Around the Meister/MacNeill World

Thank You

2009-11-11T06:04:00.001-05:00

On every day, we are thankful for our freedom. Thank You. To all of the veterans, of every nation, everywhere, who have given us that freedom.

New Site: MyRecommendations.ca

2009-10-04T10:36:00.003-04:00

We recently opened our latest site, My Recommendations. While a full site design is in process, the site is up and in production, noting our recommendations (both for good and BAD service). Be sure to check it out.

My Recommendations is designed to be a referral site - we will be allowing others to post their own recommendations - a place where users can find recommendations for a wide variety of companies and their overall reviews. Similar to Yelp, but more of a personal take on it. We hope you enjoy it.

Company Recommendations: Around the Home Handyman services

2009-09-28T13:37:00.008-04:00

Company: Around the Home Handyman - Norm (Norman) Richter - NOT RECOMMENDED

This company is NOT Recommended. Here is a link to their BBB listing. Note that the Around the Home BBB rating is not an "A" as noted on other sites.

(something I don't usually do here is comment on individual businesses or go on non-technical tirades. This is an exception to the rule - so if you're looking for tech comments, please ignore).

On a personal note, I can appreciate people can't work for free these days. It's tough - but any company who offers a one-year guarantee for their work should not be charging for problems with existing work (new work, yes - but work that they originally did? Absolutely not).

We have used Around the Home handyman services, owned by Norm Richter (also listed as Norman Richter) for two separate pieces of work: roofing and flooring. The roofing job was done extremely well and on budget. After the flooring work, we will never use them again.

The flooring job was a mixed bag. We were originally quoted about $1600 for a kitchen and mudroom renovation. Since we were paying by the hour, it was expected to go higher. The final tally was over $3000. Originally expected to take 3-4 days, it was over a week. Time was ADDED to the bill that was never received until we forced the issue as noted below.

The initial tiling looked great - but had some problems that were evident 3 days after the job was completed. This is where the problems began.

There was a crack in one of the tiles and several holes in grout around the floor. The biggest problem however is the supposed one year guarantee. FOUR months after we initially called and reported the problem, Norm finally came around to fix things, saw and reviewed the problems with the tiles and grout. The next day, they only fixed the tile (and replaced another) but did not correct the grout problems, blaming us. Keep in mind this was FOUR months after we tried to get them to come in.

Subsequent follow-ups was that he couldn't do the work for free (even though it was part of the original work) and that we should have used an insurance company's tilers to fix the grout that was caused by his work. He then subsequently blamed our floor.

I wish they had told us up front that they could NOT do the job properly.

Needless to say, I would NOT recommend them for any flooring work.

More details can be seen on our new recommendations site.

Help Save Bam Bam

2006-12-18T09:19:00.000-05:00

If you don't know the story, check it out here

Yeah, obviously people shouldn't be taking wildlife and taking care of it, but when it's been there for years and is now domesticated, the government shouldn't move it to a zoo who is going to be PAID for breeding it.

That's just wrong.

Gladwell on Defining A Racist

2006-12-05T13:10:00.000-05:00

here's an excellent article by Malcolm Gladwell (from Blink) - all about
gladwell.com: Defining A Racist

Celebrity Rand Fans

2006-07-12T13:38:00.000-04:00

Celebrity Rand Fans

Apart from the obvious ones on the cover, those noted with the Atlas Shrugged Movie project, the list?

Rob Lowe, Vince Vaughn (???), Sandra Bullock, Christina Ricci, Sharon Stone, Jerry Lewis, Tom Selleck, Ashley Judd, Eva Mendes, Steven Spielberg, hmph - the list goes on....

Jacksons looking for good health for Barbaro, not big bucks

2006-05-24T17:07:00.000-04:00

Having gone through spending thousands on our animals, I hope Barbaro survives. It's good to see that even in a business like horse-racing, compassion will hopefully win out.

SI.com - More Sports - Jacksons looking for good health for Barbaro, not big bucks - Wednesday May 24, 2006 10:48AM

Part of me died when I saw this cruel killing - Sunday Times - Times Online

2006-05-09T12:11:00.000-04:00

This is more of a blow to anyone who wants to help Iraq.

Why bother?

Terrorists who want the violence will continue, killing even their own simply to demonstrate their anger.

This article is quite sad to read but also makes one (at least me) feel very ambiguous on wanting to see Iraq move forward. It may be better for everyone to just leave and let them all kill each other. As long as an army attempts to preserve the illusion of "peace", civilians will die in what is arguably much like a gang turfwar where no one wins.

That said, I don't believe that all Iraqis are like this and promote this type of action but then, when Bagdad was taken over, the sight of people running through the streets screaming with joy was slightly offset by the mid-east tradition of shooting machine guns in the air.

Cultures are different, I know - but that approach to celebration is just messed up.

On a different but related topic, after seeing ER do their "Darfur" piece, I feel the same way about there. (especially after seeing the UN truck get attacked as well just yesterday) What could possibly justify people , not just kicking or beating, but killing with their bear hands and then having a child crush the person's head?

Yes - I have a western lifestyle but I understand different cultures but this? I just don't get it. and hope I never do.

Part of me died when I saw this cruel killing - Sunday Times - Times Online

AYN RAND - PITT AND JOLIE TO TEAM UP FOR ATLAS SHRUGGED

2006-04-28T12:30:00.000-04:00

AYN RAND - PITT AND JOLIE TO TEAM UP FOR ATLAS SHRUGGED

Hmmm - that would make for an interesting movie.

And there's room for George Clooney, Andy Garcia, Matt Damon...hmmm - maybe just make another good old Ocean movie while they're at it.

Seriously though, if they get attached to the project, that's GREAT news all the way around because it will ensure it finally gets made.

A Busy Weekend

2006-04-10T09:23:00.000-04:00

But with a new tool.

Tom Cruise: Intelligent or just crazy?

2005-06-25T10:50:00.000-04:00

If you only hear the recent snippets of the Matt Lauer interview with Tom Cruise, you might be excused for thinking he went off the deep end with Matt. (our local paper covered it as though he had gone nuts) but then you wouldn't really be listening to all he said.

Ya, he was pretty rude at times (was jet lag the cause? who knows) but his reasoning is solid. It isn't good enough for public commentators to come out and say "and now here's a story about kids doing well on Ritalin" because IT DOES send a mixed signal to viewers. This is where all biased journalism falls into the area.

The US Govt comes out and says "Iraq is going to be a free place" and they get jumped on because they are telling people what they want them to hear. The news producer says "our story will focus on the positive impact of ritalin" and as a result, the viewer comes out with a distorted view on it. But if someone accuses them of faulty journalism, they don't want to get called on it.

While Tom's recent behaviour may be a bit "over the top", and is likely losing him a lot of fans, it's something he is passionate about. And if he hasn't been passionate about anything before, then hey - good for him for finding something. How many people like to see their stars passionate about something that they themselves don't know about, will be interesting to see. It's not like an Angelina Jolie going out to save African orphans, which is something that almost everyone can say "this isn't good - what can we do>" or 9/11 tributes - when it's an issue such as medicine where people are told to accept what someone (usually a Dr) says and then there are conflicting stories (like Kyoto as well), those who stand on one side will always be ridiculed.

If you read page 3 of the interview (last real paragraph), I think Tom sums it up best. (and here's the direct quote:
Cruise: You just communicate about it. And the important thing is, like you and I talk about it, whether it's okay, if I want to know something, I go and find out. Because I don't talk about things that I don't understand. I'll say, you know what? I'm not so sure about that. I'll go find more information about it so I can come to an opinion based on the information that I have.

Earlier they had said:
Lauer: It's very impressive to listen to you. Because clearly, you've done the homework. And you know the subject.

Cruise: And you should. And you should do that also
)

Now, imagine if our leaders did that. That would be interesting.

Today Weekend did a GREAT follow-up, I thought. No link yet - but hopefully they'll post it. It had three good counter points: two doctors and Marie Osmond who despite going through post-partum depression with the help of drugs, was GENERALLY on Tom's side (while obviously not saying he's absolutely right).

'I'm passionate about life' - Today Entertainment - MSNBC.com

Michael Jackson Not Guilty

2005-06-13T17:16:00.000-04:00

As hoped and I'm very happy to report, Michael Jackson has been found NOT guity.

I agree with Adam Curry, he's screwed up but he's not a criminal. If anything, asexual.

Thank God for proper justice.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith - Great Movie

2005-06-13T09:02:00.000-04:00

Saw this on Saturday. What an absolutely great movie - funny, action-packed and romantic. It's got it all!

Reminded me a lot of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid but for married people.

Forget about the gossip surrounding the movie - this is just one GREAT flick to see (and yes, it IS because of the chemistry - Jolie and Pitt definitely have it).

Can't wait for the DVD - almost want to go back and see it again.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Ottawa Sun Online: NEWS - Fans waiting to get Stoned

2005-05-26T07:31:00.000-04:00

Aren't people aware that they could have already purchased tickets for the Rolling Stones concert via the pre-sales event?

I think it's sad that this information is available to all - and that these "die-hard" fans may miss out on tickets because they weren't aware of it.

To quality, you just have to become a member of the Rolling Stones fan club - ($125 Cdn) - but you get the best seats immediately. See here for more details.

I've already got mine.

Just a thought that it might be worth mentioning in an article.
Ottawa Sun Online: NEWS - Fans waiting to get Stoned

We're going to the Rolling Stones

2005-05-25T14:33:00.000-04:00

Just ordered my tickets for the Rolling Stones in Ottawa. yahoo!!

Presales are great. To get them at the presale, you had to become a member of the Rolling Stones fan club ($) but hey! no scalpers get me, no rush to wait for tickets - and we've got great seats!

Floor A1 - Row 34 seats 7 and 8.

This year should be awesome - Black Eyed Peas, Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney!

Official Ticketmaster site. Frank Clair Stadium (at Lansdowne Park) Ottawa, ON tickets . Directions, seating chart, events.

Great Restaurant in the West End: West End Station

2005-05-18T13:38:00.000-04:00

Amazing food. Great choice of wine. Good time.

It's nice to have a fine dining establishment in the West-End of Ottawa.

We typically go to Darcy McGees which is amazing food and enjoyment. But if you're looking for a place a little more upscale with a menu that changes daily, a table d'hote but not too stuffy - check out West End Station.

west end station near Nepean, ON, Canada