So this is what a sunny, August Apocalypse might look like in rural NS:

300L sounds like a lot. I mean, it is. But it’s only 150L/day per person. The average American uses nearly 600L/day. The average Canadian uses 325L/day, and we are using about half that. I still want to cut down though.

Cutting Down
I want to install dual-flush toilets in the other three bathrooms, or at least put something in the tanks to make them use less water per flush. Other than that, I really don’t know how we can cut down. We always fill the dishwasher and try to refrain from running the water when washing single dishes, or brushing our teeth. My showers are always under 10mins, though the same can’t be said of Amber… *cough* We have low-flow shower heads in both showers. Our outside tap is currently broken, so we haven’t been using a lot of water to wash our car or water our lawn. Maybe I should just be happy with 300L/day?

vs. Bottled Water
Another thing that struck me was the cost. 300L/day for 90 days costs us $80. That’s $0.89 per day, or $0.003 per litre. Let’s compare that to bottled water. A 591mL bottle is usually $2, or $3.38 per litre (I’m using 591mL as the example because that’s what the majority of people buy, especially from vending machines).

When you buy a bottle of water, you are paying 1,126 times more than you would if you just filled up a bottle at home.

So, here’s to cutting down on water usage, and not buying bottled water.

Unfortunately, I’m sure it won’t be long before other countries start invading Canada for our fresh water supply…

The increase supposedly has to do with the cost of low-mercury coal, which the government is requiring NS Power to use to reduce pollution. That requirement has been softened, and extended to 2014. NS Power is spinning this increase as positive for customers, because it is less than the 12% they had originally planned to ask for.

So, let me just get this straight. Any increase in costs for the company will be completely covered by customers. This ensures that profits continue at the current rate, or higher, and that employees and shareholders get paid. A lot. Makes sense. It is a business after all.

This brings up the $64,000 question though – should power be privatized in Nova Scotia? Since 1992, Emera has been posting huge profits. Meanwhile, infrastructure has been neglected and the company has come under scrutiny for towers collapsing under snow and ice, and for more outages than the general public would like to have to suffer through.

Obviously, as a privately-held company, it is operating on a for-profit basis and is doing everything in its power to succeed. The problem is that, unlike most businesses, it does not have any competitors. To me, this monopoly means it should not be a privately-held company. I have a hard time believing that the situation would be any worse if power was controlled by the government. Think about the hundreds of millions of dollars that would be saved if you cut out shareholder dividends and the salaries of the higher-ups.

That would immediately reduce the cost to every customer. Heck, they could leave the price the same and take the extra money and put it into infrastructure. Renewable energy could easily account for much more than the current 12% of our energy usage if the government stepped up and made it happen.

NS Power is doing a great job at operating as a business. But without direct competition, it is the people of Nova Scotia who suffer as their profits soar. The cost of living in this province continues to rise, as salaries remain stagnant and urban sprawl makes it more and more difficult to keep small communities alive.

I know it will never happen, but power, an essential service, needs to be brought back into the governmental fold. Otherwise, with these rate hikes, more and more people will be unable to afford electricity, and we may lose even more people each year to other provinces and countries where the cost of living is more in line with salaries.

The reason I switched to Rogers was the iPhone 3G. After a very long year of pining for the iPhone that our neighbours to the south were enjoying, Apple finally brought the iPhone to Canada. I waited in line on launch day and, after a long, five-hour struggle I walked out with an iPhone. Both Rogers’ and Apple’s systems had ground to a hault and I spent much of that time sitting and talking with other customers and the manager, who bought me some McDonald’s for my troubles.

My plan was decent. I ended up dropping the 6gb/$30 data plan after a month – it was just too much data and money, and I was only using about 400mb per month. I also ended up getting on a student plan when I started my M.Ed, which saved me about $10/month.

I had heard rumours that the iPhone could come to Bell or Telus at some point, but in 2008, they didn’t have compatible networks. As the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver drew near, both companies upgraded their networks to be GSM-compatible. The networks would be 3G only, with no EDGE support.

Bell and Telus launched their networks and got the iPhone 3GS in 2009. By then I had been with Rogers for over a year, and I was very jealous of my friends who were getting a faster phone on a better network.

Yes, I said a better network. “Canada’s Most Reliable Network” is not so reliable in Nova Scotia – at least outside of their major coverage zones of Halifax, Truro, and New Glasgow. I know that in Ontario, their coverage is fantastic and it’s the network to beat, but out on the East Coast, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Take a look at the coverage map below:

Notice that the entire 103 Highway supposedly has great coverage. Close to Halifax, it is blanketed in 3G (high speed) coverage, and all the way down to Chester is it completely red – meaning there is EDGE coverage. Even when you zoom in as far as you can, the coverage remains the same. Unfortunately, this is false advertising.

My home is an area completely covered in yellow – 3G coverage. Standing outside of my house, I barely got any signal – it came and went. On my main level, I dropped calls. On the bottom level of my house I had absolutely no service. On the top level, I could get 3G sometimes, but I’d still drop calls. My house is tall – three stories. And there is nothing around that is any taller. In fact, my property slopes downwards towards a lake.

Driving down the 103 to Chester, I would lose service several times. It had gotten so bad, that I made specific notes about when and where I lost service. Here are some of those notes:

• 103: Exit 7 to 249km
• 103: 265km to 261km
• 103: 272km to 268km
• Between Exits 11 and 12
• Croft Road
• Most of Bridgetown
• A lot of Chester
• 101: 270km to 265km
• 101: 272km to 275km
• Bridgewater: Dufferin Street (near VW)
• Western Shore to Mahone Bay Exit
• Most of Wolfville, even at the 50 yard line of the open football stadium
• Nearly the entire left side of Cape Breton

Now, this may seem like a ridiculous list – nitpicky, even. But I was paying $70/month for a phone that I couldn’t use on two levels of my house, and one that may not have service along major highways if I broke down or had an accident. Visiting my parents, my sister, and my in-laws usually meant I would be without service for the most part. EDGE is supposed to be wide-spread and readily available in the areas where there is coverage. This was not the case.

I contacted Rogers several times about my issues. They told me to reboot my phone. They told me to go to a store and buy a new SIM card and I would get reimbursed for it (I did, though when I got to the store, they made me call the 1-800 number and wait 10mins to talk to someone). They responded to e-mails with curt, canned messages ensuring me there were no problems with their network.

Well, there are problems with their network. In areas of great coverage, their network is wonderful. I believe it is a reliable network. But in many areas in Nova Scotia, there simply is not sufficient coverage. And I understand why – it’s probably not cost-effective to build more towers in those areas. They won’t get their money back. The problem is, people look at coverage maps and they believe them. Then they buy phones and lock themselves into three-year contracts. And only then can they test the network. And you have 30days and 30mins of talk time to return your phone. For me, that wasn’t enough. I didn’t make it down to Bridgetown or Chester during that time. I was stuck for three years with a phone that I couldn’t use anywhere near its potential.

Now, I need to make a side note here – Rogers customer service has actually been great about everything else besides my network issues. Wait times aren’t too bad on the phone, their website has lots of info, and their iPhone account app is fantastic. They’re also the wireless company that is most active in terms of social media. They have a great Twitter presence, and during the iPhone 4 launch, they were the company with the most information – in fact, Telus had nothing on their website as of launch day. Bell only had basic pricing info.

So, in the end I had to make a decision – stay with Rogers and pay for a phone I was getting tired of using on a fairly crap network or pay a cancellation fee and sign on with another provider.

I chose the latter. I upgraded to the iPhone 4 and switched to Telus. I sold my iPhone 3G for $275, close to the $300 cancellation fee. I am back with a provider that I have always liked. Their customer service is the best of the three majors in my opinion. And their network in Nova Scotia is top-notch. Some people complain that there is no EDGE support, thus if you are outside of the 3G coverage zone, you will have no service. This may be an issue elsewhere, but in Nova Scotia Telus and Bell have blanketed their entire existing CDMA network with 3G. So in areas with no service, there really is no service. No EDGE is not an issue for me, though it could be for folks in places like Manitoba.

On launch day, I waited in line at Telus in Bayer’s Lake from 5am-10am. I walked out of the store at 10:15am with an incredible device on a decent plan. I went home and plopped myself down in the Lay-Z-Boy in my basement. I then made the first successful call from my basement in two years. Thanks, Telus.

Tweet

Edit: I’ve been asked about the monthly plans for both companies. Obviously, there are many plans to choose from and they are constantly changing, but I will list the plans I chose. They are compared below:

Now, I know that Earth Hour really doesn’t have an impact on energy savings and such, but that’s not the point… it’s an awareness thing.

And I’d like to think that a good percentage of the people who really took part in Earth Hour are also people who commit to doing other things with more lasting effects. Like carpooling, keeping your tires inflated and driving eco-friendly, using public transit, turning off lights when not in use, lowering thermostats, using CFL bulbs, and on and on.

But I really didn’t know there would be people who vehemently oppose Earth Hours and the surrounding ideals.

I was shocked a few weeks ago when I started reading posts and comments around the web from people who are 100% convinced that Climate Change is a myth. Recent posts and comments… It’s like “An Inconvenient Truth” never happened. It’s like the right-wing media has brain-washed a good portion of the American public. And it’s spreading into Canada.

Then I read the comments on the Chronicle Herald Earth Hour article. And I sighed once again…

“Anyone who still belives in climate change after all the documents wre faked is either deluding himself or simply stands to profit from the paranoia.”

“Another worthless left-wing enviro-loonie move hyped endlessly by the media. People are such sheep. I can guarantee you that the power was provided by good old NSPC, not Bullfrog Power — just another example of the misinformation the enviro movement loves to toss around.”

“We objected to the fraud perpetrated on the world by the like of the WWF exposed in the email scandal called Climategate. Looks like lights on to me in the picture. North Korea was completely in the dark….but that is the way it is in totalitarian states.”

“Well, we had some friends over and turned on every light in the house, turned up the heat, and started cooking. Hey there is enough resource for me, my kids, ad my grandkids, beyond that the next generations are strangers and my personal comfort comes first!”

“a Non-event about a non-issue.”

I feel like I could write a lengthy diatribe on this, but I just don’t have the energy. The research is out there. There were a few bum reports brought to the forefront by the right-wing media, and those seem to have had a lasting effect on the opinions of people who were looking for a loophole and a reason to ignore the warnings and continue their lives as over-consumers.

I’ve eaten a lot of clubs. Some have been memorable, most have not. Miss Halifax Eats suggested I start reviewing them. So here it goes. But first, Mitch Hedberg on the history of the club sandwich:

Pogue Fado
http://www.poguefado.com/
1581 Barrington Street, Halifax NS

Pogue Chicken Club
Grilled chicken breast served on a toasted baguette, and topped with lettuce, tomato, bacon, and honey mustard or the traditional way with bread slices and mayo.

Price: $8.99

Chicken: The most crucial ingredient in a club is of course the chicken. It’s what you’re paying for. It’s what all the other ingredients are hopefully complimenting. The downfall of many clubs is dry chicken. It simply ruins the entire meal. The chicken this time around was on the edge of dry. I ate a chunk that was hanging over the side on its own, and it was a bit dry. It was borderline though, so I give it a pass. It was otherwise well-cooked, and the portion was good for the price.

BLT: All of the toppings were great. The lettuce and tomato were fresh, crisp and vibrant. The bacon was nice and crunchy, but not overdone.

Sauce: I ordered the honey mustard version, and it is a nice twist. The mustard was nice and sweet, and it complimented the chicken and toppings well. I could have used a bit more to make up for the slightly dry chicken.

Bread: The baguette is an interesting choice for a club. I was expecting something a bit hard and slightly dry. It was actually quite good, albeit quite thick for a club. It worked though, and I give them points for putting a little twist on both the bread and the sauce.

Fries: I am really getting tired of restaurants being lazy with their fries. A lot of them seem to order in the same frozen, plain, and boring fries. And then they don’t cook them well and they end up being mostly mushy. This is where Pogue Fado gets high marks for having some great fries. Thin cut, dirty (with some skins), some very cripsy, some slightly soft – a nice combo. I went with ketchup this time around (instead of mayo, or both), because there was a bottle of Heinz on the table. Tasted like Heinz, so I don’t think they do the “no name ketchup in a Heinz bottle” trick.

Overall: I was pleasantly surprised with this club. It was 4:30 on St. Paddy’s Day, and the place was packed. I don’t think the kitchen was totally slammed, as most people were just there to drink, but good on them for serving some quality stuff on such a busy night. I cleaned my plate, and it all went down nicely with a Guiness.

Worth It? Definitely worth the $8.99, and worth stopping into the Pogue if you’re looking for some pub grub at a decent price.

Pogue Fado Club - Apologies for the terrible photo. It was very dark and I only had my iPhone on me. And I ate half before thinking of taking a photo. :p

Understandable?
Now, I am sympathetic to folks who work in restaurants. I understand the long hours, the tiny pay, the stress, and all of that. And I can understand missing an ingredient or messing up an order every once in a while. But when something like this happens, it’s unacceptable. If Amber hadn’t noticed the tag before taking another bite, she very well could have choked on it… and who knows what the outcome could’ve been.

Freebie?
So, when someone’s health is threatened by poor workmanship, I expect the people in charge to be embarrassed, concerned, and to want to remedy the situation. Our waitress just happened to also be the owner of the place, and she was definitely embarrassed, and seemed concerned. Her remedy was to remake the sandwich, with the right ingredients, and sans bread tags. Not too bad. However, in a situation like this, I also expected that the meal in question would be comped. I really don’t think that would’ve been a wild request. Then again, we didn’t raise a stink and ask…

It’s just an awkward situation… I definitely feel the meal should’ve been comped. My family are regulars, and we almost always bring other people in with us. Do we make a huge impact on their bottom line? Maybe not, but I am a firm believer in keeping your customers happy, especially if they are repeat customers, and ones who share their experience with others. The meal comp would’ve cost them $10… not a big deal, especially when you consider the situation has made us second-guess our next trip for brunch. It wasn’t a small screw-up, and could’ve ended very differently.

“I Asked For No Onions”
I have unfortunately had a lot of terrible experiences at restaurants. It’s getting to the point where I don’t even like going out to eat unless it’s a place I know really well – but even then, bad things can happen I guess. My orders are often messed up… I blame my hatred for onions, but still it’s their job to serve what I order – why does it get screwed up so often? I have had to send back so many meals, and I always feel like an idiot… but I kind of feel that I shouldn’t feel like that. I’ve also had some terrible, terrible service. I like to eat out, and so do my friends, but the list of places I can rely on for a good meal and great service at a decent price shrinks daily.

Here’s a list of places I have had bad experiences at:

Boston Pizza (two of my worst experiences ever)
Eat Side Mario’s
Subway (Bayer’s Lake location)
George & Lito’s
Smitty’s
Minstrels (now closed)
Dragon King Buffet
Swiss Chalet Delivery

Any more to add to the list? Any terrible experiences to share?

This year’s Oscars are also quite interesting. There are ten best picture nominees, though it’s sort of easy to tell which five are the “gimmes” and which would’ve been the top five. That said, it’s going to be one of the most difficult set of predictions that I’ve done yet… Enough Oscar talk, though. Here are some movies I enjoyed in 2009:

My favourite films, in alphatbetical order, are:

(500) Days of Summer
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Avatar
The Hangover
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Star Trek
Up
Up in the Air

Movies worth noting:

Adventureland
Away We Go
The Cove
District 9
Food, Inc.
I Love You, Man
It Might Get Loud
Julie & Julia
Michael Jackson’s This Is It
Sherlock Holmes
Zombieland

Films I have yet to see:

Crazy Heart
An Education
Invictus
Knowing
The Messenger
Moon
The Road
A Serious Man
A Single Man
White Ribbon

Miramax has been responsible for some incredible and important films over the past twenty years. I have fond memories of that big, block-letter M logo fading in at the beginning of some of my favourite films.

Here’s a list of a few films that stand out to me:

Sex, Lies, and Videotape
My Left Foot
Reservoir Dogs
The Piano
Clerks
The Crow
Pulp Fiction
Four Rooms
Kids
Muriel’s Wedding
Beautiful Girls
Trainspotting
The English Patient
Swingers
Chasing Amy
Good WIll Hunting
Jackie Brown
Life Is Beautiful
Shakespeare in Love
The Cider House Rules
Chocolat
Amélie
Gangs of New York
Rabbit-Proof Fence
The Hours
Chicago
Cold Mountain
Kill Bill 1 & 2
Master and Commander
Garden State
The Queen
Gone Baby Gone
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There WIll Be Blood
Doubt