Fun with Users
This morning I had my usual Monday morning bout with a block-headed user. I needed to reset the password on their account as they (naturally) had forgotten it:
Me: Ok, please sign into your computer.
User: (Blank Stare).
Me: I need you to log onto your computer.
User: With my username of yours?
Me: (Dumb-ass) With yours.
At this point the user attempts (several times) to type their username in. At this point it becomes clear that a user that can barely remember their own username has little to no chance of remembering their password. Eventually they succeeded.
Me: Ok, now type in "1234567" in the password field. You'll then be prompted to enter a new password.
User: It's not typing.
Me: You need to press the num-lock.
User: Huh?
Me: The number-lock. You need to press the number-lock...
User: (Blank Stare).
Me: (Crivvens). Allow me.
Trafalgar Day
I know it shouldn't surprise me at this point anymore, but it's still infuriating that so many people have no idea what the Battle of Trafalgar was (or in most cases that it ever happened). It's a sad comment on the Canadian public school system that when one of the most important battles in western history is mentioned, it succeeds only in raising a few eyebrows.
When I was growing up, I had an insatiable appetite for history and would constantly pick up second hand history books, texts and National Geographic's to fill that void as the history classes at school were pretty weak on interesting material. Unless it had "Canadian content", it was pretty much left out of the curriculum... and of course they also left out anything that might inflame Quebecois sensibilities (so interesting moments like the Plains of Abraham were quickly glossed over). That left us with the history of wheat fields, ice flows and the impression that the Battle of the Plains of Abraham was mild disagreement over what should go in poutine.
I've also noticed a disturbing trend in that our Government is hijacking history that it finds interesting, but doesn't insult the French (which is hard to do with Canadian History... it's either dull, or makes the French look really good at losing). There's a big government campaign on TV at the moment for some new currency designs to celebrate the War of 1812. While I would admit that the War of 1812 can be argued as technically being part of Canadian history, I really can't agree that the HMS Shannon's battle with USS Chesapeake is a significant part of Canadian heritage. While one, it was an interesting battle, in historical terms it probably wasn't significant enough to warrant being put on a two dollar coin. Two, it was a Royal Navy warship... it's only "Canadian" connection was that she was serving out of Halifax.
I guess that while the government has no problem making note of American embarrassments, embossing the burning of Washington on a two dollar coin (arguably a significantly greater event, and in part actually involving Canadians) would probably be going too far.
Anyway, if you haven't done so already (the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar was yesterday)... insult or throw something at a Frenchman today.
Out of the mouths of babes
I love how kids under the age of seven sing about everything. A couple of weeks ago my nephew was over playing lego and sang about what he was building for half an hour.
My brother's step-daughter wins the prize though. He was regaling me how she drove everyone nuts by singing the following during a car ride... for 45 minutes:
And the daddy says "yes"
And the mommy says "no"
And the dog goes "bark"
And the mommy goes: "hmm, hmm, hmm"
Nice song. I wonder what it means...
This morning I had my usual Monday morning bout with a block-headed user. I needed to reset the password on their account as they (naturally) had forgotten it:
Me: Ok, please sign into your computer.
User: (Blank Stare).
Me: I need you to log onto your computer.
User: With my username of yours?
Me: (Dumb-ass) With yours.
At this point the user attempts (several times) to type their username in. At this point it becomes clear that a user that can barely remember their own username has little to no chance of remembering their password. Eventually they succeeded.
Me: Ok, now type in "1234567" in the password field. You'll then be prompted to enter a new password.
User: It's not typing.
Me: You need to press the num-lock.
User: Huh?
Me: The number-lock. You need to press the number-lock...
User: (Blank Stare).
Me: (Crivvens). Allow me.
Trafalgar Day
I know it shouldn't surprise me at this point anymore, but it's still infuriating that so many people have no idea what the Battle of Trafalgar was (or in most cases that it ever happened). It's a sad comment on the Canadian public school system that when one of the most important battles in western history is mentioned, it succeeds only in raising a few eyebrows.
When I was growing up, I had an insatiable appetite for history and would constantly pick up second hand history books, texts and National Geographic's to fill that void as the history classes at school were pretty weak on interesting material. Unless it had "Canadian content", it was pretty much left out of the curriculum... and of course they also left out anything that might inflame Quebecois sensibilities (so interesting moments like the Plains of Abraham were quickly glossed over). That left us with the history of wheat fields, ice flows and the impression that the Battle of the Plains of Abraham was mild disagreement over what should go in poutine.
I've also noticed a disturbing trend in that our Government is hijacking history that it finds interesting, but doesn't insult the French (which is hard to do with Canadian History... it's either dull, or makes the French look really good at losing). There's a big government campaign on TV at the moment for some new currency designs to celebrate the War of 1812. While I would admit that the War of 1812 can be argued as technically being part of Canadian history, I really can't agree that the HMS Shannon's battle with USS Chesapeake is a significant part of Canadian heritage. While one, it was an interesting battle, in historical terms it probably wasn't significant enough to warrant being put on a two dollar coin. Two, it was a Royal Navy warship... it's only "Canadian" connection was that she was serving out of Halifax.
I guess that while the government has no problem making note of American embarrassments, embossing the burning of Washington on a two dollar coin (arguably a significantly greater event, and in part actually involving Canadians) would probably be going too far.
Anyway, if you haven't done so already (the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar was yesterday)... insult or throw something at a Frenchman today.
Out of the mouths of babes
I love how kids under the age of seven sing about everything. A couple of weeks ago my nephew was over playing lego and sang about what he was building for half an hour.
My brother's step-daughter wins the prize though. He was regaling me how she drove everyone nuts by singing the following during a car ride... for 45 minutes:
And the daddy says "yes"
And the mommy says "no"
And the dog goes "bark"
And the mommy goes: "hmm, hmm, hmm"
Nice song. I wonder what it means...
Perhaps that end abuser thought the 'Num Lock Key' is next to the 'Any Key'
ReplyDeleteWhile I can remember little details like the Officer Cadet that for carrying the injured Nelson below decks without orders, was court marshalled for abandoning his post (Something to do with him becoming the most senior functional officer on board.), I keep forgetting the name of the battle itself.
Memory, such a funny fuzzy thing.
I see "piggup", "catarl"... hmm I'll order a tab while I'm waiting...
ReplyDeleteMemory is indeed an interesting thing. I can recite entire episodes of the Simpsons and Family Guy, yet I fail to remember most peoples birthdays. The best device I found for that sort of thing is to relate a birthday (or other such special event) to something I do know, such as a famous battle. For that reason, I know that my mothers birthday is sometime between the anniversary of John Lennon's death and the attack on Pearl Harbor.