A Liberal MPP in Ontario wants to make it illegal to charge differently for products and services, dependent on gender. I first saw this in the Western Standard, but since their archives are subscriber-only, I’ve linked to the CTV coverage.

As the weather got warmer here in Waterloo, I wandered aimlessly about town, seeking to upgrade from Pants to Shorts for the more moderate months. The store I found was a super-exclusive sporting-goods boutique which sought to sell me a single pair for more than $150. This of course, was absurd, and eventually I ended up at a Winners store. Read on…

Greyhound treats their customers properly. In the tech sector, one company stands out as the one that serves their users first and stockholders second. It’s been a rude awakening to some of the others.

But if these ‘others’ need a second example, perhaps they could turn to one of the companies that’s been serving people and earning trust since 1914, long before the modern ‘tech sector’ was ever dreamt of.

Coach Bus: The Customer’s Side

I buy a ticket. The ticket is not for a particular seat, a particular bus, or even a particular day. It’s just a starting point and destination, valid in the couple months following its purchase.

I can take whatever bus I want, but the onus is on me to be early enough that I get a seat. If I don’t get a seat, I may have to wait for the next bus.

Greyhound’s Side

They have to plan a bus and a driver for every time and route on the schedule. If only two people show up with tickets, the bus runs anyways, and the schedule will be revised.

And if a greater number of people than expected appear, a second bus must run. This is a last-minute decision, and thus it means that there are buses and drivers standing-by, waiting to take the overflowing routes.

But what about if there’s just a few too many people?

Customers First

Yesterday evening I was coming back to Waterloo from Toronto. I was aiming for the 9:30pm bus, the one that everyone aims for.

There were well over a hundred people on the platform, waiting on a bus that seats fifty-five.

The company ran three buses. But they didn’t even all do the same route. One went to the Kitchener Terminal, and the other two came straight to the University. The third bus was barely half full.

Special?

Is this really that great? Yes, it is.

I’d already bought my ticket. Their statement is:

Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Advance purchase tickets do not guarantee a seat.

This absolves them of any resposibility to me in light of my purchase, except that I get to my destination… eventually. Yet they voluntarily ran a half-empty third bus, a cost expended where the only value back was in customer appreciation.

Mike

It seems that Jonathan Fenocchi has passed me an almost-legitimate Musical Baton. So here’s my contribution to the meme.

Total Volume

4.91 GB in /home/Mike/My Music/

Last CDs Purchased

Beauty From Pain, by Superchic[k]. It was a bit of an impulse buy, but I’ve happened to enjoy most of it, particularly the title track. They’ve changed a lot since their contribution to the Legally Blonde soundtrack, and I think I like the most recent version. Not as rock-ish, but more thoughtful lyrically.

Imaginarium, by Terry S. Taylor. It’s a collection of favourite songs from three of Doug TenNapel’s games: The Neverhood, Skullmonkeys, and Boombots. Bizarre and delightful, all at the same time.

Playing Right Now

Carly Simon — Nobody Does It Better

Five Favourites

• U2 — Mysterious Ways
• Guns ‘N Roses — Sweet Child of Mine
• Dandy Warhols — Bohemian Like You
• Delirious — My Glorious
• Jann Arden — Thing For You

Passing It Along

• Kristy Sammis
• Doug TenNapel
• Rands
• Kevin Menzel
• Patrick Haney

Mike

Pronounce as ‘Cayley’

Mike Biggs persuaded me to go to a Ceili Dance. It’s a monthly affair put on by a local group with a charmingly hideous website.

But the dance was really marvelous. The last time I’d done anything even remotely similar was on a class trip in about grade 7.

Music

Live. I appreciate that. The musician in me loves to experience what other skilled musicians create. There were about eight present, playing drums, fiddles, a whistle, and a keyboard.

And Irish music is beautiful. It’s energetic and uplifting.

(Just in case you had them confused, Scottish is the one with the bagpipes, which happen to not particularly dislike, either.)

Learning

Between the person calling the dances and the one person in my party who knew what the story was, it wasn’t that difficult to pick them up. I think we did just about everything except the waltzes.

Proper waltzing is skill I’ll learn at some later point, but Clarke Gable couldn’t waltz, so I guess you just never know.

Friends

The group I went with was exact four gals and four guys, so that worked out quite well for the squares and lines.

I’d put something about it in my MSN name, and when I got home there was a capitalized message on my desktop from Christine S: “YOU COULD HAVE INVITED ME!” So at the next one in September, I’ll advertise. (I don’t feel comfortable promoting something I haven’t tried that costs $12 at the door…)

All Ages

It amazed me the smattering of old folks, middle agers, young professionals, and students. It seemed like the sort of thing that a lot of people get invited to and it sticks with a handful.

I’m pretty sure it stuck with me.

But my calves kind of ache now.

Shortly after I put up the Jello article, I realised that the technique is really a wee bit silly. It’s great because it’s so tweakable, but it’s silly because the method of tweaking is mostly just trial and error. Read on…

This new design sports what I believe to be a brand new way of creating a website that is flexible relative to one’s browser.

Since the majority of my small readership are not CSS nerds, I’ll start with a little background. Feel free to skip over that if you just want the code. (If you don’t want any of it, the final example is right here)

Read on…

Throw a little Wicked-Worn in a blender with a new liquid CSS technique, some dropcaps, and it’s a new look for uwMike!

Eleven and a half hours late for the Official Reboot, but I needed that little something extra to amuse myself during the past week of working on my UWaterloo Co-op Work Report.

Right now, I have to get rested up for the first day of summer term tomorrow.

Mike

p.s. watch this space for more on that new liquid layout trick…

p.p.s. If you’re looking for the prior layout, it’s archived here.