Into The Storm, movie review + "Night of the Twisters"

So the remake of "Night of the Twisters" came out recently, with a name change and some plot changes - but it is essentially the same movie.

Don't believe me? Watch "Into The Storm" at the movie theatre and then watch "Night of the Twisters" on YouTube further below.

The biggest difference between the two movies is that "Into The Storm" has infinitely better graphics. Behind the tornadoes, the drama in both movies is an emphasis on the importance of family and perseverance/survival.

I give the graphics for Into The Storm 5 stars - but I only give the drama / plot 3 stars. Honestly, I would watch tornado movies just for the graphics if the movie was nothing but tornadoes and just skip the plot entirely. Just 2 hours of mind-blowing graphics and tornado carnage would be something I would love to watch.


INTO THE STORM, TRAILER



NIGHT OF THE TWISTERS, FULL MOVIE

Battle of the Ginger Beers

Behold!

Royalty Ginger Beer Vs Vita Malt Ginger Beer. Which is best?

If you are not familiar with ginger beer, it tastes like ginger ale but spicier. In case you were wondering, there is NO alcohol in ginger beer - it is basically just a really strong ginger ale. Sort of like "root beer" has no alcohol in it either.

Anyway, back to my taste test contest.

First up was the Vita Malt Ginger Beer - omidragon this stuff was horrible. I have good tasting ginger beers in the past, but this stuff was so strong and had a weird extra flavouring in it. Maybe it was the malt, but whatever it is the stuff tasted absolutely horrible. I do not recommend that stuff at all. I was tempted to throw it out after tasting it, but forced myself to drink all of it because I was hoping "maybe it is something you have to drink more of to appreciate". Well the answer is no, the stuff is horrid. Don't even try it.

And then there was yesterday. After the Vita Malt disaster, I had really low expectations for the Royalty Ginger Beer.

But then I tasted it and my mind was blown. It was spicy, not too much, but spicy, and it was also sweet - truth be told it was a little too sweet. But it was actually the best tasting ginger beer I have ever had.

So applause for Royalty Ginger Beer. That stuff is absolutely amazing. I am going to be buying more of it in the near future and even introducing friends to it. I am positive other people will love it too. I have already introduced one other friend to Royalty Ginger Beer and they also loved it.

Two thumbs way up for Royalty Ginger Beer. (And booooo to the makers of Vita Malt. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Sometimes the customer is a moron

Ever heard the phrase "The customer is always right."

You know who invented that phrased? Customers that complain a lot and always try to get their way. (And then whine about it when they don't get their way.)

Truth be told, if you've ever worked in the service industry (doesn't matter what sector, any kind of service will do) you eventually meet a customer who starts demanding freebies, exceptions to the rule, and complains very loudly.

We all do it sometimes, especially when the situation warrants it.

But when you are on the receiving end of a customer who is verbally abusive (and I would argue "crazy") and thinks that they are entitled to an exception to your company policy, well then you have one solution.

Tell the customer to leave and take their business elsewhere.

Why? Because sometimes dealing with crazy customers just isn't worth it.

True, bending over backwards for customers makes for great customer service relationships. But sometimes customers are just demanding things that they have no entitlement for.

Take for example a dentist who receives people on an appointment basis. What happens when you don't show up for your appointment?

Well, the dentist charges you a fee because you missed your appointment and didn't show up. (And this fee is not covered by insurance by the way. YOU pay the fee if you miss the appointment.)

So imagine for example if the dentist gets a crazy person who refuses to pay the fee for missing their appointment, what do you think the dentist will do?

Answer - Refuse to serve that person until they agree to pay the fee. Why? Because they have Term of Service agreement wherein if you agree to schedule a cleaning for your teeth, then you are automatically agreeing to a ToS that says you also agree to pay any fees if you miss your appointment.

And such Terms of Service are normal for many industries. Dentists, personal trainers, massage therapists, basically anyone who works on an appointment basis.

On the other hand some businesses are more products based - and products come with warranties.

So for example if you go to an Audiologist in Mississauga and you purchase a Clarity XL-30 Amplified Telephone (a special telephone for people who have hearing difficulties), well then it comes with an one year warranty from the manufacturer.

Which means as long as the warranty is still good, you're fine. The manufacturer covers the cost of replacing or fixing your telephone. Which means the hearing clinic in Mississauga will be fine with providing you with full service to help you to fix or replace your phone. If however your warranty has expired, then they just have to point to the warranty and give you two options:

1. Pay to have it sent to the manufacturer and have it repaired.

2. Buy a new telephone with a new warranty.

Places like the above mentioned audiologist / hearing clinic always have great records for customer service - largely because they have warranties, receipts, records of clients, and they don't work on an appointment basis. If someone is late for showing up to purchase hearing aids or special telephones for the hearing impaired, or if they forget to show up, do you know what happens? The customer shows up later eventually anyway and it changes nothing for the audiologist working there.

But for the poor dentist or anyone working on a strict appointment based schedule, they don't just have appointments - they have a freaking WAITING ROOM with magazines and other things to keep you occupied. So you go there for your appointment, and then you WAIT for the dentist to be ready for you.

And if you don't show up, well then you get charged a fee.

At which point you have to wonder, what percentage of dentist customers complain about the extra fee for missing their cleaning, because the vast majority of people just nod, realize they are in the wrong, and then pay the fee.

It is really just the 1% of customers out there who want to be "squeaky wheels who get the grease" who would refuse to pay the fee.

At which point the dentist - or more precisely, the secretary working for the dentist - points to the Terms of Service agreement in the Fine Print.

At which point only a very small percentage of crazy / cheap people will complain about it. The chances of meeting one of these people is multiplied by the number of cheap people out there, multiplied by the percentage of people who feel they are entitled, and multiplied again by the number of people who like to argue and complain loudly until they are blue in the face.

In other words (since we are dealing with small percentages) the final number is pretty small and very rare.

But when you meet one of those crazy customers you understand and realize the same thing:

Those people are freaking lunatics.

Chapman's Sport Frozen Popsicles

I saw these popsicles at the grocery store recently and decided to take a closer look.

They say "Sport" on them, but they're basically just sugar, water, chemicals and flavouring.

Evidently the "Sport" and "Hydration" on them is an advertising gimmick designed to trick stupid people who don't look at the ingredients. Want hydration? Drink some water!

Booooooooooo! Shame on you Chapman's!

Mockingjay Part 1 Poster + review of Hercules starring Dwayne Johnson

Saw this movie poster further below recently when I went to see the new Hercules movie (starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Hercules) which was "good / okay", but nothing spectacular. I liked the fact that they made the Hercules story more realistic - no magic or gods whatsoever in the film - and how it played upon the myth vs reality theme.

BTW, watch the credits at the end of Hercules - totally worth it.

Anyway, back to the Mockingjay poster... Is it just me or does the Mockingjay look a bit like the Toronto Blue Jays' logo? True, they're both jays, but the similarities feel like they go beyond that. Copyright infringement, probably not. Especially when you look at the Blue Jays pumpkin further below.

Ever had your order messed up at the drive-thru?

Have you ever gone to the drive thru at a fast food restaurant and they mess up your order - possibly on purpose?

This happened to myself recently when we went to the Wendy's drive thru near Beaches Toronto.

We ordered a double cheesburger combo and a bacon burger combo.

And then the woman on the speaker goes "Do you want a small, medium or large combo?

To which we both went "Huh? What is a small, medium or large combo?"

And the woman refused to explain.

So we both said we wanted the regular combo.

And then the woman apparently punched in large for my cheeseburger.

So then I asked her to change it, because we could see the mistake on the drive-thru screen.

And the woman said okay, but the screen stayed the same.

So when we get up to pay and collect our food the bill seems surprisingly high, and the drinks look surprisingly larger than we expected.

And when we get the bill we see that the woman messed up our orders completely. She charged us extra for the large combo, and extra AGAIN for the medium combo.

Based on the receipt apparently medium is NOT the same as "regular" - even though we both asked for REGULAR.

Frustrated, and knowing we would only end up with an argument and an horrible customer service experience I chose instead to take a photo of the receipt (shown above) and then share this experience with others.

My advice?

#1. COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR MISTAKE MORE BEFORE YOU GET THE FOOD.

#2. If the total they quote you sounds wrong, it probably is. See #1 over again to make sure they don't mess up your order.

#3. Document the mistake so you can complain about it later. I am sending a copy of this post to Wendys.ca via their customer feedback website.

#4. Demand a refund for their mistake and boycott that restaurant until you get a refund and apology.

We shall be going to Burger King, A&W and other restaurants instead until we get a refund and an apology.

And it is NOT the money that matters. I am only out $1.78 + HST, what bothers me is just how poor the service was that they messed up our order not once, but twice.

Duck Eggs and Quail Eggs

Wow. Duck Eggs and Quail Eggs.

I didn't even know I could buy these. Specialty grocery stores are awesome.

However I see no reason to purchase them - no recipes that call for them. I will stick to my extra large brown eggs I usually buy.

Ironhorse Bicycle with Super Thick Tires

Oooooo I want this bicycle. I saw this in the store and just had to try it out for size for fun.

The extra big tires give the bicycle more bounce - but also increases the weight of the bicycle (which makes it slower). Still I think it would be fun to ride sometime.

Available at Canadian Tire. Very shiny.

Gillette Fusion ProGlide Power Razor

I recently purchased the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Power Razor at CostCo (it was on sale and I was looking for a new razor anyway).

I tried the razor for the first time this morning.

Wow. Very happy with the results.

I was skeptical of the whole flexing ball thing, and doubly skeptical of the idea of a vibrating razor while I am shaving. I thought for sure I was going to end up cutting my face.

Instead what happened was one of the quickest, smoothest, most comfortable shaves I have experienced in years. (Comparable to several 3 and 4 blade razors I reviewed several years ago, only better.)

So yes. Shock and surprise at how good the razors are. And very, VERY happy with the results.

Shopping for a New Microwave

My SHARP "Carousel" microwave died two weeks ago and I have been dragging my feet about purchasing a new one.

6 Steps to Buy a New Microwave

#1. Measure the space in inches and record down the dimensions of the space for your new microwave.

You will need the width, height and depth of the space. Mine is a little more than 24 inches wide, 20 inches tall and 21 inches deep.

Thus any microwave that size or smaller will fit, but ideally I want something that fits the space perfectly.

#2. Research different microwave brands and models online - via homedepot.ca and similar websites.

Don't just go to the store and buy the first one you see that fits.

#3. Make a list of any special features you want on your microwave.

Compare the different brands and models and find several that fit your needs.

Sometimes you can find the exact same model of microwave on sale at a different store or $20 to $50 cheaper. Confirm that the chosen model is the correct size for the space by checking the dimensions.

#4. Compare customer feedback / reviews.

If a microwave has a lot of bad reviews, maybe you should not purchase it.

#5. Optional - After making your decision wait for your chosen microwave to be on sale and then purchase it. You don't have to do this right away, but it is certainly an option.

#6. Purchase it right away if you feel "The Price is Right".

So which microwaves am I contemplating purchasing?

Well, the following models fit - and I am not too picky about which special features come on the microwave.

Danby 1.1 Cubic Feet Microwave-Stainless - $118 - RATED 5 STARS BY REVIEWERS.

Haier 1.6 Cubic Feet Over The Range Microwave - $199 - AT 29 INCHES WIDE IT IS TOO WIDE!!!

General Electric (GE) 1.6 Cubic Feet Over-The-Range Microwave Oven - $378 - 5 STAR RATING, BUT ALSO TOO WIDE FOR THE SPACE!!!

There was also a lot of unrated microwaves that had not been reviewed by anyone. Like these two that are identical except for their exteriors.

LG 1.5 Cubic Feet Countertop Microwave with Easyclean, Stainless Steel - $198

LG 1.5 Cubic Feet Countertop Microwave with Easyclean, White Exterior - $158

So you save $40 just by purchasing the white one instead of the stainless steel. (And it weighs 6.5 lbs less.)

So now that I have found several I like I just have to compare prices at different stores and then go pick up the one I like after I make my final decision.

The stainless steel LG is tempting just because it is easier to clean, but is it worth $40 more just for easier cleaning? I think not.

UPDATE - I found the same two microwaves at Future Shop on sale. Purchased the white version of the LG 1.5 for a mere $139.99. The stainless steel version was $159.99.