Tag Archive for 'lame'

My iPhone Died

Published
by
Adam Pieniazek
on August 1, 2008
in Apple
. 7 Comments

Yesterday, my iPhone stopped responding to touches or button presses. Now, this particular iPhone (an 8 GB, non 3G) has been acting up almost since I got it but it was never really a big issue. It would become unresponsive for a few seconds and then kick back in. Now, however, it simply does not load, charge or sync with iTunes. In fact, iTunes doesn’t even recognize that it is plugged in.

So to any of my friends who’ve tried reaching me by phone, send me an e-mail instead. Hopefully, Apple does me right and gives me a new iPhone. Surely they can spare an old model with everyone lusting for the 3G iPhone now!

The Environmentally Damaging City of Boston Recycling Program

Published
by
Adam Pieniazek
on March 28, 2008
in Boston, Economics and Government
. 4 Comments

Globalization is not a bad idea. In fact, free global trade (which the linked post argues does not currently exist) is a wonderful concept that would improve living conditions for the majority of earth’s inhabitants and is necessary for humans to survive. However, globalization creates oddities such as the below pictures.

Made in Canada - Boston Recycling Bin Front

Everything looks good, right? It’s just a City of Boston recycling bin, provided by the city to its residents so we may get our recyclables picked up once a week by the city. An overall good use of Bostonian tax dollars, right?

Well I thought so too, until today. Today is our trash and recycling pick-up day. Our recycling already got picked up so I went outside to bring the bins in and while doing so noticed a curious mark on the side of the bin.

Made in Canada - Boston Recycling Bin Side

I know it’s a bit blurry to see (taken with my iPhone) but the side of the recycling bin says “Made in Canada”. That’s right, the City of Boston’s recycling bins were made in Canada. Now, why is this use of foreign plastic bin makers such a big deal?

Well, for one think of the resources required to transport all these plastic bins from Canada to Boston. It’s ironic for a program designed to improve our environment to cause unnecessary pollution by using a faraway source for these bins.

Also, think of the economic benefit this bin manufacturing contract could have had to a plastic manufacture(s) here in Massachusetts. Even if the city government saved money by using the Canadian company, in the long run we lose money by it leaking out of our state economy and thus resulting in less jobs and less tax revenue.

All in all, it’s not the worst thing that the City of Boston has done but it doesn’t make sense why we didn’t use a company within the state to make these bins as it would have required less resources and thus been cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

Perhaps there’s something I’m unaware of behind the scenes that makes this situation logical. If any of you out there have additional facts about this story, please let me know via the comments for this post or by sending me an e-mail.

I Hate the Federal Reserve

Published
by
Adam Pieniazek
on March 24, 2008
in Accounting, Economics and Government
. 2 Comments

I just received an e-mail from the Executive Vice President of HSBC Direct informing me that HSBC is once again dropping the interest rate on my online savings account, this time from 3.55% to 3.05%! Aaargh! At least it’s only dropped by .5% but it’s still frustrating, especially considering the savings rate started at 5.05% and rose to 5.55% Of course, I knew this drop would happen sooner or later once the Federal Reserve dropped its interest rate from 3% to 2.25% but it’s still frustrating.

I’ve got nothing substantive to add, just wanted to vent.

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