put a lot of data on it over time (not forgetting to back it up). My kids use it on my network as their personal drives, etc. Then one day I notice the lovely blue lights on it's front are no longer bathing my basement. Try as I might I cannot get the thing to boot again. Dead it is, gone to meet it's maker, shuffled off it's mortal coil etc.

No problem I think. It is still under warranty, so I'll just go and exchange it for a nice new one. Search out the receipt (phew lucky it is real paper) and make the trip down town. To my disbelief the small computer suppler who sold it to me is now an interior decorator and fabric shop!!

"Western Digital" I hear you say, "they are a global company you will have no trouble. Their customer support will quickly help you resolve your dilemma!" It appears you have never tried this if you outside the confines of those 51 united states (which includes the UK) which nestle between the Atlantic, the Pacific, the country full of very decent Canadians and those waring Mexican drug lords. Read on my dear reader for a story of hope, heartache, betrayal, indifference, truth....

Trying to obtain satisfaction from Western Digital - The story so far...

I will update this post as needed, so in effect I suppose this is an open letter to Mr. John F. Coyne (I wonder what the 'F' stand for). I did like your products, honestly, but I guess I have changed my mind.

31st August 2010;
Onto the WEB to try and find out what my options are.
www.westerndigital.com redirects to www.wdc.com - odd but no problem. Great I can choose my native French language. Go to 'support' and find out that my disk is still under warrantee, great.

Fill out a very nice 'form' asking for help with getting my disk to boot correctly. Receive immediate standard reply with usual suggestions for 'searching kb, forums, community'.

Wait 2 days (with time difference).

1st September 2010;
Ask again how I can exchange this disk.
In the mean time I have been trawling the WEB for answers. Tried lots of resetting functions and advice, without success.

Wait 6 days,

6th September 2010;
Finally a reply to my enquirey. Advice on how to reset the disk - most of which I had already tried - and the RMA proceudre if the resets don't work.

Greece is broke and I am not surprised

I have just returned from an excellent sejour in Greece.

A great time was had by all but, my God, WHAT A RIPOFF! and I don't want to see any more cheese - ever!

I could not believe just how brazenly they ripoff the tourists.

TAXIS - None of the ones we travelled in bothered to switch their meters on - those that had them. By the end of our stay we were getting good at negotiating the price down. Even this aspect of riding in taxis could not prepare you for a hair raising ride at over 120 Km/hour on normal 'A' roads - I kept trying to tighten my seat belt.

RESTURANTS - Of course the receipts were all in Greek. I don't have a problem with that, it is after all their language, but again by the end of the holiday we had learnt that if you bothered to question the bill they usualy found a 'mistake' and dropped a couple of Euros off it. Very rarely did we find any establishment that took credit/debit cards. Sometimes the machine was 'out of order' so everything was paid cash.

How are you supposed to collect any taxes to pay for basic stuff like education or water if you have NO CLUE how much people earn.

THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN GREECE

...but they are getting there...

Athens Swimming pools