A system outage is one thing when you’re trying to binge a series or catch up on the latest episode.
But when it makes you miss out on a moment in Canadian history because their infrastructure can’t keep up? That, my friends, as they say, is some bullshit.
The @Raptors didn't make it in Game 5, but @Bell customers took the BIGGEST L tonight with Fibe TV going down in the game's final seconds.
For those of you who didn’t have the pleasure of experiencing what a very expensive screw job feels like, Bell’s Fibe Alt-TV service crapped out on its thousands of customers not only once during the 2019 NBA Finals, but twice. The first time was in Game 5 with forty-odd seconds left on the clock, leaving us scrambling to find out whether our Toronto Raptors won their first NBA title or not, and leaving us saying “Well, at least it wasn’t the game winner!”
Yeah… well, we shouldn’t have held our breath for Game 6.
I only have a vague idea how the Raptors won because I had Sportsnet’s live tracker running on my iPad, but with four minutes left in the game, Fibe Alt-TV crapped out yet again, making us piece the action together through pirate streams, social media and whatever other info we could find.
As I write this, I hear all the honking, cheering and fireworks outside, a city awash with joy after twenty-four years of waiting, the true fans redeemed for all their patience. But seeing Kawhi Leonard’s free throws after the fact just wasn’t the same. Missing Van Vleet’s critical three. I wanted to be there with the millions of other Canadians on the edge of their seats for our time to shine, but I missed it for what? Unexpected server load? Untested fibre optic technology? For someone who’s only been a Bell customer a few months, it makes me wonder what our future relationship has in store.
So, Bell, what do we do? Do I find a service that’s more reliable? Do we make services cheaper since they’re not performing as advertised? Either way, friends, we’ve gotta do better.
Sincerely, your very disappointed customer,
–Casey Palmer
Tell your wife, tell your kids, tell your husbands:
“Ain’t nobody dope as me; I’m just so fresh, so clean!”
— OutKast, “So Fresh So Clean”, Stankonia (2000)
This is your house on parenthood.
Following a weekend church retreat to picturesque Muskoka Lakes where Walmer Road Baptist Church’s congregation studied The Word, found peace in tranquil nature, and connected with those they wouldn’t normally chat with otherwise… all was not well in Casa de Palmer.
A restful weekend in the woods it was not for the recently-expanded Palmer family, with new surroundings, smells and sounds driving their infant son to crying fits well into the wee hours of the morning. Sneaking naps in through the weekend while they swapped off on parenting duties, it was all they could do to survive and muster the energy to drive the hours back home to where things made sense.
It’s the last day of the year and time to close up shop. Zach survived A Sponsored Life, Sarah begat new life unto the world, and you know what? It’s been a solid year.
How solid, though? These last few posts should tell the tale!
Even though Maverick PR’s #OpenEnvelope-inspiring tweet likely got some would-be attendees to stay in and out of the cold of Snowmageddon, if there’s one thing that I’ve learned about Ford Canada, it’s this—they definitely know how to throw an event!
How far will you go to party?
Though many weren’t willing to brave Snowmageddon to attend “another social media event”, I’ll be one to tell them that they missed out! It was a testament to tenacity on Friday, February 8th, as a number of us made it out to Ford Canada’s Blue Party! Held at the Sound Academy on the south end of Toronto, the Blue Party was all about bringing a number of Toronto bloggers together to see the unveiling of the 2014 Ford Fiesta, a fuel-efficient hatchback with a slick look to it!
I’ll admit, I didn’t know what it was for, but since I knew the guy, I figured it wouldn’t be for spam!
Not one to waste time questioning messages from people I know, I sent it along, not knowing what would come next.
What did come next was this —
I was fortunate enough to get a ride there with my friend Christine, but even if you weren’t driving in, Ford even hooked it up with a shuttle service to the venue:
Shuttle pickup at 630-7 UnionSTN ACC entrance, look for Black Expedition with Ford Oval in windshield #FordBlueTO
With one of the most painless check-in processes I’d ever seen, we got our badges, checked out coats, posed for pictures—and got greeted by members of the Ford Canada team and glasses of the Blue Grand Margarita (the event’s dangerously addictive drink of choice) as soon as we got in the door!
No matter where you looked, there was something you could do:
Catch up With Friends
It was good hanging with Christine again, and catching up with the likes of Alexa and Zach with many other friends in the house 😊
Gaming and Leisure
One corner held games and grooming, with a foosball table, two games offering head-to-head racing competition, and stations for manicures, makeover and massages (oh my!)
Boys and their Toys
Ford displayed choice cars all over the floor, with detailed specs for each so you could understand what you could come to expect by being a Ford owner:
The food—oh my goodness, I don’t know who they got to cater this, but the food was delicious. I had Justin jealous with the livetweeting of everything I was cramming down my throat, and he’s lucky that there was so much sensory overload going on all night, or there would’ve been plenty more:
An excuse to rock an outfit
It’s been a while since I’ve done a Battle of the Bands, so the sequined vest sat in the closet, waiting to come out and play. The Ford Blue Party was the perfect opportunity to do so, and I think it worked out quite well!
Music and Entertainment
The dance moves of the Mayhem Dance Group and Kiss 92.5’s DJ Clymaxxx on the 1s and 2s made sure that this party was happening.
When I win, TeamTrolling wins
One of the unexpected twists of the night was winning a pair of wicked tickets to a Toronto Raptors game—all for dancing; something I would’ve done anyway. It’s like I say: there’s no reward for the timid. Life isn’t going to hook you up for standing on the wall and trying to look “cool”—get in there and show the world what you’ve got! With that said, thank you Ford Canada for the tickets—Justin and I had a great time—but more on that later!!!
In case you need context for just how awesome these seats were, check this out to see Section 108, Row 14:
(SO GOOD.)
And of course, the 2014 Ford Fiesta
With Ford doing such a great job at engaging existing car lovers as well as trying to find new demographics, it’s great that the car looks as good as it does! With Sarah and I looking to buy a car in 2013, Ford’s made itself a contender, and I’ll be happy to spread the message of all they’re doing to adapt to an ever-changing world of social engagement. It’s good that there was a message behind all the lights and glamour, though…
The Overall Messages
The Ford Canada team made sure that we wouldn’t be drinking and driving, offering shuttle rides home to anyone in need, and making sure that everyone knew their limit. On top of that, we weren’t beholden to write anything, but from what I’ve seen, people are sharing the message because they had a great time. Of course, when a party is invite-only, it has its share of haters, as seen in the screen cap below:
With haters, you’ve gotta take the venom in stride…
To the haters, here’s a message—you receive from social media what you put into it. I mean this on two fronts—put negativity and snide remarks in, you’re going to get the same back. People generally extend a hand to those who they can respect and build relationships with. Why would you want to keep someone around who’s just bringing a negative attitude and poisonous words to the table? Also, if you think you should be entitled to attend an event because you’ve already invested in the group holding it, prove your worth. Write blogs about your experiences. Make videos of other friends giving products a try. Shouting at the top of the mountain that you’ve been overlooked or wronged only makes you look like a complainer, which brings us right back to the negative energy point. Be part of the solution, not the problem.
All in all, I’m happy that Ford Canada invited me to 2013’s Blue Party, and I hope it sets the tone for the rest of the year’s events!
How did YOU guys spend Snowmageddon?
Thanks for reading, guys!
Tell your wife, tell your kids, tell your husbands:
