I've created a monster

How does it happen? One minute everything is normal, the next I have a bouncing 'Tigger' on my hands. Maybe I just shouldn't be complaining?

It all started about 14 years ago, I agreed to go out with a mullet wearing, holes in the ass of his jeans, rocker t-shirted guy. 14 years ago (or so) we got excited about one another - hyped on what the other was into adding to their energy. Despite ebbs and flows as all relationships have, the man who would not consider changing anything about his appearance - except for his colourful boxer shorts he wore under his saggy ass jeans - has adopted his wife's wacky appreciation for obscure fashion and style. Who would have thought?

We have a rule around our home, one of very few btw - if you believe in something strongly enough, I will stand by you. Well, I have always believed that there is always an abundance of opportunity and options in ones 'life'. I encourage my family and those around me to constantly be aware of this. Happiness for me is reducing and eventually eliminating the two words 'have to' from my vocabulary. To do this, I make an attempt to only do the things that balance with my way of thinking, my beliefs and my core values. As a result, my karma is far better off.


So when my wonderful spouse all of a sudden develops an addiction to eBay, what am I to do? After all, I am likely just a little bit responsible for the outcome. First I let (okay, encourage, maybe even bribe with sex... no,... not sex, that was two weeks ago when I didn't want to go to an all day auction alone) him come to the Vintage Clothing sale with me last weekend, then I tell him what type of 'things' are 'hot' in the vint world, then I tell him to check it out for himself, 'go on eBay' I say........

Well, my hubby likes clothes, adores funky shoes, but who would have thought - cufflinks. I too may have started that.... come to think about it, yep, I think I did.....yikes. You see, I picked him up two pairs of exquisite antique cufflinks a few years back, for Christmas. This spring I picked him up a couple more pairs. Each time I do this I of course have a story on how I acquired them. (cufflinks are collectable, certain ones hold very high values, the game, is to find the steals - standard seek and find stuff that goes with antique and vintage hunting)

Over the course of two evenings, my Darling has aspired to complete 4 eBay transactions, has 4 more bids in and has two more being 'watched'. At this rate, he is going to out do me by a long shot this month. Thank goodness we are out on Thursday evening!

Now on the positive side of things...... a fellow eBayer can not lecture his wife on the woes of her vintage clothing collection - now can he? Seriously, I'm happy when he's happy. I'm not sure why I just passed on my tricks to winning auctions to him though..... the whole tutorial.... 'Come here dear, watch while I out whit you opponent and win you these cufflinks.... Just what was I thinking?

In closing, yes, I stand by the 'I will support you' commitment, with my fingers crossed - perhaps he'll bore of collecting cufflinks and decide I need some help collecting clothing and boots - one can only hope. Oh and anyone one that reads my entries and knows my husband - you need not mention this little expose to him and you certainly do not need to encourage him any further with respect to bestowing the virtues of collecting men’s adornments - what will happen you ask - You know me... I will get even!

Have a wonderful Cherry Day all.

Yummy Monday!

I know you are just dying to find out about a couple of things (maybe 'dying' is a strong word); last Friday's shopping excursion and the Vintage Sale.

I'll start with the sale - Yummy, intoxicating, beautiful, abundant, tantalizing and to quote my husband and fellow clothes horse; 'what's not to like about the sale - beautiful clothes and beautiful women'.

Yes, Hubby went with me. I didn't even have to twist his arm or bribe, he came willingly - mind you it could have been the 'list' I was putting together for him should he have chosen to stay home.

The quality and selection at this year's show sale was amazing. Vendors brought with them a plethora of garments ranging from 'costume replica vintage' (vintage pieces used in productions) to trendy Jackie O outfits and adorning jewelry of every imaginable colour and composition. There were shoes, boots, hats, coats, jackets, dresses, skirts, blouses. Men’s, women’s and children’s clothing of all kinds. There were distinctive Asian silks and estate collections. There was indeed, something for everyone in attendance.

What was as interesting as the goods for sale were the sale goers themselves. Most sporting some sort of vintage piece, many in full outfits (including hair and makeup) - at times it was like walking on to a movie set. Strangers complementing one another on their tastes and opportunity of grasping their 'cool find'. The vendors were amazing as well. Good service, helpful advice all around - what a treat!

The whole 'good customer service' is still something that escapes most retail and often many of the service industry. I keep coming back to it, because so many people mention it to me. It likely has something to do with our frustration in not being able to do much about it.

What is most frustrating is that often, there are no alternatives to a product or service, or if there are, service at the competition is even more appalling. So what do we do as good consumers.... we shut up and hand over our hard earned dollars to be treated like pond scum. Sick!

As a result of Friday's shopping I have few questions I'm just going to put out there: Why is it that most (not all) women behind the cosmetic and fragrance counters treat consumers like last year's ghoulish eye shadow colour? Why when customers introduce themselves and asks a question store clerks release an audible groan? Why do Sales Associates, who get paid bonuses based on volume of sales, play hide and seek in the isle of their stores with customers looking for help? Why, when the cashier has a problem punching in a code, does she always take it out on my bread and tomatoes? Why are those exceptional store assistants not allowed to wear a bright big red bow and a gold star so that we can all find them in a crowd of imposters?

A brief recap: Ken, in computers and accessories rocks! (Kanata Ontario Future Shop) He read the fear on my face while I was trying to figure out which headset to buy. He didn't run away when I had questions. He was straightforward and seemingly honest about the product selection and what would suit my requirements. Top Kudos!

Future Shop appears to give a hoot about the customer. The store is always well staffed with courteous and knowledgeable associates. Return policy is great too. They also have this solution which is really nice at holiday time - order your product online and pick it up at the store. Perfect for those last minute shoppers - providing the item is in stock in store that is. Their delivery is very good as well, quick and reliable - no need to even brave the stores - shop online and save destroying your good karma.

Now not so good in the in store service front last week was Shoppers Drug Mart. I've said it before and I'll reiterate it here - overall I like the stores. There are a few similarities though that seem to run throughout all of the stores: Most of the cosmetic people are okay, but not outstanding to deal with - hey ladies... you are trying to sell me potions and solutions that will erase years off my face at high dollar amounts.... maybe, you'd like to smile at me and at least pretend that you think I'm worthy. Cashiers - wow is it hard to find one that seems to like their job. My Mom used to say, 'if you keep screwing your face up like that, it'll stay that way'.... perhaps this is what has happened to the cashiers?

Home Depot - I get angry that this is a huge American Corporation that does retail and customer service so well. I have never left a store feeling out of sorts. One would think that it is a pretty simple equation that Home Depot follows and I believe it is. They start at the top and train down. The attitude at the corporate level is the same at the clerk level. Now there are always going to be the bad in every basket - but the numbers seems to be greatly reduced. Kudos for doing it right - perhaps you guys can sell your template.

Indecently, the hardware store I appall - Home Hardware. I watch the commercials, I want to support my local shops and services, but these guys overall make it difficult. I was recently in a huge store in Perth Ontario. When I went to the Customer Service desk to ask where I'd find coco mat I apparently went way over the line. The two women who I disturbed (after standing patiently for over 5 minutes while they talked about their husbands and kids) were very upset with me. When I turned in the general direction of the one's pointing the other said ' we should have made her wait longer’, of course with the audible snide giggle. I turned around and left the store - I don't think they cared.

So, I often question myself, 'am I just expecting too much'? Well, 'The National Retail Federation' (American unfortunately) just released a study. Apparently, I am not alone.

Washington, DC, November 2, 2006—The best retailer for customer service doesn’t have a parking lot, a friendly greeter, or even a single store. According to the second annual NRF Foundation/American Express Customer Service Survey, online retailer Amazon.com is the nation’s top company for customer service.

Amazon.com is followed by Nordstrom, L.L.Bean, Overstock.com, and Lane Bryant. Retailers rounding out the top ten included Boscov’s, Kohl’s, REI, Lands’ End, and Macy’s in the survey conducted by BIGresearch. The top ten will be honored with the “Customers’ Choice” award, given to companies that have achieved a reputation for excellence in customer service.

“Consumers are beginning to demand more from retailers and are making conscious decisions about where to shop based on their expectations for good service,” said NRF Foundation President Tracy Mullin. “Making sure that customers have an exceptional shopping experience is at the top of the list for retailers this holiday season.”

Expectations of Customer Service on the Rise

When it comes to service, customers say they expect the most from restaurants, which had a 4.46 rating out of 5.0. Specialty stores (4.40) and department stores (4.12) were next on the list. Although they expect more from some retailers than others, shoppers’ expectations of service rose in all categories this year compared to last. According to the survey, customers’ service expectations have risen the most with warehouse clubs (a 3.86 rating this year compared to a 3.58 rating in 2005, a 7.95% increase), discount stores (3.40 vs. 3.21, a 5.88% increase) and online (3.92 vs. 3.71, a 5.75% increase).

“From flexible return policies to friendly sales associates, the definition of customer service varies from one shopper to another,” said Glenda McNeal, Senior Vice President, Retail and Emerging Industries, American Express Establishment Services. “However shoppers choose to measure service, retailers are constantly evaluating the customer experience to ensure that people are receiving the best service possible.”

I often maintain, you need to be an absolute idiot to screw up an online relationship - though many companies do without working at it. However, overall the experience should be considerably better - given that there are no inattentive sales associates and irritated cashiers to deal with. I believe the writing is on the wall for bricks and mortar retail - if they do not shape up, their revenue base is going to further migrate away from them and spend more of their dollars online, without the hassles.

We would all love to hear of your Kudos and you Disappointments - good needs to be bragged about, bad needs to be exposed. That is what Hot Cherry Review is all about.

Have a Cherry filled day!

Fakes, Flakes and Fridays

Ah, the life of the 'Friday' - relaxed, optimistic, energized and spontaneous.

I wonder, how many women spend there hard earned shopping and self pampering dollars on Fridays? Personally, though I always seem to need to, I'd rather shop any other day of the week.

Have you ever noticed how down right nasty people in grocery stores get on Fridays? (not as bad as Thursday around 4pm - stay away at all costs!) They scowl, guide their carts around the store as though they were running on high octane. The drivers huffing and puffing as they go. If you ever want to get under someone's skin on Friday - lally your way through the grocery store.... it ticks all of the racing freaks right off.

Are you one of those freaks? Stop and think about it next time - life is too short to get too upset.

Today I'm headed out to find myself a couple of things. I need a headset so I can use Skype for some of my long distance calls. I'm not really sure what makes a good headset and I'm not sure where I'm going to find it - such is the challenge.

After I secure that little piece of necessary hardware, its off to Shoppers for a pick up of a quick list. Now I like Shoppers. The staff is usually friendly, informative and willing to help you out. The one thing I don't like about the drug mart gone general grocery is the need to constantly check their pricing. I often find that their prices are as much as $3 more than the product aisles in the grocery store - same items, same products.

Speaking of which, what do you think about the new 'Loblaws brand' Supper Stores? I really do not have an opinion yet, even though I've been into the new monstrosity near my home. There is just so much - everything.

I understand that it is the Loblaws agenda to beat Wal-Mart to the punch in Canada. In our region alone, there is talk of several of these super stores. Wal-Mart - the evil American converging on us Northern is in expansion mode. They are slated to bring a huge number of their own 'Super Stores' to Ontario within the next couple of years. The little town I live outside is even getting one.... life used to be simple.

That's it for my Friday goings on. Oh, for those who are not from Canada that read this - thank you and no, still no snow here.

Have a Hot Cherry Day and weekend. I'll be reporting back about this weekend's Vintage Sale in Ottawa.

Fat lips, Ugly Women, Hair Salons

We all know how the simplest 'happenings' turn into the biggest lessons. Please sit back and grab your coffee, this one could get a little long winded.

In between appointments, I snuck into my 'hair spa' (yeah, it's a salon, but spa sounds more exotic) for a touch up of colour. I've been going to this same place for 4 years now. I keep going because I have a stylist and colourist to die for, the rest of the staff is outstanding, the owner friendly and they can usually fit me and my erratic schedule in. ('Reflections', Bank and 3rd, The Glebe, Ottawa)

So, in I go. The girls at the front, after a friendly chat send me to the back to meet up with my colourist, 'who is expecting me'. Off I toddle. On route I am greeted by another stylist, who shows me to 'my chair'. This is where is all starts to go bad.

I do the perfunctory glance around at the other ladies, in doing so, I catch the stare of death coming from a women getting her sopping mop wrapped in a towel at a wash station. About this time, I notice a large purse taking up space at the station; it's then that it comes to me.... why I was the recipient of the glare.

My colourist quickly appears and before I can settle into the chair apologizes and asks me to sit in 'this other chair'. Apparently, the huge purse was an indication that someone was occupying the chair and I should have realized this prior to lowering my butt. How stupid of me! How disrespectful..... how, could I have known!

Hold on, it gets better. I also should have realized I'd pulled a no no when all of the other women in the colour area gave me a broad smile and knowing node.... ahhh, they too must have felt the chill from the chick in the chair.

So, chicky makes her way to my ex chair, plops herself down, lets out an audible huff ( I hear this even over the pleasantries I am exchanging with my colourist). Out of no where comes an arm and a brush of a body.... why it's my new neighbor and here's what she's doing. Apparently, the stack of 20 or so magazines in front of her at 'her' station where not sufficient to keep her engaged. She took two of mine (typically not my kind of reading anyway... something to do with DYI home decorating... as if), set them down in front of her. Now, I try when ever possible to conceal my reactions to things like this, however, I wasn't able to do so this time. It was such a bazaar jester on her part, that and all of the other women (5 in total) watching the display from 'chicky', seemed to be looking at me. Smiles and knowing nods all around, we all went back to our conversation.

It was about this time that I realized that I had a book with me when I stopped for coffee next door and now I didn't. Quickly, I needed to run back over and get it. On my way back in I couldn't help but notice 'chicky' using the house phone at the front of the salon. So much for getting right down to reading those mags she plucked away from me earlier.

Now about 20 minutes has passed, I'm looking very stunning in my plastic bag over my head of hair get up when I notice that 'chicky' is actually looking through one of the mags. Then I hear it.... rippppppp. What the heck, I think and look over at her..... she is ripping pages out of the salon's magazines. I guess she wanted to take home the DYI tips..... rippppppp again... more pages make their way into her personalized pile.

Just when I thought I was going to say something to her, she stepped up to the plate...... the owner of the salon was on his was by.....'Robert, Robert, Robbbertttt - I'm in your chair next!' 'Robert, Rob-ber-t...... I can't be late, I must be on time for Clinton, they lock the doors!' 'Seriously Robert, I can't be late!'..... Yeah. As it turns out, 'chicky' was apparently heading to the sold out 'Clinton' speaking event.

Well that is where my exchange with 'chicky' pretty much ends. I do have some additions though.

Turns out, 'chicky' is Randi Shinder, the beauty and brain behind notables CLEAN™ Fragrance and Dessert Beauty™ and most recently LipFusion. ("... the first needle-free micro-injected, collagen lip enhancer) Few people know that Randi is a resident of Ottawa most think of her as being from NYC.

Judging by her actions today in the salon, perhaps Ms Shinder has spent far too much time, pushing her way around the city of stars, celebrities and importance and she simply couldn't help herself.

I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt, knowing that all hip chicks have off days and write this one down to just that. I am not impressed though- I am rather disappointed. I would have expected a woman with such successes in business would have learned and applied a key lesson long ago.

Perception is everything. It doesn't matter to most of us who you are if you are out of line, over bearing, a down right bitch - it is simply not acceptable. Now Ms Randi could and likely is a wonderful woman, who embraces business and who had no intention of offending anyone in that salon today - maybe, however she could also be just so full of herself that she doesn't give a rat's ass who anyone is and believes that she is the only one that matters.

My point...... you never know who is watching, you never know who's company you are in. If you represent a product, service or even if you an intern at your company, the reputation of what you do, rides with you.

This little fact has escaped corporate North America and still does. I could never figure out why the first point of contact, usually a receptionist on the phone or at the front desk is one of the lowest paid employees. He or She will set the entire 'mood' of the company. They have the first point of contact and have the ability to leave the best or worse impressions. For example a rude receptionist will leave a person feeling that the rest of the company will be 'rude' as well. Perhaps not true, but, it is what is perceived.

So, in closing, Randi Shinder - I was thinking about including your product (and still might) in our 'lip enhancer lip off' - though we might have to re think that. Besides, I would assume Randi would be using her own product and truthfully her lips didn't look any better than mine...... hummmm.

Do you have a story, thought or suggestion to share with the rest of us. How do you handle a 'chicky'?

Have a Hot Cherry Day!

Waiting, waiting, waiting....

Have you ever sent an email that you were really looking forward to a response to - only to go for what feels like forever without one?
Do you start wondering if your email ever got through? On the other hand, perhaps, for some reason, theirs couldn't get through to you?
Come on, you know the feeling.

When we posted last night's blog (Get Plucked) we also sent out an invitation to the contestants to write us and tell us more about the show. In particular, how they compete, what they win.
Now I know it is an insanely early time of time for would be stars and hard working musicians to be up - but......

Okay, I'll leave it be for a bit. Maybe. I'll keep you posted on what if anything comes through. Or, I guess you can do that too, by checking back in. Maybe I'll call an executive with CMT and see what I can find out. Hummmm, do we really care?

On other fronts while I have your attention.

Vintage Clothing freaks, fans and friends of freaky fans - This weekend in Ottawa is the Annual Vintage Clothing sale at the Chateau Laurier - I'll post details later on this week. If you like anything in Vint clothing, this apparently is a wicked sale to be at. Good prices, large selections, cool venue. (yes, of course I will be there - anyone want to go?)

On the topic of clothing. We are trying to get one of the coolest, hippest ‘Hot Momma Chicks’ we know to start contributing on our very own ‘oh my good grief, you can’t go out with that on’ once a week post. We’ll keep you posted on how that goes. In the meantime though, if you have a ‘can I really wear this and get away with it’ question fire it over. We are positive she will give her feedback.

I need to run, check my email for responses and see if I can’t find that CMT phone number.

Have a Hot Cherry Day!

Get Plucked!

Yes you heard it. No we are not talking about the latest way to do eyebrows.

I stumbled upon an interesting concept for a reality show which is currently airing. Just when I thought they had used up many of the good ones, this one came rolling in.

It is called Plucked, it is a creation of 'CMT' - for you none 'country' fans, that is Country Music Television.

So what knocked my socks on this one? Well for starters, if features Canadian 'undiscovered' talent and it rockets them into the limelight. Secondly, these new comers come from across Canada. Thirdly, it is not another, get up on stage, sing, be critiqued and then voted on to win..... though I don't know how the winner is selected.

Here's the deal. The show 'plucks' six country acts from across the country and gives them a shot at the 'deal'. What exactly the 'deal' is though, sorry I can't tell you. There is something about a music video??? (Maybe someone can fill me in?)

Now you need to keep in mind, I just happened to be thumbing through a TV guide of all things when I found this show, so I haven't caught a single episode, here's what I can tell you: There are six competing, each has been featured on an episode.
Aaron Goodvin from Northern Alberta; Ambush (hot little band and perennial favorite of young and not grown up yet) from Perth, Eastern Ontario; Carla Sacco (the Shania Twin impersonation act that plays everywhere); Lisa Hewitt from Western Canada; Pear the husband wife duo from Edmonton; Mike Gouchie from somewhere in Canada (the info on the CMT site doesn't really say).

So I watched the episodes online to catch up. The 'contestants' are 'Plucked', interviewed, critiqued and prepared to make a video - right down to the wardrobe. Pointers from 'industry experts' are handed out, in some cases taken by the musicians and often not.

I wish I could tell you more about this show. I personally cheer for any opportunity given to Independent Canadian Artists. I believe we have top talent in this country that doesn't get near enough exposure and respect.

What I would really like is for someone who is on the show to leave us a comment on Hot Cherry and give us some info.

The finale is a 'marathon' presentation starting at 6pm Est. on CMT, the actual final goes off at 9 pm. Monday November 13th. Whether you are a 'country' fan or not, check it out if you get the chance, remember regardless of what they play, they are all Canadian talent and need our support.

Now speaking of Canadian talent - what do you think about the latest edition of 'Rockstar Supernova'? For those not familiar, it aired throughout the summer and was the viewer voted selection of the new front man for Supernova. Who you ask. Supernova is a band fronted by Gilby Clark ex of Guns 'n Roses, Tommy Lee and Jason Newsted - catch here, Supernova isn't really a band yet. Hummmm.

The winner of this multi week, multi episode production was Lukas Rossi - a Canadian. Many will recall last season's Rockstar - INXS and the choice of their new front man - Canadian JD Fortune. In my humble opinion, this year's show didn't come close to delivering what last season's did. Still, two seasons, many contestants later, two Canadians rally to win. Yeah, baby we've got the goods.

Invitation goes out to any one who would like to comment on any thing we've covered off here. I've also sent out an invitation to a couple of the contestants from the show 'Plucked' to give us their thoughts and more details.

Now I'm going back to my inspiration for this entry - 'Rockstar' by Canada's own Nickleback.

Things you really should know

Ahhh, the entry that gives away the little secrets. The ones that most people don't know about, the ones most people should.

How about this one to start. There are 1000's of online dating, singles, intimate and networking sites. Some are 'private' which means they do not belong to a larger network of 'online sites'. These pose virtually no problems as they keep their databases secure and do not share personal information, IP addresses and photos with other sites.

A vast majority of these sites (and others in different categories) belong to a large network. The sites if you take the time to browse through all have the same sort of template look to them. If you scroll to the bottom of the home page, there likely will be a link or a mention of the Network.
These sites are very likely to share the details of who you are. In some cases, that could be your personal profile and/or pictures, for some, the entire profile is shared and put out on all of the Network's sites.

When the entire profile or pictures are shared within the Network that also means those pictures that have been tagged as 'private' - meaning that you technically can only give access to other to view them. I say technically because what often happens is that once they are posted on a Network Affiliate site, the restriction is removed.

How much of this happens? I met a women a few years back who had posted her nude photos in a 'backdoor' limited access area of a large Network site. She was shocked when she received an email from a friend telling her that her 'private nudes' where posted in the open on a dating site. It took her over a month to get her pictures off the site - however, they are likely still floating around somewhere.

Want proof? Check out this smiley happy people and tell me they know their pictures are all over the internet.

Did you know that if you live outside of a major centre, shipping using a dedicated carrier (FedEx, UPS, Purolator) could be costing you 50% more? Did you also know that if you drop you package off at an outlet, not even the main depot, you automatically save the fuel surcharge and the extra cost.

I just recently shipped a small package to NYC. If FedEx picked up at my home office, the cost would be $36.00 more. Instead, I drove the package 20 minutes away to an outlet and saved. Not to mention, in shipping time, it cuts a day off in most cases.

Did you know that when you take your vehicle in for an oil change, it is the mandate of the Service Writer to up sell you? Did you also know that when it comes to this, for whatever reason, most customers end up paying for duplicated services? Point in hand, tire rotation is often included in spring and fall maintenance promotions, if however you go in and request a rotation with your oil change, the Service Writer is apt to try to sell you a 'maintenance package' which include the service. You however will still be billed for the rotation.

Another 'trick of the trade' is in the wording that the Service Writer uses: Instead of using phrasing, as they should; 'the suggested maintenance with respect to changing your transmission fluid if every 20,000kms' they say, you are 'due for a .......... and your warranty will be void if you do not'.

Service Recalls are one way a dealership brings money back in the door. Chances are very good that the recall has no impact on safety or performance of your vehicle, unless it specifically says 'safety recall' or similar. Chances are very good though, that you got the notice in a 'down time' for dealership service.

Dealership use a variety of means to bring a customer back in to the dealership and make money in the 'back end'. Yes, that is right. Dealerships don't make their money upfront in the sale; they make it when you go in for service. In fact, 'we' are even ranked by the dealership and automaker as customers. These rankings will determine if we get special promotions, coupons etc.

How can you make sure it is not more than the nuts getting screwed on your auto? Ask questions, demand answers that make sense and if you are not happy with the reply or have caught a person in the dealership trying to weasel your money out of your pocket - demand to see the dealer principal. They are the ones that care overall if you leave happy or ticked. If you don't get anywhere with them, go higher. (I once took a complaint about a truck engine spitting oil everywhere right up the line to the President of Ford Canada - it paid off).

Did you know that Grocery stores needs to stay within an acceptable variance concerning the 'correctness' of their barcodes? Meaning that when you check out, the bar code should be reflective of the price on the shelf. Did you know, that if you don't check your receipt and pay attention going through check out, chances are very good that you are giving the store extra money every time? Take the moment and glance through the receipt before you leave the store. I have a friend that says she catches errors in excess of $5 per week - over the course of a year, it adds up.

We'd love you to share your tips and tricks with the rest of the readers - don't be shy.
Have a Hot Cherry Day!

Damn - it's Monday - again

Welcome to yet another week in the year of 2006. Sounds rather, dismal when you put it that way though. It has been one of those years though - judging by the resounding wish of many - 'I am so looking forward to starting a fresh year'. Personally, I like to take a positive approach - if it doesn't make any difference in the grand scheme of things, there is no point in me sitting and fretting about it. Especially when there are so many worth while things to complain and seek action.

I want to respond to 'the wandering guys' entry about the death of CDs. Good topic and one that gets me going. I don't know for certain, but I think the death of the CD is a ploy - according to online and in store CD retailers there is still a very large market share that wants, must have and needs to have a physical pre recorded CD. Though sales have dropped off, there is still an incredible demand.

I know why and I'll share a story with you (you likely have had the same experience) and let you see where I am coming from.

Let me start by saying I am pretty internet/e-commerce savvy. I spend huge amounts of time each day online. I navigate several 100 new and unique websites per week. I use a wide variety of applications and online tools. I would say I am one of the more experienced users.

Today, I started to do something I've wanted to do for sometime, set up a reviews and referral section for music that I can share with you. Though there are several players in this area from a 'supply of online music' perspective, very few do it with the volume that iTunes does. It also pains me to say it, but very few do it with the 'ease' either.

First of all, with iTunes, you can browse the catalog, select the tunes you think you might like, load them on to a playlist and save. All without committing to purchase. You do need to create an account though and download the required plugins that allow you to do all of this. Not really a huge issue.

There are next to no security issues when you are working with a major provider like Apple. That is not the case with some of the other sites. I did a search for 'music downloads, Canada' and it returned 90 million responses. Needless to say, there are not that many bonified sites, but still, that's a few to go through.

I found sites that run on subscriptions, with unlimited downloads, others are per track, others per month with limits. So, how do you know which is the best for your needs, if any at all?

I can't answer that one - it involves some soul searching on your part. Here though are some things to consider before you click the 'purchase' buttons.

a) how much music do you buy per year, per month? If you don't buy anymore than a few cds a year, would you actually consider downloading on a regular basis? Do you own a MP3 player? Do you move cds from the house to the car? Do you share music with your friends? If you don't own a portable device, don't listen to cds in your car, don't share music; then chances are good that you won't be using a download service to its fullest and are likely best to just buy tracks as you want. If you find your use rate increases, then certainly consider the subscription services.

b) how technology challenged are you? Are you comfortable with dealing online, using e-commerce? Do you Google everything? Do you use email a great deal? These are all simple questions, navigating online forms, search functions, download instructions can be laborious and frustrating. Often people tell me, 'I just can't be bothered going through all of the steps'. I am sure that companies make a huge percentage of their revenue from accounts that are opened, funded and never used. Purely out of frustration, lost interest and forgotten passwords.

c) do you know what you like in music or are you more of a 'like it when I hear it' kind of person? We all tend to listen to new music that is recommended to us. With all of the choices available, it is no wonder. There are two downsides when it comes to download sites - #1 many don't have samples of the music - so if you have never heard the tune, don't know the artist, how would you know if you would like it or not. iTunes does have a sampler, which is something that I must have - experience has taught me, that just because it is on the charts, I may not like it. 2) search functions on most of the sites are either poor or you need to be exact - say you don't know exactly how 'Strait' is spelled and you enter 'Straight' - the search function, will return '0'. They are not like Google searching which assumes you made a mistake when the returns are low.

d) are you more of a radio on junkie? There are other opportunities to finding and listening to the music you want to hear. Satellite radio in Canada has exploded. Our household has been a subscriber to 'Sirius' for almost a year now. You can take Sat radio in the car with you, have it in your home, listen online and even carry it with you in the form of a player that is just like your MP3. (the just released STILETTO 100 SL100)
allows the user to do a variety of things, including an auto record of the artists who you want.... downloading for us simple folks - unit will apparently be available in Canada later this month, though is available online through Sirius US)

d) how cheap are you? If you don't want to pay to download the latest hits, there are alternatives. Peer to peer sharing is still alive and well. There are problems with free though. First of all, nothing in life is free! Keeping that in mind.... with P2P sites come of variety of bots, spies and creepy little viruses. Even the top notch 'killers' don't get them all. ('Daughter' lost a monitor to a virus last week - not to worry, her system, her virus, her using an older than Grandma, 14" low res monitor until she gets hers fixed should'a listened to Mom!).

Quality is also an issue on P2P. As well, it doesn't solve the problem if you don't know exactly what you are looking for either. Though many use the Peer to Peer offerings, there are so many problems associated with the sites, that often unless you are very computer savvy, you are best to leave them to kids and those that know how to get rid of the problems when they arrive. (ahhh, so much in life is better left to those who know.......)

Rounding out this little entry and just so you can have a good belly laugh for the day; it took me all of 2 hours to figure out how to create a playlist in iTunes. Signing up was easy, figuring out the search, add to playlist, save playlist took the time. Before you ask, yes, I read the instructions - any easier - not on your life.

Now that I've navigated through the process though, I'm set up and ready to go. I will let you know in a few days if it was worth the aggravation or, if it would have just been easier to go to the local CD store, buy a copy for $14.95, plunked it in my player on the way home and enjoy.

You can all relate, I know you can. You are just about ready to abort an entire online experience, as you have not been able to figure out how to do something. Then out of the corner of your eye, and the top right corner of your screen, you notice an icon.... you slide your mouse over it and poof - 1 hour of looking for 'how' and one click later. By the way, halogen desk lamps are extremely hot. Don't be tempted to move one close to your screen to see that top right hand corner, and then leave it there - flat screens melt quickly.

Have a wonder Hot Cherry day - we'll catch you throughout the week. Oh, almost forgot - I don't really think the CD is dead just yet - not until working online becomes a whole lot easier for men (who don't like to read instructions) and women (who can but still can't seem to figure things out) in our technology rich society.

It's Friday, it's Friday, it's Friday - so what

For those who work a conventional work week, Friday is and always has been a day to look forward to. For the past 8 months though, I personally have worked anything but 'conventional'. Consequently, one day runs into the next. For those who can't wait for the weekend, this one is for you.

Now, everyone always talks about having free time on the weekend, so few do anything with it. We are going to help you change that if you live in Eastern Ontario.

Here 's a couple of cool things going on:
The Ottawa Humane Society Auxiliary (aka the fundraisers) are holding it a few events over the course of the next few weekends - great cause, super events: (click here for more details on their events)

• 5th November: Auction Doors open at 10 a.m. and the auction starts at 11a.m. Loch March Golf and Country Club, 1755 Old Carp Rd., Ottawa. Call 613-728-5493 for details.
• 19th November: Craft Sale 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Orchard View Living Centre, 1491 Manotick Station Rd., Ottawa
• 24th and 25th November: Christmas Craft Sale during mall hours at Carlingwood Mall, Carling Avenue, Ottawa

The Ottawa Wine and Food Show begins today - another reason to look forward to this Friday! this is the 21st year in the running (how many have you been to?). Kicks off today and runs until Sunday. Click here to be transported to the details.

There is a great thing about these entries, you can leave comments. In your comments, share what's going on with other readers. No, you don't need to be from Eastern Ontario either. From wherever you are is good.

A thought to leave you with - a question asked to me last night by two of my favorite young gentleman friends: 'Why is it when us guys say we want to go out and hang out with our friends, our girlfriends complain that they have no one to hang out with. So they don't want to be alone. So, we should stay and hang out with them. Why don't they have friends to hang with like we do?'

I shrugged and wanting to avoid a great long detailed answer, told them I'd get back to them with some ideas....... Help me out here!!!!

Have a Hot Cherry Weekend! Go spend some money, support a cause, give back.

Old women, Young men and TVs

Ahhh, caught you looking! While you are here, you might as well read on and share your comments.

If you visit this site often, you will know that we are not afraid to call a spade a spade. We are also not afraid to 'put stuff out there', random thoughts, questions and finds. We try to look at products, services and ideas with an open mind.

If by chance you - reading this - have any influence with marketers, advertisers, agencies, then please, take these thoughts back to your office with you.

As always, there is a reason for today's thoughts. I personally receive and review many magazines and ezine articles. I trend watch, I search, I collect data. The tirade I am about to embark upon began with a bit of fuel from an ad placed in the Saturday edition of our city's paper.

I can only assume that Sony has on their retainer, advertising specialists with a mandate to put more Sony products into the hands of women. This time they are not doing it with pink coloured electronics though, they've gone upscale. Sony is marketing their new BRAVIA LCD TV with the power of female endorsement.

That's right. Sony's newest version of 'pink marketing' (that is ad speak for ploys to get us girls to buy products because they make them pink) is simple, take a full page ad out, use one side to talk tech with the 'guy in our lab' and the other side of the page for the endorsements.

Here is an example: Barbra Atkin, Fashion Director at Holt says 'It's thin, sleek and stylish and adds beauty to my decor'. (just what is she talking about?) Amanda Blakley National Manager of Special Events for Rethink Breast Cancer says 'BRAVIA really brings the in-stadium or front-row experience to your couch while watching anything from sports to fashion shows'. (come on Amanda, how many fashion shows and sporting events do you really watch?) My favorite is from Jane Kerr, Senior Executive of Accenture who says 'BRAVIA HD has transformed the way I watch TV'. (What the heck?) I just don't get it, do you?

I would be willing to bet that Sony dolled out $100,000's of dollars both for these endorsements and for the full page ads. Did they hit the mark? Am I just skeptical? Does it matter to you when you make a big ticket purchase that a woman, selected by the company endorses it? Personally, I think companies need to hire average working women to tell them how to market to our segment. I would also bet that this ad was created by a firm in NYC, predominantly male team, calling themselves 'trendy' and 'in the know'.

Continuing on the subject of marketing to women, I'm going to take a run at a woman's magazine next. (we beat up on the poor boys over at AskMen all the time) This week I picked up a copy of "More". I don't know why, its title was in pink this month - kidding. I'd actually never looked at the mag prior, but caught a title that said 'celebrate your life after 40'. Needless to say, I got my knickers in a knot and paid $5 to take a closer look.

Here's the background. More magazine will be published in Canada starting in the spring of '07, by Transcontinental Media, who have this to say: 'More is the defining magazine of a powerful and empowered generation – a growing community of women over 40 who are more accomplished, more confident, more influential and more resourceful. With features on health, beauty, fashion, food and lifestyle, finance, foreign and national affairs, the arts, travel and more, More gives established women more of what they want to get more out of life.' Currently the magazine is still published by it's source, Meredith Corp. out of Des Moines Iowa.

My gripe about this magazine..... Well first - how many women really want to be reminded that they are over 40? No need to answer that one. How many women want to look like they are over 40? Dido. Now 'More' defiantly pushes the '40' something time of life. Someone want to tell the man to the right that 'he's getting older'? Go ahead and make his day.

As for content, it is pretty diverse. Everything from recipes (as if we have time) to what to do when you are Pink-Slipped after 40. Ads (lots of them) for weight loss solutions, meals in a box, products that lubricate your joints and help you sleep at night oh and we won't forget that unless we invest every penny we have right now, we are likely going to be held up in a hovel by the time we are 60.

I did like some things about this magazine there was the 'Luxe Life' a photo spread about luxury items - I think. Some of the spread showed women (yes, not 12 year old girls made up to look like women) with boobs. No kidding, and arms/legs that were not stick thin. There was another fashion spread on 'accessories', boots, shoes, and belts - pretty to look at though 90% of the pieces featured were way out of the range of most working women (come on, $2900 for a python evening bag).

Overall.... don't waste your $5! It reminds me of Oprah's magazine without the content. I also don't like the whole marketing to women over 40 thing. I just don't think these types of publications get it. It's okay to be getting older, just don't remind us that we are.

I'll leave you with this thought a friend of mine shared 'the media, the retailers and society in general makes us feel old - it is time we fought back and said 'shove it', I'll do what I want until I can't anymore, then maybe I'll consider slowing down!' I like her way of thinking. Have a Hot Cherry Day!

All tied up

My day actually started off with a left over from last night. Little did I know that it was going to happen this way.

It all began when for some reason (step in technical email server answer person to explain this to me) I managed to spam myself. That's correct - I sent out a couple of emails, cc'd myself on them so I'd have a record. At the point when I made the call to tech support for my email, I was downloading a new copy of the email(s) every 3 minutes, for a total of 30 emails. Someone had to make it stop.

I'd tried everything within my scope. I was headed to my webmail to see if I could gain access to the mail server. (let me clarify, the spam email was through my personal email, no one in-house could help me To log into my webmail, I would need my email password.... yeah right. After I tried multiple combinations, aka guesses, I gave up and called my ISP.

I think they were a bit baffled too, but made a couple of suggestions on how to fix it. #1 reset the password so that I could have access and #2 purge the email accounts. I could see no other solution - so we did both. What I was not told was a change in password would mean that I would not be able to log on to my network.

I worked away for another couple of hours, without problems and with the spam email stopped. I shut down and called it a night. Happy of course that I had done something to solve my IT problem.

Little did I know. This morning I went to check email and launch a browser...nothing. I waited until I knew someone would be answering the phones in support at my ISP and called. Lucky for me, I ended up with 'Gary'. Little did Gary know that he would end up with me at 7:30am.

The connections were checked and sure enough I had signal into my tower (Oh, I neglected to mention, my ISP is 'Storm Internet' - we are outside of any major area so we utilize high-speed wireless) and it should be working. Then I mentioned my problems of the night before.

Gary had the solution, 'did you change your password in you router?' Of course I didn't, the chap the night before didn't tell me I would need to do that. I was informed that I would have to do that first and then everything would work. My next question, you got it - How?

Now let me start by saying Storm Internet does not 'do' routers. They provide me with signal, what I do with it and how I split it up is my doing. Gary however, was willing to help. You see, I could not remember the password for the router either.

45 minutes later, Gary had me connected again. (I've now written my password down in three different locations, perhaps though, I should write down the locations of the passwords as I'm likely to forget if I ever need them again) I did have to call him back one more time to fix a small bug with one of my email accounts, but that took nano seconds in comparison

The point of all this. Gary and Storm Internet did not have to help me out with the router password. However, by doing so, they helped to get me back online. I am therefore eternally grateful and very, very happy. So much so that I'm sharing my story with you now.

Had Gary and Storm Internet towed the line and sent me on my way to figure out things on my own, I wouldn't be writing this now. When I did get back online though, you can bet that I would have a scathing report to share with you.

Bottom line - what did it cost my ISP to help me out? It's not as if I call for support often, once every 6 months, maybe. What does it cost services, stores etc. when they won't help out or at least attempt to share some knowledge?

Here's the numbers. On average, if a person has a favorable experience, they are likely to tell one other person (now some folks like me like to share), but, if a person has a frustrating or bad experience, they are likely to tell ten (10) people. In this case, that is a very bad thing!

Advertising is expensive and can be hit and miss, with a undetermined ROI. Word of mouth, referral and buzz marketing however, costs very little and has a tremendous return on investment.

Now, I'd like someone to tell me why 'retail' doesn't get this.

So to Gary - tech guy at Storm Internet - Kudos to you. I sincerely appreciate your help.


Have a wonderful day. As always, feel free to share you thoughts, finds, reviews, kudos and gripes with all of us.

On Men, and their minds

As promised yesterday.... today we are going to take an interesting look at what gets a guy tied up in knots.
For this little expose, we've dug deep, researched large and compiled some interesting findings. If you agree, disagree or have any opinion, please feel free to share it with the rest of us.

Our point of reference is from Journalist Neil Chethik and his book: "VoiceMale—What Husbands Really Think About Their Marriages, Their Wives, Sex, Housework and Commitment".

Chethik used 300 American husbands and in-depth interviews with 70 men in all stages of marriage, here's what he found:

#1) 93 % would marry the same woman again, 82 percent are satisfied with their sex lives, however, men are sometimes "astounded by how long women can go without thinking about sex."

#2) he discovered a parallel between housework and sex; the happier their wives were in the division of housework, the happier the men were with their sex lives.

#3) there is a practical side beyond chemistry that makes a man want to get married. Men look at pros and cons and what kind of partnership he would have with a particular woman. Because of sports, they are schooled in how to be a teammate, how to communicate without necessarily using words, how to work for common goals. If a man can meet a woman who he thinks will be on his side, he's likely to be very attracted to her. Most men are interested in finding that person who is a partner, friend and lover through life.

#4) what attracts men beyond first physical attraction, is someone who is temperamentally positive, enthusiastic and adventurous. Men recognize that women often set the emotional tone of the home. If the woman is exciting and upbeat, that will mean that the home will be that way. The same stands if she's negative, critical and unhappy. The other thing is self-confidence. Men who are looking for women might know they're not [ranked] a 10, but that they have many "10" qualities and they emphasize those qualities. Men apparently know they are not 10s most of the time either, therefore they understand the need to look for what is beautiful about a person.

#5) how Men express emotion is very different from women. When asked, some Men said: "I'll fill up her gas tank when it's low. I get her car washed." There's an expression gap between the way men want to say it, and the way women want to hear it.

#6) why those men who had affairs had them: Most men admitted that it didn't have much to do with their wives or whether they were getting enough sex. It was mostly due to their own struggle with commitment and the tradeoffs that come with marriage. Most men are able to overcome the tendency to want to be with other women—they fantasize [and] sometimes flirt, but the vast majority don't take the next step—they decided that their relationship was more important than the temporary satisfaction they might get.

#7) the most surprising facts about these tidbits of information for the author? 60 percent of men said that their wives had changed them in a significant way and 90 percent said that it was a change for the better. Men recognize that marriage is life-changing, and they usually like their wives enough to be changed by her. Men don't want to be criticized or nagged or complained to, they want to be accepted, but once they feel accepted, they are willing to change.

Can I tell you if 'VoiceMale' is worth reading - sorry, no I can't. It may be an interesting study in the 'inner works and wonders' of our males - but as they would say 'who cares?'

We also dropped in on our friends over at 'AskMen.com' to find out what was really going on in the male brain. As it turns out we were just in time for the release of this year's 'Top 49 Men' as voted on my the readers of the online Mag. The 'Top Man of 2006' - none other than George Clooney. Numbers 2 - 5 were: Jay-Z, Richard Branson ( a personal fave), Lance Armstrong, (understandable) Tom Ford, fashion designer (really???). Rounding out the 'Top 49' and no disgrace at all was Jeremy Piven.

AskMen.com also lists off it's top three searches, these should come as not shock: workout routines, how to stop hair loss and six pack abs. AskMen.com also offers two of it's very own books for sale: 'Doc's Love System' and 'More Dating'. Single women RUN AND HIDE!!!!!!!

To all of our male readers - sorry guys - I've got nothing.

Tomorrow I promise, we'll find someone else to pick on or better still more products, features and services to occupy our thoughts with. Till then - Have a Hot Cherry Day!

Monday morning 'whatevers'

Ah yes, Monday morning. At least in this corner of Canada the sun is shinning today. It is actually the first day in many that I can recall seeing blue skies. Tomorrow though - rain.

Being Monday, it is likely a very good day to cover off a bunch of whatevers.
Ramblings and carrying on.

Here's some of my questions for the week:
#1) Are there any 'boyshort' panties that don't bunch up under tight pants? Seriously. I love the look and wear ability of these panties, but they bunch. There must be some that don't. Any thoughts? Did you know, that women pay upwards from $100 per pair for panties made by Aubade and Simone Perele? Do they really fit any better I wonder. By my calculation, you can get approximately 20 pairs of nice panties from LaSenza for the same amount.

#2) Microdermabrasion. 'The solution for lessening the appearance of superficial scars and fine lines, shrinking dilated pores, reducing skin thickness and treating mild acne'. Essentially, there are two ways to achieve results. Seek out a Dermatologist who has a machine that sprays aluminum oxide micro-crystals, salt or sodium bicarbonate on the skin, which blasts away layers of dead cells. Or, do it yourself home treatments. (which don't sound near as painful) Why bother.
Well, apparently women today (and many men who won't talk about it in mixed company) don't mind so much 'getting older', as much as they mind 'looking older'. It is a billion dollar industry and growing.

Costs for 'not looking your age' range from $100 - 600.00 per session. They include treatments from Botox Injections to at home Microdermabrasion and Chemical Peel (prices range from $20 - 150.00 per at home kit which do get the job done, just not as 'deeply' as professional treatments).

Trouble with all of this is which one and do you bother. There are so many products and services on the market today, how's anyone to know which one works for them? We need to do a group review of products - what do you think?

#3) Since when is 90% of the population caught up with their looks?
Now this isn't something that is restricted to women. However, men just don't talk about it as much. Women are constantly assessing their own 'beauty value', men only seem to do it at a few times through their lives and only for very brief time frames i.e. under a couple of months: Early teens 13-15 years old, mid 20's - the settling down time, late 30's early 40's - the life evaluation time frame, late 50's - is this all there is going to be in my life time.

Men also don't fret about things they can't change easily. True many worried endlessly about receding hair lines and pattern baldness, but now that can be handled much easier not near the effort goes into it. When was the last time you saw a man look in the mirror and mumble about needing to lose 5 Lbs? Get the point.

Women obsess about so much; hair, weight, wrinkles, being seen, not being seen, fashion, food, kids, parents, the weather. Are they having enough sex, is the sex they are having fulfilling, should they be experimenting more - oh wait, nope that's more of a guy thing too.

Point is, women are and have always been very 'hard' on themselves. Women's mags focus on this fact and I believe exasperate it. Think about it for a moment....... if a woman's magazine featured 'average, normal sized women, with average normal skin, average normal hair, average normal (affordable) clothing - what would the appeal be? If the majority of women out there looked like the ones featured in glossy, there would be little appeal to look like something they were not. Not to mention, men wouldn't know that there ever was a difference and then women wouldn't fret about men being judgmental and not being attractive to them..... Without women lusting after new, different, guaranteed to drop off years and pounds - why would there be advertisers and how would those magazines make their money?

#4) Even though they sell to unsuspecting women 'Dove' is doing something to battle the image obsession amongst women, particularly our daughters. Check out their latest video and campaign.

For tomorrow's entry, I'm going to go deep undercover and find out what really bothers and gets a man's knickers in a knot. Watch out 'Ask Men' I'm coming over to do some research. Later in the week we'll take a look at some interesting findings and comments about bi-sexuality.

In the meantime - share you stories, findings and ramblings with us. Have a wonderful Hot Cherry day!

I Work With A Creep

Halloween is upon us...( say this next part in your best Vincent Price voice) The only night of the year where the veil is lifted between our world and the world of the dead. When the dead can walk among us, watch us, and steal our staplers..BOooOOOooOOOO.

I work with a creep.....

I'm sure you do as well...except mine is a genuine creep....like a ghost, spirit, poltergeist, presence, whatever you want to call it...it's creepy.

I started working at this establishment 5 years ago. I think he's been there longer, I don't know,he won't tell me, he's not incredibly chatty. In the past he has thrown items across the room, shaken light fixtures, slammed doors, the ubiquitous footsteps on the stairs, flipped over chairs, turned on appliances and spewed CD's all over the place inside our 300 disc changer. He has appeared to some staff as a dark and shadowy figure, walked through one staff member, who will never forget the feeling, and calls names.... like says the names of staff members..(one time, I was finishing off someone's birthday cake in the staff room and I think I heard him call me Fatass ......the bastard..) Quite frankly...he scares the crap outta me.

but what alarms me the most...is the way the staff has adapted to this?

the establishment is 20 years old...the building is waaaaay older. Every individual in that place has at least one experience with said spirit and everyone just shrugs and giggles and makes that face like....Oh it's just him..he's being silly again...up to his old tricks again...blahblah.

They are all so cavalier it KILLS me!!!

I am one of those people that needs to know EVERYTHING. I can't stand anything unanswered. I nearly drove my mother insane ( insaner??? ) when I was a child by asking her daily for almost 6 months to explain where we go after we die..in DETAIL..So, as you can imagine, the undead floating around the place I work at just isn't sitting well with me. But it's the attitude by all fellow staffers, this kinda ' ignore it and accept it and move on thing ' that freaks me out. Take for example, last incident, big heavy wooden chair flipped completely over and laying on the floor a few feet away from where it was. I, of course..scream...and run to find other staffers because I would prefer to be with my peers when the malevolent spirits from the other side decide to take my soul. When I find them..I tell them all about what transpired...using expletives appropriately. What happens next, ALWAYS happens, my peers decide to reconstruct the scene...kinda like CSI , but without that annoying David Caruso guy who....talks.......like...thissss...( and was voted sexiest man??? BY WHOM???? anyway, that's another blog entirely ). They upright the chair...draw trajectory lines with broomsticks...try and reenact the crime using all available sources...could it have been the wind? perhaps it was already at an angle? perhaps you may have tipped it over accidentally when you passed by it? Or perhaps????.....Hmmmmmm maybe, just maybe, the scary freaking ghost that does stuff like this all the time did THIS too!!!They attempt to find some reason why this occurred before they shrug and say....hmmmm...well isn't that odd? I don't know how that happened?

This year I decided I need to know the truth... I've been researching the paranormal quite extensively...okay, well, I've been perusing some ghost sites whilst waiting for my Ipod to update..and I have stumbled upon some interesting stuff .

Aside from calling out any paranormal investigators....measuring ectoplasm, and magnetic resonance..proton packs and infrared thermal accuity devices.( which sound really expensive and would probably cut into my highlights and french manicure money )..there exists something called EVP...and apparently I can do this all by myself, without any fancy schmancy equipment...or a priest.

according to The Shadowlands.net..........

EVP is a way to communicate with spirits. Researchers believe that the voices of the dead can be recorded and played back on magnetic audio tape. It is the most modern way to communicate with the spirit world. Some skeptics believe that they are not voices of the dead but radio or CB transmissions.
It has been said that Thomas Edison was working on an EVP device. However the credit for discovering EVP goes to Fredrich Jurgenson when he was recording bird sonds in the Sweedish countryside and on play back he distinctly heard the voice of a man discussing nocturnal bird songs in Norwegian. He had heard nothing during the recording but many voices on playback, some giving him instructions on how to record more voices.

Interesting eh??? I read all bout it...and apparently all I need is a tape recorder and a I don't even have to be there..just hit record and split the scene....sounded good to me...untilllll....I heard this....

http://ghoststudy.com/agony.ram


That is, an actual EVP, from some chicks house??? WTF?!?!??! What the hell is that SCREAMING???

and I bet she still live there???I would be outta that place in a heartbeat...

And then I started to think about it? AndI realized that all the people at work that experience all of this stuff and act so blase about it have a very good reason to. It's easy to accept it ...if perhaps there could be a logical scientific explanation as opposed to an in your face 'this place is totally haunted ' reason. They don't want any proof that the ghost really exists , ignorance truly IS bliss. I completely understand that...

I still may plant a recorder there...just for fun...just one dark night, when I feel his presence around me, when the hair on the back of my neck stands up and I find my eyes casting upwards on the staircase, expecting to catch a misty outline of him...on one of those nights I WILL leave my recorder there and, if the next day, I play it back and I hear an ominous voice say......youuuu realllyyy don'ttt neeed thattt cakkkke, Fattassssss! I am so quitting.

'Mall-Rat Curls'? What the heck?

Do you recognize the women to the right? The picture is straight out of 1993 - well, it is Mariah Carey.
Now according to Christopher Turner, 'even the 'mall-rat curls' and ho-hum dress couldn't keep Mariah down'.

Now, I'm not a fan of either Mariah or Christ-o-pher Tur-ner, but I would like to know one thing.... who the heck is he and what gives with the 'mall-rat curls'. Is he just another in a long list of self appointed fashion guru's put on this earth and the pages of magazines and the internet - telling women how they should and shouldn't look, discouraging personal style and directing all women to be as he approves? These guys make me ill.

Which brings me to a funny conversation I had last week with a close friend of mine. She says 'don't you find it funny how the balding, paunchy, poorly dressed, un-kept, bad breathed men are always the pickiest, opinionated, jerks when it comes to women?' I couldn't agree with her more. She also shared what most of us already know - 'us girls are just way too hard on ourselves' - we should really be more like most men and not give a shit.

But, why is that the case. What gives the guy, with a paunch hanging over his pants (which are likely sliding down his butt) and the ketchup stain on his shirt (which is missing a button and looks like the dog slept on it last night) any right to comment on, condemn or voice his opinion

(which is usually something like....'hummm, she a bit on the porky side for me, I like my women a whole lot thinner and better dressed than that one') about the women he encounters.

Now, just for the record - I happen to really like shaved headed guys. I encourage any man who has thinning hair he is fretting about to just get rid of it. Either go super short or take it all off baby. There's this hot older guy, in our gym who....... yeah, you know the rest of the story.

Back to these so called fashion experts. Who the heck are they to say that 'skinny jeans look good on every body type? And, 'you need to have a least a few pairs in your closet'. For what? To take up extra hanger room, jammed in beside other 'got to have, clothes that never look good on this body'. I'm here to tell you, this year's fashion statement 'skinny jeans' do NOT look good on every body type! Oh, and 'Average' is NOT 5'8" 108lbs, size 2/4! Check the stats baby - that's a 12 year old girl and even then, likely not the average.

So, what are we going to do about it? Just rant away, complain to ourselves. No way girlfriend.
Here's what I propose:
#1- the next time you are standing beside 'hiding the fact that I'm loosing my hair' with the paunch and he makes a comment about another women not being up to his standard - ask him just what the standard acceptable is for a man who needs to loose 50lbs and either shave that comb over or get implants.
#2 - develop your own style. Who gives a shit if it's on the runway this year - do you like it, does it look good on you, does it say 'I'm one hot mama'?
#3 - kiss the postman. Why? I don't know, it gets your mind off being pissed at 'potbelly-guy'.
#4 - as my friend Sylvia would say 'don't be afraid to be beautiful!'
#5 - join a group of Hot Cherry Review shoppers and come on out for an evening of trying on those new fashion statement clothes - try before you buy! (email us with your contact info and we'll let you know when it's happening)

In closing, a wee remark to buddy Chris-to-pher (likely a fashion faux pas himself) - I kinda like Mariah’s 'mall rat curls' - better to have curls than no hair at all!

Yes, its almost the best day of the year!

It's that time of year..... again.... Halloween!

I love Halloween, always have, always will. I'm not sure if it's the tradition, the preparation or just the fun in getting dressed up and being someone or something different.

The best parties, with the best stories always seem to be Halloween event, so many people like this day as much as I do.

This year, celebration night for the adults amongst us is Saturday, October 28th. In the small rural town that I live close to, the evening starts off with a 'Maskeraid Parade' winding its way through the streets. In other area towns, there are 'Haunted Walks', 'Ghost Stories' and all kinds of pumpkin events.

In a Ipsos-Reid survey just released, 50% of adult Canadians said they would put on a costume and go out this year. (the highest percentages from Ontario and Atlantic Canada - was there ever any doubt?)

So, if you are like some people I know, you are planning on going out, but haven't given any real consideration to a costume. So that you can't come up with the worn out old excuses 'I didn't know what to wear', we've scoured the resources and come up with some ideas for you.

Here we go:

My favorite, 'Chick Magnet' attach Barbie Dolls all over self

'French Kiss', wrap yourself in padding and aluminum foil, put a red beret on your head

'Cereal Killer', attach miniature cereal boxes with plastic knives in them all over your body

'Can-Can Dancer', wear a long, older style skirt, underneath attach cans, lift up your skirt when you are dancing so everyone can see your 'can-cans'

Another one of my favorites; 'Bubble Bath', dress in a pale colour c/with shower cap, attach blue, pink and white small balloons all over yourself, carry a back brush, rubber ducky, soap around your neck

'Pimp and his hoes', dress in a flashy outfit and carry as many garden hoes as possible

'Bag Lady', make an entire set of clothes from used bags

'Money Launderer', use a mesh laundry bag with holes cut in it for arms and legs, stuff it with play money and attach it to yourself with clothes pegs

'Web Server', dress like a waitress or waiter, carry a serving tray with spider webs draped over it

Need more ideas, check out this cool site; The Costume Idea Zone - wicked wonderful ideas.

We thought you might like to see this!

TORONTO (CP) - Fourteen years after they were pulled from North American markets, silicone gel breast implants are making a return to Canada.

Health Canada announced Friday it has issued licences to two companies that make the implants, lifting restrictions on the use of the devices effective immediately. Mentor Corp. and Allergan Inc. make the approved products.

The manufacturers had to agree to continue a long-term study of the safety of the implants and to develop new product labelling after holding focus group sessions with Canadian doctors and women who have the devices implanted.

Dr. Supriya Sharma said Health Canada was persuaded, based on a thorough study of extensive evidence, that the products were safe for use. She said officials plowed through 65,000 pages of documents.

"I think it's safe to say that these medical devices are the most intensively studied medical devices in medical history," said Sharma, associate director general of Health Canada's therapeutics products directorate.

"(But) medical and scientific literature is constantly evolving. So should any information come to light we would obviously analyze that information and take appropriate action."

She said Health Canada was not deterred by last week's revelation from a U.S. watchdog group, Public Citizen, that a whistleblower has alleged Mentor withheld safety information from the Food and Drug Administration. Sharma said there is evidence to question the credibility of the allegations.

Plastic surgeons applauded the decision.

"This is an excellent product and by far superior to the saline product, which was an approved product," said Dr. Julie Khanna, a cosmetic surgeon from Oakville, Ont., who does about 175 breast implant operations a year.

"As a surgeon, for my patients, I'm thrilled," she said.

"Silicon as a material has probably been looked at with much more scrutiny and greater care than almost any implantable device in human beings," said Dr. Mitchell Brown, a professor of plastic surgery at the University of Toronto and a member of an expert panel that advised Health Canada on the decision.

The controversial products were pulled from the Canadian market by their manufacturers in 1992, in the face of a growing chorus of health concerns. Women complained that the implants, especially those that ruptured or leaked, triggered auto-immune diseases like lupus as well as heart conditions.

Manufacturer Dow Corning paid up to US$2.35 billion to settle class-action lawsuits involving more than 300,000 women, including some from Canada, who said their health was harmed by the devices.

"It's really been scrutinized," Brown said. "There have been an enormous number of studies and they have not demonstrated a link or a relationship."

But a former NDP member of Parliament who was among those who campaigned against the devices in the early 1990s was dismayed by Health Canada's decision. Joy Langan lost a breast to cancer and had a silicone breast implant. She has since had the device removed.

"I'm still not convinced they're safe," said Langan, a West Coast representative for the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union.

The Bloc Quebecois's associate health critic was also unhappy with the decision.

"I think it's very shocking and unfortunate. It has jeopardized women's health for many years and it will for many years to come," Nicole Demers said.

It is not clear to what extent Friday's announcement will change practice in Canada.

Though silicone gel implants haven't been licensed for general use, they have been available through a special access program since 1999. Sharma said about 25,000 have been implanted since then and acknowledged that few requests logged by surgeons would have been turned down.

Khanna said the approvals will really only lighten her paperwork load - and perhaps ease the minds of patients. She said she hasn't implanted a saline breast device in the last 18 months.

Under the conditions set by Health Canada, the manufacturers must continue to provide data for at least 10 years from an ongoing clinical trial.

They must also agree to launch another large and long-term study, involving tens of thousands of women in Canada and elsewhere, looking to see if there are rare side-effects that would only become apparent once large numbers of women have received the devices.

As well, Health Canada wants the companies to study the condition of "retrieved" implants when, at some point in the future, women have them extracted or replaced.

The department did not concur with calls that it set up a national registry of women who receive breast implants.

The licensing decision followed a review by a panel of scientific experts as well as public hearings into the issue.

** the Hot Cherry Review's thoughts.
We are still chewing on this one. What do you think? Given that this is Breast Cancer Awareness month and all.......
Share you thoughts with us and our readers.