On December 12, 2010, I had the pleasure of attending what is called a "Messiah Sing-along." Also known as a "Scratch Messiah," this annual tradition, due to the fact that most of the chorus members are relatively unrehearsed, tends to be a bit disorganized. However, this year's performance was a bit more disorganized than usual.
Showing posts with label Rant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rant. Show all posts
20 December 2010
08 October 2010
An iRant
With the popularity of iOS devices (iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad), why are there so many people out there misspelling or incorrectly formatting the names of these devices? For instance, I noticed on a message forum a thread about a new app for iOS devices. The title of this thread not only had a hyphen jammed in the name of an iOS device, but the wrong letter was capitalized!
Let me break it down for you. The name "iPhone" is spelled LOWER-CASE i, CAPITAL P, H-O-N-E! Keep in mind that the i is ALWAYS lower-case, the P is ALWAYS capital, and there is NEVER a hyphen! Never! Looking at the back of my iPhone, I do not see "i-hyphen-Phone" printed on the back, but I see "iPhone" – lower case i, capital P, no hyphen.
Oh, and one more thing. What the heck is an "iTouch"? If you answer that it's a product designed and sold by Apple, and could be described as an "iPhone without the phone," you fail.
Let me break it down for you. The name "iPhone" is spelled LOWER-CASE i, CAPITAL P, H-O-N-E! Keep in mind that the i is ALWAYS lower-case, the P is ALWAYS capital, and there is NEVER a hyphen! Never! Looking at the back of my iPhone, I do not see "i-hyphen-Phone" printed on the back, but I see "iPhone" – lower case i, capital P, no hyphen.
Oh, and one more thing. What the heck is an "iTouch"? If you answer that it's a product designed and sold by Apple, and could be described as an "iPhone without the phone," you fail.
14 February 2010
What's So Happy About Valentine's Day?
It's Valentine's Day. A day that celebrates love (eros in Greek) between man and woman. Everywhere I go, people seem to greet me with a "Happy Valentine's Day." What's there for the lonely to be happy about? Seriously. He has nobody to love (at least not in the way that Valentine's Day celebrates). What's just as bad is when someone he likes already has a boyfriend, who obviously is not him.
I've been stating this for a while now:
∀(G∈I)∄(G∈Tʹ)
Or, to put it in a different way:
∀(G), (I∩Tʹ)={ }
An explanation follows:
G is what is known in statistics as a "sample space." This sample space consists of all the single ladies of the church in New York.
I is a subset of G, indicative of all the ladies I am interested in.
T stands for "taken." The opposite of T, T-prime or Tʹ, another subset of G. T includes those who have boyfriends, those who want to be "just friends" with me, and those who are otherwise not interested in me. All those in T are currently unavailable, so the only ones left are those in Tʹ.
The first statement basically says that for all G that are in I (∀(G∈I)), there does not exist any G which is also in Tʹ (∄(G∈Tʹ))
The second statement reiterates the first, basically saying that the intersection of subsets I and T is null. This illustration shows what I mean.
As you can see, there’s no overlap between I and Tʹ.
With all the pressure placed upon me by family, friends, and the Church, looking at this is depressing. They encourage dating, but how can I when those in I are not in Tʹ, and those in Tʹ (assuming there are any in Tʹ) are not in I?
They say that there are “plenty of fish in the sea,” but how can that be when it seems like I’m fishing in the Dead Sea?
I have one person that I know (I don’t want to use the word “friend” because of the hope that it might progress beyond that, though we’ve known each other long enough that even that hopefulness is beginning to fade) who always seems to put a positive spin on something negative I might say (something I like about this person). But sometimes, I feel like I’m in some kind of black hole of negativity, such that not even the most positive thing could help make me feel better.
I invite you, the reader to try and prove me wrong.
I've been stating this for a while now:
∀(G∈I)∄(G∈Tʹ)
Or, to put it in a different way:
∀(G), (I∩Tʹ)={ }
An explanation follows:
G is what is known in statistics as a "sample space." This sample space consists of all the single ladies of the church in New York.
I is a subset of G, indicative of all the ladies I am interested in.
T stands for "taken." The opposite of T, T-prime or Tʹ, another subset of G. T includes those who have boyfriends, those who want to be "just friends" with me, and those who are otherwise not interested in me. All those in T are currently unavailable, so the only ones left are those in Tʹ.
The first statement basically says that for all G that are in I (∀(G∈I)), there does not exist any G which is also in Tʹ (∄(G∈Tʹ))
The second statement reiterates the first, basically saying that the intersection of subsets I and T is null. This illustration shows what I mean.
As you can see, there’s no overlap between I and Tʹ.
With all the pressure placed upon me by family, friends, and the Church, looking at this is depressing. They encourage dating, but how can I when those in I are not in Tʹ, and those in Tʹ (assuming there are any in Tʹ) are not in I?
They say that there are “plenty of fish in the sea,” but how can that be when it seems like I’m fishing in the Dead Sea?
I have one person that I know (I don’t want to use the word “friend” because of the hope that it might progress beyond that, though we’ve known each other long enough that even that hopefulness is beginning to fade) who always seems to put a positive spin on something negative I might say (something I like about this person). But sometimes, I feel like I’m in some kind of black hole of negativity, such that not even the most positive thing could help make me feel better.
I invite you, the reader to try and prove me wrong.
14 January 2010
The SarcMark: Internet Necessity, or Redundant Waste of Money?
Sarcasm. In today's world of text messaging, e-mail, and other forms of textual communication, one's apparent use of sarcasm may be misinterpreted as a statement of seriousness. Even in spoken language, sarcasm can be misinterpreted. In the "Weird Al" Yankovic song "Albuquerque," the teller of the story gives this example of such a misinterpretation.
The need for a visual indication of the use of sarcasm is not new, but some have offered suggestions, with little apparent success.
Enter: the SarcMark.
As the video above indicates, the SarcMark consists of a circular spiral design ending with a dot in the interior of the spiral, similar to the "at" symbol, @. The associated Web site, offers a font and additional software (supposedly for keyboard mappings), for US$1.99. Is it really worth it, though? Here's why I think it isn't.
First off, the mark is mapped to Unicode code point U+E001, which is in a Private Use area, and is not part of the Unicode standard. Next, in order to see the SarcMark glyph, you need a special font which contains the mark at U+E001. This is sold through the Web site. If you want an intended recipient to see this mark, that recipient must also have the font and software installed, unless, of course, your message (or the mark itself) is converted into an image. Next on the SarcMark Problem List, there is no free alternative. Further complicating this issue is that the SarcMark is a trademarked design (USPTO, SN 77522403, RN 3712952, filed 2008-07-15, registered 2009-11-17), so even if there was a free version of this mark, it could be subject to litigation. Further, I do not believe that registered trademarks like this are even allowed in Unicode. Even if it were to be included in Unicode, it would need to be moved from its current U+E001 code point to somewhere else (Probably in the U+2E31 to U+2E7F range, extending Supplemental Punctuation), so documents using the U+E001 version of the mark would have to make edits to their documents. Finally, it is not supported across all systems. Their Supported Platforms page lists several applications in Windows, an apparently kludgy way of entering it on Mac, and several models of Blackberry. It's not like I can open Text Editor in Windows or TextEdit on Mac, press the shortcut key, and it appears. Linux, you ask? What's that؟ There is no official Linux support for this, so you Linux users are out of luck.
With so many shortcomings, I present this question: Why bother? Why would anyone pay money for something that is not universally supported, either in Unicode or systemwide applications, and of course, in Linux? It's basically as useful as those smileys that install spyware on your computer. I offer this alternative. Use characters that are already universally accessible and Unicode standardized.
In the late 19th century, French poet Alcanter de Brahm proposed using something he called a point d’ironie, or irony point. It is essentially a backward-facing question mark, which is to be used to indicate that the sentence should be understood at a second level (irony, sarcasm, etc.) It is found in Unicode at two different code points, U+061F and U+2E2E, the former being the Arabic question mark, and the latter being a simple reversed question mark. There's already one irony mark in this blog post. (Linux, you ask? What's that؟) There's a bit of a problem using the Arabic question mark though. The English language is written from left to right (LTR). Arabic is written from right to left (RTL). This directional paradox is found in many text entry applications, from Web browsers to word processors. When typing using a primarily LTR script (like English), then all of a sudden, a character from a RTL script is inserted (like that Arabic question mark), the software automatically thinks, "Okay, the user has inserted a RTL character. Put the insertion point to the character's left." This can be confusing for writers new to the concept of switching back and forth between LTR and RTL. The solution would be to use the U+2E2E reversed question mark. The problem with this is that while Unicode is supported on Windows, Mac, and Linux, not all fonts have a glyph mapped to this code point. This is why you're seeing Arabic question marks instead of reversed question marks: ⸮.
This leads us to a second alternative, which can be used even on cell phones with international keyboard input. Of course, I'm referring to the inverted exclamation point (¡). Look at the above dialogue from The Big Bang Theory again with this punctuation.
Entering the inverted exclamation point is relatively simple. For Windows, it’s ALT+0161. In Mac, it’s Option+1. Much simpler (and less expensive) than buying and downloading a font. But what about sarcastic statements which are questions? Use the irony point. Since it looks like a question mark, there should at least be some kind of question associated with it.
In short, I suggest that to show sarcasm in written text, instead of buying and downloading a font with limited use and limited compatibility, use the following:
• The irony point (؟ or ⸮) when the sarcastic statement is a question
• The inverted exclamation point (¡) otherwise.
NOTE: This writing is not intended as sarcasm. If it were, every sentence of it would have ended with ¡ or ⸮.
Okay, like one time, I was out in the parking lot trying to remove my excess ear wax with a golf pencil, when I see this guy Marty trying to carry a big ol' sofa up the stairs all by himself. So I say to him, I say, "Hey, you want me to help you with that?" And Marty, he just rolls his eyes and goes, "No, I want you to cut off my arms and legs off with a chainsaw!" So I did. And then he gets all indignant on me. He's like, “Hey man, I was just being sarcastic!" Well that's just great. How was I supposed to know that? I'm not a mind reader, for cryin' out loud. Besides, now he's got a really cute nickname: Torso Boy. So what's he complaining about?Another example of misinterpreting sarcasm in one episode of The Big Bang Theory:
SHELDON: I have to say, I slept splendidly. Granted not long, just deeply and well.Later in the season, Leonard actually creates a sarcasm sign and holds it up for Sheldon to see. This was a one-time occurrence, though.
LEONARD: I'm not surprised. a well-known cure for insomnia is to break into your neighbor's apartment and clean.
SHELDON: Sarcasm?
LEONARD: You think?
SHELDON: Granted, my methods may have been somewhat unorthodox, but I think the end result will be a measurable enhancement of Penny's quality of life.
LEONARD: You know what, you convinced me. Maybe tonight we should sneak in and shampoo her carpet.
SHELDON: You don't think that crosses the line?
LEONARD: Yes… For God's sake, Sheldon, do I have to hold up a sarcasm sign every time I open my mouth?
SHELDON: You have a sarcasm sign?
LEONARD: No, I do not have a sarcasm sign.
---
LEONARD: You are going to march yourself over there right now and apologize.
SHELDON: (laughs)
LEONARD: What's funny?
SHELDON: That wasn't sarcasm?
LEONARD: No!
SHELDON: Woo, boy! You are all over the place this morning.
("The Big Bran Hypothesis")
The need for a visual indication of the use of sarcasm is not new, but some have offered suggestions, with little apparent success.
Enter: the SarcMark.
As the video above indicates, the SarcMark consists of a circular spiral design ending with a dot in the interior of the spiral, similar to the "at" symbol, @. The associated Web site, offers a font and additional software (supposedly for keyboard mappings), for US$1.99. Is it really worth it, though? Here's why I think it isn't.
First off, the mark is mapped to Unicode code point U+E001, which is in a Private Use area, and is not part of the Unicode standard. Next, in order to see the SarcMark glyph, you need a special font which contains the mark at U+E001. This is sold through the Web site. If you want an intended recipient to see this mark, that recipient must also have the font and software installed, unless, of course, your message (or the mark itself) is converted into an image. Next on the SarcMark Problem List, there is no free alternative. Further complicating this issue is that the SarcMark is a trademarked design (USPTO, SN 77522403, RN 3712952, filed 2008-07-15, registered 2009-11-17), so even if there was a free version of this mark, it could be subject to litigation. Further, I do not believe that registered trademarks like this are even allowed in Unicode. Even if it were to be included in Unicode, it would need to be moved from its current U+E001 code point to somewhere else (Probably in the U+2E31 to U+2E7F range, extending Supplemental Punctuation), so documents using the U+E001 version of the mark would have to make edits to their documents. Finally, it is not supported across all systems. Their Supported Platforms page lists several applications in Windows, an apparently kludgy way of entering it on Mac, and several models of Blackberry. It's not like I can open Text Editor in Windows or TextEdit on Mac, press the shortcut key, and it appears. Linux, you ask? What's that؟ There is no official Linux support for this, so you Linux users are out of luck.
With so many shortcomings, I present this question: Why bother? Why would anyone pay money for something that is not universally supported, either in Unicode or systemwide applications, and of course, in Linux? It's basically as useful as those smileys that install spyware on your computer. I offer this alternative. Use characters that are already universally accessible and Unicode standardized.
In the late 19th century, French poet Alcanter de Brahm proposed using something he called a point d’ironie, or irony point. It is essentially a backward-facing question mark, which is to be used to indicate that the sentence should be understood at a second level (irony, sarcasm, etc.) It is found in Unicode at two different code points, U+061F and U+2E2E, the former being the Arabic question mark, and the latter being a simple reversed question mark. There's already one irony mark in this blog post. (Linux, you ask? What's that؟) There's a bit of a problem using the Arabic question mark though. The English language is written from left to right (LTR). Arabic is written from right to left (RTL). This directional paradox is found in many text entry applications, from Web browsers to word processors. When typing using a primarily LTR script (like English), then all of a sudden, a character from a RTL script is inserted (like that Arabic question mark), the software automatically thinks, "Okay, the user has inserted a RTL character. Put the insertion point to the character's left." This can be confusing for writers new to the concept of switching back and forth between LTR and RTL. The solution would be to use the U+2E2E reversed question mark. The problem with this is that while Unicode is supported on Windows, Mac, and Linux, not all fonts have a glyph mapped to this code point. This is why you're seeing Arabic question marks instead of reversed question marks: ⸮.
This leads us to a second alternative, which can be used even on cell phones with international keyboard input. Of course, I'm referring to the inverted exclamation point (¡). Look at the above dialogue from The Big Bang Theory again with this punctuation.
SHELDON: I have to say, I slept splendidly. Granted not long, just deeply and well.You can easily see where Leonard is being sarcastic (even though Sheldon can't) with the inverted exclamation point placed at the end of those sentences.
LEONARD: I'm not surprised. a well-known cure for insomnia is to break into your neighbor's apartment and clean¡
SHELDON: Sarcasm?
LEONARD: You think?
SHELDON: Granted, my methods may have been somewhat unorthodox, but I think the end result will be a measurable enhancement of Penny's quality of life.
LEONARD: You know what, you convinced me. Maybe tonight we should sneak in and shampoo her carpet¡
SHELDON: You don't think that crosses the line?
LEONARD: Yes… For God's sake, Sheldon, do I have to hold up a sarcasm sign every time I open my mouth?
SHELDON: You have a sarcasm sign?
LEONARD: No, I do not have a sarcasm sign.
---
LEONARD: You are going to march yourself over there right now and apologize.
SHELDON: (laughs)
LEONARD: What's funny?
SHELDON: That wasn't sarcasm?
LEONARD: No!
SHELDON: Woo, boy! You are all over the place this morning.
Entering the inverted exclamation point is relatively simple. For Windows, it’s ALT+0161. In Mac, it’s Option+1. Much simpler (and less expensive) than buying and downloading a font. But what about sarcastic statements which are questions? Use the irony point. Since it looks like a question mark, there should at least be some kind of question associated with it.
In short, I suggest that to show sarcasm in written text, instead of buying and downloading a font with limited use and limited compatibility, use the following:
• The irony point (؟ or ⸮) when the sarcastic statement is a question
• The inverted exclamation point (¡) otherwise.
NOTE: This writing is not intended as sarcasm. If it were, every sentence of it would have ended with ¡ or ⸮.
25 December 2009
Of Santa Hats and Political Correctness
The other day, I went to play a video in VLC Media Player, an excellent open-source alternative to other media players like Windows Media Player. The icon for this app is a traffic cone. I noticed that this particular time I opened VLC, the traffic cone was wearing a Santa hat! I thought it was a nice, Christmasy touch, so I went online to see if other VLC users noticed this. I did notice mostly positive responses to the Santa hat “Easter egg” (or in this case, Christmas present). I did, however, notice posts like these:
Christmas Icon? How to remove for non christians?
I am seeing a santa hat icon now on my media viewer. Not being Christian and not celebrating Christian holidays I'm wondering how I can remove that? I would not want to believe that VLC has positioned itself as a Christians only project. Is there a way to disable this if a user finds it offensive to his differing beliefs?
- rwhelan, VLC forums, http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=69360
Re: Santa hat icon?The only solution that is offered is to download the source code, remove the Easter egg code, and recompile the program. There was one reply to the second post, which I tend to agree with.
For those of us that do not celebrate Christmas (or Easter, and as such do not always enjoy "Easter Eggs"), is there a way to remove the offending icon?
- realityiseverywhere, VLC forums, http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=53998&start=0#p177675
Re: Santa hat icon?I couldn't agree more. Apparently, some people are so zealous about their own beliefs, that they take offense when they see others celebrating different beliefs. Not only do they want to take Christ out of Christmas (as so many retail stores have already done), they want to take Christmas out of Christmas!
:shock: Offensive are you serious?! Has it gotten to the point where a Santa hat offends people? I mean seriously. My family celebrates Christmas and Easter but are not offended by the Menorah on display in my neighbors window. I'm not offended by The people at the corner gas station fasting for Ramadan or celebrating R'as as-Sana the Muslim New Year. Besides Santa has nothing to do with Jesus and Christianity. I'm sick of people of stirring the pot with all this holiday this is offensive that is offensive to somebody somewhere. It's bull and needs to stop :x
- cpyles07, VLC forums, http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=53998&start=0#p177975
As many people know, I am a Christian, and I celebrate Christmas. I take no offense at menorahs displayed in public, or postage stamps wishing people a happy Eid ul-Fitr. What I am slightly offended by is people or organizations who have taken any references to Christmas, and either replaced them or renamed them.
The federal holiday of Christmas is again under siege this year by secular forces that want to wipe out any public display of America's Judeo-Christian traditions. And what a problematic situation this has become, especially for big business. Sears and Kmart will absolutely not mention the word "Christmas" in ads this year. Wal-Mart will not either, along with scores of other retail stores. The reason these operations give for avoiding the C-word? They don't want to offend anyone by mentioning a holiday they might not celebrate.I have stated my position a few times, and there many who agree with me. However, there are still a few sticks in the mud that need to be corrected. A couple of years ago, I made a few spoofs of the MTA's "See something, say something" TV ads. The ads all began with the phrase, "Last year 1,944 New Yorkers saw something and said something." My twist was either an effect that this "seeing something, and saying something" caused, or a description of what was seen and said, as is the case here.
These stores believe "Happy Holidays" is more "inclusive." (I'm sure some Americans don't believe in any holidays; what about them?) Frankly, the executives who have banished Christmas from their advertising are insane. By doing that, they are offending tens of millions of traditional Americans who respect the Christmas season and want it called exactly what it is - Christmas.
…There is a huge backlash brewing on this Christmas deal. Judging from reaction to my reporting on TV and radio, millions of Americans have had enough of denigrating the birth of Jesus.…
Eighty-five percent of Americans call themselves Christians, and many of them are not happy with "Happy Holidays" as the imposed greeting of the season. Federated Department Stores (Macy's, Bloomingdale's and others) learned its lesson last year when it pushed the "Merry Christmas" greeting out the door and sales suffered.
…Most Christians are more than happy to acknowledge Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Happy Winter Time or whatever. Use them all, and to all a good night.
But no. The incredibly dense Grinches that run many American companies are so infected with political correctness, so afraid somebody might complain about the word "Christmas," that they throw the Baby Jesus out with the bath water.
Well, humbug. You do that — I'm shopping elsewhere.
Three wise men once came bearing gifts to honor a baby who would grow up to bring a great message to the world. If corporate chieftains are not wise enough to honor that message as well, they don't deserve any Christmas cheer. Simple as that.
- Bill O'Reilly, "Boycott 'Holiday' Stores," New York Post, December 3, 2005.
Christmas isn't just a holiday, it's a celebration. Merry Christmas, everyone!
03 December 2009
OOPS! is brought to you by erasers. Don't make a mistake without one.
A couple of weeks ago, signs like this one appeared in dining halls across the Queens College campus:
At the time, the price of a bottle of soda was $1.50. Note the amount of the increase stated on the sign, as quoted above: 0.7¢. As is (hopefully) still taught in homes and elementary schools across the country, one cent, which can be written in figures as 1¢ or $0.01, is a hundredth part (1/100) of one dollar. Also (hopefully) taught in elementary schools is the concept of real values between zero and one – “Fractions.” Young students also (hopefully) learn about a concept called “place value,” which essentially means that for each digit to the left or right of the decimal point, the digit’s value increases or decreases by a factor of 10. Therefore that 0.7¢ increase reported on these signs means that the increase is less than one cent (7×10-1 < 0×100). If anyone remembers that sketch from Square One TV, that dealt with the different ways of expressing fractions (which first aired in 1987), 0.7 could also be written as 70% and 7/10. (I should note that they write and say the decimal form of the fraction without the leading zero, but its value is the same.) If you don’t, I miraculously found it on YouTube. Watch and learn.
Why am I going on and on about the value of “zero point 7 cents”? Well, when I first saw this sign, I thought that it was interesting that they would increase the price by seven-tenths of a cent, bringing the price to $1.507 (or more sensibly, rounding up to the nearest cent, $1.51). On November 30th, they increased the price, but instead of seven-tenths of a cent, the price increased by seven cents! The amount of the increase was ten times the amount reported on the signs!
This is just a part of a disturbing trend that I’ve seen across the region, where people seem to be forgetting about place value, and how it relates to dollars and cents. If I were to go to a store which displays a sign advertising copies at a price of “.10¢” I would easily expect to walk in, make ten copies of something, and pay exactly one cent, because the sign advertises copies at one-tenth of a cent. However, if I am asked to pay a dollar, I would protest, saying that the sign says “.10¢,” and that “.10¢” is less than one cent, and 10×.10¢ is 1.00¢.
My point: If you’re going to raise the price of something by seven cents, just say that you’re raising the price by seven cents, not a fraction of a cent. Besides, I don’t think I have enough coupons with statements of cash value being a fraction of a cent to make seven-tenths of a cent!
At the time, the price of a bottle of soda was $1.50. Note the amount of the increase stated on the sign, as quoted above: 0.7¢. As is (hopefully) still taught in homes and elementary schools across the country, one cent, which can be written in figures as 1¢ or $0.01, is a hundredth part (1/100) of one dollar. Also (hopefully) taught in elementary schools is the concept of real values between zero and one – “Fractions.” Young students also (hopefully) learn about a concept called “place value,” which essentially means that for each digit to the left or right of the decimal point, the digit’s value increases or decreases by a factor of 10. Therefore that 0.7¢ increase reported on these signs means that the increase is less than one cent (7×10-1 < 0×100). If anyone remembers that sketch from Square One TV, that dealt with the different ways of expressing fractions (which first aired in 1987), 0.7 could also be written as 70% and 7/10. (I should note that they write and say the decimal form of the fraction without the leading zero, but its value is the same.) If you don’t, I miraculously found it on YouTube. Watch and learn.
Why am I going on and on about the value of “zero point 7 cents”? Well, when I first saw this sign, I thought that it was interesting that they would increase the price by seven-tenths of a cent, bringing the price to $1.507 (or more sensibly, rounding up to the nearest cent, $1.51). On November 30th, they increased the price, but instead of seven-tenths of a cent, the price increased by seven cents! The amount of the increase was ten times the amount reported on the signs!
This is just a part of a disturbing trend that I’ve seen across the region, where people seem to be forgetting about place value, and how it relates to dollars and cents. If I were to go to a store which displays a sign advertising copies at a price of “.10¢” I would easily expect to walk in, make ten copies of something, and pay exactly one cent, because the sign advertises copies at one-tenth of a cent. However, if I am asked to pay a dollar, I would protest, saying that the sign says “.10¢,” and that “.10¢” is less than one cent, and 10×.10¢ is 1.00¢.
My point: If you’re going to raise the price of something by seven cents, just say that you’re raising the price by seven cents, not a fraction of a cent. Besides, I don’t think I have enough coupons with statements of cash value being a fraction of a cent to make seven-tenths of a cent!
29 January 2008
What's Wrong with the SEPTA Convenience Pass?
The SEPTA Convenience Pass is definitely not worthy of its name. It's a pass issued by SEPTA for rides on SEPTA services, but it is hardly convenient. Many in the transit circle call it, more appropriately, the Inconvenience Pass (I will refer to it by either term during the remainder of the post). Here's how it came to be.
Before last year, SEPTA had a nice little pass called the Day Pass. It cost $5.50, and was good for travel on any SEPTA rail, bus, or trolley service. It was also good for one ride on SEPTA's regional rail system (of which the R7 I mentioned previously is a part, though it could not be applied to trips to or from Trenton). The way it works is somewhat simple. You buy the pass, and it comes in a little folder, with a sticker inside it. When you present it to a bus/trolley operator or booth clerk, (s)he would place the sticker on a dated transfer ticket. You could then show the transfer ticket to subsequent booth clerks or bus/trolley operators, and get an unlimited number of rides for the rest of the day. If the pass was used on the regional rail system, the conductor would punch a hole in a designated section of the sticker. Because of the nature of the day pass, requiring a dated transfer ticket to show validity for a given day, you could use the regional rail portion on one day, and use the rest on another day. It was truly remarkable.
During the middle of last year, SEPTA implemented a fare hike, which not only eliminated the Day Pass, it introduced the (In)Convenience Pass, and eliminated transfers. A court order forced transfers to be reinstated, but it was too late to save the Day Pass. The Convenience Pass was already being sold, and Day Passes were officially discontinued.
Why is the Convenience Pass so inconvenient? First, what it offers is somewhat less than the Day Pass that preceeded it. It is only valid for eight rides in a single day. It is not valid for travel on regional rail. At $6, it costs 50¢ more than the Day Pass. In the restrictive nature of the Convenience Pass compared to the Day Pass, there are already three negative points, which can be summed up by saying that you're paying more to recieve less.
The next thing that's wrong with the Inconvenience Pass is the size of the thing. At 4⅛ × 2⅞", it's larger than a credit card, so it won't fit in most wallets. That means you would have to carry it loose in your pocket while not in use, making it a bit easier to lose.
Next item on the Convenience Pass's naughty list, the way transactions involving the pass are carried out. It requires every bus/trolley operator and booth clerk to have a hole puncher readily available. And Heaven forbid having the pass being first used on a bus in a crowded street, or worse, a group of people who have all bought Inconvenience Passes and have walked from 1234 Market Street to catch the C bus for a ride up Broad Street. On the first use, the operator has to punch out four holes: The current month, the current day of the month (tens digit and ones digit), and the "1" indicating that this is the first trip using the pass. It's very cumbersome. Sometimes, the operator you show it to will just give it a look and wave you through to take a seat. He must have left his hole puncher at home or something. And judging from the size of the holes in each of the subsequent trips I've made with an Inconvenience Pass dated September 18, 2007, it doesn't appear to be a SEPTA-issued hole puncher, either. Apparently, any operator could simply walk into any office supply store and pick up a hole puncher for use on the job. (I took 6 SEPTA trips that day, but only had holes 1 through 5 punched out, because apparently, the trolley operator on an inbound trip from 40th Street didn't have his puncher. He just gave it a look and let me take a seat.) In an experiment, I simulated punching holes into an Inconvenience Pass. It took me about 40 seconds to look at the pass, reach for the puncher, and punch holes in the designated spots. Though with the right sized hole puncher, it could take about 20. But still, the whole ordeal of the first use takes longer than it should.
Finally, if you look at the back of the pass, there's a magnetic strip. What's the big idea of even having a magnetic strip if it's never used? Ideally, it could be used to keep track of the day in which it was used, and the number of trips taken so far, but since it's never swiped through a magnetic card reader, what's the point of having it?
That's what I don't like about the Inconvenience Pass. Other than that, it's a decent thing, but New York's $7 1-day unlimited pwns it.
Before last year, SEPTA had a nice little pass called the Day Pass. It cost $5.50, and was good for travel on any SEPTA rail, bus, or trolley service. It was also good for one ride on SEPTA's regional rail system (of which the R7 I mentioned previously is a part, though it could not be applied to trips to or from Trenton). The way it works is somewhat simple. You buy the pass, and it comes in a little folder, with a sticker inside it. When you present it to a bus/trolley operator or booth clerk, (s)he would place the sticker on a dated transfer ticket. You could then show the transfer ticket to subsequent booth clerks or bus/trolley operators, and get an unlimited number of rides for the rest of the day. If the pass was used on the regional rail system, the conductor would punch a hole in a designated section of the sticker. Because of the nature of the day pass, requiring a dated transfer ticket to show validity for a given day, you could use the regional rail portion on one day, and use the rest on another day. It was truly remarkable.
During the middle of last year, SEPTA implemented a fare hike, which not only eliminated the Day Pass, it introduced the (In)Convenience Pass, and eliminated transfers. A court order forced transfers to be reinstated, but it was too late to save the Day Pass. The Convenience Pass was already being sold, and Day Passes were officially discontinued.
Why is the Convenience Pass so inconvenient? First, what it offers is somewhat less than the Day Pass that preceeded it. It is only valid for eight rides in a single day. It is not valid for travel on regional rail. At $6, it costs 50¢ more than the Day Pass. In the restrictive nature of the Convenience Pass compared to the Day Pass, there are already three negative points, which can be summed up by saying that you're paying more to recieve less.
The next thing that's wrong with the Inconvenience Pass is the size of the thing. At 4⅛ × 2⅞", it's larger than a credit card, so it won't fit in most wallets. That means you would have to carry it loose in your pocket while not in use, making it a bit easier to lose.
Next item on the Convenience Pass's naughty list, the way transactions involving the pass are carried out. It requires every bus/trolley operator and booth clerk to have a hole puncher readily available. And Heaven forbid having the pass being first used on a bus in a crowded street, or worse, a group of people who have all bought Inconvenience Passes and have walked from 1234 Market Street to catch the C bus for a ride up Broad Street. On the first use, the operator has to punch out four holes: The current month, the current day of the month (tens digit and ones digit), and the "1" indicating that this is the first trip using the pass. It's very cumbersome. Sometimes, the operator you show it to will just give it a look and wave you through to take a seat. He must have left his hole puncher at home or something. And judging from the size of the holes in each of the subsequent trips I've made with an Inconvenience Pass dated September 18, 2007, it doesn't appear to be a SEPTA-issued hole puncher, either. Apparently, any operator could simply walk into any office supply store and pick up a hole puncher for use on the job. (I took 6 SEPTA trips that day, but only had holes 1 through 5 punched out, because apparently, the trolley operator on an inbound trip from 40th Street didn't have his puncher. He just gave it a look and let me take a seat.) In an experiment, I simulated punching holes into an Inconvenience Pass. It took me about 40 seconds to look at the pass, reach for the puncher, and punch holes in the designated spots. Though with the right sized hole puncher, it could take about 20. But still, the whole ordeal of the first use takes longer than it should.
Finally, if you look at the back of the pass, there's a magnetic strip. What's the big idea of even having a magnetic strip if it's never used? Ideally, it could be used to keep track of the day in which it was used, and the number of trips taken so far, but since it's never swiped through a magnetic card reader, what's the point of having it?
That's what I don't like about the Inconvenience Pass. Other than that, it's a decent thing, but New York's $7 1-day unlimited pwns it.
03 December 2007
Johnny Lingo Had a Cow, Traded for an Ugly Wife…
On Saturday, the Lingos Film Festival took place in Manhattan. In preparation, I submitted a video entitled, The Rest of NYC. I put a great deal of time and effort into making that video, and was satisfied to submit it via e-mail, and post it on YouTube.
At the start of Saturday night's event, I was excited in anticipation to see my creation presented before the large crowd that showed up there. There were several films that had me laughing, and then there were some that made me want to do my best impression of Homer Simpson shouting, "Boring!" Out of respect for the creators of those videos, I kept my mouth shut when such feelings came upon me.
The biggest surprise was not what was shown, but what was not shown. Even though there were many good videos, mine was not shown! At all! Not even a reference to it! The worst part is that nobody said anything to me about whether it could or could not be shown there. If I had received an e-mail a day or two before saying something like, "Hey, Robert. Could you bring a copy of your video on CD or DVD [or even on a flash drive] to the event? I can't seem to play it on my computer." I would have done so. I had produced it in 3 different formats: AVI DivX, WMV (which I sent via e-mail), and iPod-compatible MP4. However, nobody said anything to me about getting it in another format.
These videos, they're like my children. I have made 31 of them (with a 32nd on the way), and if someone doesn't give the video the respect it deserves, or the respect which I expect it to receive, it offends me. Nobody has given me a clear and proper explanation as to why it was not shown. I have worked my butt off to get this out before the submission deadline, and having done so, I expect nothing but the best treatment. (I'm not saying that it deserves to win an award, I'm saying that at the very least, it should have been shown to the audience.)
To not show a video which was submitted according to the directions I had received, and presuming that others had done the same, and not give an explanation as to why the video is not being shown, demonstrates a lack of respect toward the video and its creator. It's as if someone had come out of nowhere and slapped me in the face, for no other reason than to slap me in the face.
I had planned a release of this video on my blog during the week following the Lingos, so I promoted it to all I could get to listen to me for a moment. I am posting the video I submitted for Lingos as part of a double feature at 17:30 EST (That's 5:30 PM for those who don't understand the 24-hour clock), on Monday, December 3, 2007. It'll be right here on this blog. I've already mentioned it to many, and hopefully, they'll be watching.
For those who may wonder where the title of this post is from, it is from the film Johnny Lingo, where the name of the film festival comes from as well. A basic synopsis of the film can be found here. At the wedding party for Johnny and Mahana, some of the island kids began taunting him, saying, "Johnny Lingo Had a Cow, Traded for an Ugly Wife. Johnny Lingo's married now, He'll be sorry all his life!" That's how I felt when I discovered the faux pas of not seeing my video at the LFF.
At the start of Saturday night's event, I was excited in anticipation to see my creation presented before the large crowd that showed up there. There were several films that had me laughing, and then there were some that made me want to do my best impression of Homer Simpson shouting, "Boring!" Out of respect for the creators of those videos, I kept my mouth shut when such feelings came upon me.
The biggest surprise was not what was shown, but what was not shown. Even though there were many good videos, mine was not shown! At all! Not even a reference to it! The worst part is that nobody said anything to me about whether it could or could not be shown there. If I had received an e-mail a day or two before saying something like, "Hey, Robert. Could you bring a copy of your video on CD or DVD [or even on a flash drive] to the event? I can't seem to play it on my computer." I would have done so. I had produced it in 3 different formats: AVI DivX, WMV (which I sent via e-mail), and iPod-compatible MP4. However, nobody said anything to me about getting it in another format.
These videos, they're like my children. I have made 31 of them (with a 32nd on the way), and if someone doesn't give the video the respect it deserves, or the respect which I expect it to receive, it offends me. Nobody has given me a clear and proper explanation as to why it was not shown. I have worked my butt off to get this out before the submission deadline, and having done so, I expect nothing but the best treatment. (I'm not saying that it deserves to win an award, I'm saying that at the very least, it should have been shown to the audience.)
To not show a video which was submitted according to the directions I had received, and presuming that others had done the same, and not give an explanation as to why the video is not being shown, demonstrates a lack of respect toward the video and its creator. It's as if someone had come out of nowhere and slapped me in the face, for no other reason than to slap me in the face.
I had planned a release of this video on my blog during the week following the Lingos, so I promoted it to all I could get to listen to me for a moment. I am posting the video I submitted for Lingos as part of a double feature at 17:30 EST (That's 5:30 PM for those who don't understand the 24-hour clock), on Monday, December 3, 2007. It'll be right here on this blog. I've already mentioned it to many, and hopefully, they'll be watching.
For those who may wonder where the title of this post is from, it is from the film Johnny Lingo, where the name of the film festival comes from as well. A basic synopsis of the film can be found here. At the wedding party for Johnny and Mahana, some of the island kids began taunting him, saying, "Johnny Lingo Had a Cow, Traded for an Ugly Wife. Johnny Lingo's married now, He'll be sorry all his life!" That's how I felt when I discovered the faux pas of not seeing my video at the LFF.