Helladog

Revenue Canada Harassment

2011-08-08T20:53:00.000-03:00

The Canadian government, especially the Conservatives like to highlight all these great new tax deductions. There are already a good number of them we as Canadian taxpayers rely on year after year. But there is a cost...if you deduct too much, even when you are honest, they'll come and hound you.

I got a nice little letter today from Revenue Canada, I can't say it was completely unexpected. I got a nice refund last April, and I kind of knew the tax man would come sniffing around. However, I find the hoops I have to jump through a bit on the harassing side.

I have a 10-year old son, who I've been able to claim for years now as an elgible dependent, and enjoy all the normal deductions that apply. This year, they have asked for a lot of the same things they have been getting through the years, including his name, address, date of birth, relationship to me, net income, SIN number, and custody. This involves the bringing together of many documents, including utility bills to prove my address, written statements, and more.

What they don't realize is that I currently have a job, and a child to raise, which gives me little time to put aside to do their paperwork for them. If I was sitting on my duff all day collecting from them instead of paying to them, this wouldn' be an issue. They already have all of this information. This is a lot to expect from someone in terms of time and insult, I'm surprise they don't want blood tests.

I'll jump through their hoops though, I have no choice. I suppose it's not too much to ask of me, just so I can have the right to pay the income of career welfare recipients who don't pay taxes and get extra money for extra children that aren't actually mine.

Why the iPad is King

2011-07-26T02:51:00.003-03:00

Tired of making excuses for holding out, I finally bought my first (real) tablet last weekend as a climax to the end of my vacation. I already waited for the release of the newest model, iPad 2, and I knew another netbook wouldn't do the trick.

Apple's iOS devices, iPad, iPhone, and iPod, are very proprietary in that Apple requires that you use iTunes to transfer files, and in that Apple has strict control over it's offerings in the app store. It's well know that Flash isn't supported (intentionally), and has now made it near impossible for competing ebook apps to sell directly.

Why is the iPad king then? As the first tablet to actually create a new computer category, it lives up to the hype, and is much more useable than it's competition.

TABLETS

I've played with other tablets, mostly running Android, and I find it a bit strange compared to iOS in it's organization, and it seems a bit clumsy, and less smooth in it's operation. The biggest problem with Android is that just about about anyone can build a tablet and stick Android on it. There are good quality tablets running it, but you have to find them first. Android has the advantage of being open source, which is great for development, but, there is little to no quality control in the products or applications developed for it.

Though it has had a rough time with the critics, I think the Blackberry Playbook is the only product of it's kind to offer any competition operation-wise to the iPad. I like it's smaller size, and it works much more smoothly than any Android-based device I have used. The gestures make sense, it actually works with Flash, as opposed to my favored iPad, and offers a true multi-tasking experience. If it had been embraced by the public at it's introduction, I may well have bought it instead. Unfortunately, I have to ultimately consider usability as developers will only make apps for the most popular devices.

NETBOOKS/LAPTOPS

I have owned a few other portable devices, and have resold them quickly because they did not live up to my home computer in respect to one area: continous use. It used to be impossible for one to expect a portable computer to hold more than two hours of battery power before requiring a recharge.

I haven't tested how well the iPad lives up to it's boasted ten hours per charge, but it appears to be in that area. When using a laptop or netbook, I lived under the continuous fear that I needed to either find an outlet, or get my work done within a specific period of time. As it usually goes with batteries, they eventually loose the ability to hold as much as when new. two hours is bad enough for me. With the iPad, I an not concerned I will run out of power between charges.

Without moving parts like hard drives, it not only retains it's power longer, but boots faster. Standby mode on the iPad literally sips power almost undetected, compared to other portable devices, that need to be fully shut down to save power when unused. Standby mode on the iPad is off to me, so a full boot isn't needed and I'm using it immediately.

The iPad, being light, slim, fast, and requiring less power, has continued to rule the tablet category since it was created. There remains the potential for other tablets to eventually dethrone iPad, but for now Apple still dominates, despite it's extreme protectionism.

Shopping for a New Tablet Just Got Easier

2011-02-27T23:45:00.001-04:00

Anxious to get my hands on one of the new and upcoming tablets this year, I decided to see if the Mororola Xoom had been released yet, hearing they were due out at the end of February.

It appears they have indeed been released according to their website...at least south of the border. As I recall, the first version of the iPad was released all over North America at the same time. I guess I'll keep my eyes open for the new Blackberry Playbook and Apple iPad; hopefully these two devices will be released in Canada and the US at the same time. Oh well, at least this narrows down my choices during buying time.

Hopefully, none of these devices will be attached to a contract with a wireless network, like the Samsung tablet which despite being inferior to the iPad, was higher in price even with a three year contract, that is until just recently as Rogers dropped the price to zero, probably because of poor sales. I hardly ever use the phone function on my iPhone anyway, so the fact the Samsung can make calls is not much of a selling point to me. It does appear that the Xoom is being sold through Verizon dealers in the US though.

Since Rogers can add another data device to my data plan for ten bucks, unless Apple adds a phone to the iPad 2, this looks like a pretty good deal. We'll have to see what happens with the Playbook.

Taco Bell at the Regent Mall

2011-02-17T08:12:00.001-04:00

Taco Bell thinks "inside the mall" with a new stand at the Regent Mall in Fredericton. With McDonalds now gone, Taco Bell caters to those of us looking for some good greasy food.

I always loved the food at Taco Bell, frequenting the Saint John location once and awhile. Although there is some question about how much actual meat goes into their food, I find it works for me.

I was at the mall last Saturday, and tried the cheesy gourdita, or whatever it's called, along with a order of fries supreme. Service was great, which is unusual these days in a food court, and the food didn't disappoint.

Halifax Fire

2009-05-01T00:50:00.000-03:00

Credit: Deborah Sharpe

While the fire currently raging in Halifax is pretty bad; I think this photo submitted to CTV is really cool.

Cat Show

2009-04-18T22:02:00.000-03:00

Folks from the Chickadee Cat Club were in McAllister Place Mall today, promoting the ACFA Championship & Hosehold Pet Cat Show which is slated for June 6, in Fredericton. For cat lovers looking for an excuse to get out of town for the day, here you go.

Website: http://www.catshows.us/chickadeecatclub/

Bank Machine Hack

2009-04-18T21:27:00.000-03:00

I found out today that if you approach a bank machine and hit 911 on the keypad, it will spit out $20-bills.

Around Saint John Address Change

2009-04-17T21:33:00.000-03:00

I'm currently switching things around, so if you've come to see Around Saint John, please follow this link: http://aroundsj.blogspot.com/