cktimes.ca Archives for Notes from a Garage


Notes from a Garage

With John Gardiner

Just a whole lot of band news....No, Pepsi is not okay and the trouble with technology,,,,,

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

You know, I started cktimes.ca about seven years ago.....I know, I know....how can it be that long ago? And I started it as a bit of a counterbalance to all the negativity in the mainstream news media. Well, it would seem I'm needed now more than ever. This morning, I watched A-Channel news and was dumbfounded by the constant barrage of bad news that flowed from my TV set. Accidents, fires, fraud, famine pestilence and on and on....If there's one story out of Italy, it's a train crash with 14 dead. If there's news out of Iran, it's about rioting in the streets....If there's a story from England, you can just bet it's bad news. Where the heck is the good news? I know it's out there but nobody's looking for it. In our modern society, it's clearly not news unless there are some type of tragic consequences. It's a big joke if you ask me and has a huge amount to do with the cynicism and frustration most of us have to deal with every day. As I've told you before, I'm a child of the Sixties and in the the Decade of Love we were strong believers in vibrations – good vibrations and bad vibrations. The feeling was that if you were surrounded by good "vibes" or feelings, that you would feel better yourself. And conversely, if you existed in a sea of negativity, you would more than likely be a negative force on the planet yourself. The big problem with the way the news media reports on stuff is that they almost completely ignore the good stuff – which I know is happening out there – because there are plenty of good people doing good work around the world. If I was made Managing Editor of the Globe and Mail tomorrow, the first thing I'd do is call my staff together and I'd have two instructions for them. First, if the rest of the media has it, we don't want it....at least we can be fresh and different. Second, when reporters are out there looking for stories, I expect as many good, positive stories, as bad negative ones. I'd like to see how that approach would work at a major media outlet. And if there's one thing I'd like to use the internet for, it's to start a grassroots movement to reduce the negativity and sensationalism in the mainstream media.....Let's make it happen.....send this column to a few friends and see if they agree. Let's start a movement right here and now!

Time to weigh in on the whole Coke/Pepsi thing – which is driving me crazy. I walked into a Kelsey's on the weekend and asked for a Coke. "Is Pepsi okay?" asked the waitress. "No," I answered. "It's not okay but I guess it will have to do." I told her to register a complaint with the manager that there was a disgruntled customer in the house. I also told her that in my opinion, any decent restaurant would make sure it had both Coke and Pepsi available because people who like Coke like Coke and people who like Pepsi like Pepsi – there really ain't no middle ground in this debate. But thse giant soft drink companies have decreed that restaurants must deal with only one of them. I think if a major restaurant chain is going to offer only Coke or Pepsi, they should have a huge sign out front announcing the fact. That way, people like me who are solid Coke drinkers could stay out of the damned Pepsi restaurants and vice versa. Of course, this whole Coke/Pepsi thing is just another example of the greed in our society. Coke and Pepsi won't share a market – both want it all. Well, you really have a disgruntled customer out here in cola land – I know you don't care.....but there are those of us who do....

So, I copy some music from my computer to a CD so I can play a song for some folks. When I get to their place and try to play the CD, I'm surprised because it won't work in either of two CD players on the premises. I think I've got a defective CD. So, the next week I copy it again, only this time onto a new CD.....I get to my destination and it still won't play. Someone asks me what format I've saved the song it. "MP3," I answer confidently, thinking it's the latest file format for music in the world of technology. My friend explains that I've likely got it in the wrong format....MP3's only play on certain machines....Man, I can't tell you how angry I am about all this technology stuff. A couple of months ago, I bought a digital video camera, only to discover it won't "interface" with my four-year-old computer....Sheeesh....Note to the boys in the tech department. If you're going to develop a new piece of technology, get it right before you release it to the public and make sure everyone's on the same page – using relatively the same type of equipment and stuff. No, I've pretty well had it with modern technology. If I wsn't operating an online newspaper, my computer would likely be at the bottom of the Sydenham River.....I'm totally sick of it.

Well, there are a few rants for you....sorry but just had to get that out of my system.....hope you're enjoying all the rain and cool weather....and take care and remember, "Hew to the line; let the chips fall where they may."



John Gardiner is a 25-year-veteran of the community newspaper business, but he is also a prolific writer of moralistic short fiction he refers to as "emotional thoughtscapes" or "adult fables". Samples of his fiction can be found at:

He has also produced a noteworthy piece of humanist philosophy which can be found at: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aboiten/ad502.htm He welcomes comments on his work.