Insidious Advertising

On my hobby blog post I wrote about having tool lust and wanting to spend money on an pricey bike stand.  I appreciate the response people have been giving me and I am glad that some of you have found that blog and checked it out.  The funny thing is that blog post has had some rather interesting consequences.

With that post, I did spend some time checking out the various bike stands on offer at Amazon.  As a result, every site I have visited recently has had an add (from Amazon) featuring the various bike stands and bike tools that I visited before writing the piece.  On one hand, this is good marketing.  On the other hand, it makes me think that big brother is really watching me, and plotting my life out for me.

I realized this is a function of advertising, coupled with my viewing history.  I know that I am the one responsible, and that no mastermind computer is tracking my every move, or anticipating my every move.  However, maybe that day isn't as far off as it seems.  Maybe one day, you'll walk into a supermarket and half of your car will already be packed for you--the supermarket knowing what you buy every time you shop there.  I already get coupons or bonus points for things they have noticed that I buy a lot of.  (Again, I know I gave them this information.... but still)

Perhaps I go to far... for now.  We'll talk again in a year or two, and then we'll see.

Yesterday's Rebels are Nowhere to be Found

Megadeth is playing Casino Rama.  I heard this news on the car radio the other day, and I nearly drove off the road.  I did a double take, followed by a double swerve.  I really hadn't expected to ever hear something like that.

Weren't these yesterday's rebels?  Weren't these a group of antiestablishment types?  I can't be certain, but I am pretty sure playing a casino is about as establishment it gets--okay, it isn't a government agency, but the relationship in Canada is a little closer than it might be elsewhere.

Yesterday's rebels are nowhere to be found.

I shouldn't be surprised.  Perhaps, I shouldn't be as judgemental either.  They were kids when they started down that road.  They had no idea of how the future would unfold.  People grow.  People change.  The romantic in me says that principles shouldn't change and conviction in one's beliefs should remain.

Yesterday's rebels are nowhere to be found.

The Next Big Idea with the TTC

 

So, the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) wants to subsidized transit passes to low income users.  Additionally, they don't want to raise prices for typical (non subsidized) passengers.  In theory this sounds good.

However, I have a few concerns.  If the same people who are in charge of handing out the disabled parking stickers are in charge of this, there will likely be a lot of fraud involved in this.  I know that sounds bad, but you have to understand where I am coming from.  I have seen lots of people (and even talked to some of them) who are using another family member's parking pass to park in designated disabled spots.  They figure the pass is fair game for anyone who has it.  I can't disagree more.  If you're parking in a disabled spot when you don't need to, you're potentially blocking someone who really needs to be in that spot.

But I digress.

I am all for helping people out with transit.  I use it every day myself.  I still don't know why it is so expensive, or why it costs more when more people use it (I call this mismanagement--perhaps they are paying too much overtime).

I guess the problem that I have is that I don't believe that the people who really need the financial discount will get it, and people who have no need for a discount will somehow find themselves in possession of a discount pass--I am thinking of city councillors who already get a free pass, and then never use it.

Only time will tell if this plan works out.

A Change of Names

 

For those of you who have been here before, you might have noticed the name change.  While I liked my original title, it didn't garner the attention that I wanted and some people seemed to need an explanation.  While this isn't bad, from a marketing standpoint, this is just wrong.  It is kind of like that seen from "That Thing You Do" where Tom Hanks explains the name change from the Oneders, to the Wonders--when you think you're being clever, perhaps you aren't.

So, I have changed the name, but not the intent.  I hope this title is more suitable for the blog.  Only time will tell.  I would appreciate any feedback anyone wants to give me.  Don't be shy.