CAKE TO AMERICA ( Reprise! )

[Jetfire]

Possibly that far but not likely. The last 3 characters at times seem somewhat random as to where they correspond, but there aren't as many as you may think between the two due to letter and letter-number combos that are not used. (Looks like either the caller messed up, or GK obfuscicated the reported address more, or Canada Post/Wikipedia messed up though, since "D" is not a valid Postal Code letter anyway as per: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadia..._a_postal_code

[Magpie]

If by "relatively close together" you mean "possibly as much as 5000 blocks apart," yeah. After all, you need to go through 1{D-Z}{1-0}, and 2{A-Z}{1-0} and 3{A-C}{1-0} before you hit 3D1.

I'm just going by the fact that walking from M3B through to M3C (so I've gone though at least a full rotation of the last three characters) is not only possible, but hard to avoid in the course of daily life (it's not even a 30 minute walk, nothing long enough to be worth taking the bus unless you're making a major shopping trip).

[Broomjockey]

Possibly that far but not likely.

with 2,000 possible LDUs in each FSA

Not bad for not actually doing any math, and not knowing about the letters that are supposed to be unused.

And while yes, there's a system to it, I did say "possibly as much as," meaning it could go that high. And considering my last two postal codes, which are about 4 blocks apart spacially, are 1P5 and 2Y9, you can't really say say how close any two are.

[XCashier]

If you wish, it is merely one step closer to total board dominati-er, sure, go ahead.

Thanks!

"Are you a god?"

"Ray, if someone asks you if you're a god, you say, 'YES!'"

[cawaker]

Buwha?

C: “Yeah I can’t connect to your wifi”
Me: “Alright, I can page a tech for you-”
C: “Oh, no, that’s ok. I was just trying to get on the Internet. I’ll just go to bed and do it in the morning.”

That’s.....that’s reasonable. I….I don’t know what to say. It’s been so long since I’ve encountered reason that I’d almost forgotten it existed. Bless you my child, for you have shown me the light of basic cognitive function has not yet been completely sniffed from this dark world. Though I fear I am merely trying to shield this tiny flicker of hope from the unending hurricane of stupidity that howls around us. It will not last long. We can only hope the light lasts long enough for us to get the survivors and the power cells back to the shuttle.

LOL its reasonable, but why did he even call in the first place? it still kinda makes me go WTF, shut up, go away.

[Broomjockey]

LOL its reasonable, but why did he even call in the first place? it still kinda makes me go WTF, shut up, go away.

Actually, it makes sense if it was something that could have been handled over the phone. My thought process would go like this:

1. 24 hour tech support is available by phone. I'm not sleepy yet, so I'll call and see if we can get this handled.

2. Paging a tech is required? Not like anything I wanted to do was important, so I'll hold off, since it's late. No use bothering a tech at this point.

3. Might as well go to bed after all, and do this in the morning.

[cawaker]

Actually, it makes sense if it was something that could have been handled over the phone. My thought process would go like this:

1. 24 hour tech support is available by phone. I'm not sleepy yet, so I'll call and see if we can get this handled.

2. Paging a tech is required? Not like anything I wanted to do was important, so I'll hold off, since it's late. No use bothering a tech at this point.

3. Might as well go to bed after all, and do this in the morning.

hmm yeah, I can see that process now.

[BusBus]

Me: “and how many tickets would you like?”
SC: “Just one. The LUCKY one!”

I saw an ad on TV at the end of the week, advertising that it was the last day for to buy tickets for one of the (multitude of) local charity lotteries. Did think, "Sucks to be GK tonight." Yep.

More Specific, Please

Me: “And your postal code please?”
SC: “It’s XXX 1D3”
Me: “Alright, so XXX 1D3?”
SC: “Or maybe it was 3D1….”
Me: “……”
SC: “Oh well its one of those two.”

Today...

Me: What's your postal code?
Client: I dunno
Me: Well, I do need it....
Client: I think it's like V6....J....1....N...4....or 14N..
Me: Postal codes go letter-number-letter Number-letter-number. The address on your driver's license is differe-
Client: Oh! Use that postal code!!
Me: Postal codes don't work that way!


Gawd! I looked up the postal code after he left. Like hell I was going to just hand it to him. His guess was nowhere near the actual postal code. I just wished him luck and suggested he buy himself a charity lottery ticket.

[Gravekeeper]

I saw an ad on TV at the end of the week, advertising that it was the last day for to buy tickets for one of the (multitude of) local charity lotteries. Did think, "Sucks to be GK tonight." Yep.

Oh yes, they were bombing the TV and radio. It was insane. We'd hear an ad for it literally every 5 minutes on the radio at work. Considering it's a charity lottery you'd think they could save a few bucks but cutting it down to every 10 minutes at least. =p

[Magpie]

Oh yes, they were bombing the TV and radio. It was insane. We'd hear an ad for it literally every 5 minutes on the radio at work. Considering it's a charity lottery you'd think they could save a few bucks but cutting it down to every 10 minutes at least. =p

But... then the radio station won't be able to claim quite as large a value for the charitable donation on their taxes. How could you suggest something so cruel!

In all seriousness, I sure hope they wouldn't get to claim twice as much if they play the ad twice as often, with diminishing effectiveness and all that.

[Broomjockey]

In all seriousness, I sure hope they wouldn't get to claim twice as much if they play the ad twice as often, with diminishing effectiveness and all that.

My cynical side said they used the prolific nature of the ads to drive up the cost for other advertisers. "Yeah, we're 80% sold, so we're going to up the price." Of course, that also increases the value of the air time used for the charity, so even if you sold it at a slightly discounted-compared-to-normal rate, you'd be able to get a big write off.

[infinitemonkies]

Heh heh heh... it's a lucky ticket alright. Lucky for the company selling it, since they'll be able to keep the money from the sale and not pay out a prize on it.

If I may be permitted a moment of uncharacteristic non-misanthropism, I'd like to point out it's a charity lottery. Also, If it's the one I think it is, it's for children's hospitals (someone correct me if I'm wrong about that part.) The more money they haul in, the better it is for everyone.
On the other hand, I suspect the lottery is rigged, and I believe that if it isn't, it should be; Make sure the grand prize winner is someone with a very media-attractive sympathetic tale so that the story gets a lot of coverage and draws even more attention to the cause.

You actually misdialed and reached Lloyd’s Break & Lube. We were just sitting around here breakin’ & lubin’ things when you called and we thought we’d just play along.

It's rare that something makes me actually laugh out loud, and breakin' & lubin' made me burst out so loud I'm pretty sure I woke some of the hotel guests. Well done sir, top form.





To play devil's advocate, it's possible the building manager had a very good reason for not responding to his phones. Assuming the reason his cell phone shut off after 5 hours was because the battery died. Consider that he may have been physically unable to answer. Possible reasons include appendicitis, death, even over-incarceration. Though I suppose not being able to respond to an emergency because he's in jail will still cost him his job.

[Broomjockey]

Consider that he may have been physically unable to answer. Possible reasons include appendicitis, death, even over-incarceration. Though I suppose not being able to respond to an emergency because he's in jail will still cost him his job.

While I grant you that death is a legitimate reason to not have answered, if he'd gone to jail, he should have made his boss his one phone call. That might have kept him his job. Alternatively, appendicitis or any other such malady still should have left him enough time to call someone. The odds of him being stricken down in an unrelated manner to his property are fairly astronomical.

[Jester]

Course it doesn't save him from the landline/pager equation. There's absolutely no way all 3 failed.

Agreed that all 3 couldn't fail, but there is always the possibility that he failed. As in he was in some way incapacitated. Some possibilities that might save him his job are a car accident, a hostage situation, falling and hitting his head and blacking out, falling into some body of water, thus killing his cell and pager, a stroke, death, being electrocuted, and being physically trapped when a very large hooker fell asleep on top of him.

Not saying that any of the above is likely. Just that it's possible.

"Are you a god?"

Yes. Yes I am.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am."

I actually recently used a vaguely similar line. I was the only Raiders fan at a bar filled with Eagles fans when the Raiders improbably beat the Eagles. One of the Eagles fans was trying to give me shit near the end of the game, but basking in the glow of the unlikely (but nevertheless ongoing) victory, I simply looked at him and said, "I'm sorry, Tom, I can't hear you over the deafening sound of the scoreboard." To paraphrase Charlie Daniels, Tom merely bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat.

Considering it's a charity lottery you'd think they could save a few bucks but cutting it down to every 10 minutes at least.

Considering it was for a charity, it is possible that the ads were done for free, either by the radio station or some outside production company, either as a donation to help the charity or possibly as a PSA (public service announcement), which radio stations run for free as a service to, well, the public. (I ever mention I was a broadcasting major in college?)

The odds of him being stricken down in an unrelated manner to his property are fairly astronomical.

Small, but hardly astronomical. See my list above. I am sure there are tons of other things that I didn't include in it or just didn't think of.

[Gravekeeper]

Considering it was for a charity <snip>

Possible, thought not probable. They hit several stations radio and TV, for months. Plus our services certainly aren't free. The tickets are seriously expensive though so I'm sure they figure they'll always break even and then some.

As for manager guy he'd best hope it was some sort of hostage situation. But it was just such a shut out. I mean no one answered at his residence and the answering machine clearly defined a female compatriot capable of alerting me to any circumstances if he did not. The possibility of there being absolutely no way to give me a heads up or at the very least an "I'm incapacitated, here call my boss if something happens".

I mean when you have 2 of 3 emergency services looking for you along with non-emergency municipal services you have to try really hard to stay under the radar. ;p