Watch your wallet at Canadian Tire

I took the car in to the Canadian Tire today to get an oil change and an emmissions test. The total quote was for about $75 bucks and two and half hours.

Then I get the call I was expecting:

"Hello sir? You need to come down here. We found a few problems."

Every mechanic in creation will always call you up and tell you that he "discovered" some critical problems with your car. This guy was no different.

"Let's see, I need to top up your brake fluid for $75 bucks, flip one of your tires for $30 bucks, both front indicator lights need to be replaced at $20 bucks each, you got a problem with your brake and blah, blah, blah.... "

So I says with a smirk, "Ok. What's the charge?"

"It's only going to be about $550 bucks."

I looked at the car myself and sure enough I needed some work on my brake and the tire did need a flip, but there was no way I was going to pay $550 just cause this jackass said so.

So I told him straight out that I wasn't going to do this, or that. I made him admit that most of the work he was quoting me was actually very simple and that he was over-charging me for parts (come on! $5 for a washer? It's not even worth 35 cents!)

So here's the punchline: I whittled him down from $550, to $250, to $215, and finally to $135. So I ended up spending $60 bucks more than I planned, but I got a whole lot of work done and the car runs smooth like a pick-up line in a jazz bar.

Watch out for car machanics folks. Just because they say you need work done, or they print a price for you on official stationary doesn't mean you have to believe it.

Wasting time in new and exciting ways

Since I am on vacation this week I've been lazing around surfing the net like a suckerfish searching for some bottom scum to munch on.

I found this: The Kitty Cannon

Imagine a gun that fires cats across an obstacle course.

It is stoopid, repetitive, and as entertaining as a whoopee cushion, but damn if it isn't addictive.

If you want to play, beware that I have the highest score (just look for the high score by the guy named the "Kitty Cleaner").

http://www.addictinggames.com/kittencannon.html

Pimpbot 2000

I was browsing through one of the Chinese malls here in Toronto and came across this toystore.

In the front windows were all these super cool toys that I never had when I was a kid (stupid Canadian Safety Standards Council. So what if there was the near definite likelihood of blinding yourself from these sharp and pointy toys. They were cool!)

There was the usual assortment of robots, model cars, and plastic action figures but what caught my eye was this guy.

Check it out! A solid gold pimpbot! He's like the Japanese robot equivalent of Superfly! Running ho's and dealing smack!

If this robot could transform, this would be it's ride.

Transform and roll out! Vrooooom!

Seduced on Mill Street

Yesterday I was browsing in my favourite store (the liquor store) looking for something new.

In the last little while I've tried the German, Belgian, Czech, Danish, and Japanese varieties of beer and was in the mood to try another brew.

That's when I came across Mill St. Brewery's Organic Lager.

Now I've been to the Mill St. Brewery here in Toronto and enjoyed their Tank House Ales; Tasty and crisp they were.

So when I saw the six pack of Mill Street's I went in to investigate.

They were "organic" so I assumed the taste would be something special. The price was just $9.75. So I jumped in and dragged the box home.

Bad move.

First when I busted the box open I realized that they were clear pissy beer like Corona. No offense but a beer that requires lime to taste good, isn't a beer at all.

Second, the "six pack" was indeed six bottles, but the bottles were only 220 ml. That's only two-thirds the size of a regular beer. So the $9.75 price tag made these baby beers quite expensive.

Third, the booze factor was only 4.5%. That makes them even weaker than bud!

I was had. Sure the beer tasted ok, but it was kinda like drinking a Perrier. And the bottle was so small it didn't last more than 5 swigs!

I got hustled by a beer in a low cut sleazy dress.

Rich people suck!

Check this out!

Today I was walking around downtown Toronto and I watched a BMW get pulled over by cops for making a bad turn.

Then a group of old ladies on the side walk in front of me almost got splashed by a mercedes that was speeding by.

The best was watching this illegally parked mercedes getting towed for illegally parking in front of the Art Gallery. There was a huge line up of school buses backed up behind it.

I just hope that when the tow truck pulls away, sparks from the mercedes' front end fly like a shower of expensive fireworks.

Just because you can afford to be a dink, doesn't mean you should.

I'm Back: Hasseling the Hoff

Since being on the job last month, this video came to my attention.

It's David Hasselhoff pissed drunk, trying to eat drive-thru, and being scolded by his daughter for his alcoholism.

"You're sitting on the floor eating a WENDYS!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH3JAp7vMuo

Ok, I've made fun of David Hasselhoff in the past 'cause he is such a cheesy guy and has Knight Rider/Baywatch money to fall back on, but I am taking a different approach here. I sympathize!

What guy hasn't been pissed drunk and eating drive-thru? Geez, when I think of all those nasty Royale with Cheeses I scarfed after the bar, I can sympathize with the Hoff.

And how many times did my drive-thru come all squashed together and really hard to hold. Especially when you've had a few. They should sell Big Macs with handles on the sides. Most of McDonald's customers are smashed when they order their crap afterall!

If you are back from a club, you too probably would take your shirt off to "eat a Wendy's" because you don't want ketchup and cow fat on your silks.

It just sucks when your daughter has to clean up after you.

I'm Back: The Bet Report 2 of 3

It happened again.

Since making my bet to give food to the homeless whenever someone asked me for food, I have done so twice.

http://fuzzipillow2.blogspot.com/2007/09/bet-report.html

This time it was a homeless guy on crutches standing outside of a grocery store downtown. I was on my way home after work when I passed this guy who was asking for cash (in downtown Toronto these guys are plentiful).

Just as I passed him by, he asked for food. He said he was starving.

Damn! I walked passed him and started grmbling to myself about being late, about how I could always skip this guy and buy food the next time, blah, blah, blah...

But a bet is a bet.

So I turned around and scored him a pork scallopini sandwhich. When I passed it to the guy he thanked me and immediately dropped a crutch to get at the sandwhich.

I only have to do this one more time, but maybe it is not such a bad policy to maintain.

Charities like the United Way are terrific because it helps people to donate. But they also create a comfortable buffer between the givers and the poor. I dunno.

Feraz, I will be seeing you in 2 months. By then I hope the bet will be over and we can compare notes.

I'm Back: Tibet

It's been over a month since my last post. Things got derailed for me back in March due to work. After pulling a few 16 hour days, I just didn't have anything left in the tank. But I am back now with a few things to post from the last several weeks.

China and Tibet have exploded across the world media as of late. Since then I am just baffled by the lop-sided coverage and demonization of China. The situation there is just WAAAAAAY too complex to be summed up in sound bites and video clips.

China's point of view: Tibet since the Tang Dynasty has been a protectorate of China meaning that it was a distinct realm, but paid tribute to China for its protection. It has never been separate. Having Western countries lecture China on Human Rights and an Independant Tibet lacks credibility since those same countries once occupied China and tried to divide her up for themselves. Remember Manifest Destiny? Can you imagine the US making laws and resolutions on how Canada should resolve problems with its Quebec separatists?

Tibet's point of view: They have always been a distinct society but since the PRC came along in the 1950's, China has imposed itself on Tibet's society, religion, and government. Since then they have lost their ability to select their own leaders, have systemically been pushed aside by China's pro-Han policies, and are now under a strict crackdown by the PRC. Now that the Olympics are in Beijing it is a strategic move to use it to draw attention to their cause. And it is a brilliant PR move.

Western Government point of view: The western governments would like nothing better than to have Tibet separate from China, because that would mean Tibet's dependance on the West for survival. As soon as that happens, you can be sure that you will see US military bases there. Just think of how the US and UK commonly screw with the Middle East, South America, South East Asia, and Africa. Ask the people of Okinawa and the Phillipines just how much they like having those bases around. Though the people of the West may be sincerely sympathetic to the Tibetans, their governments are calculating. In world politics their are no friends, only common interests.

Underneath all of the macro-perspectives there are the common people; The Tibetan who worries for their family and longs for the home of their ancestors; the Mainland Chinese who wish themselves for a better future as an equal member of the world, or the Canadian who is moved by all of the footage and wants to understand the situation and try to help solve it.

These photos were snapped by me the other day when I was walking past the Legislature. Seeing the local people peacefully banding together regardless of race to represent their views made me wonder if the answer is here. Maybe governments should find a way to help the people solve problems, rather than try to exploit the opportunity for themselves.