Man I'm lazy

Sorry for the lack of anything this week. I haven't felt like writing anything in a while, and it seems like all my free time is spent playing Guild Wars. I told myself I wouldn't let it take over my life, but it's doing its best to make a liar of me. It's my problem, I'll deal with it.

More tales of greeting card woe. My sister's birthday is coming up, so yesterday I set out to find her a birthday card. She always sends my brother and I funny cards, so I try to do that same. Apparently somebody at greeting card world headquarters heard that fart jokes are funny, and as a result there were a large number of cards containing fart jokes. I don't know why anyone would send a fart-related birthday card, but I guess there's no accounting for taste.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good fart joke, but it seems completely wrong for a birthday card.

Aside from those, there were at least 3 different variations on the same joke, with the exact same wording and everything. Different fonts and artwork, but otherwise the exact same card. It wasn't even a particularly good joke to begin with, so I can't see why they made 3 different versions of it.

Another trend I noticed was that they're making cards with very extravagent things inside. I saw figures mounted on springs so when you opened the card they jumped, intricate folding panels, even one with blinking lights. No doubt all these are designed to make cards as a whole cost even more. Even the simple one I eventually bought cost over 3 bucks. I think the blinking light one was over 6. No wonder the card companies make over $5 billion a year.

I looked at the non-humourous birthday cards too, but they all seemed either bland or slightly depressing. They were no doubt meant to be inspirational, but they missed the mark, at least with me

All my gripes with the greeting card industry are beginning to make me think that I could do better. Another idea to toy with in my head, I guess. Regardless, I'll stop venting about it until the next time I have to buy a card.

I'm trying to think of something else I did this week, but I'm drawing a blank. The job fair at Cognos probably won't amount to anything. I don't think the guy I talked to was too impressed when I told him I didn't really go for the whole web-based application trend, because basically everything Cognos does is web-based. Oops. I figured they'd have at least one stand-alone application package, but I guess not.

It seemed like a strange way to run a fair too. They were only letting in 10 or so people at a time, so the line stretched across the entire front of the building and around the side. At one end we were given a form to fill out describing what we knew, and then waited to get in. The line was like a ringtone convention with all the various cell phones going off. I heard some good ones, and some absolutely awful ones. Astro Boy got heard when I managed to get involved in the convention, so at least something worked out.

Once a group got in the door, they were immediately swarmed by a mob of workers who looked at your form and told you what colour-coded table to go to. This process was repeated twice more at various places on the way to the actual fair, which was set up in the cafeteria. If I do get a job there, that cafeteria will be seeing a lot of me. It was fully stocked.

I might be doing some work with Barrel over the next week and a bit. Washing cars isn't really my thing, but it'll be a good chance to do something, make a little money, and have a good time with a friend.

I'm looking forward to it.