In any given week we all deal with small business. As a small business owner myself, I know the joys and the pressures that come with running your own business.

So, when I encounter exceptional service and dedication, I can’t help but jump with joy.

I had 2 such encounters in the last couple of weeks.

Western Imperial Magnetics.
I had a last minute request from a client for a very specific media product that is rarely in demand anymore. Calls all over town resulted in ‘sorry’ answers from everyone. A sales rep at a local audio store suggested I try Western Imperial Magnetics.

Between rushing to meetings and juggling a busy day I got on the cell and found someone who listened to my request and came up with a brilliant response: SURE we can help.

What I needed, she explained, would required a custom assembly. The type of cassette tapes my client needed just aren’t stocked anymore. The time was 11am. I told Sue I was up against some tough deadlines to meet the courier, and she said she’d do the best she could.

Sue’s best was above and beyond. Within 7 hours, I had the tapes in hand, delivered to my home that evening. I couldn’t believe it.

Second Wave – Surf, Snow, Skate.
These guys are the best. Last year, after picking up a used Burton snowboard for my 7 year old, I had to get some Burton plates for his existing bindings. Everywhere I went I hit a dead-end, and one service rep at a big sports store suggested I’d have to pay 20 or 30 dollars to get some. Another guy suggested Second Wave on Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver. Within seconds of arriving, I had the Burton plates in hand, including new screws and a few kind words of advice. Total cost, 2 bucks.

I’ve been in a few time since just to window shop, and everyone in the store is awesome. (I’m an old guy don’t forget) Most time when I go into a board shop I get the ‘look’. You know, like how did gramps wander in here ? Not at Second Wave.

This weekend we popped in again. Looking to take advantage of last year models, I got a too-good-to-resist deal on a Nitro board. They’re full of helpful advice, great attitude, and clearly love what they do. They’ll even wax my board all season, free of charge.

These guys have my business for life.

Back on the 1st of October I blogged about a letter I got from my local natural gas company, Terasen.

I was ticked off because of a form letter I got regarding the meter reader having trouble getting to the meter.

Friday, Oct 14th, I got a call from a person who manages the meter readers. Apparently someone at Terasen gas saw the blog, which prompted Friday’s phone call.

The short story is that they plan to change their ‘form letter’ to include contact information, and there will be a revisit to my house to look into the meter reading ‘problem’.

It is true the meter is hidden behind this tree:

So, anyone trying to get to the meter by going to the left side of the tree is going to have problems. But the right side provides easy access.





I must say I’m totally impressed with the follow up – we’ll see what happens when the meter reader returns. I suggested he/she let me know when they are coming and we can both have a look.

Since everyone I’ve solicited in my informal focus group ( my kids, my neighbours and even passers-by) have been able to read the meter, I’m sure it won’t be a problem for a professional to do the same.

Time to bust out my old bell bottoms. Better yet, maybe I should be finding that old rawhide choker I used to wear (ugh, please no).

As I awoke to news of yet another strike, I broke into a cold sweat. Why?

Because this is what the mid 70’s was all about. Everywhere you went in Canada there was a strike or lockout or some kind of labour unrest.

Fuelled by a totally different economic environment, Canada introduced Wage and Price Controls in 1975. I’m hardly a student of history, I just happen to be there at the time, a cub reporter no less, chasing stories in Calgary.

Most of you probably have no idea what things were like in 1975. You are forgiven. But just so you realize how utterly frightening this really is, let me remind you of something.

In 1975, the top 10 songs of the year were, in order:

1. Captain and Tennille – Love Will Keep Us Together
2. Silver Convention – Fly, Robin, Fly
3. Elton John – Island Girl
4. Dawn – He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)
5. Neil Sedaka – Bad Blood
6. Glen Campbell – Rhinestone Cowboy
7. David Bowie – Fame*
8. Elton John – Philadelphia Freedom
9. The Bee Gees – Jive Talkin’
10. KC & The Sunshine Band – That’s the Way (I Like It).

Now, if that isn’t enough to scare anyone into submission, I don’t know what is.

Please, we can’t live through 1975 again.

Please Please Please.

Besides, I looked like this in 1975:

Need I say more ?

* I make an exception for David Bowie. He actually has a blog.

Here in BC, Terasen Gas plans on hiking our rates again this month, this time by 13.3%.

I don’t usually jump up and down about this kind of thing, I’m pretty much resigned to the notion that if the price of natural gas goes up, Terasen will pass those costs on to me as quickly as possible.

But in the mail came this ridiculous form letter, and now I’m ticked.



I wouldn’t be ticked if my bushes/shrubs/trees were in fact making it difficult for anyone to read the meter. The fact of the matter is, there is a spruce tree beside my house, and you can only get to the meter by going to the east of the tree, since the branches on the west side are thick. But dude – if you can’t get around that way, did you think about going around the OTHER way ? Besides, the tree’s been there for 15 years and this is the first time Terasen’s had trouble finding it’s way to the east.



The other thing that ticks me off is there is absolutely no contact information on this letter. There’s a number and email if I want to start reading my own meter, but no follow up contact for the offending bushes/shrubs/trees. This is just plain rude and annoying. The letter is signed “Terasen Gas”. Ok, so the company is writing to me now ? True, the letter is ‘Per: szd”. But who or what is that ? They were good enough to include their file name in the footer though, like that’s helpful.



In any event, I think I’ll just post the map up by the tree for the next time Terasen Gas comes by. Or, if Terasen Gas wants to trim my bill by 13.3 percent, I’d be happy to trim the tree.

Just back from a short road trip to Toronto and I must say, I’ve got serious trouble sleeping. It is the time zone change you ask ? No. Is high strees from all the work ? No. It is too many ideas cramming my tiny brain ? No. It’s an owl.

Audio proof. Tomorrow, on the BigSnit podCast.

It only comes once a year, and it’s here. Talk Like A Pirate Day.
If you’re a little rusy on your pirate word-power, check this Pirate Glossary.
If you need ’em to decorate your workspace, there are pirate images here and here.
If you’re looking to for just the right get-up for today, I particularly like the DELUXE pirate hat, not to be confused with a regular pirate hat

The pet owners will be lining up in droves for this one. The newest domain to get the go ahead is .cat – this from ICANN or Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. It’s meant for “individuals, organizations and companies that promote the Catalan language” but like the .tv domain, watch it get picked up for all sorts of other uses. I’m betting cool.cat and hep.cat will go fast. Our cat’s already pestering me for his, but Ozzie’s going to have to wait.

At the same time, ICANN deferred again the idea of creating the .xxx domain for porn sites, despite some logical arguments that having their own domain would help clean up other parts of the name space.

The Neighbornode gives your home wireless network a job as the local welcome wagon. Its a great idea, particularly for high density areas. Here’s the pitch from the nodesters…

These nodes transmit signal for around 300 feet, so everyone within that range has access to the board and can read and post to it. This means that with a Neighbornode you can broadcast a message to roughly everyone whose apartment window is within 300 feet of yours (and has line of sight), and they can broadcast messages back to you. Boards are only accessible from computers that go through the local node.

Right now the nodes are set up to run off a Linksys wireless router. Can blind-node-dating by far behind ? More info at neighbornode.net/index.html

I’ve switched the syndication (RSS) to a Feedburner feed – this lets me track usage better and also saves work with the podCast listings at iTunes.

The new RSS feed is : http://feeds.feedburner.com/bigsnit
please use this instead of the old one. There is also a link in the sidebar to this feed.

Thanks !

Earlier this week I wrote about Richard Branson’s full page ad regarding mobile phone number portability in Canada. Now the CRTC, the federal regulator, is asking for comments on the situation. Here’s the CRTC invitation or grab the PDF here.
The papers may not be discussing it, but others are – notably Michael Geist in Ottawa.

Project Opus launches
This has got a lot of promise. A new music site slid onto the scene in the last couple of days. Project Opus looks like it’s going to be hot.

It’s early days yet and they’re working out a few small bugs. Why do you suppose the best music sites come out of Vancouver ?

Would you like a book of those ?
I can see all my Christmas spending going to one place. Qoop‘s got a short but sweet hook – Digital to Print, all from your browser.

If you’re using Flickr for your photos (who isn’t ?) with a few quick clicks you’ve got a printed book on the way. Do you think they’ll gift wrap ?

My Dose of International News
It’s a bit addictive. Wi-FiTV.com offers up a few hundred sites from a dozen or so countries. Nothing really new there, but the site works well and even though the odd stream doesn’t show, who cares – there’s tons to select from.



I’m still not watching TV if I’m watching on the Internet, right ?

Richard Branson has taken out a full page ad regarding cell phone number portability in Canada. This one’s in the Globe – not sure where else it ran.

click for a large version
or grab a pdf version here.

At issue is the ability to keep your cell phone number when you switch carriers. For most of us, keeping a number is important. But, as Branson’s ad points out, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association has recently released a plan that will only see number portability available in Canada in late 2007. Huh? 2007 ?

We’ve had limited number portability for land lines – I moved my Telus landline number to a mobile carrier. But that’s it – do that once and you’re done. And don’t even think about moving a cell number. Not in Canada. The CWTA is also the same group that makes getting a short code (for texting) in Canada some kind of medieval ritual.

In the US, you can get a short code just like registering an URL at http://www.usshortcodes.com/ it’s not cheap – 1,000 USD for a number you pick, 500 USD for a randomly assigned short code. Not so in Canada.

In the full page ad in the Globe, Branson points out that in every other country in which they operate, number portability increases competition. In Canada’s phone business, the ‘c’ word is a dirty word.

Branson’s ad says its not too late to light a fire under these guys. How? Speak up if you want number portability.

Email mynumberismobile@virginmobile.ca .

The mail link will get you started, just add what you want to the message.

And pass this page along to your friends – here’s the permalink to this page: http://blog.bigsnit.com/index.php/2005/09/14/51.

KK at the podCast hotel.
Kris Krug, one of Vancouver’s web 2.0 advocates has an excellent report on the podCast Hotel in Portland. I’m ticked I couldn’t be there, but look for more of these kinds of events to pop up. If you’ve got one planned, let me know.

Now That’s What I Call a Mobile Community.
Vancouver’s AirG has been quietly making it big in mobile communities. They just hit the 5 million mark – that’s some community. Wait a minute ! That’s some audience.

Nokia Eating Blackberries for Lunch?
Well, it’s worth a try I guess. Nokia wants to put corporate email on every cell phone. Take your pick of reports:
Reuters, InfoWorld, or Yahoo.

Global Turtle Positioning System?
Turtles in the deep sea. Where do they go ? Story Here. Turtle’s location here.

Kicker.
Just a quick note on the heading here. In the news business, a ‘kicker’ is one of those cute, funny stories at the end of the newscast. You know, when the TV anchor, or radio reader, changes his/her voice to all soft and cuddly, with a barely perceptible smile and says…” and finally tonite…” That’s a kicker. Here’s mine:

…And Finally (smile) the food inspection folks at HK Disneyland are scaring the customers. It’s something about those masks they’re wearing. Now I ask you – this is more scary than a person in a giant fluffy cartoon animal outfit ?

Those Rotten Managers?
Despite what the locked-out bloggers are saying, CBC management isn’t the evil empire.

They’re doing the right thing in regards to Vancouver R3 contractor Alexis Mazurin. Alexis was at Burning Man last week when he suffered a massive heart attack. Since then, he’s been in a coma in a Reno, Nevada hospital, and his family has been racking up hotel and travel bills while there taking care of him. Today, in an email distribution, R3’s manager Steve Pratt says:

“I wanted to let you all know that Krista Harris [CBC radio director of operations]has talked to both Alexis’ mother and his sister, Nathalie, on the phone. Krista let them know that CBC will be covering all of the family’s travel and accommodation costs.

As far as bringing Alexis back to Vancouver, we have assurances that he will not be moved until the doctors there say he is ready. And all medical expenses will be covered as long as he is there.”

Of course this is the right thing to do, regardless of whether Alexis is permanent staff or not (he’s not).

The Gem Gets Gutted.
The CBC usage police must be squirming. CBCers out on the picket line have been wreaking havoc with the CBC Gem – that’s the official name of the corporation’s logo. It’s also their registered mark, and as such, is protected by copyright. CBC lawyers are usually pretty quick to send cease and desist orders to anyone futzing with it, and under normal circumstances employees aren’t allowed to shave a whisker off the old Gem. Interesting no-one is saying squat about the unholy concoctions being created to adorn picket signs across the country.

Locked out podCasts? Oksurefinebye.
In the old days at CBC, before DNTO was even a glimmer in C. William Smith’s mind, there was a fine Saturday afternoon show called The Radio Show, hosted by Jack Farr. oksurefinebuy was Farr’s way of ending any conversation, no matter whether his guest was at the beginning, middle, or end of his story. A very handy device, for Jack.

In any event, reading the Toronto Star’s summary of the locked-out CBC podCasts brought it all back to me. Says the Star: Oh My Pod. Don’t Give Up Your Day Jobs, then goes on to eviscerate the podCasts posted by out of work CBCers. The review’s bad enough – but it begs the question. If these folks don’t actually have a day job to not give-up, what are they to do ? Oksurefinebye.

Despite heavy lobbying from some arts groups, as I had predicted, the federal cabinet will let stand the CRTC’s decision on satellite radio. This is good news for Sirius and XM of the US who now can roll out subscriptions and gear to Canadians. All that publicity around the pros-cons of the licenses put the services back in the mainstream press, which might actually help get them more subscribers out of the box. Get me an mini-dish for my iPod nano and I’m there.

5 Things I’ve Been Meaning to Say.

1. At Large Media in Cambridge.
My business partner , Emma Payne, is off to the UK. She’s speaking in Cambridge on Thursday 15 Sept at the Cambridge Entertrise conference. If that isn’t sufficiently nifty, how’s this: she’s staying in a hotel that has a Moat.

2. Sorry, No Truth Today…

3. Writers who Blog: New Medium or New Genre.
Meanwhile, also at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, this workshop on October 1st at Harbour Centre. I promised my pals at SFU I’d get the word out.

4. Wrangling the Bird.
More action on the satellite radio front today. A story today in the Globe and Mail about the latest group to jump in. I had a few things of my own to say right here last week.

5. The New Face of CBC.

This happy guy is Guy Fournier. Guy’s 74 years old and loves to cook. This Guy is now the new chairman of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Maybe this Guy listens to the Radio 3 podCasts while he cooks. Then again, maybe not.

The CBC is embroiled in a labour dispute at the moment, having locked out 5500 of their employees August 15th. Many locked out employees hope this Guy will save the day. Then again, maybe not.

A couple of days ago I was crooning about how much I like the PSP as a platform for, well, everything. The PSP just got released in Europe, and according to this story from BBC, it is the fastest selling game console EVER in the UK.

TV on your phone.

Let me confess. I don’t actually watch much TV. My consumption is usually prompted by a) an inability to sleep or b) some big news story. I actually like the medium, I just rarely find anything on that I want to watch. Despite my lack of excitement, putting media on devices people use and carry with them is just plain smart. Getting video clips on your phone has already rolled out in Canada, but the real play involves a lot more than what we’re getting now. Access to realtime broadcasts and multiple channels is going to put a huge amount of content into play, opening up some interesting niche programming opportunities.

The word Mr. Lorbeck is looking for is mashup. This article in e-week is a bit of a promo-fest, but you get the idea of where things are going. Here in Canada, there are some clever companies developing interesting phone/tv mashups, including Exponentia here in Vancouver and Quickplay in Toronto (Mark Hyland, CBC’s former head of Broadband & Digital Services left last spring to join the latter). Even though I’m not likely to use my phone to watch Survivor, I probably would to find out what’s going on when there’s a story breaking. That’s because like most of us, I expect to get the information I want, when I want it, in the form I want it, on the device most handy to me.

This does leads me to wonder just how soon we’ll see the rise of the retro-cell.
“Hey Look what I got. It’s soooo retro. It’s a cell phone, and all it does is, um, PHONE. ”
“Awesome dude. But how does it work, and why would anyone want it ?”

Mashups and Izations…
Success isn’t about pushing TV content to the phones. Success will be some mashup; a sweet-spot that includes new screen technologies, and two important izations. They are: the iPodization of everything, and the googlization of information. Whoever comes up with a phone with a usable interface, that can scour databases for the latest video clips, and then give them to me on a screen I can actually see on the bus (or the street) on the way to work – well, now we’re talking.

Which takes me back to the PSP. Sure it’s a game platform. But check the racks at your local Future Shop. You’ll find more movies for the PSP than you’ll find games. And that’s not just because it’s faster to port a movie to the PSP than it is to port a game (which it is). It’s also because it’s a great screen on a portable device. In that same Future Shop you’ll find a wasteland of portable DVD players going for way cheaper than the PSP; you’ll find them in the bargain bin. That’s because Sony has found the sweet spot, a mashup of DVDization (the movies) and iPodization (portability).

Time to wind up again after the long weekend. Standby to Standby.
I did manage to add a header graphic to the RSS feed, while I was making a DVD for Eileen, so I was mildly productive 🙂